#final batch is from 2021

[numartian]

assorted gadget doodles ive done over the years + quirky fan design

[sharlsworld]

a digital love letter - ʟɴ4 ☆

✿ lando norris x influencer!reader

✿ a glimpse of all the post’s from when they were “just friends”, to there engagement announcement, to the announcement of there first child.

🝮

june 1st, 2020

lando.jpg

liked by pierregasly and 83,924 others

lando.jpg when i asked y/n if she wanted to quarantine with me i didn’t think it would be this long…

yn if you ask me to make one more batch of cloud bread i will lock you outside

⤷ lando.jpg well that’s awfully rude considering i offered you my home

⤷ yn you literally begged me to quarantine with you???

⤷ lando.jpg no need for the details

maxfewtrell couple goals

⤷ lando.jpg fuck off

hearts4lando “just friends” ok buddy 😭

beloved.hamilton just a COUPLE of friends!😄

charles_leclerc i think this quarantine has got your mind all mixed up cause…

lilac.leclerc there so oblivious 😭

f1wags i smell…a incoming wag 👀

🝮

august 10th, 2020

lando.jpg

liked by georgerussell63 and 984,118 others

lando.jpg took my girl to dinner and let her go shopping for her birthday…never again. she really knows how to spend money

carlossainz55 “my girl” ???

⤷ lando.jpg is she not my girl? she never leaves me alone

⤷ yn you give off this tough guy act like you don’t ask me to hangout every day

⤷ lando.jpg once again, no need for all the details jeez women

landolovesyn it’s the fact she literally makes so much money but he still wants to pay for her stuff really tugs on my heart strings 😪

sharls_lerklerk PAINFULLY OBLIVIOUS

pierregasly cmon mate

⤷ lando.jpg what?

landolovesyn Heather 🤩

🝮

january 1st, 2021

lando.jpg

liked by charles_leclerc and 1,746,023 others

lando.jpg happy new year bitches 🥳

yn been waitin for this one

⤷ georgerussell63 We all have

⤷ alex_albon seriously everyone

⤷ carlossainz55 Seriously

danielricciardo Took you guys long enough

⤷ yn 1 year is a reasonable amount of time

maxfewtrell NO PHOTO CREDIT?

⤷ lando.jpg no

lilymhe sooo when’s the wedding?

⤷ alex_albon watch they’ll probably get engaged this year

♥︎ by author

ynissocutiepatootie IT FINALLY HAPPENED

lovely_leclerc stop he took her to see the lights 😢

daddyricciardo i wonder how long they’ve been dating before deciding to go public

🝮

april 14th, 2021

lando.jpg

liked by yukitsunoda05211 and 824,722 others

lando.jpg i was feeling a little down today, but you DEFINITELY turned me on

yn can i help loosen your belt? it looks really tight 😉

⤷ lando.jpg you’ll never catch me saying no to that baby 😏

charles_leclerc Oh come on there’s children on this app lando

carlossainz55 I just opened the app mate

maxverstappen1 Well enough instagram for the day

georgerussell63 I could’ve lived the rest of my life without seeing this

⤷ lando.jpg don’t be hating

estiebestie lando is just a horny teenage boy honestly

♥︎ by yn

landowantsrizz i feel like i’m interrupting something…

hoeforsianzzz so there definitely getting down every night

♥︎ by author & yn

⤷ lilac.leclerc HELLO??? THESE BITCHES MUST BE GETTING DOWN LIKE BUNNIES

🝮

october 22nd, 2021

lando.jpg

liked by lewishamilton and 7,824,023 others

lando.jpg i couldn’t wait any longer

yn so impatient

⤷ lando.jpg i just couldn’t wait to call you my wife

⤷ yn good thing i said yes then

carlossainz55 Congratulations mate! 🎉🥂

♥︎ by author

lewishamilton Congrats man that’s amazing ♥️

♥︎ by author

maxverstappen1 Congrats bro ♥️

♥︎ by author

lilymhe the gold band 😨

⤷ yn ikr i was flabbergasted

♥︎ by author

charles_leclerc Congrats lando! ❤️

♥︎ by author

danielricciardo Let’s go boys 🥳

♥︎ by author

oscarpiastri Congratulations mate, i’m so happy for you 🧡

⤷ lando.jpg 🧡

maxfewtrell little lando norris finally grew some balls

⤷ lando.jpg i can never win 💔

mclaren To forever! 🧡

♥︎ by author

alex_albon i called it

♥︎ by author

landolovesyn the fact this has 7 million likes and he doesn’t have 7 million followers on this account 😭

lando.norizz THE GOLD BAND? LANDO NORRIS YOU’VE OUTDONE YOURSELF

sharls_lerklerk been here since the video of her accidentally dropping her hydroflask on his foot at one of the races in 2019😭

⤷ lando.jpg i still have the tiny scar on my little toe

🝮

january 1st, 2022

lando.jpg

liked by oscarpiastri and 792,614 others

lando.jpg happy new year bitches 👀

yn happy new year whore

⤷ carlossainz55 and to think you two are getting married soon…

charles_leclerc Oh thanks mate

⤷ lando.jpg i wasn’t talking to you

⤷ charles_leclerc Alrighty…

georgerussell63 This was such a elegant, mature post, until i saw the caption

⤷ lando.jpg you shouldn’t be surprised

landolovesyn literally all of his posts are about y/n

⤷ hearts4lando basically a fan page

estiebestie i’ll never get tired of seeing lando’s posts for y/n

carlando there relationship is so perfect

lilymhe don’t think just because you two are getting married that she’s yours

⤷ lando.jpg take the L 🤣

🝮

october 22nd, 2022

lando.jpg

liked by lewishamilton and 28,942,861 others

lando.jpg My greatest love, you are my one and only. From the day you dropped your hydroflask on my foot and laughed until you were crying I knew you were gonna be mine one day, I can’t think of anyone better to spend eternity with. In every universe, I will find you. When death takes my hand, I will hold you with the other, and promise to find you in every lifetime. I love you for everything you are, everything you have been, and everything you will be. You are my destiny, I love you endlessly. ♥️

yn ok…i’m literally sobbing right now i love you so much lando

⤷ lando.jpg i love you the most

danielricciardo Turned on auto caps for this one congrats man i’m so happy of you ♥️

♥︎ by author

lewishamilton I wish you two a lifetime of happiness and health ♥️

♥︎ by author

carlossainz55 To a lifetime of bullying each other! ♥️

♥︎ by author

charles_leclerc Little lando norris isn’t so little anymore? 😂 Congratulations man ♥️

♥︎ by author

mclaren Congratulations lando & y/n! 🧡

♥︎ by author & yn

landolovesyn y/n norris 🥹

lando.norizz crying in the club

lilymhe she was mine first.

⤷ lando.jpg not even

lilymhe congratulations, i guess ♥️

♥︎ by author

alex_albon Congratulations lando ♥️

♥︎ by author

georgerussell63 Can’t believe how far you’ve came mate! Congratulations ♥️

♥︎ by author

francisca.cgomes such a beautiful wedding…should’ve been me and y/n’s but still! ♥️

♥︎ by author

carmenmmundt Congratulations ♥️

♥︎ by author

🝮

february 29th, 2024

lando.jpg

liked by maxverstappen1 and 10,523,792 others

lando.jpg Mathéo Lee Norris. 2.10.23 ♥️

comments for this post have been limited

yn my boy 🤍 i love you lan

⤷ lando.jpg i love you the most baby

lilymhe cutest baby boy 💙

♥︎ by author & yn

charles_leclerc I bet he misses his favorite uncle already

⤷ carlossainz55 excuse me?

⤷ charles_leclerc your excused

⤷ maxfewtrell cmon guys, obviously i’m the favorite uncle

⤷ charles_leclerc no

alexandrasaintmleux cutie boy 💙

♥︎ by author & yn

carmenmmundt Mathéo is the cutest 🥰

♥︎ by author & yn

lewishamilton A gift from God ♥️

♥︎ by author & yn

alex_albon bro has more hair then me

♥︎ by author & yn

🝮

march 26th, 2024

lando.jpg

liked by carlossainz55 and 19,982,713 others

lando.jpg a digital love letter for you, the light of my life. my life long treasure of destiny. you are the greatest gift God has blessed me with. i love you endlessly ♥️

comments for this post have been limited

yn you sweet talker, i love you lan 🤍

⤷ lando.jpg i love you the most baby 🤍

landolovesyn guys…this might be heather

♥︎ by author

[peathepirate]

Part 22 - Finale

The one with criminal activities.

« PREVIOUS | BACK TO START

I can't believe this project is actually finished. I started sketching the first pages in January of 2021 (if my Instagram stories are to believe) and now I'm done? What am I even supposed to do now that I'm not drawing WINGS anymore?

It's not a perfect comic. It wasn't really meant to be a finished comic either, I was kind of messing around to see if I actually liked making longer comics. Turns out I do! I've always viewed this project as "practice", so the style is all over the place and at times, the art is really hard to look at (*cough* entire part 7 *cough*). But I finished it, all 206 pages of it! I never knew I had this much persistence in me :D

Things I wish I'd known before starting the comic: 1) Having a script will save you from many plot holes and plot threads that never lead anywhere (and it also gives you opportunities to do fun foreshadowing <- this is something I couldn't do for a Thing I came up with and had to drop because I'd already posted the first updates before writing the script). 2) Drawing in batches actually saves time, people aren't joking when they say that. It always takes time to get used to inking after sketching, or coloring after inking, etc. And when I say batches, I don't mean ten pages at a time, I mean like 40-50 pages at a time. I wish I'd realized this before the last 40 pages of this comic...

Thank you so, so much for each and every one of you who have been on this journey with me. It really has meant the world to me to have people I could share this story with. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making it <3

[professorsnape394]

DAY 11 - Unrequited Love

Pairing: Severus Snape x Reader

Rating: 😡

Prompt: Buried

Summary: Long Buried feelings finally come to light and Severus does not know how to react.

A/N: For this one I took inspiration from the last Snapetober I participated in (2021). I found an half-finished unpublished story in my drafts, so here is it finished and fully fleshed out. Enjoy :-)

Warnings:  Angst. Rejection. Spoilers: Unhappy Ending.

Word Count: 2307

Credits to Gif Creator.

Hogwarts Christmas Ball, 1978.

Y/N stared across the dance floor longingly, her gaze captivated by the slender boy on the other side of the room. Despite his tattered dress robes, and slightly greasy hair, Y/N always found herself drawn to him. In fact, her attention was rarely on anything but him. Severus Snape had stolen Y/N’s heart long ago; it was just a shame he knew nothing about it.

Her stomach lurched at the sight of Severus approaching a familiar red-head. While Y/N spent her days watching the boy, Snape spent his trailing around after Lily Evans.

It did not come as a shock to see them at the ball together since it was rumoured her infatuation, James Potter, was absent due to a bad batch of pumpkin pasties. What was surprising, however, was the fact that Severus was supposed to be attending the ball with her. A fact that seems to have slipped his mind.

Fighting back a second bout of tears that week, Y/N turned her gaze elsewhere. While she was under no illusions that Severus would return her feelings, she had hoped that the two of them might enjoy one dance together, even if they remained only friends. She watched on from afar, as her date laughed with another girl. Her face burned with a mixture of jealously and embarrassment.

It wasn’t the first time Severus’ feelings for Lily Evans made her feel small. But it was the first time her best friend had betrayed her so blatantly.  

Hours passed and without a single offer to dance, her classmate’s uninterested in anyone else besides their own dates. Severus remained on the opposite side of the Great Hall, oblivious to the girl whose heart was breaking over him.

Finding the night to be a lost cause, Y/N resided to return to her dorm. With one last glance over her shoulder, she caught a glimpse of Severus and Lily dancing arm in arm to a slow song; her head positioned intimately on his chest, his lips brushing against her auburn hair.   When he turned in time with the music, Y/N recognised the unrequited look on his face as the same one she often wore around him. It was in that moment she lost all hope of ever ensnaring the man she so longed to love.

That night forever haunted Y/N’s memory even years after she had graduated from Hogwarts. It was the night she had lost all hope on love, and despite trying to overcome her teenage infatuation, the remnants of her feelings still remained. It was this that prevented her from finding love elsewhere, thus leaving her just as alone in her twenties as she had been as a teen.

Diagon Alley, 1985.

Y/N’s usual weekend ritual consisted of a trip to Flourish and Blotts to purchase a brand-new novel, then visit a local café to begin her next literary adventure. It seemed the only way to escape the bitter thoughts of reality that often creeped up on her whenever she was alone.

The familiar chime of the doorbell welcomed her into the shop, the wall of heat easing the sting of the cold winter air outside. She took her time browsing the bookshelves, roaming up and down the aisles multiple different times before settling upon her final pick.

Y/N finally reached for the hardback, tugging only to find it would not budge. The witch crouched to inspect the issue, finding a second hand tightly gripped the spine from one aisle over, seemingly as reluctant to let go as she was.

An irritated grunt echoed through the silence of the shop, and the book was ripped from her grasp.

“Excuse me, what exactly do you think you are doing?” Y/N exclaimed, marching her way around the shelves. “I had that book firs-“

Her voice trailed away, the sight of her competitor stealing all the breath in her lungs.

“Severus.” She gasped.

“Y/N?” He turned to the woman in surprise.

“It’s… good to see you.” She bit back the tone of shock in her voice. A sickly feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.

“How long as it been? I can’t remember the last we spoke.”

“I can.” She blurted without thought.

After that night at the Christmas Ball, Y/N swore to never speak a word to the man again. Though it pained her, it was ultimately the right decision to try and lessen the hold he had on her. What hurt more was that he never once tried to reach out after that night; it hadn’t occurred to Y/N that their friendship had meant so very little to him.

Snape raised an eyebrow questioningly, waiting for the woman to elaborate.

“I should get going. It was nice to see you again, Severus.” She made a dash for the door.

“Wait. Your book.” He called after her, feeling nothing but utter confusion.

“Keep it, it’s yours.” She disappeared from his sight.

Struggling for breath, Y/N planted herself in the far corner of the café, peeling off her layers of scarfs and her winter coat. Her encounter with Severus had sent her blood boiling, flushing her face with colour and breaking a sweat out on her forehead. He was both the first and the last man she wanted to run into on any given day, she just never expected it to actually happen.

He looked so different now; no longer the lanky teenager she first developed feelings for. Yes, his face had aged, but his slight wrinkles only added to his appeal. At least when she thought back on him, she was picturing the scrawny boy with clothes that barely fit him. Now, however, she would forever see him as the man he had grown to become; tall, broad shoulders, and not completely lacking in the muscle department. And it didn’t escape her notice how strong his grip was when he forced the book from her hands.

Burying her head in her palms, Y/N wanted to scream, cry and throw up all at once. What had once been a distant memory of a childhood crush was now back in full force and she couldn’t get the image of the man out her head.

There was no way of telling how long she sat like that, except for the fact her tea had long since turned cold and the busy streets of Diagon Alley had almost emptied.

Had her hands not been pried away from her face, she may very well have sat like that all night. Her eyes first landed on the leather-bound novel that had been placed gently in front of her, not daring to look at where it had come from.

“Y/N.” Severus spoke softly, announcing his presence.

“How did you know I was here.” She croaked, burning a hole into the cover of the book.

“I remembered how much you liked tea. There was only so many places you could run to.” He took the seat opposite hers. “Why did you run?”

Y/N fought the urge to bury her head in her hands again. How was she going to explain the bizarre reaction she had to seeing him again after all these years.

“What can I get you, Sir?” A waitress interrupted, buying her time.

“Coffee. Black.”

“That’ll be with you in just a moment.” She smiled, returning behind the counter, leaving the two of them to sit in silence once more.

The loaded silence between the two threatened to swallow Y/N whole. Her need to see the look on Severus’ face, outweighed the need to hide the embarrassment on her own. She appreciated he did not push her for an answer, but his intense stare had a similar effect. There was no escaping his question.

“Seeing you again, after all these years… it’s too painful.” She stuttered.

Severus swallowed; it was clear he did not expect such an answer from her.

“Care to enlighten me as to why an encounter with me is … painful for you?”

Y/N searched his face for a semblance of understanding, surely he was not entirely oblivious to her feelings for him.

“Do you remember the last time we spoke?”

Severus didn’t bat an eyelid at her swift change of subject.

“I didn’t think I did.” He started. “But upon seeing you again, I think I remember when it was.”

“It was the day before the Christmas Ball in our Seventh year. We were sat in the common room by the fire. I was telling you about my dress, I was so excited to wear it for the ball.” The memory of the moment had her blinking back tears, it hurt to recount the events. “We were complaining that we both had to attend the ball alone, almost everyone in our year had dates and frankly it was a bit embarrassing that no one had even thought to ask me. You on the other hand made your own choice by refusing to ask anyone at all, considering the one person you wanted to ask was already taken.”

“I recall.” Severus clenched his jaw at the mention of the late Lily Potter.  

“Do you remember what happened later that night? You came to me in my dorm; slightly dishevelled I admit, maybe you had been drinking? I don’t know. But you came to me and asked me to accompany you to the ball.”

Severus froze, the memory slowly coming back to him.

“I don’t think you ever knew how happy that made me. I was completely over-joyed at the thought of having a date to the ball. Not just any date; you. You were the only one I truly wanted to go with and I felt like my dreams were finally coming true. I could barely sleep I was so happy. I spent the whole next day prepping and primping, making myself look the best I possibly could, in the hopes I could somehow manage to impress you.”

“You did not need to impress me.”

“Didn’t I?” Y/N couldn’t help but laugh as a tear fell from her eyes. “Because if my memory is correct; despite my efforts to prepare for a magical evening with you, I spend all of it alone. I arrived in the Great Hall to find my date had apparently been double booked.”

Suddenly it all dawned on Severus at once. He had completely fucked up. Not only by forgetting his arrangement with you, but for leaving his friend on the lurch when she had no one else to go with. He had been so blind by Lily’s request to replace James; he had forgotten everything the two of them had spoken about the night before.

“Y/N.” Severus sighed, massaging his forehead.

“I discovered through my own humiliating research that Lily Evans had become short of a date at the last moment and came to you for help. Which you so graciously offered.” She swiped at the stream of tears pouring down her cheeks.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry.” Snape reached across the table to take her hand in his.

“It’s done now.” She sniffled. “But you never even spoke to me after that. All those years of friendship forgotten about in an instant.”

“You were avoiding me like the plague, Y/N. I had no idea what I had done to piss you off, all I knew was that you were mad at me. I thought it would be better if I left you alone.”

“I wasn’t mad at you Severus. I was in love with you.” She looked teary-eyed into his pitying gaze.

Her confession left Severus speechless. Had he really been so blind, that he hadn’t noticed his best friend was in love with him?

He swallowed, clearing the ever-growing lump in his throat.

“I had no idea.” His words were nothing more than a whisper.

“Well, you wouldn’t, would you? While I was staring at you, you were too busy looking at her.”

Severus closed his eyes, taking a second to think back. She was right, his entire youth was memories of pining after. He hadn’t even taken a second to appreciate the one girl who stuck by him through it all.

“That still doesn’t explain why you ran away from me just now? Did I hurt you so bad that you’re still annoyed with me?”

It was Y/N’s turn to fall silent now.

“I think I should go.” She said after an uncomfortably long pause.

Y/N rushed to stand from the small wooden table, Severus stood just as quickly, blocking her exit path.

“Tell me.” He stared intensely into her eyes, his cold hands wrapping around her dainty wrist. “Please.”

The length between his words and hers seemed to go on for days. Finally, she gathered the courage to say the words she had been holding in for so many years.

“I think… I think I might still be in love with you.” His hand fell from hers, retracting as if he had been burned.

While it was her instinct to run away as far as she could, Y/N suspected this would be the one time she would regret fleeing. She needed to hear what he had to say.

“I… I don’t know what to say.”

Her heart sunk.

“Nothing.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “If the obvious doesn’t occur to you, then the best thing to say would be nothing.”

“I’m sorry.” He repeated sincerely.

“It really is time I should get going.” This time Severus stepped out of her way, allowing her access to the door.

“Your book.” He lifted it from the table.

“Keep it. If you ever have a change of heart, I might borrow it from you someday.”

Severus nodded, understanding her words.

Y/N took one last glimpse of him before leaving, flashing him a sad smile that might haunt his memory forever.

[badbatchdalorian]

Safe & Sound

MEDIA: The Bad Batch (2021-2024) CHARACTERS: Hunter & Omega RATING: G TAGS: Mentioned Crosshair, Mentioned Wrecker, Mentioned Tech, Mentioned Echo, Post-Episode: s03e04 A Different Approach, Canon Compliant (so yes tech's death is alluded to i'm sorry), Hunter is Omega's Parent, Hunter is Trying, Soft Hunter, POV Hunter, Protective Hunter, Good Sibling Hunter, Hunter Needs A Hug, Hunter Angst, Hunter-centric, Parental Hunter, Good Sibling Omega, Hunter & Omega-centric, Fluff and Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Omega Needs a Hug, Omega Gets a Hug, Hunter Gets a Hug SUMMARY: Hunter is Omega's safest space in the galaxy, and the night she returns home, he's determined to remind her of that, despite his own self-doubt. cross-posted from ao3

The Marauder was quiet, but it wasn’t the same kind of silence that had been suffocating Hunter for countless months. This one was peaceful, pierced only by the gentle sounds of three familiar, soothing heartbeats in his sensitive soundscape—and a new fourth one, belonging to the only non-human on board.

Hunter still couldn’t quite believe it. He was sitting in the cockpit now, gazing out at the stars as the rest of the squad slept, but even in his silent solitude, he couldn’t bring himself to terms with the fact that they were together again. After so much searching… crossing the galaxy five times… they had finally found her.

No, she had found them. And she had managed to bring along the brother Hunter never thought he would ever have returned to him.

Things with Crosshair were bound to get complicated—kriff, they already were, as Hunter allowed himself to acknowledge some of the unresolved bitterness festering deep within his chest—but beneath it all was Hunter’s genuine relief that Crosshair was truly back with them, and he was okay. Their other brother had given his life to try to make that possible.

His sacrifice was worth something again. Now, all Hunter could do was protect those he had left. He owed it to their fallen brother to make sure of that at all costs.

Hunter heard an unfamiliar snore, and he huffed quietly to himself as he spared a glance back towards the bunks. He was amused that the lurca hound Omega had named Batcher was sleeping with Crosshair, who had been acting like he wasn’t fond of the creature’s company. Clearly, Batcher recognized that Crosshair needed the comfort of a creature like herself, especially when he wasn’t ready to accept it from his estranged brothers.

Hunter hoped that would change. It was going to take more introspection on his part, and that alone was going to be hard work, but he was willing to do it. He had lost enough brothers already. He wouldn’t lose Crosshair, too. Not again.

The sergeant straightened when he suddenly heard something else, a different kind of motion that originated from somewhere further back inside the Marauder. He spun around and saw Omega tiptoeing her way down the ladder from the gunner’s mount. As she turned to head towards the cockpit, she offered Hunter a sheepish smile, as if she was embarrassed that she had been caught by him.

If only she knew how much the sight of her meant to him, especially now. Hunter couldn’t even find it in him to be upset about the fact that she wasn’t getting the sleep she so desperately needed.

To be fair, he was avoiding rest, too. He didn’t want to fall asleep and risk all of this being a mere dream.

Hunter waited until Omega had crossed the threshold of the cockpit to start speaking. “Hey, kid.” His low timbre was soft, minding their sleeping brothers as he watched her take the seat opposite from his own. He leaned his elbows against his knees and tried not to make the concern in his once-over of her leaner form so obvious. “Can’t sleep?”

Omega gave her head an aimless shake. “I just…” She pulled her legs up to her chest like she used to when she was younger. It reminded Hunter of that night they spent here together after Bracca and Bora Vio. “I can’t believe it.”

Hunter let out a gentle hum. “Can’t believe what?”

“That I’m actually back.”

Omega looked with awe at the viewport, and Hunter watched the stars flicker in her disbelieving eyes. Something in his chest ached when he realized there was a certain light that had completely faded from her gaze—no doubt something Hemlock and the Empire had taken from her.

He tightened his hands into fists. “I’m sorry it took so long.”

Omega frowned at him and shook her head. “It’s not your fault.” Her gaze softened as she went on. “I never gave up on you, and I know you didn’t give up on me, either. I always knew you and Wrecker were trying to find me.”

Hunter watched as he wrung his hands together. Flashes of the darkest moments from the last five months haunted him like shadows, bringing out the worst parts of himself and amplifying them until they nearly swallowed him whole.

He had been too close to descending into desperate madness. Without Wrecker—and Echo and Rex whenever they could be there—he surely would have lost himself completely.

But of course Omega never gave up hope in them, even when Hunter had felt so hopeless. She was his guiding light for a reason.

Hunter was able to muster up a small, genuine smile for her, but said nothing. Omega continued to fill the space.

“I knew I’d make it back somehow. But, now that I’m actually here…” Omega looked back at the stars and gave her head an aimless shake. “It sounds weird to say, but I’m scared that if I go back to sleep, then…”

“You’ll wake up and find out it was just another dream.”

Omega’s head snapped over to Hunter as he finished her thought. “Exactly.” She blinked at him a few times as her brow furrowed in a way that reminded the sergeant far too much of himself. “How’d you know that?”

Hunter huffed. “There’s a reason why I’m not sleeping, either.”

Omega instantly softened again as she considered him. She then sat up straighter and let go of her legs, lowering them until she was sitting in the chair normally. Hunter’s brow rose in wordless confusion at her sudden shift in posture.

Omega’s voice was quieter than usual when she finally responded. “You had dreams, too?”

Hunter unclenched his fists and nodded. He didn’t speak just yet; he was still observing Omega’s change in behavior. She was clearly more guarded as she tightened her lips and looked down at her lap.

“I never really thought about how hard this all must have been on you guys, too.” Omega spared Hunter a heartbreaking look. “I’m sorry.”

“Omega.” Hunter was soft yet stern as he addressed her. Thankfully, she held his stare as he went on. “You shouldn’t be apologizing for any of this. Like you told me before, it’s not your fault.” His jaw tightened hard enough to make it ache. “It’s the Empire’s.”

“Yeah.” Omega’s voice sounded as distant as her gaze was, even though she forced a smile at Hunter as if she was trying to convince him that she was truly present. “But you don’t have to worry about me anymore. I’m okay now.”

Hunter’s slowly healing heart shattered at that. He should have found consolation in Omega’s words, because he never had a reason not to believe her—but that was before Tantiss. The little girl who had been taken from him wasn’t the same girl who had come back.

Hunter was excited to get to know her, the new parts of her, but that could wait until she was healing. Right now, she wasn’t, and she was trying to convince him of the opposite.

It was a behavior he could spot easily, because he had been doing so for his brothers for years. Whether it was physical wounds they were hiding or something deeper, Hunter had learned to specialize in reading his brothers and ensuring they received the proper treatment, attention, and comfort that they needed. It was different for all of them, but by the end of the war, Hunter had it down to a science—even for Echo, who had still been new to their squad at that point.

Omega had been easy to learn initially. She was still a child, which meant that she wore her heart on her sleeve more than his brothers. It didn’t take a genius like Tech, however, to recognize that something had changed in Omega while she was in Tantiss. She wouldn’t have been able to be so vulnerable in the cruel clutches of a regime as oppressive as the Empire.

She had created her own armor, and now, Hunter had to learn how to gently dismantle it. First, though, he had to find out why she had suddenly put it back on.

Hunter let out a soft exhale before he finally spoke. “It’s okay to not be ‘okay,’ Omega.” His voice unintentionally wavered as he went on. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.”

I should’ve been there to protect you from it.

Omega’s hardened exterior cracked just the smallest amount at that, but it was gone in a flash, drowned out by the sound of her quickening heartbeat. “I didn’t have it so bad.” She spared a look back towards the bunks. “Crosshair and the other clones had it a lot worse. At least I wasn’t in a cell.”

Hunter folded his hands together and softened his naturally rough voice even more. “That doesn’t mean it wasn’t hard for you, too.”

Omega’s gaze fell to the floor. Her shoulders tensed, as if she was tightening the straps on her invisible armor. Hunter ignored the sharp ache in his chest and went on.

“You care so much about everyone you meet, Omega. It’s your greatest gift. It’s changed all of us for the better.” Hunter pushed past the sudden lump in his throat. “Especially me.”

That drew Omega’s attention. Her eyes betrayed her disbelief as Hunter opened up the most vulnerable parts of himself to her. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done, but he would gladly bleed himself dry if it meant helping, and saving, her.

“But… like with any gift, bad people can twist it against you. That’s what Hemlock and the Empire did. Maybe they didn’t physically do anything as bad to you as they did to the others, but even just making you watch was enough to hurt you just as much.”

Omega deflated. Hunter could see the slow fracturing of her composure, but she was still gripping onto it with white-knuckled fingers. Her hands tightened on her legs as she spoke in a low, uncharacteristic croak.

“Crosshair wouldn’t tell me what they were doing to him. But I passed him every day in the corridor, and he… he looked so defeated.”

Omega’s voice wobbled. Hunter resisted the urge to reach out and take her into his arms, instead planting himself where he was in the chair across from her and proving she had his devout attention.

“I had to be strong for him, Hunter.” Omega’s stare met his, but it must have been too much for her, as she quickly averted it and looked down towards the floor. “He was so… hopeless.”

She paused. Hunter didn’t speak. He could barely even breathe. If hearing this was enough to hurt him worse than any physical wound, then he couldn’t imagine what it was like for her.

He wanted to fight the whole galaxy for putting his little girl through this.

“It wasn’t so bad until I… I had to tell him.” Omega hiccuped on a breath, no doubt shoving down a sob as she once again tightened her shoulders and threw on her metaphorical armor. She glanced almost helplessly at Hunter. “I had to tell him, Hunter.”

Omega didn’t have to say what it was. Hunter knew. It twisted in his stomach like the blade inside his gauntlet, sending a searing, blistering pain through the most tender parts of himself. Hunter forced himself to ignore the unhealed wound as he kept his focus on her.

“He asked a lot of questions. I answered them the best I could. But when I told him why we were there when it happened, and what we were doing…”

Omega paused again, her lips trembling. She only continued when she had regained some semblance of her composure.

“He wouldn’t talk to me. I thought he was angry, but when I got up to walk away, I heard him.”

She sniffed and looked away from Hunter, hiding her face the best she could. Her voice was a haunted whisper.

“I’ve never heard someone cry like that.”

Hunter closed his eyes and hung his head. The idea of it alone was enough to make heat burn at the back of his eyes. He hadn’t exactly taken the space to mourn Tech himself; between the squad’s injuries at the time and Omega’s capture, Hunter simply hadn’t allowed himself to really think about it.

But this wasn’t the time, either. Right now, he had to be present for Omega, because her wound was even more raw than his—and she had to be the one to open up Crosshair’s, too, as if she hadn’t already been going through enough on Tantiss.

It was all so karked, and so unfair. Dwelling on that wouldn’t help anyone or change anything, though. Hunter had to do what he could with the shattered pieces of his family to put them back together, and right now, he was going to start with his kid.

Hunter reopened his eyes and lifted his head. Omega was curled away from him, her hands kneading the material of her pants as she fought desperately to cling to her composure.

“Omega.”

Hunter’s voice was so gentle and quiet that it was nothing but a breath that floated along the cockpit’s tense air. He was swift in the way he rose from his chair and kneeled down by Omega’s. He held the sides of it the way he had when he made that promise to her long ago, and although he hadn’t been able to keep that one, he would sooner die than break this one.

“Look at me.”

The order was softer than the ones Hunter was typically used to giving as a sergeant. Omega took a visible breath before she obeyed, her trembling lips straightening into a line as her teary eyes opened.

The amber gaze staring back at him was the same one Hunter used to see in the reflectors around Kamino. That, along with the blonde pieces of hair that escaped her ponytail, made it all too easy for him to know exactly what she was going through, because it was exactly what he had put himself through when he was her age.

It wasn’t supposed to be that way, though. She wasn’t supposed to have to go through this. Hunter was supposed to have saved her from that, to have given her the childhood they never got to have.

He might have failed in that regard, but he would stop at nothing to preserve what little of her childhood he still could.

“You’ve been strong. So much stronger than anyone your age should ever have to be.” Hunter dared to lift a hand to brush some of the hair back from her face. “I’m so proud of you for that.”

Omega didn’t flinch away from his touch. Instead, she leaned into it just the slightest amount, as if her body was fighting her heart.

“But you don’t have to be that strong anymore. Not with me.” Hunter took one of her anxious hands in his and nodded. “You’re safe now.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I promise.”

Hunter would understand if she didn’t believe him. After all, he had let her be taken to Tantiss in the first place—and then he hadn’t even been the one to find and rescue her. He had failed her.

But he wouldn’t fail her again.

Still, Hunter waited for Omega to scoff and remind him of his critical failures. He would never blame her for reacting like that. It was a nightmare he’d had more than once before, after all; he could, and would, bear it again for her.

But that wasn’t what she did. Instead, Omega crumbled the same way she had when she first saw Hunter outside the Marauder. She let the invisible armor tumble from her trembling form as she slid down from the chair to practically fall into Hunter’s waiting arms, her grasp tightening around his neck as she clung to him for dear life.

Hunter held her just as tightly. He kept her tucked against his chest, his eyes closed as he set his chin on top of her head. He placed a firm hand between her shaking shoulder blades, running soothing circles there as the dam she had built over the last few months finally broke.

Through her quiet, muffled sobs, Hunter’s senses were still able to string together her nearly incoherent words. “I just wanted you, Hunter.” Her arms squeezed tighter. “All I wanted was you.”

Her words knocked the air from Hunter’s lungs and made it hard to breathe for a moment, but he recovered quickly for her sake, holding her closer as he spoke in a soft, steady voice. “I’m here. I’m here now.” He buried his face in her head and let out an exhale. “You’re safe.”

Hunter repeated these reassurances to Omega as she cried out whatever tears she had left. It was just as healing for him as it was for her; he had been haunted by the phantom of her lively spirit in the emptiness of the Marauder for so long that it was still hard to believe his nightmare was coming to an end, and that she really was here in his arms. Holding her like this, and speaking to her like this, was a balm to his wounded soul.

Once Omega had caught her breath enough to speak more coherently, she let out a shaky exhale and only slightly loosened her grasp on Hunter. “I missed everyone, but… I always feel safest when I’m with you.” She lifted her arm to wipe her eyes. “That hasn’t changed.”

The dark shadow of bitter failure loomed in the back of Hunter’s mind and obscured the ray of light Omega’s reassurance attempted to bring him. He fought the sudden tension in his shoulders and let out a light sigh. “You don’t have to say that just to make me feel better.”

“I’m not.”

Omega’s sadness and desperation was traded for determination in an instant as she sat up from where she had burrowed herself in Hunter’s neck and shoulder to face him.

“I trust you to protect me.” She lifted a hand to Hunter’s tattooed cheek, her brow furrowed in severity as her amber eyes flitted between his own. “I always have.”

Hunter wanted to be convinced by the breathtaking amount of honesty in both her stare and her words, but that dark shadow of doubt remained, sticking like tar to the most vulnerable parts of himself that only Omega had ever been able to reach. Still, the warmth of her touch began to bleed through his pain as he spoke around the sudden lump in his throat.

“Omega… they took you. They took you and I couldn’t even find you.” Hunter couldn’t face her anymore. His gaze fell as he straightened himself the same way she had before. “I understand if you don’t trust me the way you did before.” 

Because I failed you.

“Don’t say that. None of this is your fault.” Omega lowered her hand to hold both his shoulders in her tightened grasp. “You gave me an order on Ord Mantell, and I disobeyed it. It was my choice, Hunter.” She knit her brow together, never once looking away from his devastated gaze. “You did everything you could. I’ve never blamed you for this.”

Omega lifted her chin, portraying strength in a way that was different than before—and much more familiar. It was a stark contrast to the tear stains on her cheeks, along with those that continued to sit upon her waterline.

“I never lost faith in you. You would’ve found us if we hadn’t gotten out first.” She offered Hunter the best smile she could manage. “I bet you were close already, weren’t you?”

Hunter shrugged. He wished he could go along with her sweet optimism, but the monster who had consumed him over the last few months wouldn’t quiet down enough for that. “We had a few leads, but… it wasn’t close enough.” He shook his head, recalling the pit that had opened up inside his stomach when the data from Hemlock’s destroyed lab had only come back with a single system. “It was never enough to save you.”

Omega’s gaze softened even as her determined exterior remained firm. “It was what I learned from watching you, Hunter, that saved me.”

She paused and lifted her hands from his shoulders, instead holding the sides of his face as she went on.

“You taught me to be strong. You’re the reason Crosshair and I made it here at all, even if you weren’t there with us. You, and Wrecker, and Echo, and… and Tech, too.”

The name hit Hunter like an unexpected uppercut, forcing his eyes closed as his unhealed wound tore open. Omega’s words, however, crept in more and more, stitching his wound and his heart back together as he mused upon the truth of them.

She really had become so much like him—like all of them. Hunter could see the glimpses of all his brothers, old and new, within her, making her into a mosaic of who Clone Force 99 had been and still was. She was everything he had ever hoped for his squad to be and more.

And that had saved her. It had gotten her out of that wretched place. Maybe it didn’t matter that Hunter wasn’t the one to fly in and come to her rescue. To know that he played some kind of role in helping her escape, even if it wasn’t physical, healed him in a way no amount of bacta ever could.

Hunter hadn’t realized a tear had escaped his closed eye until Omega was already brushing it away from his cheek. He looked at her and watched as her own eyes brimmed with more unshed tears, though her trembling lips were still managing a smile for him.

He refused to shatter now. Omega had been picking up the pieces of herself and Crosshair for too long already. Hunter wouldn’t make her do the same for him.

Instead, he gently wrapped a hand around the back of Omega’s neck to ease her forehead to his own in an affectionate gesture that was long overdue for the two of them. It was only when she was close enough to see clearly into the depths of his vulnerable soul that Hunter dared to speak, his rough voice strained by the genuine, heavy meaning behind each word.

“Thank you.”

He wanted to say so much more, but he wasn’t sure how. It was against a soldier’s nature to give anyone a window into the complex feelings that swirled like a storm within him, even if he wanted to learn how to. It would be a lesson for another day, though, and Omega would understand. She always had.

And Hunter was right. The smile that broke out on Omega’s lips was worth every single painful moment Hunter had been through in the last few months. With the exception of her immediate reunion with both himself and Wrecker, it was the happiest he had seen her ever since they had left Pabu.

Omega’s voice was quiet yet meaningful when she finally responded. “You don’t have to thank me, Hunter.” Her smile remained as her kind eyes searched his. “I just want you to feel as safe with me as I feel with you.”

Hunter didn’t have to force the smile that overtook his own lips. “I already do.”

His hand slid up to the back of Omega’s head, minding her small ponytail, as he eased it upon his shoulder. Her grasp tightened around his neck again, though this time, her body completely relaxed against his. She let out a soft, content sigh, a sound that washed Hunter over in waves of relief.

Everything was far from perfect still. Hunter didn’t know half of what she had actually been through, and there were traces of guilt and determination in her eyes that warned him of a mission she had already given herself. In this moment, however, none of that mattered.

What mattered was that she was safe, and she was here—and she was on her way to healing.

Omega only continued to relax more against Hunter, adding more weight that he could easily handle. He was careful as he rose from their place on the floor of the Marauder to return to the chair where he had been before. He kept Omega where she was against him, letting her lay upon him as he stared out at the stars over her head.

She was gently kneading the fabric around his neck, a sure sign that she was trying to keep herself from falling asleep. Hunter let out a soft hum and patted her back.

“You can go to sleep. I promise I’ll still be here when you wake up.” Hunter let Wrecker’s and Crosshair’s familiar heartbeats brush up against his soundscape along with hers. “We all will.”

Omega didn’t need more convincing. It only took a minute or two for her breathing to slow, and her heart rate leveled out to one that matched the slower rhythm of their brothers’. The familiar harmony of all three of them, even without the two others that had once completed his symphony, was enough to make him feel more like himself than he had in a long, long time.

He was back in his solitude, but it wasn’t the same this time. Hunter wasn’t preyed upon by the shadows that had all but consumed him around the empty ship that had become a haunted house. He wasn’t trapped within the bottomless pit of his own desperation and self-loathing. Instead, he was genuinely, truly hopeful, like the dawn breaking upon a new day.

And Omega was his sun.

It was then, and only then, that Hunter allowed himself to splinter apart. Every overwhelming emotion he had been pushing down escaped through the cracks in his composure until they all spilled over. He buried his face in Omega’s head and let it happen, holding her tighter as he eased the shaking of his own shoulders to keep himself from disturbing her slumber.

Tears of joy, relief, fear, grief, and pure disbelief ran rivers into the blonde hair Hunter hadn’t even helped to wash yet, beginning the process of cleansing both of them from the painful stain of Tantiss’ haunting grime on their minds, bodies, and souls. The battle wasn’t over, Hunter knew that deep down inside himself, but they had at least gotten a victory.

They were, at long last, back in their safest spaces in the entire galaxy, and for now, that would be enough. It would always be enough.

[stereopticons]

On This Day in Schitt's Creek: May 3

2019

Pride [david/patrick, G, 2,162] by Thechargingsky

David has his reasons why he doesn't want to go to Pride, but knows Patrick wants to go. Part of being in love is doing things for the ones you love, right?

Rings [david/patrick, T, 1,594] by togglefrog

Patrick has to find a way to get his hands on David’s rings without arousing suspicion. That shouldn’t be hard, because David is somehow the most oblivious person on Earth when it comes to this sort of thing. Ft. Stevie, a Party Girl™

Your Wings Prepare to Fly [david/patrick, E, 35,002] by @icmezzo

Wings on a human? Incorrect. David Rose had them anyway, at least sometimes. But given that he loathed them all the time, with every luxuriously moisturized cell in his body, he did whatever it took to keep them hidden away. It hadn’t even been particularly difficult—at least, not until Patrick Brewer started looking.

2020

[podfic] Snuggle [david/patrick, G, podfic] by @distractivate @olive2read

Patrick is determined to win the laundry standoff...

For the Sake of Proficiency [david & stevie, E, 1,792] by VieLeGuerre

He walked out of the bathroom and saw her sitting casually at the table, still in her jeans and flannel, one foot on the ground and the other up on the opposite chair. She raised her eyebrows at him and took another sip from the longneck in her hand. “You done?” she asked, deadpan with notes of impatience and appreciation. He cocked an eyebrow and raised his jaw, looking through his lashes down at her. She took in all that face, all that skin. He always looked so beautiful.

Into Dust [david/patrick, M, 911] by @wi22iou

Patrick and Twyla sing a poignant song relating to The Handmaid's Tale Season 3 finale to help them process. It gets emotional.

Rainy heart [david/patrick, G, 1,424] by @msarahv

Sometimes, a rainy days occurs. Sometimes it passes. But one is never the same.

stars shining bright above you [david & stevie, G, 1,139] by @hullomoon

Sometimes it's easier to have heartfelt conversations when it's dark out.

The 3 Times David had a “Moment” and the 1 Time it Wasn’t David [david/patrick, T, 6,267] by Its_Me_Sb

Everyone is well aware of David’s many instances of dramatics as a result of a stressful or overwhelming situation, and every time Patrick is there to make it better. But everyone has their moments. OR The three time David lets stress get to the better of him, and the one time Patrick has a bit of an overwhelming day himself.

this is a place where i feel at home [david/patrick, G, 1,458] by @mariss-ugh

They try not to be home this late on Tuesdays, but they’ve been putting in extra hours the past month working on their five-year plan. With their wedding and moving into their house behind them, they’ve decided to focus on building out their business.

Vanquished [david/patrick, G, 3,594] by @codswalloping

Patrick absolutely refuses to be sick on Christmas Eve.

we'll take the world together [alexis & david, M, 6,244] by @landofsonlali

5 times David takes care of Alexis and 1 time Alexis takes care of him

Young at Heart [david/patrick, E, 46,961] by @agoodpersonrose

Post-Season Six AU. David and Patrick have been married for five years and life has never been better. In the midst of preparing to open their third storefront, a magical accident involving a strange new vendor and a bad batch of wrinkle cream leaves David with a new look that threatens to change their world as they know it.

2021

all that you got, skin to skin [david/patrick, E, 3,237] by @schittyfic

For midnightstreet's prompt: Patrick loves David's body hair (and David has come to like it too), but when David decides to get a full-body wax just for the heck of it, Patrick loses his fucking mind.

As it has Always Been [david/patrick, T, 2,485] by @agoodpersonrose

It must be the fifth or sixth time the Brewers have met David. But the first time that they have seen him truly angry.

Aubade [david/patrick, G, 229] by petrichor_apothecary

Patrick and David enjoy a morning together out in their back yard.

baby, don't let go [david/patrick, G, 100] by @seadeepy

David claimed he was waiting because Patrick kept sending him gifts, but Patrick thinks he understands the real reason.

everyday the hold is getting tighter (and it troubles me so) [stevie/ruth, M, 1,228] by budd

Stevie and Ruth end up sharing the last bed at the newest addition to Rosebud Motel Group. Title from "Under Attack" by ABBA

Flying Coach [david/patrick, T, 8,930] by @lisamc-21

David uses a piece of his Blouse Barn money for an (unfortunately depressingly economical) European vacation before he opens his store and he won't have the time or money to travel. After the literal worst day of travel he's ever experienced, a knight in shining blue polyester comes to his rescue. Even a cranky and jet-lagged David can't withstand the power of Patrick Brewer's kind, teasing earnestness.

it's never too late [stevie/twyla, G, 1,000] by budd

Twyla works through queer feelings revolving around her crush of thirteen years, Stevie Budd.

lead me back home, back into your arms [david/patrick, T, 2,797] by @maxbegone

He breaks the silence. “You shouldn’t feel guilty, you know,” he begins, taking a corner of the towel on Patrick’s shoulders and dabbing it across his collarbone. “For not telling them.” -- A missing scene in the apartment during Meet The Parents.

Leaving Aside the Circumstances [david/patrick, E, 9,311, CW: noncon/dubcon] by @unfolded73

David and Patrick are running a general but very specific store on a space station when they get abducted by aliens. And then they have to have sex because this is tropefest.

Love Keeps the Cold Out [david/patrick, T, 15,291] by @thesleepyskipper

David gets out of the rental car at the base of the mountain and immediately shivers as the cold air hits his face. He’s quickly realizing that he may not be properly dressed for the weather, wearing a thin knit olive-coloured toque, his favourite Rick Owens lace-ups and a black peacoat over his usual designer sweater and black jeans. As the wind whips across his exposed knees, it also occurs to him that he probably should have avoided the ripped ones for this trip. Or at least on the days when he’d be forced to brave the elements. Despite the somewhat-fond memories lingering in the back of his mind, he quickly becomes aware that this trip has a distinct purpose outside of spending weeks at a time as a professional ski bunny. David takes a trip to a ski resort in Quebec to meet a new possible vendor for Rose Apothecary, with Stevie, Alexis and Ted tagging along for the ride. During an unfortunate incident, David is trapped with a handsome stranger who is trying to escape from his past. Will this vacation potentially be a success for both his store and his love life?

The Blouse Barn Divorce Ranch [david/patrick, M, 26,226 + podfic + art] by Amanita_Fierce @danieljradcliffe @delilah-mcmuffin @sarahlevys @fishyspots @godoflaundrybaskets @hagface @hullomoon @januarium @kiwiana-writes @middyblue @nontoxic-writes @ratchet @rhetoricalk @roguebebe @schittposting @ships-to-sail singsongsung @sparklesmagiclightlove @sunlightsymphony @swiftlythebest @schitthappens

Hello, I am Wendy Kurtz, proprietor of the Blouse Barn Divorce Ranch, the world’s premier spot for couples looking to get a speedy divorce and connect with other soon-to-be divorcees. I’d like to highlight the stories of five couples, who rearranged into five other couples, from some past summer. These ten people came to the Blouse Barn Divorce Ranch with the intention of ending a marriage, and got that and so much more. I could recount their journeys with 100% accuracy, but where’s the fun in that? Let’s let them tell us themselves. OR: One crazy summer in Las Vegas brings the heat and then some. Featuring art and podfic with every chapter!

this magnetic force of a man [david/patrick, G, 100] by @seadeepy

Twyla talks to Patrick at the baby sprinkle. Patrick doesn't finish his sentence.

2022

Like the First Time [david/patrick, T, 1,656] by poemme

Fic bunny from the quote: "I've kissed like a thousand people, but nobody that I cared about, or respected, or thought was nice."

Six O'Clock [david/patrick, T, 2,433] by mindswindowsdoors

"Oh. Hi...Patrick." David doesn’t know how to respond. It's a little weird. He likes Patrick just fine. More than fine. More than he should for a business partner. David's only human. Patrick is hot and new, and more importantly - it'll pass. This...crush thing. Not getting laid isn't exactly helping either. Anyway. Not the point. He and Patrick haven't hung out socially and it's kind of awkward running into him during a hunting expedition for randoms at a seedy bar.

The Chalet [david/patrick, M, 874] by mindswindowsdoors

David and Patrick get away.

2023

Rose from the Ashes [david/patrick, E, 72,210] by @likerealpeopledo-on-ao3

Meet David Rose and Patrick Brewer, the two men who were found living on a deserted island for over forty-five days after the Blayze Music Festival went up in smoke. Documentary filmmaker (town council member, real estate agent, closet organizer, and photographer) Ray Butani has assembled an in-depth, first-person account of one of the more positive outcomes of the fraudulent festival: the romance that blossomed amongst the chaos. Binge read all eight episodes to learn how getting lost led David and Patrick to find both themselves and each other.

Scruff [david/patrick, G, 100] by @sspaz1000

Patrick hopes that today is the day David comes back.

2024

[Podfic] 50 Shades [david/patrick, G, podfic] by @hullomoon

David’s tested every shade from Greige to Pewter, whereas Patrick, prefers plain Blue, and thought, they’d reached a compromise with Slate Blue. Or, the first time Patrick and David paint and decorate their cottage. [podfic of 50 Shades]

[podfic] Maison Valentino [david & alexis, G, podfic] by @schitthappens

A surprise visit from Alexis gets David thinking more deeply about the fluidity of his wardrobe and identity. Podfic of Maison Valentino by bigficenergy.

Stats:

No fanworks for 2017 or 2018 2019: 3 fics/38,758 words 2020: 10 fanworks (9 fics, 1 podfic)/69,856 words 2021: 12 fanworks (11 fics, 1 fic + podfic + art combo)/70,934 words 2022: 3 fics/4,693 words 2023: 2 fics/72,310 words 2024: 2 podfics Total: 32 fanworks (28 fics, 3 podfics, 1 fic + podfic + art combo)/256,854 words

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Firebug - Pyrrhocoris apterus

Valentine's Day may have been last week, but there's still one more mating pair of insects that I'd like to highlight while romance is still fresh in our minds. Their red color would have certainly been a good fit for the aforementioned holiday, but then it would be too easy. In any case, I've typically found this common specie of Red Bug in one of two scenarios: either as an individual insect running across the wilderness, like some of the images shown here; or as a member of an aggregation featuring dozens or hundreds of crimson-colored Bugs. For the latter, all nymph stages of this insect's life cycle can be observed alongside the adult forms as they aggregate along a tree, plant or secure man-made structure. While a part of an aggregation, these insects share a living area and food source and will stay close together to maintain warmth and protection from insectivorous threats (i.e. too many insects to track one or one insect may be eaten over another). However, while looking closer at several prior recorded and photographed Bug hordes, I noticed that there were no mating pairs of these Bugs to be found. Thusly, we come to the pair found among grass and wood chips. It seems that rather than mate as a part of the aggregation, the adult Bugs will strike out on their own to find mates, but is that the whole story?

Naturally, there might be a few individuals within such an aggregation who would form mating pairs as the purpose of these pheromone-signaled aggregations is to bring Bugs together for mutual benefit. Among these large insect groups, bringing them together can be a simple and effective way to find a mate if they are willing to wait for a few molts. Many individuals within Firebug aggregations (particularly the ones that I've seen) are nymphs, and thusly lack the appendages needed to mate. Moreover, while there are many insects and pheromones within an aggregation, perhaps there are too many? One of the crucial parts of an insect's life is to pass on its genes, but with so many males and females to choose from, who's to say that the efforts of one male won't be supplanted by another? As such, it may be in the best interest of the male Firebug's genes to bring a female away from the aggregation. Thusly the male Firebug practices mate guarding and remains attached to the female for hours to days of mating!

However, Common Firebug females are usually only receptive after feeding (eggs and mothers need nutrients) and they actually benefit from having multiple partners so that many of their eggs become fertilized. So perhaps a female Firebug benefits more from the aggregation? It sounds like it, but consider one particular long term decision: there is competition for nearby nesting sites, and amassing all the Firebug eggs in on area can prove disastrous should they be destroyed. Moving away from the aggregation may be beneficial in terms of dispersal and discovery of better sites. This is particularly crucial since this insect typically has reduced wings (but sometimes doesn't), and relies on running and scent detection to find new areas for food and egg placement. Although different in their approaches and needs, male and female Firebug adults at least want the same thing at the end of the day, and their cooperation together ensures a successful batch of new Firebugs will emerge after overwintering. Finally, even if laid far apart, it's never a lonely life as a hatched Firebug nymph; soon the pheromones are detected and the aggregations of these deep-red insect starts again!

The solo Firebug pictures were taken on March 22 and May 6, 2021 and the mating pair pictures were taken on May 13, 2021; both with a Google Pixel 4.

[caitlynkirammansrifle]

Ch. 6: Small Steps "Low Lays the Devil in Me" CaitVi Fanfic

“Tell me, Officer Kiramman, do you find fulfillment in your occupation?” “Fulfillment, ma’am?” Caitlyn asked as Corina weaved through rows of colorful plants. “Yes, personally, I mean. Do you wake up every day with a sense of purpose and go to sleep every night with the knowledge that you are making your mark on this world?” Caitlyn thought about her answer carefully and decided to play it safe. “Would you even believe me if I told you that I do?” she replied with a sardonic smirk. Corina stopped and pulled out a few weeds from a beautiful batch of yellow bulb plants that Caitlyn recognized as tulips. When she was finished, she looked at Caitlyn. Her dark eyes, Caitlyn realized, were speckled with beautiful gold flakes that anyone could get lost in, should she choose to weaponize them. “If you were an ordinary citizen, perhaps I would believe you,” she finally answered. “But to go from the pinnacle of Piltover political power to the banality of chasing down petty criminals in the Undercity? Then no, I don’t believe that someone like you would find that fulfilling.”

Low Lays the Devil in Me - Chapter 6 - Phoenix314 - Arcane: League of Legends (Cartoon 2021) [Archive of Our Own]

Caitlyn makes small steps towards proving herself to Corina’s operation.

[allseeingmurph]

Women of Legend

Here are a few older pieces that I wanted to share. Most of these were done in 2020-2021 and they are from a series I called Storyteller, highlighting women of legend and mythology that haven't necessarily been portrayed in the best light--or much at all. Starting at the top on the left, we have Eve, then Persephone. the next row is Pandora and Jezabel, then finally Lilith and Rhiannon.

These pieces were created entirely in Adobe Fresco using mostly vector brushes and vector-created shapes.

I had a lot of fun with this series and there are a few more from Storyteller that are not in this batch of images.

[chocochipjewel]

Soo... TBB Finale. This art was very rushed and it's the first time I've ever drawn these characters, so I hope it came out good.

I'm not going to talk about the finale itself here, moreso a general love letter to the show.

I'll be honest, I have a very love-hate relationship with this show. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I greatly dislike some of the writing decisions made. And it's by no means my favourite Star Wars media.

But it has this special place in my heart as the show that I can't help going back to, purely cause of attachment to the characters. I'm not even sure how and when it happened but somewhere along the line I just got super super attached to this family of characters trying to heal and live a peaceful life together, and I love that.

I haven't been in the fandom very consistently. I was there for the season 1 finale, I was not keeping up for most of season 2 until the finale again, and only hopped on the bandwagon again in the beginning of season 3 and now for the finale. I guess you could say it's been a very on and off relationship. But now it's ending and I have to say, it's been fun. It's been fun watching these characters grow and change, and it's been watching their dynamic as a team of siblings.

I have a lot of memories with this show, from back in 2021 when I was looking for something to watch in between online classes, to now, when I was looking for something to watch in school holidays. I can't deny that the time I spent with the show, I spent having a blast and I will cherish those memories forever.

Being a Star Wars fan means picking and choosing which parts of this vast franchise to make your little place in, and the Bad Batch is definitely a part of that place for me. I love this show, flaws and all, and I hope the fandom keeps the spirit alive after the finale and for whatever comes next.

So, thank you. To all the cast and crew who made this show what it is. To all the animators (I hope they're getting paid fairly for some of the insanely realistic environments they create for this show), to the composers for the gorgeous atmospheric music, to the sound designers, to the voice actors. And to the fandom, for making some truly amazing fan content through the years and for sharing my love for these characters. Here's to all of us enjoying this show for years to come.

❤️❤️❤️ - Jewel

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

Stats from Movies 1501-1600

Top 10 Movies - Highest Number of Votes

Ghostbusters (2016) had the most votes with 1,257 votes. Phantoms (1998) had the least votes with 309 votes.

The 10 Most Watched Films by Percentage

The Skeleton Dance (1929) was the most watched film with 63.5% of voters out of 647 saying they had seen it. It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This (2023) had the least "Yes" votes with 0,7% of voters out of 454.

The 10 Least Watched Films by Percentage

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) was the least watched film with 73% of voters out of 449 saying they hadn’t seen it. ¡Corten! (2021) had the least "No" votes with 6,4% of voters out of 390.

The 10 Most Known Films by Percentage

Ghostbusters (2016) was the best known film, 1,3% of voters out of 1,257 saying they’d never heard of it.

The 10 Least Known Films by Percentage

¡Corten! (2021) was the least known film, 92.6% of voters out of 390 saying they’d never heard of it.

The movies part of the statistic count and their polls below the cut.

The Houses October Built 2 (2017) Brightburn (2019) Snow Falls (2023) The Forsaken (2001) Vanishing on 7th Street (2010) The Golem (1920) Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992) The Monster Squad (1987) Dracula 2000 (2000) The Apparition (2012) Ghosts of Mars (2001)

Ice Cream Man (1995) Ghostbusters (2016) Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) Species (1995) World War Z (2013) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) Village of the Damned (1995) Arachnophobia (1990) House of the Dead (2003)

Ghost in the Machine (1993) Wicked Little Things (2006) The Puppet Masters (1994) Lord of Illusions (1995) Quicksilver Highway (1997) Funny Man (1994) Death Becomes Her (1992) Cabin Fever (2002) Alien³ (1992) All Superheroes Must Die (2011)

Boogeyman (2005) The Abandoned (2006) Constantine (2005) Valentine (2001) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989) Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) Godzilla Minus One (2023) Unrest (2006) Phantoms (1998)

Bordello of Blood (1996) Late Night With The Devil (2024) Terror Toons (2002) Slumber Party Massacre II (1987) The Fly II (1989) Sharktopus (2010) The Clovehitch Killer (2018) Blood: The Last Vampire (2000) The Hamiltons (2006) The Kid and the Camera (2022)

The Skeleton Dance (1929) The Stand (1994) Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) The Shining (1997) Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978) Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008) How to Be a Serial Killer (2008) Ed and His Dead Mother (1993) Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

Abigail (2024) Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001) Reptilicus (1961) The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009) The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu (2009) The Haunting of Hill House (2018) It (1990) Chronicle (2012) My Name Is Bruce (2007) Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)

¡Corten! (2021) The Pit (1981) Moon Garden (2022) My First Day (2017) Infested (2023) The Stone Tape (1972) Stung (2015) The Block Island Sound (2020) Sting (2024) Nadja (1994)

History of the Occult (2020) It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This (2023) Moloch (2022) The Tomb of Ligeia (1964) The Premature Burial (1962) The Raven (1963) Dracula 3000 (2004) The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999) Malevolence (2004) Cannibal! The Musical (1993)

[the-silentium]

The key to survival

Chapter 1: Always have tape; it might save your boat or silence chatty people

Masterlist

Pairing: Bad Batch x Reader, not sure yet but might turn into a Tech x Reader fic

Words: 5280 words

Warnings: None

A/N: I had this story in my drafts since 2021. I think it deserves to be out there. Please enjoy.

Taglist: @haloangel391             

____________________

Hunter looked through the glass canopy of the Marauder, searching intently along with Tech and Echo for their escort. The Marshall Commander had been clear about that step; wait for them and do not attempt to approach the surface of the planet without them. The reason why was unclear. 

According to Tech, this planet chose to remain relatively advanced-technology free, meaning that they did use comms and datapads, but turned down ships and any plasma-based weapon. It was odd but not unheard of. It also didn't explain why the clones were forbidden to approach without a native escort. 

Surely, without any high-technology, the ship could not be shot down, the planet was affiliated with the Republic so the locals would not attack them as soon as they stepped out, their presence was planned days ago and so they would not be surprised of the Batch's arrival. 

Even Tech's encyclopedic mind and seemingly endless databank couldn't make sense of it. He told them the planet was inhabited by a high variety of highly dangerous animals of all kinds; swimming, walking, flying, poisonous, stealthy, all more dangerous than the previous one. However, they could be as deadly as they wanted, the clones aboard the ship were trained elite commandos equipped with pretty decent artillery. Those animals had no chance whatsoever against them.  

They nonetheless followed their orders and remained into the stratosphere until their comm received a transmission. Still, Hunter couldn't spot any escort in the clear blue sky. 

"So you're the clone ship?" A cheery, female voice rang through the line as soon as Echo accepted the incoming call. 

"We are. We were told to wait for an escort, is that you?" The Sergeant inquired, eyes still looking for any sign of the woman's ship. Again, he remained clueless of your position. Even the radar remained clear. 

"The one and only!" Crosshair came over and rolled his eyes at your enthusiastic tone. 

Then you finally came into view from their side. Hunter was not the only one shocked to see you ride a living, flying creature instead of a ship. 

The thing was slim in girth although imposing by the size of its leaf-shaped wings. Its back went from an emerald green to a darker shade with black star-shaped markings while its underside was on the brown side. Hunter noticed the curious movements of the wings flapping to slow down. They were separated in three distinct flaps, like six humongous leaves that kept it in the air. More importantly, the vicious talons and sharp teeth that caught the sunlight were enough for Hunter to be grateful that you were on their side. 

Then his attention moved to you, firmly holding onto your ride by a saddle. Your helmet looked like the only piece of technology you possessed. Its emerald shade shone under the sun, a stark contrast with the dark Y-shaped visor. 

"Woah! I've never seen one of those!" Wrecker exclaimed in awe as he ran to the cockpit, his eyes growing wide at the sight of the flying reptilian. 

"Just follow me and I'll bring you to the landing zone closest to our city." The creature kept a stationary position a good distance away from them, its eyes looking right at the men. Hunter repressed a shiver at the feeling of being seized up. 

"I wanna ride one of those." Wrecker pointed at the beast. A scoff escaped Hunter's mouth. He looked at his brother and wondered if he realized that you were riding 45 klicks in the air. "Looks much more fun than the Marauder! And cuddlier!"

"Cuddlier?" Echo whispered in disbelief. Hunter had to agree with his brother, this beast was in the same "cuddly" department as Crosshair. 

"Using animals as transportation methods is quite antediluvian." Tech tutted. “Ships surpass by far any capabilities of a biological creature.”

"I beg your pardon?" The female's voice cut through the comms. Hunter straightened along with Echo. Both of them thought that the transmission was over. Tech must not have noticed the dryness of your tone because he continued like there wasn't any issue. 

"Oh, do not apologize, it's quite alright. Antediluvian refers to something old-fashioned. There are more useful and practical ways to fly nowadays than use animals that have limited stamina, lower speed, lower height endurance--"

"I know what the word means." You cut him off. Hunter noticed your head snapping in Tech's direction and he was more than certain that a glare hardened your face under your helmet. "If you guys are all so advanced and mighty, then I don't see why I, a mere idiot who's using obsolete ways, am needed here. Have fun making your way to the city." You snapped and cut the transmission right as Hunter was about to jump in to try and save the situation. 

They watched as your beast propelled itself upwards with the powerful beat of its wings and continued to rotate backwards until they lost sight of it. The radar of the ship scanned something big above them then it lost any signal as it dove for the ground. 

"Total success Tech, congratulations. We are now without any escort." Hunter grumbled in disapproval. His instinct told him that this was not a preferable outcome. 

"I can't help but wonder if we really needed one in the first place. We have the coordinates to the landing zone and it is not too far from here. I estimate our arrival time to be 13 minutes." Tech looked back at him with confidence and as calm as ever. 

Hunter took a second to think everything through. He had received Cody's debrief alone, none of his brother had heard the serious tone in which the Marshall Commander had relayed to not proceed with the mission without native help. When he had pushed for a reason why, his superior admitted that he was himself relaying info from a third party and the reason was lost to him too. All they knew was that the warning was to be taken seriously.

On the other side, Tech was more often than not a reliable source of information. If he said that this planet was not a threat, then it must be so. Whoever this third party was, they surely couldn't measure up to Tech. 

"Get us to the LZ." He walked away to the side console when the ship started advancing towards their destination. He wondered if you were someone important in that city and whether what happened would impact the mission. 

Cross the river when you get there, he pinched his nose in exasperation.  

The ship suddenly jerked to the side, sending Hunter crashing into Wrecker who hit the wall with force. With a yelp, Tech fought with the commands to take back control of the Marauder. 

"Something is keeping us on the side!" He yelled behind him. "Hold on!" 

In a flash, Hunter anchored himself to a seat. Not even a second later, the ship jerked slightly forward, the engines pushing as much as they could to dislodge the ship, but not budging. A worrying sound of metal being scrapped filled the Marauder until whatever stopped them in their course released them. 

"What was-" 

"We lost most of-"

"Wrecker, gun's nest!" Hunter barked in a hurry as soon as he noticed the new critter that flew before them. It was big. Bigger than your own creature. Almost as big as the Marauder. Black scales shone under the sun, looking as hard as rocks, imposing teeth were visible despite its maws being shut, it pushed an enraged screech and Hunter started to understand why they needed you. 

Even more when he noticed that its tail scaringly resembled a blade. 

"On it!" 

"Tech! Get us out of here!" Echo looked at his brother, his arm pushing against the console like he could keep the monster at bay. 

"I'm doing what I can, but as I was saying, we lost most of the power in our right engine." Tech groaned in concentration, his hands firmly grabbing the ship's commands. 

The ship jerked a few times, forcing Tech into reckless maneuvers in attempts to keep the ship from getting maimed 35 klicks away from the ground. Hunter could hear the turret going off in quick succession. The sound of artillery put him more at ease, knowing that they were not defenseless. 

"Guys! This thing won't go down!" Wrecker yelled with worry behind his shoulder. 

"Well shoot it!" Crosshair shot back with a hint of annoyance laced with nervosity. 

"That's what I'm doing! It doesn't do anything!" He shot at the beast that gained enough speed to outfly them and right in front of their eyes, the plasma hit the black scales without any indicator that the creature was hurt. To Hunter, it looked like a blaster bolt had hit a wall, leaving behind a charred circle and nothing else. 

"What?!" 

The beast suddenly lost speed and swung its powerful tail to hit them in mid air. Tech dodged to the side with a curse, avoiding the blade-like tail by less than a meter.

"Can we jump into hyperspace?" He asked his piloting brother, his own knuckles turning white under the pressure of his grip on the seat. 

"We'd need to redirect–" 

"Can it be done?" He asked again, eager to skip the long explanation. 

"Yes."

Jaws appeared on their left, quickly gaining ground. Soon it would reach the cockpit and the teeth clashed together in excitement of its upcoming bite on metal. 

Hunter was ready to call it a day and order Tech to jump into hyperspace to try again later. The words stuck in his throat as he barely noticed something above them dive for the enormous beast and clash so hard they both plummeted towards the ground. 

Screeches could be heard over the engines of their ship. With swift movements Tech quickly lowered the speed and rotated the ship to take in what happened. 

A green creature had the monster's neck between its teeth from its position on its back. The black one trashed in the air, angrily trying to dislodge its opponent to counter-attack. The green beast let go once the monster dove for the trees below, it took some altitude but remained between the ship and the furious dragon. You held on tight onto your mount, one hand on the saddle, the other onto a blade strapped to your back.

"We should go. She can't beat that." Crosshair mumbled next to him, his gaze searching for the aggressive one's return. 

"Oh I think she can." Hunter countered. 

He didn't know exactly why, maybe it was the confidence that radiated from you or the battle-stance you moved into whenever the wild monster came charging back, but his guts told him you had this under control. 

The monster charged the smaller one in a menacing growl. They clashed once again but this time you jumped off your saddle to land onto the attacker's back. There you found the base of its wings and plunged your blade between the scales where wings met its back. It screamed in pain and took off, abandoning the fight in a dive. 

"Kark-"

Hunter's heart stopped as he saw you free falling. Wrecker groaned, his stomach surely upset at the sight. You, however, seemed pretty calm. You weren't flailing around like anyone else would, you were patiently waiting, arms and legs parted. Your green mount sped off towards the ground to catch you onto its back. 

"She's nuts." Echo mumbled as you came back to their height, unfazed. 

You refused every attempt at communication Hunter sent you, instead deciding to point once towards the landing zone and take off in its direction. This trip was going to be hell. Not 30 seconds in it and Tech had ruined their relationship with their protector by insulting what he would bet was your entire culture. Hunter feared he would have to tape Tech's mouth closed if he wanted to preserve some civility in future conversations. 

The jungle became clearer as they continued their descent after you. Quite a few times, your green-colored beast became fully camouflaged with the top of the trees, forcing the clones to use Crosshair and the radar to follow you effectively. At the back of his mind, Hunter wondered if that was intentional or not. Maybe you hoped they would lose you and return home. 

He certainly wanted to. 

A clearing appeared before them and your creature dove under the leaves. They followed after you and quickly landed on the lush ground. 

"I don't think I need to say this but let's try and not insult anyone further." He looked at Tech. 

"I simply stated the truth." 

"Sometimes the truth hurts." He sighed. "And right now, she's the one with the flying dragon that can cover us."

"A wyvern." His brother corrected. "Dragons have four legs whereas wyverns have two." Tech pulled on his helmet and like that, the team was fully geared up and ready to leave the ship. 

"Whatever the name, it's still hers. And I have a feeling that there are more of those things around." 

He gave one last look at his squad before lowering the ramp. 

Hunter got a glimpse of yourself patting your beast's neck before sliding down its side and repeat the gesture with its forehead when it lowered its head. Yellow eyes then turned to him and he immediately noticed the intelligence within them. This was no porg. 

From up close, Hunter's gaze found the flesh of your thighs, visible through a slit at the side of your dark green pants that moved slightly with the breeze. A sort of armor made of deep blue scales covered your lower legs, arms and chest. He had never seen such a design before and found himself intrigued.

He knew Tech would have queries about everything since they knew so little about this place, the question was whether you would take it kindly or not. 

"Thank you for your help back there." He consciously slowed his approach when he got within biting range of the wyvern. Just as slowly, he reached a hand out. "We highly appreciate it." 

Your Y shaped visor moved from his hand to his face to the rest of his brothers. A long second stretched and he wasn't certain you would accept his gratitude and let him hang in the air. Then you surprised him with a firm shake. 

"You're welcome." 

"And I also would like to apologize for my brother's rude comment."

You hummed, the sound slightly distorted by the confines of your armor. You shrugged and removed your helmet, showing them a cautious smile. Hunter remembered your initial cheery self and thought that they were headed in the right direction. 

"Apology accepted. I get why the GAR would think that we're somewhat outdated, with your tanks and ships and our animals." You exaggerated the last word, referring to Tech's words and chuckled. "Guess y'all didn't think that they were plasma resistant though." 

"You could have warned us." Tech lifted his gaze from his datapad to peer accusingly at you. 

Where was the tape?! 

"Tech!" Hunter growled. 

"Well, if its warnings you want, here's one. Raek is carnivorous." You informed him with a grin and proceeded to enter the dense jungle, Raek following you dutifully. "And we're late for lunch." You smirked. 

Hunter pulled on Tech's backplate to keep him from following you too closely. 

_______________

The jungle was full of life. Hunter could hear a diversity of critters running, flying and digging around him. A few chirping birds silenced their voices at the group's passage, some smaller animal scurried off at the sight of Raek's imposing form and Wrecker was chatting your ears off with questions about your mount. If your growing smile and the enthusiasm that took over your voice whenever you talked about your beast was anything to go by, Hunter would say that you forgave them their initial mishap. And the one that followed. The Sergeant sent a silent thank you to his brother. 

"Oh, no no, Raek can't breathe fire, and you won't see any fire-breathing wyvern in these parts. You'd have to go to the West where there's more mountains." You explained before pointing at Reak's mouth. "Raek is a Starios. His saliva is actually a venom that affects the nervous system. He can paralyze or render another wyvern unconscious in a handful of minutes depending on its size." 

While Wrecker wowed, Hunter found himself staring at the venomous mouth. Raek was big enough that he would only need two bites to finish a clone, no venom needed. In order to affect another beast of his size, his venom must be extremely potent, making Hunter wish that his brother was not leaning closer to the maws so he could get a better view of the sharp rows of teeth so generously displayed by the Starios. 

"This is great! A venomous dragon!"

"Wyvern." You and Tech corrected at the same time. Hunter noticed your smile widening before you had to dodge Wrecker's arms moving to the sky. 

"Who cares?" 

You chuckled. "We do." Your hand softly stroke Raek's wing. 

"How long have you had him?" Tech wondered, his attention fully on you. 

"Eleven years now. And I don't really have him, he decided to stick with me when he found me. He's more like a friend than a pet." Hunter hummed. He could somewhat make sense of what you meant, what with the sharp intelligence he saw in Raek's eyes. At some point even he wondered if the green creature could understand the whole conversation. 

"A coexisting relationship then." Tech pushed his glasses up his nose, interest shining in his eyes. 

"Exactly." 

"You mentioned that he found you. If I may inquire, how did that happen?" 

Your steps faltered and that content smile of yours became stiff and forced. "That's a story between him and I, sorry." 

Tech's shoulder dropped and Hunter knew he was disappointed. It was obvious that the story was too personal to share and Hunter would even dare say not on the happy side. He made sure to catch Tech's eyes and with a shake of his head, to stop any push back for answers. 

You stumbled into Wrecker when a green head playfully pushed you to the side. Instead of pushing back, you reached your arm under its lower jaw in a side hug. 

"We're almost there." You announced and separated from Raek. "Ya know where to go. I'll be back soon." You patted his wing. He looked down at you with a rumble and took another route through the trees. 

"Do you fight other drag- er- wyv-ern?" Wrecker looked down at you and you nodded in confirmation. "Other wyvern often? You looked like you did that everyday!" 

"This season I do." You nodded your head along with your words. "Just before winter some species will migrate and others will calm down with the added space. Although when they get hungry, it can get real' ugly."

"I bet!" 

An enormous gate stood in the horizon, guarded by two beasts. In some of the giant trees hidden behind it Hunter could see platforms and buildings, flying creatures going and coming from them, some passing right overhead. You waved as they passed and did the same to the guards who waved back and let them all in without issue. 

You beelined to a staircase at the bottom of a tree, marching up the stairs two by two. "I hope you're all good with heights." You jokingly threw them. Wrecker grunted and you stopped. "Oh."

"I hate heights!" He swiveled back towards Hunter, afraid that he would be forced to go up. "And there's no rail Sarge! 

Indeed, he too had noticed that detail. Added to the height of the first platform which was a good klick above ground, it brought a tinge of discomfort even to him. 

"It's fine Wrecker. You can wait down here." He assured. "We'll brief you when we get back." 

Wrecker's whole body sagged in relief. "Ah, thanks Sarge." He looked back up at the stairs and with a shudder and stepped aside to let them pass. "I'll wait here. See you soon. Don't fall." 

"We won't." He assured his brother and followed after you. 

The first few stairs went fine, but half a klick in the air and even Echo was cursing through the comms. It didn't help that the stairs were individual planks shoved into the tree in a regular spacing in a branch-like fashion. It meant that they could see the ground far below between each stair and there was no rail.

"This design is irrefutably unsafe." Tech yelled from behind him and Hunter hoped the wind carried his words away.

"We ride wyverns for a living here. This is nothing for us." You shot back. 

"Again, irrefutably unsafe!" 

"You're soldiers! That's unsafe!" 

Hunter groaned. Five minutes without Wrecker and Tech was back at antagonizing their escort. 

You sped up the last few steps and arrived at the top. 

"Hi Chief!" You walked up to a man whose gray hair stood out like a sore thumb. He turned to you and looked over your shoulder at them with a warm smile. "Here are the clones! I'm off now!" You waved over your shoulder, already turning on your heels and walking away. It was clear that you were happy to finally be relieved of them and Hunter sighed in relief that your job with them was over. He did not dislike you, you simply had all the reasons to get them lost for days and they did not have days. 

That was until the Chief called your name and you froze.

"Not so fast. They are here for the crystals you found a few months ago and they'll need a Rider to guide and protect them." 

Hunter tensed. Oh no.

"Yeaaah… about that. I'm quite busy with my own stuff at the moment, but I'm sure Olaka or Taeme would love to fill out this role." 

"As it stands, they are out on an expedition. What is so important that you have to do?" He frowned suspiciously. 

"Find the kids who decided to dull all my blades again and terrorize them enough so they'll have nightmares for days." You said it so seriously that Hunter had to repeat the words in his head. He could already see you making them walk in circles for the upcoming week.  

The Chief pinched his nose with a sigh. "I'll take this matter into my own hands. You can go ahead and escort the clones to the Lemgona cave and show them the crystals." 

"Wouldn't it be easier if I went to get those crystals and gave them to the clones? Would be quicker if I could ride." You wondered. 

"If those crystals are what we think they are, then harvesting them the traditional way would inevitably destroy them." Tech jumped in. "They require a precise extraction technique in order to maintain their constitution and attributes." 

Your shoulder slumped as you accepted defeat with a nod and turned around, the pep in your step gone. 

"You'll be back to your ship with the crystals in about two days, Sergeant." He assured him. 

"Sir-" Hunter worriedly looked back at the Chief after he took in your body language. 

"I know what it looks like." He sighed. "She'll take good care of you all, do not worry about that. She's not usually like this, so I think something might have happened on the way here?" Hunter answered with a look towards Tech who was busy assessing their surroundings. "Know that whatever happened, she's not one to hold grudges." The Chief assured them. “Those kids are another matter. They honestly had it coming.” 

"Alright. Thank you, sir." 

"I hope those crystals are worth the trouble of getting to them. Now, off you go." He waved them off with a reassuring smile.

"Sir." He nodded one last time and they were all off after you. Hunter frowned. You stood at the edge of the platform, nowhere near the stairs. 

"You can either take the zipline or the stairs." You shot them a single glance over your shoulder, taking in how Tech's eyes widened. "Guess it's gonna be the stairs." You grabbed a hook off your belt and down you went. 

"Like hell we'll take the stairs." Crosshair moved at the front and followed after you with his own hook. 

"It really couldn't be an easy one." Echo sighed. 

_________________

After a quick stop to ensure that someone will take care of your charges during your absence, the clones followed you to your home, a small, two story house camouflaged in the foliage and a barn that seemed to have been through a lot. Some walls were charred, some parts have obviously been smashed in and fixed with planks, the windows were all broken and the door hung at an odd angle.

"I just have to feed some lil' guys and grab my stuff. Shouldn't take too long." You turned to him. "You can look around if you'd like. They are all used to humans around here." 

Hunter nodded. He couldn't see any "lil' guys" around them yet, but he knew they were there, looking at them from their hiding place in the high grass near the back of the barn. Wrecker did not lose a second and approached the pair when the grass slightly moved. 

An elbow to his arm caught Hunter's attention and he looked back at Crosshair who pointed in the trees. Hunter didn't see anything. 

"Camouflaged. 700 meters above ground." He told him. 

Then he could see it, the faint movement of the bark of a tree, like a mirage. It slowly moved down as if crawling down before stopping completely. Right before their eyes, a navy-blue creature formed right where the mirage once was, its milky eyes staring right at them. This one had four legs and no wings, but it jumped down the 500 meters nonetheless and somehow glided next to you. It landed in a crash when one of its front legs gave out. 

"Are you okay, Roo?" You tilted your head at the growling beast. "We'll have to work on strengthening your legs if you really want to keep jumping down trees."

It whined and snarled at the ground before scratching the earth with its claws. Curiosity got the best of him and Hunter approached the blue beast. It looked up at him, head tilted in a silent question. It chirped lightly and in turn approached him in earnest, its head pressing against the plastoid and wild sniffing filled the air. Its head reached his mid-chest, the scales on its body moved up and down frantically as it moved all around him causing the light to reflect over them, its tail finished in a grape of spikes as long as his forearm. 

It did a whole circle around him and finally pressed its head hard on his chest plate, nearly sending him stumbling backward. He planted his feet more firmly on the ground and waited. He received another push to his chest. 

"I think it wants pets." Echo joined him.

"Is that what you want fella?" Tentatively, Hunter flattened his hand and stroked a path down the neck of the beast, the upturned scales on its skin flattening with his hand before rising again. A vibration shook his armor and purrs reached his ears. Maybe not porgs, but closer to tookas. 

He continued the motion to the pleasure of the beast while you grabbed two buckets that made you lightly limp from the effort to carry their heavy weights. If only he wasn't scared of insulting you more, Hunter would have offered some help. He noticed Echo looking at him with a questioning gaze, he too wanted to help but was hesitating for the same reason. With a shake of his head, Hunter hoped today would get better. 

"Soooo by the way!" You drew the word how with a huff of effort. "I'm Y/N, but I think you got that one already."

He watched as you stopped outside the barn, removed the lid and dumbed a few dozens kilograms of ripe fruits on the ground. Immediately, the navy-blue creature detached itself from him to enjoy the food and you came back towards their group who looked in curiosity as more beasts made their way to the pile. 

"I'm Hunter. That's Wrecker, Crosshair, Echo and Tech." He pointed at each of them.  

You turned to them with a small smile and nods. Raek breached the line of trees and ignored them in order to drop a gray-furred carcass near the fruit pile before digging in with great appetite. He tore into the prey with ease, the flesh seemingly shredding with little to no resistance. Hunter suddenly wondered how easily Raek could tear into plastoid. 

A gasp caught everyone's attention including yours. Wrecker awed at the tiny, orange wyvern that clumsily walked right into the barn door and sent it falling to the ground. You sighed in defeat next to him. 

The damage went unnoticed by the youngling, its eyes staring at Wrecker. It was smaller than the several others gulping down the fruits. Way smaller. It barely reached his knees and those big yellow eyes definitely got to Wrecker's soft spot who quickly joined its side. 

"Can I pet him?" Wrecker's hands were almost shaking with excitement. 

"You can. And Silica's a she." You looked between his brother and Raek whose gaze was fixed on Wrecker's hand petting Silica's head. There was no malice in his gaze, only pure protectiveness. The resemblance between the two was obvious, not only in shape, but the tiny one, despite being primarily dark-orange, had Raek's green highlights.

"We'll be able to leave once Raek has finished eating." You glanced at the wyvern once more and took in his focussed state. "Silica, com'ere." You called and she reacted immediately. She turned around with a joyous chirp to join your side, her flat tail whipping harshly at Wrecker's thigh plate. The resulting noise made the creature jump and face them with a growl. Hunter's heartbeat skyrocketed, his eyes shooting to the hovering male. To his relief Raek remained in place and looked somewhat amused. 

You quickly herded back your beast, all the while whispering her reassurances and giving her pats. She calmed down enough for you to send her back to the fruit pile with Raek who bumped her head with his nose and shared some shredded meat.

"Sorry Wrecker." You sheepishly scratched your neck. "She's still a hatchling and gets scared easily." 

"A hatchling?" 

"A baby." 

"Ooh! You sure have a lot of those!" 

"Yeah. Raek and I take care of the orphans of our Riders or the ones we find in the jungle." You reached the fallen door and lifted it enough so you could pull a bag with your foot from under it. You dropped it again. "The jungle doesn't have mercy. Not for anyone." 

You opened the bag to check the content and closed it before strapping it to Raek's saddle. 

"Do y'all need anything before we leave?" You asked and Hunter shook his head. 

"We're ready when you are." You pushed yourself off Raek and patted Silica's head. 

"Gabe will pass to care for you. Be a good girl will ya?" A thrill answered your question and you chuckled. 

"Let's go." You took the front and led them back to the gates where you led them deeper into the jungle, Raek following a few steps behind them.

[ducktracy]

It's kind of sad how they've finally made an excellent Looney Tunes revival, and just... Nobody noticed.

YEAHHHH… much of that stems from WB’s shoddy marketing of it too!! so many batches within the past year or two have been dumped off without warning. the initial batch in May 2020 seemed to have some actual publicity behind it, but i think they may have shot themselves in the foot with their sporadic airing schedule… the second batch delivering in January 2021, MONTHS after the first, with little comparative fanfare i think shook a lot of the first time viewers away who, by that time, had likely forgotten about the series. it soon just sort of melted into the reality that most of the people watching were those who were there to watch the shorts in the first place. i know it was very frustrating to the crew, who were just in the dark about it as we were

i guess, if anything, there’s no such thing as “too late”! talk about episodes and bits you love! share ‘em with friends! hopefully more people will begin to catch on and develop an interest, even if the actual run of shorts has since ended. it is disheartening, but the shorts ending shouldn’t mean that all discussion of them should end either—just turns into an infinite feedback loop

[badbatchdalorian]

Our Brotherhood Endures

MEDIA: The Bad Batch (2021-2024) CHARACTERS: Hunter & Crosshair RATING: T (14+) TAGS: POV Hunter, Good Older Sibling Hunter, Hunter is Trying, Protective Hunter, Soft Hunter, Hunter Needs A Hug, Crosshair Needs a Hug (they both need hugs bc they have so much trauma), Crosshair is Bad at Feelings, Crosshair Gets a Hug, Crosshair Has PTSD, Crosshair Angst, Good Sibling Crosshair, Hunter Angst, Hunter Gets a Hug, Mentioned Tech, Canon Compliant (so unfortunately yes Tech is dead in this and it's talked about I'm so sorry), Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s03e05 The Return (Star Wars: The Bad Batch), Hunter-centric, Crosshair-centric SUMMARY: In which Hunter decides to talk it out more with Crosshair after Barton IV, and they finally fall upon the broken pieces of one another that they'll need to work together to pick back up again. cross-posted from ao3

It was the first Pabu sunset after their return from Barton IV, and it was beautiful—yet the golden light, as radiant and comforting as it was, still brought Hunter back to the chill that had seeped beneath his armor on that desolate world. It was that same light that had illuminated Crosshair’s pained face when he had finally started to open up to him.

And Hunter hadn’t wanted to stop there, but he knew his youngest brother’s limits. That’s why he was the one who had turned away and walked back onto the ship. It had happened on that world, Hunter was sure of it; Crosshair had taken them to the graveyard of his loyalty to the Empire.

While Hunter and Crosshair had made peace there, the sergeant had more he wanted to, needed to, say. There was so little they had actually touched upon. It was true that Crosshair was the last one of them who would ever prefer to talk things out, but this weight was too heavy for Hunter to carry—and he could tell the feeling was mutual.

Because, yet again, Crosshair was missing. He wasn’t sitting by the Marauder with Wrecker, Omega, and himself, shooting them all annoyed glances that barely hid his amusement as their brother and the kid played with Batcher. He wasn’t even sulking in the ship again, pretending he wasn’t staring at the broken set of goggles within the hold.

He was just gone, gone like he had been after Hunter had left him on Kamino all those months ago. This time, though, Hunter wouldn’t leave it that way.

The sergeant rose from where he’d been sitting on the ramp of the Marauder, attuning his senses into tracking mode as he smelled the air and the dirt and listened for that one familiar heartbeat that had been out of his reach for much too long.

“Hunter!” Omega’s voice reached him, even if it was somewhat muffled by the way Hunter was reaching out for his brother’s heartbeat. “Where are you going?”

Hunter waved her off. “For a walk.” Unable to resist, he spared her a warm glance. “I won’t be long.”

Omega’s expression was pinched in hardly-concealed concern, the ball she and Wrecker had been tossing back-and-forth for Batcher shifting between her anxious hands as she watched Hunter leave. He stopped in his tracks, letting out a soft breath as he redirected himself and his senses to her temporarily.

Hunter knelt down in front of her, holding on to her shoulders as he nodded. “I’m alright, kid. Don’t you worry.” He gestured with his head to his previous path. “There’s just something I have to make right.”

Omega looked past him, following the direction he had gestured in, and nodded slowly in understanding. Hunter smiled and patted her cheek.

“Stay here with Wrecker. Like I said, I won’t be long.”

Omega managed to return his smile, and that was all Hunter needed to set himself back on his original path. He shared a quick look with Wrecker, who saluted as if to say I’ll take care of her, Sarge. That only eased the sergeant more as he focused back on his senses.

They were at least getting stronger again. Hunter was still ashamed to admit to himself, much less anyone else, that he had lost control of them enough to weaken them during the search for Omega. He had become so withdrawn from himself that his senses had started to disappear along with the most familiar parts of him, the ones that had softened his edges over time.

By the end of it, Hunter had barely recognized himself. If Wrecker wasn’t there… who knows who Hunter would have become. If he would even be alive.

Thankfully, that was a conversation Hunter had already had with Wrecker since Omega’s return. The sergeant owed his younger brother everything for keeping both of them alive in their darkest hour.

Gods knew Hunter wasn’t capable of keeping his brothers alive anymore.

That was a wound Hunter still didn’t have the strength to face. It was bandaged haphazardly within his chest, festering the more that he watched his squad return to their normal selves, because things weren’t normal. There was a hole torn in the galaxy, in Hunter’s galaxy, that could never be repaired. A heartbeat he could never hear again, nor ground himself to. One that had once been the most reliable for Hunter to listen to.

Hunter shook his head and refocused himself on his current task. Thinking about his lost brother right now wouldn’t help the one who was still alive. He straightened his shoulders and pushed on, searching for that familiar heartbeat.

Thankfully, it wasn’t far. Hunter quickly realized that he was actually on a familiar path, headed back down to where Crosshair had been training the morning before they left for Barton IV. He was sitting on top of the boulder he had once been shooting behind, his back facing the sergeant as his front faced the sunset.

Hunter heaved a breath as he climbed his way down. He was as swift and quiet as he had always been, though he knew it wouldn’t matter. Crosshair may not have had his enhanced senses, but the sniper always knew when he had eyes on him. That at least saved Hunter the additional planning of finding a way to approach Crosshair without spooking him.

It was only once Hunter had actually gotten there and hoisted himself up on the boulder alongside his youngest brother that he realized he’d completely forgotten to actually plan what he was going to say. That was probably for the best, because Crosshair could see through anything that wasn’t blunt honesty, but it left Hunter swimming in his own thoughts for the first few silent minutes of him sitting there.

This was just like what they had done on Barton IV after escaping the wyrm. They were just peacefully existing together, sitting in one another's space, enjoying the fact that the galaxy hadn’t managed to tear them apart the way it wanted to. Things were better. Not perfect, and Hunter wasn’t sure if they would ever be, but they were on their way there.

But Hunter knew they couldn’t make any more progress if he didn’t say what had been on his mind ever since the Marauder left Kamino that fateful day.

Hunter kept his eyes on the fading light of Pabu’s sun but leaned his head towards Crosshair as he finally broke their silence. “I’m sorry.”

Crosshair’s brow rose, and he cut his gaze at his eldest brother. His voice was just as cool and coiled as usual when he responded. “For what?”

Hunter shook his head aimlessly. What wasn’t he sorry for? He had gone against his own word in leaving Crosshair behind, and that had ultimately led to his brother being imprisoned and tortured by the Empire. He hadn’t even been able to help Crosshair escape from that wretched place. To make matters worse, his failed attempt at doing so had led directly to their brother’s death.

Really, there was an endless list of things Hunter was sorry for, and that was just where Crosshair was concerned. But the sergeant decided on one statement that summed it all up.

“I failed you.”

That caught Crosshair’s full attention. Hunter wasn’t brave enough to look at his youngest brother yet, but he could feel those piercing amber eyes lock onto him. The sergeant steadied himself with a breath.

“I should have never left you on Kamino.” Hunter circled his jaw and continued. “I don’t regret going back there for Omega, and I never will. But I do regret the things that happened to you because of it.”

Hunter looked at Crosshair as long as he could bear.

“You were right to feel the way you did when you brought us all back to Kamino.”

Hunter huffed, a self-deprecating sound he couldn’t help as he ran his thumb along his forehead, just underneath his bandana.

“And you were right about Omega on Barton IV. I failed her, too.” He shook his head and let his hand fall back into his lap. “Even back on Onderon and in that cell on Kamino, Crosshair…”

Hunter closed his eyes in pain. For as long as he’d been thinking all these same things, it didn’t make it any easier to admit—especially to the person who had to bear the consequences of Hunter’s own failures.

“You were right about me. I wasn’t fit to lead this squad. Not through anything except war.”

“Will you stop saying that?”

Hunter’s eyes flew open at Crosshair’s sharp, biting tone, and his head snapped in his brother’s direction. He had been so focused on himself that he hadn’t noticed how Crosshair was starting to react. The sniper’s hands were pulled into fists, and his own eyes were closed so tightly that it made the skin on his temples wrinkle.

The sergeant raised a curious yet tentative eyebrow. “Stop saying what?”

“That I was right.”

Crosshair reopened his eyes, letting Hunter see the raging fire of anger, frustration, and guilt that burned within their depths. Hunter couldn’t help recoiling as that piercing gaze landed on him. He’d been expecting a reaction, sure, but not one like this.

“Honestly, Hunter, it’s pathetic to see you acting so spineless.” Hunter frowned harshly, his eyes narrowing in anger that he was valiantly attempting to fight off. “You make a single mistake or two, and all of a sudden, you’re not a capable leader? You really let me, of all people, convince you of that?”

Crosshair snorted, though the sound was anything but amused.

“And worse, you’re still letting it get to you, even after finding out that it was a damn chip in my head.”

Hunter’s own hands began to tighten into fists in his lap. “It wasn’t that second time on Kamino, when you told me yourself that you’d taken your chip out long before then.”

“And you believed me? That easily?” Crosshair huffed incredulously and crossed his arms over his chest. “Then maybe I was right.”

Hunter sat there, wide-eyed and gaping, until at least a few heartbeats had passed. He blinked a few times and shook his head. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Your… chip wasn’t actually out then?”

Crosshair cut Hunter a look as his shoulders began to fall. His voice grew quieter than it had been before. “I don’t know.” He stared out at the lowering sun, but Hunter could see his grip on his own arms tightening. “I don’t know where the chip ended and where… I started.”

Hunter’s brother turned towards him enough to make the scar on the right side of his head visible to him.

“But I can’t imagine that thing survived this.” Crosshair gave his head an aimless shake. “That’s when I started doubting some things, too.” He let out a lame chuckle. “But you know me. Can’t admit defeat that easily.”

“So you tried to convince yourself that you had still done all the right things.” Hunter finished for him. “With or without the chip.”

Crosshair nodded. “I focused on the loneliness I suddenly felt, and the hurt, and I justified it. I needed somewhere else to put the blame.” He cut his gaze towards Hunter again, but this time, it was guilt that was darkening the light in his amber eyes. “So I put it on you.”

“That’s the thing.” Hunter faced his brother, revealing his own guilt in the tight lines of his serious expression. “That blame belongs to me, anyway.”

“Hunter.” Crosshair all but growled his name out. His fiery stare finally met Hunter’s. “Stop being so dense.”

The sniper gave his brother’s shoulder a rough nudge. Hunter frowned again, this time more harshly. Crosshair didn’t seem to care as he pointed a finger into Hunter’s chest.

“Being a leader doesn’t mean taking responsibility for the actions of everyone in your squad.” Crosshair moved his finger, pointing it against his own chest. “Mine included.”

Hunter’s hot frustration, though he couldn’t tell who it was aimed at, threatened to boil over as he closed his eyes and covered the tattooed side of his face with his own hand. “But they weren’t your actions, Crosshair! Not at first!”

Hunter steadied himself with a deep exhale. He let his hand run down his face until it ultimately fell back into his lap. He kept his eyes closed.

“You were helpless to that chip, and we just… I just… left you there. Left you to fight it alone.”

Crosshair remained quiet after that. Too quiet. The drawn-out silence eventually got unnerving enough for Hunter to finally reopen his eyes, just to find that Crosshair had closed his own again. This time, though, they weren’t shut as tight.

“I was alone a lot, Hunter. Especially in my cell.”

Crosshair’s eyes opened, and they watched as his right hand started to tremor the way it so often had ever since Tantiss. Hunter resisted the urge to steady it himself, instead keeping his hands where they were in his own lap.

“And it gave me time to think. One of the things I thought about the most was you.” Crosshair spared his older brother a quick glance. “What I would have done differently if I were you.”

Crosshair paused. Hunter was holding his breath, and he hadn’t even realized it. He was hanging from his youngest brother’s every word.

“After the Empire betrayed me, and that insufferable kid failed to leave me alone,” Hunter almost smiled at the hardly-concealed fondness with which he regarded Omega, “I realized that there wasn’t anything you did that I would have done differently.”

Hunter’s brow wrinkled at that. He was genuinely confused. All this time spent tearing apart every decision he had ever made since Kaller… and Crosshair wouldn’t have changed any of it?

“Because I finally understood.” Crosshair looked up at the sunset, which was streaked with deep reds and violets as the sun sunk lower and lower into the horizon. “I understood who the Empire truly was, and who the kid truly was. I understood why you did everything you did to keep her, and everyone else, safe from them. From me.”

Hunter couldn’t accept this. He started to shake his head. “Crosshair…”

“Not done.” Crosshair held up his hand to keep Hunter from speaking. “Tell me, Hunter. All this time spent wallowing in your own guilt, did you ever ask yourself what I would have told you to do if I knew I was going to try to kill you against my own will?”

Hunter blinked a few times at the sheer bluntness of his words. He eventually found his voice again. “Can’t say I ever thought about it like that.”

“Thought so.”

Crosshair stopped, but only for a heartbeat. Hunter’s chest tightened when he heard his younger brother’s voice waver.

“I almost killed you in that hangar.”

Hunter froze.

“When you were bringing Wrecker onto the ship, I had a clear headshot, and I would’ve made it if Omega hadn’t stepped in at just the right second.”

For a moment, Hunter couldn’t breathe.

This shouldn’t have been such a shock to him, though. After all, Crosshair had nearly killed all of them inside that ion engine on Bracca. But that was different, because at that point, they really were fugitives of the Empire. And it was all of them.

Chipped Crosshair had targeted, and nearly killed, him. Hunter. His squad’s sergeant. His brother.

He could have been dead before he even got to know, and love, Omega.

“What if that were you, Hunter?” Crosshair’s voice suddenly sounded parsecs away, despite the fact he was still sitting right beside him. “If you were being forced to kill us, would you have wanted us to stick around, or would you have wanted us to get out alive?”

Hunter shook his head slowly, and he didn’t stop. He kept opening and closing his mouth, intent on saying something, but every word he wanted to say died in his throat. He was imagining himself in Crosshair’s place, aiming a blaster in his youngest brother’s direction and flexing his finger on the trigger—and not being able to stop it.

The thought alone was enough to make Hunter nauseous.

But that couldn’t be it. Hunter had been ruminating on this for months, years, now. He couldn’t forgive himself that easily, and neither could Crosshair.

“Still.” Hunter watched himself fold his fingers together and squeeze them hard. “There had to have been another way.”

“There wasn’t.” Crosshair’s gaze was trying to find Hunter’s, but the sergeant didn’t have the faith yet to look up from his own hands. “You really think Tech would’ve let you make a choice that wasn’t the most ‘optimal’?”

The sound of their brother’s name alone drew a shuddering breath from Hunter’s lungs.

“You have to accept it and move on. Just like I did on Tantiss.”

Adapt and move on. Hunter knew whose words those were, because he remembered listening to Tech reassuring Omega with them mere months before he died.

Hunter was quickly losing control of this conversation. He had come here with the intention of comforting Crosshair, but instead, he could feel himself spiraling the way he so often did on board the Marauder when it was just him and Wrecker.

Because now, it was so much more than just Crosshair. They were crossing into dangerous territory, poking at the unhealed wound within Hunter’s chest. The infection was spreading, latching onto every one of Hunter’s nerve endings and making it harder and harder to breathe.

“There had to have been another way.” The words were spilling out of Hunter’s mouth too quickly for him to catch. “Because… because if there wasn’t, then that means we’d always lose you, and if we always lost you, then that would mean that we’d always lose…”

Crosshair may have been able to say his name, but Hunter couldn’t.

“Him.”

Uncomfortable silence sat between them for a few moments. Hunter was trying to listen to anything other than his own heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat, and without even realizing it, he started to grasp onto his brother’s. The sound of it, especially after so many months without it, comforted him more than he ever thought possible.

But the sound of Crosshair’s voice threatened to make that effort useless.

“Good thing that was never your fault.”

Hunter finally looked back up at Crosshair. He furrowed his brow, trying to search his younger brother’s gaze, but it was Crosshair’s turn to avoid Hunter’s stare. “What are you talking about? You weren’t even here when that happened.”

Crosshair hissed. “Exactly.” His eyes met Hunter’s, blazing with the same darkening lights as Pabu’s dusk sky. “You’re finally getting it.”

It only took a few seconds for Crosshair’s words to register. Once they did, Hunter’s eyes widened, and he shook his head vigorously. “Crosshair.” He secured a steady hand onto his brother’s shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault that your chip activated back then. I saw what the chips could do when Wrecker’s activated on Bracca. We were just talking about this. You couldn’t have controlled it.”

Crosshair scoffed. “The chip can only excuse so much. Or are you going to start making excuses for me saying no to your offer to return to the squad?”

Hunter gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I don’t blame you for saying no, because we’d already left you behind once.”

“And I’m the one who made you do it a second time! Don’t you get it, Hunter?” Crosshair was practically sneering, now, but Hunter could see the tears that had started brimming his waterline, as hard as the sniper was trying to fight them back. “I’m the one who left you behind, and Tech died because of that.”

Hunter cursed to himself. “No, Crosshair. Tech died because we didn’t listen to your warning, just like you said on Barton IV. You did everything you could.”

“After I had already failed by getting myself trapped there in the first place!” Crosshair grabbed Hunter’s wrist and threw his hand away from his shoulder. “You wouldn’t have needed to attempt a rescue mission if there wasn’t anyone to rescue!”

“We wouldn’t have needed to rescue you then if we had done it months before!”

“You tried to, and I said no!”

“Then we shouldn’t have even left you the first time!”

Crosshair suddenly rose and practically threw himself off the boulder, hitting the sand beside it and throwing his arms up in the air. “Kriff, Hunter! Have you been listening to anything I’ve been saying?”

Hunter parted his lips to speak, ready to rip out his retort, but Crosshair’s hands slamming down against the boulder silenced him—as did the practical scream his younger brother let out.

“Tech is dead!”

The harsh and horribly true words were enough to startle both of them into silence. Crosshair was panting from his outburst, and Hunter was still breathing heavily from his own. The two of them stared each other down, now more shocked than anything else, until Crosshair continued.

“The reality is, whether you want to believe it or not, Tech died because he was trying to rescue me. He took that risk because of me. Blame the Empire, blame that extremist, blame whoever the hell you want, but the truth is that Tech died because of me.” Crosshair tightened one of his hands into a fist and hit it against the rock. “Not you.”

Hunter wanted to say something, but he had no idea what he would, or could, say. Crosshair would have cut him off again, anyway.

“His blood isn’t on your hands. It never has been. It’s on mine.”

The tears were back in Crosshair’s eyes, this time wobbling along his waterline the same way his lips were. It was because of that that the sniper’s next words were a mere whisper Hunter might not have even caught if he didn’t have enhanced hearing.

“And I never even got to say goodbye.”

That’s when Crosshair collapsed behind the boulder.

Hunter was back on the sandy ground in an instant. He ran over to Crosshair’s side, seeing his brother keeled over on the sand. He had fallen onto all fours, and Hunter could both hear and see the way his body was fighting the sobs that threatened to wrack through his entire weakened body.

The sergeant fell onto his knees beside his brother. He set a hand on his back and another on his hand. Hunter ignored the way his own vision was blurring as he spoke in the softest tone he could manage. “Cross…”

“He’s dead, Hunter.” Crosshair looked over at Hunter with reddening eyes. “Our brother is gone.”

Hunter could count on one hand the amount of times he’d actually seen Crosshair cry before. There had been plenty of tough times both on Kamino as cadets and during the war, but Crosshair preferred to process things in his lonesome. It was only when things got very, very bad that he ever went to Hunter for comfort, and allowed his older brother to see him so vulnerable.

This was becoming one of those rare times, and it was possibly the worst Hunter had ever seen. For that reason and many more, mostly to do with the love he had never lost for his youngest brother, Hunter eased Crosshair into his arms.

And he relented.

Crosshair’s arms wrapped around Hunter’s waist and held him tight enough for Hunter to feel the way he was trembling. Hunter held on just as tightly to his younger brother, because if he was being honest, he needed this just as badly. He needed to hold on to a brother he could get back, a brother he had missed for so long that Hunter wasn’t sure that hole in his heart would ever be fixed.

Now, there was a new hole there, and it wasn’t going to be filled ever again. That wound was going to sit there for the rest of Hunter’s days, and as much as Crosshair wanted to take the blame for it, Hunter wouldn’t let him.

But that didn’t mean it would hurt any less.

So, as Crosshair buried his tears into Hunter’s shoulder, he buried his own into Crosshair’s head, letting his younger brother see just how raw his own wound still was.

This moment was different from that which they shared on Barton IV, even if it was so achingly similar. They weren’t sitting in their own respective spaces anymore; they were quite literally leaning on one another, grieving. And although it was the devastation of Tech’s loss that got them to this point, that wasn’t all they were grieving.

Hunter knew they were both grieving the time they had lost with one another, and the truth that there wasn’t anything they could have done differently to prevent it.

Time was precious for them. Their rapid aging would steal quite literally half a lifetime away from them. That meant it wasn’t just a single year or so they had lost together, but years. And for Crosshair… those were the last years of Tech’s life he hadn’t gotten to be there for.

Just when Hunter thought his heart couldn’t bear any more than it already had, he fell upon that realization.

Hunter recalled those days on Kamino before they had even seen the rest of the galaxy for themselves, when he would hold his younger brothers or simply be in their space, strengthening himself for them to get them through the tortures of cadethood—the constant teasing, exhaustion, and the cruelty of experimentation. There were so many times Hunter himself felt as if he was on the brink of collapse after being tested, but he set his own weariness aside to be strong for his brothers.

And here, Hunter was doing it again. He collected himself and lifted his head from Crosshair’s, steadying his corrupted lungs with a breath to make his voice more stable as he spoke in a gentle voice—the same tone he used to use all those years ago in their barracks on Kamino.

“I’m sorry, Cross. It may not be my fault, or your fault, or anyone’s except the Empire’s, but I’m still sorry about what you’ve had to go through, and that we couldn’t and didn’t do anything to stop it.”

Hunter squeezed his eyes closed and forced himself to go on.

“And I’m sorry you weren’t here to say goodbye to him. You might not believe me, but it wasn’t your fault. He didn’t deserve what happened to him, not in the slightest, and neither did you.”

Crosshair sat up at that. Hunter let him go, though he kept a hand on Crosshair’s shoulder. The sniper harshly wiped his eyes with his sleeve and averted Hunter’s gaze. “Maybe he didn’t, but… I did.” He looked down at his right hand, which had started shaking again.

Hunter reached his free hand out and set it over Crosshair’s to steady his. “No, you didn’t. It was the chip’s fault, and the Empire’s.”

“Not always, Hunter.” Crosshair was frowning as he looked out upon Pabu’s twilight. “I still made mistakes after the chip.”

Hunter refused to look away from his younger brother, and he kept his voice just as soft as it was before. “That doesn’t mean you deserved everything that happened to you.”

Crosshair huffed and cut his gaze at Hunter. “Let’s agree to disagree on that.”

Hunter raised his brow and let out a huff of his own. He lowered his hands from Crosshair and kept them in his lap, finally facing the twilight sky as he sat beside his youngest brother.

Now, it really was like Barton IV all over again, sitting peacefully in each other’s space and letting the sight of the galaxy around them soothe them. Surprisingly, though, Crosshair was fairly quick to break their silence again.

“You want to know why else I thought of you when I was alone, Hunter?”

Hunter gave his brother a curious look. Crosshair returned it before he looked down in shyness.

“Because I knew that you would’ve known exactly what to say and what to do, and I missed that.” Crosshair took a breath and closed his eyes. “I missed you.”

The corners of Hunter’s mouth began to rise in a small smile as he gently nudged Crosshair’s shoulder with his own. “Never thought I’d hear you say that.”

Crosshair’s eyes flew open as he frowned at Hunter. “If you ever tell anyone I said that…”

Hunter laughed and nudged his brother again. “Your secret’s safe with me.” Hunter bobbed his head a few times. “For now.”

Crosshair grabbed the collar of Hunter’s tunic, but the sergeant could see the amused twinkle in the sniper’s eyes. “Don’t think I won’t kill you for that.”

Hunter was still laughing as he wrapped his hands around Crosshair’s wrist and shoved him away. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding!”

Once they both calmed down from their brotherly bickering, Hunter let himself grow serious one more time. He set a steady hand on Crosshair’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze to earn his brother’s attention.

“Crosshair?”

The sniper looked up, returning his stare. Hunter nodded and moved his hand to the back of Crosshair’s neck.

“I missed you, too.” He leaned his forehead against his brother’s in a gesture they so rarely used. “We all did.”

Crosshair closed his eyes, and that was all Hunter needed to see to know just how much his words and actions truly meant to his youngest brother.

After a few more heartbeats of peaceful silence, the two brothers drew away from one another. Hunter let out a soft sigh and gestured with his head back towards the Marauder’s dock.

“C’mon. The kid’s probably worried sick about both of us, now.”

Crosshair pretended to scowl as he accepted Hunter’s help in getting off the ground. “She better not be. She gets even more insufferable when she’s worried.”

Hunter huffed and raised his brow at his brother. “And who do you think she learned that from?”

Crosshair hummed and cut his gaze at his brother, failing to hide the small smirk that started spreading on his lips. “Probably the same person who bothered to find me here.”

Hunter nudged his shoulder against Crosshair’s, and his brother returned the gesture. For the first time in too long, it was all lighthearted and playful, despite the heavy truths that had spilled out of both of them under Pabu’s lowering sun.

Like Hunter had acknowledged, things would never be perfect, but they were on their way there. They were both broken, but they were picking up the pieces together now, because there was one thing no one, not even the Empire, could ever take from them: their brotherhood.

[un-sink]

She Was Courage, Strength, and Commitment: A Tribute to Trans Woman Revolutionary Dee "Ka Dahlia" Supelanas

My last memory of Dee was when she agreed to emcee for the journalism workshop of alternative media organization Aninaw Productions. I was the head editor then and organizing the workshop was challenging as this had been in 2021 and travel was still restricted due to COVID—not to mention my own limitations as a lupus patient—so the whole 3-part workshop had to be held online.

This was a very stressful time for me as I was approaching the final exams for the first semester of my master's degree, alongside continuing my organizing and journalism work virtually.

But Dee had a way about her, an aura that just put you at ease. So when she agreed to the task—and even assisted beyond that—I knew we would be alright.

Dee had a soft nature at first look, but once you got to know the firm student leader, you couldn't ever question the authority in her voice, her sharp analyses, and the way she held herself. Her conviction in her willingness to learn and improve in her work as an activist and organizer could not be denied.

Dee was a year younger than me and a fellow student at UP Cebu. She was part of the first batch of freshmen who underwent the K-12 program and had only entered college as my batch started our senior year. With three years between us, UP Cebu's population was smaller than it had been. This presented a challenge with organizing, but Dee and her fellow student leaders at that time held strong and persevered because they knew victories aren't won overnight. From the beginning, Dee had always showed dedication to serving the student population and other sectors outside the university.

I'd worked with her in multiple campaigns. There were many nights spent poring over the best ways to get things moving. We worked together during the 2019 Lumad Bakwit School, supporting the Lumad indigenous groups as they evacuated (bakwit) from the rampant militarization and bombing of their homes and schools. State forces are constantly making way for multinational corporations to steal from the resource-rich ancestral lands. The Lumad launched the Bakwit School as both an effort to continue Lumad children's education amid the horrors of imperialist plunder and as their way to show their resistance against militarization. While I was the person working behind the scenes, Dee was one of the representatives from the youth sector leading the charge as we marched alongside the Lumad people. We were there, too, when the police raided the Lumad Bakwit School in 2021 and Lumad volunteer teachers, Lumad leaders and students alike were unjustly arrested. We fought hard to ensure the safety of the Lumad children, who were being paraded around in the media by the police like trophies for their "successful" operation.

We also worked on several other campaigns together across multiple sectors, including human rights, education, labor, and LGBT rights campaigns. Part and parcel of our work as activists is the exposure to how the rotten system continuously fails and oppresses the marginalized. Dee bore witness to the struggles of farming and peasant communities in Negros Oriental when she joined the fact-finding mission that human rights organizations led into Oplan Sauron where 14 farmers were almost simultaneously killed across the island by combined military and police forces, for simply being under the mere suspicion that they were armed rebels. She saw how the education sector struggled—teachers, students, and support staff alike—as a student leader. She supported unions and workers' associations, and fought alongside fellow advocates for gender equality, an advocacy close to her heart as Dee herself was a trans woman.

As a victim of red-tagging and death threats herself, Dee saw how state forces consisently showed absolutely no respect for the rule of law and how a broken justice system enabled this.She was also familiar with the maneuvers of corporations and the ruling elite who back them to purposely raze urban poor communities to the ground to make way for greed disguised as development. Dee understood that this "development" was paid for by the displacement of the working class, most earning less than minimum wage and struggling with job insecurity.

Dee sat, spoke, ate, marched, and fought alongside the marginalized, the exploited, and the oppressed. Here, she learned the might of collective action and the power of revolutionary fervor so strong, those in power could not help but bend to it. Dee saw that the basic masses, even with everything up against them and everything to lose, still continued to fight people and institutions more powerful than them because it was just and necessary. Dee did not come to the decision to join the armed revolutionary movement lightly. I hadn't been able to see her in years, but this much I know is true. She chose to die serving the people, in the way she believed was most effective. She could no longer stand by and watch as our government stole from, tricked, and killed us. A drastic change was needed.

Dee was one of our best and brightest and, most importantly, kindest. It wasn't the type of kindness that folded in on itself, but one that reached out and touched people, one that didn't limit itself. She was fierce and gentle all at the same time. She was scary at times, but was also the first to laugh unapologetically at the bad jokes and the first to offer a genuine smile. She was courage, strength, and commitment.

At 26 years old,Dee was killed along with 6 other Red fighters on April 27, 2025 in a rural area in Cabancalan City, Negros Occidental.'

I wish I could tell you all about the vibrant life she led until the day she died, but no online space can truly contain all that Dee was and has ever been.

I love and miss you, Dee. I wish I could have seen you one last time. Rest in power, Ka Dahlia! ✊🏼

———

Dee, I wish I could have given you a better tribute more fitting of the wonderful and fierce woman that you were, but my blindness is in the way. I just know you would say, "Okay ra te uyyyy" if you heard me right now. You always had a way of keeping us in line. I miss your wisdom dearly.

Read on Medium

[headslikekites]

ok super long super old genshin sketchdump ft. commentary under the cut whee

(from nov. 2021) something I did as a warmup/pose practice I think

(from dec. 2021) warmups/plannings for a christmas present I was gonna draw for a friend but never ended up doing. if you're reading this uhh sorry lol

part of me misses how clean(?) my art was back here. I feel like the more solid brush helped with line confidence and defining shapes. I should go back to sketching in micron pen at some point because I also did that for awhile way back when

(from jan. 2022) a batch of instagram requests I never finished. and then I dropped instagram like a sack of wet bricks.

(from apr. 2022) sucrose side-profile I did as a brush test that I still think is cutes

(also apr. 2022) yancrose. my beloveds.

(apr. 2022 again) loved the headcanon back in the day that sucrose and dottore were related somehow. I liked the idea that they were penpals

(from may 2022) doodle of that one product collab casual/modern sucrose design

(from oct. 2022) layla sketch ft. lighting practice/brush test I think? shoutouts to layla. love layla. would've drawn her more but sumeru was around the time I got a bit burnt out on the game for reasons related to the company's blatant colorism and dogshit fandom behavior

(from dec. 2022) an attempt at a yanfei redesign to make her look more lawyer-ly. I still really like how I did the top half but the bottom half looks a bit busy even for genshin standards

(from may 2023) sketch ft. the aforementioned redesign. face looks wonky and I couldn't figure out how to fix it so I gave up

(also may 2023) more sketches ft. the redesign as a way to get myself back into using csp because I had been artblocked and using mspaint for the past couple months at that point

(from jun. 2023) a couple of demon-y furina sketches based off the idea that her name meant 'the fury of fontaine'. I still believe in sharkteeth furina

(from aug. 2023) another furina based off that one part in the archon quest where she goes "stop staring at me". I did actually try to fully finish this one but I hated the final product a LOT so I gave up

--

this next portion is traditional sketches so they don't have as-precise dates. most of them are from arooound mid 2023? during my last semester of college

I think these were me trying to redesign sucrose to make her easier to draw/give her an outfit that makes sense and looks like actual clothes.

more yanfeis + flustered sucrose

hu tao doodled in drawing class instead of paying attention during note-taking

and finally. small sleepy yancrose moment. my beloveds.

I feel like I've slowed down so much with art the past couple years which makes me sad. I blame employment.