#Week8

[foxwithadarkside]

-Wrecker, I know how to swim! -But you don't have a hand, you need to practice!

Summer of Bad Batch 2024 Week 8 / Main Prompt: Swimming Lessons Everybody gets the meme, right? :3 (I know SOBB doesn't do reblogs anymore, so I tagged you. I think you're gonna like it. @kybercrystals94)

[kybercrystals94]

A Tiny, Unfamiliar Voice

Read here on Ao3!

Summer of Bad Batch 2024 | Week 8 | Alternate Prompt: Lula

Rated: G | Words: 422 | Summary: A missing scene from 3x15...Wrecker is recovering after Tantiss and meets a new friend.

“Are you awake?” a tiny voice whispers. 

A tiny, young, unfamiliar voice. 

Wrecker groans. He doesn’t want to open his eyes. He doesn’t want to wake up. Not yet. He feels floaty and heavy all at once. And painless. He’s contentedly numb. He doesn’t remember the last time he felt no pain at all, not in his muscles or his head or his heart…he doesn’t want it to end. 

Something pokes his cheek. “Hello? Omega’s brother? Are you awake?” 

Turning his head, Wrecker cracks open his good eye. A blurry figure stares back at him. Red, tan skin. Blue eyes. Small. Very small. A child. 

The figure gasps. “You are awake! Dr. Karr said you’d wake up soon.” 

“Who���re you?” Wrecker slurs. His tongue feels thick and useless.

The child seems to understand anyway and moves closer. “I’m Eva. I’m helping Dr. Karr take care of you.” 

Wrecker’s mind catches up. Omega.

“Where’s Omega?” Wrecker asks slowly, forcing his tongue to cooperate. 

The child – Eva – folds her arms on the cot, practically nose to nose with him. “Mmm…” she says thoughtfully. “I think she’s with Crosshair. They took Batcher on a walk.”

“She’s safe?” His vision begins to focus, his numb reality sharpening. 

“Echo says everyone is safe,” Eva tells him. She leans back. “Do you wanna see my doll?” 

Wrecker isn’t even given a moment to answer before a little toy is put in front of his face. It looks like it is made out of grass of some kind, with long ears and a familiar face. “Lula?” he asks. 

“No, her name isn’t Lula,” Eva says, bouncing the doll back and forth. “I call her Flower.” 

“She’s nice,” Wrecker murmurs, grinning. 

Eva beams. “Thanks! Dr. Karr gave her to me. Hey, what’s your name again? Omega told me, but I forgot.” 

“Wrecker.” 

Eva wrinkles her nose. “Oh, yeah. That’s a funny name.” 

“Can you think of a better one?” Wrecker asks. 

Eva glances up at the ceiling, considering. “No. But that’s okay. I like Wrecker. Even if it is kinda funny.” 

“Thanks,” Wrecker says. Sleep is calling to him again, his eyelids practically slipping shut on their own. 

Eva leans in close again, her eyes peering directly into his. “Are you going back to sleep?” she whispers. 

“Maybe,” Wrecker yawns. 

“Oh.” Eva blinks at him. “Can I still sit with you, even when you’re asleep? I’ll be quiet.” 

“Sure,” Wrecker mumbles. 

Eva hums happily. Wrecker drifts back to blissful unconsciousness to the sweet sound of Eva singing Flower a lullaby. 

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Tag List: @followthepurrgil @amorfista @mooncommlink @arctrooper69 @nagyanna424 @proteatook @ezras-left-thumb @maeashryver @baddest-batchers @laughhardrunfastbekindsblog @omegafett99

[tlmtwelve]

Lula's ready for her swimming lessons!

Week 8 Prompt: @summer-of-bad-batch

[neyswxrld]

of ration bars & allergies

Hunter, no pairing

summary: Hunter tries a new ration bar. Little does he know that his immune system isn't amused at all and he has a heavy allergic reaction. Luckily, his brothers are there for comfort. Set before Echo joined the squad.

warnings: heavy allergic reaction: rash, difficulties with breathing, stomach aches and throwing up, needles and injections

words: ~1540

a/n: hello! another fic for @summer-of-bad-batch! man, i feel like i'm slowly filling all the prompts, hehe. this time i combined lula and "hold still.". it also might scratch on the comfort zone prompt, hehe. i luckily never had a severe reaction like that, but i researched that there are different stages and i thought if hunter has enhanced senses he might get a worse reaction, even though senses ≠ immune system. BUT! please don't expect this to be an accurate process of a reaction. well. i hope you still enjoy!

MASTERLIST

They are sitting in the cockpit of the Marauder.

Hyperspace is flowing around them, and they are on their way to their next mission.

Wrecker is lifting Gonky, training his arms. Crosshair is napping in a chair. Hunter is sure his neck will hurt as soon as he wakes up. Tech is sitting in the pilot seat, tinkering with some of his new projects.

And Hunter? He is just lingering in a chair next to Crosshair, eating some rations and enjoying the small break between missions. The last few were very stressful, and he was happy to just do nothing for once.

All his reports are done already (well, he thinks so at least) and his brothers are safe and happy for the moment.

Everything is fine and relaxing. Nothing bad is going on.

Or at least it seems like it.

When he first notices the uncomfortable feeling in his throat, he thinks nothing of it.

This new ration bar they have on board for now is very dry and has a foreign taste, but he doesn't mind it. He actually likes it a lot. But he has to drink a lot because of it. He thinks the feeling comes from the weird mixture.

Then, within the next minute, he realizes that his breathing is getting unusual. He has problems with taking air in, and he actually feels like someone is putting their hands around his neck, strangling him.

He coughs and turns around to make sure that isn't the case, but of course: no one is there. It is just his throat that did odd things.

But when time goes on, and his throat gets even worse, panic slowly makes its way into his system.

It is not just a scratchy throat - his whole mouth and lips are tingly, too, and when he touches them, he realizes that they have to be swollen.

"Tech," he coughs, and puts his hand on his throat, trying to scratch it. But it doesn't really help, because it is inside of it.

"Tech, I can't breathe," he croaks, his voice just above a whisper.

Tech immediately turns around, Wrecker plops down Gonky and moves in closer, and even Crosshair opens his eyes, suddenly wide awake and looking at him worried.

When Tech looks into Hunter's face, his eyes get big.

For a few seconds, none of them moves. Everyone just sits still, while Hunter coughs, pulling at his throat.

"Wrecker, get the med kit," Tech orders.

Then, all of them move at high speed.

Wrecker is sprinting away, coming back with the small kit, Crosshair runs to the bathroom to wet some towels, while Tech is crouching in front of Hunter, ordering him to open his mouth.

"Your tongue is swollen, too. And you have a rash on your face. What happened?" he asks, but Hunter just keeps coughing.

He holds up his hand with the ration bar, showing it to Tech, who seems to understand.

He pulls out his med scanner and uses it on the Sergeant.

Crosshair takes the wet towel to carefully wipe away some of Hunter's sweat and cool his face.

Hunter feels worse with every second.

He is getting nauseous and his stomach starts to ache. He is sure being hit by a speeder would be more pleasant.

He absolutely doesn't know, what is going on. Something like that never happened to one of them before. And it happened so, so fast! A few moments ago he was fine, and now he was scared of dying!

It has to be because of this new ration bar. He didn't do anything different from his routine today.

"What's going on with him?" he hears Wrecker, but it feels like he was far away.

He still can't breathe well, and he notices how some black dots seem to invade his field of view.

"I think he has an allergic reaction," is all Tech says, before a needle picks his skin.

"Ouch, Tech!" Hunter coughs and tries to move away, but Crosshair and Wrecker are at his side immediately.

"Hold still, di'kut," Crosshair hisses as Tech takes out another injection.

Even though Hunter feels like his throat gets a bit better immediately, it's the last thing he hears from them, before he slowly starts to fade away, letting the dark spots take over.

When he wakes up the next time, he's laying in his bunk.

There's a breathing mask across his face, and he notices that he can breathe much better than before. His throat doesn't feel thick and scratchy anymore, but he still feels very nauseous.

"Hunter? Are you awake?" he hears Wrecker's voice. He notices how he tries to be quiet, but it doesn't really work.

He nods and opens his eyes carefully.

A wave of nausea hits him again, making him gag.

"You need a bucket?"

Hunter nods, rips his breathing mask off his face and not a second later, he is bent over said bucket, throwing up his guts.

Wrecker's hand comes down to hold his hair back from his face.

"Thanks," he groans before gagging another time.

"Tech said you have an allergic reaction. It's better than before now, but you still have some symptoms. Enhanced senses an' stuff... Made it worse," Wrecker explains and helps him to sit down comfortable.

"Are you feeling better?" he wants to know a second later. Hunter just shrugs.

"Nauseous," he murmurs, just for his stomach to cramp together just a second later. "Argh," he whimpers and curls up.

"I'll go get him," Wrecker stands up when he sees Hunter's pain and is out of the room a second later.

When Tech arrives with his other two brothers in tow, he checks Hunter over again and tells him some stuff about his immune system's reaction he already forgets a second later. Even though he doesn't feel as bad as just an hour ago, there are still different aches in his body.

He throws up another time before the others can leave again.

Wrecker is at his side immediately, bringing him is bucket again.

"Thanks," he moans, but doesn't feel well at all.

He doesn't even know how his stomach is still able to come up with contents.

"You should lay down again. I'll bring you some medicine," Tech murmurs, and off he goes. Wrecker follows him, trying to help him with whatever he's doing with the meds.

Crosshair pats his legs through his blanket. He is still a little white around his nose.

When he slowly stands up, Hunter reaches for him unconsciously.

"Can you stay?" he asks quietly. Crosshair looks down on him again, before nodding.

"Yeah, just give me a second…," he murmurs and walks over to Wrecker's bunk. 

"What're you doing?" Hunter wants to know.

"Nothing," Crosshair gives as an answer, but a second later, he is by his side again, pressing Lula into his hands, trying to look disinterested and nonchalant. "Here."

Hunter can look through his façade but doesn't say anything.

"Lula? Why?" Hunter still asks confused when he pats the plushies head.

"Just take it," Crosshair growls, and shakes the plushy impatiently.

"And when I throw up on her?" Hunter asks again. He still feels sick, and tired, and at the same time the meds from before make his brain weird.

"Then we'll wash it," Crosshair assures him.

"Okay," Hunter whispers again and presses the plushie onto his chest, hiding his face between her ears.

"You think Wrecker will mind?" Hunter questions then. Crosshair shakes his head. Hunter smiles.

A weird but still very familiar smell tickles his nose. She smells like oil, sweat, fear, grieve, and like his brothers. Especially like Wrecker. And Crosshair.

He immediately feels better.

"Can you tell me something?" Hunter asks, looking for even more comfort.

Crosshair looks at him with raised eyebrows.

"Please? For your sick favorite brother," he tries to tease.

Crosshair scoffs. "You're not my favorite brother."

Hunter's smile widens. "Yes, I am."

Crosshair rolls his eyes, before sighing quietly.

"You remember those regs from last mission?"

Hunter nods.

"Found their secret stash," he admits, and pulls out a small bag of gummies out of nowhere.

"That's not what I wanted to know. Crosshair! You can't steal stuff," he murmurs.

Crosshair opens the pack in a demonstrating way and pulls out a handful of the colorful sweets.

"Yes I can!" he just says and offers some to Hunter. He shakes his head. He doesn't want to throw them up again.

"How did you even find it? If it's secret, it had to be in their barracks," Hunter says, already worrying about possible complaints they might receive in foreseen future.

Crosshair starts to tell about his adventures in the regs' barracks, and Hunter slowly starts to drift off while listening to the quiet voice of his brother.

He is already out of it again before Tech comes back with the meds.

Over the day, he wakes up various times, to either throw up or drink some water. He still feels nauseous and his stomach was still very upset, but every time he opens his eyes, Lula is still in his arms, comforting him, and Crosshair is still sitting next to them, taking care of him.

MASTERLIST

TAGLIST

@isthereanechoinhere96 @trixie2023 @freesia-writes

[summer-of-bad-batch]

Week 8 Prompt Drop!

Main Prompt: Swimming Lessons

Alternate Prompt: Lula

Launching into Week 8 means there's only 5 weeks left of Summer of Bad Batch...doesn't it feel like only a few days ago we were starting on Week 1?? I've been so blown away by all the amazing creativity that has gone into filling each and every one of these prompts thus far! Keep up the good work, y'all are amazing!!

This Week's Tags:

#summerofbadbatch2024 #week8 #swimming lessons #lula

Reminder! Don't forget to tag this blog in your Tumblr fills! For some reason, some posts don't show up even when they're tagged properly ☹️ If your fill was missed for reflagging even though it met blog rating criteria, please tag me in the comments on your post!

[thehippiesimmer]

After Winterfest eve Allison and Clement welcomed Noel and Bell Frost

[derrickluqinglee]

Can Crowdfunding Build a Community for Creatives?

Crowdfunding is a unique and effective way for people who are passionate about something to raise money for their initiatives and meet other like-minded people in the internet era. This kind of internet fundraising can help build lively, involved communities in addition to supporting artistic endeavours. In this blog, we'll examine how crowdfunding might help creatives create a community that supports them as they develop their ideas and engage with the public.

The Power of Crowdfunding

Raising money from a huge number of individuals is known as crowdfunding, and it usually happens through websites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Patreon. By raising money from fans all across the world, it has enabled innumerable musicians, writers, filmmakers, artists, and other creatives to realise their goals.

URL Link : https://www.blog.impaac.org/the-power-of-crowdfunding-turning-dreams-into-reality/

Building a Community of Supporters

The ability of crowdfunding to foster personal connections between creators and their audience is one of its most amazing features. Through crowdfunding sites, creators may exhibit their work, tell their experiences, and establish direct connections with possible supporters, in contrast to traditional fundraising approaches.

Creatives build community by communicating with backers and sharing their artistic journeys. An increased sense of connection is felt by supporters with the project and its creators. Between creators and backers, this sensation of belonging has the power to truly transform and forge a link.

Transparency and Trust

One of the core principles of crowdfunding is transparency. Artists need to be open and honest about the status, difficulties, and deadlines of their work. In the community, trust is increased by this transparency. In addition to funding a project, backers are also investing in the creators. They wish to follow the project's development and participate in its creative process.

URL Link : https://www.btcpa.com/operational-transparency-key-effective-crowdfunding/

Rewards and Incentives

Creators frequently give backers incentives and rewards to boost support. These could be personalised shoutouts, limited-edition products, early access to the project, or even participation in the creative process. These benefits provide backers a sense of exclusivity and encourage contributions by making them feel like a valued member of the community.

Examples of Successful Crowdfunding Communities

Crowdfunding has been an effective tool for creating communities in a number of artistic endeavours. Here are a handful of noteworthy instances:

Patreon: A Platform for Independent Creators: Patreon is a way for writers, singers, artists, and other creatives to get continuous support from their followers. It creates a membership club where users may access creators' worlds and obtain exclusive content.Kickstarter Campaigns: Numerous imaginative initiatives have been started on Kickstarter. Regular updates, sharing of their work in progress, and communication with backers via messages and comments are all common practises among creators. The exchange fosters a feeling of community.

URL Link : https://www.shopify.com/my/blog/crowdfunding-sites

Writers' Communities: A lot of authors have published their novels using crowdsourcing. By asking for feedback on narrative development, names, and even covers, they include backers in the process. The reader-author relationship is strengthened by this active engagement.

Difficulties and Things to Consider

Although crowdsourcing has the potential to foster a creative community, there are several obstacles and factors to take into account.

Creators must be dedicated to supporting their community for the duration of the project and beyond.Managing Expectations: To preserve community trust, reasonable expectations must be set and project deadlines must be met.Fulfilment: Maintaining a good rapport with backers requires successfully meeting commitments and providing benefits.Competition: In order to draw backers, creators on crowdfunding sites must stand out due to the intense competition.

Crowdfunding Communities: A Look Ahead

The crowdfunding industry is still developing. The distinction between established business models and crowdfunding becomes more hazy as new platforms and models appear. Some producers have switched from one-time campaigns to recurring subscriptions, building long-lasting communities and steady revenue streams.

URL Link : https://fastercapital.com/content/The-Future-of-Equity-Crowdfunding--Why-it-s-Becoming-More-Popular-and-What-to-Expect.html

Growing communities around crowdfunding have the power to shape the course of artistic endeavours, spur creativity, and build a community of people who share a love for similar causes or forms of expression.

In summary, the goal of crowdsourcing is community building rather than just financial fundraising. It enables artists to realise their visions and establish connections with a devoted and interested audience. Crowdfunding may create thriving communities that will continue to influence the direction of creative endeavours in the future by offering rewards, transparency, trust, and continuous interaction.

Remember that crowdfunding is about more than just raising money for a project; it's about creating a community of like-minded people that value creativity as you set out on your own creative path or think about helping others. See where crowdsourcing can take you by participating in the discussion and taking part in the trip.

[vlyteng]

Omegalul-ing through the pain: Online harassment and cyberbullying against women in the gaming community

As a girl in the gaming community, I have been extremely lucky in terms of interacting with strangers online. I have made many online friends through games and Discord and even developed connections more intimate than people I know in real life (iykyk). However, the same cannot be said for women and many others that belong in the minority groups that use the internet. As gaming is a traditionally and stereotypically white male-dominated activity, minorities can easily become the target of unwanted attention due to factors such as stereotypes, racism, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny. In the gaming industry, 20% of female players have encountered sexual harassment in the form of objectifying remarks, death threats, or rape threats from male or other players (Bougacha 2022). In reality, according to a poll done in the US, Germany, and China, 59% of women conceal their gender to avoid sexism and violence (Bougacha 2022). Harassment online comes in many forms such as slurs, death threats, doxxing or the act of disclosing personally identifiable information about someone online without their consent, including their true name, address, phone number, and financial and other details (Kaspersky 2023).

Online harassment in the  gaming community is not just experienced in-game but it can occur in any other online spaces that allow open interaction between players and users. Community platforms such as Discord, Twitch and YouTube are spaces that gamers and non-gamers visit often thus making it easier to become a victim of virtual harassment and cyberbullying. In even more extreme cases, these online harassment can move offline too. Amouranth, a popular Twitch streamer and OnlyFans model, has had many online and offline stalker encounters. In 2022, a guy from Estonia was detained when he attempted to enter Amouranth's house (Gwilliam 2023). This happened after he apparently sold all of his possessions in a last-ditch effort to meet the model and start a relationship with her (Gwilliam 2023). Amouranth mentioned that she was scared for her life as this man had been routinely walking around her neighbourhood while hosting a Twitch stream called “Find Amouranth and Make Her Mine” (Moore 2022). 

Amouranth’s case is only one among a countless number of women that risk their lives everyday despite not doing anything wrong. Women are not safe from harassment no matter online or offline. While gaming communities and platforms should do more to protect vulnerable groups like women, they cannot be blamed 100% because if people want to hurt minority groups, they will bypass any moderation and censors to get to the individual. While platforms should aim to provide better protection for everyone, especially women and resistless groups, we should all learn to follow cyber etiquette to ensure a safe online experience for all. 

References

Bougacha, S 2022, Gaming: Hidden Sexism and Harassment, IVolunteer International, viewed 12 June 2023, <https://www.ivint.org/gaming-hidden-sexism-and-harassment/>.

Gwilliam, M 2023, Amouranth says stalker tried breaking into her house again and left mysterious package, Dexerto, viewed 12 June 2023, <https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/amouranth-says-stalker-tried-breaking-into-her-house-again-and-left-mysterious-package-2076350/>.

Kaspersky 2023, What is Doxing – Definition and Explanation, Kaspersky, viewed 12 June 2023, <https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/definitions/what-is-doxing>.

Moore, E 2022, Amouranth Stalker Arrested After Travelling From Europe For Alleged Break-In Attempt, Gaming Bible, viewed 12 June 2023, <https://www.gamingbible.com/news/amouranth-stalker-arrested-following-alleged-breakin-attempt-20220616>.

[iszrt]

Week 8 - Exploring the Gaps in Medicine Delivery: What Local Pharmacies and Buyers Told Us

To build a significant solution with CareXpress, we interviewed pharmacy assistants, riders, and medicine buyers. These conversations uncovered real pain points in today’s medicine access and delivery landscape—insights shaping how we design our platform. Here's what we learned:

👥 Key Takeaways from Pharmacy Staff

Pharmacy staff revealed that while third-party services like Grab or Foodpanda are often used for deliveries, these options are unreliable and not well-integrated with pharmacy operations. Staff often face overwhelming workloads during peak hours, juggling in-store and online orders without proper support. Despite these issues, many expressed openness to using a dedicated platform like CareXpress—one that can streamline prescription processing, improve order tracking, and ensure better communication between pharmacies and customers.

🧍‍♂️ Key Takeaways from Individual Buyers

On the buyer side, people shared how difficult it is to access medicines—especially when they’re sick or buying for elderly loved ones. Long lines, out-of-stock items, and limited pharmacy hours often lead to delays or missed doses. Few have tried delivery services due to lack of availability, long shipping times, or distrust in current platforms.

🌟 What This Means for CareXpress

These interviews highlight the urgent need for a centralized, tech-enabled medicine delivery solution. CareXpress can fill that gap by offering a secure, pharmacist-approved platform that simplifies prescription handling, streamlines logistics, and delivers timely, trustworthy service to users.

do svidaniya!

[foxwithadarkside]

Summer of Bad Batch Week 8

Alt. Prompt: Lula

@summer-of-bad-batch

[kybercrystals94]

Racket

Read here on Ao3!

Summer of Bad Batch | Week 8 | Swimming Lessons

Rated: G | Words: 1000 | Summary: Omega faces a bully on Kamino.

Omega tugs at the collar of her wetsuit. It is a little tight and small, her wrists and ankles exposed. Biologically, she is the same age as the cadets standing next to her against the wall facing the training pool; however, she is slightly taller physically. Nala Se didn’t think it was necessary to have a custom wetsuit made to fit since Omega will only be taking swimming basics, the lessons extensive and lasting less than a week.

“Where’d you come from?” the cadet on her left asks, eyeing Omega suspiciously.

Omega smiles and avoids the question. “I’m Omega,” she says instead.

The cadet frowns at her. “Why are you here?”

“Same reason you are,” Omega says, shrugging.

“You don’t belong here,” the cadet sneers, “You’re not a soldier.”

Now Omega feels annoyed. She’s being friendly, so why is he being so rude? “Well, you’re not one either,” she tells him. “You’re only three cycles. You can’t be a trooper until you’re nine.”

The cadet sticks his tongue out at her, crosses his arms, and turns to face the water again.

Omega learns that the cadet’s name is Racket, which suits him. He is loud and annoying. And bossy. And a bully.

Omega loses count of the number of times he shoves her underwater. While he never holds her there, it is always unexpected, causing Omega to sputter and gasp when she comes back up.

He takes her floatation device and throws it out into the middle of the training pool. The instructor gets it, scolding Omega for letting it get away from her. She tries to explain what happened, but the instructor interrupts, “I don’t want to hear your excuses.”

When they’re swimming laps, Racket grabs at Omega’s legs or arms as he passes her to throw off her strokes, leaving her floundering to recover.

When the lesson is finally over, Omega finds Nala Se waiting for her with a towel and change of clothes. “How was your lesson, Omega?” she asks.

It is all Omega can do not to cry when she asks, “Do I have to come back?”

“That is the intention,” Nala Se replies, guiding Omega to the private changing room usually reserved for the instructors. “Why? Did something happen?”

Omega glances across the room and sees Racket watching her, a cruel smirk on his round, young face. He might be a bully, but Omega is not a tattletale. “No. I just didn’t like it.”

“Hmm,” Nala Se hums. “I thought you would benefit from interacting with individuals your age; however, if you feel it is not a positive experience, perhaps private lessons would be more beneficial.”

***

“Oh, look, a little lab scrabber,” Racket sneers when Omega walks into the infirmary with AZI.

Omega ignores him, keeping her pace to show she doesn’t care. However, AZI stops to look at the clone sitting on the edge of a medical cot holding an ice pack to a developing black eye. “I must correct you, CT-1051811. Omega is not a lab scrabber. She is a medical assistant.”

“Ignore him, AZI,” Omega calls over her shoulder, putting the tray of sanitized medical tools on the counter and beginning to sort them into their proper drawers.

“It’s so sad that your only friend in the galaxy is a medical droid,” Racket croons and then laughs.

Omega rolls her eyes. “Yep. Almost as sad as ending up in medical because you lost a fight against a seven year cadet in a training module.”

“My medical records are classified, you little brat,” Racket growls.

Omega finishes sorting the tools and turns. “I’m a medical assistant,” she tells him sweetly. “So I have access to all your embarrassing records. I hope your cracked rib is healing up okay after that tumble from the Star Destroyer ramp. You really should be more careful.”

“Why you–” Racket begins, but Omega flees the room, AZI whirring behind her.

***

She’s done it. She’s finally found her brothers. And she’s sitting with them for a meal. They don’t seem to know what to make of her yet; however, Omega knows they’ll warm up to her. She’s their sister after all. They just don’t remember.

“Check it out,” a voice says behind her. Omega would know that awful voice anywhere. “The defect squad’s got themselves a new recruit. Another member added to the Sad Batch.”

Omega feels her blood begin to boil under her skin, anger bubbling up so fast she doesn’t really think about it when she climbs up on the table and picks up her bowl of soup. No one talks about her little brothers that way. Not on her watch. The bowl of soup hits its mark stunningly: the back of Racket’s stupid head.

“What the…” Racket whirls around, expression twisted with rage muted by the sludge of soup dribbling down his face and armor. “Who threw that?”

Omega already has her next projectile in hand. “I did. Now apologize to my friends.”

“I like this kid!” Wrecker’s voice sounds delighted, but Omega doesn’t let the warmth that fills her distract from the task at hand as Racket makes his way back to the table.

“What did you say to me?” he demands.

Hunter steps in, moving between Omega and her target. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back off,” he tells Racket, “I suggest you keep moving.”

Racket glares down Hunter, shifts his gaze to Omega, and then to something behind her. Omega knows it must be Wrecker looming at her back. She keeps her expression firm.

Wisely, he deflates, scoffing. He starts to turn around, but not without having the final word. “Know your place, lab scrabber,” he tells Omega, smirking.

Omega glares after him. She can take him calling her names.

But apparently, Wrecker can’t. A tray of food flies past Omega’s head, hitting Racket hard, nearly toppling him. Omega grins as the cafeteria begins to erupt into chaos. This will be a good bonding experience with her brothers.

And they already have her back.

END

✨Let me know if you’d like to be added to my tag list✨

Tag List: @followthepurrgil @amorfista @mooncommlink @arctrooper69 @groguandthebadbatch @proteatook @ezras-left-thumb @maeashryver @baddest-batchers @laughhardrunfastbekindsblog @omegafett99

[neyswxrld]

just in case

Wrecker (no pairing)

summary: Wrecker has a accident during one of his training modules.

warnings: starving, exhaustion, almost fainting, (almost) drowning

words: ~1780

a/n: hello again! i wrote another fic for @summer-of-bad-batch! this time, it's a bit of a heavier topic. i decided to combine the promts cadets and swimming lessons and kinda took a turn there, since my fics normally contain a lot of fluff. i hope you enjoy!

MASTERLIST

When Wrecker woke up this morning, he somehow already knew it wouldn't be a good day.

He felt drained and exhausted, even though he just slept.

And he was hungry, oh so hungry!

He didn't know what exactly it was, but since a few weeks, the food portions they got in the mess hall didn't seem to be enough for him. He always felt hungry, even after breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

His brothers seemed to have noticed, since he suddenly was a lot more grumpy and had a smaller energy level at all.

Tech said it could be because he had another growth spurt. His metabolism was higher than theirs. And his muscles needed more energy. So Wrecker really required more food.

So at his last checkup he mentioned as much, but the foreign Kaminoan just looked at him with an emotionless stare and didn't react further.

He didn't know what to do. And that he slowly could start to see his own ribs made him worry even more. He was genuinely scared he would starve to death.

The others gave him some of their food, most of the time. Things they didn't like but knew Wrecker would, or things that were too much for them. But still, it just didn't seem to be enough.

The horrible thing about this particular day was, that they had the swimming module.

Normally, Wrecker was a big fan of the swimming lessons: he liked the water, the cool of it, and he absolutely loved how light he seemed and how he could just float around in the waves.

But this day should be very different.

Before, they trained in quiet waters, in a pool in which he could easily reach the floor if he needed too. This time, they should get a simulation of waves in another pool, that was much deeper than the current one. They learned the basics of swimming, now they needed to test the deeper waters.

The problem was, swimming was exhausting. Even in the normal water. He couldn't imagine how hard it would be with the waves. Especially since he already felt his low energy.

He sighed quietly and pressed his face a little deeper into Lula's ears, which he held against his chest, before getting up slowly.

When he turned around, he instantly met Hunter's worried gaze. "You okay?" he asked, and Wrecker tried to smile, nodding.

"Yeah, jus' tired," he said, walking over to the bathroom.

When all of them were ready, they made their way over to the mess hall. As always, his brothers gave him some of their food. They talked about what they would have to do today, where they would have to be, and Wrecker was more than a little relieved that Hunter would also have the swimming module, at the same time even. So they were together at least.

It made everything just a little less scary.

After breakfast, they went back to their barracks and everyone got ready for their day. Wrecker still felt like something was off, like something bad was going to happen. He just didn't know what. Even though it was a little better after he got some food in his tummy.

He patted Lula goodbye, before walking over to Crosshair, hugging him as always. It was a little ritual between the four of them. Always saying goodbye the right way. Just… Just in case something went wrong during training.

He went over to Tech to do the same, followed by Hunter, even though he knew they would be together later. It was just in case.

Little did he know how close he would come to "just in case" at that day.

When Hunter and Wrecker walked over to the changing room together, Hunter threw worried glances at him here and there. "Are you sure, you're okay?" He finally asked when they were changing into their bath robes, standing alone in a corner, "You're so quiet today."

Wrecker nodded again. "Just really tired. I could sleep another twelve hours. And… just hungry," he said, shrugging. It's not something they could do anything about it.

"Just be careful in the water, okay? Call me if something's wrong immediately, understood?"

Wrecker gave a small smile, "understood."

The water was cold. So cold, he was freezing and shaking. His teeth chattered so hard, it made his vision shake.

The waves were big, huge even, and he wondered where the hell he would ever have to swim in a place like that.

But it seemed to be okay.

At the beginning, at least.

The first few laps were relatively good to swim. But the more he did, the more exhausting and impossible it got.

Normally, he was one of the best of the group, due to his big body, long arms and strength, but today it seemed like everyone was in front of him, overlapping him even.

But he couldn't really care. He just… He was so exhausted. His stomach ached for food, it felt empty and he was so hungry.

His arms were heavy and every swimming stroke he took felt like a battle in itself.

The waves crashed over him and suddenly he was underwater.

When his head breached the surface again, he had just enough time to take another breath before he was swallowed by another wave.

He didn't notice how he barely moved forward and how dangerous the situation was for him at this point.

He was concentrating on taking breaths at the right time, but soon enough he also got an ache at his side. He was breathing weird.

The next time he was gasping for air, a wave hit him in the face. Salty water flooded his mouth and he couldn't suppress a gag reflex.

He started to cough, spitting out the water, trying to stay above the surface, but he was just so exhausted. His arms didn't really move anymore, his head was underwater more often than not, and he just felt so helpless. He hadn't the energy to swim across to the edge of the pool, to hold himself up, and he just kept going down and down.

"Hunter!" he gasped just before another wave hit him, pulling him down.

But this time, he just… He just couldn't pull himself up anymore.

Helpless, he tried to reach for the surface, tried to paddle with his feet. He tried so hard to pull himself up, but it was just like he didn't know how to swim anymore.

The water was so deep, his ears already ached from the pressure, and all he could do was watch the bubbles that left his throat float up.

He was so kriffed. A surge of panic rushed through him, but he just - he just couldn't do anything to help himself.

He tried to get up, so hard, but he was just stuck down here, underwater.

At this moment he was sure it would be over. He was going to die. It was his "just in case" scenario. And even though he was always sure he would go down in a more epic way, for example in an explosion, he couldn't find it in him to be sad, or devastated.

His head got dizzy, he already hadn't enough air to breath and now it just wasn't possible. He tried so hard to fight his breathing reflex, but at some point he felt like he just couldn't.

Just before he was about to give up, he saw a blurry figure breaching the surface, coming closer.

Still, his eyes closed.

When he opened them the next time, he was laying on the cold, wet floor next to the pools, Hunter and a trainer above them with uncertain looks in their eyes. Hunter was panicking, and holding his hand in such a tight grip, his knuckles turned white. But Wrecker didn't really notice the pressure.

He closed his eyes again. He was so exhausted.

He floated around for a while. Sometimes it was dark, and he almost felt like he was in the water again. But in the one that wasn't so deep and full of waves.

Some other times he dreamed about his brothers. Of Crosshair and how he proudly showed him some new tricks he learned with his sniper rifle. About Tech and how he told him something about a new technology for a detonator. And of Hunter and how he tugged him close one night when he suddenly was scared of the loud noises from outside.

When he opened his eyes again, he was blinded by white lights. He groaned weakly and closed them tightly. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand, while the other squeezed the one that was occupied with something… warm?

Another hand, he realized when he heard a light gasp and a relieved call for his name.

"Wrecker!"

"I'm up. What happened?" he groaned and finally opened his eyes. Not only Hunter but also Tech and Crosshair were sitting around his medical cot.

"You almost drowned, buddy," Hunter told him, and Wrecker felt fear rising in him when some memories flooded his mind.

"Oh," he said, not really knowing what else to say. His heart beat so fast, but he chose to ignore it for now.

"I pulled you out. I-I was so scared. I just heard you calling my name, and then I couldn't see you anywhere. I thought I was too late," Hunter swallowed and squeezed his hand back.

"Oh, uh, thank you," he said again. He still felt drained and tired. It laid above him like a heavy blanked but instead of comforting him, it made him feel uncomfortable.

"Your medical records say you're malnourished and too light," Tech suddenly chimed in. "It is very likely that you were too exhausted to continue your swimming lessons because of that. Thus, the medics prescribed you a higher daily calorie income, so your body can keep up," he explained.

Wrecker didn't know what to say. It was just so much. He almost drowned.

He almost died.

"That means you can eat as much as you want from now on," Crosshair said this time, a mischievous smirk appearing on his lips. "That means you can bring me extra dessert, too!"

Wrecker blinked, but slowly started to smile, too.

More food sounded good. Extra desserts even better.

"That's good," he murmured again, still feeling tired. He absolutely needed to sleep, he needed to realize what happened, and he needed to realize that even though he almost died, it looks like he wouldn't have to be hungry anymore. That really was good.

"You look tired. Maybe you should take another nap," Hunter suggested softly.

Wrecker nodded. Yeah, that sounded great.

"We're still here, when you wake up," Crosshair promised and reached out to pat his head.

That sounded even better.

It didn't take long for Wrecker to drift off again, and fall into a recovering, comfortable dream.

The next time they were at the mess hall, he loaded his plate unbelievably full. And even though it was way too much in the end, it was the first time since a long time that he didn't went to sleep hungry.

TAGLIST

@isthereanechoinhere96 @trixie2023 @freesia-writes

[eight-interview]

Turning Plastic Waste into Community Action

As part of PlastiCash’s effort to understand community behaviors and attitudes toward plastic bottles, we conducted a series of interviews in Week Eight. Below are the distilled themes and actionable insights—without attributing specific comments to individuals.

1. Purchasing Habits & Litter Observations

Most participants report buying plastic-bottled products multiple times each week, though a few try to avoid them when possible. Across the board, everyone observes plastic litter frequently in public spaces, describing it as unsanitary, stinky, and generally messy.

2. Emotional Responses to Plastic Litter

Encountering plastic waste in public evokes strong negative reactions. Interviewees consistently describe feeling disappointed, sad, frustrated, or even disgusted. This shared emotional response highlights a powerful lever: channeling community frustration into proactive recycling behaviors.

3. Current Segregation & Disposal Behaviors

Many community members practice waste segregation at home and at school, but implementation can be spotty—bins at home are sometimes missing or poorly labeled, and school bins can overflow. When out in public, almost everyone holds onto their used bottle until they find a proper receptacle, demonstrating an underlying willingness to dispose responsibly when infrastructure exists.

4. Barriers to Proper Disposal

Several recurring challenges prevent optimal recycling:

Bin Accessibility: Bins are too few or placed inconveniently, making it hard for people to find a recycling station.

Overloaded Containers: When bins do exist, they’re often full, discouraging proper use.

Poor Signage: Lack of clear, visible instructions means people aren’t always sure where to deposit bottles.

Awareness & Time Constraints: Some individuals don’t take time to read disposal guidelines or simply aren’t aware of proper segregation practices.

Perceived Laziness: A few noted that some community members believe others will pick up their litter, leading to negligence.

5. Motivational Strategies & Personal Incentives

Community-Level Approaches Suggestions for boosting recycling engagement include offering material incentives like coins or small gifts, installing interactive “gamified” bins, implementing “bring-your-own-bottle” policies at schools and workplaces, and running awareness campaigns that highlight environmental or health consequences of plastic pollution.

Individual Incentives When asked what would personally motivate them, nearly everyone pointed to cash rewards—ranging from a fixed rate per bottle (for example, ₱1) to occasional free snacks or small prizes for consistent participation. This clear preference for monetary or tangible rewards underscores PlastiCash’s focus on converting plastic waste into immediate value.

6. Implications for PlastiCash

Strategic Bin Deployment & Maintenance - Install well-marked recycling stations in high-traffic areas and ensure regular emptying to prevent overflow.

Clear, Engaging Signage - Use simple, visually appealing graphics and instructions—both at bins and within the PlastiCash app—to guide proper segregation.

Instant, Cash-Based Rewards - Reinforce negative emotions about litter by offering immediate, measurable incentives (e.g., ₱1 per bottle), turning frustration into positive action.

Institutional Partnerships - Collaborate with schools and workplaces to adopt “bring-your-own-bottle” policies and integrate snack-or gift-based micro-rewards for participants.

Awareness Campaigns on Impact - Complement financial incentives with brief messaging on environmental and health risks, deepening community commitment.

7. Conclusion

These Week Eight interviews reveal a community both troubled by plastic pollution and eager for solutions—especially when real rewards are on offer. By addressing infrastructure gaps, clarifying disposal guidelines, and delivering on promised incentives, PlastiCash can turn collective disappointment into collective action, fostering a cleaner, more sustainable environment.

Documentation:

[sebastiangamedesign120]

Week 8 Racer Game Development Post

This week, i focused on completing the core gameplay for my racing game. The game is a top-down endless racer where the player controls a car to avoid randomly spawning traffic obstacles while driving down a highway. What I implemented:

-Basic Car movement with top-down controls.

-An endless scrolling highway.

-Randomly spawning traffic cars that the player must dodge.

-Player death when colliding with a traffic car.

-Score system that increases as the player survives longer.

Next Steps

-potentially add powerups

-Implement high score saving between runs

[happytogether23]

🪞Do I Look Like My Selfie?

“Do I look like my selfie?” This isn’t just a meme-worthy question—it’s a reflection of a deeper social anxiety I’ve witnessed in myself and many others. As a student who regularly scrolls through Instagram and applies filters to look a little “better,” I’ve started to ask myself: what am I filtering out? This blog post is my reflection on how Augmented Reality (AR) filters have shifted from fun to something far more powerful—and sometimes, harmful.

👁 From Fun to Filtered Pressure

Snapchat’s early filters were silly and obvious—the infamous dog face or rainbow puke. But things have changed. We’ve entered an age of ambient filters that edit our faces subtly, creating the illusion of flawlessness. Lavrence and Cambre (2020) describe this as ambient filtering—so subtle it’s hard to detect, yet it shapes our understanding of what “natural” beauty looks like. This resonates with Rettberg’s (2014) idea of Instagram as a platform that subtly trains users to present an idealized life.

🔍 The Digital-Forensic Gaze

We’ve all done it: zoomed in on a selfie and asked, “Is this face real?” That habit has a name—the digital-forensic gaze (Lavrence & Cambre, 2020). It’s the judgmental stare that detects filters but also enforces perfection. The more we search for flaws, the more we expect everyone to be flawless.

💄 Gendered Filters and Aesthetic Labor

I’ve noticed a pattern: my guy friends use silly filters, but my girl friends (myself included) use beauty filters—to fixthings.

Pescott (2020) calls this out: filters are gendered. Women do more aesthetic labour (Elias et al., 2017)—it’s unpaid work to make ourselves “presentable,” even digitally. Filters are marketed as fun, but for many of us, they feel like a requirement.

I Compared Myself to My Filtered Self

Here’s a confession: Sometimes I look at my filtered selfies and wish I looked like that in real life.

That’s Snapchat dysmorphia (Rajanala et al., 2018)—when people want plastic surgery to look like their filtered selfies. Burnell et al. (2021) found that the more you use filters, the more critical you become of your actual appearance. It’s a toxic loop.

 When Filters Enter Surveillance: Alipay’s Case

One of the most shocking case studies in class was when we learned Alipay added beauty filters to their facial recognition system. People wanted to look better in their bank app (Peng, 2020). This blurs the line between beauty and biometric control. If even our banking ID photos are filtered, what happens to authenticity?

Can Filters Be Feminist?

Not all filters are evil. Some artists use them for resistance—like glitch filters that distort rather than beautify. Haraway (1991) and Coy-Dibley (2016) argue that tech can empower identity beyond binaries. But Miller & McIntyre (2022) say this is rare. Most filters reinforce the same beauty norms. We need to push for more creative, inclusive tools.

🪞Final Reflection: Why Do I Want to Look Like That?

Filters aren’t just editing tools. They’re shaping culture, beauty, and identity. As students—and users—we need to ask harder questions. Do I look like my selfie? Maybe the real question is: Why do I want to? As a student, I’m learning to balance creativity and critical thinking—even in the way I post online.

📚 References

Coy-Dibley, I. (2016). Digitised dysmorphia. Palgrave Communications https://www.nature.com/articles/palcomms201640

Elias, A., Gill, R., & Scharff, C. (2017). Aesthetic Labour: Rethinking Beauty Politics in Neoliberalism. Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9781137476661

Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T. (1997). Objectification theory. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(2), 173–206.

Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T. (1997). Objectification theory. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(2), 173–206. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1367549417705604

Haraway, D. (1991). A Cyborg Manifesto. The Anarchist Library. https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/donna-haraway-a-cyborg-manifesto

Lavrence, C., & Cambre, C. (2020). “Do I look like my selfie?”: Filters and the digital-forensic gaze. Feminist Media Studies. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2056305120965155

Miller, L., & McIntyre, K. (2022). From surgery to Cyborgs. Feminist Media Studies. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2020.1750779

Peng, A. (2020). Alipay adds “beauty filters” to face-scan payments. TechNode. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2020.1750779

Pescott, C. (2020). “I wish I was wearing a filter right now.” Journal of Youth Studies. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1461444821993038

Rettberg, J. W. (2014). Seeing ourselves through technology. Palgrave Macmillan. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9781137476661

[jajalinh]

The Development of Augmented Reality Filters and How They Affect Online Communities

What is Augmented Reality?

Overlaying digital objects on top of real-world surroundings is known as augmented reality, or AR. AR filters, made popular by apps like Instagram and Snapchat, alter facial features, apply effects, and produce completely new digital identities (Azuma, 1997).

From straightforward enhancements like dog ears or flower crowns, AR filters have evolved into sophisticated beauty filters that alter bone structure, smooth skin, and reshape facial features. Questions concerning digital identity and self-perception are brought up by these hyper-realistic changes.

AR Filters' Popularity on Social Media

AR filters have become more popular as a result of social media platforms, especially Instagram and Snapchat. Among the important figures are:

Of Instagram users, 46% have experimented with the filter effect.

Every day, 500 million people use Instagram Stories, and many of them use AR filters.

Every month, 700 million users interact with AR effects on various Meta platforms.

Filters are now instruments for identity experimentation and self-improvement rather than just amusement. Some criticise AR for reinforcing uniform beauty standards, while others contend that it fosters creativity (Miller & McIntyre, 2022).

Beauty filters and unrealistic ideals of beauty

Designed to "enhance" facial features by smoothing skin, enlarging lips, and reshaping noses, beauty filters are among the most widely used AR tools. A globalised, unattainable standard of beauty is a result of these changes, which frequently mirror Western beauty standards (Rettberg, 2014).

Exposure to beauty-enhancing filters on a regular basis can cause people to view their bodies as objects for evaluation, according to the Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). Following extended use of filters, many users express dissatisfaction with their natural appearance, which can result in problems with self-esteem and heightened interest in cosmetic surgery (Rajanala, Maymone & Vashi, 2018).

Snapchat Dysmorphia and the Discussion of Mental Health

Snapchat dysmorphia, the practice of people seeking cosmetic surgery to look like their filtered selves, is becoming a bigger problem. Patients now show filtered selfies to plastic surgeons as reference images rather than celebrity photos (Burnell, Kurup & Underwood, 2021).

This phenomenon demonstrates a vicious cycle of body dissatisfaction and AR filter use:

According to Perloff (2014), users who use beauty filters internalise unrealistic expectations, feel dissatisfied with their actual appearance, and seek out additional digital or physical modifications. By flagging filtered photos, social media companies try to control extreme beauty modification, but algorithm-driven content recommendations still encourage unattainable beauty standards (Lawrence & Cambre, 2020).

The Authenticity Debate and the Digital-Forensic Gaze

A "digital-forensic gaze" has developed as AR filters make it harder to distinguish between digital enhancement and reality (Lawrence & Cambre, 2020). Users of social media now carefully examine photos for evidence of editing, frequently participating in online discussions about what is "real" and what is artificially created.

Because it promotes perfectionist standards, this forensic gaze can be problematic—even photos that appear natural are examined for indications of enhancement. Self-presentation and the creation of digital identities are influenced by the paradox created by the pressure to remain authentic while still adhering to beauty standards.

AR Filters' Implications for Gender

AR filters are often coded as feminine technologies, focusing on beautification and self-enhancement. Research shows that:

Women use filters to align with beauty norms, reinforcing traditional gender expectations.

Men may avoid certain filters due to masculinity concerns, though humor-based and gaming-related AR tools are more widely accepted (Pescott, 2020).

Children as young as ten understand and internalize gendered filter use, indicating that beauty standards are learned early (Pescott, 2020).

These findings suggest that filters are not just fun tools—they actively shape perceptions of gender, self-worth, and digital identity.

References:

Azuma, R. T. (1997). A survey of augmented reality. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 6(4), 355–385.

Burnell, K., Kurup, A. R., & Underwood, M. K. (2021). Snapchat lenses and body image concerns. Body Image, 38, 12–19.

Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T. A. (1997). Objectification theory: Toward understanding women’s lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(2), 173–206.

Lawrence, S., & Cambre, C. (2020). “Do I look like my selfie?”: Filters and the digital-forensic gaze. Social Media + Society, 6(1), 1–13.

Miller, L., & McIntyre, M. (2022). From surgery to cyborgs: A thematic analysis of popular media commentary on Instagram filters. New Media & Society, 24(1), 123–140.

Perloff, R. M. (2014). Social media effects on young women’s body image concerns: Theoretical perspectives and an agenda for research. Sex Roles, 71(11–12), 363–377.

Pescott, C. (2020). Children and digital filters: Understanding gendered technology use. Journal of Digital Culture, 7(2), 89–104.

Rajanala, S., Maymone, M. B. C., & Vashi, N. A. (2018). Selfies—living in the era of filtered photographs. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 20(6), 443–444.

Rettberg, J. W. (2014). Seeing ourselves through technology: How we use selfies, blogs and wearable devices to see and shape ourselves. Palgrave Macmillan.

Peng, H. (2020). AI-powered beauty filters in digital banking: The case of AliPay. Journal of Digital Finance, 5(3), 215–229.