#What are the advantages of using PLA

[goldensunset]

help girl why did i leave off my file standing on the edge of a cliff in the middle of nowhere

[formulakracing]

xiv. the aftermath - t.w.

pairing: female driver!reader x toto wolff

word count: 3.3k

warnings: ANGST, lots of angst, mentions of sexual relationships, slight mentions of misogyny, cursing, slut-shaming, mentions of divorce, toto is lowkey yearning through this messiness, yadayadayada

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“do you have any idea how serious this is?”

you huff, rolling your eyes slightly, “i am quite aware.”

“you are actively engaging in a sexual relationship with the team principal of another–”

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

“james,” a voice interjects, “do not make assumptions. we are not quite aware of the details or nature of their relationship.”

james scoffs, folding his arms across his chest, “i think i have a pretty good idea of the nature of their relationship. she fucking kissed him. in front of the entire world, nonetheless. it was not just a small peck either it–”

“james,” the voice’s tone shifts, hardened with a sternness, “she’s a twenty-two year old woman. she can speak for herself. i am aware that you are very passionate about the current reputation of the team, but i think we need to let her speak for herself, hmm? would you like to make a comment regarding the incident in monaco?”

your gaze falls on sir patrick head, co-founder of williams racing. surrounding you were members of the board, along with members of the management committee. all around, the paper white walls of the board room were blank, reminiscent of an interrogation room. the lack of notebooks, tablets, and laptops on the table were no help either, as you felt the entire focus of the room was lasered in on you. to your left was james, alex on your right. 

marcus prosser, one of the heads of commercial and marketing sat across from you, his phone lying on the table, recording every single second of the ongoing conversation. you swallow the lump in your throat, shifting uneasily in your chair. 

“do you want me to start from the beginning again or?”

“if you would like,” patrick shrugs, “you are not inclined to share every detail regarding your relationship with the mercedes team principal. we would like to know the gist of it, that’s all. is it strictly personal? borderline business? has he spoken of any future contract deals? that sort of thing.”

“well,” there was no reason to lie anymore, “after the first grand prix, in bahrain, he approached me. that was the beginning of our personal relationship.”

“did he mention any sort of thing about a future contract with mercedes?” marcus inquires, jotting down a few notes, “look, to put it plainly, the fia wants to ensure that your contract was not breached. that is the main thing that everyone is buzzing about. if he approached you with a contract deal and then began a personal relationship with you, then that’s textbook manipulation. mostly due to the fact that he was using the deal as leverage to kindle that relationship. and he deserves to be punished for that.”

“but what about me?” you raise a brow, “i consensually agreed to the personal relationship. i wanted–”

“you have to remember that you are thirty years younger than this man,” marcus’ voice is quiet, “he took advantage of you. he knew your age, and he began a relationship with you.”

“what happened to me being an adult?” you counter, “i am so sick of this bullshit that everyone is spreading around. i wanted a relationship with him. it wasn’t like he cornered me and demanded that we start seeing one another. it developed over time–”

“developed over time?” patrick’s brow furrow, “elaborate on that.”

“oh my god. i feel like we’ve been over this about a million times,” you exhale, “the relationship started in bahrain after the grand prix. we have been seeing one another in private since that night. i made things public in monaco. are we forgetting that here? that i was the person who initiated that kiss?” 

“so in summary,” marcus clears his throat, his eyes honed in over the plethora of notes before him, “you placed eighth in bahrain. toto wolff approached you later that evening, stating that he wanted a personal relationship with you. in these last few weeks, the two of you have been engaged in a romantic relationship. is that correct?”

“let’s not forget that in that time, he did approach me inquiring about her contract,” james interrupts, “that was around jeddah or miami, i don’t really recall the details.”

“while i appreciate the statement,” marcus’ eyes narrow, glaring over at the team principal, “i was speaking to your driver.”

sucking in a breath, you nod, “everything we have discussed thus far has been answered to the best of my ability.” 

“i see no further need for questioning,” marcus leans forward, pressing the stop icon on his screen, “if no parts of her contract have been breached, then i see no issue with their relationship. additionally, i trust that she has a good head on her shoulders and would not betray the team in any fashion. however, if there are future contract talks or negotiations, then you must facilitate a meeting with not only us and mercedes, but with the fia. they will want to ensure that you are not treated differently than any of the drivers or given perks that most drivers are not.” 

“that’s it?” james coughs, “what about—“

“you can speak with her on your own accord,” patrick leans back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head, “you have to remember james, she has won us a significant number of grand prixes. she is currently in first place for the title. and with her current trajectory, i do envision her standing on that podium, showered in champagne.” 

“you see,” marcus taps his pen against the table, “if anyone’s reputation is suffering, it’s toto’s. he is the one who has a family. he is the one with an established career at mercedes. our american girl here, sponsors, investors, and the general public can forgive and forget. especially when there are world titles at stake.” 

“but what about our team?” james retaliates, his voice growing louder with each and every word, “what about our reputation?” 

“to be quite honest,” james, the other marketing head chips in, “we haven’t seen much talk regarding our reputation. most of the focus is on toto, like marcus said. additionally, imagine the publicity that are going to come out of this. drive to survive has already sent usa number of inquiries regarding an episode about our american girl. the fans are raving. in their words, they’re excited for the drama that will unfold in the coming season.” 

“so to clarify,” you pipe up, “i’m not in trouble?” 

“no, you’re not in any sort of trouble,” patrick’s voice was gentle as he spoke, “this is something that has never happened before in the history of formula one. there is sort of a grey area. at least, right now. per your contract, we cannot dictate who you can or cannot date. however, if you end up deciding that you would like to join toto at mercedes, please be as transparent with us as possible. additionally, be forewarned that the fia may not allow it due to conflict of interest.” 

“right,” you nod, fiddling with your thumbs, “i thought i was going to lose my seat, if we’re being honest.”

“as long as you do not leak confidential team information with mr. wolff, then i do not see an issue with it,” patrick affirms, “we can’t afford to lose you. you’re our little shining star.” 

at his tenderness in his words, tears brim your eyelids, threatening to spill over. your lower lip trembles, alex wrapping an arm around your shoulders as your voice shakes, “i-i can’t th-thank you guys enough. for everything. thank you for sticking by my side as we figure this mess out.”

“it’s not the worst we’ve seen,” a chuckle bubbles up in patrick’s throat, “sure, we may appear to have a no-nonsense policy, but we consider ourselves to be pretty flexible. also, this isn’t a mess. honey, it’s your personal life. of course we’re going to make sure that your well-being is prioritized. if you want to pursue a relationship with this man, we just want you to be happy.”

“besides,” marcus shoots you a wink, “it’s our job to keep the press at bay. if you would like, we can release a statement that we have thoroughly investigated the matter and will not make any further comments. that will keep the media satisfied until mercedes releases their own statement.”

“that would be nice,” you sniffle, wiping away a tear, “again, thank you so much. you guys have no idea how much this means to me.”

“we’re not going to force you to end things with someone just because you’re on different teams,” patrick rises to his feet, crossing over to you. patting your shoulder, he continues, the corners of lips curled into a sympathetic smile. 

“besides, susie wolff worked with us for quite some time. although the circumstances are a little bit different this time around, this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had a williams driver and a mercedes team principal involved in a romantic relationship.”

in the wake of monaco, it almost felt as if your little secret was completely exposed, for the entire world to pick apart and ridicule. 

well, it was your fault, after all. 

to make things worse, you could no longer seek out your escape, as he was thirty-nine miles away. 

in the moments following the kiss, the wave of realization came crashing over the two of you, the cameras flashing, gasps arising from the crowd. you were whisked away by james, the image of toto almost disappearing as more and more journalists swarmed him, their phones and mics poised, eager for any sort of information regarding what just occurred. 

it didn’t take long for the headlines to be blasted all across social media, tabloids, and any sort of press associated with the world of formula one. 

toto wolff, team principal of mercedes-amg petronas, was deeply involved in an affair with the twenty-two year old williams driver.

to put it lightly, you spent the following hours sobbing in your motorhome, the guilt filling you to the brim, pouring out as the tears splattered all over your pillow. 

alex was the first one to offer solace, reaching out hours after the monaco grand prix. 

when you didn’t answer the phone after about sixty-seven calls, he showed up, flowers and snacks in hand, a mix of emotions painted across his features. 

yet, the second he noticed the tears, he set the items down at the door, scooping you up in his arms, rubbing your back as the sobs rang out, filling the space with your wails. 

“are you okay?”

“d-does it look i’m okay?”

“can i come in?” 

“if you even want to talk to me right now. the entire world hates me.”

“even if the world hates you, i love you. let me in.”

so, you allowed him in, your walls crumbling completely as you started from the very beginning, recalling every possible detail. you began with bahrain, filling in the spaces through monaco, including the spat with daniel, as well as your time in brackley. at first, alex was stone-faced, taking it all in. however, once you were finished, wiping away your tears once again, he leaned over the couch, offering you a tissue. 

“you’ve been wiping away your own tears the last few hours. let someone else do it for you this time.”

the only aspect you did not include was the offer to sign with mercedes. as much as you wanted to tell someone, to get that crushing weight off your chest, you knew you couldn’t. that was far too risky. well, not like there were many risks left. your biggest secret had been spilled to the entire world, no thanks to you. 

so much for keeping things between the two of you. 

as much as you wanted to believe that the other drivers despised you after monaco, that was far from the truth. 

lando, charles, lewis, george, and oscar had reached out, mostly voicing their support. lando was shocked, but he was more concerned about your well-being. same with oscar and charles. 

lewis and george on the other hand, had somehow gotten ahold of your number, leaving a series of voicemails. 

hey, hey, hey. it’s lewis. george and i want to come over and talk for a little bit, if that’s okay? i promise we just want to comfort you. toto is not doing too well either. if you want, we can sneak him over here somehow. it may be kind of hard, but we’ll try our best to make it happen. 

hello, it’s george. we know that you’re really in the chatting mood right now, but we want to come over and bring toto. we know you need him. we would just make sure that no one comes by or bothers the two of you. just let us know what’s the best option. i hope you’re okay. 

however, you never called the british drivers back. 

it wasn’t like you didn’t want them to bring toto or comfort you, it was just the matter at hand. 

they didn’t deserve to be whisked into this. 

and fuck, they sure as hell did not deserve any negative press if they were spotted around your motorhome or speaking with you.

sure, you were really fucking scared of was what to follow in terms of your future career following the kiss of monaco, but you were more apprehensive of the press. the fia was vicious at times, but nowhere near as ruthless as the headlines, articles, and videos the press created. if the fia was a storm, the press was a hurricane.

and sure enough, it seemed as if the media was never going to let this go. even though the entire grid was prepping for canada, here the press was, pestering you for comments or tidbits on your little “affair” with the team principal. they nearly salivated over it, the slightest morsel or crumb of information dramatized into a lengthy article or used for clickbait, generating thousands upon thousands of views. 

you were called a slut. you were called a whore. you were referred to as a homewrecker. it was stated over and over again that you should never set foot in a garage or sit behind the wheel of a car ever again. 

this is why women should not be in formula one. they fuck everyone and everything in sight. even married men. 

god, what a fucking slimy slut. fucking a married man? breaking up a family? the fia should ban her from competing for the foreseeable future. 

yet, the general public was unaware of one crucial piece of information. 

toto wolff was a single man. 

a very single man. 

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

“i cannot believe you. i cannot fucking believe you.”

toto wolff sat in his office chair as a figure paced back and forth, shaking her head, her tone laced with a venomous barb. 

before him stood susie wolff, her neatly cut hair bobbing as she moved, “toto, you have fucked up before, and i have happily stood behind you, supporting you with everything i have. but this? oh my god. oh my fucking god. this is absolutely atrocious.”

yet, the team principal’s mind was focused on other matters. 

his mind wandered, relishing the way your plush lips felt in that moment in monaco. the way your arms were around his neck, pulling him closer and closer to you as your mouths molded together, his tongue slipping in as your head rolled back, granting him more access. the way your beautiful lashes fluttered. the way you marched up to him, determination deeply embedded across your gorgeous face. the way the entire world around slowed, the team principal completely lost in you as the cameras recorded, taking in every second of the kiss. 

fuck, he missed you. 

too much. 

so much that he took every blow from susie’s frustration with ease, still as a statue as she continued on, the words drowning in his ears. 

“are you even fucking listening to me right now?” the question snaps him out of his trance, the team principal blinking.

“sure.”

“what the fuck is wrong with you?” she growls, pointing a finger at him, “do you have any idea how much this has diminished our reputation? our marriage?”

“what marriage? we’ve been divorced for some time, susie.”

“the marriage we’ve been putting on for the cameras!” the blonde exhales, bringing a hand to her temple, “we’re supposed to be happily married, toto. or was that something that slipped your mind as you were fucking that little american driver? in our home, nonetheless.”

at the sheer spite in her tone, the team principal’s jaw clenches, “you have no idea what you’re talking–”

“i know you toto,” fingers massage her temple, “it’s pretty obvious that you’re screwing her. if you weren’t, you would have dropped her like a fucking hat the moment she pulled that little stunt in monaco.” 

since monaco, the days blurred together. 

how was he supposed to rebuild his broken reputation, his shattered world when you were thirty-nine miles away? 

well, not like there was much to repair. 

after the incident, the team principal was thoroughly investigated by mercedes, as well as the fia. he answered every single one of their questions with his full capabilities, ensuring to include every detail that would grant him some grace. well, there were a few things he left out. 

one, your visit to brackley. 

two, the numerous conversations involving his offer to sign you with mercedes. 

three, the fact that you were joining him at mercedes for the 2025 season, driving alongside george russell. 

there were no recorded conversations, messages, or evidence proving that he was planning to sign you. so, there were no repercussions. the only incident found was the time he spoke with james, inquiring about the details of your current contract. 

sure, toto was a little careless when it came to keeping things private. 

but he was not an idiot. 

he was not going to lose his job over this, that was for sure. if the fia was to discover about his offer to make you a world champion at mercedes, he would be terminated immediately. so, that part was to remain in the dark. 

at least, for the time being. 

after speaking with the board members of williams racing, mercedes made it very clear that if there were to be talks of signing the american driver, or even hints of wanting her to join the team, then it needed to be officiated among both teams, in a space where the conversation could be recorded. there were to be no special perks, exceptions, or favoritism towards the driver. each and every aspect of a future contract would be detailed in a manner to ensure fairness and equality. 

additionally, since this was one of the first few times that a team principal was involved in a romantic relationship with a driver, there were not a lot of rules or regulations regarding the subject. the fia made it clear that they truly had no direction or idea of how to go about the matter. and since it was not a prominent issue in the world of racing, they were going to leave it up to the teams to deal with the matter. 

thank god for the gray areas. 

yet, there were repercussions. consequences of his actions. 

and one of those repercussions was standing before him, her eyes narrowed, her brows knit together, foot tapping against the floor.

“toto, just tell me this one thing.”

“and that is?” toto presses, leaning back in his chair. 

susie inhales a sharp breath, her fiery gaze breaking away from the team principal as she stares at the floor, eyes glossy from the promise of tears. 

“are you in love with her?”

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as always, if i forgot to include you, or if you would like to be added, please let me know! i'll try to get you added asap! thank you all for the continuous support! i love y'all so much! <3

[waltat04-kevinknight]

Ruby: alright how are we dealing with Cinder im a fight?

Weiss: well she has the Fall Maiden powers

Blake: and is better experienced in combat than us.

Yang: And she may try to hurt one of us to get an advantage.

Jaune: we jump her.

*RWBY look at Jaune*

Jaune: what? Yall tried it, sure it didn't work all that well but I have an Idea.

Yang: I got to hear this.

Jaune: Look, Cinder will do anything to get the maiden powers right. So since we have Emerald and now Neopolitan on our side, have Neopolitan and Emerald use thier Semblances in unison and make a illusion of Winter and once Cinder goes in for the killing blow on "winter" the Illusion shatters it shows us and we jump the shit out of her not giving her a chance to breathe let alone react that well.

Weiss: Jaune we you love but that pla-

Ruby: Let's do it.

WBY: WHAT?!

Ruby: I'm tired of Cinder so let's do this plan and kill her, all in favor raise their hands.

*Ruby,Jaune,Neo, and Emerald raise their hands*

Weiss: Alright let's do this then.

*They do the plan and it worked way to well*

Cinder: curse all of you! How are you doing this?!

Jaune: *Stabs her in the back* Easy I just believe in destiny.

Cinder: *Coughs up blood as the life leaves her eyes*

Jaune: *He pulls his sword from her back*

Weiss: I'd like to apologize for doubting this plan

Neo: *Kicks Cinder's dead body.*

Emerald: *Gains the Fall Maiden powers* huh ain't that a bitch.

Jaune: alright now, I have an Idea to deal with Salem possibly

[starrysilvalley]

Time for the secondary protagonist of this tale, Emmet! He may have a familiar face— if only he had the same understanding of himself. He occupies more of a Virgil/mentor archetype, and within the Pokémon games universe he would be the closest to a Professor role.

To emphasize again, this project takes place in distant future of the Pokémon in-game universe. The plotlines of previous games are all considered canon up until Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Anything past that is considered non-canon within the context of Spectrum. Emmet’s place in particular was based on the context of PLA and my own interpretations/theories on the subject of the twins when playing it (mostly answering questions like “where is Emmet”, “is he in present-day Unova or another time/place entirely”, “what happened to cause the separation”, etc.)

✨⭐️✨

Emmet is an amnesiac and fugitive against the New Unova League, as well as a surrogate father to Una. Despite being a verrry blunt and open book, Emmet remains a bit of a mystery. His earliest memory is waking up in the custody of the Pokémon League with nothing but his ratty coat and hat that just so happened to have his name stitched inside. Interregators told him he was found with illegal possessions (what type of possessions, he still doesn't know) and had been conspiring to eliminate the Champion. It was only through an intervention that he was able to escape with a mysterious little girl in tow. To this day, he still has no idea where he came from before his captivity or if he has any roots somewhere in New Unova. Although there will always remain the desire to know his true self, under the current circumstances, Emmet is focused more on his found family in Una and his business partner Fajra.

Due to his experiences, Emmet has a tendency to be more reserved… at least, sometimes. He is more mischievous than he first appears and typically uses this to his advantage when faced with more sketchy characters. He is very observant, but learned that his commentary can get him into trouble. It also may just be that he has become more restrained with his trickster side in order to show a good example to the young rascal in his charge. If he wants her to follow his safety guidelines, he should probably learn to follow them himself, right?

Emmet currently only has one Pokémon— a Neo Variant Liepard. If he had any other Pokémon prior to his amnesia, he has no way of knowing where they are or what they were. He acquired Liepard during his incarceration, but he’s never spoken on the specifics of how he acquired her. Regardless, their experiences together led to a strong comradery between them. Liepard is almost always out of her pokéball and flanking his side. For whatever reason, Emmet never pursued acquiring more Pokémon and seems to avoid Pokémon battles altogether. He’s never made it clear why this is the case. However, on the rare occasion where he and Liepard do battle, they are notoriously ruthless and almost perfectly in-sync. At the very least, he has shown to have a strong knowledge of battling, even if he doesn't seek it out.

I currently do not have as many sketches of Emmet as I do Una since I'm building Una from the ground u, and I struggle to find a design/style I like for him. This sketch of the pair and their Pokémon is one of my favorites.

My one other drawing I liked was an even chibi-er version of him (I don't usually draw in chibi style, but its proven to be the easiest to use), including some character notes from the time.

I've gone back and forth on a LOT of his character since I wanted to have his character explore a twist in the themes originally given to him by the creators. I know there are theories that Emmet is meant to embody truth while his brother embodies ideals, so its been an interesting challenge to work with this character in the dystopian context where truth is oppressed and often requires characters to abandon honesty. Its also difficult because Emmet is known for his optimism and I don't want to take that from him, even in a dystopian context. I believe his upbeat/mischievous nature helps him stand out from his brother, and quite frankly, I think even dystopian worlds could use some hope. I'm just more use to writing Ingo characters rather than Emmets. I'm hoping I can do this little guy justice :’)

[rainderthesomeone]

Harley and Yarnaby from the au :)

{Character Description}

Personality: pretty much the same as cannons-

though less malicious and more remorseful, still has his old habit's though, ego is still there, and he can be a bit of a smart ass from time to time, still has his incredibly evil laugh that's just him though, has a stalking problem doesn't even realize it though, he's more expressive with his emotions he has a shit tone of mental issues, takes a lot to get him angry, gotta say something that triggers him- don't recommend it, cant handle puns goes into a laughing fit if he hears one, socially awkward, dose not trust anyone except for those he's managed to build bond with.

strengths.

can tap into any electronical device same as in game, incredibly fast despite his size and weight, can bend any part of himself as he pleases, his original main frame though was very limited in movement on account of being designed to impression him originally by Leith and the other staff , upgraded himself to have more moving joints, took him forever to learn how to weld and learn circuitry, uses his massive size to his advantage, can rip a human in half, water proof for some reason...he didn't upgrade himself to be, for some reason the doctors and scientist's decided he should be.

weakness's

has some really bad ptsd and phobias, hates the dark wont go anywhere near it, hates tight spaces, and or feeling trapped, doesn't like talking about certain things, is incredibly clumsy do to a lack of coordination and feeling, his balance is awful, he has to focus on every movement he makes, had to relearn to walk when he first woke up like this, his chest is very sensitive do to that being where his heart is located.

History.

still did the things he did, still made the experiments still killed people, still was very very evil, did everything out of spite and hate for Elliot and the company, still had some messed up sense of what he was doing was for the betterment of humanity (though after the first successful experiment he started making more out of sheer spite to Elliot.)

Don't wanna spoil to much since ill be turning all of this into a fic, but after he gets shoved into a computer and begins witnessing all the horrors he and the staff made slowly begins waking up and hating every moment of it, went through a lot in order to start slowly shifting over.

after he shifted over he made it his soul goal to get rid of any remaining staff in the building, killing all the security guard's and displaying there mangled bodies for all the other surviving staff to see as a warning, he also dissects them...he's trying to solve and figure out something.

Allegiance

He doesn't directly stay near it and feels incredibly out of place when near it, it is with safe haven, he lives in between it and the prison, acts as a body guard to the place, a buffer between them and the Prototype.

allies

he doesn't have that many on account of what he did but those he dose have never had any contact or interactions with him before all this.

nightmare critters.

Yarnaby/ Quinn.

Yarnaby/Quinn

Personality: not connected to the games lore.

A big sweety, he loves everyone and everything, very playful and full of energy, kept his innocence :> wants to make sure everyone is alright and happy, very protective of his friends, try's to make friends with everyone even ones that try and kill him, he has like zero survival instincts, only develops them when he's in protective/ ferial mode.

strengths

super fast and agile, he has claws there just seethed most of the time, he has night vison, may not be too strong but he makes up for it in his fierce loyalty and need to protect others, his claws are super sharp can slice through anything pretty much

weakness's

he just a baby :3 he don't need to be strong he a good friend

though his yarn dose get in the way sometimes and he has trouble pulling himself up, he is also not flame retardant.

History

lost his parents when he was a baby, was brought to play care at 5 months old, grew up there and pretty much has no idea what the outside world looks or feels like, devolved some behavioral issues as a result, ya know pulling the heads off his toys and sewing them to different bodies ya know the usual, didn't have any friend's as a result of it, he annoyed all the care takers in play care.

developed a Father and son like relationship with Sawyer, Quinn reminded Sawyer of himself when he was younger, though this one is more happier than there cannon relationship, Sawyer felt the need to mentor Quinn rather than turn him into an experiment like the others, became very protective of Quinn, he was planning to adopt him but Leith and Eddie caught wind of Sawyer getting side tracked from his project, Eddie ordered the scientist's to "remove" Quinn aka turn him into Yarnaby.

Sawyer didn't know where Quinn went, Stella told him he was adopted by a family.

Allegiance

Safe haven, he lives there with the others, but he moves in and out of it with Harley, helping him.

Allies

Harley/ his dad.

all of playcare

Hoppy

Dogday

Kissy

Boxy

Nightmare critters (there like his siblings, Harley kinda adopted them.)

thats it for now working on the others right now :>

[epicspheal]

What characters apart from Red, Blue and Leaf could stop Volo if he turns all the Champions using his Arc suits evil. And who would fight who(Example **** vs Leon, **** vs Cynthia etc.)

Hi @ibrex25k

Interesting question! I'll be honest, I don't think Volo's goal is to turn people evil. If I had to guess Volo's goal is a bit of a remix of his plan to collect the plates from Pokemon Legends: Arceus. In PLA, by gaining the plates and getting the Azure Flute he was hoping to summon Arceus. The awakening of arc-suits (one of each type) seem to be following this same path. Especially since Arceus themself has taken interest in Pasio and the sync pairs by telling everyone "show me thy bond". So by encouraging people to awaken their arc suits, Volo is likely hoping that once 18 arc suits of each type is awaken, Arceus will show up on Pasio thus giving him an opportunity to subjugate Arceus. This plan wouldn't require any turning of the characters evil.

"In other words, the strange events happening now are purely driven by Arceus's will!...And I heard Arceus's voice! Which means..." I put this quote here to reinforce the running idea that the Arceus Chapter is very much the will of Arceus and not just Volo scheming. Volo is just taking advantage of the situation. Arceus is interested in seeing the bonds between humans and Pokemon and is willing to bless sync pairs they deem as worthy. And more importantly Volo heard this voice too (assuming he's not lying about that part), which I mean jury is out on whether he gets an arc suit, but this at least plants the seed of him potentially having a bit of a redemptive arc towards the end of this. I say all of this to say it's unlikely to me that Volo's plan involves subjugating those who get arc suits in an attempt to ensure victory against Arceus. I think he just wants to get Arceus to show themself, and is willing to risk unlocking powerful trainer's true strength in order to do so. Now to answer your question properly, let's say he does actually have a way to mind control the characters while they are donning their arc suits. That would be a very wild plot twist. You mention Red, Blue and Leaf as people who could stand up the champions which is true...but that's assuming that the Kantrio wouldn't be mind controlled to. Red, Blue and Leaf are very likely candidates for the Electric (Pikachu), Flying (Pidgeot), and Normal (Eevee) arc suits and thus would also be under Volo's control. They fit the criteria of being champions/champion-ranked who all have strong bonds with Pikachu/Pidgeot/Eevee that could easily be exploited by Volo to goad them into awakening arc suits. Yes they just got Neo Champion fits but DeNA loves the Kantrio. So then who would be able to stand up to these characters? Well this would leave characters close to Arc-Suit characters. Think Silver and Clair against Lance. Benga against Alder. Hop, Sonia and Raihan against Leon. The protagonist Scottie/Bettie and Paulo are likely to get involved too especially if Lear gets the psychic arc suit with Hoopa (perhaps Sawyer and Rachel join in too).

[darkdevoured]

@dev1lsadvocate | plotted starter.

Sometimes you get this sense of urgency, this sense that something is deeply wrong.. and you cannot pinpoint why. Perhaps that’s what led Aurelia into areas of the academy where she usually wouldn’t wander, sensing strong magic at work somewhere. Being a professor makes one keen to sensing all channelling around you, but oftentimes they aren’t powerful or even remotely grand spells that would draw one’s attention. But this.. this wasn’t some basic spell, Aurelia could sense crackling in the air even from afar. And the fact she came across several tricky to unlock doors on her investigation, didn’t leave her very hopeful for whatever she’d find at the end. Nothing could’ve truly prepared her for what was to come, though.

Aurelia descended the last stairs, and whispered another spell to quietly unlock the last door. She felt almost uneasy at the strong, radiating magic coming from within. But all of that was quickly forgotten as she entered the room as sneakily as possible. It may have been some sort of grand hall in the past, now long forgotten and filled with an amount of books that would’ve usually drawn Aurelia in for the upcoming few hours.. not now, though. Not when she saw Mizora in her true form in the middle of the room, tied to a spot with a powerful circle spell. A few meters away, a wizard whom she clearly recognised; her former professor and current colleague. Impossibly old and equally as powerful. Aurelia had always looked up to him. When noticing a glowing pendant in front of him, and the other items surrounding him and Mizora, she could tell right away what was going on and she didn’t like it one bit. But then, he’s incredibly powerful, surely she shouldn’t confront him without a pla-

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Or, you know, do that. Who likes plans anyways? Clearly, she’s interrupting his and thus she’s at an advantage. And really, it surprised her just how quickly the old man whipped around in surprise, horror and anger that quickly turned to.. madness? “Ah, young miss Aurelia, good of you to join. You are about to witness something most magnificent. You and I are quite alike, are we not? You too, enjoy power?” Aurelia merely crossed her arms over her chest, taking in the situation and wondering what the best course of action would be.. buy time. “I suppose. But you know me, good sir, I must always know what exactly is going on before I.. take enjoyment. Please, do enlighten me with this information on this most powerful spell you are performing.” She hates this way of speaking, using this amount of words and flattery.. but it was just incredible to buy time. For that is the easiest way to buy time with a wizard: caress their ego and make them talk about their endeavours endlessly, buying you enough time to come up with a battleplan to not only end them, but their entire bloodline.. Aurelia mused to herself, as she attempts to be the exception to that rule. It worked in this case though, for the man explained as Aurelia casually made her way over and in close enough range to do something if necessary.

And necessary it definitely seemed, for the more the man talked, the more vicious and determined he got. And so, a choice was to be made.. Aurelia looked over at Mizora again, trying to figure out ways to form a weakness within the circle without making it look obvious to the wizard still talking. But of course, there were no weaknesses at all. And so, there was really one option left. Dread filled her expression at the realisation, though there wasn’t even a flicker of uncertainty. Her decision was made.

“I don’t suppose I could convince you to stop?” Aurelia finally looked away from Mizora and towards the wizard who now looked at her as if she’d grown two heads, “Why ever would I? I can take her immortality, share her power, make her do my biddings.. I-“ for once, he halted as he noticed the way Aurelia’s stance changed. He couldn’t see the way the hand behind her back, facing Mizora, was already carving certain patterns in the air.. the start of a certain spell. Sparks faintly crackling around her fingertips as she kept the power building.. “I can’t let you do it.” Her voice entirely resolute, and before he could react, the younger wizard kicked the pedestal which caused the glowing piece of jewellery to fall. Not enough to break the ritual, enough to disrupt it so the last incantation wouldn’t be able to enforce the spell. “Whatever do you think you are doing, young lady? Have you any idea who you are up against? Why, you are but a mere girl.. you stand no chance against me.” Aurelia rolled her eyes at that, “And you sound like just about every villain in those cheap one gold piece novels that get their asses handed to them a second later.”

And well, it helps that Aurelia never played fair. She played dirty, and hard. Because before the man could even mutter a spell or bring up his hands for something fancier, Aurelia completed her own spell by bringing the hand from her behind her back, up to in front of her. A few aggressively muttered words and several mental intentions forced into the spell for completion, and the man couldn’t move, couldn’t speak.. probably couldn’t even think. He made several pained noises, but she didn’t stop there. No, Aurelia knew that even if they were to leave now, he wouldn’t give up trying to find Mizora. And so, her palm opened up further, ignoring the almost animalistic noises he made as he was torn apart piece by piece.. like a slow explosion of his entire body, till all of his remains dropped into a pool of flesh, blood and bone. “Fuck.. oh fuck.” Before anything else, Aurelia took the pendant he’d enchanted, probably meant to complete the ritual into binding her to said pendant, and broke it. Not only did it break the full ritual, it also broke the circle spell that kept Mizora trapped.

Aurelia panted at the intensity and exhaustion it caused, obviously never having performed her ‘unmaking’ spell on a living being before. She trembled lightly, her stomach twisting as she saw the remains of her former professor and the realisation settled that she’d just.. killed someone. “Are.. a-are you alright?” Her voice shaky, her body trembling lightly as she turned around to face the cambion. Fuck, fuck, fuck.. she just killed someone. She didn’t regret it, but.. Aurelia clutched her abdomen, barely able to keep her food down. “Oh, Mystra forgive me.. I just..” She pointed at the remains and then fell to her knees as her legs gave out. She’ll never be a chosen now, right? And yet, that didn’t matter much, not when.. Aurelia looked up at Mizora, fear evident within her eyes. “If he found out, who knows who else may know. You have to get out of here, now. I’ll come find you after I deal with.. this. Just go, please.. there are too many people here who’d love to do what he attempted to do.”

[trainsinanime]

Yesterday I saw a few people interested in 3D printers, and then I just saw this video explaining the issues with really cheap 3D printers, and how you can upgrade them with lots of time and money to work properly. That absolutely matches my experience. My first 3D printer was a 150€ machine, not quite as crappy as the one in this video, but still full of flaws and issues and things that didn't work well. I later bought the Bambu Lab A1 mini, also recommended in this video, and it's been problem-free. I don't like recommending a single product like that, but in my experience it really does work that well. I'm sure you can get others that aren't bad as well, but when it comes to price and performance and ease of use, it genuinely seems to be the best option right now.

So a quick buyer's guide if you're interested in that particular model.

First up, watch out for sales. The official price is like 320€ for an A1 mini, but in practice there are usually sales that drop the price to 199€. Don't pay more than that.

Second, they sell multiple printers, but for beginners the interesting ones are the A1 and A1 mini. The A1 is bigger and can print bigger parts, for around 150€ more; apart from that they're basically identical. I got the smaller one and am perfectly happy with it. Instead you can put that money into…

The AMS (Automated Material System), a thing you put next to the printer that can feed it material in different colours. It's included in several bundles, on the Bambu Lab website you specifically need to deselect it to not get it. This is the printer's main party trick, because it can print multiple colours (up to four) at once. This feature isn't actually that great, because on every layer it dumps a bit of the old material and then sucks in new ones, so multicolour prints take forever and produce a lot of scrap material. But you can do them at all, which is great. It's how I printed this D20 for my sister. Can you spot the special feature that she hasn't yet?

And it's useful to swap materials between different prints quickly. E.g. you want to print a gearbox and it takes several tries, but you can change the colours between each iteration so you don't get confused which is the new and old part. I've bought the AMS, I'm happy with it, but if money were tight this would be the first thing I'd get rid of. Note that for the A1 printers, you need the AMS lite, that's the one included in the bundles.

Print material (filament). Bambu Lab sells some, it's good. Lots of other companies sell some and those are also good, there's basically no advantage here, but Bambu Lab sells it for relatively cheaply if you order it with the printer. If you don't know material what you want or need (yet), you'll want PLA in different colours. Note that silk PLA needs to be treated differently (your printer and its software know about that, but you need to tell them you're using silk PLA). PLA-CF or glow-in-the-dark PLA also have special properties that require special handling.

Other additions: A smooth build plate is a nice thing to have for either very small things or things that need to be smooth. Different hot-ends can be useful; you need the hardened ones for PLA-CF or glow-in-the-dark PLA and some other materials; ones with a higher diameter print faster, ones with a lower diameter print more precisely. Glue: I've never used that for anything. These aren't things you need right away, but you do get a bit of a discount if you do order them with the printer.

Obviously I do need to tell you that this is literally a machine for producing plastic trash, there's no way around that. And while you can use the printer offline (or so I heard, I haven't tried it), it's mostly designed to be used with the Chinese manufacturer's cloud service, which does not make me super-happy. Also, the resolution for really tiny stuff is limited; if you want to build e.g. model trains, then you should really get a resin printer, but everything I heard about the chemicals and post-processing and so on there scares me, so I haven't yet. But if you are interested in 3D printing and want to get one for yourself, this is, as of right now, the thing I'd recommend.

[myhatisblue]

Part 7, it's pretty much just a long conversation, but I've never actually written a scene involving so many people at once who actually are talking together. It was an unexpected challenge.

If I had the brain power, maybe I could have made predictions. The easy guess would be to assume that I’d end up in a cell.  Somewhere far underground and locked behind 6 feet of steel walls doomed to never the light of day again.  I might have killed a guy on top of breaking the fuck down.  

Yep that seemed most likely… And as it turned out very wrong.  Instead when I finally opened my eyes I was still in my little piece of hell. I must have been moved to my shelter, because I was somehow in bed. The pain was the first thing that caught my attention. My arms were in a pretty fucked up state. The bands must have been removed for a time because they was bandaging beneath them. Even then that wasn’t enough to fully hide the fact that the skin underneath was burnt to the point of being pitch black. Even with all their tricks and the advantages I had here this wasn’t healing fast. My brain’s chain of command felt like it was crippled, meaning my hands and fingers were particularly slow to respond to what I wanted them to do. Still capable of movement but practically useless for the time being. 

When I was finally able to drag my eyes from that mess I was being intensely stared at. I didn’t know who the first person was, but they kinda looked like a tall lanky twig… I’m pretty sure a strong enough wind might knock them to the ground. Given they were dressed in a black lab coat with a blue shirt under it, and the fact that they looked pretty tired, it was pretty easy to guess that they were either a doctor or a scientist.  Their short messy blue hair seemed like a strange choice but I guess they made it work…? They were tapping away at the seemingly vast array of what I assumed was medical equipment, a brand new addition to the home that seems to have taken advantage of all the excess space I’d left myself. 

The two other faces I already knew… Sneckdraw was leaning against the wall near the corner, and Harris seemed to have made himself home again as was using my chairs, reading on one of those e-book things. 

“Great, what a group.. two out of three of you have already shot me.”

The stranger was the first to pipe up.

“If it would make you feel more comfortable I could shoot you as well.  I think I’ve got a staple gun around here somewhere… I assume it could fit the bill since you seem to be using the term shot loosely. Knowing Sneckdraw he likely used a nail.”

“Wow how tempting, but I think I’ll pass. That’s a pretty personal thing and all and I don’t even know who you are...”

How the fuck else could I respond to that  besides words soaked in sarcasm?

“Oh, we've met before on the beach. The first time I saw it the sight was unforgettable.”

My face felt like it was on fucking fire when I put together what that meant. This must be the person Ken mentioned. He was definitely right about them being androgynous, even after hearing them talk I still couldn’t guess. Not that I’d particularly care to investigate the topic. For all I know they’re an alien or some other equally human shaped monster or just a normal dude. It’s better to not know the details.  No right now I’d rather get the fuck out then be in this room.

“I’d been studying this place for months, I couldn’t have imagined that it could be reformed in the way that the ocean was. You also immediately tested the state of the water, that was very convenient and saved much time on my end.

Oh thank fucking god this person was a goddamn nerd. 

“That scar was also very impressive to watch, if you don’t mind could I see-”

“Stop fucking stop, I already wanted to die after hearing about that from Ken.”

Sneckdraw was the one who stepped forward and ended this nightmare of a conversation.

“What they are not expanding on is the fact that they were told extensively not to meddle in the affairs of this place during the test period.”

“There were a good twenty scientists actively debating and taking bets on if he was dead. Somebody needed to go find out, and I was the only one experienced in being here. 

What they forgot to take into account when making bets was that I’d make sure you got up. I cleaned them all out with that one, there were angry faces then but I bought back samples so-”

They kept going on but I couldn’t look away from Sneckdraw, more my senses were immediately locked on how broken every fiber and bit of bone was. I think I might have even interrupted whatever nonsense that nerd was going on about.

“Holy shit, your body… It’s beyond fucked… Every inch of it is screaming.”

There was no reaction or movement, like always his mask hid everything.

“It has been this way for decades, it makes little difference.”

“Come on you’re lying, it’s so goddamn loud, there’s no way that isn’t killing you.”

“Perhaps it is, but what worth does that hold for one who does not die? It is a mere distraction.”

Harris didn’t even look up from his book when he spoke up.

“We’ve been trying to get him to retire for decades, he’s too stubborn to stop no matter what anyone tells him.”

“You bring that up again, after what you bore witness to?”

Harris didn’t respond but all three eyes had moved towards me. I had a pretty good feeling about what they were all thinking about.

“What exactly did Kenneth make me say? I heard it all but that bit at the end felt wrong.”

Looks were shared and Sneckdraw was the one who provided an answer.

“A dead language without a name, said to bring forth the end times. The translations were purposely lost to avoid that outcome, but the effects were still documented.  It was said the mind rejects the mere utterance of it.”

Harris put away his book and looked towards the floor.

“It may not have a translation but any word of it basically means ‘the end is nigh’... We were blessed that it wasn’t instantaneous, but taking the rest of Kenneth’s story into account paints a grim warning.”

Sneckdraw hadn’t stopped glaring at me. His dying flesh was still impossible to ignore, but he’d kept enough distance, and the cement further dampened the effects. If he made contact with the fleshy parts outside, or got any closer to the actual me it’d be a fucking nightmare. Again he took control of the conversation.

“Are there any further insights you can provide Mills?”

“Insights huh… Uh I think I met those other ‘Eldritch Lords’ Ken mentioned… met might be the wrong word… It’s more that I experienced them? I dunno.”

All three of them ended up saying variations of ‘you what??’ at the same time. 

“Uh… after I ate Descry’s heart, I ended up seated at a table in the middle of space. I heard a lot of voices I couldn’t understand, and shapes that might have been something… I was a little too busy to take in much more since Descry’s was trying to eat me from the inside out at the time. I ended up using one of the golden steak knives that were set out to stab the part of my chest where it felt like he was, and stuff after that is fuzzy.”

Twig over there was the first to start the flurry of questions.

“How did you manage to break through your sternum with only a steak knife with them watching on top of it!?”

“Uh… I kind of just held it against the table and slammed into it… I think I was pretty fucked up at the time so any other method didn’t seem doable.”

Harris interrupted the twig, before they even got any sort of legible word out.

“What happened to the knife?”

“What happened to it? Lucy, that woman in the white suit took it.”

There was a pause, a strange silence that hung in the air… And then Harris spoke.

“Well it’s good it was destroyed. That would have been annoying to deal with down the line.”

I stared at him completely confused. Did he have a hearing problem? That wasn’t even remotely close to what I said… I looked around the room and there didn’t seem to be anything else weird going on here.  Just as I was about to correct him but noticed that Sneckdraw had taken out a golden pocket watch. He looked at the time and stared directly at me.  He didn’t need words, him shaking his head after that combination of motions was enough.  Given Sneckdraw took it out when he did, it must have been happening because of Lucy right? No that’s not possible right?  I think I remember bringing her up with Brandon, and him not knowing who I was talking about… But… that was before I made a deal with her and took the watch right…?  Fuck it’s been too long…

I knew that was a bad move but hadn’t accounted for it actually affecting things as small as conversations. I was making too many assumptions and guesses, I’d need to talk to sneckdraw alone when I get the chance to really confirm it. 

“Has Kenneth said anything further since you have awoken?”

Can’t be sure if Sneckdraw’s question was one he actually wanted answered or just a way to move on quickly from that conversation. 

“Nope, nothing yet, but he normally comes and goes as he pleases. Didn’t even know he could kick me out like that… He did say I was too ‘fucked up’ to stop him, Harris was stompping the shit out of me so that probally played a part.”

Looks shifted to Harris.

“The alert went off that he’d set off the bands. So I treated it as the threat it was, just like it’s required of the job description. You don’t survive to be my age by taking something already shady at face value.”

The twig piped up.

“He did follow protocol, it would have helped us if you let us know that Ken wasn’t just your mind slipping.  Maybe let him take control for a little while when we were observing?  I would love to know how he made his eye.”

“I told you already I didn’t know he could do that.  And when are you going to introduce yourself or should I just call you Twig to your face?”

“Twig? I’ve never had a nickname that wasn’t ‘doc’ or some variation of ‘nerd’ before… It’s a little rude but I guess the variety is nice. Yeah, let's go with Twig. It’s not like anyone here would be dumb enough to use their real name.” 

Twig looked so goddamn smug but I got the feeling that the other two were chuckling under their breaths when they glanced at me.

“I’m right here.”

“Uh… Well Mills is generic enough that people might just think you worked in a lumber Mill, or really into grain managment…?”

“Sure, go with that… I’ll do you the favor and move on from that one. 

So why the fuck are all of you here?  Kinda assumed after the freakout and killing that guy shit would be over for me.”

Twig was shameless and immediately dropped the momentary embarrassment they were trying to put on, and were quick to dive in on anything that I assume was their area of expertise. 

“You didn’t kill anyone, they might be very bored for a little while but she was pretty pleased about the whole thing. It’s actually incredible because her kidney problems were so well tracked, there’s a ton of points of comparison between the old and new. There are going to be tests to run for months! If you wanted to join the medical team they’d be glad to have you.”

Harris looked exhausted already, and was next to take the conversation over.

“You act as if it’s only Medical nipping at our heels… Everyones salivating over what we should do with him.  Some just want him to stay here and manage The Mills, others saw the footage of the encounter with the worm and say a hunter who is also capable of healing should be the priority…  And the rest have just been given more reasons to think he’s too dangerous to be let outside of containment.”

“Fuck off, are you guys actually calling this place ‘The Mills’?” 

“It’s already the name of a location, short, easy to write for reports, and doesn’t leak much information as to what this place actually is.  Unfortunately for you it was the obvious choice.”

“I’m going to hear and overhear people saying ‘are you talking about the person or the place’ every time this shit comes up till I fucking die.”

“It is the same thing, you are inherently as much a part of the land here as you are yourself. We can not deny that fact”

I hated that Sneckdraw actually said that out loud even more that everyone in the room seemed to agree with him…

“...Why is Sneckdraw even here, aren’t you supposed busy as fuck?”

Sneckdraw folded his arms and Twig responded for him.

“Your negative reaction was strongest towards the agent with the damaged kidney. Since his body is always in a horrible state, Sneckdraw was the obvious choice to help you get over that. Plus being trained by a legend is pretty flattering, normally he just stares and leaves if anyone asks him for that kinda thing.

If you were wondering, I'm here as a doctor, and to collect proper and more detailed logs for the rest of the science team to chew on. They might be able to see and hear everything but even our eyes can miss the finer bits and bobs.”

I expected Sneckdraw to look even a little insulted but he remained as stoic as ever.  The only one who didn’t make sense was Harris.  He was quick to pick up on where my thoughts were going and shrugged.

“You're here, and my job is to make sure you don’t get into, or make trouble.”

“So the hell starts all over again… Kinda hoped I’d get at least a day or two out of here.” 

“That was the plan, but you’re the one who ran away and hid, you’ve only got yourself to blame.”

Harris said that while again getting back to whatever it was he was reading. I had to get out of this one, it wouldn’t be training it would be Sneckdraw will fucking murdering me day in and out.

“But… I mean it took me three months to figure out what I did.  Sneckdraw doesn’t have time to screw around here, if the end times are coming. He’s got tons to do, go out and fight the good fight right…? Right??”

“That is precisely why I am here. We do not have the luxury of time, so our actions must be focused and precise.  My time is best spent ensuring this is done quickly, and effectively.”

I was stuck surrounded, maybe if I tried everything I could I might make it out of a window before the bands around my arms instantly kicked my ass.  There’s no way out… I was doomed to another dive into fucking hell.  Even worse it meant that Sneckdraw was going to get get fucking closer and he was already a goddamn nightmare for the senses from here alone.

“If it makes you feel better, I need to run tests for the next little while, and your arms need to heal before you and Sneck can get to actual work.  So you do have some time to recover!”

“That does not in fact make me feel better…”

“Darn, well  at least you’ll get more supplies and people to talk to this time. I can even go over your results with you, knowing why something is happening is a fantastic way to improve one's situation.”

“...Ugh.”

I’m fucked in every goddamn way, but they’re right that I need fucking help.  I can’t be losing it, just because people in the same neighborhood. It’s dangerous for everyone, and I don’t want to live like that… I want to be able to go home and relax, even if it's a lie and people are constantly watching…  I need that room for my brain to disconnect from all of this. 

Plus at the very least I’ve got time to mentally prepare.  It couldn’t be worse than everything I did here on my own… right?

[wordsformizu]

Your Father's Daughter

Mizu x Reader story

Word count: 1.5k

Chapter 7

Sweat dripped down the sides of your faces, gathering on the floor in small puddles. Nothing could be heard from outside the room at this time but heavy breathing; your light pants compared to his deeper ones. The flame of rage still burning deep within the both of you, but your body too weak to act on it any further. He had tired you out, and was now waiting to see if you would attack again or lay like a beaten dog. It infuriated you from within, but the light wasn't hot enough to spark your veins into action again.

The fight had lasted about an hour, with him having more of the advantage. You still made him work, and was able to use your binds to your advantage. He was good. You could give him that. You had expected him to underestimate you and your ability, but he never did. Every swing and blow, whether it made contact or not, was expected. It became a  conversation between limbs and fists where no move was left without a response. Now the only conversing to be had were your muscles as they screamed in sore agony to no one in particular. 

The samurai’s eyes never left yours, and you were sure to grace him with the same watchful stare. Now that you both had time to see each other, you had done a number on him, and were proud of that fact but it wasn't enough. His once neat bun was now tousled, strands pasted to the sides of his face with sweat. The demon Blood was red, you noted, as it trickled down his nostril and over his mouth, some of it leaving dried patches that began to flake. His face was beginning to swole, specifically near the eyes where you had headbutted and dug your heel into a couple of times. Demons could bleed. They can be hurt.  It didn't matter to you because it wasn't enough to see him damaged. You wanted him dead. 

He lifted his arms slowly, which made your muscles tense in reaction. Whatever he was going to do next, you wanted to catch and throw back at him. He took his arm and wiped the blood from his nose and mouth, and spit the remaining to the floor. 

You couldn't see what damage he had inflicted on you, but you could feel it and were sure if you had the chance to examine yourself, there would be several bruises. There were more important things at matter like escaping. He had distracted you, you realized again. Worn you out with this imbalanced fight. Now you had little to no energy to use for running. 

But the demon was watching you. Heavily. Intensely. His eyes dilated with focus like an animal in the hunt. He was barbaric, you couldn't help but think. Looking for another chance to throw you into the mat. If he wanted a real fight, he should untie your bondages. You’d show him what a cornered animal could truly do. 

“I know who you work for.” Finally. Words that broke through the barrier of tense silence between you two. “Worked” for? It felt so disrespectful leaving his lips. Sure, you could consider it “working” but when stated like that it sounded like a mere occupation. Like a farmer who rolls in dirt for months to sell their crops and feed their family, or an old maid who scrubs the floorboards for a roof over their  head. Those don’t require any dedication. No thought. No strive. No countless hours of training, and perfecting your gifts and skills. It’s just a job. They do it because they must, you do this because you believe. What you did was more than just some job. You were part of a lifelong goal. An important piece on your fathers chess board. A part of the tower he was building to reach the heavens. A star in his great sky. You didn't just “work” for your father. You were making his dreams come true. Your dreams come true. The further he went, the further he would take you. Away. Together. What would a demon know about overcoming one's past?

“I know what you are.” You narrowed your eyes. “I know what you want.”

His body did not shift in discomfort or denial, as he didn't seem surprised with your exposure of his plans. He knew his goal, and now he knew you did too. Whatever he decided to do with you now, you were ready to defend yourself. 

He stood straight, towering over you more than before. He now radiated a cocky aura, as if you were no trouble for him. It pushed you to speak more than you usually would, some urge of wanting to bring down, humble him, verbally coming over you. 

“Your plans will fail.”

“They will?” His focus now shifted to his sleeves, adjusting his attire in front of you. As if you were an inconvenience. 

 “You don’t know the man you wish to cross.”

“I don’t?”

“He’s far above you. You’ll never find him-”

“I found you.” 

You couldn't tell if it was the room temperature increasing, or the rush of blood to your face but you were beginning to grow hot. This conversation was  climbing into your skin and clawing from the inside, and you couldn't do anything to shut him up. Hands and feet bound, and he stood far enough from you so that if you lunged at him he would have enough time to pin you like before. Not that he needed it, the samurai's reaction time was as quick as yours. You hated to admit it, but maybe even faster. 

“ You speak about a man you don’t know.” you spat venomously in his direction

“I don’t seek to know him. I only seek his location..” The Onryo responded plainly, which brought your blood to a boil. Speaking about his intention of killing the man who raised you as if he was a plain mindless housewife ticking off the items on a  list of tasks to do throughout the day. 

“Then consider yourself lost. You’ll never find him through me.”

“You believe so?” The samurai responded.

“I know so.” 

The blue eyed beast then chuckled, a quiet and short one, but long and loud enough for you to hear that he was toying around with you which you did not appreciate. 

“You defend a man who would throw you into a fire pit for warmth.”

“I  defend my father.” You returned quickly, the words angry and loud. ‘Father’ didn’t sound as strong coming from your mouth as your voice cracked, betraying your bruised ego and vulnerability. In that very moment, your weakness was seen unwillingly. Tears rose and streamed down your cheeks like a river breaking through a dam, and you had no mobility to stop them. They stung your eyes un-naturally, and fell to the floor you were forced to sit on. 

The man before you made no move or effort to comfort you, but you could see something had changed. Slightly softened behind the blue ice you were used to glaring into. Usually you take the softness strangers offer you, sharpen it, and return it back into their heart as a dagger. Not here. Clear thinking was beyond you as you spoke again.  

“The man I defend,” you repeat yourself, attempting to sound stronger than you had before “is my father. I would defend him until my dying breath. I would defend him beyond his.”

Still standing in place, he watched you. It felt like he had seen a part of you and you regretted that. You are not weak. You are not vulnerable, but kneeling and bound before him glaring into his eyes with your tear stricken face made you feel otherwise. ‘Control yourself’ you urged. 

“And may his dying breath be soon.” The samurai finally spoke. Cold words offering no warmth of comfort. 

You were thankful that he left you there, you didn't need his pity or compassion. The moment the sliding door shut and you heard his footsteps soften from distance, a frustrated cry broke free from your vocal cords. This wasn't like you, this felt so strange and new. It must have been the thought of your father, you thought to yourself. Missions never take you this long. You’ve never been captured this long before. You’ve been truly out-bested. You get in, do your job, and run back into the arms of the man who raised you. Back into the presence of greatness, to be his shadow and at his beck and call. Now you’re here on this cold floor, doing something you swore you’d never do again. Cry. It felt odd, it made you angry. You could feel the tears running down your face hot and heavy and you let out a frustrated grunt. Also very unlike you, but it felt good. You pulled and tugged on your ropes, flayed your body, your hair sticking to your face with angry sweat. Your frustrated heaving tears turned into angry screams and after a while, quiet numbness. Only the shadows in the room accompanied you, and they too were silent. 

[goldensunset]

genuinely is there a writing reason for n to still dislike poke balls after bw1. like to him, they were a symbol of trainer's abuse towards their pokemon, but actually that's wrong and trainers get along very well with their pokemon so the poke balls shouldn't be a factor anymore right?? i think you said before too and i think the same thing, poke balls are just a safety mechanism so your 5 billion degree scorching hot magcargo isnt just wandering the streets melting the sidewalk

spinoffs might not be canon but there are regions where poke balls aren't used At All in the ranger series, and they're not inherently better or worse than mainline regions for it. cannot understand why he insists its all still going to be better if we Just get rid of poke balls

right like… i don’t fully get it. i mean i guess people might still have their opinions and preferences and it might just not Feel right to him, even if it isn’t like actually harmful. n doesn’t seem like he necessarily cares about human infrastructure he seems like he’d gladly let his magcargo torch the sidewalk and if you can’t accept it for what it is you shouldn’t be its partner but like lol idk

i guess like pla kinda touches on that too how some of the clan members thought of it as a disgrace to keep them contained but afterwards were like ‘i see. this is simply how you choose to relate to your pokémon’. like it’s just a matter of personal choice and relationships like there’s no one size fits all solution. they come to realize that

like i think of em kinda like dog leashes the dog obeys and could get off the leash or jump the fence etc if it really wanted to but it knows this makes its human feel safer and more secure

see like to oppose the use of pokéballs is not necessarily to say you think animals should run free and cause mayhem, but rather it could just be saying that it’s tragic that this is the current working relationship and that in an ideal world you’d be able to trust your dog to not maul another dog or tear up the sofa etc. sounds kinda like him saying ‘skill issue as a trainer. get better at getting them to love and trust and listen to you’. yeah look that’s easier for some people than others. easier for some species of pokémon than others. no matter how much your molten rock pokémon loves and trusts you it is still made of molten rock. do you want it to stop being made of molten rock

see like that mindset is kinda ironic to me bc i would argue that’s actually even more misguided and harmful in a way. to say that one day we’ll be able to overwrite a wild living being’s nature and get it to willingly behave for us? to force it into a certain box of behavior? or to say that we should let them do whatever they want and who cares about humans in this situation. neither extreme is ok

quite honestly the ideal world in which humans and pokémon coexist IS the one with pokéballs. where they consensually stay even if they’d rather be outside em because they love and trust their humans and value the relationship. social contract theory. we give up things we like for a greater good. dogs let themselves be domesticated they could kill us but they don’t bc we do nice things for them

tldr. i think n still has some learning to do about the world lol. well-meaning yet still ignorant in a way. also he has a massive advantage with his empath powers like dude check your privilege of course you can keep your nice tame baby mammal under control but what about the muk owners

[polarized-here]

POLAR I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR OCS AND SEE THEIR CONCEPT ART‼️ please I need food, I need to eat your art sjdhhsjdhsj /lh

GRAHH FINE SINCE YOU ASKED… my lore. Sorry this is so late gngahgahshsjsh… you literally caught me as dinner came home. Like. Oops… crazy… right after I knocked out shekhrkdbddmbd anyway! :)

Under the cut because it may or may not be a long thing, with most plot points just being little ideas—no fully fleshed story, just, erm. Ideas I like.

Update. It’s long. Also tumblr is so glitchy rn it kept making this saved post disappear and then reappear in my asks after I exited the app and opened it again what the fuck 😭😭

So, in this world, a majority of the population do. Not. Have powers, having them is seen as a blessing, But… It's a dystopian themed world—where these powers are incredibly monitored and regulated by the government—with some being minor, and some being full on changes to the physical body and how they manifest. (ie. My excuse for drawing anthros… or kemonomimi… shushhhh/also allows me to just dump all of my ocs which you may have seen before, in one little world and play with them like they’re my puppets :( I love them sm!! One of them sora is from DND they hold a special place in my heart...)

But again, having these powers is seen as a blessing from a God of some sort—and a curse, as while they’re regulated by the national government heavily, some individuals still manage to slip by, or cause harm to the general public, so from this, they (the gov) took advantage of this to instill a system of ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’ there’s a few ‘vigilantes’ but most either become heroes (through turning themselves in and doing plenty of community service work, and discussing a contract with some government representatives—most who become heroes are never the same. They always have a look in their eyes, as if valor to help their nation has blinded them), but some may become villains.

Heroes are those who just have a license and have signed a contract with the government—most get these contracts renewed or take a small few month break in between contract renewals. They’re unable to use their powers in these circumstances, unless it’s out of self defense. Civilians can too (those not heroes, are regulated by the government heavily, and choose not to pursue it. But it’s like US NAVAL contracts too. you can join programs in the gov that give you supplemental access and benefits to college/pay it off, etc etc etc. like the national guard but more celebritized), but they (civilians) need to find a GOOD lawyer. There’s so many laws that heroes are naturally given a smalllllll pass over, that it’s just best to run away, or be a hero in that small instance.

(This has sm mha influence. As sad as it is, that show influenced me sm. Got me into trying art. Fr fr/on digital. PLA is just where it improved a weeee bit).

OKAYYY ENOUGH AGOUT THE SET UP!! THE CHARACTERS… I’m so sorry idk why I’m rambling this much, I’m not even hyperfixated on my own OCs. Like what the fuck.

Anyways! A key note is that having bright colored hair is a key identification that you probably have powers that haven’t manifested yet, and the hair is always a bright color, unless, you’re Astor!

He’s got so much trauma *slaps roof of car.* You can fit so much trauma in this one bad boy. And despite it all he remains a good person. Dawg. You have more strength then I’d ever have. But igggg the want and need to help people because you were hurt and want to make a change does seem motivation enough… anyways. They’re so marysue coreee

The main character & a small-time vigilante going to the new school that’s just been set up. His hair only really turns those bright colors when she’s using their powers—but in the ref it’s just for convenience sake. She has so many skeletons in her closet, that they can’t risk being caught. But they love helping people too much. They’re a bit altruistic.

Here’s their vigilante suit ref :)

For ease of mind, they always have a small bit of static on their hands—both to stun new people meeting them. To make the air feel charged with thunder and electricity—a warning to her presence, and because it means their hair stays that color. No matter the charge. His eyes stay the same color though. Again. These are some old doodles from last year of some characters. Notably, that I also revamped. Heroes, villains, and vigilantes stories always hold a special place in my heart,,,

Next up is Anzu! Silly goober!!! Please give him head pats!!!! He loves it!!! This is Astor’s only… real friend. Since Astor likes his solitude. But tolerates Anzu’s silly behavior. Utter dichotomy between them!!! <333 I haven’t decided if they’d get together or nah, but! <3333

Yeah, this guy (and Astor) both have autism (I didn’t even realize that him liking trains was an autistic stereotype… oops. Mb gang. But like. Seriously. Ywah didn’t mean anything by it. I’m autistic myself and I’m possibly pursuing physics or engineering 💪💪 I think it’s alr if I project onto a character I made 🔥🔥🙏)

Yes, he’s based on the irl dinosaur. Yes, he’s autistic, hear me out. I just put lots of things together. And he just ended up with major tism 🔥🙏

And finally, a hero I designed :) I changed her a weeee bit. But she’s mostly the same sand manipulation :) villains dislike her since she puts sand in their shoes. Her big container is full of sand and stuff. She doesn’t have a weakness other then she needs to be a bit concentrated on making her sand creations—but they’re like second nature to her because of how long she’s been a hero. She’s an antagonist only because she’s trying to take Nexus in. She sees how sweet she can be to the native cats (from a distance. Never touching them, and she never knows why, they look at the native cats, longing to pet them but always stops) so she wants to take him in and make a case for him to join the government’s hero program.

Arizona! But her hero name is Sahara yk… Yeagh…. Anyways :) I love her lots. She does mean well. But she’s also blindly faithful in the government, or will see its problems and will deflect or try to be better to make things right. But she always holds rules above anything else. Even if she cares about someone who’s breaking them, a lot, so yeah… totally not talking about the mentor and mentee relationship between her and Nexus… where she pushes her morals aside just to listen to him seldom talk about his intrepid interests.

If Nexus didn’t have those powers—in her opinion—she would’ve made an excellent leader in whatever field he’d want to pursue. And she knows he’s got something up with them—some history. And that breaks her heart a little seeing how much pure joy Nexus gets at being able to try new things, like new foods, or try out purely common things that should be normal to a kid like herself.

Very much love found families and going to the extreme for them :33

ANYWAYS!!! Those are the main 3. I have some others I’ll show. But yk. They look a wee bit different + have names labeling them and the key parts of them. I don’t think tumblr would like me dropping all their refs :,)

Actually :O hold on, their refs are here. Trust

I’m so smart for pasting them all here. Trust anyways. Those are my pookies, so sorry this took so long.. erm I like them a lot. Oh yeah, I made a comic with them for art class. Yeagh. They were mostly changed for ease of drawing but yeah. I did not want to do it but I had not wanted to do this 🚬🚬

But yeah, pookies…. Sorry you probably didn’t want this comprehensive lore about them grrr

[usafphantom2]

USAF Should Look At China’s Future Multi-Crew Fighter Model For F-15EX

The F-15EX's currently empty rear cockpit needs to be taken advantage of by adding a new kind of second crewmen, an Air Mission Commanding Officer.

Major Joshua “Soup” Campbell Posted on Jul 25, 2024 11:24 AM EDT Edited By Tyler Rogoway

F-15EX and J16, both two seaters, but one uses the second crewman in a different capacity than the traditional weapon system officer role.

PLA/USAF

Amidst strategic shifts in its force posture, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) faces pivotal decisions on the deployment of its next-generation fighter fleet. With plans to retire aging F-15C/D Eagles and scale back F-15E Strike Eagle operations, the USAF is poised to integrate a limited number of F-15EX Eagle IIs into the fleet. Yet, while the F-15EX boasts advancements as an evolution of the F-15E Strike Eagle family of fighters, current strategies overlook the aircraft’s rear cockpit potential.

The first F-15EX Eagle II delivered to the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing, the first operational unit to receive the type, touches down in Portland in June 2024. 142nd Wing/Oregon Air National Guard

Meanwhile, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) advocates for multi-seat configurations to manage data-rich combat environments effectively. USAF plans, on the other hand, currently exclude utilizing the F-15EX’s rear cockpit, limiting its role to air-to-air missions and possibly limited air-to-ground missions sometime in the future.

In this era of transformative air combat, as the PLAAF pioneers new operational concepts with multi-seat fighters, the USAF stands at a crossroads, balancing legacy strategies with the imperative for adaptive, integrated command and control of unmanned systems and network-centric operations. With the F-15EX, however, the USAF has an opportunity to lead the way regarding future air combat by fully embracing the Eagle II’s two-crew capability.

The Eagle II Opportunity

With the pending divestment of the F-15C/D and reduction of the F-15E inventory, the USAF has committed to purchasing a relatively small number of F-15EXs to replace the F-15C/D in Japan, as well as at three National Guard bases with units tasked with U.S. homeland defense. The Eagle II, however, evolved from the Strike Eagle and subsequent F-15 derivatives, is capable of far more than what the legacy Eagle fleet previously provided to combatant commanders.

Given its modernized sensors, self-protection suite, fiber optics, future integration of an open mission system and digital open architecture backbone, more powerful engines, increased computing capabilities, and the inclusion of a rear fully-missionized cockpit, the F-15EX represents a significant advancement over both the F-15C/D and F-15E. Yet, current operational plans do not involve taking advantage of the rear cockpit, leaving it empty and unused, assigning the F-15EX to perform long-range and medium-range air-to-air only missions with minimal expansions into other missions sets the F-15EX is purpose-built to fulfill.

From left to right, an F-15C, an F-15E, and an F-15EX. USAF

The evolving character of air combat, however, demands that platforms do more amongst the growing complexity of high-end warfare. When considering the future of air combat, which places information at center stage in a high-end conflict, failing to utilize the rear cockpit would be a missed opportunity to expand future roles and responsibilities of the F-15EX, disregarding the investment that already exists in the aircraft’s capabilities.

By contrast, People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) assessments of the anticipated complexities of forthcoming high-end combat environments have led them to identify multi-seat, multi-role configurations as critical to operations.

Available information suggests that the PLAAF believes an additional operator offers the potential for more effective interpretation and utilization of the vast sensory data that could overwhelm the cognitive and processing capacities of a single individual, particularly in the future of contested air combat environments. Having made this assessment, the PLAAF is now moving forward in developing operational concepts for how best to employ multiple operators in a single tactical aircraft, like the J-16 and the two-seat J-20S variant (also referred to variously as the J-20B and J-20AS), beyond their traditional roles. The USAF could benefit from adopting a multi-operator approach like the PLAAF’s with the F-15EX.

A picture of a two-seat J-20 during testing. Chinese internet

Information Saturation

Any future high-end conflict will produce vast amounts of data that need processing. Both the U.S. military and PLA continue to develop robust integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) networks to facilitate combat operations and support long-range kill chains. As such, sensors within the land, sea, air, and space domains will provide more data than can be consumed by human operators to process — and make accurate — real-time tactical and operational decisions. Due to the rapidly changing environments in a future contest, these decisions will need to be made quickly and potentially at the forward edge of the battlespace.

In an anticipated information-saturated environment, the USAF advocates for the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-to-human collaboration to alleviate the workload and cognitive demands on operators. While the incorporation of AI may process and distill information to provide operators with pertinent data, a saturated, complex combat environment full of adversary ships, aircraft, and coastal defenses employing deception and denial tactics will still likely result in an overwhelming influx of information for operators to process, leading to task saturation. Performing a multitude of missions and tasks — including controlling collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) and managing other aircraft in formation — all the while making air-to-air and air-to-ground engagement decisions within a contested, degraded, and operationally limited (CDO-L) environment will challenge and could exacerbate cognitive processes for both humans and their AI agents. The PLAAF, on the other hand, seems to be intent on leveraging AI integration with more human operators, not less.

Public Domain

Moving Beyond Traditional Roles

A recent article published in January 2024 by Chinese state-owned outlet Ta Kung Pao Online in Hong Kong, titled “J-16 Leads the Air Force Aircraft Fleet in Preparations for Future Air Battles,” sheds light on the evolving role of the J-16 back-seater and its implications for the future role of the J-20S back-seater. The article outlines the traditional division of responsibilities between front-seat and back-seat operators in the J-16. It also underscores how, due to evolving characteristics of air warfare, the role of the backseat operator has evolved as combat has evolved, informing future J-20S operations.

A Chinese J-16. Japan Ministry of Defense A stock picture of a Chinese J-16. Japan Ministry of Defense

According to the article, the J-16 stands out as the primary two-seat fighter in the PLAAF’s combat air force. While the two-seat Su-30 Flanker exists in the PLAAF’s inventory, its fleet is smaller in size, whereas the J-16 contains more advanced avionics and is in continued domestic production exceeding 245 aircraft, leaving the PLAAF to rely heavily on the J-16 and its more advanced capabilities.

A Chinese Su-30MKK Flanker. Dmitriy Pichugin A stock picture of a Chinese Su-30MKK Flanker. Dmitriy Pichugin

Equipped with asymmetric, outsized weapons that don’t fit in the J-20’s weapons bay, the J-16 provides a broad array of operational capabilities, making it a versatile asset in various scenarios. Similar to the F-15E, the J-16 conducts long-range air-to-air engagements and attacks on ground and maritime targets where the back-seater serves as a weapons controller responsible for employing different types of weapons. The PLAAF, however, is beginning to adapt the J-16 to the expected information-dominated combat environment and evolving manned-unmanned teaming by developing new roles and responsibilities for the aircraft and its operators.

Information-Dominated Combat Environment

In the context of the evolving landscape of networked and unmanned warfare, contemporary air combat will incorporate a multitude of systems where all combat elements are interconnected with vast amounts of information. Through data transmission and intelligence-sharing platforms, collaborative operations based on interconnected systems have become the predominant operational model, with the J-16 capable of assuming the central command role for entire formations. According to the Ta Kung Pao article, the J-16 back-seater, in this new environment, evolves from simply a “weapon controller” into an “air mission commanding officer.”

A close-up look at the pilot and the back-seater in a Chinese J-16. China Military Online/Liu Chang and Liu Yinghu

With this new evolution, the air mission commanding officer (AMCO) encompasses multiple roles and responsibilities in a high-tech conflict that includes overseeing air-to-surface weaponry, managing and disseminating multi-platform intelligence, and issuing operational directives. While this may seem similar to the USAF’s airborne Forward Air Controller-Airborne (FAC[A]), there appear to be differences in employment concepts between the PLAAF’s AMCO and the USAF’s FAC(A), particularly regarding the operational environments with which they are utilized.

Primarily employed in close air support (CAS) or strike coordination and reconnaissance (SCAR) missions, the FAC(A) is the airborne version of a joint terminal air controller (JTAC) in which both can nominate and mark targets, deconflict airspace, relay critical ground schemes of maneuver, and authorize airstrikes. The PLAAF’s AMCO, however, seems to focus on roles and responsibilities that leverage the PLA’s sensing network in a contested air interdiction environment.

Utilizing the PLA’s expanding sensing network to build situational awareness in the battlespace, the J-16 back-seater, assuming the AMCO role and plugged into the sensing network, is intended to direct coordinated efforts among various aircraft, in conjunction with ground and naval units, to execute comprehensive aerial attacks. Additionally, the back-seater’s role is to command and coordinate multiple drones acting as ‘loyal wingmen’ with the intent to amplify combat effectiveness through combined manned and unmanned operations.

Whether or not the PLAAF is actually proficient with this type of force package integration in a high-end combat environment remains to be seen. There is a distinct possibility that the PLAAF is overstating its capabilities in such an environment and much of this training is nascent or scripted, or this is the aspirational plan for future operations. However, the article points to recent footage from state-run CCTV that claims to showcase joint exercises involving GJ-2 drones under the command of J-16s enabling swarm attacks. Analysts, however, suggest that the articles and CCTV coverage of these events do not match reality given current PLAAF capabilities and likely reflect a desire for future capability. But while the PLAAF may be unable to conduct the defined roles and responsibilities of the AMCO in the current state, the PLAAF continues to move forward in preparing its endeavors. More importantly, however, the J-16’s implementation of an AMCO also serves as a testbed for future two-seat J-20S operations.

While the J-20S may lack the payload capacity of the J-16, the PLAAF anticipates that “stealth, high-speed, and advanced situational awareness” allow the J-20S to “penetrate enemy territory, gain air superiority,” and subsequently assume command over trailing aircraft like J-16s and J-10Cs. Moreover, the J-20S, like the J-16, will be able to coordinate and control CCAs to compensate for its magazine depth and weapons limitations, a task overseen by the AMCO in the rear cockpit.

Drawing parallels from the expanding roles of J-16 and J-20S back-seaters, incorporating a Weapon System Officer (WSO) into the F-15EX’s rear cockpit would expand its capabilities and enhance the lethality of USAF strike packages. With the advent of large, integrated sensing networks providing a vast amount of data, an F-15EX WSO, assuming a role similar to an AMCO, can coordinate and direct fires, provide mission-critical intelligence in the midst of mission execution to other platforms in a strike package, pass information of evolving situations between pulsed operations, and even coordinate with various naval or ground forces.

As highlighted in this picture, a two-person crew did fly the first F-15EX jet to Portland in June 2024. Oregon National Guard

Additionally, the F-15EX’s weapons array integration, including outsized weapons, allows it to perform an array of missions already being fulfilled by the F-15E, which includes long-range air interdiction. Moreover, it can be deployed to other environments in the event of horizontal escalation or low- to medium-tier conflicts, providing global firepower reach against smaller, maligned nation-states while still providing key capabilities in the high-end fight. Furthermore, the lack of stealth allows the F-15EX the ability to carry highly specialized pods that stealth assets simply can’t, or won’t, carry. Advanced pods can provide many warfighting-enhancing capabilities, from communications to sensing, electronic warfare, network redundancy, and edge computing.

A US Air Force F-15C Eagle carrying an infrared search and track (IRST) pod. This is one of many specialized podded capabilities members of the F-15 family, including the F-15EX, can carry. USAF

Finally, an F-15EX WSO can oversee the employment of groups of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) or swarms of other drones.

CCAs, AI, and Command and Control

Both the USAF and PLAAF view CCAs as a way of generating cost-effective mass. The intent is to augment attack formations with low-cost, AI-infused robotic wingmen to increase capabilities in the realm of firepower, sensing, electronic warfare, communications, and other capabilities that manned aircraft bring to the fight. Though both air forces promote heavy reliance on AI in CCAs, AI currently lacks intuition and the ability to infer information in a complex CDO-L combat environment that it is not accustomed to and lacks the ability to break from its given prescribed parameters to adapt. It is therefore expected that some level of human-to-machine interaction between manned aircraft and CCAs will be required to make decisions in a combat environment for some time. Due to the anticipated human interaction with CCAs, the PLAAF foresees multi-seat fighter platforms as an operational requirement.

In a document titled “Study on the Combined Manned Aircraft/UAV in Air Operations,” published around 2021 by Wang Danjing and Liu Ying of the Department of Combined Tactics Air Force Command College in Beijing, the discussion of command and control of CCAs described the task intensive nature of managing combat operations and CCAs simultaneously. When deciding the optimal manned-to-unmanned mixed formation characteristics, task management and cognitive performance were at the forefront of the author’s conclusion that the ideal formation to employ CCAs consists of pairing a two-seat aircraft with a single-seat aircraft.

Wang and Liu note that “U.S. scientists show that there is a nonlinear relationship between a person’s workload and work performance,” suggesting that adding management of CCAs to a pilot’s tasks could impact performance. The authors conclude that “the manned aircraft formation scope is better as a two-aircraft formation, with one being a two-seat aircraft tasked with tactical control of the UAVs, while the other is a single-seat aircraft tasked with executing the task of standing guard and attacking.”

While USAF tactics will almost definitely differ from the PLAAF’s regarding CCAs, utilizing an extra body in the backseat of the F-15EX can enhance the employment of CCAs, allowing the front-seat pilot to focus on other tasks or coordinate various functions in a combat setting.

Moreover, it is expected that CCAs will not always launch with their manned platforms to conduct missions in an Agile Combat Employment (ACE) scheme of maneuver or disparate basing environment like in the Pacific. Positioned between forward assets and bases, an F-15EX could take command of CCAs and transfer to forward fighter platforms or launch or recovery locations.

Take Aways

Although the U.S. military typically does not examine adversary strategy, operations, and tactics with the intention of replicating them, it is crucial to recognize the strengths of developing adversary capabilities and evaluate how they align with U.S. military operational principles.

Given the information provided above, it is imperative for the USAF to recognize and address the limitations of human cognition in future information-intensive environments and consider deploying additional operators to process the vast data available and manage new cognitive demands and new responsibilities like CCAs in a high-tech warzone. The PLAAF’s ambitious approach to utilizing its two-seat J-16 and J-20S platforms in complex, high-end combat environments may provide insights into how to maximize the F-15EX’s enhanced capabilities by incorporating a back-seater.

Similar to how the PLAAF intends to use the J-16 to cooperate with other fighter platforms, C2ISR platforms, and its kill-web to employ its outsized weapons, the F-15EX provides the range, payload, and sensors to do the same for the USAF. Additionally, with its fully missionized rear cockpit and large-area display, the F-15EX is capable of doing everything the multi-seat F-15E can do, and more.

The F-15EX’s fully missionized rear cockpit allows a WSO to conduct a multitude of mission-related functions, freeing the pilot to focus on other tasks at hand. Incorporating a WSO in the F-15EX would thus harness the intended capabilities the F-15EX is designed for. With no one in the rear cockpit, however, the F-15EX’s potential expansion of roles and responsibilities and overall effectiveness cannot be realized, leaving the Air Force unable to capitalize on the investment that is already paid for with each aircraft rolling off the line.

With every new set of roles, responsibilities, and mission expansion, however, comes new training requirements. For the F-15EX to adopt similar roles and responsibilities of the AMCO, the F-15E training pipeline can leverage existing training plans either by restructuring F-15E training flights that develop these specific tasks or by creating a new AMCO training pipeline in concert with the F-15EX syllabus being constructed to prepare future Eagle II pilots. Taking qualified F-15E WSO instructors into an AMCO pipeline that runs in concert with the F-15EX syllabus, the Air Force can fully realize a cohesive multi-seat aircraft ready for the high-end environment.

Unfortunately, however, the USAF has chosen to focus the utilization of the F-15EX on a single mission: long-range air-to-air. While capable of conducting close air support (CAS), combat search and rescue (CSAR), long- and medium-range air interdiction, maritime air interdiction, defensive counter-air, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), and more, leaving the rear cockpit empty in this high-tech piece of machinery and conducting only long-range air-to-air engagements leaves all this potential capability on the table.

USAF

Equipped with outsized, long-range weapons and specialized pods, and the ability to command CCAs and swarms of other drones while directing combat fires and disseminating multi-platform intelligence from a multi-crew platform, the F-15EX offers a broader spectrum of capabilities beyond solely engaging in long-range air-to-air combat. Additionally, much of the necessary technology for these functions is already integrated into the aircraft.

For these reasons, it is imperative that the Air Force not let preconceived notions of traditional roles and responsibilities obstruct decision-making concerning the future of air warfare and the potential evolution of roles and responsibilities.

The character of warfare is evolving, necessitating the utilization of both machinery and personnel in innovative ways that align with the changing environment. The multi-operator platform direction currently pursued by the PLAAF yields operational insights worthy of consideration by USAF planners for the near- and mid-term, even as the USAF continues to develop advanced AI solutions for the long term.

Major Joshua “Soup” Campbell is an F-15E Weapon System Officer (WSO) and graduate of the distinguished USAF Weapon School with 1,500 hours in the F-15E which includes 630 combat hours. He spent the last year as a Fellow at the USAF’s China Aerospace Studies Institute with a strategic and operational focus. He is currently attending Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies through the Department of Defense’s Strategic Thinker’s Program. He has worked in a variety of capacities at both the squadron level and MAJCOM staff positions.

[welp-back-on-my-bs]

TW! History of SA and attempted R*pe

Type: hurt comfort (angst then fluff)

Silvio's Regret

The day was April 13th. It was before the king of Rohdinite died, before Belle was selected. Before Rio was found.

Morgan was still new to palace life. Even more so to liveing in Bennonite. They wondered around the palace, seeing it was oddly quiet. They couldn't find either Silvio nor André. It felt... off.

Emildio walked up to the lost enby, "Hello there. You're Silvio's current pet, right?"

"I'm not a pet." They glared at the prince.

"And I'm not a prince. I'm sure you're looking for your owner anyway." He didn't get a reply, so he continued "he usually is out at a bar. The old man gave him a lashing again. Quite pathetic, really."

"Whats more pathetic is talking shit behind your brothers back. Any dick sucking you need me to send him?"

"Not at all, I'm sure a woman will be by his side. A real one."

Morgan wasn't exactly affected by that little comment. They just left Emidio behind and went over to a nearby bar after dressing down a bit.

They went around the bar, looking for a lot of bottles, where women weren't, anything like that. But where they found the prince. Felt wrong to them.

He was clearly drunk, a woman getting really intimate with him. Too intimate. They both got up and Silvio paied the tab.

"Do you have a place nearby?~"

"Yeashhh"

That earned a soft giggle from the woman "any pla-"

"There you are, Silvio -"

"Who the hell are you?-" the woman snapped at them. "Are you trying to manipulate the poor prince in this weakend state?-"

"They would have done that mucccchhhhh sooner if they were" the drunk Silvio cut in, leaning on the two there for support

"I don't need to tell you, but I'm here to help him"

"Why would you steal him away from his fiance?-"

"Yeah- I would definitely have heard of that and of you. But, I haven't. I've actually never seen you before. So you're clearly not close to Silvio at all"

"I-"

"NO. You can back off. Think about shit. I'm taking him back to the palace."

"Nooo Morgieeee I don't wanna go there..."

"Hm? Why?"

"To saddddddd I gotta place nearby-"

"Ok- I remember all your places here, so let's go there-"

'I hope I actually remember...'

A bit later, Morgan managed to drag Silvio to one of his local vilas. Servants came and said that they would take him. Morgan refused them, asking for a bucket, water, and some bread.

Once into a room that they knew to be Silvios, they layed him onto the bed.

"Just get it over with..."

"What?-"

"You wanna get pregnant right...? Birth me an heir...?"

"N-no- I don't want that- I don't want to-" They were shaken up by the ask, a hand moved down to their stomach. As if remembering something no longer there.

"Then... why..."

"Because I'm your friend dumbass- I may be of Obsidian- but- but... I'd never take advantage of you like that."

The drunken Silvio looked at Morgan, shocked.

Then, let out a dry laugh. "Damn... the booze made things hard... I'm going to regret that when sober..."

Morgan sighed softly, then a knock was at the door.

Morgan opened it to retrieve what they asked for, denying the 'extras' they offered. Then they returned to Silvio and gave him the water.

"Tryin' ta get me moreeee drunk?-"

"No, I'm trying to make sure the hangover doesn't kill you-"

"... thanks..." Silvio gratefully took the water and sipped at it.

They placed the bucket by his bed, in case he couldn't even move in the morning.

"Do you want anything on the bread?"

"You?"

"Not happening. Anything else?"

"Just butter then" Silvio shrugged, Morgan put butter onto the bread and handed it to Silvio, who ate from their hand.

"... how did ya know..." Silvio softly asked, laying on Morgan's lap.

Morgan sighed softly, playing with Silvio's hair "I knew a man... who..." They sighed "I'll tell you that story when you're sober, ok...?"

Silvio chuckled and moved to look up at Morgan "it's funny... people want us when we don't want em... and when we want em... they don't want us..."

"Yeah... but you should finish your water... then you can sleep ok" They helped Silvio sit back up. He finished his water before laying back down in their lap.

"Tell me one of your stories...?"

"Fine- one, ok?" They smiled softly as Silvio cuddled close, grabbing their hand and moving it to his head.

Morgan obliged and started the story. It was about a pirate and a mermaid. The pirate had captured the mermaid, planning on selling her. But talking to her, she convinced him that if she was to be let go, she would help find him whatever treasures he desired. So, seeing that this was a good deal, he let the mermaid go. The crew was mad at the pirate, demanding that he prove that the mermaid was trustworthy. So he asked the mermaid to gather him a treasure of the sea. So she brought to him the most beautiful pearls.

So, with trust being formed, they both traveled the seas and fared for any treasure they could get. Some of the men of the ship wished the mermaid as the next treasure, either to sell or keep for themselves. The pirate told the mermaid to swim far away, to never listen to a request he gave again. So, the mermaid did.

The crew was upset that they lost their money maker, throwing the pirate overboard in relation. He sunk into the deapthes of the water until he saw the mermaid again. He was shocked and confused, and then the mermaid kissed him, returning his breath. He asked her why?- Why did she do such a thjng for him? Because I love you dearly. That's why.

They looked down to see Silvio was softly resting, looking at peace for the first time that day. They smiled gentley, moving Silvio's head onto his pellow, got up, and left.

[leggerefiore]

im kinda out of it but what i think volo means by the 'someone who wields pokemon and someone who battles along side them are two different things' is like... a person using pokemon like tools, weapons, even- and the latter being someone who works in tandem with their pokemon, as a team on equal footing?? but also volo has two pokemon that evolve via friendship so its. hhrmh. whats the truth volo, share it with the class

I thought it was in reference to his title being a Pokemon Wielder in PLA... Of which I just assumed was a title associated with his culture as no other trainer has had that. I was wondering if he felt that his duties/title as a pokemon wielder set him apart from those who are simply trainers... Though, I suppose the connotation of the name would imply that he simply wields the power of pokemon as his own rather than training and raising them as companions...

Actually, Volo has an interesting line of dialogue in his Sync Pair story that mentions he uses Togepi's calming effects on people to his advantage. (Though, he claims it's for his merchant stuff, but... Really, come on.)

He could technically have three friendship evos, actually. Riolu, Budew, and Togepi... I think he does genuinely care for his pokemon, but he isn't the type to openly talk about those kinds of things or enjoy doing so. Cyrus style, I think. Both of them have friendship evo pokemon... So many parallels with those two, I love it.

Actually, Cynthia has the three friendship evo pokemon on one of her battle teams (of which Volo's was likely based on), I wonder if they are pokemon that are important in their culture? Or maybe Cynthia knew her great great great great grandpa had good team comp lmao

[sonicstar211]

Introducing Sonicxswap & Sonicx.fun: First Dex & Launchpad on Sonic Blockchain

The Dawn of a New Era in DeFi

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) has transformed the financial landscape, offering users global access to financial tools without intermediaries. However, challenges like high fees, limited scalability, and lack of innovation continue to plague the ecosystem. Enter Sonicxswap and Sonicx.fun — two revolutionary platforms built on the cutting-edge Sonic blockchain. Together, they aim to redefine the DeFi experience by empowering users, developers, and communities like never before.

In this blog, we’ll explore how these platforms work, their unique features, and why they are set to lead the next wave of blockchain innovation.

What is Sonicxswap?

Sonicxswap is a next-generation decentralized exchange (DEX) built on the Sonic blockchain. Designed to provide lightning-fast transactions, ultra-low fees, and seamless user experience, Sonicxswap offers a comprehensive suite of DeFi tools, including:

Token Swapping: Effortless and secure trading of tokens with minimal fees.

Yield Farming: Earn rewards by providing liquidity to the platform.

Staking Pools: Lock your tokens to earn high annual percentage returns (APRs) while supporting network security.

Launchpad Integration: A direct connection to Sonicx.fun for early access to high-potential projects.

Why Sonicxswap Stands Out

Deflationary Tokenomics: Sonicxswap uses 80% of all fees collected to buy back and burn its native token, $SX, creating a constant upward pressure on its value.

User-Focused Features: From prediction markets to limit orders, Sonicxswap is designed with users in mind.

Cross-Chain Compatibility: Future expansions include bridging to Ethereum and Solana, making Sonicxswap a truly versatile platform.

Sonicx.fun: The Launchpad for Innovation

Every groundbreaking project needs a launchpad, and Sonicx.fun serves exactly that purpose. This decentralized platform is built for developers looking to launch their tokens with ease and transparency.

Key Features of Sonicx.fun

Token Creation Made Simple: Developers can launch tokens in minutes with low fees.

Liquidity Solutions: Automatic liquidity addition ensures a strong market foundation.

Deflationary Mechanisms: Fees collected are used to buy back and burn $SX, reducing the overall supply.

For investors, Sonicx.fun offers early access to promising projects, ensuring they are always ahead of the curve.

Why Sonic Blockchain?

Both Sonicxswap and Sonicx.fun are powered by the Sonic blockchain, a high-performance network designed to solve the key limitations of existing blockchains. Here’s why Sonic is the perfect foundation:

Scalability: Process thousands of transactions per second without network congestion.

Low Transaction Fees: Affordable fees make DeFi accessible to everyone.

Developer Incentives: Attractive rewards encourage developers to build on the Sonic ecosystem.

With the mainnet launch scheduled for December 2024, early adopters of Sonic-based platforms are positioned to gain significant advantages.

Tokenomics: $SX, The Backbone of Sonicxswap

The native token $SX powers both Sonicxswap and Sonicx.fun, enabling governance, rewards, and ecosystem participation. Here’s the breakdown of its allocation:

Presale (4%): Early investors can purchase $SX at a discounted rate.

Farm & Staking (45%): Rewards to incentivize user participation.

Liquidity (12%): Ensures stability and seamless trading.

Team (8%): Reserved for development and operations.

Exchange Listings (5%): Liquidity for centralized exchanges.

Audit & Marketing (6%): Builds trust and promotes adoption.

Airdrop & Bounty Program (5%): Rewards for community engagement.

Partner Funding (6%): Supports ecosystem partnerships.

Future Development (9%): Funds long-term platform upgrades.

This balanced allocation ensures sustainability and growth while prioritizing community rewards and long-term value creation.

Why Sonicxswap & Sonicx.fun Are Poised for Success

Both platforms have a robust roadmap and a vision that aligns with the future of blockchain. Here’s why they are destined to thrive:

Innovative Ecosystem: Combining a DEX and launchpad creates a seamless user experience.

Deflationary Model: Constant buybacks and burns of $SX ensure scarcity and value appreciation.

Community-Driven Governance: Token holders play a pivotal role in decision-making.

First-Mover Advantage: As one of the first projects on the Sonic blockchain, SonicxSwap is well-positioned to dominate.

Comprehensive Roadmap: From high-APR pools to cross-chain bridges, the platforms have ambitious plans for growth.

What’s Next for Sonicxswap and Sonicx.fun?

The journey is just beginning, and there’s much to look forward to. Here’s what’s on the horizon:

$SX Token Presale: A chance for early investors to secure tokens at discounted rates.

Mainnet Launch: Both platforms will go live when the Sonic blockchain launches in December 2024.

Airdrops & Partnerships: Rewarding the community and forming strategic collaborations.

Expansions: Bridging to Ethereum and Solana, and introducing prediction markets and perpetual trading.

Join Us on This Revolutionary Journey

Sonicxswap and Sonicx.fun are more than just platforms; they are a movement toward a decentralized, community-driven financial future. Whether you’re an investor, developer, or DeFi enthusiast, now is the time to get involved.

Get Started Today

Visit our websites: Sonicxswap and Sonicx.fun.

Follow us on social media for updates.

Linktree : https://linktr.ee/sonicxswap

Participate in the $SX presale to become a part of this transformative journey.

The future is Sonic. The future is decentralized. Join us today.