#exotic programming languages

[kithpendragon]

A programming language designed for a voice-only interface -- interesting! My immediate impression is that a program of any length would quickly become very unwieldy. Perhaps a great deal of abbreviation by modularization would help.

This seems like it is relevant to @kithpendragon ‘s interests

[satinestales]

❝programmed for pleasure❞ | qimir x fem!reader

pairing: qimir x fem!reader

summary: Your best friend Qimir always had your back, and that didn't change when the Jedi accused you of treachery. Without hesitation, Qimir helps you hide. After days of close quarters and constant danger, things get heated and secrets flow to the surface.

warnings: this is just filth, english is not my native language, p in v, rough sex, unprotected sex (who needs it with him right), fingering, hints of mind control, reader finds out qimir's identity during the act, choking, cockwarming, degradating, praising, 5k+ words, not proofread

a/n: in ep2 when osha was pretending to be mae and qimir's mask dropped- so did my panties and i wish we could see what would happen if the jedi didnt barge in

also i apologise if this is not my best work my brain's rotting

now playing, fill the void by the weekend and lily rose depp

The sun blazed overhead, casting long shadows across the bustling market square. The air shimmered with heat, and the scent of exotic spices mixed with the dust kicked up by the steady flow of people. The cacophony of merchants hawking their wares and customers bartering for goods filled the air, creating a lively yet chaotic atmosphere. That's when you jumped in, covered in a heavy cloak, weaving through the crowd, moving with desperate urgency that contrasted sharply with the slow pace of the marketgoers.

Your breaths came in ragged gasps, and sweat trickled down your temples, but you didn’t dare slow down. Your heart pounded in your chest, each beat echoing the fear that suffocated you.

You glanced over your shoulder, scanning for signs of your pursuers. There, in the distance, the unmistakable silhouettes of Jedi Knights moved with an unerring determination, their robes flowing like liquid shadows. Panic surged within you, propelling you forward even faster.

You stumbled into a fruit vendor, nearly toppling the cart, and barely registering the vulgar complaint thrown at you, only focused on your desired destination.

Ahead, through the throng of people, you spotted the familiar sign of your friend’s shop. It was a small, unassuming place, nestled between two larger establishments, almost easy to miss if you didn't know what to look for. You aimed yourself toward it like a ship setting course for a distant star, your legs burning from the exertion.

Another quick glance back showed the Jedi gaining ground, their calm, composed faces a stark contrast to your own panic. You had to reach the shop; you had to get to safety. With a final burst of energy, you pushed through a group of curious onlookers, thrusting them to the ground, and practically threw yourself against the door of the shop.

It swung open with a jingle of bells as you tumbled inside, the cool air a welcome relief against the overheating streets. You slammed the door shut behind you, the noise causing your friend, Qimir, to look up from behind the counter, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Hey, what are you—"

"Shush," you panted, leaning heavily against the door, trying to catch your breath, scanning any sign of the Jedi through the glass door. "I need to hide."

“What is going on?” Qimir appeared right behind you, his face a mix of concern and curiosity. He motioned for you to follow him. This wasn’t the first time you had begged Qimir to help you, and many times you had promised to pay him back, but you never did. You tried to calm yourself as you followed him to the back of the shop where the infamous hidden trapdoor was placed.

“I owe you,” you breathed out, looking up at Qimir before you kneeled down to get in, climbing your way into a narrow space, the darkness of the room slowly enveloping you.

“You always do,” he murmured to himself before he closed the door, leaving you alone in the pitch-black darkness. You’d been here many times, so it wasn’t difficult finding a certain switch, turning on the lights that partially blinded you. As you quickly got used to them, your other senses heightened, hearing Qimir making his way back to the front of the shop above your head.

You pressed yourself against the cool earth, willing your racing heart to calm. Above, you could hear the faint murmur of voices, the unmistakable timbre of the Jedi questioning. You held your breath, every muscle in your body tense, praying that your hiding place would remain undiscovered.

You calmed yourself, putting your hand on your chest where your heart would be, carefully listening to the conversation above you.

“Have you seen a cloaked figure running by this shop? We saw them run this way; do not bother us with lies,” came Yord’s unmistakable voice. You had never liked him, even as a youngling or a Padawan. He finished his trials sooner than you and felt the need to remind you every second. Today was the last day you decided to respect it.

“I think I saw someone pass by, but I didn’t see their face or where they were going,” you heard Qimir lie to the Jedi, protecting you again. You never grasped how he could lie to the Jedi and not get caught. You always suspected he was Force-sensitive and accidentally blocked everyone out of his mind, but that theory vanished quickly when he once face-planted on the ground after you woke him from his peaceful sleep. Maybe he was just a good liar.

Minutes felt like hours, but eventually, you heard the Jedi grow quiet, leaving the shop. You allowed yourself a tentative sigh of relief, knowing that you had narrowly escaped capture. For now, you were safe, as long as you stayed with Qimir.

It didn’t take long for Qimir to come back for you, opening the trapdoor to get you out. You climbed fast, jumping at him, almost crushing him with your suffocating hug.

“I’d like an elaboration on this one,” he declared into your ear, waiting for you to let go of the hug but returning it with slight pressure. “Weren’t you supposed to be in the Outer Rim? That’s where your Master sent you.” You let him go, running your fingers through his hair, making a big mess on his head. He let out an annoyed scuff, furrowing his eyebrows, but his smile betrayed him.

“Hmm,” you whispered, turning back to him to walk to the door and shut down the blinds. The Jedi might have been gone, but you weren’t sure. “I was already there. Mission accomplished.” You replied with excitement as you threw away your cloak on the counter, turning in a circle back to Qimir. His expression was to die for.

“Wait,” he picked up his hand as if to stop you from coming closer to him. You stopped your movements, a cheerful smile playing on your lips. “You killed Kelnacca, without a weapon, and managed to come back and do whatever you did for the Jedi to hunt you down?” He didn’t trust you at all, and it was painfully obvious. He circled around you to block your way, even if you had no intention of going outside and leaned against the counter.

“I killed Kelnacca without a weapon, came back here, and killed Torbin.” You smiled, hoping for Qimir to cheer up too, for he was the one always believing in you and your Master’s missions for you. “That’s why they chased me; they found out. But it’s done. I did it.” You couldn’t help but jump towards him, looking up at him as he stared you down.

“You killed them both without a weapon?” he repeated his question, scanning your figure up and down, like he was trying to figure out if you’re joking or serious. Your smile dropped, as you realized he was more of a puppet to your master than your friend. You liked Qimir, but there were times when you didn’t know what he was thinking or where he was going on random days.

You scuffed to yourself, annoyed but understanding in some way. You weren’t always the best apprentice, but you earned it. You earned your place as his pupil and hoped, one day, your master would show his face to you.

“Is this what you want?” you asked, irritated, throwing a tied bag on the counter, right next to Qimir’s hands. He was hesitant but opened the sack, revealing two Jedi lightsabers: Kelnacca’s and Torbin’s. “I could have brought their heads, but that would defeat the purpose.” You added, frustration obvious in your tone. You were so excited to tell Qimir, your friend, about the great news and were immediately let down by his reaction. You hoped he’d be happy for you, finally safe from your Master as you satisfied him with your work.

"Sorry, just shocked," he let out a small chuckle before closing the bag again and leaving it on the counter. "He'll be so pleased with you," he turned to you, a wide smile on his lips. The drastic changes in his mood always scared you, but now you were simply happy you could share the happy news with him.

“Of course I’m proud of you too,” Qimir added, coming towards you to pull you into another hug, this one warmer and more reassuring. You hesitatingly wrapped your arms around him, melting in his embrace. However small and skinny he looked behind his untidy clothes, whenever he hugged you, you almost disappeared between his arms.

“Now who’s gonna tell him?” you muttered into his shoulder before he let go of you, his hands leaving your back seconds later. You were so happy about your success that you never thought of informing your master. Even though you passed his test, you were still nervous about talking to him. His mask was scary enough for you, and his quiet mannerisms were even worse. You could never read what he was thinking, what he was planning next, or what he might be contemplating doing to you. If Qimir volunteered to inform him, you wouldn’t protest.

“Well, you should,” he stated to your bad luck. “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.” He smiled before going behind the counter to search for something on the lower shelf. You had to snort at his choice of words.

“Please,” you chuckled. “My Master? Thrilled?” You came behind Qimir, observing as his long fingers grasped a small glass of orange drink and set it on the table. “I don’t think he’s ever shown any emotions besides boredom and anger.”

“That’s because he’s wearing a mask,” Qimir pointed out, pouring the orange fluid into two separate small glasses. “Maybe he’s smiling behind it.” You admired Qimir’s delusion.

“I bet,” you started, waiting impatiently for Qimir to finish pouring the drinks, “he’s actually planning my demise behind that mask.”

Qimir handed you a glass, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Or he’s planning your next big test, which he’ll pretend doesn’t impress him but secretly makes him proud.”

You raised your glass to his, a smirk forming on your lips. “To surviving another day and confusing my Master,” you toasted.

Qimir clinked his glass against yours. “To more victories and shared secrets.”

As you took a sip, the cool, sweet liquid refreshing your parched throat, you felt a wave of gratitude wash over you. Despite the looming threat of your master’s reaction, Qimir’s unwavering support made you feel like you could handle anything. With a deep breath, you set your glass down and looked at him, determination shining in your eyes.

“Alright,” you said, your voice steady. “I’ll tell him. But if he decides to execute me, I’m holding you responsible.”

Qimir laughed, a sound that felt like a balm to your frayed nerves. “Deal. But I have a feeling you’ll come out of this stronger than ever.”

“Let’s hope,” you sighed, leaning against the counter on your elbows, letting Qimir’s eyes wash over you. “Also, he has to be hiding something.”

“What do you mean?” Qimir asked, a confused expression on his face as he put his already empty glass down.

“What if he’s deformed under the mask?” you let out, your face scrunching at the thought. “Or what if he’s just ugly?” You stared at nothing, not paying any attention to the words you were saying.

Qimir’s eyebrows twitched with amusement as he scanned you carefully. “You haven’t seen his face yet?” he asked, noticing how you played with your ring between your fingers as you stared down at the ground.

“You know I haven’t,” you replied with an annoyed sigh. “Look, I made peace with it, but I’m still curious about what he looks like. I want to know who’s teaching me all these things.” You complained, pushing yourself away from the counter, your eyes glancing at the black curtains over the window.

Qimir leaned back, crossing his arms with a thoughtful look. “I get it. It’s human nature to want to see the face behind the mask. But maybe it’s more about what he’s teaching you than what he looks like.”

You rolled your eyes playfully, shaking your head. “Leave it to you to find the deeper meaning. I just want to make sure I’m not taking orders from someone who might be scarier without the mask.”

Qimir chuckled, stepping closer. “You’ve faced Jedi Knights, completed impossible missions, and survived under his training. Whatever he looks like under that mask, you’ve proven you’re stronger than any fear or curiosity.”

His words settled over you like a comforting blanket, and you felt a bit of the tension ease from your shoulders. “You always know what to say, don’t you?” you turned back to face him, a genuine smile on your lips. Lately, you had noticed the way he looked at you. How his eyes darkened when he thought you weren’t watching. How his arms twitched your way when you walked past him and his intense gaze during your conversations. Like now.

Qimir was your friend, supplier, and occasional therapist. You could always vent to him about your Master, and he listened carefully. Many times, you slept over in his shop, passing out on the floor, exhausted from your tests and missions. You couldn’t count how many times you bled out in front of him and woke up the next day with your wounds bound and healed. You knew Qimir had his own secrets that he wasn’t confident in sharing with you, but some things kept you awake at night, wondering.

Despite his poor hygiene and greasy hair that framed his face in an unflattering way, you found him magnetic and charismatic. Something about him pulled you closer, and you didn’t know what. Between the nightmares and horrors, you were a victim to in your dreams, Qimir showed up to comfort you many times. You were embarrassed every time you woke from them, but the images never left your mind. And whenever you saw him after, you deep down wished they would become true.

Two days have passed since then, yet his intense gaze still lingered in your mind. He let you use his shop as your personal sanctuary, a hidden refuge from the Jedi that didn’t stop searching for you. Each day, you watched them through the window. Three times they've marched past, and twice they've entered, repeating the same questions, their eyes scanning for any sign of you.

Qimir once suggested you could leave the planet, but you quickly dismissed the idea. The Jedi now controlled who could leave or enter the exosphere. You regretted not hiding Torbin’s body, leaving him there to rot. Anger had taken over. You wanted the Jedi to find him. You wanted to shove it in their faces.

The days began to stretch into what felt like weeks, with only the tension between you and Qimir keeping you alert, even though it made time drag. The first night when you jumped out of the shower and had to borrow his clothes, you didn’t miss the way his eyes flew to your legs that the towel didn’t fully cover. Or when you tied your hair into a braid, his gaze never wavered. You didn't mind being observed, but with Qimir, it was different. His gaze made your stomach flip, and you couldn’t decide if in a good or bad way. His touch made you shiver, his presence alone made your skin burn. The only relief was that he wasn’t sensitive to the Force. If he knew what you thought every time you saw his hands or brushed against him, you’d want to drown yourself.

A few hours after you hid in his shop and got drunk together, you both decided it would be fun to practice some moves and fighting techniques, without lightsabers. Minutes later, you found yourself straddling Qimir’s lap, pinning his hands above his head. You knew he could easily turn the tables and have his way with you, but he didn't move a muscle. Instead, he laid there, letting you crush his lap as he circled your face. You remembered it vividly: how his breath tickled you, how his lips were so close that moving an inch would ruin your carefully built friendship. You were grateful for the self-control classes your Master put you through.

Now you were seated on the floor, leaning against the cold surface of the counter, staring out the window. The black curtains were no obstacle to you. You heard Qimir coming out of the shower; he didn’t want to smell like the gasoline you accidentally spilled on him. You held a glass of some beverage Qimir had prepared, both of you slowly getting dizzy from boredom and drinks. Resting your head against the table, you closed your eyes and saw Qimir through the Force. He was still in his small, cozy bathroom, drying himself with a towel. His hair was wet but looked better than it had a few days ago. His back muscles flexed as he raised his arms to dry his hair. You hadn't realized he was so fit under his clothes, and it made you squirm in your seat.

You knew you shouldn’t be spying on him like this, but the only time you had seen him like this was in your dreams, and reality was far more enticing. Your thoughts grew louder with each passing second, one screaming over another.

He was your friend and also worked for your Master. It would be wrong. You knew the consequences it could have on your relationship with Qimir, and you didn’t want to risk it. But the way he looked at you, the way his proximity made you feel, and the thought of his body against yours drove you crazy.

Your Master wasn’t against you having lovers and fulfilling your desires, as long as you stayed loyal to him. But you weren’t sure how he would feel if his two subjects started something together.

“You alright?” Qimir’s voice woke you from your thoughts as he stood in front of you. Only in his pants. You looked up at him, trying to contain your craving as you checked him up. Droplets still falling down his chest as he leaned against the other shelf, looking down at you from dangerous vicinity.

You almost choked on air, forcing yourself to look away.

“Yeah,” you choked on your words, lifting the glass to take a sip of your untouched brew. “Why you ask?” you forced a smile, missing his still wet, glossy chest to get to his face. Your heart dropped as you met with his prolonged stare. Half-lidded dark eyes staring right at you, his silhouette towering over you as he took a step closer, throwing the towel he was holding on the table.

“You staring into distance kind of scared me.” He chuckled, tilting his head as he leaned against the counter, you almost broke your neck looking up at him. He was right above you.

His hand was placed right above his pants that got to caress his thighs first. His skin was clean and wet, scars decorating his abs. His muscular chest was uncovered, free for you to admire. When he spoke to you his voice was low and raspy, different from the one he usually used. Your heart fluttered as you noticed his eyes wondering around you as he awaited your response.

You had to move, you thought to yourself. Pushing yourself against the floor you lifted yourself to your legs, the drink in your hand spilling as your hand twitched from almost falling into Qimir’s arms. You could feel the warmth radiating of off him and smell the shower gel he used. His hair was dripping wet, droplets adoring his sharp collarbones. His nipples were hard from the chilly temperature in the shop, his forearm big and large, holding his body above the table.

“Just, concentrating.” You coughed, putting the glass on the counter. “So,” you woke yourself from your dreaming, turning away from him, trying hard not to stumble. The drinking wasn’t as bad as Qimir’s half naked figure centimeters away from you. You felt faint and your thoughts only got worse, like somebody was putting them in. You felt a pressure, but you were convinced you were doing it to yourself subconsciously.

“Is everything okay?” You heard Qimir asked again behind you, feeling him walk towards you. You could feel his hands lifting, so when you turned back to face him, they brushed against your stomach. You had to fight back a moan.

“Just, the Jedi thing.” You smiled, hoping you were convincing enough, and he wouldn’t suspect even the theme of your thoughts. Resting your hip against the table and crossing your arms against your chest, you put a leisure expression on your face, as your mind raced with images. “It’s stressing me out.” You unnecessary added, trying to stare anywhere but his face or his arms or his exposed chest. He had to be cold.

“It’ll pass in a few days.” He smirked, lifting his arm to rest it against your shoulder. The cold skin made you gasp but not as much as his dark eyes.

“I just don’t want to bother you here for days.” You tried to convince yourself. “You surely have things to do, and my Master will be waiting for the news. I’ll go after sundown.” You didn’t wanna go but you had to inform your Master and the air between you and Qimir started to be intoxicating if you didn’t do anything.

“I’m sure he already knows.” He cocked his head, pulling his arm away but leaving his fingers to tickle your skin.

“You told him?” you wondered, pushing your thighs together as a small smirk appeared on his smile.

Fuck.

“No,” he denied, his eyes leaving yours, to trace them down your body. “But I’m sure he knows. Maybe he wants you to relax for a while.” He implied. You dropped your gaze from his eyes to his lips, your core slowly heating up.

“I would rather still be sure,” you swallowed your saliva, your voice breaking, his body dangerously close to yours. “Aren’t you cold?” you let out, embarrassment washing over you. He let out a chuckle when he saw your hand awkwardly pointing at his bare chest.

“Not really,” he replied, scanning your expression. He knew you were nervous; he knew your legs were about to give up and how you struggled to pretend to breathe normally. He enjoyed every second of it.

“Good, good.” You uttered, nodding along. “As long as you’re comfortable.” You wanted to fall into some deep hole and never come out.

“Are you comfortable?” he purred, closing the space between you two, his hand lifting to your face but not actually touching you. Just hanging there, below your jaw, right next to your neck.

“Why, why wouldn’t I be.” You stumbled over your words, his eyes burning your skin open. You felt his breath against your face, his curtain bangs brushing over your forehead. His feet met with yours, his chest in front of your face.

“You don’t look the best.” He whispered, leaning in, his lips now touching your ears, sending shivers down your spine. You moved your hand to the counter next to you, praying and holding yourself for dear life. “I think you need to relax.” He teased against your ear, slowly moving to your neck.

“I think I should get ready to go.” You panted, but not moving a muscle. His one hand moved right next to yours on the table, fingertips touching yours. You were so frozen by his lips tickling your neck, you inhaled sharply when you felt his hand sneak behind your waist to pull you against him. Your hands automatically pressed against his chest, closing your eyes.

“If you want,” he rasped, lifting himself to face you. You couldn’t recognize him. His eyes were pitch-black dark, animalistic look set in them. His lips were full and pink, not a sign of the Qimir that you talked to few minutes ago. You were breathless, your heart pounding heart against your ribs.

“Do you want to go?” he whispered, carnal lust in his gaze staring right back at you. You felt the wetness between your legs growing stronger with every passing second. “Do you want me to let you go?”

“No.” you answered so fast you felt ashamed. But what followed fulfilled all your dreams and more.

All the useless items and glasses on table thrown on the floor without any of you touching them, to make a room for you as Qimir lifted you up on the counter. You shakily brought your hands into his hair as he dived into your lips, imitating sex. His hands groped your breasts, fondling them and pinching your nipples through the thin fabric of your borrowed blouse.

You felt his hand abandon your face, making its way between your legs, feeling your wetness through the pants. You were soaked. You didn’t miss the smile on his lips when his fingers pushed against your core, feeling how wet and useless you were for him.

You whimpered against his mouth when he pulled away, resting against your forehead as you breathed each other air.

“For how long you were this wet?” he smirked against your lips, his fingers putting pressure against your pants making you gasp. He knew the answer, he knew exactly what you liked and where you liked it. But he wanted to hear it coming from your mouth.

“Since I first saw you,” you muttered, rolling your hips against his fingers for more friction. As soon as you made that movement, he pulled his fingers away to shoved them inside your mouth. You didn’t protest and without hesitation started to circle your tongue around them. His fingers were thick and long, making you choke when he moved them deeper.

“Such a fucking slut.” He growled, his legs spreading yours apart. Your heart fluttered at his words and confirming its statement when you let out a moan, from his fingers sneaking its way under your pants and panties to find your burning clit. You threw your head back, as your back arched, wanting to feel more of his touch.

Qimir watched you with satisfaction spread on his face as he felt you getting wetter and wetter, your body responding to his digits. He continued teasing your clit, rubbing it in circles as his other hand squeezed your breast roughly.

“You want it that bad?” he murmured, his voice raspy and electrifying. He chuckled at your failed attempt to respond, inserting his finger into your soaked hole. He pumped it slow and deep, reveling in your reaction. “No worries now.” He taunted.

Qimir couldn’t keep the smirk off his face as he watched you squirm and moan. He relished the power he had over you, keeping you in the dark and letting you believe you weren't being humiliated in front of your Master. He added another finger, scissoring them to stretch you for his cock.

“Let me hear you beg for it,” His eyes gleamed with lust as he towered over you, plunging his fingers deeper inside of your cunt. He curled his fingers inside you, rubbing your g-spot as he pumped them faster. “I want to hear you plead for my cock.”

You had no idea Qimir had this in him, but you were so dizzy because of his fingers fucking you hard, you had no strength to focus on anything else.

“Please Qim-“you shivered, eyes rolling back in your head. “Please I need you inside me.” Your breath hitched, his fingers curling and spreading your cunt.

“Atta girl.” He whispered to himself before pulling his fingers out of you, receiving a vulgar insult thrown at him. He relished in seeing you like this. He dreamed of this every day, wanting you, his pupil, spread open in front of him, letting him take you however he wanted. You were his and he was gonna make sure you understood what exactly that meant.

He smirked mischievously before leaning forward to kiss you deeply, wrapping his arms around you tightly. “Once I start, complain all you want, I’m not gonna stop.” He whispered against your lips before breaking away and looking deep into your eyes. He was a totally different man and it made you shiver throughout all your body. Even his energy changed, letting it wrap around you in the Force.

Qimir startled you when his hands landed on your chest, pushing you back so you’d lay open on the counter, legs spread open for him to take. Smiling excitedly, he grabbed your hips and move you closer to the edge of the table, before slowly unbuckling his pants.

“You ready?” he asked, licking his lips before pulling his cock out, already covered in pre-cum. He looked so beautiful above you, his hips so close to yours, his hair falling into his face and his chest raising as fast as yours. You looked a mess, but you were his mess and he wanted to devour you.

Nodding, you made yourself comfortable on the table, its cold surface making you shiver.

Smirking, he positioned his dick at your entrance and slowly thrust himself inside, making sure to stretch you nice and slow, taking his time to make the moment last. He bit back a moan, looking down at you lovingly as you struggled to keep your eyes open and not pass out at his thick cock filling you up.

“You’re doing great so far for me.” He grinned, before pulling out and slamming back in, his movements becoming faster and rougher. You forced yourself to grab the ends of the table to hold yourself in place, Qimir’s grip on your hips being nothing compared to the way he was treating your pussy.

His thrusts became harder, loving the way your walls wrapped around his cock, squeezing him tightly with each thrust.

“You’re finally getting what you dreamed of,” he groaned, lifting your hips to drive his cock deeper before pounding away. “Getting fucked by your Master.”

You cried out when his cock brushed against your sweet spot, not realizing the meaning of his words until seconds later.

“What,” you tried to lift your head up, but the way his grip tightened on your waist to fuck you harder had you failing to catch your breath. Your heart started to pound faster as the realization hits.

He saw your expression change but your body kept replying to his merciless thrusts. His hand moved from your waist to reach for your head, lifting you up, face to face. His forehead was covered in sweat, his long hair curling around his ears.

“You did so well on your last mission, I had to reward you.” He panted, not stopping his assault on your cunt. He read the conflict in your mind, letting you come to your own conclusion.

“You’re,” you trembled, his cock spreading your walls so good you had trouble to even consider the words he was saying, denying yourself.

“You’re such a good apprentice but such a slut now,” he mocked you, his hand moving from your hair to your neck, putting in pressure. “I wished you realized sooner tho. We could’ve had this every little visit of yours.” You cried out as his hand fully wrapped around your neck, his cock never stopping filling your cunt.

“Master, I don’t understand,” you managed to breathe out, feeling his cock start twitching inside your walls. You heard him groan, right next to your ear, at the feeling of your tight hole gripping him. He started to thrust harder, feeling the friction build up.

Resting your foreheads against each other and swallowing each other’s moans, had the both of you sweat, the room picking up your scents.

Qimir reached down, rubbing your clit as he continued to fuck you hard. He could feel the tension building inside of you and knew you were close.

“Cum for me, love.” He growled, his hand never leaving your neck and pulling you closer to him. “Cum for your Master.” He hitched, picking up the pace, slamming into you as hard as he could. He could feel his own orgasm approaching.

His grip on your throat tightened as he fucked you harder and faster, slowly losing control of his strength. He could see the look of pure ecstasy on your face as he pounded into you and squeezed your throat harder. Your hand automatically few to his hand that held you, struggling to breathe but not enough to make you pass out.

“You belong to me,” his voice broke, letting you know he was getting closer and closer to losing it. “You’re mine.” He whimpered into your ear, his hips bucking wildly, driving his cock deep inside of you as he came, filling you up, marking you as his. His paced slowed down to match yours, wanting to feel you cum around him, your walls almost crushing him.

Qimir didn’t move and kept his cock inside you, letting himself and you calm down and try to catch your breath. As you regain your composure, your head against Qimir’s chest, your mind almost exploded with the overwhelming thoughts.

I fucked Qimir.

I fucked my Master.

Qimir was my Master all along.

You wanted to run away, hide yourself and never come out, but Qimir’s, your Master’s arms wrapped around you and your pussy still keeping his cock warm, had you melting, not wanting to move an inch. You were confused, terrified, and thrilled all at the same time. All the times when Qimir disappeared without explanation, all the time he lied to the Jedi or did things only Force sensitive beings could achieve. It all made sense now and clicked together like a puzzle.

But you also realized he had the power to read your thought all along. He could see the impure images, the ideas, and pictures you had in your mind. Your complains and desires. Your fear. But that didn’t matter anymore. You let your Master used you, like the good apprentice you were. You had no idea what would happen now, your heart wanting to jump out of your chest, your skin covered in goosebumps. You were scared but the desire was stronger. And if Qimir ever taught you something was to transform those emotions into power. And you had enough desire to annihilate the entire Jedi order, with Qimir by your side.

[therocketeer0501]

Emptiness Machine

Author note: Hey all! Thanks for sticking with this story! Little TW for this one. Talk of newsparks. Other than that enjoy!

Starscream X Mech Pilot Reader AU

Chapter 4

It spoke Cybertronian. Albeit rude Cybertronian but of course only the autobots would teach a pet like this something so vulgar. Starscream narrows his optics at the creature as it squirms in his servo. The feel of it soft and warm in his digits sending an uncomfortable shudder through his frame. It turns its gaze on him staring up at him with those uncannily Cybertronian features. Intelligence in its face he wants to forget. If it can speak, it can understand him surely. He records its speech as it chatters up at him, translating the files and creating a program so that he can communicate with it. It takes a moment but he clears his vocalizer before speaking.

“You are bold for such a little thing. You caught me off guard speaking intelligently like that. Here I thought your kind were just miserable little insects.”

•••

That deep voice rumbles through you as he speaks, finally a language you can understand. You can’t even be offended at the way he spoke about you, the shock of the interaction bleeding into fear as you feel the grip of his servos around your ribs. You remember the autobots describing the things that these bots had done during the war. As his crimson optics gaze down at you with contempt you can’t help but wonder why he hadn’t crushed you yet. When you speak, your voice comes out shakier than you’d hoped.

“What did you want with me.”

The mech ponders for a moment. Still studying you as if you were some sort of exotic animal. After what felt like an uncomfortably long pause, he turns his head towards the body of your mech. Now deactivated, her optics dim from the prematurely severed connection. He doesn’t directly answer your question.

“What were you doing with that femme? Were you like some weird pet to her?”

He sounded disgusted when he said the word pet. Raising a tiny hand, you point to the mech. Your voice still shaking a bit but filled with determination and a shocking courage.

“You think you’ve killed her but you haven’t.”

You take a moment to think. Maybe you could throw him off so much that you could escape. You remember the reaction of the autobots when you had first been scanned by Ratchet and Firstaid. It had been one of horror, comparing the way you scanned to that of a newspark. From what you understood, Cybertronians were born one of two ways. Through a spark bond or from a hot spot. The fragile things appearing as a newspark and transferred into a waiting protoform.

“You scanned a newspark signature didn’t you?”

He looked taken aback by that. Either your intelligence was scaring him or the way you knew exactly what had transpired despite not understanding him. You speak again trying to appeal to him. Though you had a feeling it was all for not.

“Did you give any thought to the fact that we might not be so different?”

You wave your hand towards your mech, back to yourself, and then to him in a sweeping gesture. Just then, the door burst open to reveal a new boxy looking blue mech. The red visor covering his optics practically glowing as he looked around. Despite having a mask covering his face, his frame was tense and he radiated an agitated energy. His voice tonal and growling as he spoke urgently in his own language to the mech holding you.

•••

Starscream stared down at you as you gestured to him. Not so different? You were nothing. An insect. The only reason Megatron hadn’t already glassed your planet was the fact that your species might be useful for the creation of synthetic energon. The energon unfit for consumption for anything with a spark. But very useful for powering drones and weapons. The distillation process recently discovered by Shockwave some cycles ago. He had discovered that the organic creatures could be drained of their life force and condensed into this synthetic monstrosity. Personally, Starscream found this absolutely abhorrent.

He didn’t get time to process his thoughts though as Soundwave came bursting through the door. Looking frantically about the room, his visor falling on the body of the mysterious femme on the table.

“Starscream, query, where is the newspark?”

Starscream rolled his optics, the communications officer had always been much too sentimental for his taste. Letting his emotions get the better of him when it came to the care of his cassettes. Worrying over them and keeping much too close an eye on the life down on the planet below.

“There is no newspark you fool. Only this organic creature. Did you know they were intelligent?”

None of this was sitting right with Starscream as he looked back down at your confused face. The communications officer only nods as he walks over to the scanner. Seeing the signature for himself. Turning the screen towards Starscream, he points to the outline of your body and the origin of the weak signature. His voice a deep tonal growl as he addresses the SIC.

“Not just an organic.”

Those words made the energon in his lines grow cold again. Turning slowly to see the look of almost triumph on your face as if you had won. He makes the connection.

“What the pit have those Autobot fools done?”

[suzukiblu]

updated/expanded "Kara gets to Earth on-time with baby Kal" AU excerpt:

Kara doesn’t understand the aliens’ language, which is fine. She didn’t expect to. She watches them interact and listens as they speak, familiarizing herself with the cadence and pitch and rhythm of their voices and doing her best to pick out individual sounds and patterns. She likes languages well enough. She did pretty well with Daxamite dialects in school last year, anyway. 

The aliens are kind, at least so far. They found her and Kal curled up in the remains of their smashed-up ships in their ruined field and brought them into their home despite the mess. Kara thinks they’re farmers, probably? So probably Laborer Guild, or whatever this planet has instead of Laborers. The House of El is mostly Thinkers, but Kara isn’t worried about that. She’ll figure something out, as soon as she figures out how to communicate with the aliens. Pantomime has not been all that helpful, at least not so far. 

They gave her a warm, unusually sweet drink that might have some kind of milk in it, with soft white pellets in it that are even sweeter. It’s not quite like anything she’s ever tasted before, but she likes it. Kal really liked it, though the aliens seemed to think he shouldn't have too much and gave her a little cup of just milk alone for him instead. Or she thinks it's milk, anyway. 

It's white. And very thick, and almost creamy? Though it tasted good too, when Kara stole a sip to make sure it wouldn’t upset Kal’s stomach if she gave it to him. 

"Pye," the alien that Kara is assuming is female announces in their weirdly simple-sounding language, putting a round plate with a slice of something on it on the table in front of her. Kal reaches for it from her lap with a burble. Kara peers at it too. The slice is triangular, with a crisp crust and an oozy red filling. She wonders why the plate is round, if the "pye" is meant to be sliced and served triangularly. It seems a little disrespectful to the cook–or baker? Or at least the artisan who made the plate, which was clearly painted with very dedicated care. Painted by hand, even, not a pre-programmed design reproduced by a machine. That’s very luxurious for Laborers to be offering unexpected guests who just destroyed their field, even being the wrong shape for the "pye". 

Maybe they’re overcompensating, Kara thinks. Or maybe the aliens are really just that kind. 

Maybe. 

She thinks they’re little flowers, the designs around the edges of the plate. Or at least they look like they could be flowers. They’re flower-<i>like</i>, if nothing else, and all the weird colors of them might just be a stylistic choice. 

They’re pretty. 

She wishes she could show her mother. 

Kara crushes down the grief for the thousandth time and smiles at the aliens. They smile back. 

It helps, almost. 

Almost. 

The “pye” tastes very good. 

.

.

.

It takes some effort, but Kara learns the aliens’ names after she and Kal finish their “pye” and she cleans up his sticky little face. The possibly female one is “Ma Mar-Tha”, and the possibly male one is “Pa Jona-Than”. So . . . maybe they're both female, actually? Going by their names, anyway. They both identify themselves as “Kent”, too, though she’s not sure if that’s another name and they’re either married or related, or if it’s the local word for “farmer” or “Laborer”. It’s unclear. 

They don’t look related, but she doesn’t really know how “related” this species would look to her eyes anyway. The colors of their skins are close, although their hair, though similarly textured, doesn’t really match–Ma Mar-Tha’s is an oddly neutral brown, and Pa Jona-Than’s is an even more oddly dull blond. Kara’s never seen hair in such faded colors. Her own is as bright as this planet’s strange sun, and Kal’s is as black as the space between stars. And both of their eyes are the El blue, of course. 

Pa Jona-Than’s eyes are blue too, but a washed-out shade of it. And Ma Mar-Tha’s are brown, which is so exotic and unusual that Kara has a little bit of trouble not staring too much. They’re very warm and very soft, though, and she likes how they look. 

They’re both middle-aged, she thinks, or at least strongly resemble the Kryptonian version of it. Their clothes are soft and shapeless, with very little structure or sign of formality to the garments, though Kara supposes they might be some sort of sleepwear? She and Kal did crash very early in this planet’s morning, from what she can tell. 

She tells them her name and Kal’s, though they pronounce them a bit oddly. She’s sure she’s pronouncing theirs oddly too, so it’s not as if it’s an insult. They say their names all at once, though, as if they’re singular words–"Karazorel” and “Kalel”, almost. She manages to get them both down to “Kara” and “Kal”, and they get her down to “Ma” and “Pa”, so she supposes “Mar-Tha” and “Jona-Than” are their surnames, and “Kent” does mean “Laborer”. Kal isn’t verbal enough to get to any of it, of course, but laughs sweetly and claps as he listens to them all exchanging names and sounds back and forth. 

Kara crushes down the grief again and wonders how long it’ll be until he cries for Aunt Lara and Uncle Jor. He’ll miss them soon, she’s sure. He’s a sweet, good-natured little thing, but he’s not even old enough to walk properly yet. And they’re his parents. 

She only hasn’t cried for her own because she doesn’t have the room to. Not until she’s sure they’re somewhere safe, and that Kal is going to be alright. That she can take care of him here, however she has to. 

Who knows, maybe this farm needs some more “Kents” on it. 

.

.

.

Ma gives Kara clothes: a strangely soft knee-length dress patterned with more pretty alien flowers and clunky, heavy boots with actual laces in them and a sturdy blue jacket with a surprising amount of pockets and a thick, warm, fleece-like lining, accented with flat metal studs and an odd metal trim with a tag hanging from one side of it. It takes Kara a moment, but then she realizes the trim actually seems to be some sort of fastener. 

Huh. 

The clothes don't fit quite right–Kara thinks the dress is probably meant to be a little longer, from the cut of it, and the jacket is a bit too big and the boots are a little loose too–but she does appreciate them. She's been in her own clothes since . . . 

Krypton died while she was in these clothes. 

Everyone she's ever loved, everyone she's ever known, everyone she's ever seen . . . 

Kara appreciates the new ones. 

. . . although, do clothes on this planet just not have house crests? Or are Ma and Pa just not from families that have house crests? 

She supposes they might not be. They are Laborers, so . . . maybe. But they also served her on a hand-painted plate, if with strange manners, so she's not sure what to think. 

Maybe she just doesn't understand the specific signifiers in their clothing, or maybe their house signifiers are just in their jewelry. Ma is wearing tiny gold hoops in her(?) ears and a thin gold necklace and Pa is wearing a thick leather bracelet with a glass and metal circle in the center of it, and they're both wearing gold rings on the third fingers of their left hands. Pa's is just a single plain band, but Ma has two–one just plain like his(?), but thinner, and one with a trio of little clear gemstones set in it. Diamonds, maybe? That would make sense, for a Laborer's jewelry. Diamonds are pretty, but they're both reasonably common in nature and simple enough to recreate under laboratory conditions, so they're certainly affordable enough for a farmer to wear even day-to-day. And they're sturdy, too. Gold less so, obviously, but maybe the rings are just gold-plated or an alloy.

It's something to think about besides the end of the world. 

. . . their world, anyway. 

As far as clothes go there's nothing that'll fit Kal at all, so Kara just keeps him wrapped up safe and secure in the bright red El crest blanket Jor and Lara sent him here in. Though she knows he'll need more diapers soon, obviously, and something he can actually crawl around in too. He can't stay in her lap forever. 

She wishes he could, right now. Even letting Ma hold him while she changed was . . . stressful. 

A little too stressful, maybe, but Kara tries not to think about it. Not right now, at least. 

She needs to protect him. Needs to take care of him. Needs to–

Kara exhales. Wraps Kal up in his El crest blanket and her borrowed jacket, and smiles at Ma and Pa. They smile back at her. 

Well, that's a start. 

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

To continue the theme of "wtaf is up with that sanctuary that feeds bears Twizzlers and camels Mountain Dew", here's another recent social media post I find rather concerning. Who the heck is giving cheetah - vulnerable animals with a very small population - to a sanctuary that is rabidly, openly anti-zoo and anti-conservation breeding?

The reason this stands out to me so much is that there just like... are not cheetah in sanctuaries in the US. Most cheetah in the US are part of a breeding program, either AZA's SSP or ZAA's AMP - it's not common to find them in even unaccredited zoos, much less newly moved to sanctuaries. Of the 400-some cheetah I found doing the big cat census in 2020, there were less than 10 in facilities that branded themselves as sanctuaries. So where did these cats come from?

What's more, okay, there's no trace of these ladies on social media before now. The Wild Animal Sanctuary is normally very open about their acquisitions, and no facility they've gotten animals from since their last USDA inspection has had cheetah. I haven't heard about any imported cheetah recently either, which is another thing you can check for this facility, because the majority of their rescues are imported from all over the world.

There's another weird thing about this post, too. Look at the language. It's all very "here's a cheetah! they're very happy outdoors in their nice habitat." And if you're not facility with this institution and their messaging, you might not catch why that's odd. This facility emphasizes, in every post they can, that their animals are rescued from horrible no-good very-bad abusive situations. Normally they name and shame if they can, or talk about how they came from the cub petting industry or private exploitation or such. There's none of that in this post, and it stands out because of it - especially because it's the first time these very rare, very charismatic big cats are being shared with their audience.

So where the heck did these cats come from?

Whelp.

Turns out the answer is AZA-accredited zoos. And whew, man, does that raise some questions.

Luckily these girls have some pretty distinctive names, so I was able to find them in the international and regional cheetah studbooks pretty easily. For both cats, the most recent listing in the studbooks was at AZA-accredited zoos in Texas: in 2020 Dahlila was living at Caldwell Zoo, and in 2022 Jaina was at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.

Now, we don't know for sure that Caldwell and Fossil Rim are the facilities that chose to dump their cheetah in a sanctuary. There's some important context to know about exotic animal ownership and how animals leave AZA SSPs. General practice is that large charismatic mammals aren't bought and sold at AZA zoos, especially SSP animals, so animals sent out to other facilities for breeding or exhibition are moved around on loan. Sometimes their ownership changes with the transfer, but not always - it really depends on the species and how much control each facility wants to have over their animals. On top of that, the ownership of offspring sometimes alternates by litter or individual between the institutions that own the parents. When they're part of a cooperative breeding program none of that matters very much because all the animals are managed as a single population and moved as required for breeding and to fill empty display spaces. Where it's relevant is when an animal is removed from the SSP population - at that point it's totally up to the facility that owns it to choose where they live, as long as they send them somewhere AZA agrees is providing a reasonable standard of care. (This will be important in a little bit.)

So what we can tell from this situation is that Jaina and Dahlila were, for some reason, probably excessioned from the SSP in the last couple years. And whichever AZA facilities owned them decided to send them to The Wild Animal Sanctuary instead of finding a display-only placement at a zoo or safari park or similar facility.

Since I started writing this post, TWAS confirmed the origin of these girls in a Facebook comment.

I have real concerns about what appears to be an emerging trend of exotic animal exhibition facilities using sanctuaries as a "dumping ground" for their elderly or extra animals, in order to prioritize space for breeding or more desirable animals. I can't prove it yet, but there's been just enough weird transfers to have caught my attention. (In some cases, there's a good reason - sometimes all the habitats designed for the physical needs of elderly animals of a certain species already are full, and it's better for them to go somewhere they can exist more easily rather than trying to retrofit their current habitat - but it isn't every case). And here's the thing: many sanctuaries, like TWAS, message about how they have to exist to take all the discards from the zoo industry. In recent years that hasn't really been accurate, and historically, it did happen but not as commonly as it's portrayed. So... if that's true... and it's a bad thing... why are sanctuaries encouraging it by taking the animals zoos are transferring out to free up space? You'd think they'd want to say "find space in your own institutions and only call us if there's a crisis." (Money. The answer is money. Every new intake is used for marketing and drives additional donations.) Heck, why are zoos playing into that narrative, when they're frequently rebutting attacks claiming they discard the animals that aren't useful or aesthetic anymore?

All of this actually makes a lot of sense given how short on space all the AZA SSP programs are. Both in general, and for big cats, there are not enough spaces across accredited zoos to hold all the animals needed for sustainable populations. (This is why AZA just recently re-imagined their SSP programs, which is a whole other complicated mess that I am working on a writeup about). Recent political shifts within AZA corporate leadership have also discouraged collaborations between AZA-accredited zoos and non-AZA facilities, so while 20 years ago it would have been fine to move extraneous / non-breeding cats to smaller unaccredited facilities for display, that's less of an option. Which leaves sanctuaries as kind of the only politically appropriate option. This would also explain why the text of the post is so weird: there's probably a contract in place to prevent using their images to bash zoos.

The problem with sanctuaries as a solution for housing extra animals is, well, the quality of care they provide. If you haven't seen me say it before: sanctuaries are as varied in their expertise and function as zoos. In the case of The Wild Animal Sanctuary (and their other facilities, like the Refuge these cheetah are at) everything I have learned about them indicates that their animal care is highly questionable. Which is a problem, because - as mentioned earlier - AZA-accredited facilities are required to follow a responsible population management policy, which means ensuring that animals they send outside of AZA go somewhere that gives them high-quality care.

TWAS is an organization that prefers to feed big cats at multiple facilities frozen meat puree "frisbees" by chucking them over the fence. They don't have any way to separate co-housed cats to prevent conflict during feeding or resource guarding, because they don't build their enclosures with any sort of shift or lock-out areas. It's also unclear how they remove food waste without a way to shift animals out to go find it. (For bears they drive in on a truck into the habitat and then go on foot to clean, but I don't know if that's done with the big cats once they’ve been released from quarantine pens.

(These are my photos of food in carnivore habitats at TWAS this summer. Given the pest accumulation on the meat frisbee and the fact that I visited early in the day, it seems probable it was at least a day old.)

This is an organization that is ethically against training their animals for any reason: it's literally written into their statement of purpose as a “true sanctuary.” It's also described below, in a recent book published about the facility.

That policy means these cheetahs will not have a recall behavior, will not be trained for medical examinations or as a way to lower stress for procedures, and will not get the mental enrichment and interaction they're used to from regular training sessions. According to the book, medications are delivered on a long spoon / tongs tucked inside the cat equivalent of a pill pocket. (Which anyone with a pet cat knows falls apart as a plan if they're sick enough to not feel hungry).

I'm pretty sure there's no heated shelter for the large carnivores or bears at TWAS. The main shelter for animals at the Sanctuary is single-entrance concrete culverts buried underground far enough they're supposed to maintain a constant temperature all winter.

Sounds nice in theory, but with no second exit animals can get trapped down there, and there's no way to monitor them when they're inside. I don't know what type of shelter the Refuge provides, but it probably isn't much different. Even the quarantine spaces - smaller outdoor kennel-type pens with three exposed mesh panel walls - have no heat, and just an above-ground culvert block for them to curl up in. While cheetah are surprisingly adaptable to cold weather, winters in Colorado can be very harsh for prolonged periods of time.

As far as I know, most of the animals at facilities TWAS runs don't get regularly changed, novel enrichment. I've certainly never seen much in the habitats other than climbing structures when I've visited their main facility over the years, and most of their messaging around “toys” is semi-permanent furniture like giant telephone wire spools or a suspension bridge for climbing. I think some of the bears get balls? The messaging from TWAS is that their animal care is better because it's close to a natural life in the wild. Animals can be animals! When returned to their wild roots, animals shouldn't need anything from humans and are happier that way, etc.

When animals come to the Sanctuary (or the partner facility, the Refuge) they're literally chucked into a big fenced-off piece of land and left out there to "be cats" without human interaction except for feeding time and observations. Which is the polar opposite of what these cheetah are used to! AZA cheetahs, even those that aren't program animals, are intensely managed. They're used to regular human contact, frequent training, and constant enrichment. So what's "normal" for a wild cat is a far cry from what these cheetah girls have always known. That's not better - that's a loss of quality of life.

I don't understand how moving animals to places like TWAS is in line with AZA's Responsible Collection Management policy. I don't understand how AZA facilities think the type of husbandry the facility describes providing is acceptable. If another zoo utilized half the same care practices, they'd be drawn and quartered by their industry peers as well as by the public - and rightfully so. I don't understand why anyone wants to send animals there, based even just on what's easily observable. I don't have more information or really a conclusion, just that’s what's observable from an external vantage point is upsetting as heck and I worry for those cheetah girls.

[seeds-and-sins]

Light My Fire - Part Seven

Pairing: Ben "Soldier Boy" x F!Reader

Rating: M (Crude Language, Curse Words, Sexism, descriptions of explicit sexual content)

Description: Phoenix faces a ghost.

Tagged: @tonixe @chernayawidow, @deans-spinster-witchs-favorites, @ophennie @virgoelf-blog, @my-obsession-spn, @capricxnt

Part Six

Your father died in the war.

1945. The Battle of Okinawa.

You were fifteen years old.

You don't remember much about him, but he was a good man. He promised to come home. When the soldiers came marching in, he wasn't with them. Your mother wasn't the same after that, but she didn't show it on the surface. She cried in the bathroom and whimpered into her pillow, but she never let anyone see her like that. You had admired her when you were younger.

But now?

You couldn't even recall what her face looked like. When you thought about her, which wasn't often, all you could think about were words: strong, independent, fierce, and hard-working. Your mother was a no nonsense kind of gal and that was how she raised you. She was a secretary for some big shot in St. Louis, a working woman that earned her own and fended for her own. If not for her, you wouldn't be here. You can imagine yourself aging, having married and had children ages ago. Maybe you'd be in a nursing home right now. Maybe you'd be in a grave.

But no.

Your mother refused to marry you off like all the other mothers of your time. She didn't believe that a woman belonged in the kitchen and she refused to allow you to think otherwise. She instilled in you a fury that remained even to today.

You both lost touch with one another when you were entered into the program. You were twenty-two years old, your mother had made the arrangements herself. You don't remember why she did, but frankly, it was so long ago you can't bring yourself to care. You never went out to find her. You were certain that she was dead by now. And of the things she left you with, 'I love you' wasn't one of them.

Don't trust anyone, she said.

And don't you dare fall in love. You'll just get yourself hurt. No one cares about you and no one ever will. Remember that.

You should have listened to her, but over time her words just became less and less valuable. You didn't take them seriously anymore. Not like you used to. You doubt she told you them under the assumption that you would live to be almost a hundred years old and look not a day over twenty-two. She couldn't possibly understand what it was like to be in your boots.

It was lonely.

Surely, that would be the exception. If you trusted someone along the way, that was okay. If you fell in love...

But no.

None of this was okay.

And you don't think your mother would approve of you attending the seventieth anniversary of the biggest hero fuck fest in history.

You were scowling in disgust as you made your way through the halls of the mansion. Tommy, Tessa, and the Deep had disappeared, but you weren't so concerned about it. If Tommy and Tessa were still alive, that meant that Ben wasn't here yet. But Ben was on his way and you needed to prepare yourself for the worst. The moaning, the exotic smells that permeated in the air, the sounds of skin slapping against skin, it wasn't making your situation any better.

You couldn't believe that the twins were still doing this. It was obvious by the look on your face that you had never been a big fan of Ben's annual Herogasm. He started it with some other heroes a long ways back and from that point forward he made it a habit to host the orgy in his penthouse every once a year. You had been invited on numerous occasions before Payback had even been formed. Back then, heroes were few and far between. You didn't have hundreds of them like there was now. The invites were little pamphlets with splashes of vibrant colors stamped down by a printing press, some poorly drawn pornographic comic scribbled on the front. They were sent out by whoever was Soldier Boy's assistant at the time. Knowing how Soldier Boy was after he met you in person, if the invites had been sent by him personally, he probably would have come and fetched you himself.

That was much like what happened after he met you. Being a member of his team didn't deter him from you in the slightest. Ben would invite you to Herogasm himself every year after Payback had been created. And every year that Ben approached you about the event, you gave a very firm and strong 'no'. Ben was so determined that he would try everything he could think of to get you to change your mind. As if him barreling through your penthouse door in the early morning wasn't already bad enough. He sent you sex toys, gave you intimate details on who was going to be there, attempted to bribe you with food and drinks and drugs.

It wasn't like you were a prude.

In your younger days, you would do anything to have a good time. You were reasonable and rule-abiding, but it was a known fact that you liked to party. And you were wild and fun and carefree. The world was your playground and you were so excited to learn and try new things. Heck, you weren't even that young then. But within the era arose a lot of great changes and great changes meant new things. Everyone was living life to the fullest and everyone was rocking and rolling, swinging, mixing drugs and drinks, learning about themselves. It was a new age. Gone were the ways of the old.

So, you weren't going to lie to yourself, part of you really did want to go to Herogasm. You couldn't count how many times you had nearly walked yourself all the way to Soldier Boy's penthouse. Be damned the reality of giving him the satisfaction, you just wanted to have fun. The rational and reasonable side of yourself would stop you. You would have to do a regroup on the top of a tower somewhere, pace back and forth as you thought up reasons as to why you shouldn't go.

Orgies were great and all, but there was nothing that beat the physical and carnal intimacy of being with someone in private.

Ben had tried to persuade you that way too: It'll just be you and I, how 'bout that? But there still was the problem of him being in a relationship. Take away the public aspect of it and there still was the fact that he was with Crimson. No matter how many passes Crimson gave him, you wouldn't be just some other girl, you wouldn't allow that. And you couldn't do that to Countess.

The idea of facing him in the workplace after that, you'd never be able to do that. You weren't sure how your teammates managed. Payback had fucked with each other in every which way, even outside of Heorgasm. Herogasm was supposed to be the fuck for free card: once a year, fuck whoever you want, however you want, no consequences. What happens in Herogasm stays in Herogasm, kind of bullshit. You would never be able to do that.

Your best bet was to stay away. And you did.

It was almost ironic that you would confront Ben, after all these years, at an event like this. You weaved through the corridors of the mansion, peeking into rooms and steering clear of naked bodies. You found a surprisingly secluded part of the home and took up a space there. You were fiddling with the edge of your cape, pacing back and forth as you waited.

"Okay. Deep Breathes." You told yourself, muttering reassurances that fell empty in your gut. "Everything will be fine. Everything will work out."

What would you even say to Ben? It wasn't his fault that he had been trapped by the Soviets all these years. If anything, it was yours. You blamed yourself for not saving him when you should have. Why did you wait to confront the team? Why didn't you just go get Ben? None of this would be happening if you did. Maybe you'd finally be retired.

Or maybe you just liked this too much...

You don't know how much time had passed, too lost in your thoughts. A sickeningly sweet smell filtered in, a cloud of smoke floating in the air. You inhaled deeply through your nose, nostrils flaring.

"Halothane?" The smell brought a sense of nostalgia. Criminals tried to use it on you a few times back in the day, assuming it would knock you out cold. Either some super kinky shit was going on or something was about to go down.

You followed the cloud of smoke, turning a corner to find it unfurling from a container that rested at your feet. Some sort of smoke grenade, you deduced. You stepped forward, trotting down a set of steps before coming upon two familiar faces. The two men were in conflict with one another, Butcher easily holding back the larger man with one hand.

"Well, if it isn't Billy fuckin' Butcher." They both paused, eyes landing on you. Butcher faced you, a small smirk lifting his lips.

"Phoenix, the fiery cunt, funny seeing you 'ere."

Billy had tried to kill you a few years ago. His team and him had been tasked with obliterating your entire career and even trying to find a way to obliterate you. They failed, of course. There was no doubt that they would. And you didn't blame them for trying to kill you, you were a loose cannon. Still were. You returned his smirk as you came down those last few steps.

"I wouldn't be smiling if I were you. Don't think ya'know what's about to happen." You paused, cocked your head to the side, your irises glowed red. All too fast, a gust of air slashed at your sides as you moved with a startling quickness. Your hand encompassed Butcher's throat and you pinned him to the wall. The wall crackled around the force of your combined strength and his weight. His colleague threw a fist at a nearby display case, the glass shattered onto the carpet floor, he withdrew a wooden baseball bat. The wooden bat splintered as it hit your back, falling into a mess of pieces. Butcher fought back with a grin, making a good effort, something you didn't miss. That grin of his faded when he realized he wasn't strong enough to pry your fingers away from his exposed throat.

"What have you been up to, you piece of shit? You've gotten abnormally strong since I last saw you." You showed your teeth, your hand as hot as a furnace, holding Butcher in place as if he were a mouse. "You couldn't have taken V, I don't take you to be that kind of guy." Your gaze wandered up and down with a sick curiosity as he continued to struggle, clawing at your hand with an iron grip. "Nooo..." You ponder with a pop of your lips. "You took something else. Ya'know you can't trust that shit, right?"

"Let him go!" His colleague stood back now, withdrawing a pistol. He fired six shots at you, the bullets hit your side and dropped to the floor in little dented beads. You plainly looked between the bullets and him.

"Really?" You spat, "Don't you guys know anything by now? For fucks sake, it's always the same shit with you people."

BOOM!

The explosion surprised you and you relinquished your grip on Butcher. The wall at your back exploded into a mess of rubble, a burst of heavy wind pushing back at you. Billy and his friend collapsed to the ground from the blast, while you stayed perfectly still against it. Your eyes narrowed in its direction. As the structure of the mansion around you wheezed and crumbled from the attack, you heard screams and cries for help follow. You made no move to save anyone. Butcher groaned as he shoved a wall off of him with ease. He smirked up at you.

"You're fucked." He laughed.

The walls were black with soot, plots of fire spanned out across the once pristine white. Your eyes vigorously looked around, you searched for the source. An explosion? Much like the one in Manhatten. John had told you that Soldier Boy had caused that. Stumbling from the sheet of smoke in the air, a figure appeared, down the same set of steps that you had come from, down the same corridor. They grew closer, Butcher stood to his full height, brushing off the layer of dust that had settled on him.

The figure halted when they came into view. His bright blue eyes squinted in your direction before a heated glare contorted his handsome features. Your heart stuttered in your chest, fists clenching at your sides. What were you going to say?

God-He looked just like the last time you saw him. Shiny and bright, a little rough around the edges, but just as strong. As if nothing had happened all those years ago, as if he was just coming back from a simple vacation, he was the spitting image of the man you remembered: the same suit, shield poised at his side, hair grown slightly thicker, no mask.

"Ben." He was going to kill you, wasn't he? You could see it in his eyes. His eyes lacked the fondness that haunted your dreams. When you wished you could be back at the beginning, before all this. Before Vought betrayed him, before Vought betrayed you. "Don't do this." You breathed, your eyes softened, the red in them was replaced by your natural eye color. You extended a hand. "Please."

"You haven't seen me for years and the first thing you do is beg." His voice. Even when he sounded threatening, you missed the deep, transatlantic accent that used to make you feel warm inside. You wished you had never rejected it. Fuck Countess. Fuck morals. You should have kissed him. You should have fucked him. You should have loved him. Seeing him here, none of that mattered anymore. Ben was alive. You were right. He was here. You wanted to run and hug him with all the strength you could muster. You wanted him to hug you back.

I'm better now. You would tell him.

You weren't sick anymore. Last time you saw him, he made you swear that you would be better by the time he got back.

Or maybe you were still sick.

Damaged. Deranged.

People could be sick in different ways.

Why would he want you?

Stop being dillusional.

You weren't the same person you were when you made that promise. When Ben promised to come back to you, he was Ben. Just Ben.

Your rational side returned: Ben wanted you dead now. He wasn't Ben anymore. He was the enemy.

More importantly, he wanted John dead. Who cares if Ben succeeded in killing you? You didn't care if you died. You welcomed it. But John? Fuck anyone who would dare hurt that man. You would fucking burn the world for John. He was like a son. He was your son. No one would fucking hurt him.

"I'm disappointed." Ben added, Butcher slowly walked to stand at his side. Butcher must have felt like he owned the world now. Butcher must have felt indestructible. With whatever substance was running through his veins, with Soldier Boy at his side, all of his dreams would come true: you would be killed and Homelander would be next. You wouldn't allow it.

"I don't know what else to say."

"I waited for you." Ben growled through clenched teeth. "Of all the people, I thought you would come for me."

"I tried." You replied quickly, almost pleading.

"You didn't try hard enough." His voice cracked with emotion as he spoke those last words, before his eyes flitted to something behind you. Someone. You looked over your shoulder: It was John, descending a staircase.

"William Butcher and Soldier Boy." He announced, halting beside you, shoulder to shoulder. "You were behind this. This whole thing. It really is all about me." Soldier Boy glanced back at Butcher, you saw a distant doubt at the edge of his gaze. "William, we made a deal. To fight to the death, you and me." Butcher's expression hardened, he was glaring at Homelander with a deep and sacred hatred in his bones. Heat rose in your fingertips, you were preparing yourself for a brutal battle. Homelander shot a beam of red in Butcher's direction and Butcher was thrown, hitting the wall behind him with a booming thud. Soldier Boy faced Homelander, a coolness washed over him and he stood at the ready. "You were my hero growing up." Homelander took a step toward Ben, "I watched all of your movies hundreds of times." Your breath caught as your gaze flicked between them, an intensity clung to the air. The corridor felt more tight and narrow than before. Fumes of smoke flowing from cracks in the walls, lingering after the explosion. "You were the only one that was nearly as strong as me." Those words came out soft, muttered off the tip of John's tongue. Homelander was wide eyed, someone seeing their childhood idol for the first time and maybe John was a bit disappointed.

"Buddy," Soldier Boy replied. "You think you're strong? You're wearing a cape." You grabbed Homelander's bicep. You could feel the tension vibrating in the muscle. You had a duty to stop this, right? You didn't want this. "You're just a cheap fuckin' knockoff."

"Shut up, Ben." You shot out through clenched teeth.

"And you?" Ben turned on you. "The Phoenix. Fire in the sky. You're the biggest fake of them all. The biggest fuckin' whore." Homelander's bicep slipped from your grasp and he flew at Soldier Boy with a roar. Soldier Boy collided with the wall, but he recouped fast and swung a fist across Homelander's cheek. You flew in to intervene, trying to rip the two apart. Soldier Boy shoved you and you stumbled back, Homelander's laser vision beamed at him. You were about to tear them apart again when a hand grabbed at your shoulder and ripped you backward.

It was Butcher. You blinked at him in shock, his fist collided with your cheek. It did nothing more than snap your head to the side, but you were still surprised. His eyes turned yellow and a beam was shot in Homelander's direction, shoving him back. John was momentarily stunned as his blue eyes lifted to Butcher.

"What did you do?" He snarled.

"Scorched Earth." Butcher replied, you returned by grabbing Butcher by his jacket and you yanked him away. Homelander directed his rage toward him, fists were flying, both of them dodging before making a hit. You turned your attention to Soldier Boy, he was rolling on the floor. You stomped to him, grabbed him by the collar of his chest plate and hauled him to his feet. He punched you. The hit drew blood, the boiling hot liquid ran from your nostril. Before you could collect yourself, Soldier Boy's hand was at your throat and he was choking you.

"I would have given you the fuckin' world." He hissed.

"They-" You choked out, "Got me-" Both of your hands wrapped around his wrist and you fought with all your strength. "Too." His grip loosened just a touch and his eyebrows furrowed at you in confusion. An arm looped around his neck and Homelander was drawing him into a chokehold. Butcher tackled Homelander from behind.

You held your throat, gasping for breath. You stumbled toward the three, reaching out for Butcher when you were shoved from behind. The shove wasn't enough to send you off balance, but you spun on your heel.

It was a naked man.

Starlight's boyfriend? He stared wide eyed at you, you stared wide eyed at him.

Upon recognition of his place in all this, you wasted no time, fire balled in your fist and you threw a wave of heat at him. He squealed, patting himself down, left intact by your attack. Your attentions went back to the trio. You punched Soldier Boy in the gut. Butcher climbed off Homelander to grapple you by the shoulder and throw you.

Soon. In a mess of limbs and fire, it was Homelander and you versus Starlight's boyfriend, Butcher, and Soldier Boy. Soldier Boy and Butcher were far more trained in specific combos of attack, while Homelander just aimlessly tossed his brute strength in where he could hit them. All of them had one goal. It was like you didn't even exist. Any move against you was one to keep you away. The three of them held Homelander down to the ground, Ben's chest began to glow yellow.

What was that?! What was he doing?! You had never seen that before.

"No! Stop!" You screamed, steam rose from the corners of your eyes. You grabbed Ben by the shoulders and pulled with all your might. "PLEASE!"

WHOOSH!

Your efforts were just enough to give Homelander an opening and he escaped their hold, flying into the sky and through the roof. You fell back, hitting the wall.

It was still.

Quiet.

You licked your lips, eyes focused ahead on Soldier Boy's hunched form. Butcher flipped on his side and Starlight's boyfriend stood with a limp and a grunt. Soldier Boy stood, one leg at a time, he slowly faced you. His chest rose and fell with every ragged breath. You held against the wall as he closed in on you.

"I'm going to kill him..." He began, pulling loose tufts of his hair back with his fingers. "And I'm going to make you watch." You tilted your head away. "And then I'm going to kill you." Your vision just so happened to land on Butcher. He was grinning now, blood staining his teeth.

"This is not fair, Ben." You said weakly.

"Aww, are you gonna' cry?" He taunted, lacking any jest, all cold and callous. "Gosh, I don't remember you being such a pussy."

"I don't remember you being so cold."

"Well, that's what happens when the only person you ever fuckin' cared about leaves you to the wolves for four decades!" He shouted, spital ran off his sharp teeth.

"Fuck you, Ben. You don't even know anything. You don't know." You whimpered back, defeated. You couldn't even believe that was you talking. You lifted into the air and flew through the hole in the ceiling.

Ben's eyed followed you, head tilting back. His fists clenched at his sides.

"What did she mean?" He asked out loud, "They Got Me too. What does that mean?"

"Who fuckin' knows, mate. You can't trust a word she says." Butcher replied, eyes narrowing on Soldier Boy in question. Soldier Boy needed to think Phoenix was the enemy. Otherwise, they would never kill Homelander. "She's just tryin' to get into your head."

"That flying fuck and her, are they..."

"What do you think?" And that was the only seed Butcher needed to plant because Soldier Boy's answering grimace was enough. He was hurt and he was fuming and that was how Butcher needed him to stay. He needed Soldier Boy on his side.

"Guys, we gotta' go. Like, now." Hughie stated anxiously, Butcher nodded in agreement.

"Come on." Soldier Boy stood below the hole in the ceiling, his fists clenched at his sides, he gritted his teeth.

You were right there. Right in front of him. As beautiful as the first day he had met you...

And he should have killed you.

Return to Masterlist

[caw4brandon]

Zutomayo: Mystery of Cool

Foreign Music has always been a strange thing both for the world and for myself personally. While everyone can appreciate a good Taylor Swift or some English indie. The world has a strange obsession with exotic musicians of a different language.

In retrospect, the K-pop boom: Super Junior, Girls Generation and Blackpink showed that music, doesn't matter in terms of the language. (not really)

It values the cool factor and the massive influence it causes to the internet. Just look at how [K-Pop artist; PSY] managed to unite the world. For me. My "Blackpink" is this faceless group?

- 「私もそうだよ」 -

Translation: [Everything is fine with me]

Debuted in 2018, Zutomayo (full name: Zutto Mayonaka De Iinoni) is a Japanese rock group. Translates as: I wish it was midnight all the time.

On June 4, 2018. Zutomayo released their first song on YouTube, [Byōshin o Kamu/ 秒針を噛む] becoming an immediate hit. Having 200,000 views within the first week. Assisted with an animated music video with a cast of peculiar characters.

Over the last seven years, the group has progressed from using just traditional instruments to adding non-traditional instruments.

Based on their live concerts. The group is seen using something called; [Electronicos Fantasticos/ Nicos] which is a collection of used electronic equipment turned into a pseudo instrument.

ZTMY's group members is uncertain since a lot of their talents alternate song by song. Their only consistent member is vocalist and songwriter; ACA-Ne/ ACAね an unidentified singer whose range is described as; energetic, expressive, and delicate.

- 今日どうしよ？-

Translation: [What should I do today?]

If we were to describe Zutomayo's type of music. It would be difficult to narrow down as to what ZTMY's genre fall under. The general belief is that they are rock based but is riddled with techno on the side.

Whatever the case, the group's music has its own unique identity. Upon listening to their songs (for multiple times) the group prioritizes on the bass guitar, the chaotic slams of the keyboard and the Nicos. Lyric wise, its rather difficult to paint a discernable picture since its of a different language. According to some Japanese listeners, ZTMY's songs to have a lot of wordplay and double meaning in its phrasing.

In the song, [お勉強しといてよ/ STUDY ME] the song spews a jumble of nonsense. However, the music video tells a unique story. STUDY ME follows a girl who is stuck in a perpetual cycle where she is somewhat complacent with her being a background character. Until she realizes that she can make a difference in defiance of her program.

Another song, [勘ぐれい/ Hunch Gray] its lyrics share the sentiment of chasing one's dreams but is uncertain about the venture. Trapped in a distorting world where the answers are unclear.

Still, the author wants to continue. Confronting problems one at a time. The video however, is about two childhood friends who got separated by dark entities of authority and is in the midst of a rescue mission.

- 3,2,1...Mirror Tune! -

Its worth mentioning the iconography found in ZTMY's music videos. For the most part, the main characters are mostly human. Nira-chan is the girl seen in both [STUDY ME] and in another song; [暗く黒く/Darken] although she is more cyborg than human in the latter.

The videos are animated by several independent artists such as; [tvchany] for their stylish and sharp style on [ミラーチューン/Mirror Tune] and [残機/Time Left] Another artist, [sakiyama] uses a rather messy and incredibly expressive style seen in [勘冴えて悔しいわ/ Kansaete Kuyashiiwa] which played this meta joke of its main character attempting to save the characters from the other videos.

I could honestly go on about the various art styles found in Zutomayo's MVs. There is also an official [Card Game] for them all. On the topic of consistency, The one creature seen in all of its videos is the adorable Hedgehog; Uniguri-kun.

With that said, Zutomayo is a mysterious group of talents shrouded in shadow. Both the musicians to ACA-Ne herself. It adds excitement to the identity of the alluring talent but it also enhances the variety of genres found in their music. Allowing its audience to explore and experience a type of music they rarely listen to.

ZTMY takes away the popularity because, unlike other bands. They don't exactly have a "face" to refer to. Rather, they let their songs and the MVs speak to the fans both in Japan and overseas.

Zutomayo is not just music but also an exploration of style. As seen with their clothing line. It's an inbred of Easter eggs with its upbeat songs filled with messages of melancholy. That is what makes ZTMY mysteriously cool~

[sketchfanda]

Kirishima's Mystique Party 2

Titanic Duo

Never let it be said that Ms.Midnight didn’t go out of her way to look out for and take care of her students, after all part of why she got into teaching was to ensure they got to enjoy the best years of their youth. It just so happened that being rated R heroine was, in her mind nothing embodied the peak of youthful energy than to indulge in their deep primal lust and desires to get through those awkward hormonal urges so it didn’t interfere with their hero studies. Now call it Unorthodox as it certainly was but it couldn’t be denied that it could be effective. Plus nothing made for strong bonds between men and women than the intimacy of casual sexual relations and if one wanted proof?

Well she would simply and happily point out Kirishima and his relationship with Mina and Maya as a prime example, after all a guy with two girlfriends? Both of which loved having him sleep with other women to boot was all the erotic heroine needed to show her methods worked which was likely why Kirishima was her go to guy in a manner of speaking for a little thing she called her S-exchange student program. Wherein any hero students visiting from abroad or vice versa did so with the intent of hooking up for a couple of rounds of adult twister and horizontal tango for the sake of “diplomatic relations”. Which was why our resident himbo currently found himself playing chaperone and escort for a pair of exotic pretty things from Jump City, USA by the names of Raven and Starfire.

To say they were knockouts or bombshells was an understatement, if Mina and Maya were his candy/bubblegum duo, these 2 could be just about called Sunshine and Nightlight. Starfire was a perky orange skinned redhead with the most bright emerald green eyes and a personality that could be only on par with the energy and playfulness of a kitty cat. Whereas Raven on the other hand was an ash skinned, violet haired goth wet dream made reality, violet eyes cool yet hiding much passion and energy beneath. A perky bimbo-like sweetheart and a broody zombie girl, what guy wouldn't be popping a boner or a straight girl questoning her own sexuality right now?

Star of course was more than eager to want see the sights Japan had to offer while Raven was content to seemingly just go along with the flow, to which Kirishima as their escort and chaperone did his level best to oblige of course. But part of him had to be on guard and wait for the other shoe to drop, after all these two came here on Midnight's S-exchange program. Hell Mina and Maya were sending him regular updates of their own chaperone runs with the pink and blue hotties "entertaining" Maya's two besties from Jagua del Toro in Mona and Jessie via some very saucy pictures and videos. The body language coming off of Star and Raven certainly wasn't helping in the struggle with his raging rising libido either.

Oh yes indeed in addition to those amazing puberty blessed bodies of theirs which put models and porn stars alike to shame, their choice in casual wear seemed intent on making him pitch a tent. From Star's simple violet tanktop which struggled to contain her bodacious bouncing bosom to those tight blue denim jeans which hugged her toned legs and well toned bubbly ass so tight that they might as well seem painted on. And ooh hers was an ass that wouldn't quit not that raven wasn't a slouch in that department either, especially as she also happened to be a living definition of the term big titty goth girl. For someone so cool and stoic that she could seem like a frigid ice queen, her black denim short-shorts, mesh thigh-high stockings and fishnet tanktop and onyx sports bra really showed off a lot of that slate grey skin of hers and to say nothing of how she and Star could give Mina a challenge with their own quite healthy, thick thighs.

But so far, so good at the least, it was all just seeming to go well until the chivalrous himbo realised their recent train ride took them right into the Kabukicho district in Shinjuku....which was Ms.Midnight's turf and ooh lo and behold what should he see coming up but the rated R heroine's love hotel!! Not having anytime to try and comprehend what was going on, of course, as he found Star giggling as she forcefully yet playfully began pushing him to go along inside, backed by her quirk's flight and strength as well as a little boost from Raven's telekinesis. The trio soon inside the elevator after the latter confirmed a reservation check-in made under their name by Midnight and provided their room number and key card, this was when Eijiro found the shoe had dropped already before he could even see it coming. The overwhelming continuing as Star in the middle of the long elevator ride to the deluxe suite suddenly leapt into his arms, abushing him with a hug before she suddenly planted her lips on his with a deep, sloppy and passionate kiss while Raven watched on idly, albeit with a small blush on her cool face as she sensually bit her lower lip.

It wasn't long before of course the stoic gothic babe found Star pulling in towards them, raven rolling her eyes playfully at her friend's usual boundless enthusiasm and need to share the passion. The make-out becoming a three way sloppy dance of tongues as they kissed, feeling up Kirishima's muscles under his shirt while encouraging his hands to explore and grope their bodies, which truly put porn stars to shame and envy with the combination of natural tones, thickness and curves. Making sure he got a nice handful of their tits and ass while they caressed his groin, feeling the crotch of his pants forming a swelling bulge, it was no small wonder soon as the elevator finally arrived, they wasted no time getting to their room and stripping naked soon as the door closed. Kirishima now finding himself facing the sunshine and goth babes in all their nude glory as they themselves were more than liking what they saw of him, especially with raging hard cock of his.

The duo proceeded to entice their chaperone further into his most base instincts and desires as they knelt side by side on the queen sized bed, presenting their glorious bubbly asses like the bitches in heat they were. Giving those glorious cheeks a shake as they made them twerk and clap like thunder, the meaty buns jiggling like jelly as he caught glimpses of their wet slits as if they called him with a hidden siren song to mount these bodacious bombshells and fuck them like he wanted to put his babies into them. It was no wonder he felt like his body was moving on autopilot as he found himself squatting down behind Raven and Star as he shifted between fingering one of them and eating out the other, coaxing deep throated moans of desire from them. Especially when they felt his shark like teeth nibbling at them or even found that quite skilled tongue of his rimming their donut holes, small wonder he was more than experienced and used to pleasing two women at once.

But of course the contrasting duo wanted to gladly return the favour to their sturdy himbo guide as after having had an orgasm or few between them, they had Kirishima sitting on the edge of the bed and proceeded to perform a tag team tandem fellatio. Kissing and licking his length and girth with a sloppy blowjob as not even his balls were left untouched in their oral assault, taking turns sucking and blowing on that immense slab of meat as pink hearts lust began to form and glow in their exotic eyes. Indicating that their baser instincts and desires were taking over, further driving them into being little more than bitches in heat. Pussies dribbling juices down to growing puddles on the floor as their wombs yearned to have that Lil' Riot of his fuck them so hard that they'd feel like their guts were being rearranged.

But of course there was no rush for the duo and Kirishima knew it, intent on making this encounter a memorable experience for the visiting gaijin students that they would never forget as he stood on the bed, a seated Raven’s head held in his grasp as he facefucked her while star ate her out. Before giving the perky catlike redhead a deep, hard fast fuck doggy style as her gothic friend hugged him behind and made out with him as the trio became a tangle of limbs shifting and switching between positions and a variety of two on one to one on one. Filling the hotel room with their cries of lust and the primal pornographic sounds of heavy skin slapping sex with little to no signs of stopping for a good while, going at it with a pace and intensity that'd put porn stars to shame as much if not more so than their bodies.

From doing one girl from behind or in missionary as she ate out the other to having one sit on his face so he could lick away at their snatch as the other bounced on him cowgirl style as they had a lesbian make out session. To having one of them in a mating press or whatever one on one position came to mind as the other girl recovered to the moody goth and sunshine girl keeping him in the mood with their slutty mouths and asses or giving him a little girl on girl show, the action was relentless. Especially whenever their quirks were used to enhance and spice up the proceedings, orgasm after orgasm marking the passage of time as seconds went into minutes and hours. Until finally as the sun was setting, the trio laid there in the messy, sweat and juice soaked bed sheets as the warmth of their afterglow and their erotic exhaustion had finally caught up to them with Raven and Star snuggling up on either side of their burly chaperone.

You think this was intense of course, just wait until the next day when Kirishima would come over with them to check up on Mina and Maya with their escorts. Because of course they were going to want details, not to mention get to know the pair personally and intimately. I was an absolute must with any and every girl that got wild and sexy with their Red Riot Alpha male of course. Just the fun of Midnight's S-exchange program a chance to meet new people...and have such naughty fun with them.

For those of you wondering of course, yes there were plenty of others enjoying Midnight's little program but you really expect me to cover all that? And no Bakugo and Mineta were not involved, I mean you really think I'm giving either of them a piece of that action? I'm sure there are plenty of writers or artists who'd satisfy your sadomasochistic thirst for that you sickos!! This writer sure as hell ain't one of them!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Succubus

There is a saying about the best laid plans of mice and men and for Eijiro Kirishima, codename Red Riot, unfortunately that tended to be a fact of life in the pro hero life he was all too aware of. Ever since that day that hand covered killing touch psycho came into the USJ with an army of villains and a genetic freakshow made to kill All Might, it seemed a struggle just to have a normal highschool life. Even after that, the fact remained such as his current assignment with the Fatgum Agency, having been tasked to go undercover to take down a criminal group who had been stealing money from the banks across Japan to fund and pay for his secret underground fight ring. It was simple enough, go in with a disguise as a random contestant, find some evidence and boom, the sting operation commenced to bring the bastards down!!

That had all seemed eeasy enough but just his luck, seems first timers had the pleasure of their debut being to go up against the champion of this fight club, a young girl in his age group by the name of Karura Kure. Now he didn't know much of anything about Karura herself personally but her last name, well that was a different story entirely. You didn't get into the world of combat sports, underground fights or the field of mercenaries and assassins and not hear or know of the infamous, notorious Kure clan. Whose nature was such that they were just as willing and able to be hired to kill a target who just happened to have hired them previously, mercs, go figure.

But be that as it may, he knew he couldn’t back down at this point, besides which Even a quirk as basic as his was would be ideal in this sort of environment. And yet somehow in spite of all, to the shock and amazement of the crowd in attendance, he’d won but something told him that meant trouble and with good reason mind you. In spite of her defeat, Karura had quite the smile on her face as she now wanted the undercover hero and she wanted him, bad!! You see in Karura’s family, the males were encouraged to breed with women who came from strong families while the females sought out the strongest men whose genes would ensure potential and the secret Red Riot made her womb yearn for a bun in the oven.

Before she could see about approaching him for a little post fight intimacy, that was when the agency made its move and began the raid crack down on the fight club. Karura, seeing her services with her client were about to come to their logical end, made her move as she grabbed and began to pull Kirishima away with her to a hidden exit, offering to help him escape. Now of course he didn't want to but he had to keep his cover so course he had no choice but to go along with it. It wasn’t long after navigating the maze like passage ways that Kirishima found himself the infamous succubus of the Kure in a win form the warehouse the fight club had set up shop, all,done up to resemble something like the luxury rooms of Midnight’s love hotel.

He had a sinking sterling she had more than an ulterior motive for being him here, which was only proven right as he turned around to find Karura had stripped naked. The Succubus’ distinct eyes twinkling with wanton need and delight and a radiant, sensual smile beaming kn her face as she proceeded to pull a classic kabedon on him. Pinning the undercover Red Riot up against a corner of a wall, as he did his best to keep his eyes from wandering and drinking in every glorious detail of her nude from her exquisite tits to her stunning set of abs, she didn’t have a six pack as so much a 12 pack!! Leaning in close to him as she sensually whispered a simple set of words that had been running through her mind the moment she had first laid eyes on him and he had defeated her…..

Karura:”I want your babies…….”*Soon as she had spoken thst, she locked her lips with his, tongue invading his mouth with a sloppy, passionate kiss. Romance and lust alike in her actions as she pushed her toned, honed, well trained naked body up against his, purring and moaning as her tits pressed and rubbed those firm pecs. Hands exploring his muscular form as the heat within her body grew in its need to have this himbo mate and breed with her. Her sensual ambush causing his own primal instincts to kick in as his libido took the helm, hands reaching out to grab and squeeze that glorious ass.*

The Kure Succubus naturally relished and welcomed such an assertion of dominance, her every nerve tingling with skyrocketing arousal and desire at having this fine specimen fuck her with the primal intent of putting a bun in her oven. Every scrap of clothing pried off of him until her exotic eyes finally behind that Herculean physique in all its naked glory, Michelangelo's David had nothing on this beefcake. For Karura of course, there was no need for foreplay or to use mouth and body to work up that fine third leg of his or get her in the mood, their fight alone she felt had been enough of a warm up. Any man that could take her in a fight without prompting her to use removal was a keeper she simply had to have as the father of her future children.

So little to no time was wasted in their making out as they were soon on the bed, making it creak an shake with enough force that it'd be no surprise the damn ting would break sooner or later once they were done with it. The Kure combat prodigy moaning with sensual wanton abandon as she was taken from behind doggy style, grasping and biting the bed sheets. Drooling all the while as Kirishima pumped and jackhammered away with absolute force, lie any true alpha male should when claiming his mate, his body language displaying that he was certainly no slouch, let alone a virgin when it came to sex. That thought of just how many other women her future baby daddy had been with was such a turn-on, as her arms and legs gave out causing her to lay flat on her front as Kirishima now took her in a prone bone position mounting atop her as he fucked her like his life depended on it...which it did, in a sense.

Her ass jiggling with every smack and impact of their loins, the thrilling rhythm and sensation of skin slapping on skin as they filled the room with the sounds of their mating as she relished each and every orgasm. More so whenever he came inside her, not wanting him to pull out since after all, she needed to ensure she'd finish this encounter knowing she'd get knocked up. And oh what a delight to find his stamina and staying power enough to keep up with her, this quirk of his especially helped, just the idea of how strong their children would become with a variation of it on top of the Kure family traditional style and techniques? Won't her clan be proud, hell if grandfather approved, and once he learned her suitor's name, he could become her future husband!!

It was a different sort of battle compared to their close quarters exchange in the fight club ring as the sturdy himbo tussled with the vinous little minx. Using all his experience and knowledge to try and sate the seemingly endless thirst Karura had for him, her desire only magnifying whenever he managed to assert dominance, going from taking her from behind to a mating press. To having to use his quirk to ensure the ferocity and intensity of her riding him cowgirl style as her toned, trained body glistening with sweat. Minutes passing into hours with orgasms after orgasm until finally, the noises had faded into a blissful silence albeit the bed had now been completely trashed.

Karura of course made her escape, after leaving a little kiss on the lips for her sleeping prince and the father of her future children (given how thoroughly they fucked, if she wasn't pregnant? She'd have to find him again and try harder!!), vanishing into the night. Just in time as Kirishima's co-workers barged into the room, having finally found him, wondering what had happened to the poor guy as the amount of bites and scratches from the Kure girl had made it seem like he got into a tussle with a wild animal!! He was thankful that was their assumption and didn't question how or why said tussle had left him naked in a demolished bedroom.

The raid had been finished up after that, just about any and all main suspects rounded up and secured which left the usual post mission reports and paperwork to sort out. Boring stuff but bureaucracy was a necessary evil of course, besides which for Kirishima, it gave him time to recover and keep his mind off of Karura and her...unreal body and her...quite, sensual cute faces she especially made looking like some maiden in love....yeah okay for sure, soon as he got home? Mina and Maya were going to get an all night workout so h could burn off this excess energy, was this why they callled her the Succubus? Pretty fitting epithet all things considered and then some.

As for the Kure prodigy of course, soon as she got home, she had already looked into making some plans to see about another baby making session with her future chosen. Had to be thorough after all and besides which, wouldn't be too hard to find a guy with a scar, red eyes and shark teeth and a quirk like his, right? Especially if she knew what school he went to so she could transfer, after all, the family code made it a must for ehr to secure those fine genes. Pray for Kirishima, maniacs...God have mercy on us all.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edgerunner

Some days and nights they say that it was never easy being a hero and for Kirishima? This was proving to be one of those occasions he was finding that fact being proven right, which quite frankly he was still wondering how in the hey he even wound up in this particular situation. One moment he’d be out with some fellow Fatgum agency interns on patrol around the harbour, next thing he knows there was an explosion and gunfire happening all around. So of course they had to try make sense of the situation and contain it before is spread and spiralled out into a complete and total clusterfuck!!

Whatever had been going on or how it had been caused was a mystery but given how some of those shipping crates bite the logo of Arasaka? It had to be some major corporate espionage bullshit, that was for sure, especially when one could make out the ominous presence of the one and only Adam Smasher himself. Arasaka’s resident cybernetic attack dog, the bogeyman of Night City, California himself who they say was more machine than man these days…and had a reputation for taking any job for his bosses so long as he knew how much collateral he could get away with. Given that he had filled entire graveyards on Arasaka’s orders, that especially said a lot so it was imperative whatever the situation was, it had to be minimalists before that walking tank turned this harbour into a slaughterhouse.

Case in point of course being this pint sized shortstack of a cyborg girl who’d been pinned down under heavy fire, and whose collection of weaponry was only matched or exceeded by her potty mouth. Being the chivalrous guy he was, of course he had to help her out and save her, like hell he was going to let her risk becoming the latest name to be added to Smasher’s long, ever growing list of victims. Besides which even people who strong and powerful quirks never actually tried to lick a fight with the guy, it was said to be the only ones who ever did were if you had a suicidal death wish. So amidst the skirmish, he made the call and got her the hell out of there, by the skin of his sharky teeth.

After enough distance to be considered safe and sound with the clusterfuck seeming to die down, no doubt Arasaka deciding to cut their losses and call their killing machine back on his leash, The hero in training ducked into a quiet warehouse and gently placed down the cyber girl atop a crate. Now came the question of what to do with this errant little renegade, who so thoughtfully introduced herself as Rebecca.....after a very lengthy and profanity laden round of insults sent his way of course. For such a half-pint, she certainly had quite the vocabulary on her, a creative one to say the least, some of those words or terms he swore he had never heard before. But once she calmed down enough, she co-operated just a bit to brief him on what exactly the hell had just happened there that got so bad that she almost risked becoming just another casualty in the Adam Smasher.

Just so happens Rebecca was part of a small little misfit gang of mercs known as edgerunners, guns for hire when it came to tasks involving corporate espionage and sabotage among other things of which to name a few. Such individuals almost always tended to be cyborgs, composed of those among the population who were quirkless and/or especially needed a means to get by and survive in today's world and naturally along with omnics lead to a veritable distinct sub culture of gang warfare, hackers and others and Rebecca's crew, among which included her older brother had been in the middle of their latest job. Wasn't anything much, just a simple smash and grab run stealing some fancy tech equipment, turned out their client forgot to mention the competitor they were stealing from had been Arasaka and the security was high level enough that it was no wonder Adam Smasher was involved. But fortunately her crew had made their escape but she'd been too pinned down by heavy fire to make her own exit and so here she was now looking at some likely jail time.

Kirishima:"Look I know you weren't intending anything wrong but from certain viewpoints, you're in plenty enough trouble that I can't just look the other way, you know?"*Doing his best not to blush at the rather cute pout the cyberpunk shortstack was making right baout now at his tough but fair point. Trespassing as well breaking and entering private property, outbreak of sudden violence that could;'ve escalated to riot levels if not literal corporate warfare and that was just off the top of his head. And edge-runners like herself were as frowned upon by the law as much as un-licenced vigilantes, she was going to be looking at quite the few weeks to months if not years behind bars. Especially with the kind of sway and pull Arasaka had, if they so wanted she could be getting life or the death penalty even, harsh as that sounded. Pity really when at her age, she still had some of the best years of her life ahead of her.*

Rebecca:*Still pouting adorably like a scolded puppy or kitten, yeah of course she knew she was fucking screwed, Christ Pilar would never let her hear the end of it. That is if he wasn't panicked after laughing his ass off at the idea of his little sister going up the river, then him and the rest of the crew would likely risk having to break her out, prison could be hell for cyborgs and omics. And this rather prime cut of himbo beef didn't look like someone she could buy off with a bribe of a few Eddies (Euro-Dollars), secretly biting her lip as she eyed those washboard abs of his, serious hunk material. Before the manic little chromed up pixie suddenly had herself an idea....a very awful, wonderful, awfully wonderful, wonderfully awful idea.*"Aww okay....but could I maybe just get one little request before you got to turn me in?"

The sturdy hero nodded, before having an uneasy suspicion about the sudden sensual gaze Rebecca wore for an expression as her hand reached out to his crotch. Proceeding to grope and rub it once she had a good grasp of his length, humming as she clearly liked what she was feeling as she used her free hand to grab his head and pull him down and in for a kiss. Ambushing him with a sudden sloppy make-out as the cyber-merc expressed her last request in the form of wanting this muscle mountain hunk to rock her world, suffice to say Kirishima never had much in the way of saying no to a girl once she pushed his libido's button. In no time at all, clothes went flying and the warehouse began to echo with the sounds of a wild little half-pint pixie cyber babe getting hot, sweaty and primal with an absolute unit plowing her like they were the last two people on Earth.

Now Rebecca wasn't what you'd call a slut by any means but she wasn't some prude virgin either by any stretch of the imagination. Christ the amount of porn pictures and video she had in her personal digital mental space folder would be enough to make even Mineta blush but Kirishima she found was putting any and every porno dude in that collection to shame. Not just in terms of his cock's length and girth but as well his skill as he currently had her pinned up against the wall, naked bodies pressed and rubbing together as he fucked fast, deep and hard. Her stomach bulging from his size and depth which was especially noticeable on her bison skull tattoo as her hair was loose and flowing, her pigtails knocked loose as her face wore an ahegao expression particularly whenever those heavy balls of his smacked her quite bubbly ass.

Rebecca wasn’t sure how much time had been passing at this point but really who could blame her with how amazing she was feeling right now?! The size difference between her and the sturdy himbo especially made it a thrill ride as she went from being folded like an accordion as he held in a mating press to bent over and laid out on a crate as she was taken doggy style and prone bone, her perky little cyber booty jiggling with every impact from Kirishima’s cock plowing her. At this point for the cyber halfpint, it was a competitive streak between the one who’d outlast the other when it came to stamina, a chromed up trigger happy shortstack or a hardening himbo who had quite a trail of experience when it came to women. Suffice to say, it went on for quite a while as that warehouse became a sexual battleground.

Against all odds of course, Rebecca had managed to keep herself conscious enough to be able to move and make her escape though a bit hesitant of course at leaving Kirishima’s warm snuggling arms. Leaving him a little note sealed with a kiss as she disappeared into the night thanking him for a good time, Kirishima a king up to find her gone, the clever girl. Playing on his natural urges like that, ah well wasn’t like he had officially caught her in the act of trouble or anything. That was an edgerunner for you, always living it up to the name and then some.

it’d been a few days to weeks since thst chaotic evening in the harbour before Kirishima was back to his more regular daily routine, having not sen nor heard from Rebecca since then. No doubt she had long since gone back to Night City or was being out somewhere in Japan until then but given she hadn’t appeared on any headlines, she was keeping out of trouble. The Red Riot hero currently on his latest outing with Mina and Maya when his cell buzzed, fishing it out to find a notification for some messages which he checked. Eyes widening and his face blushing at the contents now laid bare on his screen.

Seems Rebecca had managed to find his number and had wasted no time in ambushing him with a series of naughty selfies, plenty of which were sexy, saucy nudes. The cyber minx smiling as she claimed to be showing off some new upgrades she had gotten that she promised would make the next time around she ever saw him again even wilder and thst he can have himself a little fuel for his fantasies. His girlfriends of course looking over his shoulder, grinning like the rolls they were as they no doubt had a lot of questions to ask about who their stud’s latest lady friend was. That is after they finished seeing some more of those pictures of course…then the interrogation would begin…

[three-two-six]

120 SINF facts I collected while rereading the series

Behold, my magnum opus.

Josh likes Shrek

Dee has The X-Files theme song as his ringtone

Scatty doesn’t blink. Ever.

Dee gave Mary Shelley the idea for Frankenstein

Scatty can’t enter your room if you don’t invite her in

Scatty is a vegetarian

Perry needed to teach Nicholas English at some point because he forgot it

Ghosts love bathrooms

Josh is 5 cm taller than Sophie

Dee has always been fascinated by the idea of flying

Josh hates snakes, spiders, rats, and scorpions

Scatty hates rain, and it is one of the reasons she left Ireland

Scatty is allergic to feathers and fur

Scatty easily burns in the sun

According to the Codex, apples are poisonous and frogs can turn into princes, both of which Zephaniah confirms are incorrect claims

Zephaniah tried to marry off Scatty to king Nabukodonosor when she was 15

Dee prefers living in bigger cities

Scatty gets sick from using leygates

Josh is incredibly susceptible to seasickness

Nicholas helped create the French sign language

Machiavelli desecrated Nicholas’ and Perenelle’s graves more than three centuries ago and broke their gravestone. The Flamels saw everything

Zephaniah is an Elvis Presley fan

Sophie thinks European chocolate is too bitter

Scatty hates flying

Scatty speaks 6-7 HUNDRED languages

Machiavelli is the type of guy to punch a hole in the wall when he’s angry

Francis speaks ALL languages. ALL of them.

Scatty bites her nails when she’s nervous

Vampyres don’t sweat (this includes Scatty and Aoife)

Francis is terrible at tending to plants

Nicholas pulled off the first blood transfusion in history

Joan is also a vegetarian

Dee has a habit of cutting the phone call before the other person just so that his word can be last. Machiavelli is the most prominent victim of this

Dee doesn’t like flying

The Sphynx is afraid of dark

The pyramids in Egypt were built for the Danu Talis survivors

Josh collects fossilized feces

Joan loves cooking and grows spices on her rooftop

Machiavelli has manicured nails

Dagon often has nightmares about the fall of Danu Talis

Machiavelli knows how to program in five different programming languages

Machiavelli's one of the few world experts on quantum physics

Aerop-Enap tends to sleep off large chunks of human history

Sophie can run really fast

Machiavelli is a vegetarian

Machiavelli has stamina problems

Gilgamesh doesn't have an aura

Perry's aura doesn't have a smell

William cooks when he's nervous

Bastet can tolerate iron better than most Elders

Both Josh and Mars carry swords in their left hand

Machiavelli was the brain behind Napoleon

Francis is the only known person in the SINF universe that was born with the ability to see where leygates are

Scatty was told that she'd die in an exotic place

Billy speaks French

The Flamels worked on the first atomic bomb ever

Gilgamesh once requested to have the world’s first atomic bomb be detonated right above him. The Flamels placed him in a mental institution for 10 years because of it

Sophie doesn't like onions

Francis taught Aoife how to see leygates

Machiavelli thinks about his death unusually often

Niten is the only humani who defeated Scatty in a one-on-one fight

Virginia has a very expensive taste

Virginia lives in a tent

Canonically the reason Machiavelli and Dee keep underestimating Perenelle is that they're misogynists (at least according to Virginia Dare)

Niten collects classic cars

Dee is terrible at tending to plants

Aoife once crashed a vimana and blamed it on Scatty

Odin sacrificed his eye to an Archon in exchange for eldritch knowledge

Abraham has an extra finger on each hand

Krakens are actually only about an inch large. Apparently, sailors overestimated their size a little…

The Morrigan’s tears turn into small feathers

Dee is very susceptible to seasicknes

Nereus is responsible for the Bermuda Triangle dissappearances

Scatty and Aoife were the first of the Next Generation

The Codex has twenty-one pages

Hel imprisoned Joan in her shadowrealm once

Virginia and her flute are bonded

Billy has cold hands

Virginia doesn’t speak Latin, and neither does Billy

Mars has a coal black tongue

Sophie is afraid of spiders

Aten is a history nerd

Isis is older than Osiris

Virginia Dare is a Vegetarian

Virginia didn’t know how to speak until she was ten or eleven

Billy read Machiavelli’s The Prince

Josh looks up to Billy as a legend

Black Hawk dislikes spicy food

It’s possible to summon Elders by praying to them

Virginia was besties with Albert Einstein and her tales about shadowrealms inspired his theory of relativity

Prometheus is the self-proclaimed finest vimana flier in Danu Talis

Will abhors weapons and has never fired a gun in his life

The first humani created by Prometheus all had his facial features

Perenelle hates coffee

Tsagaglalal has no fingerprints

Josh suffers from claustrophobia

Perenelle once knocked out one of Quetzalcoatl’s back molars

Prometheus hates parrots

Prometheus read Niten’s book

Mars disagrees with just about everything in Niten’s book

There are rumors that Leonardo da Vinci was immortal

Hel loves raw pork

The only place in the world Dee hasn’t been to is Denmark

Aoife considers Khutulun, a prominent immortal warrior and niece of Kublai Khan as the “daughter she always wanted”. She is currently breeding horses in Kentucky

Isis and Osiris paint their nails black

Quetzalcoatl is a loner

Quetzalcoatl is responsible for The great Northeast blackout

Billy and Black Hawk are Star Trek fans

Machiavelli is a Star Wars fan

Machiavelli actually liked Napoleon

Tor Ri in which lives Abraham has exactly 248 steps

Marethyu doesn’t breathe or have a heartbeat

Isis and Osiris have dark purple tongues

One of the reasons Elders don’t like congregating in the same place is the risk that their auras could cause a natural disaster

Zephaniah is allergic to cats

Cookie-dough ice cream gives Virginia a rash

Dee’s favorite ice cream flavor is cookie-dough

Billy loves eating crab legs

Scathach and Aoife were trained by Tsagaglalal

Prometheus doesn’t have a pulse

[mariacallous]

The day is slowly turning into night, and the American special operators are growing concerned. They are deployed to a densely populated urban center in a politically volatile region, and local activity has grown increasingly frenetic in recent days, the roads and markets overflowing with more than the normal bustle of city life. Intelligence suggests the threat level in the city is high, but the specifics are vague, and the team needs to maintain a low profile—a firefight could bring known hostile elements down upon them. To assess potential threats, the Americans decide to take a more cautious approach. Eschewing conspicuous tactical gear in favor of blending in with potential crowds, an operator steps out into the neighborhood's main thoroughfare to see what he can see.

With a click of a button, the operator sees … everything. A complex suite of sensors affixed to his head-up display start vacuuming up information from the world around him. Body language, heart rates, facial expressions, and even ambient snatches of conversation in local dialects are rapidly collected and routed through his backpack supercomputers for processing with the help of an onboard artificial intelligence engine. The information is instantly analyzed, streamlined, and regurgitated back into the head-up display. The assessment from the operators’ tactical AI sidekick comes back clear: There are a series of seasonal events coming into town, and most passersby are excited and exuberant, presenting a minimal threat to the team. Crisis averted—for now.

This is one of many potential scenarios repeatedly presented by Defense Department officials in recent years when discussing the future of US special operations forces, those elite troops tasked with facing the world’s most complex threats head-on as the “tip of the spear” of the US military. Both defense officials and science-fiction scribes may have envisioned a future of warfare shaped by brain implants and performing enhancing drugs, or a suit of powered armor straight out of Starship Troopers, but according to US Special Operations Command, the next generation of armed conflict will be fought (and, hopefully, won) with a relatively simple concept: the “hyper enabled operator.”

More Brains, Less Brawn

First introduced to the public in 2019 in an essay by officials from SOCOM’s Joint Acquisition Task Force (JATF) for Small Wars Journal, the hyper-enabled operator (HEO) concept is the successor program to the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) effort that, initiated in 2013, sought to outfit US special operations forces with a so-called “Iron Man” suit. Inspired by the 2012 death of a Navy SEAL during a hostage rescue operation in Afghanistan, TALOS was intended to improve operators’ survivability in combat by making them virtually resistant to small-arms fire through additional layers of sophisticated armor, the latest installment of the Pentagon’s decades-long effort to build a powered exoskeleton for infantry troops. While the TALOS effort was declared dead in 2019 due to challenges integrating its disparate systems into one cohesive unit, the lessons learned from the program gave rise to the HEO as a natural successor.

The core objective of the HEO concept is straightforward: to give warfighters “cognitive overmatch” on the battlefield, or “the ability to dominate the situation by making informed decisions faster than the opponent,” as SOCOM officials put it. Rather than bestowing US special operations forces with physical advantages through next-generation body armor and exotic weaponry, the future operator will head into battle with technologies designed to boost their situational awareness and relevant decisionmaking to superior levels compared to the adversary. Former fighter pilot and Air Force colonel John Boyd proposed the “OODA loop” (observe, orient, decide, act) as the core military decisionmaking model of the 21st century; the HEO concept seeks to use technology to “tighten” that loop so far that operators are quite literally making smarter and faster decisions than the enemy.

“The goal of HEO,” as SOCOM officials put it in 2019, “is to get the right information to the right person at the right time.”

To achieve this goal, the HEO concept calls for swapping the powered armor at the heart of the TALOS effort for sophisticated communications equipment and a robust sensor suite built on advanced computing architecture, allowing the operator to vacuum up relevant data and distill it into actionable information through a simple interface like a head-up display—and do so “at the edge,” in places where traditional communications networks may not be available. If TALOS was envisioned as an “Iron Man'' suit, as I previously observed, then HEO is essentially Jarvis, Tony Stark’s built-in AI assistant that’s constantly feeding him information through his helmet’s head-up display.

“[JATF] is targeting technologies to deliver cognitive overmatch to SOF operators working at the edge in austere and contested environments in coordination with and working through partners and allies,” SOCOM spokesperson James O. Gregory tells WIRED, invoking a general description of the program from the command’s website. “Such technologies will enable tactical teams of SOF operators to intuitively use information made available by next-generation sensors, networks, computing, and communication systems to rapidly build situation awareness. It will also help make timely, well-informed decisions, and take actions inside an adversary's ability to react.”

Enter the Gray Zone

So what does the HEO actually look like today, five years after its introduction into the US military’s tactical lexicon? Given the sensitive (and somewhat notional) nature of the effort, details remain scarce, and SOCOM officials have remained relatively tight-lipped about its progress. But according to SOCOM’s Gregory, the scenario and concept the HEO seeks to address has “evolved” from what officials previously described to reporters at the program’s inception. Indeed, rather than augmenting warfighters deployed to active combat zones, SOCOM officials envision something more like a casually dressed operator vacuuming up information on a busy urban avenue through a Google Glass-like eyepiece and sizing up the situation—in other words, more James Bond than Tony Stark. “The operational environment for the JATF’s current efforts is in the competition phase of warfare, in permissive or semi-permissive locations,” Gregory says. (A permissive environment is generally defined as an operational environment where US forces have the backing of a host country’s security apparatus, according to the US Army, while a “semi-permissive” environment is potentially hostile and local support is often not reliable.) No longer just another tool for a kinetic assault, the HEO will help elite troops operating in the “gray zone” between peace and conflict.

A SOCOM broad agency announcement—a general request for research and development proposals from the defense industry—published in 2020 and updated as recently as November 2023 details the JATF’s push for advanced technologies designed to boost situational awareness. Those technologies include: intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities “without substantial manning or networking resources” (the aforementioned “at the edge”); sophisticated sensors capable of “iris, facial, anatomical measures, gestures, gait, heartbeat, electromagnetic signals, deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA], and microbiome recognition”; low-visibility communications systems; and “data visualizations” that “permit [operators] to receive and intuitively understand networked information from communication, computing, and sensor systems,” among others. In short, the HEO envisions systems that enable the constant, real-time collection and distillation of data into actionable intel that could potentially mean the difference between life and death in an uncertain situation.

Edge Case

Envisioning a suite of aspirational capabilities is one thing; actually building them is another thing entirely. In terms of developing new products, Gregory says that the HEO effort has remained focused on three major experimental technology areas for the last several years: sensing and edge computing, architecture and analysis, and language translation.

“Sensing and edge computing” generally refers to the collection and processing of data from a variety of sources, but it also refers to the specialized computing power that operators need not only to function “at the edge,” but to actually run the AI-enabled software that will form the foundation of the HEO.

“Emerging technologies and solutions in artificial intelligence/machine learning require specialized ‘compute’ hardware, as traditional CPU-based devices are insufficient,” Gregory says. “We aim to feature a manpack device with a graphics processing unit, neural processing engine, and/or tensor processing unit capabilities. This will provide the necessary platform to leverage advanced technologies like language translation and other solutions at the edge, even when disconnected from the cloud.”

That computing power forms the basis for the “architecture and analysis” element focused on the rapid assessment and presentation of data to operators in the field. Gregory tells WIRED that, to support this element, the command has developed “a flexible [system] architecture that fuses data from various sources and media types” into an easily digestible format for operators to assess and act upon.

As for language translation, that’s self-explanatory. SOCOM believes that “prior to any hostilities ever occurring, clear communication can greatly enhance development of our long-term relationships,” Gregory says. “Voice-to-voice translation enables operators to communicate more effectively than relying on often scarce interpreters in the field. Even though many SOF personnel are multilingual, they are frequently deployed to regions with different languages or dialects.”

In line with these experimental technology areas, SOCOM has reportedly concentrated on six immediate lines of product development, per C4ISRNet: the “operator-worn kit” that includes both sensors and onboard computer processing power; application development resources; a unique, mission-agnostic system architecture; the “human-machine interface” that’s generally envisioned as a digital head-up display; a product called “information realization” that likely involves the clear presentation of data; and beyond-line-of-sight (BLoS) communications designed to keep troops in contact with their commanders (and each other) in satellite-denied environments.

According to Gregory, the command has gradually rolled out a handful of fresh capabilities from the HEO effort in recent years. In 2021, SOCOM announced that two products—a BLoS communications system and an unspecified “integrated situational awareness tool”—were transitioning into official programs of record, as Janes reported at the time. Gregory confirmed to WIRED that the BLoS system consists of “a steerable gimble antenna system that enhances the functionality” of the command’s SOF deployable nodes, a family of advanced satellite communications systems. The spokesperson also confirmed that the situational awareness tool, known as SEEKER, is an app that “enables advisers to build advanced situational awareness, thereby allowing them to select actions with an eye toward the broader situation rather than just the immediately apparent problem.” It’s unclear if the latter is related to the “automate the analyst” effort the command kicked off in 2020 to provide operators with an autonomous AI assistant.

Then there’s the “visual environment translation” system that’s designed to convert foreign language inputs into clear English in real time. Known overarchingly as the Versatile Intelligent Translation Assistant (VITA), the system encompasses both a visual environment translation effort and voice-to-voice translation capabilities and is “the most mature” of the JATF’s experimental technology areas, according to SOCOM. VITA is essentially “a voice-to-voice translation engine that functions offline on GPU-enabled devices,” Gregory says, small enough to be carried in the field on a laptop-tethered smartphone or wearable device and “engage in effective conversations where it was previously impossible.” And not only has VITA successfully demonstrated Russian, Chinese Mandarin, and Ukrainian language translation capabilities during testing, but the system has even been deployed to two undisclosed theaters of operations already.

“The visual translation component enhances situational awareness by translating video images, such as street signs, graffiti, and other written texts, in real time,” Gregory says. “Operators can use their phone cameras to scan their surroundings and understand foreign languages instantly.”

VITA provides US special operations forces with “a high-quality translation capability that is not reliant on the cloud or local interpreters, thus significantly reducing risk and logistical costs while increasing operational range and effectiveness for USSOF and our partners,” Gregory says. “The JATF is currently working with industry partners to reduce the size of the hardware and transition it into a SOF Program Executive Office for eventual fielding.” (And that language translation may not be restricted to a mobile device for long: According to SOCOM’s fiscal year 2025 budget request published in March, the command is still plowing ahead with head-mounted sensors and an augmented-reality HUD to present these functions right before operators’ eyes.)

Field Work

To US military planners, the HEO concept is promising: According to one Army assessment, the successful adoption of the system could potentially increase operator survivability far beyond that provided by the additional body armor of the TALOS program. But like other potentially revolutionary technology ventures, there’s certainly the possibility that HEO could end up a science fiction dream that collapses under the weight of its own technical complexity. And there’s no guarantee that operators will embrace the new technology seamlessly in the first place: Although VITA has shown operational promise, it’s unclear if other HEO products will prove intuitive enough to actually augment operators in the field rather than burden them with some complicated newfangled system. As Heinlein put it so aptly in Starship Troopers: “If you load a mud foot down with a lot of gadgets that he has to watch, somebody a lot more simply equipped—say with a stone ax—will sneak up and bash his head in while he is trying to read a vernier.” Perhaps, like TALOS, the promise of a tactical AI assistant like Tony Stark’s Jarvis sidekick may prove simply too ambitious for military engineers to realize in a fully formed product. But even if the HEO effort ends up only fielding, say, the VITA language translation tool, it will still represent a major boost in capabilities for US special operators deployed abroad. The day is slowly turning into night, but American commandos own the night and, with the help of the HEO, will do so well into the next conflict.

[gloriatq1223]

Best Platforms to Trade for Forex in 2025

Forex trading continues to captivate traders worldwide, offering a dynamic and lucrative avenue for financial growth. In 2025, identifying the best platforms to trade for forex has become more crucial than ever, as technology and market demands evolve. From user-friendly interfaces to advanced tools for technical analysis, these platforms are tailored to meet the needs of both novice and seasoned traders. Whether you're diving into major currency pairs, exploring exotic options, or utilizing automated trading strategies, choosing the right platform is the foundation for success.

Core Features of Top Forex Trading Platforms

Forex trading platforms in 2025 must combine advanced functionality with accessibility to meet diverse trader needs. The following core features highlight what distinguishes the best platforms.

User-Friendly Interface

A user-friendly interface enhances efficiency and reduces errors, especially for beginners. Key features include:

Intuitive navigation for rapid trade execution.

Customizable layouts to match user preferences.

Comprehensive tutorials for ease of onboarding.

Efficient design with minimal lag, even during high volatility.

Example Platforms: MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) are renowned for streamlined interfaces designed to accommodate traders at all levels.

Comprehensive Charting Tools

Forex trading requires precision, and advanced charting tools are critical for analysis. The following charting tools enhance strategy formulation:

Drawing Tools: Support for trendlines and channels.

Indicators: Integration of MACD, RSI, Bollinger Bands, and Fibonacci Retracement.

Timeframes: Options to analyze data across multiple periods.

Custom Indicators: Flexibility to program and integrate personal strategies.

Automation and Algorithmic Trading

Automation is indispensable for modern forex trading. Platforms like cTrader and NinjaTrader excel with features like:

Pre-built Strategies: Ready-to-use templates for scalping and trend following.

Custom Algorithms: Integration with programming languages such as C# and Python.

Backtesting: Evaluate strategies with historical data.

Integration with APIs: Seamless syncing with advanced trading bots.

Mobile Accessibility

Forex traders increasingly require the flexibility of trading on-the-go. Mobile accessibility ensures:

Synchronization: Real-time updates between desktop and mobile devices.

Push Notifications: Alerts for market changes and trade execution.

Compact Design: Optimized for smaller screens without losing functionality.

App Examples: MT4 and MT5 apps, offering full trading capabilities on iOS and Android.

Key Takeaway: Platforms combining a robust desktop experience with seamless mobile integration empower traders with unmatched convenience.

The best forex trading platforms for 2025 excel in usability, advanced charting, automation, and mobile functionality. By integrating these features, platforms like MT5, cTrader, and TradingView offer versatile solutions for traders of all expertise levels.

Trading Instruments Supported by Leading Platforms

The diversity of trading instruments available on forex platforms is crucial for building effective strategies and achieving long-term trading success. This section explores the breadth and advantages of various trading instruments.

1. Major Currency Pairs

Major currency pairs, such as EUR/USD, USD/JPY, and GBP/USD, dominate forex markets due to their high liquidity and tighter spreads. Leading platforms like MetaTrader 5 and TradingView offer advanced tools for analyzing these pairs, enabling traders to capitalize on predictable movements.

Key Features:

High liquidity ensures minimal price fluctuations during trades.

Access to real-time market data for precise decision-making.

Supported by most trading strategies, including scalping and swing trading.

These pairs are ideal for traders seeking consistent opportunities in stable market conditions.

2. Exotic Pairs

Exotic pairs combine major currencies with currencies from emerging markets, such as USD/TRY or EUR/SEK. While they offer higher potential rewards, they also come with increased volatility and wider spreads.

Risks and Rewards:

Volatility: Significant price movements create potential for larger profits.

Higher Spreads: Costs can be prohibitive for short-term trading strategies.

Economic Dependence: Price movements often correlate with specific geopolitical or economic conditions.

Platforms like cTrader often feature analytical tools tailored for exotic pair trading, helping traders manage the associated risks.

3. CFDs and Futures

Contracts for Difference (CFDs) and futures are derivatives enabling traders to speculate on forex price movements without owning the underlying assets. Futures contracts are often traded on platforms like NinjaTrader, while CFDs are supported on MetaTrader platforms.

CFDs vs. Futures in Forex Trading

Wider spreads but no commissionCommissions and exchange fees

CFDs and futures cater to traders seeking flexibility and hedging opportunities in volatile markets.

4. Spot Forex vs. Forward Contracts

Spot forex trades settle instantly at prevailing market rates, making them ideal for day traders. Forward contracts, however, lock in future exchange rates and are often used by businesses to hedge against currency fluctuations.

Spot Forex:

Instant execution for quick trades.

Supported by platforms like TradingView, which offers robust charting tools.

Forward Contracts:

Customizable settlement dates.

Reduced risk of unfavorable exchange rate changes.

Forward contracts are frequently utilized for long-term strategies requiring stability.

5. Options Trading in Forex

Forex options provide traders the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell currencies at a predetermined price. Options trading is supported on platforms like MetaTrader 5, offering flexibility for speculative and hedging strategies.

Advantages:

Defined risk due to limited loss potential.

Compatibility with advanced trading strategies like straddles and strangles.

Access to multiple expiration dates for tailored strategies.

Options trading is an excellent choice for traders seeking diversification and controlled risk in uncertain markets.

Market Indicators for Effective Forex Trading Forex trading in 2025 requires mastery of market indicators for successful trades. Platforms integrating technical tools like RSI, Bollinger Bands, and Fibonacci retracements provide invaluable support for analyzing currency pairs and spotting trends.

1: Moving Averages and RSI

Moving averages and RSI (Relative Strength Index) are staples in forex trading for spotting trends and identifying overbought or oversold market conditions. Here's how they work:

Moving Averages:

Smooth out price data for better trend analysis.

Common types: Simple Moving Average (SMA) and Exponential Moving Average (EMA).

Platforms like MetaTrader 5 (MT5) allow customizable moving average periods for traders’ needs.

RSI:

Measures the speed and change of price movements.

Values above 70 indicate overbought conditions, while below 30 signals oversold.

Both indicators are excellent for detecting market reversals and consolidations, making them essential for scalping and swing trading strategies.

2: Bollinger Bands and Fibonacci Retracements

Bollinger Bands and Fibonacci retracements are complementary tools for determining price ranges and potential reversals.

Bollinger Bands:

Comprised of a central moving average and two bands (standard deviations).

Highlights volatility and identifies breakout opportunities in exotic pairs and minor pairs.

Fibonacci Retracements:

Based on key levels derived from the Fibonacci sequence (23.6%, 38.2%, 61.8%, etc.).

Used to forecast retracement zones for entry and exit points.

Platforms like TradingView provide advanced integration of these tools for technical analysis.

3: Pivot Points and Volume Analysis

Pivot points and volume analysis serve as complementary methods for intraday traders.

Pivot Points:

Calculate potential support and resistance levels based on previous trading sessions.

Widely used in day trading to set intraday targets.

Volume Analysis:

Measures market activity to validate price movements.

Higher volume during breakouts confirms trends.

Together, these indicators help traders plan risk-reward ratios effectively and refine strategies. Platforms offering integrated market indicators like RSI, Fibonacci retracements, and volume analysis provide forex traders with precise insights for decision-making. Combining these tools with strategic risk management and discipline ensures a competitive edge in forex trading for 2025.

Risk Management Tools in Forex Platforms

Risk management is the cornerstone of sustainable forex trading. Platforms offering advanced tools like Stop-Loss Orders and Position Sizing empower traders to mitigate risks while optimizing potential gains.

1. Stop-Loss Orders

Stop-loss orders safeguard capital by automatically closing trades at pre-set levels. Key benefits include:

Capital Protection: Prevents losses from spiraling during volatile markets.

Emotional Discipline: Reduces impulsive decisions by automating exit points.

Wide Platform Integration: Available on MetaTrader 4, TradingView, and cTrader for seamless trading execution.

2. Take-Profit Orders

Take-profit orders lock in profits when the market reaches a target price. Steps for setting take-profit orders effectively:

Analyze Moving Averages and RSI to determine target levels.

Input the price level in trading platforms like NinjaTrader or MT5.

Monitor trade performance and adjust as needed.

3. Position Sizing Calculators

Accurate position sizing minimizes overexposure to any single trade. Here’s how these calculators work:

Calculate lot sizes based on account balance, risk percentage, and stop-loss distance.

Adjust trade sizes to align with Risk-Reward Ratios.

Enable traders to maintain diversified exposure.

4. Risk-Reward Ratio Analysis

Risk-reward ratios evaluate trade viability by comparing potential profits to losses. Tips for effective use:

Aim for a minimum ratio of 1:2 or higher.

Utilize tools like Bollinger Bands to estimate price movements.

Integrated calculators on platforms like MT4 simplify these computations.

5. Diversification Tools

Diversification spreads risk across multiple trading instruments. Features on platforms include:

Multi-asset trading options: CFDs, Futures, and Currency Pairs.

Portfolio analysis tools to track exposure by instrument type.

Real-time updates for Exotic Pairs and niche markets.

6. Backtesting Strategies

Backtesting allows traders to evaluate strategies using historical data. Its advantages are:

Testing risk management techniques like Stop-Loss Orders without live market risk.

Platforms such as TradingView support customizable backtesting scripts.

Insights into strategy weaknesses improve long-term profitability.

With advanced tools for Stop-Loss Orders, Position Sizing, and Backtesting, modern forex trading platforms empower traders to proactively manage risks. Leveraging these features leads to more disciplined and effective trading.

Psychological and Strategic Insights for Forex Trading

Mastering trading psychology is key to navigating the complexities of forex. Platforms enhance this through features that promote discipline, performance tracking, and trader confidence, empowering strategic growth and mitigating psychological pitfalls.

Building Discipline Through Alerts

Platforms offering robust alert systems, like MetaTrader 5, help instill discipline by:

Preventing Overtrading: Custom alerts signal market entry points, limiting impulsive trades.

Time Management: Reminders help traders stick to predefined schedules.

Market Trend Notifications: Alerts for moving averages or Relative Strength Index (RSI) changes enable focused decisions.

Tracking Performance Metrics

Trading platforms integrate tools that help traders evaluate performance, including:

Win/Loss Ratio Analysis: Shows trade success rates.

Equity Curve Monitoring: Visualizes account performance trends.

Journal Features: Logs trade entries and exits for review.

Customizable Dashboards

Platforms like TradingView allow traders to configure dashboards by:

Adding favorite currency pairs and indicators like MACD or Bollinger Bands.

Creating multi-screen setups to monitor multiple trades.

Integrating news feeds to stay updated with central bank announcements.

Educational Resources

The inclusion of in-platform education fosters confidence through:

Interactive Tutorials: Step-by-step videos on strategies like swing trading or technical analysis.

Webinars and Live Sessions: Experts discuss trading instruments like CFDs and options.

AI-based Learning Modules: Adaptive lessons based on trader performance.

By integrating tools for discipline, self-awareness, and strategy refinement, trading platforms empower users to overcome psychological challenges, enhance risk management, and make data-driven decisions for long-term success.

Conclusion

Forex trading in 2025 offers exciting opportunities, but success begins with choosing the right platform. As highlighted throughout this content pillar, top trading platforms like MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), cTrader, and TradingView stand out for their robust features, diverse trading instruments, and advanced integrations. These platforms empower traders to navigate the complexities of the forex market through tools such as technical indicators like Moving Averages and RSI, risk management solutions like stop-loss orders and position sizing calculators, and integrations with vital economic indicators such as GDP, inflation, and central bank announcements.

The best forex trading platforms not only provide access to currency pairs, CFDs, and other instruments but also integrate cutting-edge charting tools, educational resources, and analytics to build confidence and discipline—critical factors in mastering the psychological demands of trading.

By understanding the interplay between platform features, market tools, and strategy development, traders can optimize their approach to trading forex in 2025. Whether you're focused on scalping, day trading, or long-term swing trading, the right platform will be your foundation for executing trades effectively, managing risk, and staying informed in a fast-paced market.

Take the insights from this guide to make an informed decision, choosing a platform that aligns with your trading goals and enhances your ability to trade forex with precision and confidence. With the right tools and strategies in hand, you're poised to navigate the evolving forex market and unlock its full potential in 2025 and beyond.

[torchshippod]

Crew Profiles Part 2: Doctor Bleddyn Stevens

Ahoy Cosmonauts! First of all, I’m not dead! And neither is this project! Apologies for the radio silence everyone. Mary had a minor issue with the cloak and was trapped in a pocket dimension for a few months. Read: A series of upheaving life events including a total career change and a month spent in the worst place known to mankind: Texas, shudder, meant I was unable to make any progress with Forbidden Space. But I'm back now, and we're hopefully back on track! The pilot still needs some time in the oven, but with some luck we should be able to release it soon. Until then, enjoy the first dive into one of the characters of Forbidden Space.

Who better to start with than the person responsible for maintaining Mary Gillham-32’s most important component: Her crew. Meet Doctor Bleddyn Stevens:

Art by the excellent @whirligig-girl

Broken bones, radiation poisoning, acute psychological trauma. If suffering from any of these, you can’t go wrong with seeing Mary Gillham’s acerbic, long-suffering Doctor. Stevens is responsible for all aspects of the crew’s health, both physical and mental. It's his job to both patch people up after an away mission gone wrong, and act as rocket therapist, staving off mental ailments from cabin fever to imposter syndrome. And while his dry disposition and devilishly sharp eyebrows have been known to rankle, he brings a steadying level-headedness to all aspects of the job that his crewmates can’t help but find comforting. It doesn't hurt that he also happens to be the one with the keys to the rocket’s psychedelics cabinet. 

“Please, I’m your doctor, of course I have the best psychedelics.”

But he’s not just the doctor/therapist. Like everyone in the Mary Gilham program, Stevens pulls double duty. He’s also the rocket’s tactical specialist. Responsible for operating Mary’s all important cloaking device and her variety of torpedoes, ranging from mundane nuclears to the exotic graviton warheads. One of the most destructive weapons in the IUR's arsenal and enough to ensure that size is no object. It's his job to direct space-borne engagements, formulating the battle plans that ensure Mary comes out on top, or at the very least, unscathed.

"Torpedoes will have impacted by now. Deploying periscope, outputting visual to the main… oh… Would you look at that… We’ll have to add a new asteroid belt to the charts…"

While the ability to remain calm in a crisis is a prerequisite for any cosmonaut, it’s even more so for Stevens. The requirement to perform complex neurosurgery one day and fire continent-threatening anti-matter warheads the next needs a very specific disposition. Stevens is calm, analytical, and generally the voice of restraint and consideration in any situation, although often parcelled with a sarcastic thrust his crewmates have learned to put up with. He takes this requirement for coolness and clear-thinking so far he actively refuses to indulge in any kind of mind-altering substances, even for medicinal purposes. A practice his fellow cosmonauts often find baffling to concerning.

"What? But he keeps the biggest variety of recreational drugs I’ve ever seen!" "Apparently for morale only." - Specialists Yureli and Martin on Stevens

Perhaps the most notable thing about Doctor Stevens though, is that he is an almost unprecedentedly strong Psychic Void, an incredibly rare trait that renders him invisible to all but the strongest of psychic phenomena, and incapable of interacting with any psychic technology. While being immune to mind altering phenomena may sound like a boon, it’s an impediment he’s uncharacteristically sensitive about. For one he's unable to use the psychic translator, forcing him to rely on inaccurate machine translations and learning languages the old fashioned way to communicate. Luckily, he’s a prodigal linguist, and is fluent in over a dozen languages, Human and alien.

"You’d be amazed how many languages you can learn without a psychic translator atrophying your brain. Though I admit I do envy it sometimes. Cetacean Auxlang is murder on the throat."

Perhaps the largest issue being a psychic void presents however, is the wedge it drives between him and Mary Gilham-32’s resident psychic, Yvette Martin. To someone whose view of the universe is coloured by psychic impressions, the lack of all empathic feedback makes the doctor come across as cold and unfeeling at best, and at worst, impenetrable and untrustworthy… 

"Anyway, she gave me this little Voxyte entertainment device that makes holograms. They look, totally real. You can touch them and interact with them and everything. I mean, it’s just dialogue trees and a basic language model, but they’re totally convincing. Except… I can’t feel them. Their minds. They're like... hollow... That’s what you’re like! uh ex... except, I mean, you’re a real person! Obviously!" " I am? That’s a relief, I was beginning to get concerned." - Martin and Stevens, on holograms.

So there you have it, Doctor Bleddyn Stevens. A steady, reliable cosmonaut who can't be beaten in a crisis. Or a sarcastic prick with a stick up his arse, depending on who you ask and how recently they had their mandatory medical. We'll be doing some more dives into the rest of the cast soon, so watch this space!

[esotericworld]

Damn, it may soon be blatantly illegal to secretly work on crashed or recovered UFOs... I want to be on a UFO recovery team so bad. “...a bipartisan provision adopted unanimously by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which would immediately halt funding for any secret government or contractor efforts to retrieve and reverse-engineer craft of “non-earth” or “exotic” origin.

This extraordinary language added to the Senate version of the Intelligence authorization bill mirrors and adds significant credibility to a whistleblower’s recent, stunning allegations that a clandestine, decades-long effort to recover, analyze and exploit objects of “non-human” origin has been operating illegally without congressional oversight.

Additionally, the bill instructs individuals with knowledge of such activities to disclose all relevant information and grants legal immunity if the information is reported appropriately within a defined timeframe. Moreover, nearly 20 pages of the legislation appear to directly address recent events by enhancing a raft of legal protections for whistleblowers while also permitting such individuals to contact Congress directly.

Researcher and congressional expert Douglas Johnson first reported on and analyzed the remarkable bill language, which, if it passes the House, could become law this calendar year.

Beyond the Senate Intelligence Committee, the powerful investigative body that oversees the nation’s intelligence agencies found the aforementioned whistleblower’s allegations — that secret UFO-related programs are illegally withheld from Congress — to be “credible and urgent.”

Moreover, according to two reports, multiple military, intelligence and contractor officials corroborated claims that the U.S. government or private companies possess multiple craft of possible “non-human” origin.

Importantly, this intelligence bill is not the first instance of Congress addressing the possible existence of surreptitious UFO retrieval and reverse engineering programs.

The 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden last December, established robust whistleblower protections for individuals with knowledge of secret UFO programs engaged in “material retrieval, material analysis, reverse engineering [and] research and development.”

But the Senate Intelligence Committee’s legislation goes significantly further than previous laws. If enacted as drafted, the legislation would immediately halt funding for any secret, unreported programs that engage in “analyzing” retrieved UFOs “for the purpose of determining properties, material composition, method of manufacture, origin, characteristics, usage and application, performance, operational modalities, or reverse engineering of such craft or component technology.”

At the same time, the legislation would cease funding for any personnel engaged in “capturing, recovering, and securing [UFOs] or pieces and components of such craft.”

Funding would also be cut for “the development of propulsion technology, or aerospace craft that uses propulsion technology, systems, or subsystems, that is based on or derived from or inspired by inspection, analysis, or reverse engineering of recovered [UFOs] or materials.”

Perhaps more importantly, the bill language prohibits legal prosecution of individuals with knowledge of surreptitious retrieval and reverse engineering of “non-human” craft. To avoid legal jeopardy, such individuals would have two months after passage of the legislation to inform the director of the Pentagon’s new UFO analysis office of the existence of relevant UFO-related information.

These individuals would then have six months to turn over “all such material and information,” as well as “a comprehensive list of all non-earth origin or exotic [UFO] material...”

[nicklloydnow]

“The whistleblower, David Charles Grusch, 36, a decorated former combat officer in Afghanistan, is a veteran of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). He served as the reconnaissance office’s representative to the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force from 2019-2021. From late 2021 to July 2022, he was the NGA’s co-lead for UAP analysis and its representative to the task force.

The task force was established to investigate what were once called “unidentified flying objects,” or UFOs, and are now officially called “unidentified anomalous phenomena,” or UAP. The task force was led by the Department of the Navy under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. It has since been reorganized and expanded into the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office to include investigations of objects operating underwater.

Grusch said the recoveries of partial fragments through and up to intact vehicles have been made for decades through the present day by the government, its allies, and defense contractors. Analysis has determined that the objects retrieved are “of exotic origin (non-human intelligence, whether extraterrestrial or unknown origin) based on the vehicle morphologies and material science testing and the possession of unique atomic arrangements and radiological signatures,” he said.

In filing his complaint, Grusch is represented by a lawyer who served as the original Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG).

(…)

Grusch’s disclosures, and those of non-public witnesses, under new protective provisions of the latest defense appropriations bill, signal a growing determination by some in the government to unravel a colossal enigma with national security implications that has bedeviled the military and tantalized the public going back to World War II and beyond. For many decades, the Air Force carried out a disinformation campaign to discredit reported sightings of unexplained objects. Now, with two public hearings and many classified briefings under its belt, Congress is pressing for answers.

(…)

Grusch prepared many briefs on unidentified aerial phenomena for Congress while in government and helped draft the language on UAP for the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act, spearheaded by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Marco Rubio and signed into law by President Biden in December 2022. The provision states that any person with relevant UAP information can inform Congress without retaliation, regardless of any previous non-disclosure agreements.

(…)

He said he reported to Congress on the existence of a decades-long “publicly unknown Cold War for recovered and exploited physical material – a competition with near-peer adversaries over the years to identify UAP crashes/landings and retrieve the material for exploitation/reverse engineering to garner asymmetric national defense advantages.”

Beginning in 2022, Grusch provided Congress with hours of recorded classified information transcribed into hundreds of pages which included specific data about the materials recovery program. Congress has not been provided with any physical materials related to wreckage or other non-human objects.

(…)

“His assertion concerning the existence of a terrestrial arms race occurring sub-rosa over the past eighty years focused on reverse engineering technologies of unknown origin is fundamentally correct, as is the indisputable realization that at least some of these technologies of unknown origin derive from non-human intelligence,” said Karl Nell, the retired Army Colonel who worked with Grusch on the UAP Task Force.

(…)

Grusch said it was dangerous for this “eighty-year arms race” to continue in secrecy because it “further inhibits the world populace to be prepared for an unexpected, non-human intelligence contact scenario.”

“I hope this revelation serves as an ontological shock sociologically and provides a generally uniting issue for nations of the world to re-assess their priorities,” Grusch said.”

[fantasticpeacenut]

Cabin Crew Guide: Finding the Best Airline Training Program

The allure of the skies is undeniable—traveling to exotic locations, experiencing diverse cultures, and meeting new people, all while wearing a crisp uniform and representing an airline’s brand. For many, becoming cabin crew is more than a job; it’s a dream career. But behind the glamour lies a profession that demands rigorous training, exceptional people skills, and a commitment to safety and service.

The first step toward turning that dream into reality is choosing the right airline training program. With so many training academies and airline-sponsored courses available, how do you know which one is best? In this guide, we’ll explore the essential elements of high-quality cabin crew training and how to choose a program that sets you up for success in the skies.

Why Cabin Crew Training Matters

Being cabin crew is more than just serving food and drinks at 35,000 feet. Flight attendants are first and foremost safety professionals, trained to manage emergencies, handle medical situations, and ensure the well-being of every passenger on board.

The training you receive lays the foundation for your entire career. Airlines and aviation regulators require flight attendants to meet strict safety and service standards. Proper training gives you the knowledge, confidence, and skills to perform under pressure—and stand out in a competitive job market.

What to Look for in a Cabin Crew Training Program

1. Regulatory Approval and Accreditation

The most important aspect of any training program is whether it is accredited by relevant aviation authorities. In most countries, this means approval by bodies such as:

EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency)

FAA (Federal Aviation Administration – USA)

CAA (Civil Aviation Authority – UK and other countries)

Ensure the course you choose adheres to international standards and is recognized by airlines globally.

2. Comprehensive Curriculum

Top-tier programs go beyond basics and cover:

Safety and Emergency Procedures (SEP): Evacuation drills, fire fighting, ditching (water landing), and aircraft safety systems.

First Aid and Medical Training: CPR, handling in-flight medical situations, and use of onboard emergency kits.

Service Excellence: Customer service, food and beverage training, and conflict resolution.

Grooming and Professionalism: Appearance standards, etiquette, and communication skills.

Cultural Awareness and Language Skills: Especially useful for international carriers.

3. Experienced Instructors

The best programs are taught by former or current cabin crew members, airline trainers, and aviation experts. These professionals bring real-world insights, airline expectations, and up-to-date industry knowledge to the classroom.

4. Realistic Simulations and Facilities

Look for schools that offer:

Mock aircraft cabins for hands-on practice

Fire and smoke simulators

Emergency slides and life rafts

CPR and medical dummies

These facilities provide realistic environments that prepare you for actual in-flight situations.

5. Career Support and Airline Connections

Does the training center assist with job placement? The top schools often have:

Direct links with airlines

Recruitment events

CV writing workshops

Interview preparation coaching

Some even guarantee airline interviews upon course completion.

Airline-Sponsored vs. Independent Training Programs

There are two main routes to becoming cabin crew:

1. Airline-Sponsored Training

Some airlines train successful applicants after hiring them. This training is:

Free or covered by the airline

Tailored to that specific airline’s procedures and aircraft

Conducted at the airline’s own training center

Often comes with a bond (you may have to stay with the airline for a certain number of years)

Examples of airlines offering sponsored training include:

Emirates

Qatar Airways

Singapore Airlines

British Airways

Delta and United (for US residents)

This route is competitive but cost-effective.

2. Independent Cabin Crew Academies

These are private institutions that train aspiring cabin crew before they apply to airlines. The benefits include:

Flexibility (choose when and where to train)

Exposure to international standards

Better preparation for airline assessments

However, these courses cost money—ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Always ensure you’re getting value for your investment.

Top Cabin Crew Training Academies (Internationally Recognized)

While there are many reputable schools worldwide, here are a few that stand out:

1. Aircare FACTS Training (USA)

Known for rigorous emergency training

FAA certified

Excellent reputation in corporate and commercial aviation

2. The Emirates Aviation College (UAE)

Trains Emirates cabin crew

World-class facilities

Comprehensive safety, service, and image training

3. IFA Aviation Training Center (Portugal, UAE, UK)

EASA-approved courses

High-quality simulations

Excellent career guidance

4. Gulf Aviation Academy (Bahrain)

Offers accredited training for multiple Middle Eastern airlines

State-of-the-art facilities

5. IATA Training Centers (Global)

Courses available in cities worldwide

Recognized industry-wide

Great for beginners and those looking to upskill

Preparing for Success

Even the best training won’t help unless you bring the right attitude and preparation. Here’s how to make the most of your journey:

Polish Your Soft Skills

Airlines value personality as much as qualifications. Work on:

Communication

Teamwork

Problem-solving

Cultural sensitivity

Maintain Grooming Standards

Most airlines have strict appearance guidelines. During training, you'll learn about:

Hair and makeup

Uniform maintenance

Hygiene and etiquette

Stay Fit and Healthy

Cabin crew work is physically demanding. Good health and stamina will help you manage jet lag, long shifts, and emergency procedures.

Be Ready for Interviews and Assessments

Most airlines conduct multiple stages of recruitment, including:

Group exercises

English tests

Role-plays

Final interviews

Good training programs simulate these scenarios to boost your confidence.

Final Thoughts

The aviation industry is one of the most rewarding yet demanding fields out there. The right cabin crew training program can make all the difference—transforming you from an enthusiastic applicant into a polished, professional candidate ready to take flight.

Whether you aim to serve in luxury cabins at 40,000 feet or explore the world while building a stable, fulfilling career, investing in top-quality training is your passport to success.

So choose wisely, train hard, and soon you’ll be striding down the airport terminal, suitcase in hand, ready for your next adventure.

Ready to begin your cabin crew journey? Start by researching accredited programs in your region, brush up on your people skills, and never stop believing in your wings.

Safe travels—and see you in the skies! ✈️

Please Visit our website

[ecuadorvolunteers]

Top Reasons to Try Animal Rescue Volunteering in Ecuador This Year

If you're passionate about animals and looking for a meaningful travel experience, Animal Rescue Volunteering in Ecuador is an incredible opportunity to make a positive impact. Ecuador, with its rich biodiversity and unique wildlife, faces growing challenges related to animal trafficking, habitat loss, and domestic animal neglect. Ecuador Volunteers connects caring individuals from around the world with dedicated animal rescue centers in need of extra hands and big hearts.

Why Volunteer in Ecuador?

Ecuador is a biodiversity hotspot, home to thousands of species, many of which are endangered. Unfortunately, wildlife trafficking and poor pet care practices continue to threaten the well-being of both wild and domestic animals. Volunteering in this setting gives you the chance to support rehabilitation centers and shelters that work tirelessly to provide animals with second chances.

Whether you’re assisting with exotic wildlife from the Amazon or caring for abandoned dogs and cats in urban shelters, Animal Rescue Volunteering in Ecuador allows you to be part of a real solution.

What to Expect as a Volunteer

At Ecuador Volunteers, we offer various placements in animal rescue centers across the country—including the Andes, the Amazon rainforest, and coastal regions. Daily tasks can include:

Feeding and cleaning animals

Assisting in medical care and rehabilitation

Building and maintaining enclosures

Supporting rescue missions or community outreach

Educating locals about animal welfare

Most of our projects require no prior experience, just a willingness to help, learn, and adapt. Whether you're a gap-year student, a career-break traveler, or a retiree, your contribution matters.

Cultural Exchange and Language Immersion

One of the unique aspects of Animal Rescue Volunteering in Ecuador is the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in Ecuadorian culture. Volunteers often stay with local host families or in volunteer housing near the project site. You’ll have the chance to learn Spanish, explore nearby towns and nature, and build lasting friendships with fellow volunteers and locals.

For those who want to combine volunteering with language study, Ecuador Volunteers also offers Spanish classes that can be scheduled around your volunteer hours. Learning the language enhances your experience and helps you engage more deeply with the community and the animals in your care.

Why Choose Ecuador Volunteers?

Ecuador Volunteers is a trusted, legally recognized organization that supports ethical, sustainable volunteer programs. We work closely with rescue centers and local NGOs to ensure that your time as a volunteer is both impactful and safe. Our team provides full orientation, 24/7 support, and assistance with accommodations and travel logistics. We believe that Animal Rescue Volunteering in Ecuador is not just a way to help animals—it's a transformative experience that stays with you long after you return home.