#pilot magpie

[cyvvien]

I'm still unemployed!! Truly a miracle in the "nobody wants to work" era!

I've applied to... something around 60-80 jobs. I got one interview that went nowhere and maybe 10 rejections and no response from anywhere else. I applied to every local retail or restaurant that was posting work.

I've gotten literal jack shit.

In the meantime, my art is my only income, and that's also been going nowhere. My commissions are open, my last commission I got was in March, and that has only carried me so far. My online shop is open, but since moving off Etsy I've had to advertise on my own and I can't really afford to pay for advertising right now.

So I'm trying to make new posts on my social medias where I have any reach at all. Which is... really none of them, because I'm terrible at keeping up with social media especially in a regular way.

My shop is linked below. I'd appreciate a reblog or a donation so I can keep paying rent. If you've read this far, thank you. If not, no worries!

[ghoulgeists]

sfx: sound of clattering spoons

[blackfinchart]

Assault Mech pilot showing off her Neurojack body augmentation markings, as well as her choice of exocasing for those droid arms she’s got.

I’m still struggling to come up with original mech designs so for now they’re poorly drafted and playing second fiddle to the humans in the room.

It honestly wasn’t my intention to do any world building when I started doing mech stuff but now that I have I’m dying to run a mech TTRPG

[ross-hollander]

I went down to...

...the hell for 'mech pilots, once. You get there walking down the lonely, beaten dirt trail, in the fog-shrouded forest, approaching a lookout post where the sentry sits. Uniform of an army you have never seen, viscera spilling out where his flesh rots through. He waves you in, tells you which hangar you have a slot at.

Just past the entrance is the first hangar, Limbo. For those who never did more than they needed to, never looked out for anyone except themselves, never repaid good with bad- or, in fact, with anything at all. They sit there in rows after rows, silent in their niches while technicians without eyes clamber over them. Sometimes, they say, the repairs are completed, and they wave the pilot on out of the hangar, back up the trail.

To the left is Lust, for the magpies, the looters. The ones who craved the metal that had been flesh and bone to others. There they are torn from their cockpits, hearts plucked out by those eyeless technicians, replaced with minute metal homonculi: piloted themselves in murderous clashes until flesh-shreds are all that remain.

To the right is Gluttony, for the over-prepared, the hoarders, the ammunition hogs. Their 'mechs stand beneath a flimsy stone ridge as an endless artillery barrage rains down on them. The terror of the instant death- in spite of all their armor, in spite of all they took for themselves -is constant.

When you walk past Lust you go to Greed, for the spray-and-prayers, for the overkillers sowing cities with missiles and stray shots. Here wait the fallen angels, colossal, purely alien 'mechs of ever-sweltering black metal, and the pilots toil heaving batteries and missiles and armor panels, all of crushing weight, to repair them. Some lie fallen under the burdens they were lugging, never able to arise.

When you walk past Gluttony you go to Wrath, for the cockpit stompers, the ones who shoot down ejecting enemies. They are chained in their seats, ejects disabled, glass barred over, and their reactors cook them in their own can as they howl and sizzle. They go deaf from the radios that share every damned soul's screams with every other.

When you walk past Limbo you go to Heresy, for the metal-breakers, the engine strainers, the ones who slaved their 'mechs to the extreme. Here they lie on tables, those eyeless technicians disassembling them, removing piece by piece and replacing it with metal, from digits to nerves to brain, until all that remains is mute, unmoving alloy.

When you walk past Heresy you go to Fraud, for the abusers of the flag of truce, the false colors or feigned surrenders. Although you can never walk past Fraud; their 'mechs stagger forwards, down that misty dirt road, until metal rusts, until servos give out, until limbs drop off, until they finally collapse, staring, stagnant, mindless, imprisoned in their cockpit, watching the rest of the damned keep heaving themselves on.

No person ever goes to the last hangar. The last hangar is not for the pilots, you see. The last hangar is for Treason. The frozen control systems. The faulty radar that failed to pick up an incoming strike. The eject that refused to work when it was most needed. The last hangar- or so I am told -is where metal goes to pay for its sins, and it is no sight for mortal eyes.

[dropitdoeeyes]

i am asking you about mechs birds ! if you want a specific mech then I'm asking about Drumbot Brian. But I'd love ve to hear about all of them if you want to

(On the verge of tears, covered in blood, out of breath, and surrounded by boards of red string and thumbtacks) I am SO glad you asked

Jonny: A shrike. Small, violent little critters. OR a chicken, because the cannibalism thing. (I also just think it’s really funny.)

Ashes: Whistling kite! They (along with a few other species) take burning sticks from forest fires and spread it to flush out prey. Arsonist bird, just like Ashes!

Drumbot Brian: Canada goose, since they travel long distances (like a pilot might!) this is also one of the birds that just Is Them. Just look at him. Look me in the eyes and tell me that man isn’t a goose. Soft, round, they look good to hold but they’re simultaneously full of violence.. silly goose Brian….

Raphaella: Wandering albatross. Yet another one who really truly just is. Look at that bird. It's her.

Marius: Common kingfisher! He's the one who originally sparked this idea, after we saw a picture of one and immediately got slammed by the idea of anthro bird mechs. The colors. Just look. That bird is Him.

Ivy: Rock ptarmigan, pigeon, or a mourning dove. She's just a soft round bird like Brian. They all have fitting coloration in a way, too.

Toy Soldier: European nightjar. The freaks my one true love. Nightjars look so fake., like they’re one of those puppet animal plushies you put your hand in to move the mouth.

Tim: Steller's jay. He inexplicably reminds me of one, similar mannerisms and everything. Tim is really truly such a corvid, also considered a blue jay for him. Deep down in my heart of hearts Gunpowder is a seabird like an osprey or petrel, though I have no reasoning for those ones.

Nastya: Eurasian magpie. Shiny blue smart bird. Looks mildly disappointed in you. Love u nastya

[sweaterkittensahoy]

I found your post about inbox empty and no camp requests literally five minutes after opening the tumblr post episode 8. Were you summoned? Was I? Who cares.

I haven’t had the time to properly comment on your 2buck sexy prompt fill but please do know I will BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN LIVING RENT FREE IN MY HEAD. So fucking well written (pace, words, characterizations, aaaaah). I ramble, sorry.

Back to the point at hand, PROMPT(s) for my two favorite idiots (Buck/Bucky):

- post war bliss, let’s heal the boys a bit and give them their happiness

- set whenever, possessive Gale (boy is 100% unhinged, called it day 1 when Greenland tower control told him to circle back and he just floored it like a goddamn pro)

- magpie behavior John, he just collects stuff for Gale and brings it to him, it’s a character trait (bikes, shit needed to make a crystal radio, boy just does)

- observer Gale, he just loves the physicality John moves in when he’s in Major mode and when he gets the rare chance to look without being seen or having to worry what is seen on his face he just looks and lets himself feel it

- talismans, I love the idea of both of them having something that means ‘I am of my beloved and my beloved is of mine’

- literally whatever other sexy scenario you can concoct, your whiskey one has rewired a couple of circuits in my brain

- soulmarks, on the basis that I’m a sucker for them

Bonus for good ole Benny De Marco as Gale’s keeper when John isn’t around while at the same time John’s handler when Gale’s not there (ngl this is because of the way Buck yells De Marco’s name in the pilot, my boys are MATES™️).

I am afraid I single-handedly murdered your inbox, please forgive me.

Thank you in advance and cheers ✨❤️

(These are all amazing, and I would like to encourage anyone who is reading this and gets an idea from one of these to write you one of the ones I don't [or write the one I did but as your own thing!])

In the barracks, each bed comes with a side table. It has a drawer and a lamp. Most of the boys keep a photo of a loved one on the top, a skin mag in the drawer, and whatever they carry in their pockets each day next to the photo.

Buck's is different because he keeps whatever he carries in his pockets in the drawer, and on the table itself is a collection of random objects that look like he's collecting odds and ends with no real sense. Amongst the clutter are the following things:

A skeleton key with a filigree 'G' carved into the head.

A rock that shines when the sunlight hits it during the day.

A broken bracelet made of blue stones.

A tiny piece of foil shaped into an oak leaf cluster.

The first time a replacement asks about it--because Major Cleven doesn't seem the type to collect odds and ends--Demarco barks a laugh and buys the replacement a drink.

"It's not Cleven's collection. Well, it is. But it's not."

The replacement stares at Demarco. "Uh-huh. Clear as mud."

Demarco sighs. "They're all his, but he didn't pick them, okay?"

"That's no clearer."

Demarco shrugs. "You'll figure it out."

A week later, the replacement is reading in his bunk when Major Egan walks in, giggly and flushed from drinking. He drops hard onto Major Cleven's bed. Major Cleven is--or was--sleeping, but he wakes up and huffs a laugh and says as calm and even as he seems to do everything. "What are you up to?"

Major Egan holds out a hand. "Look what I found!"

Major Cleven squints at Major Egan's hand. "It's a penny."

"No, look closer," Major Egan says. He picks up the penny with his other hand and holds it very close to Major Cleven's eyes. "Look."

Major Cleven grabs Major Egan's wrist and pulls it back a few inches. He squints at the penny, then reaches over and flicks on his lamp. He squints at the penny again. "It's still a penny, John."

"No, it's your birth year," Major Egan says. "See?" He points. "And I found it heads up! It's double good luck for you."

The replacement suddenly realizes neither of them have clocked that he's there. He coughs politely, and suddenly, both Majors are looking at him.

"Is this your first time experiencing Major Egan in his magpie form?" Major Cleven asks.

"Uh," the replacement says.

"He acts like it's silly, but he keeps all of them," Major Egan says, gesturing to Major Cleven.

The replacement expects Major Cleven to scoff or shove Major Egan off his bed. Instead, he smiles and holds out his hand.

"I don't act like it's silly," Major Cleven says and looks at his table for a long moment before setting down very precisely. "I just can't follow your booze-soaked reasoning when you wake me up in the middle of the night."

Major Egan flops sideways so he's taking over half of Major Cleven's bed. "It's only ten, you old man."

Major Cleven stares at Major Egan. "We have an audience, John."

"Eh," Major Egan says and rolls over, stealing Major Cleven's pillow.

"Hey, give that back!" Major Cleven says, yanking the pillow, but Major Egan isn't giving it up.

The replacement doesn't know what to do, so he goes back to his book. The next night at the officer's club, he buys Demarco a drink.

"What was it this time?" Demarco asks.

"A penny from his birth year that he found face up."

Demarco bursts into laughter. "Oh, that's a whole new level of lovesick."

"Are they together?"

"Joined at the hip and a few other parts," Demarco says, then downs his drink. He slaps the replacement on the back. "Come on. I'll let you tell Brady what the latest one is. He'll love it."

[captainkurosolaire]

Father of Shadow

Grey skies of bone waste, dry uncertain humidity polluted the air, in a time stone of an oppressive era. When a peaceful Nation was under siege of a Garlean Empire was prominent conflict. Depleted soul's were torn from destruction brought upon them, not able to spark their rebel spirits. Hopelessness festered, longed, in the dark-void, absence reigned. Until those who dwell and thrive in night, answered. A Doman elegant-magpie, colored descended below gracefully upon a leather-glove, with a braille message-strung delicately for delivery, to who wields sharp steel and handles Black Miracles. It read two-words, stroked in Hingashi. "Unsheathe Shadow." The figure clad to black, descended below a tall cliff-side using a large-bright dragon-theme kite at the last daring moment, blocking a Magitek Armor with an Operator and fellow squadron leading a convoy of spoiled slavers, formerly settlers, farmers of the neighboring land, that'd know a harvest again. Feet-padded quietly a step in their pause. This mask-silhouette figure gave a small startle. Keen eyes of one Imperialist gave rise to a Eastern-forged scabbard blade, letting out a small-laugh from his throat, "Hey, Men! Seems we forgot one. Ki--" Cut off before the executive order, through a sleeved kunai punctured the throat. The specter of death, was swarmed instantaneous. Time felt frozen momentarily, when two-pursuers stepped in striking distance, before they were aware of the next breathe, they were struck down from a blinding quick unsheathe. A firm masculine gloved-hand grappled one of the defeated imperialist by their skull and used their cadaver as a shield-charge to block, a volley of ballistics sponged to the reload, swiftly, the assailant lunged his blade through the deceased into the reloading legionary, puncturing two-hearts. Crushing flail came swinging towards the assailant from behind, stern senses strengthened for obscured sight gave an acrobatic bending dodge, strands of raven hair's plucked grazing overhead, the swordsman withdrew his blade full of heated ichor, blinding the bruiser. Handicapped and shouting obscenities, he withdrew his chained-flail, the assailant vanished alongside the call-back, leaping carefully on returning weapon. Graciously leaping overhead. A swift-slice midair struck. Another head fell below removed from neck. Sudden commotion and pause made the prisoner's of war began up-roaring with renewed spirits, kicking at their confines. Magitek-Armored pilot took firing aim and unleashed a mini-gun of bullets at the shadow. The figure-glided with the wind, feline ear's rattling towards the preparing machinery coiling before assault, heel's building up wind, his blade let out a howling gust, rocketing him forth towards a hanging-tree, bullet's closely racketing behind. Fluid-movement, his free-arm locked onto a sturdy branch. He parted his blade-flat below his feet using it like a temporarily standing-board. Then unhooked from hip satchel a paper-scrolled bomb strung to another kunai, a fuse laid underneath the hilt like a switch, once launched and struck its target, it'd detonate. Ilm's from filling the assassin with swissed-holes, the weapon's arm of the machinery imploded and cracked pilot's glass windshield, the magitek armor fell off balance, exposed trying to regain control. His eye's-opened widely. Sole's directly above his small-layer between him, in the death-dealer who had catapulted and sprung himself with a feline leap. Shedding a last-gasp before expertly steel slid between the cracked- creases, and impaled him unable to evade demise. His skull ragged dolled forth bashing into the detonation button. Electrical in-balance was felt predicatively, the assassin leapt backwards, yet was unable to clear. Blocking with his arm's and blade, shrapnel of machinery projectiles dug into his flesh, boom sent the shadow careening below harshly.

Ember's surrounding him, scorched land and concussed with his hearing shrieking, distorted, his mask cracked. His body was tortured fashioned to these sensations. Adrenaline coursing inside him, nullifying the extent of his injuries, momentarily, he rolled instinctively feeling the heat near his feline tail. Despite being a deadly-weapon, expressionless, empty-nearly. He finished his task employed, by releasing the prisoner's door, they flooded out looking to find their rescuer but only a blood-trail remained mixed with all the other disarray. He had a date, with someone, that daringly made his sharpest blade, blunt. Even demolished like this, he wouldn't miss the intended target who'd forever alter his knowledge of Life. Using his blade-hilt as a cane to hold uprightness. In all or any; Darkness... There was somewhere a Light, to appreciate.

[Prev:Chapter]: ~ ♪"As Above, So Below"♪

[anchor-ice]

ok since the overall response was positive i'm gonna tell you a bit about this project!

this is a series of jokey mini-comics detailing the (after) lives of a band of ghosts who are stuck in an abandoned summer camp near omsk location pending in 2005. this is basically bbc ghosts but russian and with more gore.

katya is the only one who's alive! she's 15 and started seing ghosts after her shitty boyfriend crashed his bike with her in the back seat. she's trying to help the ghosts mediate their relationships with eachother and the world, and they're helping her with homework (sometimes) or being general nuisances (more often).

the pilot died in 1944 when his plane crashed while he was test-flying it. he was wounded in the frontlines and sent home to recover, but decided to help out in the poiloting school in the meantime. the guy on whose watch the plane crashed was shot for sabotage afterwards, and his ghost in turn is pretty resentful about that, because it was just the lack of funds and old equipment going out. plot: katya helping them meet and make peace with eachothers deaths. the pilot had a daughter himself and thus is feeling very paternal towards katya. most organised and helpful of the ghosts. died with one broken cigarette whick they all now share and an officers notepad with his papers and maps, where he sketches from time to time (it all disappears after he stops concentrating 😔) has ideological beef with the suit and ex-beef with the sailor (they are besties now).

the sailor died in 1921 during the kronstadt rebellion and was very surprised when he woke up near omsk. he had a precious cigar case that was lost a year before his death, and in the chaos of th civil war found itself in a magpie's nest in the woods near omsk. his soul is tied to this case, and he spends a lot of time trying to get to the case and taunting the magpie family (unsuccessfully). has a tin of cocaine, 4 machine gun belts, no machine gun and an attitude. loves asking katya to marry him and run away to saint-petersburg together. plot: katya finally getting him his cig case back. obsessed with space and in love with yuri gagarin, wants to find and meet his ghost

the suit died in 1997 during a buisness deal gone wrong, shot and buried on the abandoned camp territory, is still a bit pissed about that. is disgusted by the starry-eyed belief in the happines of all mankind the pilot and the sailor exibit and in general is tormented by the fact tht he will have to spend his afterlife in a summer camp surrounded by these people. loves to come harass the monk living in the lake nearby to get some sort of ideological closure and figure out how afterlife works. plot: getting katya the money to move to another sity when she goes to uni

the bomber died in 1896. tried to sicide bomb a govt official but was discovered and sentenced to death, later pardoned bc of Nicholas 2 acending to the throne, sentence switched to siberian exile for 25 years with no rights to return. killed herself out of boredom and despair. gets along well with the sailor (he is slightly intimidated by her), would really like to talk to the monk but he doesn't answer to anyone. plot: idk so far 😔

the bear victims - a lego of bear victim parts. that's it. a comedic side character.

the monk died alone on an island in the lake in ????, the island was later blown up to increase the water capacity flowing from the lake to a water reservoir. doesn't talk to any of the other characters bc of his seraphimic schema and vow of silence & solitude. slowly warming to the idea of breaking his vow and trying to help the other ghosts move on, because if god's not letting him go, that must be for a reason, right? plot: speaking to katya

[zayne-snowman]

first of all why am i being side eyed. second of all. i'm the one who should be suffering here. i'm in love with the both of you, but i'm being your magpie bridge.

You make it seem like this is what’s happening.

@caleb-pilot

[nrdmssgs]

💕do you do aus for zhar and nik? ever since i learned, what her callsign stands for, i want a supernatural au with them, please! they are cryptids and you cant tell me otherwise! 💕

Lovie, the short answer is: I have not a single idea, how to make a decent AU. I don't understand, how this whole thing works.

However, a few days ago my friends reminded me of this idea, I had a while ago. Consider this one time promotion, but I present you with a shifters!NikxZhar

Summary: they show each other their inhuman forms. This is somewhere between the first and second chapters of Matters, if you need a timeline, so Zhar already has her call sign, works in Chimera and has burn marks. TW: swearing

Masterlist

Shifting is a very intimate moment. It should be kept to the shifter themselves and maybe their closest family. This is the well respected principle among all the shifters, so even in the Task Force they just wrote, what their 'second faces' were on pieces of paper and left those pieces on the desk, so that each of them could read and remember in silence.

Though, of course, Soap couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Wait, lammer-what? I need to google that thing."

Ghost hissed, gripping Johnny's collar and shaking him vigorously: it was considered inappropriate to comment on others 'second face' - something so personal.

Olga didn't pay any attention - she was happy as long as Nikolai wasn't around, when she had to confess, what exactly she shifts into. Back in that days she didn't trust him even her address. And she couldn't care less for what's his 'second face' was.

That's why now, many years after, she has to guess.

As they walk into the deep forest, both dressed too light for the current weather, as their blood starts running hot in anticipation, she takes a peek at him secretly.

What could this man be?

There are a few factors, that might help to guess shifters 'second face'. First of all - 'second face' would never be a form, originating too far from the place, where the shifter was born. So it is almost impossible to be born for example somewhere around Finland and be shifted into a kangaroo. The next important thing, is that what shifters call 'a second face' is in reality more a second nature - it will affect their preferences in work or their personal traits.

"Any ideas, darling? Wild guesses? If you guess right - I'm the first to show, remember?" Nikolais grin shines in the last rays of dusk and Zhar understands, that her guesses are most likely to be wrong. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so arrogant.

"I need three attempts."

"Take as many as you want, but I'm not that big of a riddle." He stops on the edge of the clearing in the woods and leans against a tall dark pine.

Olga looks around, assessing the place, and turns back to Nikolai. "Ok, my best shot is a magpie or a crow. Someone of the corvidae."

"Because I'm the best pilot, you've ever seen, sokrovishe*?"

"Because you're the smart sneaky scoundrel, willing to steal anything, that is not nailed to the floor... And maybe because of all the flying."

Nik chuckles and shakes his head. "I'm afraid, the sky is my dream in every my form, but never my element. So think bigger."

Zhar tilts her head to the side. "Bigger? A wolf maybe? Statistically speaking, there must be at least one wolf in Prices Task Force and we had none, while I was serving there..."

"O-o-o-oh-h-h-h-h, I adore wolf-shifters. Something in them just makes my heart melt, little lovely puppies... " Nikolai clicks his tongue and leans closer Olga, freezing right above her ear. "But you, little thing, got yourself somebody more... massive, I should say."

"Nik, for fucks sake, I beg you: not a bear," pleads Zhar.

Nikolai looks at her and starts unbuttoning his shirt. Olga opens her mouth, but says nothing and watches him. The moment, that should have become their true bonding, grows so terribly cheesy, that she regrets even agreeing to this all. Not only she has fallen for a Russian guy - she somehow found her self the Russian bear shifter, as if she was aiming for the most cliché man on Earth. Nik breaks the silence with a loud laughter.

"Well, of course, every shifter born in Russia, must be a bear! As if you yourself are the one as well." He tosses his shirt on the bag, they brought with them, cups Zhars face and peppers it with kisses, still laughing. She doesn't react, still looking at him in shock, and he add 'just fucking with you, Nebo, don't you worry'.

"So, I was wrong? Not a bear?"

"No." Nikolai grins and places another kiss, a much longer one on her lips. "Not a bear. But that means, somebody lost and will have to shift first."

His fingers trail down her neck and tug under her sweater. "This will have to go, I guess. Unless I found myself a little mouse-girl..."

Zhar catches his lips: hard to resist him, when her body is boiling with both sides of her nature. Their kiss is full of thirst for each other, hands clutching on clothes, caressing and claiming, their heartbeats grow faster and synchronize. It is much more than a make out session - they open each other up, sharing inhuman warmth, loosing breath in each other. Everything feels much brighter in their state, every touch wakes so much more sensations right now. It feels so good, that Nikolai groans irritated, when Olga break their kiss and whispers 'not here, Nik'.

"Nobody will see you, Nebo. Not a single soul, but me." He tries to bargain for more of her proximity, but Zhar shakes her head.

"You didnt get me. Not here. I need a cliff."

Nikolai freezes. A shadow of concern crosses his gaze. Not every shifter has an equally simple way to change their form. If your 'second face' is a mammal - consider yourself lucky, because you practically can decide, when you shift, because the difference between your two forms is not that big. But in other it takes a great deal of 'motivation' for the shift to happen.

Such shifters often use adrenalin injections to trigger the process, but there are other, more 'traditional' ways.

"You're getting a shot." Nikolai doesn't even ask her - he states a fact. His voice resembles a deep, guttural roar. "This is your first shifting after the injury, I am not letting you do anything careless."

"I've never done this with a shot. Not for a single time! And i'm not starting today." Olga takes off her sweater and unbuckles her belt. They fly to the ground behind Nik. Her usual insecurities and desire to hide her scars are instantly forgotten.

"You are going to get yourself killed!" Nik grabs her arm.

He realizes his mistake too late: shifters get incredibly strong and easily irritated before the change. Zhar yanks her arm out of his grip with such force that she risks dislocating her shoulder joint. He lets her go in fear and she finally turns back.

"You dare to question my 'face'?" Something changes in her voice: it grows raucous, high and strong.

Nikolai takes a step back.

They walk to the cliff in a dead silence. No one breaks it, even when Olga takes off her last bits of clothes.

They stop on a large empty plateau, hanging above the darkening void full of rocks and trees. Zhar stretches her arms and shoulders, when she feels Nikolais hot breath on her back.

"What?" She looks back and meets his gaze: not an angry or menacing, but instead full of care and tenderness.

He walks around her, touches her cheek and kisses her forehead.

"That's all I wanted to let you know, moye Nebo*. I will be right here. Waiting." Niks voice is muffled, if there was any rage in him - he dragged it deep enough to not be shown in any way.

She presses her whole body against his for a moment and sighs. Olga knows, how hard it is for him to let her do, what she is about to do. And yet he strangles his own doubts for her.

Nikolai takes a few steps back, watching her undoing her usual bun. Waves of trembling run down her body, but he knows, that it is not from cold. It is the anticipation.

Zhar closes her eyes, takes a deep breath in and pushes herself ahead from the edge. Her motions are so calm and casual that for a few seconds Nikolai believes that she did not do anything unusual, and throwing herself into a deadly void is not a big deal. And then the chilling realization of what is happening creeps into his soul. His heaven, his beloved girl just jumped off the cliff on his very eyes. He waits for what feels like an eternity, but not a single sound appears in the black seas of tree tops waving on the wind under him. His hands run cold, throat feels dry and soar, heart runs wild. Shifting never takes so much time. Nik stands on the very edge of the plateau and whispers 'come on, come back to me, love, I beg you'.

All of a sudden, a huge black shadow, flies up right before his face so swiftly, that he instinctively covers his face. A magnificent beast of a bird straightenes her wings and lays down on the invisible streams of wind just a few dozens meters above the ground, casting a formidable shadow upon Nik. Cloaked in a tapestry of dusk and dawn, its plumage boasts a palette woven from the shades of twilight - a fusion of russet and amber intermingling with the deep hues of earth and blood.

Nikolai pulls his arm to the side, and calls her to sit on it and give her wings some rest. But she shrieks at him, rising scarlet feathers on her head. Her voice isn't anywhere near soothing bird songs - it is a war cry, a command, that only a fool would dare to disobey. So Nik lowers his hand and nods meekly. In the first minutes after the change, a shifter usually doesn't recognize anyone around. Younger ones need up to a few hours to fully understand, who are they, and what is happening to them.

Nikolai doesn't pressure her into interaction - he just descends to the ground and sits there, letting her circle above him. When she finally lands near him - Nik finally get a chance to see every smallest detail.

It's her eyes, that hypnotize him. They glint like precious gemstones amid the wild expanse, hold a glimmer of some secret knowledge, a silent witness to the untamed symphony of life and death that echo high in the sky.

She leans to the ground, curls up in an unnatural for a bird pose, and Nikolai understands, that she is tired.

"Come here, I'll hold you, my treasure." The bird looks at him attentively for a few long moments and leans her head on his lap.

Shifting back is painful: shivers run through her entire body for a long time after she loses her heathers and bones grow back to a human form. Nik caresses her shoulders and slowly rocks her back and forth to sooth her senses.

When her skin stops running so hot, he wraps her in a blanket they took from home.

"I know, I know: a girl must shift into something sophisticated and pretty. Like a hawk, falcon, or a dove... Not in-"

"You are a work of art. I've never seen anything so majestic. And I've spent quite some time in the skies." Nikolai smiles, looking her in the eyes.

"More majestic than your hellicopter?"

"Just don't tell her." Nikolai winks. "So... a vulture? A magnificent creature. And a fearful one. Dread from the skies."

"Bearded vulture. We look more menacing, than we really are, so don't worry."

"Oh love, you could leave my 'second face' eyeless in a few seconds, if you wanted." At these words of Zhar raises a confused gaze upon him. She wouldn't risk flying low enough to let something 'more massive than a wolf' to catch her.

Nik helps her back into her clothes and carefully kisses her hands, taking in a brief moment of her absolute vulnerability. When she is ready, Nikolai helps her stand and leads her to the nearest tree to lean against.

"You sure, you want to see it today? I can wait as long as you want." He whispers lowly.

"Nikolai, please! I showed you everything, it is only fair-"

"Ok-ok," he chuckles. "Just promise me to be a brave little thing and don't run away. I will be at your feet in any of my forms."

Following him with her gaze, Zhar waits until he disappears far behind the trees and sinks to the ground: the shifting was really hard for her, but she tried to hide it from Nik. Her eyes slowly get used to the dark ambience of the forest, but she notices no movement.

It is only when a few little birds quickly flutter out of the bushes and rush away, Olga finally understands, she is not alone anymore.

The first thing she notices are two eyes, mirroring moonlight. And the height at which these eyes are moving does not bode well for her. He is enormous. His colossal frame emerges from the verdant shadows. A creature of regal splendor, its tawny coat adorned with striking stripes that echoed the forest's secrets.

"Bloody hell..." Her heart skips a beat, and fear courses through her veins. Instinctively, she springs to her feet, pressing her back against the reassuring solidity of the tree. Her pulse quickens, her hand darts to the place, where her holster usually is: a primal response to the raw power embodied in the approaching feline.

The tiger freezes, his giant paw is raised for the next silent step, but remains in the air. He sees, where her hand moved, he undesrtands, what is it, shes seeking. Olga desperately tries to remember, how long ago Nik went away to shift. "10 minutes top. But he's a bloody cat - they need more time to adapt, they are much more wild than us," screams a frightened voice in her head. Before her stands a beast, approximately two hundred kilos of muscles and hunger for blood, and Zhar has nothing to help her escape. She won't even be able to shift once again - she barely stands.

However, to her astonishment, the tiger doesn't bear his teeth or growl menacingly. Instead, he approaches her after the initial pause.

Drawing closer, the tiger halts just a breath away, his golden eyes fixated upon her. But rather than aggression, the tiger displays an unexpected gesture—a subtle tilt of its head, an invitation.

Trepidation mingle with curiosity, and against all instincts, Olga tentatively extends her hand toward the majestic beast, fingers trembling in uncertainty. With tender grace, the tiger nudges his head closer, inviting her touch.

As her fingers brush against the tiger's velvety fur, a thought, not her own, but rather a dictated or a transmitted one, appears somewhere deep in her mind.

"At your feet, love. In any form. Always."

She looks deep into the ferocious predator's eyes and sees the same warmth, she often finds in Nikolais eyes.

Zhar finally gives in to her weariness and sits down, the beast pulls his head closer to her face and sniffs her hair. As gentle as she can, Olga embraces his head and scratches behind his ears. With a rumbling purr akin to a distant thunderstorm, the tiger leans into her touch, seeking more of her attention. Just as Nikolai always does.

sokrovishe - a treasure

nebo - sky/heaven

[therobotmonster]

Have you seen Schleich’s Eldrador line? Besides some legit cool elemental monsters, there’s also these little head guys that can pilot robot suits with translucent spikes and interchangeable symbols. There’s not much lore because that’s just not how Schleich does things, but their designs have gotten pretty rad lately.

Schleich is delivering solid effort in this mostly bleak era of toy dev. I haven't checked out these particular ones, but there's a bunch of their monsters I'd love to have, but can't ever quite justify grabbing on the price level.

Not because it's not worth it, Schleich is like Lego in my experience, worth the extra cost in quality and care. I'm just broke.

I'm going to have to keep my distance on that one because that thing is designed to snag my magpie brain from what I've just seen: magic elemental headmasters-by-way-of-Crazy Bones with tons of clear plastic energy/crystal bits?

Yeeeaaaah... That's dangerous.

I can only really focus on one figure line for my own special-interest wrangling safety, so right now I'm on MOTU origins for the forseeable. I very easily could have gotten pulled in by Schleich's fantasy, but the line that routinely gets clearanced for $10 a pop is my dance partner.

Hasn't stopped me from putting a couple of the things on my cheer-up-the-robot-list tho.

[blackfinchart]

Turns out procreate has a mirroring feature, I’m still not good at designing mechs and the perspective is sorta wonky but here we are.

Anyway here’s a Light Scout/Recon Mech, no idea what the specific name of this chassis should be, love a suggestion. Pilot for scale.

It can afford the size 2 Gatling thanks to the low power draw of the weapon type, the relatively small size of most recon instruments, and the counter balance provided by the RMI Soft-Variable Distortion Caster (or “Stealth Caster” for short), which is slightly heavier than it looks. The fastest class of striding mech available, it is mostly deployed for the purposes of reconnaissance, observation, exploration, or battlefield spotting- though that last function may be better served by a mech with long range engagement capabilities.

[hypergryph]

Me: Alright just a touch of light-

The magpie piloting my brain:

 MAKE IT SPARKLE 

MAKE IT SHINE

MAKE IT SHIMMER

MAKE IT MINE

[farolero-posting]

Who would swap with who in a Swap AU of OneShot:

Here’s what I already have

Prophetbot and Prototype

Silver and Kip

Alula and Calamus

Also the Solstice trio will keep their memories and be so confused but know they must fulfill their roles

Ooooo ok so this is a tough one! The toughest part comes from counting how many characters you wanna consider and how to get the most out of the AU. I'll give you a Long explanation of how I'd work things out. Anyone can feel free to add your own ideas as well!

Traditionally the Barrens would have 3 (Silver, Prophetbot, Prototype), the Glen has 5 (Calamus, Alula, Magpie, Maize, Cedric), and Refuge ranges from 5 to 7 (Lamplighter, Ling, Kip, George, Rue, and then add Watcher and Mason, for example). The World Machine may or may not be swapped, but in my opinion the only one fitting to swap with it is like, Niko. So that's a pair that's outside the 13-15 characters mentioned. The Author probably wouldn't count at all either.

Let's see. Silver - Kip, and Calamus - Alula makes a ton of sense. They're pretty intuitive swaps.

The Solstice trio is tricky, but not because of themselves but about who switches with them. Like you either rotate them so Proto takes Cedric's place who takes Rue's place who takes Proto's place (or in reverse). Or you have to choose someone Else to take their roles. Would these characters gain awareness of the simulation? Would they be related with each other in some way? Is the character in Cedric's place also piloting a flying machine or another transportation? Is the character on Rue's place a talking animal or are species kept the same?

Let's try to fit in other characters, though. I'll keep Prophetbot - Prototype because it's an easy parallel, and... Maybe add Maize - Rue. These two make sense to me because they're both one of a kind in terms of species, and seem like comforting and wise characters. They share this nostalgia and hope, but while Maize is pretty much doomed to die, Rue is betting on a second chance. They are both hidden too.

Cedric is harder. On one hand you could switch him with George, as being the closest to the Author, and one of them representing hands-on knowledge versus theory based knowledge. I could see Cedric becoming a librarian, and would make sense to have him involved with his writing. George could have one hell of a role if she had self awareness of the simulation. The other option is Plight, because they'd both share overworking habits, but Plight is pretty self conscious about his knowledge. Plight would be interesting in a high pressure situation, and I wonder what Cedric would do in Plight's position as well.

So to recap:

Proto - Prophetbot

Silver - Kip

Calamus - Alula

Maize - Rue

George - Cedric

Magpie - undefined

Lamplighter - undefined

Ling - undefined

(if you add Mason and Watcher they'd probably swap with each other)

In the end what you can do to fix this is either create a trio of swaps with Magpie, Plight and Ling, or add another character to swap like Kelvin. Imagine Magpie swapping with Ling and Plight swapping with Kelvin maybe.

There are very few rules in swap AUs and I think there isn't one single way to do this really. You just need to know the roles each character fills in and how they do it with their own personality. Like, what would a carefree character like Alula be like if she was an older sister?

Besides that, you can ask yourself a lot of setting questions right? Is this a Canon divergence? Is this some code corruption? How does TWM feel about this? Can it do something? Or was this always meant to be and it's a fully parallel universe? How much of their personalities are kept and how much changes?

Anyways, I hope I gave you ideas to work with.

[marvelmusing]

FUCK someone already asked you about Crawlers SO

Magpie & Blackbird (Billy Russo x Reader)

mwah x3

-🕊️

It’s set several years after the Punisher series, (where Billy didn’t betray Frank). Billy is CEO of Anvil, working with the US military as a private contractor. Anvil is a seriously well known company at this stage and Billy is involved in a lot of high stakes operations.

The reader is a highly skilled pilot, retired from flying but eager to get back into it. Billy hires the reader for a priority mission and the two of them grow close during training, while the upcoming mission looms over their heads.

-

“Magpie!” Spinning around on the balls of your feet, you turn to face Billy.

His eyes soften minutely as they meet yours, and you nod in greeting. A grin touches at the corner of his mouth, as his head tilts towards your plane, eyeing the two magpies painted on the side.

“You finally gonna tell me where your callsign comes from?”

You smirk.

“One condition.” He raises a brow at you. “You tell me where Blackbird came from.”

Shaking his head, a small smile tugs at his lips and he breathes out a sharp laugh before he looks down at his shoes, scuffing the toe against the ground.

“One condition.” His expression softens from teasing to something more genuine when he lifts his eyes back to yours. “Come home.”

[e17omm]

I have recently seen that signalis is on sale and don't know if i should buy it. I don't know much about the game and have seen that you like signalis, so would it be possible to explain a bit wht the game is about.

Space lesbians and eldrich horror done right. <- the short version.

The long version ->

You play as Elster, or rather, LSTR-512, a Replika. Basically a human android. You are on a ship called the Penrose, and your Gestalt (human) co-pilot (Ariane) is missing.

This is a game with a story you have to figure out. Its not hard. Its not hiding its story, but you will definitely have to pick up notes (in-game) and pay some attention to get an idea of whats going on.

It is a highly spoilerable game in terms of story.

In terms of gameplay, it is like a top-down, but you see it from an angle.

The genre is survival horror. Limited resources, tight rooms, limited inventory, and enemies. Ammo conservation and inventory management is the game, and about half the time you can try to sneak/run past enemies to conserve ammo.

Signalis recently got an inventory update that should make the inventory management MUCH better. (Basically some items gets special slots that only they can go in, and since you would basically need them on you at all times, it now saves slots in your normal inventory) (this was about the only complaint before from the community - the inventory was TOO small. This update fixed some of that while not making it too easy either)

Okay to recap because I rambled a bit:

Signalis is a Top-Down, Survival Horror game with an eldrich horror theme done right. A lot of messed up and confusing things happens in this game, but its not so vague or random that you cant make sense of it.

The start of the game goes like this:

You wake up. Search your crashed ship. You leave it. Go through an archway. Find a hole in the ground. Go down the hole. Find a hole in the wall. Go through the wall. End up in a regular-ish room. Listen to a radio broadcast. Next time you're in control of your character, you're in a bathroom in a mining facility.

That doesnt make sense, right?

It will.

I really want to talk about it in detail, but again, its highly spoilerable. Not fun if I go into detail about what the opening 5-10 minutes is, right? (What I talked about above).

The game is about 8 to 12 hours long (per playthrough), depending how long you take on puzzles and how long you take exploring. The game has a map, so its not like Haydee where you have to draw your own.

The gunplay is as simple as aiming your weapon, and as long as youre aiming close enough to an enemy, Elster will soft-lock onto it (aim assist, basically).

In terms of characters, most (and by most I mean that there is litteraly 1 guy) are females. And not only that, but they are tall androids (most of the time. Looking at you, 152cm (5') Kolibri's (Smolibri)) (This doesnt spoil anything really, just fun info you can find) (the rest of the androids are generally above 200cm) (there is stepladders in game and the files calls them "Kolibri steppy". The devs definitely had fun.)

Most of them are enemies, due to the afformentioned i̴n̴t̷e̴r̴g̷a̷l̴a̷c̴t̶i̷c̷ e̴̳͂ḻ̴̇d̴̳̑r̸̜͒i̷̦̓c̶̨͌h̸̻͝ ̷͇̐h̷͉͛o̵̞͋r̴̜̋r̵̺͝o̶̩͌r̶̳̄ i̴͖̖̘̝̘̙͉̅͒͜ṅ̶̼̮̮̻̥̱͍͊̎̀͘f̴̗͎͇̔ḙ̶̟͈̳̭͓̃ͅc̵̢͇̱̼̫̘̦̯̋͋͂̽t̴̗̬̬̥̂ͅỉ̶͍̗͔̱͎̲̩̞͗̅͗͐̈̓o̴̡̹̤̜̖̞͇̼̅n̵̼͖͂̈́́͊̏͑̌ͅ.

So to recap the story as spoiler free as possible: You are an LSTR (Elster) android (Replika) in search of your missing human (Gestalt) co-pilot called Ariane. All in order to keep your promise to her. What is that promise you ask? You better remember it.

For the bird enthusiasts: most (and by most I mean all) Replika names correlate to a bird! Elster correlate to Magpie's, for example.

Does that have a meaning to the story? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ play to find out.

The art style of the game is pixel (as seen in the screenshot), but also (to borrow the words of Bricky) "Its sci-fi, if all we knew were the 80's". Big blocky screens with big buttons and static on screens.

The music - oh the music is fantastic. Tracks like "3000 cycles", "Cigarette wife", "die toteninsel emptiness" and "Swan Lake" by Tchaikovsky (yeah this game borrows some music) fits the theme of the game so well.

(Couldnt find the artist :C)

In terms of horror, it is mostly the environment and story. The only form of "jumpscare" is enemies screeching at you, or you get a cutscene with some mildly disturbing imagery. There is no form of "big loud thing jumps in your face" jumpscare. You will never turn around a corner and get a fnaf jumpscare.

The fandom is also chronically insane. (Not calling anyone out - I am a part of it.)

They are all excellent memers and artists of wholesomeness shipping. (Meme by unblueable1 on Twitter)

(Gif by Teflonflak on Reddit)