#score does comms

[the-scoreboard]

Set of commissions done for @katwriteszeldathings ! (Commissions are technically open but only to mutuals at the moment!)

[ethosiab]

we've been here before, 5 or 6 times

Etho and Tango hang out. A new game is soon to begin, so they talk.

They find it’s not exactly a matter of if they’ll join, but how soon.

beta read by @silliest-sideblog and partially inspired by these fics by @oh-snapperss

(read on ao3 - archive locked)

----------------

When they receive the message, Etho and Tango are hanging out in their corner of the shopping district, in the bowels of Ravager Rush. Sheets of paper are scattered about everywhere at Etho’s feet where he’s sat sifting through them.

They could have chosen a better spot to be doing this, but hey! If Etho gets an epiphany about one of the numerous bugs he’s been dealing with since deciding to rework the scoring system, the game is right there. It wouldn’t be the first time one of them has abandoned the other on one of their so-called ‘dates’ to fix a redstone issue.

(Pearl likes to call it that- a date. Even though neither of them are really interested in that sort of thing, and they spend the whole time barely saying a few words to each other, content to work on their own projects as long as the other is nearby. They don’t really mind it though, so maybe Pearl’s onto something when she says it.)

Etho flips through a stack of pages, each scribbled with notes, ideas, and small diagrams that he’s jotted down quickly in between doing other tasks around Frogger and his base. Generally, he’s able to keep his notes more organised than this, but between fixing all the bugs as they came up after the game’s opening, and redesigning the scoring system after the other hermit’s competitive insanity, he hasn’t had much time to sit down and simply sort through them.

Tango, meanwhile, sits a couple metres away from him, lying on his stomach. He’s propped himself up on his elbows and is currently staring very intently at a document open on his communicator with a sour look on his face.

“I can’t believe I missed some of these. What sorta redstoner am I?” Tango says, lifting a hand to flick through the list. “I mean, surely if I’d been less lazy when I got into this I wouldn’t have half of these bugs.”

Etho looks up from the papers. “If it makes you feel better, I spent hours trying to figure out why the game wasn’t turning on last night,” He says, “It turned out a silverfish had burrowed into a stone block and broke the redstone on top of it when it came out.” That was a new one. The kind of bug you only get when you’re placing redstone while half asleep. Bdubs had been around, and even then phantoms can’t get to him underground, so there hadn’t been much reason for Etho to actually sleep. Unfortunately, he doesn’t function well when tired, and acknowledgement of that fact has not magically fixed his sleep schedule.

Tango makes a variety of exasperated and unbelieving noises at the confession. “Wh- Yeah that does make me feel better!” He pushes himself up from the floor, and leans back onto his knees. “What are you doing building on natural stone for, man! That’s disgusting!”

“Look, I was−”

Tango interrupts him. “Gah! Can’t believe we gave Joel all that flack about not using smooth stone or wool, when you Mr Hopper Clock himself, can’t even be bothered to-”

He stops when the holographic display of the bug list he had open in front of him fizzles out, and the touchscreen of his comm stares up brightly at him in its place.  In the same moment, Etho’s own comm materializes at his hip.

The devices chime with an incessant and annoying note, designed to grab the players’ attention—and keep it—until they do what it wants.Etho hasn’t heard that sound in almost a year. He silently wishes that year had lasted longer.

He doesn’t need to unlatch it from his belt and open it to know what it says. He does so anyway.

<████> Join the Game?

He can’t read the IGN of the player who sent it. They gave up trying to figure that out a few games back.

Etho swallows back a lump in his throat. “It really couldn’t give us a rest for a little longer, could it?” He says, chuckling a little. It wasn’t funny.

Tango gives a frustrated huff from where he’s stood up. He half looks prepared to chuck his communicator along with its stupid join prompt into the nearest wall.

“I’m going outside,” he says, “Getting some fresh air.” His tail flicks side to side with obvious pent up anxiety. The fire in his hair has come to life, and Etho would fear for his low hanging redstone if he didn’t know for a fact that Tango’s flames are practically harmless, not like a real blaze’s fire.

Etho has grown to understand Tango’s large emotive reactions to things like these. He can’t see his own hair, but given the growing ball of static he feels in his chest from the prospect of a new game, he can imagine the clouds are more unruly than normal.

He keeps a hand on the stack of papers he was sorting through, worried the cold breeze would scatter them, and ruin the last half hour of work he’s done. It often followed him, the breeze, especially when he was feeling like this. It’s almost starting to become normal.

“Don’t leave without me,” Etho says, looking up at his friend. The words surprised even him.  He doesn’t know why he thinks the possibility would ruin him.

Tango’s smile is small, but it’s there. “Never.”

------------------

They sit at the edge of Tango’s factory base, legs hanging off the ledge and looking out on the horizon—on the rest of the server. There’s redstone under Etho’s nails, from his work last night. He should really clean it out before he burns himself by accidentally activating it. Doc’s always pestered him about wearing gloves, especially ever since he lost his eye. He does agree, he’d like to never experience pain like that again. Redstone reacting with his blood, infecting an already corrupted wound. Etho’s not a smart guy when it comes to this sort of thing, though. He likes his fingerless gloves. He likes the itch of redstone dust under his fingernails. He finds it grounding.

Tango’s head rests on his shoulder, a similar grounding force. His tail is partially wrapped around Etho, swishing side to side and knocking into Etho’s shoe every now and then. Etho’s not even sure Tango knows he’s doing it.

“Are you going to join?” Tango asks.

Etho huffs a bit in response. Is he? Every game so far has only served to drive him further to the edge. He’s almost reached a tipping point many times. And yet, every time his comm chimes with that unignorable message, he can’t help but consider it. He’s played in death games before, holds the scars of those days gone by, but he’s older now. He should be more level headed about joining a hardcore server designed specifically to drive him to murder and kill his friends. Is he a bad person for considering this?

“I mean, I haven’t missed one yet.”

Tango pauses. “Didn’t they have another one?” He questions, half speaking into the fluff on the hood of Etho’s vest. “Earlier this season? A lot of the guys disappeared on April fools. Something about an ‘out of body experience’. I know you weren’t there for that.”

That makes Etho freeze a little. Of course, Cleo won that one. He missed the join notification because he specifically put his comm as far from himself as possible so he could avoid distractions while sorting through the junk all over his single player world. Did he really forget something like that? “Hm. Yeah you’re right. Had a lot of stuff at home to clean up, I guess. Cleo did mention it though. Said it was fun.”

“Heh, I don’t know if the others all really agreed with her,” Tango chuckles. “Apparently Joel couldn’t stop throwing up for at least a day or two after. Really fucked with his code, that one.”

Etho could relate. He got sick towards the end of the last game and was almost relieved when Scar drew his sword through his stomach for the 3rd time. The rough respawn meant he was stuck curled up in his bed in his Decked Out 2 cubby until Tango found him. He did get up, after a regen potion or two. No death game would stop him from running the dungeon, after all.

(Tango wasn’t happy with him for that. He wanted to force Etho to be on bedrest for a bit. He was convinced in the end though, probably recognizing how late in the season they were, and how disrupting it would be for Etho to miss out on the final phases.)

Etho doesn’t voice his thoughts though. “Maybe this one will be similar. Fun, I mean.”

He doesn’t really believe himself when he says it. Cleo’s game was short, probably didn’t last long enough for anything to really hurt. Something tells him he won’t be as lucky this time.

Tango apparently doesn’t believe him either. He scoffs. “Yeah, right. And I’ll win! We’re saying things that won’t happen now, is that what we’re doing?”

Etho leans back. He puts his comm to the side for now, but doesn’t power it off or tuck it back into his inventory. Tango shuffles to the side slightly, lifting his head to give him space.

Etho turns to look at him. He shifts the subject slightly. “You gonna team up with me?” He asks, once again saying the first thing to come to mind. What the hell is Tango doing to him? “We could uh- really show them what 37th and 39th place could do.”

He adds the second part, almost as an afterthought. A joke, just to keep it- It can’t get too real. 

Tango does him the service of ignoring the crack in his voice, and lightly whacks him. “HEY! 34th place actually!”, he exclaims, “I’ll have you know I’ve moved up in the world since I had you lot draggin’ me down.”

Which does hurt a little, Etho admits to himself. But it’s a joke, he knows, so he ignores the ache in his heart. He just chuckles.

Tango lets his hand drop, actually considering the question now. He’s still smiling, but it’s faltering and he can’t quite seem to look Etho in the eye. The horizon looks mighty fine, about now. They can see a lot of the server from here. Tango’s unfurnished and frankly abandoned steampunk cottage, Gem’s research facility and mountain skull, Skizzle’s pyramid, Pearl’s beautiful orchard. The fact that they’re both so close to abandoning it all for weeks, on purpose, for something that’s only ever hurt them—it sits wrong with him.

Tango continues, “But uh, yeah. I’m not giving those sorts of promises man. We can’t- I can’t control what happens in there. You know that.”

Tango’s voice is quiet as he says the last bit. He looks troubled. Upset at the words he’s saying, maybe. Etho knows they can control what happens in the games, to a degree. They’re not compelled to do wrong by some outside force. He supposes that’s what makes it so scary. It’s easier to think of their betrayal and implosion as inevitable, than to face the prospect of having the choice but choosing wrong every time.

So Etho doesn’t verbalise his disagreement. He nods. “Mhm. I know.”

The message on his comm still sits there, glaring at him harshly in the low light.

Join the Game?

[heartshapedbubble]

Ello can I request a Norton Fools good x fem reader where she came across the blown up mines and sees Norton (in his hunter form) she’s scared at first but starts to recognise him and slowly starts to approach him reaching her hand up to cub his cheeks ( bro this man needs all the love! )

HOO BOY i agree tho... his release made me regain my interest in norton🫡🫡

[not to be a scum but i'm still open for sanrio emma comms btw😭😭]

fool's gold: imagine...⛏️

cut for length!

paying the bills has become a hellish cycle. break your back to pay off the expenses, relax for the following twenty-ish days, and be sent into frenzy again, not knowing if you're going to have a roof over your head tomorrow or not.

you found yourself hopelessly skimming through newspaper, looking for any job offer possible that would easen up the burden on your wallet. The paper was plastered with offers from bars, post offices and restaurants, but those were a always gamble. will you get your wage or not? and if you will, when? too much effort for something so high-risk.

at last, a small offer in the corner of the page caught your attention. pressed in miniscule letters, it said: MINE RESEARCH. EMPLOYEES URGENTLY NEEDED. EQUIPMENT PROVIDED. underneath the text, an attractive number: $15,000 payed off immediately after the job is done.

not only could this solve the rent for the following 3 months, you'd also have some money left for yourself! you rang the number the second you got home and successfully scored the job, due to the urgency of the situation.

it took you a day or two to start thinking about the job. what do you exactly need to know for mine research? probably at least some physical strength and stamina, you thought. surely it can't be too complex.

you arrived at the mine right on time, the sun slowly slipping back into the horizon to let the moon take center stage. to your dismay, you realized no one else applied for the job. maybe this wasn't a good idea after all? crawling through the narrow, rocky terrain all alone doesn't sound like the ideal scenario. no living being in sight, and 20 minutes have already went by.

still, that money is way too good to pass up. you picked up one of the yellow helmets piled up at the entrance, prayed to whatever god out there that your flashlight has enough power to last the following 2 hours and mindlessly rushed into the collapsing mine.

for the following 10 minutes, your sight unfocused while your mind took the lead, in front of and all around you just rocks and grime, shadows dispelled by the flashlight held by your hip like a lance. only after a good 5 minutes of running did you realize that you, in fact, have no idea what you're supposed to do. what qualifies as mine research? mining, inspecting the ores, measuring the surface?

all sweaty and breathless, the tunnel led you to a large room inside of the mine, the roof extending towards what seemed like a pitch black abyss. carts messily thrown around, bumpy and unpolished geodes laying all over the place, when was the last time a living being stepped foot into this mine? it made sense that such a large sum of money was needed to attract volunteers.

you carefully moved through the rubble, trying to avoid stepping onto pickaxes and shrapnel splayed all over the ground. since you forgot about the gloves your bare hand now held onto the unpromising terrain, the other firmly squeezing the only source of light in this limbo.

the surface grazing your hand now seems like it became... smoother? no longer does it cut and pierce your palms. it's bumpy, but at least you're not risking an infection anymore.

moving inch by inch in fear of falling, the stone below changes its form. you don't even pay attention to the fact that you're now grabbing onto cloth and that, below your palm, a steady pulse is faintly beating.

it's already too late when you realize that you're not alone, and the stone below you starts to take shape and morph until it extends towards the ceiling, now towering over you, slouched like a ragdoll.

complementing the cold shades of grey, a face emerges from the shadows. pale, with defined cheekbones, although malnourished. only his bust passes as human, as below his collarbones there's nothing but a mosaic of pebbles and boulders forming his torso, arms and legs. it - or he, perhaps - is breathing with struggle, coughs interrupting his wheezes here and there.

you feel a sense of dread overcoming you. you freeze on the spot, but he doesn't budge, either. lifeless except for the fact he's breathing and his heart ticks like a machine.

you draw back a step, and he lunges forward, seemingly still not used to this monstrous body of his. he could harm me with ease if he wanted to, a thought suddenly manifests in your mind, and with newfound bravery you inspect the cryptid like a sculpture. your hand grazes over his bumpy and unfinished hands, tugs at the remains of his clothes around his chest. he groans, in annoyance, you assume, but doesn't resist. you climb up a cart to reach his face, your fingers pinch his stubborn hairstrands, inspect the cavity in which his other eye once laid. in a moment of either stupidity or courage you roughly pinch his cheeks - they're cold to the touch, but it's funny how naturally does his intimidating face mush like a little boy's. kind of cute. after a minute of cooing to yourself two of his rocky fingers gently pinch your wrists and put them back to your sides, but his one foggy eye doesn't divert its gaze from yours.

perhaps the flashlight can last an hour more.. you've just began getting to know him, and the mystery of the mine and his origin still lay cold for you to discover.

[stubz]

Drill Day

'Attention participants, the drill will be starting in 1 minute. Take this time to prepare yourselves and to remember that everything that will happen is a simulation. Nothing can or will legitimately hurt you. Should you wish to stop the simulation tap the centerpiece of your vest and you will escorted off, should you be unable to do so simply say 'moon' and you will escorted off.'

"Okay the sound system is good, the holograms and drones are a go, and our actors are ready."

"I still don't know why we need actors when we have perfectly good holograms and drones." Glip didn't want to admit but she was a little hurt that Calis and the Captain didn't trust her work.

"We've been over this. As good as your holograms are they aren't physical which can lower the realism and while your drones are physical they can can be too predictable which is something we don't want. Hence the actors."

"Doubt they'll even be convincing." she grumbled.

.

To Glip's annoyance and Quip's entertainment the actor's where in fact convincing.

"What are you doing you idiot?! Your in a supply closet with tons of stuff around to use and you use a towel?? You deserve to be captured by enemy forces."

The poor Vrool get's tackled to the ground by an actor who roars in their face, fake fangs and mandibles making them ink themselves.

"Aw buddy, aw there we go! Good sportsmanship actor!" the actor uses the towel to clean the Vrool best they can before finding them a new uniform to change into them a before sending them to the 'jail' set up.

"Shlip who did they hire for this?" honestly this was some of the best simulation acting she's seen in a while.

"Some random ship members who had too much time and was down for a free dinner on Cap."

"Huh, any apexes?"

"Oh yeah, like two thirds of them. Those big ones dressed like a Mors Crawlers? That's a tighalax and a rextalian."

"Great asteroids no wonder those orcs were shaking."

"Yep," he said popping the p. "almost as terrifying as the real thing."

..

"Wait wait wait, hold the shlipping communicator, we got younglings doing this?"

"Oh quiznack. . .well it's probably gonna be toned down right, right?" he asked looking at his co-worker.

"Yeah, yeah it should be. Look. Like half the actors are leaving...leaving only the scariest ones left." they looked at each other concerned.

"CAAAPPPTAAAIN??"

"What!? Damnit Quip and Glip don't yell into the comms!"

"Are we actually sending younglings into this??"

"Isn't this like youngling endangerment?"

"The kids have been briefed about this and their parents signed off on this. Perfectly legal and safe. I also brought in some experts on this."

"Experts on scaring children?" who the shlip does that??

"Just do your jobs."

...

"OH MY GODS..HOW THE ACTUAL SHLIP?!"

"how the deq are these kids fine with this..."

Said younglings are being chased by actors, dressed as Mors Crawlers and Domitors, the actors giving them very little breathing room.

One of them swipe at the younglings with their prosthetic claws, catching on the little ones clothes. They yank back and the child is sent sprawling towards the jaws of the Domitor, the child's vest lights up red. They're out.

Some more children get caught by claws, tails, and wings. Each one of them are out.

The remaining few duck into an open vent too small for the predators to follow. They claw and roar at the entrance.

"HA! Can't get them now, score one nothing for the younglings!"

"Nope, look at screen 3."

While the actors at the entrance roared and thrashed a few of them ran through the halls until reaching the other side of the vent. Just as the children were coming out.

They could run but to where? Back into the vent? Forward into their pursuers?

Well they tried both.

The largest and strongest charged forward while the smallest ran back.

While the larger and stronger ones were from species known for their power and abilities, they were still younglings going against adults. After some struggling their vests turned red.

Only a handful of younglings reached the vent without getting caught. The ones inside were safe...for now.

....

'Only 5 minutes before the simulation is over. 5 minutes.'

"Well, looks the kids win this one."

"Good for them. They earned it."

"Yeah-hold up...what are they doing?"

The actors were...breaking the wall. They had grabbed chairs and any heavy objects they could and were using them to break down the wall.

"IS THIS ALLOWED?!"

"THERE'S NO WAY IT IS....gods wrath it is...JUST LET THE KIDS HAVE THIS!!"

When a foot of the vent was now revealed they grabbed it and started to pull. The other side, now aware of what was happening, started to push and increase their efforts in grabbing the younglings.

"They're pulling it...oh my gods they're pulling it out of the actual wall!"

"IT'S 15 FEET LONG THOUGH!!"

"HOW MUCH TIME IS LEFT?!"

"2 MINUTES."

Inch by inch the predators pulled out sections of the vent. Almost a third of the way done. The hole left behind now big enough to send over their smallest predator on the other side.

"BODY CAM BODY CAM"

"I'M DOING IT I'M DOING IT"

The beast crawled as fast as it could through the tunnel. The younglings yell and kick at its claws.

A child screams while being dragged out of the body cams view.

"They're dead."

"Yep, you owe me five tix."

"No, I betted on the other rextali-"

"MOON!"

Quip and Glip quieted. Then went into a flurry finding the right camera, searching for the child who said the safe word.

They found the child; Zyz, age 6 years old, species rextalian, being comforted by an actor. Face pressed into the adults fake fur while stroking the child's spine with their palms. Keeping their face and claws out of Zyz's view.

All the other actors around them softly put down the vent pieces and children already caught.

They then step back and then kneel or crouch. Claws are up or by their sides.

The children go to one another, checking up on each other, a few check on Zyz.

One of the actors slowly approaches Zyz on their knees. Hand out holding a tissue.

A tiny hand takes it. Along with the tissue.

And just like that all the other adults scoop up the children. Some are cradled into their chests, needing comfort and to not have them see their masks. Others are put onto their shoulders and backs, not as riled up or in a more playful mood. Some are tossed and dangled, to put them at ease despite the adrenaline coursing through their small bodies.

Soon the sniffles and hiccups are replaced by laughter and cheers.

The claws are replaced by warm sweaty hands.

Fangs and mandibles are replaced by sweaty smiling faces.

Wings and extra appendages are replaced by children hugging the tired actors.

"...they were HUMANS?!?"

"Hey it's Max! ...Ohhh that's whose a professional in scaring kids. That makes sense now."

[someinstant]

I cannot explain to you what hell the past week and a half have been at work. I've been battling the absolute worst cough for about two weeks, and if it weren't a week and a half before my students' AP exam, I should probably have taken a sick day or two to recover. And then there were endless meetings and two parent-teacher conferences, and my principal (who I like) got promoted to a job in the district, so now we'll have some newbie next year, and also I had to run the Beta Club induction ceremony basically alone this year, and-- friends, there is no tired like the end-of-year high school teacher tired.

Anyway. I swung by the doc on my way home (after staying after two hours so a kiddo could make up a test), got my chest x-rayed (no pneumonia, so that's good!), got some steroids and other drugs, and now--

Now we make a whole pot of tea, and settle in to rewatch the second episode of ANDOR, season 2: "Sagrona Teema!"

Okay, so first things first: this episode was the one where I realized—Nicholas Britell isn’t doing the music for this season, and I’m sad about it. I don’t think the new composer, Brandon Roberts, is bad—I just don’t think the score is as spare and unusual. I think this is more… conventional… scoring, and I think it’s therefore less surprising and effective. But it’s early days—maybe Roberts will impress me more as we go along.

Starting with that slow pan up to Luna’s delicately arched throat as he tilts his head back to catch individual drops of water in his open mouth while bound on the floor of a broken-down ship—jesus. Yeah, that’ll work. Y’all are crazy for that, Gilroy et al.

If we have to be trapped on Planet Dipshit, I dig that we get to see Cassian shot-calling even when in a shitty position. (“Hey, it’s not gonna rain forever. You might want to bank some water.”) He’s good at this, if “this” is negotiating and pushing people who are the dangerous kind of stupid.

Kleya HATES this fucking wedding. She hates these people so much. She just wants to be back with her comms where she can DO something. I need to know what her background is—like, why is she so in this? Why does she hate this all so much? She’s right to, of course, but—ho did she come to that position? I desperately need to know.

Mon and Perrin are amazing. Like, they are terrible together, but you can tell—they’ve been chained together so long that they have this awful rhythm and understanding. And sometimes they care about each other, or at least the echo of who they were at some point, and sometimes they’d happily kill each other. Mostly it’s somewhere in between. But there’s some warmth—maybe jealousy, maybe not—in Perrin warning Mon off Tay, and that little brush of her robe at the end. It’s not a good relationship, but it’s theirs, and they put in some damn work.

NO SMALL JOBS AT THE BUREAU OF STANDARDS. Syril, you obsessive middle manager. God, he’s such a dweeb. Someone shoved him in a locker and he never recovered. (I mean. Obviously that was his mom.)

Every single woman in the world has had this conversation with a fucking creep before. And you know exactly where it’s going. And how it could end. The second I saw that shot of the lieutenant coming around to the shed where Bix was, my hands balled themselves into fists, and I was like, “Get yourself out into daylight, girl. Get where someone might possibly be able to see you.”

But regarding the, “I’m not sure my husband would approve,” line—I’ve heard folks saying this is evidence that Cass and Bix are together-together again, and I don’t know? (This is not because I dislike the idea of Bix and Cass. I like them!) I’m just not sure if Cass goes from “kill me or take me in” to being in a relationship again that quickly. Especially given the awful circumstances Bix had just gone through, what with Dr. Gorst and the torture and all.

Chandrila-slash-Catalonia is gorgeous. I love the ritual hike—if you’re going to have to do some exposition dumping, do it on the way to Monserrat, where an elder will say a blessing and some children will chant, and then—poof!—purification.

Back on Planet Dipshit, the rebel factions have decided to pull the TIE into shooting range with ropes. But luckily, Cassian is good at math!

Sincerely, I need to know what his educational background is. Like, he does the calculation of how many centimeters per minute equals when the gun can hit the target in literally a few seconds. And in ROGUE ONE, he does the flight calculations in his head during the planetary destruction of Jedha. Like—that is some serious skill, and I think that it requires a little bit of training?

DEDRA AND SYRIL LIVE TOGETHER???

My brain literally blue screened when he walked in the door of that AMERICAN PSYCHO-ass looking apartment.

Tay. TAY. TAY. YOU KNOW MON IS SELLING HER DAUGHTER TO A SCUMBAG IN ORDER TO COVER THE MONEY LAUNDERING FOR THE REBELLION. THAT’S WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE WEDDING, REMEMBER??? YOU INTRODUCED HER TO THE SCUMBAG IN QUESTION. AND YOU’RE FEELING UNDER VALUED?!? Jesus christ, Tay, I’d hoped you were a good ‘un! But I should have known from the bronzer.

Kleya walking into the antiquities shop is like Batman going into the Batcave, I swear to god. She looks so at home.

Mon’s problem is that she persists in thinking of problems as negotiations and spreadsheets. Senator. Sometimes, problems are physical obstacles. And you are going to have to fucking knock them down to get rid of them.

Perrin’s really charming sometimes, isn’t he. That’s a good speech. Bad values, I think—just pure hedonism—but an effective piece of rhetoric. You can see why he’s a useful political spouse and why Mon wouldn’t just leave him at the first chance.

Back on Planet Dipshit, our two leaders of the rival factions come forth and agree to lay down arms—and play Space Rock-Paper-Scissors. While they’re busy making, I dunno, rancor claws with their hands, Cass kicks out a compartment on his old busted ship, neutralizes the guard, and runs for the TIE Advanced—all while some sort of Jungle Dino Hog charges the dipshits and allows Cassian to make his getaway.

And as he zooms off, we see two unmistakable ziggurats—this isn’t Planet Dipshit. This is fucking Yavin IV. And Cass is going to have to come back here, and you KNOW he’s going to be so annoyed about it.

[creepling]

modern!au sawyer/slaughter family headcanons

nubbins

anarcho-capitalist discord modder with nitro

addicted to arizona tea

funk-pop collecter

wears a fez unironically

desk-setup is covered in cigerette buds and ash even tho he has 10 ash trays in eye sight

reddit user

closeted furry

had an incel phase but didn't wanna black pill bc he quote "loves tiddies".

drayton

facebook mom

always bidding on ebay

falls for scams like "hot asians near your area"

will deliberately cause fights with workers in hospitality

not afraid if say if someone has an ugly baby

refers to minority groups in plural (ie. the gays)

parasocial relationship with donald trump

thought covid was a conspiracy but loved lockdown.

bubba

works at walmart stacking shelves

weekly attender of adult trampoline parks.

down time involves getting high and watching baby sensory videos

likes anime but never finishes a series.

feeds stray cats then wonders why they follow him home

special interest is super mario bros and WWE

cosplays on tiktok and accidentally became a meme.

johnny

hooks up with his friend's moms

snapchat score in the millions and infamous among dating apps

can't drive bc of multiple DUIs

thinks porn is useless and calls people who watch it "bitchless", but will beg for nudes

wants a "crazy girl" then gets scared at said crazy girl.

has dropped his phone in the toilet more than once. multiple times actually

will jump on online comms for nubbins when people are bullying him and cuss them out.

unironically calls himself a sigma male and/or alpha chad.

sissy

kleptomaniac for small items in supermarkets

has an OF and charges crazy amounts for feet pics

her mugshot is her finsta pfp

is the girl in nightclub bathrooms that compliments everything about you, but wil glass a guy at the bar and get kicked out

gets the villain edit as an x factor contestant

does vlogs of her crying on the kitchen floor, trisha paytas style

goes to sleep listening to true crime podcasts

has insane road rage to the point she will get out and smash your car window.

[unclegrumbles]

ULTIMATE DANNY PHANTOM

TUCKER FOLEY

Tucker had his nose buried in his phone before it was cool. Beyond gaming, he loves tinkering with his many gadgets to find new and creative ways to optimize them. Having access to the spare parts bin from the Fentons' laboratory grants Tucker a veritable buffet of tech to play with. Using their old tech, Tucker created his beloved PDA. Hidden beneath its standard functions is an encryption-cracking algorithm Tucker developed himself, capable of hacking into the most secure computers in town. Once Danny got his powers, Tucker began upgrading a special backpack with even more FentonWorks tech to aid in ghost hunting. Tucker's "Battlepack" contains a powerful, compact radio receiver linked to his PDA which allows him to tap into police radio comms and the FentonWorks' satnav ghost radar. It also includes a link port compatible with Fenton Thermoses, allowing Danny and the team to inspect certain traits of captured ghosts. An integrated Fenton powerbank can charge up all manner of devices, from phones to Fenton Thermoses and beyond. While Tucker takes pride in his role as the team's tech guy, he harbors some jealousy over Danny getting superpowers. That doesn't stop him from being Danny's closest, most reliable and loyal friend.

Powers and Abilities

Multitasking: Heavy is the head that wears the crown. As the self-described brains of the operation, Tucker is thusly saddled with the responsibility to handle more of the complex strategizing that comes with ghost hunting. After all, one does not simply hunt a ghost on a school night. Tucker takes on the task of checking weather, traffic, security, and even variables like public transportation and community events while coordinating with the rest of Team Phantom during a hunt. Tucker's obsession with data and details often prevents him from seeing the bigger picture.

PDA: While Tucker is too insecure to realize or admit it, the PDA he created is practically a superpower of its own. The encryption-cracking algorithm he created is based on a primitive program found in a discarded FentonWorks hard drive, but Tucker's skill with tech advanced the program far beyond its original state. By plugging into any computer linked to a network, Tucker can gain full access to all of its protected files. At the time of its creation, WiFi was still in its infancy. Regardless, Tucker integrated state-of-the-art WiFi tech into his PDA, allowing it to remotely interface with networked devices. Tucker can coordinate nearly all of Team Phantom's operations from the little machine.

Gamer™: Tucker, like Danny, is a proud member of the PC master race. Tucker has one of the best rigs in town, built with his own two hands, and has poured countless hours into late nights playing DOOMED with Danny. Once word slipped that Sam was one of the best gamers in their group, Tucker made it his life's mission to beat her high score in Superman 64, or die trying.

Confidence: Despite his very nerdy interests, Tucker oozes self-confidence. That translates well when talking to peers and adults alike. When Danny needs a pep-talk (that doesn't involve screaming from Sam), he goes to Tucker for wise words of encouragement.

---

Tucker is immensely proud of this encryption-cracking algorithm, but recently it's given him cause for concern. During routine maintenance he'll sometimes discover lines of code that he didn't write. Other times the algorithm diagnostic log shows encryption-cracking attempts that he didn't initiate. It's almost as if the algorithm has taken on a life of its own...

[yoshifan456]

So I'm kinda going through the DR-score and in the extended editions/extra tracks there is a theme/motive that I can't really place.

It goes: teeeduduuduuu or high, low, low, lower and then starting higher for the second teeeedududuuu.

It has romantic connotations because it is a big part of 'Ethan's fate' which feels very romantic or at least weighed down by emotion and 'Passion's Embrace' which is named very romantic, but also in 'Xm22 Hunt', which is more focused on Ethan? Bear in mind that all three of those tracks are suites or tracks that didn't end up in the movie and might even have been rejected totally, so we have to take them with a slight grain of salt. But this same theme also resurfaces in the in the movie track 'He calls himself Gabriel' and in the movie it plays for the first time on it's full rendition after Luther says 'none of our lives can matter more than this mission' and Ethan goes 'I can't accept that'. So it's not really Ethan's theme, but more a 'I am Ethan Hunt and I can't accept any deaths'-theme.

It does also sound adjacent to Gabriel's theme as that blasts on the bridge after having incapacitated Grace and on the train after getting the key and facing Ethan. But Gabriel's theme is darker and heavier somewhat. Also narratively it fits that their theme sounds the same. So I went searching for more instances of this theme. One of them is a very loud rendition of it in the 'Chasing Grace' track right when Ethan is chasing Grace after all the sattelites are being shut down by the Entity, but just before the Entity breaches the comms. Weird placement, I can't really place this one.

Otherwise I didn't really think of places to look for it, on the top of my head. So it's a weird theme. I think Balfe had actual plans with it, considering it heavily features in two deleted tracks, but with the inevitable cuts this theme didn't make it in the final movie in a significant way. But it is interesting and I'm curious if it'll return in FR.

[may-be-a-plant]

Ezra's Gamble Notes Pt.1

Friends, I was not expecting the book 'Ezra's Gamble' to be such a goldmine of lore. 😭 I'm gonna need to talk about this in multiple posts.

What I've got so far:

-----SPOILERS------

First of all, the foreword: "For Alan Harris, who is a much nicer fellow than Bossk." Harris was Bossk's actor. ❤

The book takes place pre-Spark of Rebellion

We literally start the book with Ezra at the Lothal spaceport pickpocketing and finessing people out of their valuables.

He walks up to a rich-looking Chagrian wearing an Imperial pin and being followed by four blue Twi'leks and manages to sell him 5 tickets for a private booth at a gladiatorial cage match (that the Chagrian is implied to want to keep secret). Ezra finesses him out of 700 credits, then also steals his Imperial pin, his ring, wrist-comm and half his money pouch.

He winks at one of the Twi'leks and all of them giggle, one of them winks back at him. (He's 14)

He meets up with a Xexto named Ferpil Wallaway who is actually the one who taught Ezra how to steal!!

The cage-match ticket money gets sent to the commissioner, then Ferpil pays Ezra for his loot at the Pawn-shop he owns on Lothal.

Ezra gets flagged down by a red-haired friend (also 14) named Moreena Krai. Her family is leaving Lothal because Imperials condemned their farm and took it from them.

Y'all I was not ready when she said she was moving to Alderaan. 😭🥺

Moreena starts to get sad about Ezra being alone, Ezra cuts her off and says "Don't ever feel sad for me. I've always done just fine on my own, and I always will." BOY TELL THAT TO HERA. 💚

He briefly wonders if he'll ever get to steal a TIE pilot helmet. (Spoilers, he does lol)

Lore for Bossk: his ship 'Hound's Tooth' is a modified Corellian Engineering Corporation YV-666 freighter. He's employed by the Bounty Hunter Guild and his Imperial Peace-keeping Certificate number is #55946112.

Bossk was headed to Lothal searching for a Dug named Gronson "Shifty" Takkaro who was wanted for jumping bail in the Ahakista System.

Bossk picked up the bounty from the Imperial Enforcement DataCore.

Bossk's ship was scanned by the Imperial Spaceport and the official talking to him immediately transferred his call to ISB HQ. (He was on hold for 30 seconds.)

ISB Lieutenant Herdringer talks to him and tries to send Stormtroopers to arrest Shifty rather than let Bossk collect.

Bossk counters saying Herdringer would be interfering with the authorized acquisition of a government bounty. Herdringer realizes that would be bad for him.

Herdringer actually wants Bossk to not use firepower as Shifty is in a civilian sector. Bossk says okay, but still brings his Mortar gun. Bossk gets escorted to the spaceport by TIE fighters which Bossk thinks is WAY too conspicuous.

This random academy propaganda played on a speaker at the spaceport though: "You too can be a part of the Imperial family! Don't just dream about applying for the Academy, make it come true! You can find a career in space: Exploration, Starfleet, or Merchant Service. Choose from Navigation, Engineering, Space Medicine, Contact/Liason, and more! If you have the right stuff to take on the universe, and standardized examination scores that meet the requirements, dispatch your application to the Academy Screening Office, care of the Commandant (Aresko), and join the ranks of the proud!" ---(I wonder how Kallus felt about hearing that kind of stuff, I'm assuming his office was soundproofed, but he did still technically work in the same building as the school, and seemed used to having things delivered to him by cadets, im sure he heard it occasionally.)

Ezra knew what a Trandoshan was on sight. He tried sneaking up on Bossk's ship, but Bossk snuck up on him first.

Bossk appeared to be avoiding his stormtrooper escort and asked Ezra (who actually gave his real name!) Where the tavern he was looking for was.

He's very suspicious of Ezra and warns him against snooping in his ship and notices his weapon right away. "An energy slinghot. Cute."

Ezra tries to finagle 100 credits out of Bossk for information. Bossk says he doesn't have time to haggle and will give him 1000 credits for help. Ezra demands 500 up front and Bossk pays him. He also politely gives Ezra his name.

He only refers to Ezra as "Shorty" and insists that "to you, its MR. Bossk" lol.

--------

Will continue to take notes, this is fun!!

[the-starry-seas]

How Well Do You Know Your OCs

because I saw @animalawesomeness' tags about wanting all the answers so tada 🎉

1: What’s your OCs favorite color? Purple is her favourite colour, to me anyway. I headcanon that she was allowed to do her own makeup for the costume we saw her in, and she used that purple eyeshadow because it was one of the few things she was allowed to bring with her from Ryloth.

2: Where does your OC work? In the current fic I'm working on, she's a spy and informant. There's a different AU somewhere in my brain where she did leave Tatooine and became a smuggler who helps get people away from their bad circumstances and into new lives.

3: What’s your OCs favorite food? Apple pear pie! I have no idea why I associate that with her but that's always my first thought now. Gingersnaps are her second favourite.

4: Does your OC prefer paper or plastic? I don't think she has a preference. Whatever she gets is fine by her.

5: How old is your OC? There's no canon info on her age so I used the actress's age, which makes her 22 when she was rancor bait. (She was SO YOUNG y'all. It hurts me.)

6: Does your OC have any supernatural powers? Legends canon mentions that Twi'lek see well in the dark and that they're almost all Force-sensitive, and I love Legends. I'm still debating if I headcanon Oola as Force-sensitive but I think it could definitely be interesting.

7: Is your OC in a relationship? I'm currently deep into a Boba/Oola slowburn and it's sooo fun. They're two very different people but that ends up being an interesting 'opposites attract' kind of thing. There's nothing more interesting to me than two people who are intrigued by each others' differences.

8: What are some of your OCs strengths? Dancing, obviously! I think the physical skills from that also lend themselves well to parkour. She knows some repair skills for her prosthetic. And in my current WIP, she's been a spy for five years (with a part time job at a mod shop) so that's her primary skill.

9: What are some of your OCs weaknesses? Combat is never going to be her best skill. She knows enough to protect herself, because how else do you survive on Tatooine. But when it comes down to it, she'd rather avoid a problem, run away from it, or talk her way out of trouble.

10: What is your OCs favorite outfit? Oh hey I actually talked about this one with havoc before. This but in a purple that matches her eyeshadow!

11: What is your OCs spirit animal? I think the closest thing would be that she always feeds the stray tookas she finds. She knows what it's like to be abandoned and she feels bad for them.

12: Is your OC sexually active? Depending on the AU, yeah!

13: What is your OCs earliest memory? Sitting in her father's lap in his office as he sorted through paperwork. He'd read to her if she asked, and let her play with a collection of feather pens on his desk. He also had the family's kalikori patterns engraved around the edge of the desk facing him, and she liked to run her fingers over it and ask about her ancestors.

14: Does your OC have a cell phone? If so, what kind? I think she prefers a datapad to a comm. Seems like comms have a very limited function in canon and I think she prefers devices that can do a lot of things. Her Candy Crush scores are legendary.

15: What makes your OC angry? Being lied to. Seeing people she cares about trust dangerous people. Or just thinking that either of those things are happening! She has a looot of trust issues and those extend to her loved ones. She also hates people touching her without asking and won't forgive people being mean to animals, they're just little guys who never hurt anyone...

16: When is your OCs favorite time of year? She loved autumn on Ryloth because of the beauty of the leaves turning colours. On Tatooine, there's not really a winter to speak of, and she just prefers nights because it gets a little cooler (and the stars come out).

17: How long can your OC hold their breath? She grew up near a lake so she's actually pretty good at this! I don't know what quantifies as a long time, but, a long time.

18: What kind of underwear does your OC wear? Me googling what kinds of underwear there even are- Hipsters, I think. But she also likes borrowing her partners' clothes which sometimes means boxers.

19: Does your OC prefer plaid or polka dots? She would be adorable in polka dots. I think if she was choosing a pattern, though, she'd go with a nature-inspired art nouveau type.

20: What’s your OCs favorite kind of pizza? I recommend alfredo garlic meat lover's pizza to everyone! But I think her favourite is mushrooms, ground rycrit meat, and a monterey jack-tasting cheese to make a 'white pizza' instead of tomato sauce.

21: Who is your OCs best friend? Kitty! I don't know what it's named yet but I know it's adorable. (Naming things is hard and judging by past events I will procrastinate on it as long as possible.) In the Book of Boba Fett AU, Fennec is in a QPR with Boba and develops the same relationship with Oola in the course of things.

22: Has your OC ever killed someone? Not directly. She does find some information that leads to a few people getting killed in the BOBF AU, though. TLDR they plan to kill someone she loves and she gives them a heads up so they can defend themselves.

23: Whats your OCs biggest secret? Hmm I'm gonna have to think on this one some more, I think. I don't know right now.

24: What does your OC smell like? I think a really light, floral scent. I'm not sure which flower, exactly, maybe a few of them. Something that doesn't remind her too much of the flowers on Ryloth, because that would make her homesick.

25: What time of year does your OC prefer? She loved autumn on Ryloth because of the beauty of the leaves turning colours. On Tatooine, there's not really a winter to speak of, and she just prefers nights because it gets a little cooler (and the stars come out).

26: Is your OC a human or an animal? I mean, humanoid.

27: What languages does your OC speak? Fluent in Twi'leki and Basic, and a good knowledge of Huttese that she's still working on.

28: Does your OC like anime? I feel like she's never really watched it, but she would like it if she found a movie or show with a plot that interested her.

29: Can your OC swim? Yeah! She grew up near a lake and she and her half-sister Nolaa used to swim a lot. Obviously that's not so much a thing on Tatooine, but she's gonna get back to Ryloth someday.

30: What does your OC choose to do about the, er, hair down there? Who has time to bother with all that anyway?

31: Does your OC believe in fairies? I think not fairies specifically, but she definitely believes in some kind of forest spirit. She's seen and heard things in the woods that weren't from people or animals.

32: Did your OC go to college? What did they major in? I think she's never been interested in secondary education but she could have done really well with a dancing or fashion major. I have headcanons about her making her own clothes and jewellery.

33: Are your OCs parents dead? Her mom died when she was young, which made her dad protective of her. She's not sure if he's still alive. He got badly injured while searching for her after her disappearance, but he's still alive. (Their reunion scene is so emotional, it gets to me every time I think about it.)

34: Is your OC religious? She believes the Force is real, and some kind of unidentifiable forest spirit presence. Nothing like organised religion, but there's a lot of folkore/beliefs from Ryloth that she takes seriously.

35: How flexible is your OC? Very! She's a dancer and parkourist, and she would probably be a good gymnast if she ever picked that up.

36: What turns your OC on? Protectiveness, first and foremost. She's been through a lot and she needs someone who will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

37: What was your OCs first word? The first word she tried to say was 'flower' but she couldn't quite say it right. The first word she actually said properly was 'mama'.

38: Does your OC have any pets? She feeds all the stray tookas she comes across. They're generally considered her pets, instead of strays, by whoever she's around.

39: Who is your OCs biggest enemy? She wishes she could have killed Bib Fortuna herself because she had a score to settle with him.

40: What is the craziest thing your OC has done? Running away in the middle of the night to become a court dancer is definitely up there. I think she also used to go cliff diving on Ryloth.

41: What is your OCs motto about life? Live free or die well - and be kind to others but don't trust them or give them a chance to hurt her. She's still optimistic at heart but after being betrayed so severely, she tries to rein it in.

42: Does your OC drink coffee or tea? Secret third thing, fruit juice! Although if she had to choose between the two, she'd like a nice chai with honey.

43: Who is your OCs biggest hero? I think there's a Mulan-like figure in Ryloth's history that she learned about as a kid. She doesn't think she could ever be brave enough to be a soldier but admires someone not only bucking social conventions but being brave enough to risk their life for what they believe in.

44: What color eyes does your OC have? Dark brown.

45: Does your OC like reading? She didn't really like reading as a kid because her dad's library was all full of novels for adults and she thought they were boring. She got a little more interested in those books when she was old enough to actually understand the plots.

46: Is your OC loyal? Very much so. She has a lot of bad history with liars and won't tolerate being lied to, and tries not to lie herself unless it's in the service of something important.

47: Does your OC tolerate violence? Yeah, fighting doesn't bother her. Gore can squick her out, but if it's a simple firefight or brawl, she's not going to panic.

48: What social class is your OC from? Her father was a clan ruler on Ryloth, so she's technically the ruling class. That doesn't carry much weight on Tatooine, though, so functionally, she's one of the everyman.

49: What country was your OC born in? She was born on Ryloth. Her family's clan lived in a series of caves in a mountain range, near a waterfall cascading down to a large lake. She loved nature and used to run off into the forests all the time to explore and find cool flowers.

50: Does your OC cry easily? She used to, but she became a lot less emotive after her kidnapping.

51: What is your OCs favorite genre of music? I have no idea what Rylothian folk music sounds like, but I think she's a bluegrass girl. Star Wars might have a name for that somewhere, who knows what's tucked away in corners of Legends novels. I headcanon that the Twi'leki story-dances have an influence on their songs, and most of them also tell a story in some way, like a ballad. I think if she heard Noyes' poem The Highwayman she'd be deeply emotional.

52: How does your OC feel about insects? She doesn't like anything that reminds her of Ryloth's lyleks. Other bugs don't bother her. In fact, she's very intrigued by iridescent or metallic beetles. (As long as they don't bite her.)

53: What is your OCs sexual orientation? I have her down as bisexual in my characters notes but I'm not 100% sure.

54: Does your OC smoke? She doesn't like the smell so she avoids it.

55: What gender is your OC? Cis female

56: What kind of clothes does your OC wear? She likes sleeveless tops and short skirts. If a dress has both of those, all the better! On Tatooine, though, she usually wears long-sleeved shirts and pants while outside. The best defence against the sun is covering up.

57: Would you call your OC adventurous? She wouldn't consider herself as such, but she is, yeah. Doing something for the sake of having an adventure, isn't really her style. But she'll run off and get into all kinds of shenanigans if it's the way to accomplishing something she wants.

58: Is your OC introverted or extroverted? Mostly extroverted, but she often seems reserved at first glance. She's careful not to wear her heart on her sleeve any more. She's seen firsthand how people will manipulate and hurt her if it benefits them, and she doesn't want to give them an opening for that.

59: What is the first thing that someone would notice about your OC? Probably her prosthetic right arm to the elbow. Or if that somehow escaped their notice, her extensive scarring.

60: Does your OC enjoy nature? She loved Ryloth's forests and the lake near her home. Her and her father and half-sister went on a lot of hikes and otherwise explored nature.

[redwineconversation]

Damaris Egurrola Le Progres Interview (March 24, 2025)

The contrast between Lyon players/fans ("we might still lose!!! It's not over!!!!) and everyone else ("Lyon is basically already in the semis, this is a formality") is making me laugh (nervously). My palms are sweating. I'm nauseous. I'm developing stress ulcers. I am most certainly not calm and composed before this game, and I am glad Lyon players are aware of the dangers, too.

Blah blah standard disclaimers apply; if you act like a parasocial freak you get called a parasocial freak idk why you're clutching your pearls about that; @OL Comms Dept a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc pls I am begging you; y'all know the speech by now.

A good and proper chat with Lyon's tall, awkward, and loyal child.

DAMARIS EGURROLA LE PROGRES INTERVIEW

Damaris: "When you're at Lyon, it isn't enough to just win"

After the 2-0 away win in Germany, Defensive Midfielder Damaris Egurrola wants Lyon to put the game to bed this Wednesday (6.45pm) in the return leg of the quarterfinal. This time by making a statement.

Winning 2-0 in Munich without really having played well, is that reassuring or worrying?

It's first and foremost a really good result for an away game. You can't forget that it's the Champions League and there is never an easy game, especially when it's German football with a lot of intensity and duels. It's true we didn't play our best game but we still won 2-0, so we'll take it.

What needs to be done better?

We were very efficient in Munich but we need to do a lot more with the ball, with possession, play like we know how to do. We didn't have enough control of the ball even though we have the type of players for that. But it will be different at the Groupama Stadium [will it though???] We will have more space and they will need to come at us because they need to score at least two goals.

Did you put in the necessary intensity?

Maybe we didn't really show up the first twenty minutes. But we were expecting [Bayern] Munich to start strongly. Then, we were able to score at the right time. But yeah, we need to have learnt from it because in the UWCL, you can't allow yourself to be dominated like that for 20 minutes.

Does Lyon also need to send another message?

Every time we play, the objective is to win. Even more so in the UWCL, which is a big objective. But when you're Lyon, it's not enough to just win. We need to play well and score lots of goals. But to repeat myself, winning 2-0 away against a team like Bayern, that's also really good.

"In our mind, it's 0-0"

You missed two passes in the same game which lead to Bayern having chances. Was that unusual on your part?

It doesn't happen usually. And I know it shocked a lot of people that I messed up those two passes. I don't know what happened... We can't be at the top all the time even if I know we can't make those mistakes in that type of game. That's also why we work every day. I know I can do so much better and that's why I'm eager to play the return leg.

Would it be a mistake to say Lyon is already in the semi-final?

We have a two goal advantage but in our mind, we're coming into this game as though it was 0-0. You never know what is going to happen in the UWCL. You just have to remember last season where we were almost down 3-0 against PSG before turning things around. Bayern is going to give it their all and so from the start of the game, we will need to have the ball and not give them any hope.

The difference of intensity between the [French] league and the UWCL, is that a disadvantage?

Even if we know and we're in the lead for our league, the objectives always do more, to be even more efficient defensively, to never concede and to always score more. That's what helps for the UWCL. Beyond that, the most important work for me happens during practice, where the training sessions are with the top players, and that's where we put in the intensity necessary for the UWCL.

Même si on connaît et que l’on maîtrise le championnat, l’objectif est toujours de faire plus, de chercher à être efficace derrière, de ne jamais encaisser de but et d’en marquer beaucoup. C’est ce qui aide pour la Ligue des champions. Après, le travail le plus important pour moi se fait lors des entraînements qui sont de haut niveau avec des joueuses de haut niveau, et où l’on met l’intensité nécessaire pour la Ligue des champions.

"Not surprised by Real Madrid"

Were you surprised by Real Madrid's win over Arsenal (2-0) and whom could be your opponent in the semifinal?

I told the [Lyon] players that Real Madrid could win. I wasn't really surprised because I watch a lot of games in Spain especially, an even if Real Madrid can't be top of the league, they do show up in the UWCL. But nothing is done for them either.

Is playing in Spain something you would like?

Of course! My friends and family are waiting for that to come see me [play] and it would be much easier for them if it's in Spain.

Is losing that UWCL final in Bilbao your worse memory?

It was hard because it was at home [Damaris is from Basque] and it was a final. But in hindsight, I can look at it from a different perspective. Playing a UWCL final at home in front of your loved ones, a game I used to watch on the television when I was younger, it's something which happens only once in your lifetime. And I think we will have more possibilities to win the UWCL this season.

You often say it's a dream to play for Lyon, even when you've become one of the core players and have been there for four years...

It doesn't take away of it being a dream. Every morning, I wake up eager to go to practice, to work with the players that I liked watching on television when I was younger, at Lyon who always wants to win everything. I know I have a certain stature now and I'm really proud because that was my objective. When I came to Lyon, it was to play, not just to see how things go. It's really good to be important for the team, but I can always do better.

This stature as a starter and a core player, does that mean more responsibilities?

I have experience and I try to help the new players. I'm still a pretty shy and reserved person but there are other ways to be a leader. In any case I try to be one on the pitch which is where I'm confident and my teammates trust me.

Sonia Bompastor put her trust in you. Is it the same with Joe Montemurro?

I'm always going to be thankful towards Sonia who gave me a lot of playing time and put her trust in me. With Joe Montemurro, it's the same thing. He wants the plays to come from me, that I determine the tempo in the midfield. It obviously helps when the coach trusts you.

What are your areas of improvement considering you are just 25 years old?

I've improved a lot defensively and in duels where I think I'm stronger than I was when I arrived. Now, I try to work on what I can bring offensively, being more decisive. In practice, I work on shooting outside the box because that used to be one of my strengths before. I need to score more goals... I've hit the post a lot this year with Lyon ... But it will come!

"Not better place than Lyon"

How do you see your future at Lyon?

I'm happy and I think I've become a bit French. I like my life here. My friends and family visit pretty often. I like coming to work every day, see the team again and the players, we have a good time together. My contract goes through 2027 and there is no better place that I could be.

And outside of football?

I have a pretty quiet life. I haven't finished exploring Lyon where there is always something to see. I like grabbing a coffee with friends who don't play football because we can talk about other things. I like the Old Town, the Hotel Dieu. I really like watching sport, especially basketball, because it is a change from football. I'm also really into surfing, I was pretty good at it but I can't do it anymore [Lyon rules]

You did this interview in French without any problem. If our math is correct, you speak five languages?

I'm not sure I speak them all fluently but yes, five. With my friends, I speak Spanish or Basque, even if I've lost a bit of the Basque because I don't speak it enough. With my family, it's in English. Here with Lyon, it's English and French. And Dutch, that's with the National Team, I'm still learning it. I can understand everything but I still have to improve to be able to speak it. I've always felt that when you arrive in a country, it's important to speak the language [@[REDACTED].]

Can you switch easily?

That's when it gets complicated! When I come back from the international break and I'm here where I need to speak English, French and sometimes Spanish, the transition is hard!

[ramshacklefey]

My friend sent me a post today about RPG classes for the TOS bridge crew, and while they were funny they were also so wrong that I was compelled to make my own list:

Captain James T. Kirk: Bard. But not in the "slutty rock star" way, in the "genuine renaissance man who can do at least a bit of everything" way. Kirk is the guy who read the entire player's guide cover to cover and built a character who would be the most useful in the widest array of situations.

Commander Spock: Monk. Everyone assumes he'd be a wizard, and I can see why because he's a scientist and he's terrifyingly intelligent, but this fails to account for the way that his strict "logic over emotion" ethic is so central to his character, or the fact that his wisdom score is at least as high as his int. He's also got pretty insane physical strength, and a lot of his abilities come from his meditative practices. Plus there's the psychic abilities he has, which I would put down as a kind of monk-magic.

Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy: World's angriest paladin. Refused to let everyone else run off without a healer. Is a healer in the way that makes you very aware that healers are all doms.

Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott: Artificer. Nuff said.

Lt. Hikaru Sulu: Bard, but the kind who's an acrobat. His job on the ship is pilot, and he's the best damn pilot in all of Starfleet. We don't see this as much in TOS, because they didn't have the ability to do cool scenes of the ships flying around, but Sulu could fly the Enterprise through a needle with room to spare.

Lt. Nyota Uhura: Another bard. She's the friggin comm's officer! That means she's a linguist and a radio operator (something people forget was an actually necessary and technically demanding job). She also canonically is a beautiful singer and dancer.

Ensign Pavel Chekov: Here's our wizard. Hear me out. Chekov is the ship's navigator (another job that seems to be somewhat forgotten in contemporary sci-fi). Everything he does is based on intelligence, he's a little bit of a nerpus (low wisdom), and he works off of careful study and calculation. My guy was doing calculations for interstellar space plans using something slightly more advanced than an old DOS computer.

[mcrdvcks]

Down Bad - Chapter 9

Chapter Summary: After helping Phee with a mission of hers, she offers to take the squad to her home away from home.

Word Count: 5.3k+

Pairing: Hunter x fem!Jedi Original Character

Notes: and here we are! this one kinda of ends on a cliffhanger- or rather, ends the same way episode 14 does. i'll try to post the next chapter tomorrow so there isn't a long wait in between!

Series Masterlist - Chapter 8 → Chapter 10

AO3 Link For Chapter

Amina sat in the pilot’s seat as Tech sat in the back of the cockpit playing a game on Gonky’s head. The droid honked, “yes, I am playing against myself. It is the only time this game is a challenge.”

“Amina, Tech, we need a pickup.” Hunter spoke through comms.

Amina sat up straight as Tech moved to the co-pilot’s seat, “on our way.” Amina replied. She flew the Marauder to the cantina where Hunter, Wrecker, Phee, and Omega were. The group got onto the ship, with a few blasters firing at them as Amina took off.

“Now that was a fun mission.” Omega said, as they flew through hyperspace.

Wrecker sat down in the seat next to Omega, “you got that right.”

Phee stood in the cockpit while Amina, Tech, and Hunter were sitting. “You know, Omega was pretty impressive back there.”

Hunter turned around to Phee, “her training’s paying off.”

“Oh, I know she’s got the whole soldier-thing down. But don’t you think she should learn some other skills?”

Hunter turned to fully face Phee as Tech glanced over as well, “what other skills?”

“Omega spends all her time with you four. She needs friends. Ones her own age and who don’t share her genetic profile.”

“We never had such a thing.” Tech countered. “I do not see the issue.”

“No kidding.” Phee sarcastically replied, as the comms on the ship started to buzz.

Amina looked at it, “we’re receiving a transmission from Cid.”

“Let’s hear it.” Hunter said, before standing up.

Hunter and the guys told her about what happened when they had mined the ipsium, and the planet they were on when they encountered the Zillo Beast, which lead to them cutting their ties with Cid when Amina was on Tatooine.

Like she’s said before, she doesn’t trust Trandoshans.

Wrecker and Omega walked into the cockpit as Tech turned on the recorded transmission. “So, it’s been 20 rotations and no word. You better be dead because your absence has cost me a few scores. Remember our mutually beneficial arrangements, and how well we know one another, if you know what I mean. You’d do well to not assume I am just threatening you boys.”

The transmission turned off as Phee glanced over at Hunter, “you didn’t mention you cut ties with Cid.”

“Our mutually beneficial arrangement wasn’t so beneficial, mutually.”

“Figured that out, did you? I’ve known Cid a long time. She’s a useful ally, but not someone you want to cross. Do you have a plan?”

“You’re looking at it.” Hunter replied.

Phee took a short few seconds before responding, “in that case, you all are coming with me.” She got up and walked over to Tech in the co-pilot’s seat, “head to these coordinates, brown eyes.”

---

They landed the Marauder on top of a large mountain, as Phee walked out first, “welcome to Pabu, my home away from home. It’s a hidden sanctuary of sorts. That’s the Archium. It’s where the artifact will be stored. It holds treasures from all over the galaxy.”

Tech tapped on his datapad, “my analysis indicates that this so-called artifact you recovered is of very little to no monetary value.”

“Treasure can mean many things. Most of the villagers on Pabu are refugees. Many of the items I recover are remnants of their cultures, and that’s worth preserving. After all, I am a liberator- ”

Phee got cut off by a man walking towards them, followed by a young girl, “liberator of ancient wonders. About time you showed your face around here.”

Phee walked over to the man and gave him a quick hug, “miss me, Shep?”

Wrecker elbowed Tech, “you’ve got some competition,” he laughed. Amina held back her own laugh at Wrecker’s comment, also noting the confused look on Tech’s face.

“Auntie Phee!” The young girl called out, as she hugged Phee’s waist. “What’d you bring this time?” Phee knelt down and took out the green tree artifact from her satchel. “Looks like one of a kind.”

“Good eye.” Phee replied.

Shep looked over to the group, “that’s not all you brought, I see.”

Phee stood up and walked over to the group, “this is Shep Hazard, Mayor of Pabu, and his daughter, Lyana. Shep, Lyana, meet Omega, Amina, Hunter, Wrecker and Tech.”

Shep walked forward and shook each one of their hands, saying welcome to each of them. When he got to Wrecker, he gripped Shep’s hand firmly, “put her there!”

Lyana walked shyly over to Omega, “Phee’s never brought any friends here before.”

“Never? Not even Cid?”

Phee walked over to the two young girls, “nope.”

“So why bring us?” Hunter questioned.

“Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”

“She must really like you,” Lyana muttered to Omega.

“All right. That’s enough out of you.” Phee scolded playfully.

“Then it’s settled. You’ll join us for dinner.” Shep announced.

“There’s no saying no to Shep’s famous feast. Lots of food, drink, and general merrymaking. You’ll probably hate it.” Phee gestured at Tech. “It’ll be great.” She turned back to Shep, “lead the way, Shep. I’ll catch up.”

They all made their way to follow Shep, as Omega and Lyana ran in front, with Lyana showing Omega a few things along the way.

Amina looked around the mountainside they were walking on, her arm threaded through Hunter’s. It was��� quiet. Not just physically, but she hadn’t felt Vader poking around her head since they got here. It was like a weight lifted off her shoulders.

"Feels peaceful, doesn't it?" Hunter remarked, breaking the silence as they walked side by side. His voice was soft, almost a whisper, as if he didn't want to disturb the tranquility of the moment.

Amina nodded in agreement, a small smile playing on her lips as she glanced up at him. "Yeah, it does," she replied, her voice equally hushed as she savored the serenity of their surroundings.

They walked in comfortable silence for a few moments, the only sound being the gentle rustle of the wind and the occasional chirping of birds in the distance. Amina felt a sense of calm wash over her, a rare moment of peace in the midst of their turbulent lives.

Hunter tightened his grip on Amina's hand, his touch warm and reassuring as he leaned in closer to her. "I'm glad we're here together," he murmured, his voice filled with genuine affection as he looked into her eyes.

Amina's heart fluttered at his words, a warmth spreading through her chest as she returned his gaze. "Me too," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper as she leaned in closer to him.

Their lips met in a tender kiss, a silent exchange of love and affection amidst the quiet beauty of their surroundings. Time seemed to stand still as they lost themselves in each other, the world fading away until there was only the two of them, together in this moment.

Eventually, they broke apart, their breath mingling in the crisp mountain air as they leaned their foreheads together, savoring the closeness of their embrace.

"We should probably catch up with the others," Hunter suggested, his voice soft as he reluctantly pulled away from Amina's embrace.

Amina nodded in agreement, a reluctant smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she reluctantly let go of Hunter's hand. "Yeah, we don't want to keep them waiting," she replied, her voice tinged with regret as they began to make their way back to the group.

They walked to the edge of the mountainside, looking over the concrete railing, “Upper Pabu is the oldest part of the island. As we’ve grown over the years, we’ve expanded below the wall into Lower Pabu.” Shep said to Wrecker and Tech, as Amina and Hunter caught up to them.

“Hi, Shep.” An old man said, stopping next to Shep.

“Hi, Mr. Eenta. How are Sari and Micha?”

“They’re doing good. Thanks for asking, Shep.” The old man started to walk away.

Wrecker scoffed, “well, uh- do you know everyone here?”

“Of course. We’re all like family.” They followed Shep to the outside of his house, where a large table and chairs stood, “make yourselves at home.” He spoke.

They all went to the ledge, looking out at the houses in the distance and the bright blue water. Amina gulped, looking at the water.

“I thought you weren’t afraid of water?” Hunter teased.

“I- I’m not. I just… that’s a lot of water all the way down there.”

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hunter remarked, his voice breaking through Amina's thoughts as he stood beside her, his gaze fixed on the shimmering blue waters below.

Amina nodded slowly, her eyes still fixed on the horizon. "Yeah, it is," she replied softly, her voice tinged with a mixture of awe and apprehension. "But it's also... overwhelming."

Hunter turned to look at her, his expression softening with understanding as he took in the conflicted emotions written on her face. "Hey, it's okay," he said gently, reaching out to gently squeeze her hand. "Maybe… maybe I could teach you how to swim?”

Amina faced him, “you… would? Even if I might scream?”

Hunter met Amina's gaze, his eyes softening with a tender smile as he nodded. "Of course I would," he replied sincerely, his voice filled with warmth and reassurance. "I'll be right there with you every step of the way. And if you scream, well, I'll just have to scream louder to drown you out."

Amina couldn't help but laugh at his playful response, feeling a sense of comfort wash over her at his unwavering support. "You're ridiculous," she teased affectionately.

An animal climbed down a small pole in front of Omega and Lyana, before jumping on the ground with two more following.

Omega and Lyana walked over to them, but kept a little distance apart from them, “they’re called moon-yos.” Lyana said. “The elders say they’ve lived here since before Pabu was inhabited.” A moon-yo climbed onto Lyana’s shoulders, as Omega held an arm out and the moon-yo climbed on her.

“I have not heard her laugh like that in some time.” Tech observed.

Omega and Lyana followed the moon-yos to the gate by the wall as Amina and Hunter walked over to Shep, who brought out a platter for the table.

“Phee said the villagers here are refugees.” Hunter said.

“Many yes.” Shep placed some plates down on the table, “Pabu has been a safe haven for those forced to flee their homes during the war and others after.”

“And you’re not worried the Empire will show up?”

“Why would they? We’re a remote island with limited resources. But if they do, we’ll manage.” Hunter and Amina’s gaze traveled to Omega and Lyana, who were playing with one of the moon-yos. “Some come to Pabu looking for a clean slate. A chance to start over.” Shep continued, placing his hand on Hunter’s shoulder, “as a parent, you couldn’t ask for a better place to raise a child.”

Shep gave Amina a small nod as well before he made his way back inside. Phee came over to them, “something to think about, isn’t it?”

“You’re suggesting we all stay on Pabu permanently?” Hunter asked. The three of them turned to look at Omega and Lyana, the sounds of laughter filling the air as the moon-yos climbed on the two young girls.

The scene in front of her reminded Amina of the conversation she had with Obi-Wan just a few rotations ago. That it was okay if being a soldier, or a Jedi wasn’t something she had to do for the rest of her life.

“She seems to like it here. A little stability might do you all some good.” Phee said, cutting off Amina’s thoughts. Moments later, Shep came out with a few more platters as they all sat down to eat.

Hunter had placed his right hand on Amina’s thigh as Omega looked over the wall to the water, “you have your own boat?” she asked Lyana excitedly.

“Uh-huh. You wanna take it out and watch the sunset?”

Omega gasped, “really?”

“That sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it?” Phee asked, looking at Hunter and Amina.

“Can I go?” Omega asked eagerly.

He looked over at Amina who gave a small smile and looked back at Omega, “have fun.” Omega and Lyana walked out of the balcony to go down the mountain to the boat.

Wrecker groaned as Hunter looked over at him, “what’s with you?”

“I’m full. I am never full.”

“I will note the date and time to commemorate such a momentous occasion.” Tech said, pulling out his datapad.

Amina let out a small muffled laugh as Wrecker glanced at Tech partially confused. Shep walked out with another platter, “hope you saved room for dessert.” Shep said, as he lifted the lid from the platter.

Wrecker gasped, “I love this place!”

---

Tech and Phee stood by the railing, while Wrecker and Shep stood by the table, and Amina and Hunter stayed seated.

Hunter took a sip of his drink before turning his gaze to the moon-yos on the ground, who looked up and ran away chittering. He stood up, walking to where Tech and Phee stood looking at the water and buildings.

“What’s wrong?” Phee asked.

Hunter looked back at Wrecker and then back over the balcony. “Something’s coming. We need to- ” A loud rumble ran underneath them, causing buildings to shake and the ground to be unsteady beneath them.

Hunter grabbed his comm, “Omega, come in. Are you two okay?”

“We’re fine. We’re headed back to shore now.”

“Everyone all right?” Shep yelled out.

Wrecker stood up, “well, that was different.”

“Uh, a small tremor. It’s nothing to worry about. Part of island life.”

Hunter shook his head, “I don’t think it’s over yet.” Hunter said, as a more violent tremor occurred, causing screaming, cracks in buildings, and more things to fall down. “That was not a small tremor.”

“No, it was not.” Shep replied.

“Hunter, I believe this island is at risk for a significant sea surge.” Tech said, looking up from his datapad.

“How much risk?”

“Highly probable to imminent.”

“We haven’t had a sea surge in more than three decades. If we were at risk, the early warning system would’ve activated. And- ” A loud siren cut Shep off.

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Wrecker commented.

Shep grabbed the binoculars and handed them to Tech, “the water has already begun receding. We must evacuate all of Lower Pabu.”

“Lyana and Omega, they’re on the water.” Shep added warily.

“Amina can grab them, us five will move everyone in town to higher ground.” Hunter ordered.

---

Amina started her way up the mountain, following the rest of the crowd as she made her way to the Marauder.

“Hunter, Amina, we’re in trouble. There’s a giant wave coming, and we’re too far out. What do we do?”

Amina brought the comm up, “keep your locator on, and head to shore quickly. I’m on my way.” She ran through the crowd as fast as she could before reaching the top and getting onto the Marauder. “Omega, I’m on the ship. Hang on.”

Amina took off, blasting the engines going towards the shore, “I see you. Grab the line.” She pressed a button as the line on the ship descended, with Omega and Lyana grabbing onto it as Amina turned the ship away from the high tide and away from the shore.

---

Daylight came as everyone from Lower Pabu stayed gathered together on the top of the mountain. Omega, Lyana, and Wrecker fell asleep against the large tree in the center as Hunter and Amina stood by Shep. “We got everyone out in time. That’s what’s important.” Shep said, as Tech and Phee walked over.

“Based on my estimations, it will take several rotations to rebuild the damage sustained in Lower Pabu.”

“Yes.” Shep replied to Tech, “property was destroyed, but my people are resilient. We’ll band together and rebuild.”

“I was thinking.” Hunter began, turning to Shep, “we could stay and help out with things.” He finished, turning to Tech.

“I had the same idea.”

“Did you now?” Phee replied cheekily.

“That is, if you don’t mind us sticking around for a while.” Hunter asked Shep.

“You would be most welcome.” Shep said, as they walked into the crowd of people.

---

A few days had gone by as the group helped rebuild Lower Pabu. Shep had even kindly given all of them small houses, with her and Hunter getting their own, and Wrecker, Tech, and Omega theirs. But, more often than not, Omega found her way to their small house to sleep at.

And, for the past few days, Hunter had been helping Amina conquer the water. “Come on, just a little bit further in.”

Amina took a small step further in, the water going to the bottom of her calves. “This is farther than I went yesterday!”

He shook his head, “no, it’s not. This is how far you got yesterday.”

“Are you sure?” She asked crossing her arms across her chest, her breasts slightly pushed up against the fabric of her black bathing tog.

Hunter briefly glanced down at her chest, her black bathing suit accentuating her figure. He cleared his throat, momentarily distracted by the way the sunlight danced across her skin, before refocusing on the task at hand.

"Yes, I'm sure," he replied, trying to ignore the sudden flutter in his chest. "Come on, another step.”

Amina hesitated, her arms still crossed defensively over her chest. She glanced down at the water lapping at her calves, uncertainty clouding her features. "I don't know, Hunter," she admitted, her voice tinged with apprehension. "What if I can't do it?”

Hunter stepped closer to her, his gaze softening with understanding. He reached out, gently taking her hand in his, his touch warm and reassuring. "You can, cyar’ika," he said, his voice filled with quiet confidence. "I'll be right beside you every step of the way."

He let go of her hand as he stepped further into the water now a little above waist level. Amina took a small step forward before stopping.

“How about this, if you make it to me, I’ll give you a reward.” Hunter said.

Amina glanced at Hunter, a hint of curiosity lighting up her eyes despite her lingering uncertainty. "A reward, huh?" she echoed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "What kind of reward are we talking about?"

Hunter grinned, the mischievous glint in his eyes belying his casual demeanor. "Ah, well, that's for me to know and for you to find out," he teased, his voice playful. "But I promise it'll be worth it."

Amina chuckled softly, her apprehension beginning to ebb away in the face of Hunter's infectious enthusiasm. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the challenge ahead. "Alright, you're on," she declared, determination flashing in her eyes. "But you better make it good."

With a newfound resolve, Amina pushed herself forward, wading deeper into the water with each step. The cool liquid enveloped her body, sending ripples dancing across its surface. She could feel the weight of her doubts melting away, replaced by a sense of exhilaration.

Finally, Amina stood before him, the water swirling around her thighs as she met his gaze with a triumphant smile. "Well, look who made it," Hunter said, his voice laced with admiration. "I knew you could do it."

Amina grinned back at him, a sense of accomplishment washing over her. "Told you I could," she replied, her tone playful. "Now, about that reward- ”

Hunter cut her off with a kiss, one of his hands cupping her face while the other went around her waist in the water.

Amina melted into the kiss, her heart pounding in her chest as she wrapped her arms around Hunter, pulling him closer. The world seemed to fade away around them, leaving only the sensation of Hunter's lips against hers and the gentle embrace of the water.

Hunter deepened the kiss, his lips moving against hers with a passion that sent shivers down Amina's spine. She lost herself in the moment, her worries and doubts melting away in the heat of their shared desire.

As they finally broke apart, Amina found herself breathless, her chest heaving with exertion. She looked up at Hunter, her eyes sparkling with emotion. "Wow," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "That was..."

"Amazing?" Hunter finished for her, a boyish grin spreading across his face. "I couldn't agree more."

Amina laughed softly, the sound light and carefree. "Yeah, amazing," she replied, her cheeks flushing with color. "But, I was going to ask if that was my reward.”

Hunter grinned, the warmth of Amina's laughter filling him with a sense of contentment. "Well, technically, that kiss was just a preview," he replied, his tone playful. "The real reward is still to come."

Amina arched an eyebrow, a playful smirk playing on her lips. "Oh, is that so?" she teased, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Well then, I can't wait to see what you have in store for me."

He put his other hand on her waist and lifted her up as she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.

Hunter held Amina close as she wrapped her legs around his waist, their bodies pressed together in the warm embrace of the water. He could feel her heart racing against his chest, matching the rapid rhythm of his own heartbeat.

Amina looked up at him, her eyes shining with a mixture of anticipation and desire. "So, what's the real reward?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hunter grinned, a playful glint in his eyes. "Well you’ll find out soon enough," he teased, his voice husky with desire. "But I promise you won't be disappointed."

Amina chuckled softly, her fingers tracing patterns against the back of his neck. "I'll hold you to that," she replied, her lips curving into a seductive smile.

Hunter leaned in closer, his breath warm against her skin. "Count on it," he murmured, his lips brushing against hers in a tantalizing promise.

Their kiss deepened, passion igniting between them like wildfire. Hunter lost himself in the taste of her lips, the feel of her body pressed against his, the sweet scent of her skin mingling with the salty tang of the sea.

Time seemed to stand still as they surrendered to the moment, lost in the intoxicating dance of desire. Every touch, every caress, sent sparks of electricity coursing through their veins, binding them together in a whirlwind of sensation.

But as they finally broke apart, gasping for breath, Hunter knew that their journey was far from over. With Amina in his arms, he felt invincible, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

"So, what do you say we continue this somewhere more... private?" he suggested, his voice husky with desire.

Amina nodded, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Lead the way," she replied, her voice filled with anticipation.

---

Since being on Pabu, Amina changed her wardrobe. Not a big change, but inside of wearing a large tunic, she’s decided to wear something more simple and casual. Meaning, just a plain shirt with a leather jacket.

It felt good to not be constricted to the clothes she wore for over a decade of her life. Jedi attire wasn’t exactly flattering or comfortable with all the layers.

She walked to the top of the mountain where Echo just landed and where Omega was currently landing the Marauder.

“Echo!” Omega called out, as she ran to Echo and Tech stumbled out of the ship. Omega jumped into Echo’s arms, her arms wrapping around his neck. “We’ve missed you!”

He chuckled, “it hasn’t been that long.”

“Feels like it has.” Omega replied.

Amina walked over, “well, what do you think, Tech. Is she improving her flying skills?”

Tech sighed, “it seems as though she may have picked up some of your reckless flying skills.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Amina said, putting her hand down as Omega high-fived her.

Tech shook his head, turning his attention to Echo, “you mentioned needing some assistance with data decryption.”

“This is what’s left of the files I recovered from an Imperial shuttle. It was transporting clone prisoners, and we need to know where and why.” Echo said, as Hunter nodded.

Tech walked back over to the Marauder as Omega looked up at Amina. “What’s on your neck?”

Amina patted her neck, “what?” she asked, feeling around for any lumps or bumps.

She kneeled down as Omega tapped a spot on her neck, “it’s like a bruise or something.”

Amina furrowed her brows before suddenly looking up at Hunter, who had his arms crossed as well as hiding his smile. A moment of realization dawned on her, as she turned back to Omega trying to think of a convincing lie.

Echo stepped forward, “you see Omega, when two people love each other- ”

Amina stood up, a playful glint in her eyes as she pushed Echo toward the Marauder, his laughter filling the air. She flashed Omega a sheepish grin, hoping to divert her attention from the awkward situation.

"Sorry about that," Amina said, her tone light and casual. "Echo's just being his usual self, you know?"

Omega raised an eyebrow, her gaze flickering between Amina and Hunter. "Uh-huh," she replied, her voice tinged with skepticism. "Sure he is."

Amina forced a laugh, her mind racing for a plausible explanation. "So, uh, what were we talking about again?" she asked, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

Omega's suspicion seemed to ease slightly, though she still eyed Amina with curiosity. "Your neck," she replied, her tone cautious. "What happened?"

Amina hesitated, her mind scrambling for an excuse. She glanced at Hunter, silently pleading for help, but he merely smirked in amusement, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

"It's, uh, nothing," Amina replied, her voice slightly strained. "Just a little... uh, mishap."

Omega frowned, her skepticism returning full force. "A mishap?" she echoed, her tone incredulous. "What kind of mishap?"

Amina bit her lip nervously, her mind racing for a convincing lie. "Well, you see," she began, her voice faltering slightly. "It's... um, it's a long story."

Omega arched an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. "I've got time," she replied, her tone insistent. "And I've got questions."

Amina cursed silently, wishing she could come up with a better excuse. She glanced at Hunter, hoping for some backup, but he merely shrugged in response, his smirk widening.

If only she was Padme right now. At least she had a team to do her hair and makeup, as well as extravagant outfits to hide the hickeys.

But sadly, Amina has never owned or wore any makeup.

And she doesn’t have fancy over the top dresses.

“Well… um… you know, I must say, you’ve gotten pretty good at interrogating.” Amina said, as Omega crossed her arms, “okay, okay. Me and Hunter were… training and I fell on the hilt of my lightsaber giving me a bruise.”

Omega raised an eyebrow, “but there are multiple.”

“Multiple?” Amina whisper-yelled, her voice tinged with panic as she felt the weight of Omega’s scrutiny bearing down on her.

Hunter tried to suppress a smirk, but it was no use. A small chuckle escaped his lips before he could stop it. He could see Amina’s discomfort, and while he didn’t want to make things worse for her, he couldn’t help but find the situation amusing.

Omega raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of skepticism and curiosity. “So, you fell on your lightsaber multiple times?” she asked, her tone incredulous.

Amina winced, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She shot Hunter another pleading look, silently begging him to come to her rescue. But he merely shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Well, you see, it’s a long story,” Amina began, her voice faltering slightly. “I, uh, I was... practicing some... new techniques, and, um... things got a little... out of hand.”

Omega’s skepticism deepened, her gaze narrowing as she studied Amina intently. “Out of hand?” she echoed, her tone flat. “What kind of techniques were you practicing?”

Amina bit her lip nervously, her mind racing for a plausible explanation. Techniques. What kind of techniques are there?

“Um, you know, just... some advanced combat maneuvers,” Amina replied, her voice strained. “Nothing too out of the ordinary.”

Omega’s eyes narrowed further, her suspicion evident in every line of her face. “Advanced combat maneuvers?” she repeated, her tone skeptical. “And that’s how you ended up with... multiple bruises on your neck?”

Amina shifted uncomfortably, her mind scrambling for a convincing lie. She could feel the weight of Omega’s scrutiny bearing down on her, and with each passing moment, the pressure seemed to mount.

“Well, you see, it’s, uh...” Amina began, her voice trailing off as she struggled to come up with a plausible explanation.

Before she could say anything else, however, Hunter stepped forward, coming to her rescue at last. “Look, Omega, it’s really not that big of a deal,” he said, his tone casual. “Amina was just... practicing some new moves, and things got a little... intense.”

Omega arched an eyebrow, her skepticism evident in every line of her face. “Intense?” she echoed, her tone dubious. “What kind of moves were you practicing?”

Hunter shrugged, a nonchalant expression on his face. “You know, the usual,” he replied, his tone casual.

“Yeah, new… force techniques.” Amina said, patting Omega’s shoulder. “Oh- did you hear that? I think Tech called for you.”

Omega looked at the Marauder, “I didn’t hear anything.”

“Nope, pretty sure he did. Might just want to check in, see what he wants.”

Amina's diversion seemed to work, albeit barely. Omega gave her one last skeptical look before turning her attention towards the Marauder. "Alright, I'll go check in with Tech," she said, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "But we're not done talking about this, okay?"

Amina nodded, relief flooding through her as Omega walked away. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, feeling the tension drain from her shoulders. Hunter watched Omega's retreating figure with a small smile, his eyes softening with amusement.

"That was close," he remarked, his tone light.

Amina chuckled softly, her nerves still jittery from the close call. "Tell me about it," she replied, her voice tinged with relief. "Thanks for not stepping in back there." She walked over to Hunter, tapping his chest plate, “I’m going to get you back.”

“Oh really?” He asked.

She nodded and hummed, “yep.” Amina leaned up and kissed the underside of his jaw before making her way onto the Marauder, “you’ll never know when it’s coming!”

---

Tech tapped on the console in the ship, “the Imperial transport Echo hijacked was assigned to the Advanced Science Division.”

“Never heard of it.” Hunter said.

“That is because it is a clandestine operation. There are no records on its location or its purpose. All I could find on it was the chief scientist in charge, Dr. Royce Hemlock. An officer expelled from the Republic science corps due to his unauthorized and unorthodox experiments.”

“Why were they sending clone prisoners to him?” Omega asked.

“I do not know, but it gets worse. Previous transfer records recovered from the ship’s logs list other clone prisoners detained by the Advanced Science Division. And Crosshair is one of them.”

“You mean Crosshair turned on the Empire?” Wrecker asked hopefully.

“How sure are you about this?” Hunter questioned.

“Very. After discovering his clone number on the transfer register, I checked our old comm channels and found a recent distress message sent from Crosshair’s old code.”

“What did it say?” Omega inquired.

“Plan 88. The Seeker. We are being targeted. I believe he is warning us.”

“Or it’s a trap, like he’s set for us before.” Hunter added.

Wrecker grunted, “well, how do we find out?”

tags: @callsign-denmark

[msn-04iinightingale]

KINSHIP 3

Guardian Angels

Kinship FOB, Helios 2 hours until Jericho Superheavy Drone Arrives on site.

The guardian angels came cloaked in black, and howling like beasts. The two Leopard Class dropships came in low over the battlefield, lasers and LRMs lashing out at Blakist elements engaging the beleaguered mining effort. As they circled, their hatches opened, and out dropped six mechs. 

—

Two lights, a Jenner IIC and a Raven landed lightly on their feet, immediately sprinting into the battle and opening fire with lasers and SRMs. They danced between incoming fire with a deftness that spoke of extreme dedication to their machines, the Angel ECM suite of the Raven providing an extra challenge for the Blakist mechs to surpass as they tried to target it and the others around it. 

Inside the cockpit, Flora felt alive. Not in the sense that she didn’t outside the cockpit, but here, going full tilt, through enemy fire, ducking and dodging and slewing around corners on nimble avian legs, the raptor lady felt truly alive.

“Hey Zippy, tango on your two o-clock!” called her running mate, Amaryllis. “Want me to get all up in there, girl?”

“Yes please that would be nice also he’s probably not gonna like that also he’s gonna shoot you so watch out.” She replied, rushing the words out through the comms as she does everything in her life. Fast.

The Jenner IIC pivoted on a dime, using the momentum of its speed to spin the machine around on one leg and bringing its SRMs to bear on the Malak that had been tailing the Raven since they dropped in. The volley detonated across the other light mech’s armor, blowing chunks away and staggering the other machine. Amaryllis punched his machine into a run again, weaving through buildings as the enemy mech’s pilot targeted him instead of the Raven, lancing laser and light PPC fire his way.

"That's right, sugar, eyes on me! I'm way more fun to play with than she is!" he teased over the open comms.

If the Word pilot had a reply, they kept it to themselves. They did indeed give chase, in turn being hounded by Flora in the maze of suburban homes and businesses, as the two lights worked in concert to take on the Word machine.

The dance ended when the Word mech was cornered in a cul-de-sac, and was hit by a volley of SRMs from both Amaryllis and Flora’s mechs, ripping its armor open and damaging the reactor enough that the machine shut down.

“Mech kill confirmed are there any more we should take out or was that it and should we link up with the other friendlies here?” Flora asked over comms.

—

Three mediums, a lethal looking Kontio, a Mad Cat Mk III, and a Skinwalker dropped next, moving to engage the enemy medium mechs. 

The first anyone on the ground was really aware of the Kontio was it skidding to stop between a Preta, about to burn a mortar crew it had found, and taking the laser hit on its armored shoulder. She pivoted the mech gracefully, the six ER medium lasers stabbing out and scoring the Preta badly enough it forced the enemy mech to pull back, no doubt the prospect of closing with the claw armed Kontio giving the Word pilot pause as well.

“I’ll tail it.” Sin says to his lance mate over the comms, pushing the Mad Cat MK III into pursuit.

“Are you all alright down there?” Carrie asked, her cool slightly husky voice coming over external comms to the mortar crew.

“Affirmative, Barghest. We’re wrapping up now, FASCAM ammunition at 10%” came the reply.  

“Good. I’ll keep them off your back.” she replied, staying on station as the squad hurried to pack their equipment and fall back.

Sin pulled the trigger and launched a volley of 20 LRMs out into the snowy air, they arced, and rained down on the enemy Preta, causing it to duck behind a building. 

“It’s ok, we’ve got you covered.” he says, intended for the damaged Silver Wing mech he’s stepped in front of. The mini Mad Cat had taken a light PPC hit for the other machine, but remained operational.

“Captain Veil, one medium coming your way.”

“Understood Pvt. Moving to engage.” the captain’s cold voice come over the comms.

The Skinwalker stalked through the streets, trading fire with the Preta with cool, almost mechanical precision. Weiss wasn’t one to get over emotional, in fact, Nero teased her about her coldness nearly constantly. Pulse laser fire danced this way and that as she chased the Word mech. 

The Word mech missed, she did not.

The kill was a clean one, a twin large pulse laser hit to the cockpit. 

Quick, clean, surgical. 

“This is Captain Weiss Veil, reporting mech kill. Linking back up with Barghest, CFRI and Silver Wing forces.”

—

The last mech was also the biggest, and the most striking. The 100 ton Berserker touched down with an earthshaking impact, before standing to its full height. Charcoal black with a red right shoulder, the mech barely resembled a normal Berserker, standing on digitigrade legs, and sporting a horned, saurian skull of metal over its cockpit, and finally, the hatchet had been fashioned to resemble a giant cleaver. 

With a blast of a warhorn over the external speakers, and a giggle from its pilot over the coms, the machine lumbered into the fray, belching fire and lasers at whatever targets it came across.

It found a damaged Grigori first, a Comminus variant with ECM, which explained why it had registered as a medium mech, lancing lasers and ER PPC blasting into the mech’s legs with practiced ease, tanking the retaliatory MLM fire across the torso armor before cleaving the smaller mech’s cockpit in half with a blow from the monstrous hatchet it carried. 

Clara laughed over the comms. She was having fun. She always had fun when she got to chop things. It was her favorite thing to do in the whole world!

Evidently, the Grigori pilot had called for aid, as a Malak came up behind her and started to stab at her with lasers, PPC, and, worryingly, two Inferno SRM rounds, bathing her mech in fire.

At least, she should have been worried, but Clara was past such early concerns as “heat” and “on fire”. She just wanted to cut things apart.

The big mech spun around, still wreathed in flame, and stitched large pulse laser fire across the smaller mech before it could withdraw. She evidently hit something important, as the SRM ammo touched off, blasting out of the blow off CASE II panels in a billowing fireball, and pushing the small mech forward with the force of the blast. The other mech stood back up, in time to meet the downward swing of Clara’s hatchet, the blow carving down deep into the mech’s torso, completely shearing off one side of the machine. The two halves crumpled to the sides in the snowy street.

The last thing the pilot of the other mech saw was the rapidly descending clawed foot of Clara’s mech.

“Ok Clara, that’s enough. Come on back.” the voice of Lt. John Smith, her “Piglet”, coming over her comms.

“Awwww…ok…” she replied, dejectedly. She was only just getting started.

“There will be more later.” the calm voice of the man she loved said.

Almost sulkily, and with one last burst of flame at the downed light mech, Clara lumbered her way back to join the retreating forces.

—

Back at Kinship FOB, the remainder of Barghest Company touches down, the Union class dropship and two Leopards landing on the landing strip and beginning to unload their cargo and mechs.

The assault mechs trundled around the FOB building, careful to avoid crushing anyone by mistake. The three heavies, the Marauder, Warhammer, and Warwolf followed. Last to join them was the superheavy T-Rex, the ground shaking more than usual with each step.

At the same time, the five Celestials made their way out of the union class dropship.

“This is Godkiller 1 to Garm 1, headed out, over.” Anya said, shocking herself with how, well, confident she sounded.

“Garm 1 to Godkiller 1, good luck and good hunting.” came Owen’s reply. “I’ll send your IFF tags to all friendly units, and if anyone shoots you, I’ll shoot them myself. Over”

“10 4, Godkiller 1 over and out.” Anya said, switching to her squad level comms. “Ok...lets move out.”

“Roger.”

“Ok!”

“Still think this is a dumb idea…”

“Understood…” The five Celestial mechs moved at good speed out of the FOB, attracting confused looks, but no fire at least from the defenders. Veering North, they took a route that brought them out of sensory range of most of the mechs present, before swinging west to the river, and then, back south…towards their objective.

@is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not @lt-chari @combined-arms-merc-groups @navcommrelay

[tennessoui]

In the Reset AU, does Ahsoka ever decide, “okay fuck it keeping them apart isn’t working” so she decides to swing the other way, and she just sticks them both together on some remote planet without FTL travel to be weird about each other without the means of impacting the galaxy at large? Is she just like, all right, you two can’t be kept apart, and even when you are, it’s still bad and wrong, so instead you have a ready-made villa on this remote moon outside a humble village full of nice farmers and shoemakers and I AM sabotaging your ship on the way out and no one else has any way to leave the planet and YES I will be dropping by covertly every six months to make sure that the ship and/or comms Anakin is building out of an old toaster and some duct tape mysteriously vanish in the middle of the night. Go on, go be weird and happy together and don’t bother us, go on, shoo!!

lol this works out one of two ways: either they kill each other so incredibly quickly that Ahsoka can’t even press reset in time (current score: anakin - 31 obi-wan - 24)

OR they get to be weird about each other ad nauseam until the village people get so exasperated by their vibes that they build them a transport off the remote moon themselves because they were making the whole village just absolutely unlivable

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

a lesson in being human

by azablue He came to in a pile of debris by the front door they’d so carefully evaded. “Oh fuck me.” Dick hissed, trying to sit up. He was drenched, banged up and his head was throbbing. He tried to asses the situation. Everything hurt, obviously, but a pounding in his knee started to scream louder than anything else. Dick tried to touch the leg, which was warped to one side, and flinched. It was a familiar feeling, and a bad one. After a few minutes, he heard a scuffle from above as his sibling descended on their respective grabbling hooks and wings. “Nightwing is down.” Steph said, into her comms. Dick groaned. He didn’t need more people, least of all Babs, getting into this. “I have eyes on him.” “Nightwing is not down. Nightwing is just-” Dick tried to get up, sending a sharp spike of pain through his body that forced him back down. “Fuck okay, yeah I’m down.” He muttered, lying back on the pile of trash. OR: Dick Gets Hurt On A Mission With The Sibs & Being A Hero And Human Takes A Toll OR: The body does in fact keep score Words: 6616, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: DCU, Young Justice (Cartoon), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Dick Grayson, Duke Thomas, Jason Todd, Wally West, Tim Drake (DCU), Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne Relationships: Dick Grayson/Wally West, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown & Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Duke Thomas, Dick Grayson & Duke Thomas, Stephanie Brown & Dick Grayson, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Dick Grayson, Jason todd & duke thomas, Duke Thomas & Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Major Character Injury, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Hurt Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson-centric, Duke Thomas is Signal, Duke Thomas is a Batfamily Member, Duke Thomas-centric, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Brothers, Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily (DCU) Feels, Wally West is Alive, Birdflash - Freeform, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, Wally West Loves Dick Grayson, Dr. Thompkins, Gotham City - Freeform, Wally West Wears Neon Nike Shirts, Dick Grayson does gymnastics for a decade and a half and it impacts his body, the body keeps score, unfortch - Freeform via https://ift.tt/ENQoBDh