#mowed em down and everything

[mettywiththenotes]

Sagiri and Gabimaru bonding over complaining about their respective sides going over the top is so good to me

[stuccobaby]

kahlopatra headcanons? 🙏

bestieeee

these are gonna be random a f

(college au/i aged em up)

Cleopatra runs cold, Frida runs hot. It's perfect.

yes, they both have their tickets for the Barbie movie. Cleopatra has her outfit planned out (pink pink pink everything) and Frida is very excited to be Cleo's Ken.

Frida thought she had a high tolerance for spicy food but Cleopatra is in a different league. Like she could go on Hot Ones and not even flinch.

but Cleo haaaates Tajin. Frida loves it. She puts it on fruit and Cleo couldn't believe her eyes.

Cleopatra has a cat! (i was picturing a siamese) Frida is lowkey allergic, but she can handle it. But if you thought Cleo was snooty...wait till you meet this cat.

Cleopatra snores. Frida thought it would be cute and quiet but it's actually kinda loud. Frida is contemplating ways to bring this up and survive to see another day.

Frida is an Aquarius! Cleopatra is a Scorpio (not to get in my astrology bag but I think she's a scorpio sun, leo rising and gemini moon. venus in leo or taurus. what do yall think about it.)

I wrote a lot hehe woops.

(TW: weed) Cleopatra is like a 'smoke at parties' kinda girl, whereas Frida smokes often for funsies and as a creativity boost.

(TW: weed) They tried to do a 'take an edible and go to an aquarium' date but Cleopatra got too high and freaked out in the shark tunnel. They'll try again but with an arboretum next time.

Frida can play the guitar. Cleopatra goaded her into playing for her once and folded immediately when she started singing. (at one point, Frida looked up and Cleo was taking off her clothes)

Speaking of, Cleopatra told Frida she signed up to be a model for her art class. Frida did not know she was a nude model. Frida should have guessed. damn it was hard to focus on painting that day

Cleopatra is now Frida's personal fashion consultant. She's a (cheerleader, homecoming queen) part-time model, she has a very keen eye for fashion obvi

When it's cold, Frida wears socks to bed and they argue about it all the time. They also argue about what side of the bed to sleep on (they both want the right side smh).

Frida loves going along with Cleo on her many beauty shop appointments (nails, hair, spa, etc) but won't go into any waxing/threading shop because the technicians start getting twitchy just looking at her. She feels like if she fell asleep, she'd wake up tied to the chair with two eyebrows.

They watch a lot of movies. Cleopatra laments how expensive TVs used to be but loves that they're cheap now because a big screen TV still makes her feel rich and luxurious.

Frida will be the first one to say I love you and it will mess Cleo up a little bit. don't worry tho, they'll talk about it! she's just not used to being loved (saad)

Frida is teaching Cleo Spanish, but all she wants to learn is swear words and dirty talk. it's gonna take a while

Cleopatra is a bug killer, Frida tries to trap and release.

Harriet (Frida's roomie in this AU) was extremely suspicious of Cleo at first ("wasn't she like your nemesis?") but she came around eventually ("enemies to lovers is kinda sexy...")

Frida is currently showing Cleo so many Spongebob episodes, she was sick of her constant references going to waste.

yes, they listen to a LOT of new music together. Frida tries to go in chronological order (2004 music, 2005 music etc), so that Cleo could hear the progression of music sound. (i could go on and on about music but these r getting long already)

Cleopatra is a passenger princess, but mostly because everybody is too scared to get in a car with her at the wheel; she drives like she's playing fucking GTA. (Frida thought people were kidding, but after they went soaring over a downhill speed bump one time, Frida politely took the keys forever).

speaking of GTA, that's Cleo's favorite video game. she enjoys mowing people down, blowing things up, and getting cute new outfits. Frida thinks its a good way for her to indulge her sadistic streak.

Mario Kartin': Frida mains an Orange Yoshi, Cleo goes between Peach and Rosalina (she refuses to make a Mii she thinks they're too ugly to represent her).

They become a different couple when they play mario kart. Frida is really fucking good and Cleopatra can't stand that shit eating grin every time she wins. (cleo would be like that tik tok sound: right hand on the bible, god can strike me down if im lying, that motherfucker's cheating!)

-----

I could write more but i wrote way too much already. y'all would have to ask for part 2. Also... may have snuck my next fic in here teehee.

if anybody wants to use these for art or what have you, go for it (but it better be gooood 😜)

tag and credit me tho so i can see it and be overjoyed

THANKS FOR ASKIN BESTIE!

[portraitoftheoddity]

House ownership so far

I moved in at the beginning of May and it's been.... a project. This house is earning the title of my problem child, lol.

So far, I have:

Seemingly gotten rid of the mice (fingers crossed)

Discouraged the scouting carpenter ants (FUCK OFF YA LITTLE BASTARDS)

Removed soooo many spider webs. (I don't hate spiders, just don't want 'em *inside* my house thanks.)

Cleaned up a truly apocalyptic quantity of mouse poop and sterilized so many surfaces. I needed a shop vac for the basement. I still haven't cleaned out one part of the basement that I'm dreading, and need to vacuum the attic.

Replaced all the locks, which involved a chisel to get the strike plates in a place where the deadbolts would actually connect

Caulked up so many holes

Got a plumber to replace the leaky water heater valve

Got a quote for new fencing (mom got bored and came over and tore down the rotted out segments of fence and pulled up the shitty wire fence out back, which I helped her roll up.)

Replaced the stove, since the mice had colonized the old one and rendered it unusable

As of today, I have adequate water filtration so the water comes out clear and is safe to drink! And I don't have to fill up from my parents' well or the town spring.

Tore down the wallpaper in one of the upstairs rooms (now my office) and repainted the wall

Repainted the living room/dining room/front hall where the walls were scuffed to hell

Installed doorbells

Deep cleaned the most disgusting side door I've ever seen

Got an EMERGENCY plumber because the bath faucet broke and wouldn't turn off at 10 at night. X_X

Assembled a medicine cabinet, but haven't hung it up yet

Assembled a new bookcase. Because priorities.

Called the electric company about getting the rotting trees removed that are in danger of falling on THEIR power lines that run through my property (need to follow up)

Have a basement guy working on stabilizing the foundation from the inside by sealing up the crack and adding carbon fiber supports

Put down a deposit with a landscape contractor to install drainage to lessen further foundation issues from water pressure flowing down the hill I'm on

Repainted the guest bedroom, and assembled a bedframe for it

Installed hook latches for the upstairs doors whose knobs don't latch because they're 75 years old

And honestly I feel like I've barely had the chance to touch anything since I am also working full time and freelancing part time on top of that and my job is nuts right now. I have a whole color coded spreadsheet of everything I need to do. I want to repaint both bathrooms and the kitchen, I need to hang the damn medicine cabinet, I want to build a pantry cabinet in the kitchen so I can turn the front hall closet I'm using as a pantry into a hall closet, I want to set up the basement as a chill out den, and there is sooooo much work to do outside I'm trying not to freak out about it because apart from keeping the lawn mowed, I'm trying to relegate most of it to "next year's projects."

I'm so tired.

[thelittlestspider]

sorry these excerpts are all over the place and random because i don't have a mouse and it wouldn't let me just scan one small part. this is from the guardian devil part of it.

taglist: @fortunatetragedy, @hiitspath

“You’ve been spending an awful lot of time with Peter lately,” Karen says. There’s an insinuation in her voice. Something that puts him on the back foot, makes him feel like she’s accusing him of cheating. Which is ludicrous.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“He’s your type,” Karen says, matter of factly. “Sharp, funny, nice voice. He laughs at your jokes. Very your type.”

“Peter?” Matt laughs. “He’s just a friend. I’ve known him since he was a kid.”

“But he’s a young man now,” Karen points out. “He might want things from you.”

The idea of Peter wanting things from him makes a part of him squirm. A part he squashes down ruthlessly, refusing to contemplate it.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because I know what it’s like to have a crush on someone older who disappoints you.”

“Are you saying I’m leading him on?” Matt raises his brows in disbelief. “What the fuck, Karen?”

“I’m not saying you’re doing it on purpose.” Karen takes a bite of her food, followed by a sip of wine. “But the way he looks at you...it’s like you hung the moon.”

That feeling comes over him again. Matt blushes. He’s...flattered that someone like Peter can want him. Someone who always tries to do the right thing no matter the cost. A truly good man.

It’s a hell of a thing being wanted by a man made of gold.

“He’s just a friend,” Matt says again.

He expects Karen to push again, but she just says, “Okay,” softly, and reaches for his hand. Matt curls his fingers around hers, content with her touch.

“You’re everything, Karen,” he says, voice barely above a whisper.

….

Matt bounces the baby, lips against the crown of her soft head. She smells like soap, milk, and baby powder. He wonders if his mom ever sang to him or watched him in his crib with a smile.

….

Matt: I can’t have kids.

Peter: MJ and I wanted to have kids, but with me being radioactive...

Peter: Hey, can I hold her?

Matt hands the baby over and Peter plays with the baby.

….

[Matt is in a diner with the baby, waiting for Karen. He hears Bullseye walk in and head straight for him. Bullseye sits across from him.]

Bullseye: Hey gorgeous.

Matt: What the hell do you want?

Bullseye: This is a courtesy call on account of our...time together.

Matt pictures his sleazy grin and wants to punch his face in.

Matt: What do you want?

Bullseye: A guy hired me to kill you and snatch the baby. I don’t know why. I didn’t ask. Not that it really matters. A job’s a job. So get your people out of town, because I’m gonna mow every single one of ‘em down to get to you.

Matt: How dare you? I just got my life back together and I am not letting you ruin it just because you have some sick obsession with me.

Bullseye scoffs.

Bullseye: You gotta be shitting me. Like you literally cannot be fucking serious right now. What are you gonna do? Retire? Adopt the baby and be Mr. Karen fucking Page?

Matt: What’s wrong with that?

Doesn’t he deserve to be happy? To be normal?

Bullseye: Guy like you retires, he might as well put a gun in his mouth. [He mimes shooting himself in the face with a ‘pow.’] It’s a fucking waste.

Matt covers the baby’s ears.

Matt: I hate you. I wish you would die.

Bullseye: Then kill me. Pussy.

Matt whispers furiously, “I should’ve dropped you off a higher building. Let you get crushed by that train. Shot you in your fucking face when I had the chance.”

Bullseye: Baby, we’re in public.

Matt wishes he was like Elektra. She would’ve taken one of the forks off the table and stabbed it through his eye, deep into his brain. Then cut his throat with her sai. Bullseye would choke on the blood gushing from his throat, gurgling as he clutched the wound in his last moments.

But he isn’t Elektra. (Unfortunately. He misses her.)

“I’m going to pull your spine through your mouth,” she would say. “You pathetic waste of human life.”

(He likes her voice better than Stick and his father’s.)

[orcboxer]

what’s your opinion on the depiction of orcs in Anbennar

I ain't familiar with the setting, so my apologies if I've gotten the wrong impression entirely, but a quick skim of the fandom-wiki for orcs in that setting seems to suggest they're pretty much the same as the classical orc depiction, where they're like inherently obsessed with war and conquest. Including the thing where they don't really create anything for themselves but rather everything they own was taken from other civilizations or ruins.

I can't say I'm really a fan of that sort of characterization of orcs, honestly. For an entire race to be defined by war, as though violence is in their blood, is to plant a lot of unsavory implications about personhood in the setting. It sets them up as fodder, to be mowed down by the thousands, without guilt. And while I understand that this may be at least partly a trope of convenience for the structure of sword and sorcery stories/games, or even in some cases a simple allegorical way to frame conflict (like "what if we symbolically depicted enemies as green and ugly"), it still leaves a bad taste in the mouth for a lot of folks, myself included.

I'm hopefully (and probably) just missing a lot of lore about orcs in that setting, so do feel free to tell me all about em if the spirit moves you lol, but yeah I'm very interested in humanizing orcs.... well not humanizing but... you know what I mean lmao. I wanna know what kind of civilizations they have/had, I wanna know how their language developed, I wanna know what they've built and what they've invented, I wanna know who orcs are without war. That's what's really compelling to me.

[wariodemambo]

Would anyone blame him for diving headfirst into catharsis?

He'd tuned out the world, savoring every swing. The humiliation, the tragedy, hurting his friends and threatening to hurt more... The situation had to be dire if gruff and greedy Wario was willing to play the hero...

... And he does mean hero, with his entire heart. No lame excuses or dodging around the fact. He's trying to save Peppino, Gustavo, Omino, Papeeno, Ronnie, Gold, Shokora, and anyone who was at risk of being on that horrendous show like he had. This was why Cotton Candy Desmond Mambo-Spaghetti saved him and why, even as his body slowed, he'd push forward until his mind gave out.

It's a shame Peppino's horrendous battle cry interrupted his rhythm. Sending him further back under the tent and into a particular stranger.

...Or, a not-so-stranger. A Peppino clone, in specific. A sight he'd all but accustomed to since he started working at the pizzeria if his late daughter wasn't evidence enough.

But he found himself... stalling, looking up at them. How had his impact nearly crumbled them? These guys were known for their resilience above all else... so why.

He paused, as he took in its color scheme.

He may have been drunk off his ass, but he could never forget the skull-patterned clone who sliced him up that one night.

Nor could he ignore the pink that accompanied his new get-up.

He opened his mouth to try and say... something. But what was there to say? He continued to have questions that'd go unanswered, but... he could see her determined eyes through his manic smile.

... Wario knew he couldn't stop her. So they may as well enjoy the time they have left.

❝ And here I was thinkin' you forgot 'bout me! You little brat. ❞ A chuckle accompanied by a bitterness-defying smile — he wasn't Wario if he didn't take an unserious stab at someone. No exceptions. He tossed one of the copies into the swing of their metal pipe and broke into a shoulder bash to mow down the crowd around them. Of course, he wouldn't get a long break after that explosion. Why would any of them be so lucky?

She guards his back as he watches hers, and together, they make quick work of the army of snakes.

By the time he turned around, they were already off. He understood he could not follow... But he was happy to have the chance to fight by her side.

❝ GIVE 'EM HELL, KID! ❞ He called out as the other ran back into the serpentine sea. ❝ MAKE 'IM REGRET MESSIN' WITH YA! ❞

...

And thank you for everything.

[sentientcave]

Not me hoping that Storm Front is inspired by that twisters movie that just came out? 👀 Some kind of Storm chasers AU?

Care to share? 💛

Heya Daisy!

It's not! I started this fic back in January, and it's actually a companion to Two Graves which is a short lil Phil Graves backstory fic. He sucks, but I like to think about where characters come from and what drives them to make their terrible decisions. It's basically a zoom in on a particular segment of Two Graves.

Here's a little bite of it

Phil had been outside when the trouble started, mowing the lawn. It was a warm year, and the grass hadn’t stopped growing for a minute. The atmosphere inside the house was too tense to bear, his mama fussing about the house, getting everything just so, and his dad sitting there, ignoring her manic energy with the practiced discipline of a buddist monk, turning the pages of a Patterson without really reading a word. Phil had gotten pretty good at sensing a storm front, and knew when to get out of the way.

The yelling began somewhere around the same time the mower got going, the growling engine only just covering the sound. But he knew the words by heart by now. His ma, feeling frazzled and unappreciated. His dad, who didn’t understand why she had to be so emotional. Didn’t he provide everything she ever wanted? And around and around. The kind of cyclical, unresolved fight that was sure to pick up into a twister one of these days, and bring the whole house down on top of them.

But he shut off the engine when he saw Ben’s car pulling up into the driveway, and left it sitting out, the job only half done, so he could warn them.

“They’re at it again,” Phil said as Ben climbed out of the driver’s seat, looking stiff after four hours in the car, two hours to Austin, two hours back. “Might want to hold on a minute before you head in. Give ‘em a chance to settle.”

“Aw, Christ. Again?” Ben glanced over as the passenger door opened, his mouth set in a grim line. “I was hoping they’d be— For Carrie, at least.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Ben,” she said, standing up and stretching. She shut the car door with her hip and leaned her arms against the top, giving Phil a soft smile. “I’m no stranger to parents fighting. I’ve got two sets of ‘em that do that, and they fight with each other too. Phil’s the one I wanted to meet anyway. I’m Carolynn. Carrie. Nice to finally put a face to the infamous name.”

She was gorgeous. Of course she was, if she was dating Ben. Dark, glowing skin, tightly coiled curls that were pulled back into a round ball at the top of her head. A soft, round face and a real pretty smile. She had that sweet Georgia peach accent, and dark brown eyes that sparkled with a joke that Phil was pretty sure just the two of them were in on. She was a cheerleader, and in the journalism program, if Phil remembered right. Smart and pretty. The right kind of girl for Ben.

“Hope you haven’t heard too much. I’m not near as much trouble as I used to be.” He walked around the hood of the car, his hand out. “But it’s nice to finally meet you too, Carolynn.”

Her hand was small and soft in his. His heart lurched, but he tried to let go in a normal way, without dropping it like her skin was gonna burn him, or just plain not let go.

[thekidsfromyestergay]

Anyways I want nothing more than to see your smile fade flood the hall with original sin I know what it is to be in love with loneliness I’ve come to grips with my malcontent and channeled rage is a cause I can stand behind so mow ‘em down cause they don’t mean shit take my lead, just stay asleep, cause honesty is such a let down I took all the drugs that guaranteed my normalcy I took a swim in their disappointment cause no one cares til your pain becomes lucrative so give ‘em hell, cause ‘em pain, make ‘em hurt sell your soul for a piece of Hollywood and listen close to a million hearts breaking your hopes and your dreams are ripped at the seams they’re bought and they’re sold to the highest bidder you’re soaked in regret you’re taught to accept that your world is in debt to the highest bidder I can’t control what my heart tells my head if my heart tells my head that it needs to destroy everything in its path cause my love will tear your pretty little head from it’s neck. If you even care 🙄

[ddejavvu]

pulls out my bunny knowledge bc i was a lil obsessed w them for a while so i wanted to learn everything i could about them

bunny!chrissy loves to bake but she gets sick if she has too much sweets so shes eating baby spinach out of the box youve just got from the grocery while she watches you taste all the stuff shes made!! (comes from dont feed buns too many carrots bc the amt of sugar is bad in large amounts. they like and need leafy greens!)

where she mightve been a bit on edge and eager to please at first, you know she truly feels safe and at home when one day she just flops on to her side on the floor or onto the bed while youre nearby. shes all stretched out and wiggling her nose and her ears are at a bit of an awkward angle but the look of content on her face even after you hear the THUMP is too sweet to disturb (i reccomend looking up bunnies flopping. its so damn cute. and its a sign that bunnies feel safe 🥺)

speaking of thumping, she thumps her legs when shes scared or angry. she cant help it. anxiety leg turned up to 1000. u can tell when shes feeling upset bc you can feel the vibrations on the floor :( if its just one lil stomp tho, shes just trying to get your attention back to her. shes cute! she wants to play!

but my FAVORITE bunny behavior is called binkying! a binky is when a bunny jumps Super high and kinda twists its head and body. its like a big burst of energy they gotta express! miss cheerleader chrissy would be great at these !!! shes so happy and excited shes gotta do a backflip! shes all flushed and smiley after and most of all, she feels safe to express how happy she is with you :)

yes yes yes for every cupcake she eats she's gotta balance it out with a salad too!! she looooves it when you make salads for her, it's kind of a routine between you that she'll keep the house stocked with pastries if you chop her up salads to munch on :') she doesn't like 'em with dressing, either, she'll curl up at your side on the couch and pick out each individual vegetable and mow through the bowl :')

AW YES i've seen videos of it before and it looks soooo cute!! she does it all the time once she's comfortable with you, sometimes she does it on top of you and you're laying there smushed like chrissy!! but she knows you're not mad at her 'cause you're already pressing kisses into her cheeks and nuzzling your nose against hers, a habit that she's thrilled you've picked up from her :') she just flops down whenever you're near!!

aw the poor thing!! you usually hear it when a recipe doesn't go well, or you're too busy working to hang out with her :( but when you're sitting on the couch and maybe your hand has settled in her hair instead of petting through the strands she thumps once against the couch, kissing your thigh that her cheek is resting on when you start up petting her again :')

AW OMG I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT HER STILL BEING INTO GYMNASTICS/CHEERLEADING!!!! she'd be so hyper all the time, somersaulting over to you on the bed if you sit across from her and when she gets really excited, yes she's flipping all over the place!! she gives a little squeal at whatever it is that has her happy and she just has a burst of energy that comes out in a cartwheel or a flip or something like that!! she just has to get the excitement out or she'll burst!

[no-rest-for-the-doomed]

#61: Slaughter Until Death (1991)

Man, what an awesome episode replacement for '94 standards. We'll get to the Eternity/Serenity/Infinity trilogy soon enough, but I wanted to tackle this E2 replacement because I've never beaten it before and it's actually pretty challenging for its time.

Through some '94 wizardry, the map names DO show up in the intermission screens, and they're all super fun. 'Flying Guts', 'Mutilated Corpses', 'Damned Bastards' - just to name a few.

This is really not an entry-level wad by 2024 standards, but if you've been around the block a few times I think there's a lot to like about this. The custom textures; scarce as they are; really work in making this feel unique and the design is really thorough in making sure there's tons of exploration and challenge in equal amounts. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get the secret exit in E2M5, but other than that and maybe 1 progression point in the penultimate map I eventually figured everything out.

My 2 favorite maps in the project have to be E2M6 and E2M7. 'Damned Bastards' may be easy on continuous play, but on pistol start it is a ROUGH scramble for the shotgun, probably made it a bit hard on myself but it's chockful of exploration and baddies to plow through and slowly building the arsenal. 'Dehumanization' revolves around cycling raising floors and switches that pave the path to various keys until you have to find a hidden wall for the exit. The final arena in this map is just 'mow-em-down' action with the chaingun and a bunch of zombies.

I have to commend the boss map as well for actually doing something unique that wouldn't stray too far from id Software's vision. You have to take a lift up to the castle walls to pick up your rockets before a faceoff in a cathedral.

I'm not gonna pretend I got all the kills and secrets here - I was just playing for the sake of playing, and I enjoyed what I played. I'm glad it's off my list now and I can move on to finishing off what I'm interested in for the '94 award winners. Slaughter Until Death is a gem that deserves its flowers - and even to an extent for pioneering a wave of challenge that would last for the community's lifetime.

[missshezz]

Title: Experience

Warnings: None Apply

Rating: All ages

Word Count: 1025

Tags: pre-clone wars movie, Rex and company are sent to help reader, war, death, angst, drama, loyalty, clone protocol

Summary: Rex teaches you a lesson about experience and respect

You spot the battle droid from the corner of your eye. Even with the Force flowing through your veins, you cannot deflect the blaster bolt.

It hits the trooper next to you in the upper part of his chest.

He goes down without a sound.

His pain is a ripple in the Force.

You can do nothing to help ease it, though.

Not with that battle droid rapid firing at you and the clone in command of this small regiment.

His designation number is CT-7567.

If he has an actual name, you don’t know it.

There hadn’t been time for formal introductions. The captain and his men arrived as you found yourself surrounded by a horde of battle droids.

Death seemed imminent.

Something you accepted.

As all Jedi did.

“Sir, watch out!”

You turn to see one of the super battle droid’s advancing towards you, arms raised, intent clear.

You use the Force to throw the droid into the others coming your way.

“Tinnies advancing on the left!” CT-7567 shoots a droid in the head with one of the DC-17 blaster pistols he’s holding. “Deploy droid poppers!”

Immediately, a dozen balls flew into the air.

All arcing in one synchronized motion before dropping in front of the droids.

Streaks of blue strike the droids, frying their circuits, and powering them off for good.

Your reprieve is short-lived, however.

For every one droid that falls, twenty replace them.

“Captain!” you hear. “Clankers advancing on the right!”

“Get ready!” CT-7567 orders. “Give ‘em everything we got!”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

Soon as the droids are within range, they let loose a barrage of blaster fire. The pings as bolts slam into the thick metal covering the battle droids remind you of the steel drums you heard while on a mission with your former master.

They, too, sounded of death.

Droids fall but are quickly replaced by more.

They’re just bodies Separatists send out to die for their cause.

Programmable, dependable, expendable, and above all else, replaceable.

It’s not lost on you how the same thing is being done by the Republic.

Only, they’re sending out an army of cloned humans instead of droids.

Living, thinking, feeling, and killable sentient beings.

You find it utterly abhorrent.

War, your master once told you, is never a solution and is never justified.

“It doesn’t matter who wins to those dead,” he said. “They are the ones who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”

You’re determined to see as few dead as possible.

You’re a guardian of peace and not a soldier, after all.

Or you weren’t until now.

“Captain.” You stop to deflect blaster bolts with your lightsaber. “Have your men pull back to that outcropping of rocks. We can make a stand there while waiting for reinforcements to arrive!”

“Yes, Commander!”

His address stuns you.

You’re not a commander.

You’re barely a Jedi Knight.

Your promotion, in fact, came right before you were deployed to this inhospitable planet.

You don’t correct the captain, though.

There’s no time for it.

Not with a horde heading in your direction.

And what a swarm it is, you realize, stomach churning with dread.

Battle droids.

Super battle droids.

Droidekas.

Spider droids.

Hailfires.

All coming right at you.

The reality of the situation is clear.

There are no fighter tanks to combat those hailfires.

No AT-RTs to mow down the battle droids.

It’s just you and a rapidly diminishing squadron of men.

Clones are not like droids.

Their numbers aren’t infinite.

It took time to grow new clones.

Train them.

Prepare them for battle.

Time you do not have.

You and these men are going to die.

Not before you take as many droids with you as you can.

A hailstorm of blaster fire erupts.

Bodies fall around you.

Each life extinguished is like a candle blown out by a strong breeze.

Leaving you cold, cold, cold.

You’re a Jedi, however, and don’t allow your grief to consume you.

You let it pass into the Force.

“Sir, look!” CT-7567 points to the sky. “Reinforcements are on the way!”

A sigh of relief escapes you as Republic gunships break through the barrage of laser blasts, bringing desperately needed backup, and much needed air support.

The battle you feared lost turns into a Republic victory a short time later.

There’s no celebrating for you, however.

There’s injured and dead soldiers to attend too.

You move to a clone leaning heavily on a pile of rocks. He tries to straighten as you approach but you shake your head.

“We do not need such formalities.”

“Sir?”

“You’re injured.” You slide an arm around his waist. “I think we can forego protocol until after you receive medical attention.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Twyla, please, Trooper.”

“I’m Jesse.” A pained grunt escapes him. “Sir.”

You go to correct him but the arrival of CT-6116, Kix you heard the medic called, puts an end to the subject. You turn Jesse over to the medic and go to help the others in need of medical attention. CT-7567 materializes at your side after you help the last injured trooper into the waiting transport.

“Commander? Your transport is waiting.”

“I’m not a commander.” You turn to the captain. “I’m a Jedi. A newly knighted one, in fact.”

“In my books, sir, experience outranks everything.”

“Please, just Twyla.” You walk with him towards the waiting gunship. “And you and your men definitely outrank me, Captain.”

“It’s Rex.” You think you detect a hint of humor in his tone but can’t be sure. “Commander.”

You accept the address despite feeling you haven’t earned it.

Something tells you that you will before this conflict is over.

If we don’t end this war, and soon, it will end the Republic and everything it stands for.

Something as a Jedi you cannot allow to happen.

Still, you find yourself wishing there was another way to bring about a resolution.

If only to stop more lives from being sacrificed.

Enough were lost here this day.

Men you swear to see honored for their sacrifice.

“Let’s take our leave…” You look at the captain. Committing his image to memory. Just in case you never see him again. “Rex.”

“Sir, yes, sir.”

[karebear4499]

You Are My Sunshine Chapter 8

Sunshine tried to wriggle herself free from the bird’s grasp, even attempting to pry its talons open with her hair. No matter what she did, it refused to let go. She hadn’t anticipated being unable to escape. She hadn’t thought this far ahead when she jumped in the way to save Branch and Poppy.

Unfortunately, that was beyond her control now.

“Drop that troll you dirty varmint,” she heard Delta Dawn shout. Looking back, she saw the Country mayor racing after her, her caretakers riding along with looks of pure panic on their faces.

Sunny couldn’t say she didn’t feel the same. “Poppy, Branch,” she yelled, reaching out to them, “Help me!”

“Hang on, Sunshine,” Poppy called back, trying to fling her hair out to catch the child, but she couldn’t get close enough. The bird seemed to pick up its pace at the same time Delta did.

A fresh wave of guilt washed over Sunshine as she looked into Branch’s eyes. That worried expression was her fault. She was the reason for all of the stress and turmoil he had just gone through. And apparently she wasn’t done torturing him.

“I’m sorry, Branch,” she cried, shutting her eyes tightly, “I’m sorry I ran away I’m sorry I was so disrespectful I’m sorry you have to put up with me I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry!”

“I-it’s okay, Sunshine,” Branch cried back, heartbroken that she was beating herself up in this situation. “Don’t worry, we’re coming!”

Memories started flooding his mind of her floating away in that bubble when she was a baby. Sure, he had caught her then, but what if he couldn’t make it to her this time? What if last time was just a fluke?

No, he couldn’t think like that. He’d saved her before; he could save her again.

“Uh, guys,” Delta said, “I don’t mean to complicate things further, but…” They were quickly approaching a sign that was hanging off of the needle of a cactus.

“END OF THE LINE”

The three trolls stopped just a few feet from the cliff’s edge. It was only a matter of time before the bird was completely unreachable.

“No no no no no,” Poppy panicked, grabbing Branch and shaking him violently, “It’s getting away! It’s getting away with our Sunshine! What to we do?!”

Branch hated to admit it, but he was at a loss. He never had quite mastered the Hair Lasso, no matter how many times he practiced. He could throw something at the bird, but he didn’t want to risk hitting Sunny.

Suddenly, Delta’s eyes lit up with an idea. “Why didn’t I think of this before,” she said, bringing two fingers to her mouth and letting out a loud whistle. “Clear a path y’all!”

In the distance, the sound of gnashing teeth could be heard, growing louder with each passing second. Before long, a little pig-tailed Country troll could be seen sprinting towards the group like a bullet, mowing down everything in her path.

“Sic ‘em, Clampers,” Delta shouted, pointing towards the bird just as it was flying over the edge of the cliff. The bird must have figured it was far enough out of reach to taunt its pursuers, turning smugly and letting out a sound similar to a proud chuckle.

Big mistake.

The second it locked eyes with Clampers, it knew it had messed up. It wasn’t given any time to escape before she leapt at it and sank her teeth into its foot. The bird screeched in pain, dropping the children before flying away.

Poppy quickly flung her hair out to catch them, Clampers grabbing it with one hand and both of Sunshine’s hands with the other. Delta Dawn held Poppy by the waist, her hooves digging into the ground to keep them all from plummeting over the edge.

“Ngghh, I can’t pull you both up,” Poppy grunted, “You’re too heavy!”

Branch watched in horror as Sunshine and Clampers held on for dear life. Clampers was surprisingly calm under the circumstances, but Sunshine was hyperventilating and shaking with fear.

Now was the time for him to act.

“Clampers,” he called, kneeling at the edge of the cliff, “Do you think you could swing Sunshine up here to me?”

Clampers looked down at the panicking trolling and nodded slowly. “I-I’ll try,” she said.

“Wait, Branch,” Sunshine retorted, shaking her head. She knew just as well as he did that there were too many ways that his plan could go wrong. She could let go too soon, or too late, or she could pull him off of the edge with her. “I’m scared.”

“I know, Sunny,” Branch said, looking into her eyes with all the paternal love he could muster, “I’m scared too. But I promise, I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I meant it when you were little, and I mean it now.”

Branch’s little speech seemed to have awakened a sense of bravery Sunny had hidden within her. She looked over to Poppy, who appeared to be stifling tears, either from the emotional weight of the matter, or from the literal weight of the children starting to hurt her (most likely the former). “I love you guys,” she said to them both.

Shaking off what was left of her fear, she glanced up at Clampers and stated, “Okay, I’m ready.”

The young Country troll began swinging the other back and forth, holding on as tight as she could. On the count of three, Sunshine released her grip on Clampers’ hand, the Country troll scrambling her way up Poppy’s hair the minute she let go. Flying through the air, she poised her palm to land safely in Branch’s outstretched hand…

…And immediately slipped right past it.

Poppy and Branch watched in stunned shock and disbelief as Sunshine fell, a scream escaping her throat that slowly faded as she disappeared from their view.

“SUNNY!” they screamed, both reaching out under the vain assumption that they could still save her.

“I’m going after her,” Poppy said, jumping over the edge.

Branch’s eyes widened at her declaration. “Wait, Poppy,” he said, grabbing her by the hair before she could meet the same grim fate.

“Let go Branch,” she protested, thrashing in his grip, “I have to save her!”

“You can’t, Poppy,” he replied; despite every fiber of his being wanting to do the same, he knew it was no use. “It’s too late.”

Poppy continued to argue fruitlessly with him as he pulled her up. Even when he got her back on solid ground, he still had to restrain her from running off of the cliff after Sunshine.

“Poppy, she’s gone,” he shouted, squeezing her shoulders tightly. He let out a quiet sob before repeating, “She’s gone.”

The usually jovial and upbeat pop queen collapsed into a sobbing heap in her boyfriend’s arms, tears raining down from his eyes as well. “My baby,” she wept. She had tried her darnedest to be the strong one during this adventure, but losing Sunshine for good was the straw that broke her.

Branch, of course, wasn’t in any better shape. He’d promised, he’d promised to protect the little troll, but he had let his guard down and let her slip away from him. He didn’t want to say goodbye; not like this.

As she was holding her niece in a relieved embrace, Delta Dawn glanced over at the crying trolls and felt a sharp pang of sympathy. Setting Clampers back down on the ground, she pulled a banjo out of her hair and began strumming a somber tune.

You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are gray

You’ll never know dear

How much I love you

Why’d you take my sunshine away

…

Sunshine didn’t know how long she’d been falling. Long enough to scare her out of her wits, that’s all she knew. It could have just been a few minutes, but to her it felt like an eternity.

Especially when she seemed to stop before she hit the ground.

The blur of scenery whizzing past her came to an abrupt halt, the sight of mesh taking its place. Confused, Sunshine looked around and found herself caught in some sort of net, similar to the ones Branch set up around the village to catch predators.

If it was anything like Branch’s traps, she wasn’t making it out of there on her own. She decided against calling for help for fear of attracting any troll-eating wildlife. From where the net was suspended, she spotted an area not too far away that looked like a makeshift campsite; a tent, an unlit campfire with a pot hanging over it, and a bag filled with various supplies leaning up against the tent.

A voice began drifting closer to where she was, singing with a soft drawl.

Oh give me a home

Where the puffalo roam

And the bulls and the tumbleweeds play

A teenage Country troll appeared out of the brush, carrying a basket filled over halfway with berries he had been foraging for.

Where seldom is heard

A discouraging word

And the skies are not cloudy all d-

He gasped when he saw the troll trapped in his net. “Uh, a little help,” Sunny said, waving awkwardly.

“Oh my stars,” he said, rushing to free her, “I am so sorry! This was meant for catchin’ critters, not young’uns!”

He carefully lowered the net to the ground and let it fall open around Sunshine. Despite being free from the trap, she didn’t move right away. She remained still, back turned toward the other troll and kneeling on her hands and knees in despair.

“Are you okay, June bug,” he asked, keeping a comforting distance between them just in case she needed space.

Sunny wanted to kick herself. She wanted to scream at her own reflection about how stupid she was. But most of all, she wanted Poppy and Branch. She wanted them to hold her, sing to her, and tell her everything would be okay again.

“Thank you,” she said, picking herself up off the ground, “Thank you for saving me. But I need to get back to Lonesome Flats. The Pop queen is there, and I need to let her know I’m okay. Can you help me, please?”

When she turned back to face him, he didn’t appear to have been listening to what she just said. He was staring at her in astonishment, muttering phrases under his breath like “No way,” and “Is it really…?”

“Why are you looking at me like that,” she asked, suddenly embarrassed, “Do I have something in my teeth? In my hair? On my face?”

The Country troll removed his ball cap and held it close to his chest as he replied, “The spittin’ image.”

Sunshine looked back at him quizzically. Where had she heard that before? That’s right; Delta had said that she was the “spittin’ image” of--

She gasped, fighting back the urge to cry again. “Are you…Rascal?”

The other troll had no such inhibitions as he pulled her into a hug, letting his tears fall over her shoulder. “As sure as I’m your big brother,” Rascal replied in between sobs. “I knew I’d find you someday. I knew you were still out there somewhere.”

As happy as she was to finally find one of her blood relatives, Sunshine still couldn’t shake the guilt off of her mind. She had to get back to Branch and Poppy. She had to let them know she was okay and that she loved them and that she was sorry for everything she had put them through.

“How did you survive that storm anyway,” Rascal asked.

“I was saved by Queen Poppy,” she replied, her voice wavering on her caretaker’s name, “I probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her and Branch.”

She caught sight of a pink dot floating overhead. Even before its more detailed features could be seen, she immediately recognized it as Poppy’s balloon. “That’s them up there,” she yelled, pointing at the dot as she ran after it, jumping up and down and frantically calling their names. Rascal followed her, both to help and to ensure his little sister’s safety.

“Branch, Poppy,” Sunny shouted, “It’s me! I’m okay!” Try as she might, she couldn’t get their attention. Even with Rascal doing the same, they were too far apart to see or hear each other.

She dropped to her knees in despair once more as the balloon disappeared from view. She wasn’t going to give up, but she had no idea what to do from here.

She snapped back to attention when she heard a loud rustling coming from the brush nearby. “What was that,” she gasped, watching the vegetation tremble.

“Stay back, lil sis,” Rascal said, shielding her from whatever was hiding in there. Pulling a sharpened stick out of his bag, he added, “You don’t know what kinda stuff the critters out here are capable of.”

Sunshine kept a tight grip on her brother’s arm, growing more and more scared as the rustling became more intense. Rascal remained poised to fight, keeping a brave demeanor she hoped would rub off on her eventually.

The rustling finally reached its peak as the creature waiting inside popped out. Sunshine flinched, retreating further behind her brother, but the creature did not attack. She slowly opened one of her tightly shut eyes to peek at the creature, just in case it was trying to catch them by surprise. She ended up being halfway right as the would-be beast remained still in front of them, letting out a soft and familiar “mew.”

“Mr. Dinkles?”

[espytalks]

Plant update!

So the squash was an absolute failure! The one successful squash it gave me got eaten up by bugs before i could harvest it, and then the whole plant started getting overtaken by pests. I actually didnt notice untill it was too late, cause i wasnt checking on the garden everyday.

Ive also been getting depression episodes, for lack of a better word, and it made it really hard to care about anything. Ive never had seasonal depression before, and im not sure if thats whats going on or if the loneliness is finally getting to me, either way its making it hard to clean the house and take care of everyone, myself, and my plants. Im doing what i can on my good days, and trying to make myself make better choices to get myself out of these dark spots. It aint easy when im doing it alone, but i played minecreft with my friend last week and it helped me a lot.

Secondly, back on topic, because i havent been out, i hadnt noticed that some seeds i must have dropped sprouted! Those mexican sunflowers are growing stong and fast! ...right where its in the way. I feel bad, but im gonna have to ask someone to mow em down. But maybe i can save the seeds from that first flower, and put em somewhere more intentional?

And lastly, i harvested some lettuce, basil, and some mint. I used the "cut and come again" method; by cutting out the outer leaves, it keeps the center heathy and growing. I pulled up the smaller lettuce plants entirely, though. Theyre not gonna provide a whole lot, and itll (hopefully) leave space and nutrients for the larger ones to flourish.

I rinsed em all and layed em out to dry. Its not enough lettuce for all three of us, but it'll bulk up the ceasar salad kit i bought, or itll be my lunch in the near future. Or i could be underestimating how much i got and it could be plenty. Im learning a lot about this kinda stuff.

Im hoping i can make a little pesto with the basil ( ive been wanting to try it, its new to me) and i dunno if the mint's enough to make tea out of, but ill try today.

So.. ive been struggling, but plants like to grow, time keeps going forward, and im still here. I forgot to water everything, so im gonna go do that, and hopefully i still feel ok the rest of today.

[callsignbaphomet]

The hate the community and even casual fans/players have for Preston Garvey is extremely telling of a lot of things but we're not gonna get into those here at the moment.

The hate Preston gets makes me physically jolt in utter annoyance. The character is very well rounded, the most human of the companions, and dare I say the most relatable. That man went above and beyond the call of duty. One day he woke up and the universe decided to fuck up his entire way of life completely. Not only was everything he believed in shattered by the actions of a bunch of greedy and cowardly assholes but he watched everyone he cared about, looked up to and loved die at the hands of said assholes. On top of that he was then thrown into a position where he was, by all logical calculations, meant to fail. He nearly did, don't get it twisted. He almost did until you, the player, showed up to help. By that time he was emotionally and mentally broken af and hanging on by a thread. All that happened and the few people he managed to safe were slowly dyin' because of things outside of his control yet he powered on for the sake of the survivors.

At any time he coulda said, "'Ey, yo, so I'm out. Glad I got to meet you before y'all died but fuck this." But he didn't because despite what he witnessed he still hung on to his principles and what he believed in even if it woulda killed him. He took one of the worst situations that could fall on any person, ran with it and did the very best he could. He made sure everyone else was safe (at least as safe as they could be given the situation), he looked after everyone else even when he was at his lowest and no one thought to check in on him.

He's also, game wise, one of the best companions to have. Give him a good weapon and he'll mow down every fucker in his way. Give him a good, fully customized weapon and put him in some power armor and he becomes the living embodiment of the phrase "Light 'em up!"

His sweet demeanor and constant checking in on the player is fantastic and wholesome. He took a hit but he got back up and carried on with what he believed in. Every other faction was out looking for themselves and you were always a means to an end. Preston wanted for the people to pick themselves up from the floor, to help each other, to look after each other, to fight back against the wasteland itself, to cooperate (insert obligatory jolly co-op joke here) with each other to build a better and safer world for all.

It's not his fault Bethany slaughtered the character by reducing him to a neverending radiant quest giver with a memeable phrase directing you to an annoying quest. Preston deserved better than what he got from the developers and the community.

[nightzap]

Doom is fucking amazing

I picked up the original Doom after watching the AVGN’s video on it, and after playing for a while I have to say

THIS GAME IS SO FREAKING AWESOME AND BADASS AND INTENSE AND FUCKING COOL

I haven’t had a game that gets me this pumped in a long time. Like. Seriously. Behind every corner could be a deadly threat. But if there is, YOU SHOOT IT IN DA FUCKING FACE! Getting ambushed by a horde of nasty demons? PUMP 'EM FULL OF LEAD WHILE HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE! When you stalk through the halls of hell, with barely any health and ammo left, and finally find some refills, you can finally take a deep breath AND THEN PROCEED TO SLAUGHTER MOAR DEMONS!

Every weapon feels super satisfying to use. The pistol is just a weak emergency weapon, but when you’re just starting anew after dying made you lose everything, grinding down foes with your pea shooter to regain your weapon collection is a well earned victory.

The fist with berserker pillis hard to use due to short range, but it’s super cool to give the pinky demons a taste of their own medicine, all while saving ammo since they are bullet sponges if you try to take them on with your shotgun.

The shotgun is your bread and butter, and it’s soooooo good. The basic soldiers and imps get FUCKING oneshot from a dose of pellets to the face. The delay between shots makes it perfect for tense moments of darting in and out of cover while taking down a group of foes. Being just one big shot makes it feel so much more impactful than the faster weapons. It’s fucking amazing.

The chain gun can mow down hordes of enemies, just hold down the trigger and watch them get FUCKING slaughtered. Don’t think, just KILL

The Rocket Launcher... I admit, that’s the one I don’t like. You can’t shoot willy-nilly or you explode your own face, so I mostly use them as sneak attack on groups, which is less cool then just pumping them full of lead.

The chainsaw is pretty niche, but if there’s a lone Cacodemon, it’s time to RIP AND TEAR so you don’t have to waste huge amounts of ammo on those jerkfaces.

The plasma rifle is the chain gun in overdrive, slaughtering hordes even more easily and even kills tanky enemies that make the chain gun feel like another pea shooter.

I haven’t found a BFG yet, but I’m sure the Big FUCKING Gun will be big FUCKING fun.

The shotgun is amazing. Have I mentioned the shotgun yet? Because it’s fucking amazing.

The sound design is superb. You can always hear demons in the distance, making you wonder where the next ambush will be. The simple sound of a door opening leaves you guessing if it’s some kind of monster, and to be honest, since there are a lot of hidden triggers that make the walls slight away to unleash more demons on you, that’s not too far from the truth. The early 90′s sound quality aids the atmosphere, as the raspy chip sounds making everything seem more dangerous.

The soundtrack rocks hard. Literally. The hard metal early on gets you pumped for RIPPING AND TEARING, but as the game gets harder the music becomes more threatening, more tense as you realize that even the one man army that is the doomguy isn’t invincible.

Yeah, this game is great. No wonder it’s considered an all-time classic.

[deeprockrivals]

Chapter 4

A Chitinous Cacophony

Empty shells fell from Gunners gun as he fired into a wall of glyphid grunts. The grunts couldn't get closer than a few metres from him before being blown away. "Hahaha! Eat lead you 8-legged freaks!" he shouted as he mowed down more and more grunts. A grunt slasher was sneaking up behind Engi though as it was about to attack it's face met Drillers pickaxe. "Woah! That one near had me!" he gasped. "Great lookin out Driller!" Driller gave Engi a reassuring nod before turning around and setting fire to everything in his path.

Jeremy stood terrified shooting Mactera from the air. His training prepared him for moments like this. But still he couldn't think straight. He was on the edge of a panic attack when he heard Gunner shouting. "Ach! Dammed guns overheated!" he yelled as the swarm descend on him. Driller immediately ran to Gunner who was wrestling with a grunt guard and tore it off him. Jeremy ran over to them. "You ok Gunner?" he asked frantically. "Yeah! Drillers got our backs as usual" he responded.

As the team were distracted the bugs had advanced extremely close to them. Driller stood his ground, shredding any bug that got too close as the rest of the team retreated slightly. "Focus fire on the front of the swarm! They're too close!" Yelled Gunner. Suddenly Jeremy felt every hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "Look out!" he yelled as not a moment later a cave leech grabbed Engi and lifted him in the air. "Engi!" Jeremy yelled using his grapple to grab onto Engi. Gunner ran over to Jeremy throwing his bubble sheild to the ground. "Eat this meatball!" he shouted at the cave leech as he opened fire. The cave leech dropped Engi to ground and Driller caught him. "Phew! I was nearly a goner!" he exclaimed. Gunner turned to Driller. "Driller, show em some fireworks!" Driller clasped his hands together in excitement before pulling out a satchel charge and casting it into the swarm. Jeremy watched Gunner and Engi plug their ears and he did the same. Driller clicked the his detenator and the swarm erupted into flame and screeches. Bits of bug flew in every direction. As the dust cleared few grunts were seen retreating into smaller caverns.

Gunner smiled. "Heh, not bad for a newbie." said Gunner as he punched Jeremy's shoulder. "Really?" asked Jeremy. "Course! Quick thinking with yer grapple." Gunner replied. Jeremy was extremely happy, he was expecting Gunner to be alot harsher on him. "Thanks Gunner!" he beamed. "Told ya" Engi whispered loudly in Jeremy's ear. "Yeah yeah Engi, I can still hear you!" retorted Gunner. "Oh, sorry! Thought you'd have lost your hearing by now old man!" Joked Engi.

As Jeremy, Engi and Gunner were laughing, Driller clapped his hands twice loudly. "What is it Driller?" asked Engi. Driller pointed towards a bend in the cave, a faint orange glow radiating from around the corner. "That must be the facility!" exclaimed Jeremy. "Let's go check it out" replied Gunner. The team began towards the glow and as they rounded the corner they saw an unbelievable sight. A gigantic cavern, it's walls covered in mine shafts. Robotic prospectors were making their way back and forth from the shafts to the enormous facility at the caverns centre. It reached upwards farther than the eye could see. The boys took cover behind a ridge, peering over at the facility. "What is all this?" asked Jeremy. "What is it!? It's bigger than the bloody space rig is what it is!" replied Gunner. Engi stared at the facility. "Well I know one thing." said Engi "This definitely isn't good."

To be continued...