#Yeah technology is very fragile now.

[darlingdaisyfarm]

to the past, with love (and glitter!)

★ mullet!stan & dipper & mabel. based on the episode “the time traveler’s pig” (s1ep9)

there are a lot of ways to mess up time travel! you can, for example, go too far back and get eaten by a dinosaur. or too far forward and see the singularity when robots overthrow humanity (Dipper’s fear). or worse, you can land smack dab in the middle of your own grunkle’s life. . . before he even became your grunkle

there were a lot of things Dipper was prepared for when he woke up this morning. fighting gnomes? sure. dealing with Stan’s weird scam-of-the-week? totally. getting dunked on by Mabel for being a huge nerd? unfortunately, yes.

what he wasn't prepared for was that the Blending Blanding's time machine would throw him back several decades into the past. . .

they don’t mean to mess up the timeline. well. Dipper doesn’t. Mabel is like 60% on board with it, because time travel is fun! and she’s already accepted the fact that messing with the past is basically inevitable

“well,” Mabel said, dusting herself off as she stood up. “that happened.”

Dipper groaned, pulling himself out of a pile of garbage bags. “yeah. thanks, Mabel, for tackling me while i was holding the most fragile piece of technology in the universe!”

“excuse you, i was trying to stop you! so really, this is all on you, mister i-think-i’m-so-smart!”

Dipper opened his mouth to argue, but then he actually looked around and— oh. oh, no! oh no no no no! this wasn’t the Gravity Falls they knew.

they were near the Mystery Shack, but. . . it didn't felt right at all. it was scrappier and messier than usual. instead of looking like a wildly successful tourist trap, it looked like someone had just slapped a sign onto a creepy old house and hoped for the best

Mabel popped up beside him, a grin splitting her face. “let’s do it again!” as she tried to steal time machine from her brother's hands

“do what again?” a gruff voice barked. before either of them could panic properly, the shack’s front door slammed open.

Dipper had exactly 0.5 seconds to process this before Mabel screamed an excited. “OH. MY. GLOB.” before clutching on Dipper's shoulders, shaking him like crazy. “DIPPER, LOOK AT HIS HAIR. LOOK AT HIS HAIR RIGHT NOW. LOOK AT IT.”

Dipper did not, in fact, needed to look at it. his brain was already in overdrive because oh no. oh no! they’ve gone way too far back!

“. . . oh boy,” Dipper whispered in fear. “Mabel, i think we just traveled back to the eighties.”

“hey! who the hell are you two and why are you screaming on my porch?” holy crap. their grunkle Stan! but. . . not. this Stan was younger, his face had fewer wrinkles and somehow his nose looked less like it had been broken five times, and oh god, Mabel is absolutely right, his hair!

Mabel was losing it. “YOUR HAIR. YOUR LUXURIOUS, BEAUTIFUL HAIR. CAN I TOUCH IT?!” and without Stanley's response, she lunged.

“Mabel, NO—“ but it was too late as she grabbed the mullet with both hands and started petting it.

“oh my GOSH, it’s SO SOFT. IT’S LIKE PETTING A DREAM.”

Dipper, ever the voice of reason, nervously gripped the time machine. “we shouldn’t be here, we shouldn’t be here.” but before he could get it working, because of squeezing on it too tight, something snapped under his fingers and a very small, very important piece of the machine rolled right into a crack in the floorboards. Dipper panicked.

Stanley flailed backwards, nearly knocking over a rack of off-brand Mystery Shack merch. “HEY, HEY, HANDS OFF THE GOODS, KID! KID!”

Mabel ignored him, still enraptured. “it’s so full-bodied. so wavy. Dipper, this is like- this is like a perfectly made pancake, but made of hair!”

“i— i don’t even know what that means,” Dipper said weakly, still trying to reboot his brain from the horror of whatever this situation was.

Stan rubbed his temples. “listen, unless you two are here to buy something, get lost. i don’t do babysitting.”

“okay, first of all, rude,” Mabel huffed, putting her hands on her hips. “second of all, we are time travelers from the future! we can totally tell you your future! in fact,” she elbowed Dipper in the ribs making him groan in pain. “bro, tell him something cool! but not anything that’ll mess up the timeline, like the butterfly effect or whatever.”

“Mabel, literally everything we could say would mess up the timeline—“

Stan stared at them meanwhile. then he burst out laughing. “pffft— HA! oh, man. time travelers? that’s a new one. that’s some grade-A sci-fi geek nonsense right there. sixer would have loved it!” he wiped a tear from his eye. “you kids crack me up.”

“just tell him something small! like, um, he gets. . . even richer in the future!” Mabel threw up her hands in excitement.

Stan immediately perked up. “oh yeah?”

“uhhh, yep,” Dipper said weakly, avoiding eye contact. “definitely. totally. you, uh, you make tons of money. so much money.”

“alright, you kids talk weird. plus, ive never seen you around here before. you’re not from town, are ya?”

oh, this was bad. this was really bad. if Stan got too suspicious, they’d be in huge trouble.

“uhhh,” Dipper said, scrambling for a cover story. “we’re, um, lost. we’re just two normal, average, completely inconspicuous children! yeah!” he was trying very hard not to freak out because oh god they were literally talking to Stan before he was grunkle Stan.

Mabel was staring at Stan's hair all the time with very wide smile and that made him pretty uncomfortable “kid? hey, kid, stop drooling at my hair. it’s weird.”

“how do you get it so fluffy,” she whispered in pure awe with her pupils dilated.

Stanley ran a hand through his glorious locks, looking smug. “it’s called not wasting money on shampoo. just the rain, kid.”

***

Stan was very much done with these weird time kids. his hair had been fluffed, styled and glitter bombed. his red jacket was now covered in rhinestones. but worst of all, they had somehow managed to charm him. and if one day, he had a niece with enough sparkle to fill a thousand sequins, maybe he wouldn’t be so bad at the whole family thing after all.

Mabel had been telling him about all the ways he could make “big bucks” in the future, mainly by selling even worse bootleg merch, which he had to admit was genius.

“and guess what? your shack becomes the best tourist trap ever! people come from all over to see your weird stuff.”

Stan’s eyes lit up with a mix of greed and hope. “you don’t say. maybe you kids aren’t so useless after all.”

“yup! and you’re a total legend!” Mabel gushed and Dipper shot her a warning look.

“Mabel, maybe we shouldn’t—“

“nah, tell me more, i like this kid,” Stan interrupted. “how do i do it? what’s my secret?”

“uhhh, hard work?” Mabel tried and Dipper gave her a thumbs up for the safe answer.

“and um, believing in yourself?” Dipper added, though he knew present-day Stan would probably gag at that advice.

Stan laughed. “believe in myself, huh? easier said than done. not like i got anyone else to believe in me.”

Mabel’s heart twisted a little. she reached out and patted Stan’s arm. “well, we believe in you. and you’re gonna do great things. pinky promise!”

Dipper, however, was acting weird, too suspicious, always stuttering, sweating and Stan was no fool. he could smell a kid with secrets from a mile away.

“so,” he said, watching Dipper fidget. “spill it, kid.”

Dipper froze. “s-spill what?”

“whatever’s making you look like a kid who’s about to confess to breaking a window.”

Dipper gulped. “. . . okay, hypothetically speaking, if we did know something big about your future, would you want to hear it?”

Stan frowned, trying to keep his face emotionless. “d-depends.” he stuttered and immediately hated himself for it. “is it about my brother?”

the whole shack went silent. Dipper and Mabel exchanged glances, both wide eyed and shocked.

what?

[lukas-broken-bow]

So brainstorming specifically the event of Pretty Jekyll being back at the society. We need to know how he got back, how used to being Pretty brained he is, how he finds the lodgers, how they react to him. How exactly do they discover what's wrong with him, is it drawn out before they realize? What do they do about it, try to snap him out of it? Test what the state of his cognitive abilities are? Does he still care about the society in this state? How has it been holding up without him to defend the lodgers? Did any of them give up on him coming back? Surely they tried to get him back before now, why didn't it work? Were they the one's who tried to get him back? What did they assume happened to Hyde when he never showed up again after Jekyll left? Where do they even think Jekyll went? What ARE Jekyll's current cognitive abilities while he's in this state? We can't decide what they do with him after the initial shock without knowing that and I feel like all the next things to ask are about what they do with him after that. We know he would be slower and duller then before. And very open to suggestion. He's also not used to living in 1986, or whenever exactly TGS takes place (I'm not sure), with 1986 technology. I assume he got stuck in the future for months, and it's very easy to get used to all the advantages and access to everything and fail safes that come with the future. Especially for someone suffering from Pretty brain damage who can't clearly understand what's important about doing hard things. At least in the beginning, he would need to be taken care of and retaught how to live in this era. And after that, Rachel would probably have a hard time letting him do anything without supervision. The surgery is designed to make you as helpless as possible. Probably there would be moments of lucidity and his friends would spend months trying to piece together what causes them and recreate it. Those same months would probably feature a very sick, shaky Hyde who is actually capable of falling into a fitful, fragile sleep in headspace, honing his ability to persuade the nightmares to do what he wants. Because it would be persuasion, I think. You saw the scene where Hyde asks Moreau to up Jekyll's hallucinations. That's the mechanic. And anyway, I would assume these things cannot be ordered around as precisely as the Gentleman's chains, like limbs. They are made of the same kind of stuff Hyde is. These two plots will come together in the climax when it takes whatever the meat crew and Hyde's monsters going on at once to fix Jekyll. On that note. How the fuck are we Hyde to spend all that time and attention doing that? He would probably be willing to do anything to fix himself, but how would he know that the nightmares would help with that.

Can you think of any more questions?

okay so honestly I think Jekyll being Pretty-brained might not be SUUUPER obvious but after like. a full conversation with him, it probably becomes rather clear that something is wrong. regarding their reaction: they're the Lodgers. they're going to try to figure out what's wrong, such a testing his cognitive abilities, and they're likely going to come up with plans to snap him out of it (some of which are probably rather hair-brained).

I think he probably has some devotion to the Society left, if only superficially. but I think what's horrifying is that he's probably now become what Frankenstein accused him of being: a squeaky-clean gentleman with nothing real inside, so he's probably not viewing his previous endeavours through the same lens as he once was. presumably, his cognitive abilities technically aren't super impaired, but his priorities and thought processes have certainly changed, plus. y'know. proable brain lesion. but yeah, I think the outward change would reflect further in interactions and through substance rather than full-on cognitive impairment. I'd actually love to ponder a Pretty!Jekyll and Frankie interaction; what do you think would happen?

I think Lanyon and Rachel have probably been holding the Society up in his absence, but the exhibition was probably postponed and they're struggling. some of the lodgers probably gave up *looks at Helsby and Griffin* but I'd like to imagine most of them held out hope.

regarding trying to get him back, I'm having a hard time recalling how he got there in the first place. was it because of a machine that the lodgers built? also, I don't think it would have taken the lodgers months to get him back, so maybe some hypothetical time dilation is in order - perhaps he's only been gone for a few days in their time, maybe not even that long. idk, what do you think? I'm having a hard time conceptualising.

the lodgers: hey Jekyll do you know where Hyde is, we're kind of worried about him. Jekyll, smiling serenely: it's alright. they fixed him. the lodgers: wtf do you mean, fixed him?! who's they?!?!

Jekyll gets culture shock from his own culture and terrorises the lodgers with mentions of what's in the future. no one is okay. I'm really into your thoughts about re-orienting Jekyll to his own timeline - I'd love to hear more about that. and YES, Hyde honing his nightmare powers!!! I agree, charisma/persuasion is definitely the way to go. regarding why he'd spend all that time and attention doing that, I'd wager a guess that the other members of the headspace had a hand in it. most likely, Hyde gives up on ever fixing the problem, because he feels trapped and useless, and then the Gentleman smacks him and explains that he's not helpless in the mindscape, they all have abilities, and it's time for him to use his for the greater good. Mind!Frankie probably also smacks him at one point, and they probably help him hone his skills.

[simplytamagotch]

had a terrible time! but! my wonky v5 is as good as new!! i will explain everything below

so, as i said in my other post about it, the icons were upside down. i was willing to live with this until i made the discovery that it was in fucking debug mode because of course it was

anyway, it is SURPRISINGLY hard to find info about debugging v5s, the most helpful thing i was able to find was an old discussion forum that was only vaguely talking about it, their only coherent piece of advice for the process being "dont do this"

but i care about this little thing as if it were my own child so me and my mom (thank god i had some help) went to town trying to fix it. neither of us had any idea what we were doing at all, we had absolutely 0 experience with this technology

after like a half an hour of painstakingly fiddling around, we finally popped the screen off, only to find that we had to desolder the bit that was enabling debug mode..... i know nothing about soldering... i barely even knew what a soldering iron looked like until today..... (and thank god we had one)

so what felt like performing open heart surgery on your own baby despite never having gone to medical school, we finally got the thing fixed, put it back together, and everything was as it should be. no more debug mode, no more upside down icons, truly good things do exist in this world

to be serious though, yeah that forum was very correct, dont be messing around in there if you dont know what you're doing because it is so fragile and complicated. throughout the entire 2 hour long experience i thought for sure we busted it and broke it, and honestly im still shaky now even after everything is fixed. im happy things are good now, and i couldn't ask for more!

[myuntachi]

[18TRIP Feature Event Translation] Drifting in the Sea of Tranquility - Track 9

translation: me!

proofreading: dimi, tsukimi, niri

📍Oshino Hakkai, Yamanashi

Ryui: So? What’s up with Natsume?

Momiji: Right… Things aren’t looking too good, so we’re giving him a day off from work, but…

Momiji: It seems he’s been sleeping well, so we still don’t know what’s causing it. 

Toi: …

Ryui: Tch… Got no choice. For now, we’ll take care of his cut, so rest easy.

Momiji: Thank you! It’s reassuring to hear you say that.

Nagi: …

Netaro: Gii.

Nagi: …Yeah, let’s take a little walk.

　　ー

Nagi: This is Deguchi-ike Pond. This is the only pond that’s a bit further away. We walked for a while to get here. 

Netaro: So hot…

Nagi: Got it. Here.

Netaro: Wahh!? My cheeks are cooold~!

Nagi: I thought this might happen, so I got some Yippee! Green Tea at a vending machine along the way. 

Netaro: Glug, glug… 

Nagi: You can drink it if you’d like—Oh, you already did.

Netaro: Glug, glug… Hey, my human representative-slash-teacher-slash-friend Gii. What shall I do?

Nagi: About Yodaka-san?

Netaro: Ya. You told me recently that using anybody besides you and Ryui as test subjects or targets was off-limits, but…

Netaro: I’m currently performing an ongoing Dreamory experiment on Yoda.

Nagi: …

Netaro: I’ve observed that Yoda’s poor condition is correlated to the experiment, but he himself wishes to carry it out. In this situation, determining the priority of things is proving difficult. 

Netaro: More importantly, Yoda…

Netaro: There’s a window Yoda wishes to open, and I have the technology to break it down.

Nagi: Mhm…

Netaro: But humans are fragile. If I were to break it, he might be destroyed.

Netaro: But if he himself wishes to be destroyed, then is destroying him considered an act of kindness…?

Nagi: Hmmm…

Netaro: Hmmm…

Nagi: …What if you just knock, instead of breaking it down?

Netaro: Knock.

Nagi: You always go for the extreme solutions, but for humans, it’s not just 0 or 1. 0.5 is an option too. 

Netaro: So, halfway.

Nagi: Yeah. Halfway.

Nagi: But I think that being considerate of that option could also be a form of human love? Probably.

Nagi: Figuring out the fine tuning and the right amount of force to use might be difficult and troublesome, but… I’m sure that knocking not to the left or right, but right in the middle is extremely kind.

Netaro: Right in the middle is kind.

Nagi: Right.

Netaro: Knocking is “love”! 

Nagi: Yeah. Probably.

Netaro: And Yippee! Green Tea is?

Nagi: Love… maybe?

Netaro: There’s “love” in this too!!

Nagi: … Someone like me talking about love is kinda embarrassing all of a sudden.

Netaro: …Why?

Nagi: It’s nothing.

Netaro: Then I want another one!

Nagi: I thought so. Here. 

📍Yamanashi Glamping Facility

Netaro: Here, a present from Gii.

Yodaka: A sachet?

…It smells lovely, the scent is very relaxing.

Netaro: He said he made a mix of flowers that are effective in assisting with good sleep. I think it’ll give you good dreams. 

Netaro: And there’s more. Gii said this one will give you happy dreams, and this one will give you suspenseful drea—

Yodaka: Hahaha, there’s so many that I think I could use a different one every day. Now then… I think I’ll use this sachet tonight.

Netaro: Alrighties.

Yodaka: I’ll have to thank Nagi properly tomorrow.

Netaro: Right indeed.

Yodaka: …I wonder if Nagi will come visit me in my dreams. 

Netaro: I wondeeeer.

Yodaka: …Netaro, could we use it again toda–

Netaro: I thought you’d say that. 

Netaro: (However…)

　　ーFlashback

Nagi: Yeah. Halfway.

Nagi: But I think that being considerate of that option could also be a form of human love? Probably.

Nagi: Figuring out the fine tuning and the right amount of force to use might be difficult and troublesome, but… I’m sure that knocking not to the left or right, but right in the middle is extremely kind.

　　ーFlashback End

Netaro: …

Netaro: I don’t want to destroy you, Yoda. But at the same time, I want to grant your wish.

Yodaka: …

Netaro: So instead of breaking down your blindspot, I want to knock right in the middle.

Netaro:  But I still don’t understand what knocking means.

Netaro: (...Human emotions are so difficult.)

Netaro: First, I think I’ll install some new features, just in case. Can I use them in case of emergencies?

Yodaka: …Of course. I’ll leave everything to you.

Yodaka: I’ve never once doubted your technical abilities, your approaches, nor your intentions.

Netaro: …Okie~ Well then, let’s proceed as per usual.

Yodaka: Alright. 

Yodaka: (I’ll take Yuda’s supplements, put Nagi’s sachet next to the crane and dream catcher, set up the Dreamory and lie down. Just like always.)

Yodaka: (All while hoping for something good to come out of it today.)

Yodaka: ...

📍Dream of the Sokonashi-ike Pond

—The sixth sea was a sea of calm waters.

“Good evening, Yodaka-san. 

…No, it’s really bright here, so good afternoon, maybe. Good afternoon.”

“Good afternoon, Nagi.”

My customer today was Nagi. Before I went to sleep, I had hoped that this would happen.

My appearance was that of when I was approaching adolescence, however Nagi didn’t seem to mind, sitting right across from me. He had the same calm, gentle presence as always, and took his seat lightly.

“What’ll you have?”

“I’d like a semi-sweet cocktail, please.”

“You got it.”

I placed a cocktail I had just created a few days prior on the counter, and while tasting it, Nagi began telling me about the legend of the Sokonashi-ike Pond.

“The story goes that laundry and other things to be washed disappear into this lake. That means that it’s my business competitor for laundry.”

“You mean to say that a god lives in this lake, so you can’t do laundry or things like that in it?” 

“I’m pretty sure that if I get close, I’ll sink and never return. But I’m fine since I’m inside your dream right now. Even just imagining it is terrifying.”

“I’m sure it’s okay since there’s a god down there. Even if you sink, they’ll push you right back up.”

“That sounds nice.”

I watched as Nagi picked up the kiwi from the rim of the glass.

“Yodaka-san… Why are you running a bar here?”

“I’m waiting for someone, you see.”

“Who?”

“Someone from my past… Maybe.”

It could be my parents, who I hadn’t seen for such a long time, or my employee, who kept avoiding all the important details, or my first love, or perhaps even myself from sometime in the future. Furthermore, perhaps I could only meet these people within my dreams.

But even if that was the case, that much was fine by me.

“If I could meet all those people face to face in a dream, I’d like to clearly remember what they look like.”

Nagi put the kiwi in his mouth and mumbled, “I’m the same way. I’ve been waiting for my mom at Flower Laundry for my whole life.”

“...”

“But now, I think that maybe that wasn’t enough.”

I felt my hand wiping the shaker twitch and tremble. 

“What do you think wasn’t enough?”

“Mmm…”

Nagi’s words were sincere, as if they were always a representation of himself. 

“I have to stop waiting, I have to confront it.” 

To confront it.

Although I had just mulled over those words in my mind, it weighed heavily on my heart as if I had declared them clearly.

To confront something… Just what did that mean?

“You look like you don’t really get it.”

Nagi turned to look over his shoulder, his eyes as green as the lake. The kiwi I was sure he had put in his mouth was trapped in his pupils.

“Yes, precisely that. It’s about as confusing as that kiwi that’s stuck in your eye. What exactly should I do?”

Nagi’s pupils, the color of the lake, grew even darker.

“You fight. I’m sure of it.”

“...Fight.”

“Yeah.”

“If you don’t, you might lose their chance to meet them, like me. I’ve been separated from my mom for my entire life. 

…I think it’s too late for me, though.”

Drip.

The sound of ice rang out in my ears.

“You might still have time, Yodaka-san.”

“...”

That’s right. Perhaps I could still meet them once more. However—

“I can’t just wait, huh.”

Drip.

My thoughts had sunk into the lake, but were dragged back up to the surface by the sudden sound of a doorbell ringing out. 

I raised my head, and… There stood my father and mother.

“...”

My eyes were not mistaken. They looked exactly as they did within my memories; not a single thing had changed.

“... Mom, Dad.”

I got to my feet at the sudden visit, looking back to introduce Nagi to my parents.

“Nagi, these people are—”

I was sure that he had been seated there, but both he and the glass he had drunk every last drop from were nowhere to be seen. All that remained was the sliced kiwi, lying upon the table. 

I turned a second time, and my father and mother once again entered my field of vision. I could no longer see their faces, as if they had been painted over by magic.

“...”

Ah, so they were mere imitations. 

At the same time as my discouragement and self-deprecation grew, the scenery was swallowed up by the jade-green pond.

That’s right. These were not the same parents who had embraced each other at that beautiful lake. The imitations passed through my torso as I stood there blankly, sinking down the bottomless lake, and my consciousness followed close behind.

It was as if it was chasing, grasping after them—content with them being mere imitations

translation notes:

sokonashi means bottomless, hence the imagery of sinking in the sokonashi-ike pond dream ! it's not as clear in the myth of the vanishing laundry, but it explains why there is much sinking depicted here.

previous | masterpost | next

[howtofightwrite]

Greek fire was an extraordinary specific weapon found in a particular time and region, naval combat was primarily an afar of rams (in the medaterriaan with its oar powered vessels) and armed roaring ie: getting as close as possible and just swarming onto your opponents boat to fight in melee, with some archery and whatnot. One of the sucesses of the eventual roman navy was perfecting a sort of boarding ramp to quickly put their troops on an enemy ship

Furthermore, in later periods, there are accounts of skirmishes in the atlantic between rival fleets. In which case the fore and aftcastles on the cogs are used as platforms to post archers and men throwing rocks and iron bars down on opponents ships while others boarded (hence why their called castles and elevated). Theres at least one account (I forgot of which battle) in which an English king boarded an enemy ship then abandoned his own as it sunk.

So, free advice, if you want to remain anonymous, you probably should make sure that both asks go through as anon. Though, I'm pretty sure Tumblr's extended ask length would have let you drop both paragraphs into it. Worst case (and I do realize I'm a poster child for looking like I ignore this advice), but when you run into a word (or character) limit, it's usually a good idea to start editing and trimming down the length until the system accepts it in a single pass. Splitting an ask into multiple parts is an excellent way to lose part of a question, or just make sure it never gets answered in the first place. Cut everything you don't absolutely need.

Either way, I'll err on the side of caution and answer the anon response to preserve your privacy.

I thought I made it clear that Greek fire was a much later invention. It's actually a little frustrating, because you'll see poorly researched history articles which will straight up make it sound like Greek fire was used during the Peloponnesian War. Which, yeah, no. A lot of the major Hellenic wars we think of today were around the 5th century BCE, while the invention of Greek Fire was over a thousand years later.

While you were talking about Greek fire in particular, what you said applies to a lotof weapons throughout history. When we're talking about something like the rapier or the claymore, those are weapons from very specific points in time. It's something to think about when you're mixing and matching technologies to create a fantasy world. No weapon exists in a vacuum, and they all develop as responses to the state of warfare around them. This doesn't mean you can't mix and match pieces you like, but it is something to be conscious of.

While it is outside the scope of the original question (because it's a firearm), one of the more amusing weapons from the age of sail were actual gun blades. These would be musket (usually a pistol), with a cutlass blade mounted under the barrel. (There were also examples that mounted an axe head under the barrel.) The intention was to be able to use the firearm during boarding actions and then switch over to using it as a melee weapon rather than reloading. The design was fundamentally flawed, the weight distribution was poor for a blade, and the (relative) mechanical complexity of the early firearms meant those components were too fragile for serious use. But for a couple decades in the 17th century these things saw limited use.

Now, I do need to give serious credit to A Number of Hobbies, who came back with a trio of fantastic reference articles. Naval Combat Strategies from Shadyislepirates.com, Choosing Naval Tactics for Your Pre-Gunpowder World from Mythcreants.com, and The First Punic War: Audacity and Hubris from the U.S. Naval Institute. So, if you're still wanting more information, those are all excellent resources to check.

-Starke

This blog is supported through Patreon. Patrons get access to new posts three days early, and direct access to us through Discord. If you’re already a Patron, thank you. If you’d like to support us, please consider becoming a Patron.

[edosianorchids901]

Plausible Deniability

For @book-omens-week Day 5: human connections

“What are you doing here?”

“Hmm?” Crowley looked up from his latest acquisition. Aziraphale stood in the doorway, wearing a vaguely accusing expression. “Oh, hi. I’m buying a painting. Well, not actually a painting. Cartoon.”

He held up the drawing. Aziraphale studied it for a moment, then glanced to the very unconscious human slumped forward across the table. “You look as though you’re outdrinking Leonardo da Vinci.”

“I mean yeah, there is that. That too, anyway.” Crowley grinned. “Humans, eh? Can’t keep up with supernatural entities very well. They’re kinda fragile.”

“They are, at that. Quite clever though, sometimes.” Aziraphale helped himself to a piece of cheese off Leonardo’s plate. “I presume you’re attempting to corrupt him?”

“Nh, mostly I was just…” Crowley waded through the boggy memory of his last several hours. “I told him about helicopters.”

Aziraphale huffed. “You really ought to stop doing that sort of thing, you dreadful old serpent.” He said the term with so much fondness that Crowley smiled. “Humans get themselves in enough trouble without you talking them into creating technology that they’re really not ready for.”

“Eh, I don’t think they’ll be able to make working ones yet. Besides, he’s already got some sketches of similar thingies.” Crowley gestured vaguely to Leonardo’s journals, some of which sat open on the table. “And anyway, what’re you doing here? I’m pretty sure he’s not the pious type.”

“Not so much, no. But he is fascinating, isn’t he? So innovative.” Aziraphale beamed at the thoroughly unconscious human. “I may have, er, wriggled my way into his good graces so I could get a peek at those notebooks.”

Crowley snorted. “‘Course you did.”

“And I suppose you’re here for entirely non self-serving reason?” Aziraphale asked tartly as he stole another piece of cheese. “Simply to give him ideas?”

“I said, I’m buying a drawing.” Holding the drawing up again for emphasis, Crowley grinned.

That definitely wasn’t the only reason, though. Crowley liked people, even if he didn’t really befriend them, and it was nice to connect with them. No human connections lasted long, of course. Humans had painfully short lives, and sometimes Crowley got melancholy about that.

He pushed any melancholy aside and gestured to the chair beside him. “You could sit down, y’know. Might as well sit if you’re gonna eat all of his food.”

“I’m not eating all of his food!” Aziraphale protested while stacking some sort of little sweet cakes on a plate. “He has plenty of food. And wine.”

“True.” Crowley watched Aziraphale fondly as the angel finished loading up his plate and acquired a jug of wine. “Are you gonna read his journals while he’s asleep?”

“Perish the thought.” Aziraphale cast a longing glance at the journals before pouring wine. “Well, I might just read the open pages, but it would be very rude to go further without permission.”

Crowley smiled, leaning back in his chair as Aziraphale devoured half of Leonardo’s food. “Gosh, you can’t possibly be rude.”

Crowley had also eaten and drank a lot—albeit at Leonardo’s invitation—and it was making him sleepy. He kicked his legs up on the table and closed his eyes, letting himself sink into a near doze. Not quite a full doze, though. His body would be seriously pissed off at him if he slept in this position, and spending the next few days limping around didn’t sound fun.

He apparently dozed a little more than he’d planned, though. He awoke to a gentle tap on his arm. “Crowley? Are you awake?”

“Hmm? Oh. Hi, yeah, awake now.” He shifted into a normal position and rubbed his eyes, bleary. Aziraphale, surrounded by Leonardo’s journals, beamed at him. “Oh wow, you did decide to read those, eh?”

“Er.” Aziraphale gave him a guilty look, then took a healthy swig of wine. “Not at all. Merely, um, looked through them.”

Crowley laughed, couldn’t help it, then stood. “Right, so. Are you done yet?”

“I am.” Aziraphale stood too. “Shall we?”

“Yup.” Crowley eyed the wine, then downed another glass of it before picking up his cartoon. “For plausible deniability,” he explained to Aziraphale, who had been giving him a you’ve had enough to drink look.

“Plausible deniability for what?” Aziraphale asked.

Crowley grabbed his hand. “This.”

Aziraphale sputtered slightly, but didn’t argue. A smile crept onto his face, and he let Crowley pull him out of Leonardo’s studio and into the narrow street outside.

Night had fallen solidly now, stars sparkling overhead. The darkness brought cooler temperatures and a gentle breeze, enough that Crowley shivered. This wasn’t the kind of weather that made him feel like basking on a rooftop, unlike the heat of the afternoon.

But Aziraphale’s skin was warm against his, plump hand soft in his grasp. They walked together hand in hand through Florence’s narrow streets under the night sky. Connecting with humans for a bit was fun, sure. But there was nothing like strolling hand-in-hand with Aziraphale, their conversations similarly wandering from topic to topic. It was one of the pleasures of the world, and a pleasure that Crowley enjoyed immensely.

[wutwutno1]

I don't know if you saw the newest episode but:

Since V seems to have warmed up to Uzi, I think it'd be cute if V nommed up Uzi to keep her safe, but explained said safety very poorly because she's hesitant to admit it.

"Wha— What was that?" V watched on in horror as what had once been a control panel vanished into a singular black point surrounded by flesh. The doors were open and those things were going to get in, and she was still stuck. Strapped down to a gurney. Uzi laid back down on her gurney. Getting possessed was tiring, after all, especially for such a small drone.

Beau! Help me with the—" Alice's line was cut off when one of the sentinels flashed her with their boot loop light. Her scream glitched as she froze in place. She fell over and immediately got her head stomped in by a sentinel.

Beau got his laser out of his repurposed disassembly drone hand and tried aiming blind at the sentinel. However, at the last minute swung their laser to help V escape her restraints. They tipped their cowboy hat to V and then got smashed and ripped apart by a sentinel.

V used her free claw to cut the last restraint and crawled on the floor over to Uzi. She leaned up against the gurney, using her claws to try and avoid the sentinel's flashes. She steadied her wires, got out her guns, and pointed them to shoot. But there was nothing. What were once terrifying pieces of anti-drone technology, were now crumbling into dust, alongside the flesh that was once their only defense against the sentinels.

V looked over at Uzi, who was sitting up, but quickly fell back down, unconscious. Her screen was cracked, but it was quickly healing itself. V watched worriedly as the last of the cracks hissed away. She was scared. Uzi had just gotten possessed, and by Cyn no less. But Uzi was still her, well, not friend. Ally? Yeah, ally. Uzi was V's ally and she had to do something to help and protect her.

V scooped up Uzi with her hand, using the other in claw form to cut away her restraints. Sweat dripped down her visor as she picked up the sleeping drone with her hand. She looked so small and fragile. V breathed a deep breath, slowly opened her mouth, and stuck her black tongue out.

V slowly placed Uzi on her tongue and pulled her inside her mouth. Every line of code in her program was screaming at her to bite. To chew on the tiny drone and squeeze every drop of her sweet oil out, but she held firm. V carefully positioned Uzi around in her mouth, maybe taking some time to enjoy the taste of worker on her tongue, but eventually she swallowed. Dragging Uzi down her gullet and into her awaiting belly.

V fell out of a vent and found N and Tessa. They jumped up upon seeing her. "V! You're alive, where's—" N excitedly yelled before being cut off by V, "Safe, but hurt. We're leaving." Tessa stepped forward and stuck her hand out palm up. "I could help her!" V changed her hand to a sword and held it next to Tessa's neck. "You said you could control the sentinels!" "I-I know, but—"

"Come on, N. We're leaving." N hesitantly stepped forward and glanced at Tessa nervously. "It's okay, N. I haven't been honest with V yet." V turned her head and glared at N. "What did she tell you?"

Before N could answer, he was cut off by a high-pitched squeak from V, who immediately blushed and covered her mouth. "Give me a second." V ran out of the room and looked around. She looked around and hid in a cubical.

Inside V's stomach, Uzi had stirred awake. Realizing she was in a stomach, she originally assumed that she was in N's stomach, however upon hearing V's voice, she realized she was in V's stomach instead.

She started struggling. Kicking and squirming and all around trying to escape from what she thought was going to be her tomb. She yelled out, "Help! Somebody help! V ate me! Help!" She felt V's stomach move and bounce as V found her hiding place.

"Quit squirming, squirt!" V placed her hands over her stomach like it was going to help. "L-Let me out! I don't want to be digested by you!" Uzi kept struggling, her entire body ached and she was tired, but she couldn't just give up! Not to V!

"I said quit it! I'm not going to hurt you!" "Liar!" V was starting to get angry and was actually considering just digesting her and getting it over with. "Listen, tiny! If I wanted to digest you, don't you think I would've by now!" Uzi paused for a moment. V was right. If V wanted to digest someone she would have done it, but why has she not with her.

"Okay. I'm listening." Uzi sat back in V's stomach and crossed her arms and legs. V sighed before speaking, "You were hurt, and I just thought, you know..." V was not used to speaking her thought process, especially for kind actions, "Just shut up!"

Uzi smirked and looked up in the direction of V's face. "Whatever, just let me out soon, okay?" "Okay. Whatever. Just shut up and stay still."

V stood up and pat her stomach. It was actually quite nice having a worker in there who wasn't fighting for their life. V looked over to the entrance to the cubical to see Tessa standing there and N peaking around the wall.

"So that's what you meant by "safe." Huh, V?" Tessa said, the smirk audibly heard in her voice. V blushed heavily and her jaw fell to the floor.

"How long were you standing there!"

[galactic-feelins]

It Was The Night Of The Meteor Shower

Inspired loosely by a prompt, Danny’s friends and family did not survive the events of The Ultimate Enemy. Knowing what he could’ve been, he decides to find his own way through his grief. Although the ghosts of future are dealt with, he now uncovers ghosts of past, and it seems he misunderstood the ghosts in the present.

Pov: Danny going through quite possibly the worst week of his life whilst reliving the worst days of his life.

Link to prompt!

I’ve been thinking back on life lately. Like, was any of that a dream, or was it too real?

- - -

The lab in the basement was always a little unnerving to be in. Exposed wires on unfinished projects, cables running haphazardly across the ground, loose tools scattered everywhere, honestly it’s always been a mess at best. If this were a well known work place, our house would’ve definitely been condemned by now! Walking in now, I immediately regret my decisions up till now. Mom and dad’s latest project may be a bust, but they clearly haven’t cleaned up after they were done!

“Woah! Watch your step there!” Tucker jokes, but this isn’t the first time the floor has been covered in some mysterious substance, let alone a step on the stairs. At least Tucker and Sam seem to be enjoying themselves while I’m stuck with keeping them safe, but what are friends for? “Promise you won’t touch anything in here?” It may be obvious, but I have to ask!

Sam tisked at me sarcastically. “Psh, yeah, I was planning on drinking from mysterious flasks myself. Maybe chew on some cables or steal something radioactive.”

“Sam, I don’t think there would be anything radioactive in here! Danny lives just upstairs from here, wouldn’t he get poisoned if there was?”

“Cable,” I pointed out, just as Tucker was about to trip right over an extension cord, pulling him back for good measure. “Look, I know! Technology, cryptozoology, general weird cyber-goth stuff; I get it! But this stuff is dangerous! You’ve gotta trust me here!”

Sure, they understood of course, but it’s not like they were as serious about it. I’ve lived with this, I know how dangerous the equipment here can be, and I know you need to approach everything here with extreme caution. Maybe that’s why they figured they are safe here with me. Maybe they think I can protect them. I honestly have no idea where they got the idea I could protect anyone.

I could see Tucker shaking, trying so very hard not to pick up the gizmos and gadgets littering the lab to look at closer, but it’s for his safety he doesn’t touch them. I keep an eye on him the most, since Sam is only taking pictures with the camera she brought. I think she brought it so we could work on some project for school, but honestly making memories is more fun. Well, more fun when it’s not in your parents’ ghost hunting lab, anyway. I was watching Tucker lean to look at another side of some kind of circuit board when I heard from Sam again.

“Hey wait! Danny, you have a suit?”

“Ah- maybe? Huh?” Startled, I shot to attention to find Sam picking up a black and white jumpsuit. “Wh- hey!” 

I rush over to snatch it from her hand. It’s safe, clean in fact, and mostly unworn. The jumpsuit itself may not be dangerous, but it’s definitely a blow to an already fragile ego. I hold it out to try and fold it back up properly, but then I hear a click-snap. The camera shutter makes me flinch and I can’t help but glare at Sam.

“Oops?” Sam grins mischievously, brightly, and knowingly. “Hey! Maybe you can try it on!” I really didn’t want to, and she could see it. Sam followed up her request. “Please? I just wanna see it! I’m sure it looks good on you!”

I sigh, knowing defeat and knowing it’s a fairly innocent request. I can wear a jumpsuit fine, and I know it’s tailored to fit me. Heck, maybe it’ll be easier to prevent disasters if I’m protected too! So I step away to put it on over my clothes, listening in on their conversation about the portal itself. Ugh, the portal.

“So they really made a portal?”

“Supposedly, yeah! His parents really seem to believe it could work!”

“But why? We don’t even know if ghosts are real!”

I zip up the front and walk back over to rejoin the conversation, only to find Tucker leaning in closer. He seems to be listening to the hum of machinery. To be honest, it is a nice sound, pretty calming at times, but it can get annoying and usually indicates something live and active. I pull him away by the shoulder as I chime in.

“Well, I think they tried this in college too. Whatever results they found must’ve proven it in their heads that this could work.”

Sam starts snickering, but I can tell by the look she’s giving me that it’s not something I said. In fact, I know exactly what it is. Without saying anything, she walks over and rips off a huge decal of dad’s face from my chest. Honestly, good riddance. I’m sure dad wouldn’t mind a little defacing, as a treat.

“Oh! Idea!” Tucker snaps and points to me as he continues. “We should get a picture of you in the portal like that!”

“Oh yeah!” Sam chimes in. “Yeah in the hollow space there! With you in the suit, standing in front of all of this machinery here, it would look so cool and, maybe even professional!”

Well, it is an interesting idea, and it would look pretty cool. I agree! The jumpsuit has a hood and goggles to protect your scalp and eyes respectively, but we’re not doing anything except posing for a picture. It would look better without the hood anyway, so I leave it down. With that, Sam and Tucker get in position further away while I step inside.

I’ve never been so close, let alone inside of one of my parents’ inventions. Walking in feels surreal. The lights, dots, and lines running across the walls and ceiling are vast and interwoven, and yet so organized and strategically oriented. It’s like one massive circuit board with so many mechanical bits exposed. Clearly this part of the portal wasn’t meant to be seen. As I’m looking around, I feel something hit my foot as I try to take another step, sending a jolt up my spine in a panic. I feel myself lose balance and instinctively I stumble to catch myself. My hand lands on something, usually it would be fine to hold the wall, but in this case I feel something give under my palm. The hum of the portal grows louder, something whirs to life around me, and taking my hand off the wall reveals a button that reads “on” just below it. Realization hits, and I look to Sam and Tucker, but it’s too late. The last thing I see is their panic reflecting mine, before a sharp pain in the back of my neck introduces itself.

- - -

I woke up on the floor. Reality spun for a bit, and I wasn’t sure where I was. I could feel I was laying on some kind of concrete, and I almost thought I was in the lab again. It would’ve been an easy mistake, but I remember now.

I’m in a warehouse, in some city I’ve never known, and I am alone. Sitting up, I rub my hand through my hair, taking a moment to remember where I am and why. I am here because I, Daniel Fenton, am running for my life. Some strange ghosts have been popping up more and more frequently lately, and they’ve been chasing me far more aggressively than any ghost I’ve ever met. Not even Skulker is as bad as these guys! 

In the beginning, there weren’t that many, so they were easy to handle. It was always so strange that they made sounds but never spoke, and they seem to follow pure instinct and emotions. These ghosts don’t banter, have no obvious obsessions, and sometimes I see weird tattoos on them. In fact, there seems to be multiples of them, like blob ghosts. I could fight them off for a while, and I could stop them from attacking random people. A lot of ghost hunters got their infamy and fame for getting rid of these guys too, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Now, however, it feels like swarms of them are tracking me down at all times. 

Just as I was thinking I could never get a rest from them, I feel a chill and see an icy trail of smoke leave my mouth. It seems it’s time to get moving again. I stand and slap myself in the face for a quick burst of energy before transforming. Almost as if on queue, the shadows cast on the ground rise into solid shapes, puffs of black smoke appear and strange knight looking guys drop in the smoke’s place, and all of their beady yellow eyes stare back at me with what I’ve come to understand is killing intent.

Knowing where they are now, I bolt in the opposite direction, flying straight through walls and ceilings, getting as far from my assailants as possible. These guys are persistent, but it seems most of them don’t know how to fly. Problem is, some do. Once I’m outside, I catch sight of some more of the strange ghosts, these ones winged and colorful. “Are the wings really necessary?” No response, as always. It seems there’s only about, say, 7 total? At least 3 different shapes at a glance. Since they’re in the air, it’s probably safe to say a few ecto-blasts should take care of them no harm done!

A bit of blasting, a bit of punching, a few scratches here and there, and the numbers start dwindling! Sometimes after hitting them enough, they’ll poof and turn into weird heart shaped cores, so I stuff them in the thermos! I can’t exactly dispose of them anywhere, not anymore especially, so this thing is getting a bit crowded. The good news is I don’t try to stuff every ghost I see in there. In fact, the number of flying guys has increased dramatically over time already, so I figured I gotta leave again. 

Of course they followed me. I tried to stop somewhere for a moment when I thought I got enough distance, but there they are! In the distance! Flying towards me! From this vantage point, it’s easy to see just how many of them there are total. I see the ones from inside the building scrambling out, and I can see many more from the shadows and side streets all skittering out as a crowd. “Oh boy,” here we go again.

- - -

Back then, I woke up to a weird feeling that has since become normal. Everything was light and tingly, and yet so, so weak. I could hear shouting, though too muffled to understand right away. When I finally tried to open my eyes, there was a red flashing, giving way to a green glowing light occasionally. When I came to, I saw Tucker and Sam’s faces, panicked and every crying, yelling and begging for me to say something or give a sign that I was ok. I didn’t feel ok, but I tried at least sitting up at the time.

White hair, white gloves, black suit. There might have been a decal, something tells me there wasn’t, but the decal looks cool enough it might as well have always been there. With help I stood up, and we found our way to a mirror so I could see the damage for myself. I was glowing, but not in a figurative way, but more in the way a hot iron will glow white with heat, or maybe how some toxic goo would glow like a vat of glow-sticks. There were my eyes, staring back like green neon signs on a horribly scratched up sign. As I began to panic, I watched my face twist in the mirror into something else, which only made me panic more. The more I panicked the less human I looked, and the less human I looked the more I panicked, but Tucker helped ground me again. Sam comforted me and had me take deep breaths. Before I knew it, I was myself again, black hair and all. Life had never been the same since that day. The way everyone else in Amity Park know it, that was the night of the meteor shower.

- - -

I finally found another moment’s rest. Ironically, it was the presence of another ghost that calmed my nerves. Unfortunately it was Skulker that decided to stop by.

“Well, you sure are far from home, aren’t you?”

“Can you really say I have a home anymore? You know what happened.”

Of course Skulker knew. He smiled knowingly before thankfully changing the subject. “Those shadow ghosts really have it out for you huh? They should really know their place!”

“Heh, yeah, I wonder what I did to piss so many off them off like this!”

“Oh, what didn’t you do!”

Admittedly, he got a laugh out of me. Feeling a bit more at ease, I sit down on a dumpster nearby. Skulker can make himself comfy on his own. I can’t help finding it strange that Skulker is the only other ghost I know that’s approached me so far. I have been running for a few weeks now, so I have gotten pretty far from the ghost portal, but even then there are other ghosts out there! And yet, it almost feels like everyone’s avoiding me. Skulker is the only one that I’ve been able to confide in lately.

“So what do you think their deal is?” I don’t wanna change the subject yet. I have had plenty of time with these guys and I wish I knew what they’re doing.

“You think I would know? You think I would send them after you like that?”

“What? Nah! You hunt alone don’t you?”

“Exactly that, welp! I don’t need any hounds chasing you and herding you to me! I can and will catch you on my own terms!”

“Oh goodie. Always wanted to be mounted on a wall.” The sarcasm might’ve been lost on Skulker, but it helps me stay calm.

“Maybe some day, but today is not that day! I need you in top performance before I can hunt you down proper! For now, I will help you in your time of need. Hunter’s honor.”

“Hunter’s honor…” I respond a little quieter, honestly not sure if that’s a thing. Something about it feels less like a promise, and more like camaraderie. I suppose I could have been considered a hunter, but, “I can’t be a hunter. I’m not hunting anything.”

“Oh, aren’t you? I believe I remember you were hunting for a solution to your uh… situation…”

My situation is not the same! I can’t say that, I couldn’t even bring myself to answer. My situation… it’s hard to explain, it was a stupid spur of the moment decision. Meeting clockwork, seeing Amity Park’s future, knowing what I could become, it’s all a mess I wish I could forget. I stare at a nearby wall, holding my chest, and feeling not only my pulse but a soft drumming of something foreign and new.

I failed to save them. I failed to save my friends from disaster. I don’t know what gave them the impression I could save them, especially if I was the one that put them in danger. After that explosion, there were no survivors of that accident. I saw some kind of light leaving their bodies, I could hear a soft hum from each of the lights. The hum was familiar, but much quieter than the one I’m familiar with. I was scared, and I didn’t want to lose what little what left of my friends and family. So I grabbed on. I rushed to scoop up those little lights before they flew away or shattered with how young and fragile they were. I held them close in grief, and then, they were gone. I could still feel them now, but they weren’t in my arms anymore. What’s left of everyone is right here, with what’s left of me.

“I can’t find a solution if I’m dead.” I realize my poor choice in wording immediately. “Gone. Turned to dust. Reduced to atoms. Nothing could save them then.”

“Well, you wouldn’t have to worry about your grief anymore if, you know, you weren’t conscious anymore? I could put your cores in a jar and put it up on my mantle!”

“Oh what are you, a heartless?”

A beat. A… Heartless?

“Oh, so the welp doesn’t know grammar either, it seems!”

I don’t respond, and he seems to catch on. Why did I say that? Why is it getting to me? What is a heartless and why does it feel familiar? I try to stand again, but my legs start feeling a bit wobbly, and my head gets fuzzy. A heartless. What is a heartless? Why do I know this? My energy is spent, and as the world goes dark I hear a vague shout, and I hit the ground.

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 4x15 Bar Association thoughts (I’m re-watching, so beware spoilers for future episodes!) [5 July ‘23]

So hype for episode. I love Rom to bits.

"Mister Worf, you're in love. With the Defiant." "You exaggerate, as usual." But he huffed in amusement and that was almost a smile, he doesn't do that with anyone else

Julian is so disgruntled about this outfit, aww :3

Leeta is awesome, advocating for Rom like that <3 I look forward to seeing more of her!

"It's all part of our generous employee compensation package. No sick days, no vacations, no paid overtime." Such sarcasm, Rom, I wasn't expecting that!

"I don't think Julian would approve." "We could ask him." ...I do actually like Rom, Leeta and Julian as a ship tbh

"Isn't this your tooth sharpener?" xD how proud was Worf of that purchase, that Jadzia knows what it is?

"They did not happen on the Enterprise." "Really?" Odo's grin - he's been waiting for an opportunity to reel off the Enterprise's biggest security breaches, right? XD

"We're going to form a... a..." Oh Rom, you're being super brave, I believe you can say it!

Miles perking up at the mention of Rom's union and being super supportive... And then telling Rom about how his ancestor died

It's always fun seeing iconic lines in action. "He was more than a hero, he was a union man."

"After that, it'll work like a charm." "Until the next time it breaks down." "That's the problem when you combine Cardassian, Bajoran and Federation technology." Love Miles being sarcastic at Worf, and Worf being so put out at the idea of things breaking down - poor guy, it's a good job he's not an engineer!

"It's a lot easier than working on the Enterprise." Worf's so confused by this XD

Quark's laughter before realising Rom actually means it

Hologram Quark!

Quark trying to call the cops on the strikers is so very him :/

And Odo agreeing! - never has he felt more police-like.

"But I have strict orders from Captain Sisko not to impinge on your employees' freedom of expression," he sighs, disdainfully. COP

"Wait a minute. I can't believe it! He's an enter." "Not for long!" I'm so here for O'Brien going after Worf

The three of them disgruntled in a holding cell is hilarious

Julian looks like a nervous school boy

"Captain? Can we leave now?" "I'll tell Constable Odo to let you go... in the morning." I love Sisko's "sense of humour".

Quark does not understand Rom's position at *all*, expecting an offer of private Latinum to sway him.

"Workers of the world, unite!" ❤❤

Oh Brunt's looking forward to this, isn't he? UGH

Love seeing the other ferengi getting involved and speaking up

"Spare me. I'm old, I'm fragile. I'll push the rest of them off myself." Classic.

"Don't let him intimidate you." ROM <3

The venom with which Brunt looks at Leeta, as he says "living on this station has... corrupted you."

"Standing tall like Sean O'Brien!" it's so cute how that story has inspired Rom

O'Brien's little thumbs up at Rom :3

"But you'll be living out there all by yourself!" "I know." Oh, Worf. smh

"What you were trying to do was make yourself feel important. Making me feel dumb made you feel smart. But I'm not dumb and you're not half as smart as you think you are." YES ROM

"If brunt gets rid of me, all your problems will be solved." This has really been the making of Rom

"You're here to help me, right?" "Wrong." Hah! Really, Quark?

"Let's see. Who else does Rom care about...?" Quark.

"If Odo hadn't come along when he did... "

"You have to dissolve the union... At least officially..." Yeah, an idea's coming

"Six months!" "It's the best I can do." "No, it's not. All you have to do is make up one of your fake business ledgers for the FCA. They'll never know the difference." "Shush! All right, you'll get your raises by the end of the week." End of the week?! Good negotiation, Rom, I love how well you know your brother - but also Quark was uncharacteristically generous with that haggling?

I'm sad the union couldn't last

"Better?" Hehe, Worf is so annoyed that even here, someone has found him to interrupt his peace XD At least it's Jadzia, am I right?

"Sooner or later, you're going to have to adapt." I guess he does when he moves in with Jadzia? I can't imagine she moves to the Defiant...

"You're quitting?" "Effective immediately." "I gave you everything you wanted." "I know. But if the strike taught me anything, it's that I do a lot better when you're not around." Quark is so nonplussed XD But I love this for Rom

"Think about it from my point of view. If I keep working for you, all I have to look forward to is waiting for you to die so I can inherit the bar." Yep, that's sure a take to have

"Now get me my snail juice! ...Brother." Aww, he's so pleased with himself - and well he should be!

[technologywhis]

Great question—it’s always fascinating (and a little bittersweet) to think about what tech might fade into the past. While it’s impossible to predict the future with total accuracy, there are definitely some technologies that are likely on their way out in the next 10 years due to evolving trends, innovation, and changing user habits.

Here are a few that are likely to disappear—or at least become niche:

⸻

1. Physical Passwords & Traditional Passwords

• Why: Biometric authentication (like Face ID, fingerprints) and passwordless systems (like passkeys) are becoming the norm.

• Replacement: Biometrics, 2FA, hardware security keys, and decentralized identity systems.

2. Magnetic Stripe Credit Cards

• Why: They’re less secure and being replaced by chip (EMV) cards and contactless payments.

• Replacement: NFC (e.g., Apple Pay, Google Pay), QR code payments, digital wallets.

3. Gas-Powered Cars (in many regions)

• Why: Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining momentum, and several countries have plans to ban new gas car sales by the 2030s.

• Replacement: EVs, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (maybe).

4. Cable TV

• Why: Streaming is more convenient, customizable, and cheaper.

• Replacement: On-demand services (Netflix, YouTube TV, etc.), IPTV, and even AI-curated media.

5. DVDs, Blu-rays, and Optical Drives

• Why: Everything is going digital or cloud-based. Laptops are even shipping without disc drives now.

• Replacement: Streaming, cloud storage, digital downloads.

6. Landline Phones

• Why: Mobile phones offer better flexibility and VoIP is cheaper for businesses.

• Replacement: Smartphones, internet calling (Zoom, WhatsApp, etc.)

7. Standalone GPS Devices

• Why: Smartphones have integrated GPS and real-time traffic data.

• Replacement: Smartphone apps (Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps).

8. Fax Machines

• Why: They’re outdated, inefficient, and mostly kept around for legacy compliance.

• Replacement: Email, secure document sharing platforms (like DocuSign).

9. Public Phone Booths

• Why: Almost everyone carries a mobile phone now.

• Replacement: They may remain as novelty items or be repurposed (e.g., mini libraries, WiFi hubs).

10. Physical Car Keys

• Why: Keyless entry, phone-based controls, and biometrics are gaining popularity.

• Replacement: Smartphone apps, biometrics, RFID.

⸻

Would you like a futuristic blog post or article draft based on this theme? I could help you write one that explores what’s disappearing and what’s replacing it—readers usually love that kind of thing.

Ah, the classic floppy disk! 💾 It’s practically the emoji for “save,” but in real life? Yeah, floppy disks are definitely already a relic—and they’ll be even more extinct in the next decade.

Here’s where they stand today:

Current Use (Surprisingly… still around?)

• Legacy systems: Some very old government, aviation, and industrial systems still use them (yes, really).

• Airplane tech: Older aircraft like the Boeing 747 reportedly used floppy disks for software updates—though that’s being phased out.

• Archival storage: A few niche collectors or retro tech hobbyists still mess around with them.

Why Floppy Disks Are Fading Fast:

• Minuscule Storage: 1.44 MB is less than most modern text files.

• Fragility: They’re easily damaged by dust, magnets, and time.

• Obsolete Hardware: New computers haven’t had floppy drives for over a decade.

• Better Alternatives: Flash drives, SD cards, cloud storage—literally everything is better.

What’s Replacing Them:

• Cloud Storage: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive.

• USB Flash Drives: Still useful for offline quick transfers.

• Solid State Drives (SSDs): For long-term, fast storage.

• Secure Servers: For enterprise-level data handling.

⸻

Want a fun blog post idea? How about:

“From Floppy to Cloud: The Wild Evolution of Data Storage”

I can help you write it if you want! Could be a mix of nostalgia, tech history, and a peek into what’s next.

[vilgramcrimeandpunishment]

Daisuke’s first VD (Cement boots)

E: Hello there

D: You’re late

E: Am I? Apologies, did I keep you waiting for long?

D: I get impatient easily, so yeah, you did

E: I see. Rest assured, it won’t happen again. Are you ready to start the interrogation? I’m just here to ask a fe questions

D: Make it quick

E:…Alright. How old are you, Daisuke?

D: Twenty-four

E: How’s life in Milgram?

D: It’s fine

E: Just fine? Anyone you’re close with?

D: No

E:…What about rations? You need anything?

D: No

E: You don’t elaborate much, do you?

D: What else is there to know?

E: *sighs* What a contrast….

D: Hm?

E: I just got done interrogating Kasumi and analyzing her memories. She was friendly unlike someone I’m looking at right now

D: Being friends in prison, specifically with the guard, isn’t exactly something on my bucket list 

E: I’m not here to befriend you, but you’ll have to cooperate if this interrogation is going to be of any success 

D: Just extract the song already or whatever. You’ll find everything you need to know 

E: I need to deeper understanding of you, and it takes a lot more than just extracting your memories 

D: Understanding me is just as successful as moving a mountain. No one can

E:…….

D: Hell, I don’t even understand myself…..

E: You’re a 24 year old man, or a 17 year old going through his emo phase?

D: Shut up

E: It was a joke. But really, just answer my questions

D: I answered what you asked already

E: I need more details

D: On my life here in this shithole? It’s an upgrade from the hell I called my ‘home’, but I ain’t got any hobbies or friends

E: What do you do when you’re bored then?

D: I sleep 

E: Any hobbies before coming here?

D:……..

D: I use to play billiards. I like reading too

E: What about college? 

D: I didn’t go to college

E: Any specific reason? 

D: I…didn’t see the point

E: Was that hesitation I sensed?

D: Your question caught me off guard. What, do you I need to tell you when I went to the bathroom too?

E: ….*clears voice* If you didn’t go to college, what was your living situation like before you came to Milgram?

D: I lived alone

E: What about a job?

D: I worked at a library. It was enough to keep a roof over my head and food on the table

E: So what makes you compare Milgram as a better option than your home?

D: The assholes I was surrounded by were insufferable

E: You hate people that much?

D: They annoy me

E: So that’s why you dislike the rest of the prisoners here? No reason, just misanthropy?

D: What’s the point of being friends with people if they just betray you?

E: Allies are an important thing to have in hard, strange times. Though, I guess it’s not my part to tell you how to interact with the others 

D: You’re right, it’s not

E:….Rest assured, Daisuke. Even if you lie, your memories will show me the truth 

D: What makes you think I’m lying?

E: Your tone and words reek of some deceptiveness. As a prison ward and the judge of your sins, I’ll find the truth 

D: Big words

E: You doubt me?

D: Cocky too….

E: *clicks tongue* 

D: Anyways, if my memories will just show you the truth, what’s the point of this meaningless interrogation? 

E: I need to deduce the optimal moment to use it. If I just use it now, without the memory and topic resurfacing to the murder in question, the video will show something else

D: Can’t I just think about it really hard? 

E: No. It doesn’t work that way. This technology is very new and fragile, but sensitive. It’s designed to pick out the most accurate depiction of what the murder is, why it occurred, and the instances that lead to the mindset the prisoner was in to commit the murder

D: Seems like a waste of resources

E: No one asked for your opinion. You can either comply with our protocol, or whine to no avail

D: I just stated in opinion

E: If you’re voted guilty, your opinion will be utterly worthless

D: Eh? Was it not already?

E:…eh?

D: Huh?

E: What?

D:…never mind. Any other pointless questions with obvious answers?

E: Daisuke Kurosaki?

D: Hm?

E: Look up

D: Why?

E: Just do it

D: *tilts his head up* Alr—AH!

E: *slaps him*

D: W-What was that for?!

E: I hit you cause I hate arrogant asses like yourself

D:…..*heavy breaths*

E: You either question protocol and annoy me to the point of getting hit, or you can shut up and comply 

D: Heh….

E: Eh? What’s with the smirk?

D: You’re…being…weird….warden-san…

E: Says the guy that’s smiling awfully widely after being slapped 

D: Hey….let me take a crack at hitting someone….I want to hear the bones crack as the collision gets harder between my knuckles and their skull

E: !!

D: You enjoyed hurting someone, huh? How cruel of you, warden-san, hehehe…..

E: Enjoy? I only did it to shut you up

D: Bad idea….I can’t get my mind off of it now…

E: You’re creepy, you know that?

D: Always have been

E: *sighs *mumbles* What a weirdo…

D: If you hit me hard enough, would it be possible that my brain can be screwed up enough that my memories won’t be accurate or show at all?

E: That’s why you’re happy about being hit?

D: No, I just ask out of pure curiosity 

E:…..Daisuke…did you enjoy being hurt?

D: Enjoy…feel my pants getting tighter….sure….

E: Creep….*mumbles* This has to be some sort of act to try to scare me….

E: I don’t have time to play along with his games….I need to focus at the task at hand….

D: This chair I’m sitting on….will it hurt?

E: No, it—

D: Aww….

E: ….?

D: *grins* What if I put someone weaker than me on it? Kasumi or Asuka’s build. But what if it was someone more weak-willed. I’d enjoy seeing the light leave their eyes just seeing something so scary, hehehe…..

(machines whirr, bells ring)

E: A-Already? 

D: Warden—

E: Suddenly acting cold again? *clicks tongue* What is it?

D: Would it be possible that we don’t talk again?

E: Trust me, as much as I would love that, we have two more interrogations after this one

D: What exactly will be the punishment if I’m guilty for this trial?

E: Physical and mental restraints. Your freedom of thought will be denied 

D: Just like back home….

E: Prisoner 002, Daisuke Kurosaki, sing your sins!

[runthepockets]

It's not so much the the right "talks" to little boys as they do appeal to reactionary beliefs and a very human need for safety and community and self preservation. And it works on anyone who's vulnerable enough to take to it, in this case boys like Ryan, who are between the ages of 8-17 years old, whose brains are still malleable and whose hearts are still fragile. These boys are uniquely isolated and rejected like Ryan (parents are working more overtime than ever before, there are little to no public spaces for children to play without paying for it, neighbors don't talk to each other, technology and surveillance software are more common than ever. Children have always been seen as commodities, but it's never been more prevelant than now.) which makes them so attractive to people like Homelander (who's a stand in for any Manosphere dickhead of your chosing). While I don't think these boys are entirely devoid of options, I also think it's foolish to imply they're getting into this stuff because Boys Are Selfish Evil Little Cunts and not because they're, like, being groomed by adults who want their money and attention to fuel their own sick games.

As for "the left's" role in all this.....I think a lot of people are very much Butcher in this scenario. I don't think he's at fault for being upset that his wife was raped in the same way that I don't think women are wrong to be disillusioned with their role under patriarchy and the men who impose those roles on them, but I do think these people are in control of their own emotions and how they react to passerbys in those situations and I think ~uber ironic but not really~ jokes about how men aren't people and their feelings and experiences are nothing compared to women's and yadda yadda yadda aren't approrpriate or particularly sympathetic. It's gotten to a point where simply mentioning a movement like Men's Liberation, which is very explicitly sympathetic to feminist standpoints and intertwines it with men's struggles, is met with hostility, because a lot of people on "the left" only know how to communicate in arguments and kneejerk reactions. I heard a lot of that stuff in the 2010s as a young man myself and though I never turned to rightwing numbnuts to treat my wounds, it still didn't feel very good, it did fuck me up and make me feel alone. I had no idea what I had done to draw the ire of people (in this case, women, cus I'm a straight man) I wanted so much to like me, but at that young age it did make me feel like I was inherently a bad person and that no girl would ever wanna be with me cus my presence would impose on her dainty femininity. I'd stripped myself of humanity trying to please people who were never gonna love me back.

What got me to snap out of it, though, was normies being like "Jesus kid, you need some new friends" and actually well read intersectional feminists and black feminists being like "yeah, dude, that's not feminism, those people were just bullies who didn't like you", as opposed to when I tried to vent to other leftists and femimist friends who would just blink dead eyed at me and go "um yeah but women need to vent, so....try to take it seriously but not too seriously, male privilege is lethal after all!!!!" which didn't do anything but reaffirm my insecurities. I don't think a lot of these kids even have this sort of social access in their lives, hence their hostile and neurotic behavior.

Idk I think it's giving the right too much credit to say they "talk" to these kids when all they really do is groom and manipulate them into being foot soldiers, who think the only way to get a girlfriend is to be a walking ATM or a sentient dildo, to be little patriarchy pushers. But I also think it's disingenous to imply the online left is anything more than a bunch of people who are just aa reactionary as right wingers, just in the other direction, with feminist sounding jargon and therapy language instead of slurs, reaffirming patriarchal beliefs of what a man is but to its logical extreme. All sides are failing these boys tbh it's a very bad time to be a child on social media and we should all be more cautious of the shit we put out in the open you don't know who's looking and feeling what kinda way.

There's this arc in The Boys where Billy Butcher finds out his wife, Becca Butcher, is still alive and living with a little boy named Ryan, who is the product of an unfortunate time where Becca was raped by Homelander. Billy obviously has really conflicting feelings about the existence of this child but takes responsibility for him when Becca dies.

Ryan has been raised in isolation pretty much his whole life, as exposing him to the world will reveal the reality that Homelander (who's a big name celebrity) is a sexual predator and not the golden boy America props him up as. As such, he doesn't have any friends. He tries to bond with Butcher by Skyping him and showing him his art projects, one of which leads to Billy exploding at him and basically disowning him (it was a pretty innocent stop motion video about how much Ryan loved his mom, and it set Butcher off because, what the fuck doesn't set Butcher off, but he's especially particular and entitled about his wife.)

This leaves Ryan heartbroken and once again isolated, leading to him accepting Homelander as a father figure instead, despite the fact that he's emotionally abusive and also pushed him off a roof a season prior, all to make the boy prove his superpowers to him. Homelander takes Ryan to a Trump esque white supremacist rally where Homelander himself is the face of the movement (he's blonde with blue eyes and doesn't drink or have sex, he's beloved by right wing Christian fundamentalists as a result) that ends with him lasering the shit out of a left wing protester who disagreed with him. Everyone gets really quiet, then eventually cheers, and Homelander looks really happy, and Ryan just kind of....basks in the moment. It's all a very intentional and accurate parrallel to the incel movement and the indoctrination of little boys into the right wing and I think about it every time the "little boys get radicalized cus the right talks to them and the left doesn't" argument comes up.

[bensolosbluesaber]

Secret Identities - Part 2 (Marc Spector, Steven Grant, and Jake Lockley x reader)

Summary: The Avengers, your team of superheroes, has been called in to handle an invasion in New York, and you’re bringing your superhero boyfriend, Moon Knight, with you.

Part 2 to Secret Identities.

Action/adventure, Cameo-fest

Pairings: Marc Spector x reader, Steven Grant x reader, Jake Lockley x reader

Warnings and A/N: I did my best to accurately represent DID, I put very little effort into creating a plot and a lot of effort into writing dialogue

--

It was only you, Marc, and the agent - whose name you had never learned and didn’t care to learn - on the quinjet. You held Marc’s hand the entire time. There was no denying the anxious fluttering in your stomach as your two lives continued converging. Each second brought Marc closer to the Avengers, and you’d be lying if you said that didn’t scare the shit out of you.

You read through the briefing notes, getting occasional comments from the agent now piloting the quinjet. Rogue artificial intelligence, not Ultron level, but dangerous nonetheless. SWORD suspected some alien involvement, but that wasn’t the concern right now. The immediate issue was an army of robots hidden underground waiting to be activated.

At some point you started to fall asleep against Marc’s shoulder. He gingerly shifted you into a laying position resting your head on his thigh in a familiar comfortable position. His hand settles in your hair and strokes the curves of your face, soothing you into sleep. You hardly sleep for an hour before Marc shakes you awake.

“Something’s happening.”

“We need to drop you in,” the agent called back. “The activation happened earlier than our intelligence suggested. Most of the team is already on the ground. Everyone else is on their way. Don’t forget your comm links.”

You sit up and rifle through your bag, pulling out a familiar costume and stripping off your clothes. Marc blinks at you a few times like he’s surprised at your lack of modesty. He knows you well enough that he really shouldn’t be.

“We can’t all summon our suits,” you tease and toss him an ear piece, even as his eyes begin to glow with white moonlight.

“Tell her she looks amazing!” Steven gushes.

“Keep it in your pants,” Jake snaps back.

You reach for a parachute, but Marc’s white gloved hand stops you.

“I can fly you in,” he offers through the mask. 

“You told me no flying last month!” You protest.

“I didn’t know you were an Avenger last month.”

“Bad call, mate.”

“Oh, so you thought I was fragile before?” You tease, not really mad at the man.

His mask peels away so he can tilt his head and shoot you an amused glare.

“You’re in range!” The agent calls back.

You turn and plant a kiss on Marc’s lips, then punch a button. The door opens slowly with a cold rush of air. You wrap your arms around his strong body, take a deep breath, and together you jump from the plane into free fall. His cape catches like a parachute part way down, guiding you through the clouds lower and lower until the skyline is in view.

Smoke rises from burning buildings, the wreckage of a city that has again become a battle ground.

“Shit,” Marc whispers. “We’re gonna have to stop having technology free dates.”

“Yeah,” you reply, only half paying attention, too busy scanning the ground for your fellow Avengers. It’s pure chaos on the ground, a complete and utter disaster, but then, through the smoke… “There!”

You point Marc in the direction of a bright flash of blue and white, and he angles you toward the ground. The comm link in your ear begins to crackle and finally beeps a connection. You were right.

“-end up here? We’re supposed to be on vacation!” The voice of Bucky Barnes fills your ear at the same moment the bright red, white, and blue wings of Sam Wilson reappear. “Sam, what the fuck is in the sky?”

That would be Marc.

“Good morning, Captain America,” you smile down at the small figures of your friends on the ground.

“Oh thank god,” Sam replies. “Buck and I are a-” he grunts, “A bit outnumbered. We have to hold this street, or it will interfere with the wizards’ spell.”

You’re streaking toward the fight below, finally able to see the action for real. They are more than a bit outnumbered, the two men surrounded by humanoid robots armed to the teeth with every bit of weapons technology available. You drop to the ground at Bucky’s side, Marc landing next to you.

“You’re late,” Bucky calls. “Who’s the mummy?”

Marc shoots him a glare.

“Marc, don’t glare at Bucky Barnes! That’s-”

“I know who Bucky Barnes is Steven,” he answers silently.

Yeah, he knew Bucky Barnes. Well, Steven knew. At some point in their childhood, Steven realized he shared part of a name with Steven Grant Rogers and harbored a small fascination with the former Captain America ever since.

“That’s Moon Knight!” Sam’s wing decapitates a robot as he turns to look Marc up and down. “Read your briefing packets, Buck.”

Bucky rolls his eyes and returns to the fight. You draw two long knives, gifts from King T’Challa, and make short work of any robot that approaches. Marc hurls crescent darts, each finding their target. But he doesn’t let Steven front. Not yet at least.

Occasionally, he glances back at you, checking to make sure you’re alright. You are doing the same to him. You have never fought at his side before, but already you know that you would do it again and again.

“The sorcerers - not wizards, Sam - are working some spell in that building,” Bucky gestures vaguely behind him. “They can shut the whole AI down, but we have to keep these things out.”

“Androids!” Sam shouts as he jumps over one and buries his shield in it’s neck. “Androids controlled by aliens who can be stopped by wizards. The big three!”

“The big three?” Marc turns to Captain America.

“Don’t ask!” You and Bucky shout at the same time.

The four of you stand no chance of holding this street. Of course this couldn’t be a time-efficient spell, and the robots just keep coming, an endless supply of mindless soldiers puppeteered by some unknown force. A piece of shrapnel slashes your face, distracting you from the fight for a split second. It’s enough for a blow to land at your midsection, knocking the breath from you.

You pull the gun from your waist, SWORD issue with some advanced technology you don’t care to understand, and shoot. It’s not your preferred weapon, but it is necessary. Marc is by your side in an instant. He grabs you around the waist and wraps you in the white fabric of his cape. 

It’s just the two of you in this little cocoon. The rest of the world is forgotten as his mask falls away for a moment. The expression on his face is pure horror, lips pressed in a tight line, eyes murderous. His gaze is focused on the blood dripping down your cheek.

“I’m fine,” you insist and run your fingers across his nose and brow that is furrowed deeply, trying to soothe away those worry lines.

“I need Jake,” he breathes, a confession he rarely makes. “We need Jake.”

Jake will do anything to protect Marc and Steven and anything to protect you. It’s probably why you had never actually seen Jake suited up for a fight. He is the ‘whatever it takes’ part of the system, and all three of them are still afraid to show you that side.

“Okay,” you grip his upper arms. “It’s okay.”

His eyes flicker for a second, then his suit shifts, darkens to a midnight black that is more like tactical armor than Marc’s mummy wrappings. A bright white crescent moon shines on his chest; it matches the bright white of his cape. He tilts his head with a little smirk, and just like that Jake Lockley has joined the fray.

“Cap? Cap?” Someone is shouting through coms. “We’re coming to you. Do you copy?”

The voice is crackly, so you can’t make out exactly who it is.

You turn back to the fight, watching with bit of admiration and a lot of attraction as Jake expertly dispatches android after android.

“Did he change outfits mid fight?” Bucky punches a robot beside you.

“Sort of.”

You kick a robot across the head, stabbing one of your vibranium knives into it’s chest and immediately lashing out toward another. You glance up, and the world seems to slow around you. The battle is forgotten as you can only stare at Jake. He is fighting desperately, holding his own except...

Except behind him. A metallic arm is raising a heavy blade for a killing blow, metal arching toward his neck. You’re trying to scream his name. You are screaming his name, but it’s too late. You stab the android in front of you, but you will never make it. Jake’s suit will protect him from a lot, heal just about anything, but not decapitation.

Red flashes across your view, a bright flash hurtling through the air. A stick strikes the robot through the forehead, and the metal being collapses in a dead heap. Jake whips his head around as he realizes what almost happened. A figure in dark red drops from a nearby fire escape, grabs the stick from the robots sparking brain, and nods to you. He jumps into the fight at Jake’s side, the two men working together with an impressive synchrony for two strangers.

“How did you see that?” Jake shouts.

“I heard it,” Matt Murdock replies as he dispatches another android.

A few more minutes and the fighting finally stops. Another wave of robots is undoubtedly assembling nearby, but for now the team has a moment to breathe.

Jake’s mask falls away as he studies Daredevil. His eyes linger on the upper half of Matt’s face, noticing how his eyes are completely obscured by the dark red of his mask. You sprint to Jake’s side, wanting to reach for his hand, hold him, kiss him, feel that he is alive, but you restrain yourself. Your relationship is a secret, and for now you want to keep it that way.

“So this is the boyfriend?” Matt asks.

Your relationship is not a secret.

“How-” you start to question how Matt could possibly know that you had a boyfriend, let alone that this was him.

“You started smelling different a few months ago,” he explains. “It’s him. His scent is all over you.”

“Is there a better way to say that then ‘his scent is all over you’? Tone down the creepy… vibes? Vibes? Is that the word?” 

“Give up on the modern slang, Buck,” Sam makes a face and pats his partners’ shoulder mockingly.

You plant a kiss to Jake’s cheek, and he brushes his hand across your fingers to tell you that he is okay. You watch him and Daredevil with interest, hoping Jake might find a friend in the hero who protected his city with the same ferocity and passion as Jake protected Steven, Marc, and you.

“What’s up with the little horns, el diablo?” Jake asks. “What are you the hero of? Hell?”

“Hell’s Kitchen, and it’s Daredevil actually.”

Jake shoots you a glance then shifts his gaze back to Matt. A smile fills his features, a genuine one, and a second later the same expression appears on Matt’s face. You let out a heavy sigh of relief as they slip into easy conversation and you turn back to Sam and Bucky.

“You and Moon Knight, huh?” Sam frowns. “Guess Spidey was right.”

As if summoned by his name, the mysterious masked hero drops from the sky.

“Hey you guys! There’s another group heading our way.”

He starts to turn to Cap, notices Jake and does a double take to stare at the white costumed man, everyone else forgotten. Jake looks at him completely unimpressed.

“Oh my god, you’re Moon Knight!” Spider-Man’s voice has a youthfulness that always surprises you. “I love you! I wanted a cape because of you, but I gave up the idea pretty quick. I mean not in New York right? Handsy people. It would never have lasted. Wow! Mr. Knight, you are so cool.”

“Mr. Knight,” Steven tries out the name “I like that.”

“I hate it,” Marc replies.

“Well that seems like your problem don’t it? I’m keeping it. You can be Moon Knight. I’ll be Mr. Knight.”

“Marc, right?” Spidey asks, and you can practically see the mischief forming in the boys’ mind at his well-meaning mistake.

“I’m Jake.”

“Sorry! Jake-”

Jake’s expression changes, the suit shifting with him.

“Oops, Steven now,” Steven grins.

“O-Okay, Steven,” Spider-Man tries to keep up.

The suit changes as Marc fronts.

“Marc again,” he teases, messing with the young hero.

“Oh,” that catches Spidey off guard. “Nice to meet you, Marc.”

“Actually, Jake now.”

“Leave him alone, you three,” you glower at Jake but have to fight back a laugh.

You thanked any god you could think of that Spider-Man had been there with his goofy remarks and joking attitude to make it easier for Marc, Steven, and Jake to show off this particular skill set.

“Sorry, love.”

That’s Steven.

He adjusts his white suit jacket and grins at Spider-Man, ““You know, the cape is actually really overrated, kid.”

“I’m Spider-Man,” he lowers his voice and puts extra emphasis on the ‘man.’

“More like Spider-Kid,” Jake mutters.

Steven ignores his alter and nods conspiratorially to Spider-Man. He gives him a thumbs up like they just shared a secret.

“Figure out how to really punch criminals yet?” Daredevil snarks, tossing an arm across Spider-Man’s shoulders affectionately.

“I’m not beating the shit out of people,” he protests.

“It’s more efficient.”

“Whatever you say ‘really good lawyer.’”

You observe their interaction with some interest. Had Matt defended whoever was in the Spider-Man suit? No time for that now though, you realize as a mechanical whirring fills the air. You take a defensive stance at Steven’s side, Bucky to your right. Cap and Spidey leap into the air. Matt stands beside Steven.

Sam looks down at his makeshift team then out at the approaching mechanical army. They’re not much, but they’ll do.

“Avengers…”

--

A/N: I left this open for a part 3. Not sure if I’ll write it, but I do think a 3rd part to wrap it all up and let the system meet some other Avengers would be fun! Let me know if you want added to my general Moon Knight tag list!

Tag List: @love-on-the-murder-scene @bookfrog242 @irethepotato @graciexmarvel @simonsbluee @nagemasstuff @whovian378 @cringingmemeries @eerievixen @velyssaraptor

Other Tags: @bored-as-hell-666​ @teenageranchpsychicwagon @yanelimerida @winterwitch107 @tachibubu @eiressmurdock087 @natalieisfreeziing @thehuntresswolf @isnt-itstrange​ @dearlawdimasimp​ @multi-fandoms-of-madness

[trutrustories]

Bad fighter Mobius M. Mobius is the best kind of Mobius M. Mobius, Actually.

I already loved Mobius more than most of the MCU characters before episode 6 came out, but THAT scene in Ravonna´s Office was really game changer for me. Until then I was actually sure, that this man is a great fighter. Because HOW THE FUCK COULD HE NOT BE, RIGHT? I mean...

he looks so sure of himself, He´s going on those missions with trained hunters all the time, he´s fearless! And then Ravonna says: “even with that, you´re of no danger to me” And I was like: Ha! keep dreaming girl He´ll show you! And Mobius was like: “Is that what you think? Let´s see..” And I was like: Yeeees that´s my boyyyyy!!!”

And then Ravonna was like...

Mobius in the air in like a split of second. And I was like 

But Mobius freaking smiled and was like: “Yeah you were right”

ok. OK. HE´S MY FUCKING FAVOURITE NOW. THERE IS NO ONE BETTER THEN HIM SORRY.  Suddenly I was lost. I was blown away. It was HE BETTER STAYS IN MCU FOREVER OR I WILL SCREAM type of feeling. So let me get this straight. He can´t fight. He probably knows that he is not a good fighter, and he...  HOLY SHIT. THE WHOLE SERIES IS SO MUCH BETTER!!! .... As much as I love the idea of strong Mobius with long hair and daggers, looking for Loki through entire universe… I´m not sure, if I really want to see that in canon. I just love this cute and non-combatant version of Mobius too much, I´m sorry! Let me explain my weird brain please: we have lots of strong heroes in MCU – those who are great fighters, or those who had to learn how to fight.   The one thing I always loved about Iron man was the fact, that he really needed his brilliant brain, his technology (suit) and bravery to fight. And in the end he was the hero who saved them all. I mean… yeah. There are side-kicks, like Happy Hogan, or Luis (Ant man´s best friend) and I LOVE them! But none of them has got as much screen time and importance, as Mobius. When I think about what I love so much about him and his dynamic with Loki, there is always this one thing that prevails: one of them is an incredibly strong but also very careful god (not when he´s drunk though) who uses a lots of strategies and plans, while the other is a tiny man in a suit who can´t fight shit but runs into the throat of a danger every chance he get and no one can´t stop him. just look at him!!!

He goes on missions with these trained hunters to just look around for clues and has no concerns about potentional harm whatsoever.

And he even finds the time to stand up for normal people and be kind to them in the process:

Once Loki has no collar, on his neck he could break all Mobius´s limbs in a matter of seconds if he wanted to, but Mobius is completely sure he has nothing to worry about around his Loki. He´s not scared of ANYTHING, especially  of Loki variants. Like EVER! :D

let me break it down in detail for ya. I made a list: When they are taking Loki on his first mission outside, Loki asks, if no one is concerned that he is going to has his magic back...

well, maybe someone actually is concerned by that but it sure as hell isn´t Mobius. He just simply says that he could get Loki to Time keepers if he won´t try anything and like... this one line is getting on Loki so much, that Loki even tries to use it few moments latter xD And here is the best scene ever: 

LOKI: “we can go anywhere!” 

MOBIUS: “I´m not taking you for a stroll along the promenade, much less an apocalypse” FEW MOMENTS LATTER:

Hang on. Wait. So you telling me, he took this man outside without  permission, without backup (you know, hunters, that actually CAN fight), right to the apocalypse, knowing that Loki can use his powers anytime, however he wants.  It´s just...  God. I love him!!! And then he just hands him the daggers like it´s no big deal!

Like are we all aware this man has no any super powers, no big strength, nor any impressive fighting skills and he is willing to give him daggers for a mission, where this god is capable of magic and everyone else in team ECCEPT mobius is at least able to fight????? And he just has that small bulletproof vest,  and a raincoat and he chats with Loki in a rain like it was a fucking another apocalyptic DATE?

Ok. Let´s jump to the episode four He goes and persuades Ravonna to let him interrogate Sylvie and he is straight up arguing with her, even when he´s told how dangerous Sylvie is. This man LOVES danger!!! 

Once he has doubts he  decides to risk it all and  swaps TemPads right behind Ravonnas back. 

And he is watching it OUT LOUD in a place where anyone can show up at anytime! 

no but serously. This is a face of a man who is EXCITED for a dangerous adventures with Loki. Yeah, lets bring this whole place down together! 

And then we have this scene. Mobius really has a nerves to pull “ ha ha I had to take it by mistake” line right there. 

But once he understand he´s gonna die, he just take his fate with bravery and talks to Ravonna about life he really desires. 

And remember that time Ravonna warned him about this variant and how dangerous she is?  He casually saves her, just like that. No big deal. 

He even has a time to make teasing notes about how  Sylvie should be more careful jumping to a strangers car like that and how she really is one of the Lokis. 

And after he saves her, he manage to apologize to her  and make her to like him. EVERY FREAKING LOKI LIKES HIM! - that has to be his super power I swear And then Sylvie is like: well actually let´s go back there, I think It´s the best idea ever.  And mobius is like:  What back to the angry cloud? - oh great. fuck this why the hell not. Lets do it. 

so... while Loki and Sylvie are getting closer, lets show us, how literally every Loki likes Mobius (like not even alligator loki wants to hurt him, even when Mobius suggests that he is a liar I CAN´T) And just random (AGAIN) during the chat  saving Loki and Sylvie (without even knowing) when he inspires Classic Loki to change. 

He offers free tickets straght to the TVA to kid Loki, classic Loki and an alligator. I mean... What a LEGEND. 

when he gets there he just knock on Ravonna´s door and is like - lets talk about it xDD

And he isn´t even suprised to lose that fight. He makes himself comfortable on the floor: yeah you were right. Here we go again. Just prune me already, doesn´t matter, I have my Lokis there anyway.

But make no mistake, I don´t think he is stupid, or naive. That is the most fascinating thing about him.  He is brilliant. He can makes great plans (it surely as hell was him, who come up with the high school scheme) He is a great  investigator, he  is familiar with psychology very well, he know how to manipulate people just as well, as Loki. He can  interrogate flawlessly (when jealousy is not involved) And when he woke up in the Void, he was able to escape certain death, choose a car and drive around looking for Loki - and eventualy save Sylvie. He is a very capable man. I dont think he shouldn´t have any power. Like - he has his inteligence, his knowledge of all  languages  (I want to see him chat with Groot please), his knowledge of psychology,  knowledge  of how TVA works... He can have his pruning stick, TemPad, bulletproof vest and a raincoat for what I care. but most importantly he has his kind heart, love of adrenaline, and he is a freaking Loki expert. And let´s not forget, every Loki loves him. Also, he has a damn luck as well :D It´s like - Loki always ends up loosing, so Mobius  is fine  - even when he should be dead about million times already. (one man´s void is another man´s piece of cake) So when they are togheter. There is no way for Loki to actually die. Not by his side xD So I don´t think he needs to become great fighter. I believe, that this is a hundred times better. Creators should explore this dynamic to it´s bottom before they make him fighter with super powers or something like that. ( I wouldn´t mind long hair though)  I´m sorry. But I just really love that. I love how small and fragile he is, but he wont be scared of anything. And now he´s Loki best friend (while having masive crush on him, let's be precise ) So just imagine all those amazing scenes that could come with that.  Imagine there is some very dangerous Loki variant that everyone has problem to deal with, and Mobius is gonna be like - you´re so cute guys, nice try. Now let me talk to him, will ya.  Imagine some big battle where our Loki and Mobius are fighting side by side with Avengers and Loki is using all his potential, and he is so stunning in his leather but he can´t focus very well, because few metters from him is a small, fragile man in a suit just using TemPad an afucking pruning stick. And Loki didn´t even want him there in the first place. So they are arguing like married couple right then and there and every avenger AND enemy in  close distance just can´t believe these two are real.  also Loki saves Mobius by taking him in his arms right on time and running to safety with him

Maybe this post is  completely useless and has  incredibly bad english like every text I write, but I don´t care. I just wanted to loudly  appreciate this mans non-fighting skills and his hilariously huge courage. End of the post.  have nice day! Bye!

[thedawningofthehour]

does Gale has a complex about his shell like Donnie did? if yes, did Draxy ever went "i choose a soft shell because they are incredible ambush predators with amazingly strongs bites and speed, that has cannibalistics tendencies, so shut up my son you are amazing" ?

Oh, definitely. It's a bit strange for him because he doesn't remember anyone ever implying that he was fragile. It was Splinter who worried over him and told his brothers to be careful with him, it was Raph who babied him, and a lot of Donnie's complex came from seeing how differently his brothers were treated. Those memories were all repressed/overwritten, but the feelings remain. So now Galois has a lot of feelings that really confuse him because he doesn't know where they came from.

And to be fair, Draxy is still more protective of him than he would be otherwise. He doesn't really notice because Galois doesn't have brothers to compare his dad's treatment to-there's Cass and Draxum is protective of her too, but she's also human. He sees how Draxum interacts with Pax, but-this hasn't come up yet, but Pax was actually pretty frail growing up and his health still isn't great, so Draxum does hover over him a bit. The only person who would really trigger that 'he treats them differently' feeling would be Bella, and his memories of Bella are all very artificial because he hasn't actually interacted with her in person.

Draxum is very aware of his shell complex though and is trying to work on that. He stresses that his insistence of keeping Galois out of the field is purely because his intelligence outstrips his battle prowess and he's more useful in the lab, not because of his supposed fragility. Even in training-yeah, he has to train Galois differently than he world a hard-shelled turtle, he has to focus on evading and avoiding hits because his body just can't take them. But Draxum stresses that it's not because his body is weaker, just that it has different stats.

Now that I think about it, this is one of those places where Draxum's hesitance to embrace modern technology and culture kind of bites him in the ass, because if he knew anything about Pokémon he could compare it to building a team. A lot of competitive teams have a sweeper, and a lot of them rely on speed and evasion instead of defense to avoid being KOed. That would probably reach Galois more effectively than any speech Draxum could give him.

[a-stone-in-flight]

WOW @orangeswithsquirrelfaces your mind is something else! it was so much fun to read your more than slightly wacky and wise thoughts (and Tumblr sucks for deleting the initial version, but the quality of your writing is very impressive).

here's my response to your response to my response to your response to my response to your respinse to my post (lol for sure):

oh my godd baptizing frittatas with wild geese?? reverse cremation?? of an alligator?? and then an ex-con raccoon??? now that would be the best party ever. my only question is whether the firework permit rumor was true (and I love the idea of someone throwing such a wild and bizarre party but still making sure to ask for permission for fireworks)

also, your puns are objectively wonderful and I cannot be convinced otherwise :)

as for everything being a lamp: not sure if i agree but I am definitely quoting you on that.

that alarm clock (if it can even be called that) is uh definitely mildly excessive. and migraines are definitely the worst enemy

morse code is cool and at one point i memorized the whole alphabet (and punctuation) but it slipped out of my head like a party guest who heard there wouldn't be any frittatas. however i am evilly jotting down your one true weakness and will evilly use it against you in a very evil way mwahahaha

i also agree abt symbolism making everything better. well, to an extent. imagine if EVERYTHING was symbolic - what if we're all trapped in a story what if the computer I'm writing this on represents the slow corruption and destabilization of humanity and our growing dependence on technology and it dying on me will foreshadow our INEVITABLE DOOM or what if the sweater I'm wearing is symbolic of uhh familial love and if I take it off it'll be a betrayal of that or uhh if the tree outside my window is a symbolic manifestation of the increasingly fragile influence of nature in suburbia, reaching up enough to touch glass but not breaking through to us WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN

mightve gotten a bit carried away there but yeah symbolism >>

and same everything tends to get existential with me too sooner or later and i definitely dont mind it. what would life be without reflecting on it? how could we live well without pondering how to live? idrk but i think existentialism is an inherent and necessary part of existence.

and holy wow thank you for your sharing your thoughts on change and creativity. that's a rly beautiful way to see it. your writing is so poetic and thoughtful and thought-provoking. if that's your rambling, idk if i could process planned writing.

also, speaking of narcissus, i had no idea that the flower itself didn't couldn't actually grow near water. that is incredibly fascinating and adds another layer to the story, imo.

have you ever read "the alchemist" by paulo coehlo? it starts with someone reading a story abt narcissus, in which the lake becomes salty (or saltea lol) after his death bc the lake cries at the loss of him, not because he was beautiful, but bc the lake could see its own beauty in his eyes.

things like that are so compelling, and they make me wonder if the inclusion of nature in the story is a veneer hiding smth else — a truth abt humanity, and its obsession with itself. lakes don't love seeing themselves in another's eyes — but humans do. to see yourself through someone else, to know who you are when you're with them — to see your faults and your flaws and your strength and your beauty and someone being there with you, for you, sharing a moment — I think that's what that story is about. I love the version of narcissus' story in "the alchemist," and particularly the way it's not just there without context, but included in the story, the way a character reads it and finds it lovely. is it lovely to turn a one-sided and punishable obsession into an impossible mutual fascination of self-recognition in another? I think so.

idk if you've seen good omens, but one of the reasons I love the main character's dynamic is how well it portrays that concept. in an interview, I think one of the actors was asked "what's aziraphale's favorite thing abt crowley?" and he responded "I can see myself in your eyes" (or smth like that, I can't remember the exact phrasing.) and in this story they've known each other for millennia, been each other's constant through wars and deaths and losses, seen each other at their best and at their worst, and learned from each other. and crowley usually wears reflective sunglasses to hide his demon eyes, so in public, aziraphale can always see himself when he looks at crowley — a buttoned-up, prim and proper angel. but when they're alone together and crowley takes off his glasses, aziraphale sees himself in a different way — more distorted, yet more accurate. someone crowley trusts with the truth of him. someone worth crowley's trust, after countless mistakes. and that tells him more abt himself than looking in the mirror ever would.

also, have u ever read ocean vuong's writing? I think in his novel "on earth we're briefly gorgeous" he mentions the allegory of narcissus, and how a professor said that it represented homosexuality and an unhealthy obsession with oneself. which, so much eugh to unpack there, but what ocean vuong said abt it was something incredible:

"Maybe we look into mirrors not merely to seek beauty, regardless how illusive, but to make sure, despite the facts, that we are still here. That the hunted body we move in has not yet been annihilated, scraped out. To see yourself still yourself is a refuge men who have not been denied cannot know."

using nature as a symbol of that, comparing a human reassuring themself that they're still there to a flower impossibly growing, is something natural. something beautiful, even. because flowers don't do that, lakes don't do that — but humans do, because we need to, because it's built into us. as beautiful as the red orange flame of autumn, as fickle and predictable as the changing of weather, as natural as the pitter patter of raindrops, humans come and go, live and die, ask themselves who am I? and if they're lucky, they find the answer in another. (or just with introspection obv ppl don't need romantic connection to be fulfilled lol)

I've never thought abt change the way you do — honestly, I've resented change more often than not. when I'm in a happy moment, I always want it to last forever. I never want good things to end, and even though it's inevitable, it always feels like a betrayal when they do.

but youre completely right, and I love the way you put it. no story would be good if the protagonist was always happy and never did anything different. change and chaos do brings new beginnings, new adventures, and new joy. and I'd like to believe that change will always exist, that it's impossible for the universe to become stagnant as long as there's life in it (ignoring the eventual the heat death of the universe or wtvr). then again, someone very wise once said "everything is a lamp," and all lamps turn off eventually :(

anyway, I should also hit the hay (that expression always feels so fun and whimsical) thank u for sharing your wise thoughts and your funny ones — reading them is definitely such a blast. if you read through my disjointed rambles thank you so much :) I hope you're having a good day/night!

EDIT: just wanna share a couple relevant and objectively funny comic strips on these topics

characters of all time