#space x rocket explodes

[citizen-of-the-fandom]

Ohhhhh that's why Trump and Musk are going after the FAA: it's the organization responsible for deciding whether Space X can launch another rocket that may explode.

[groovykittyking]

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft explodes midflight for a second time, disrupting Florida air traffic

read more

[globlenewslk22]

David Hasselhoff’s Ex Pamela Faced Legal Troubles in the Months Before Death at 62

David Hasselhoff’s late ex-wife, Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff, faced legal issues in the months and years before she died by reported suicide, In Touch can exclusively report. SEE MORE...

According to court documents obtained by In Touch, on December 11, 2024, Pamela was sued by an attorney named Stacy L Sokol over an alleged $3,625 owed for work done. SEE MORE...

[nasa]

25 Years of Exploring the Universe with NASA's Chandra Xray Observatory

Illustration of the Chandra telescope in orbit around Earth. Credit: NASA/CXC & J. Vaughan

On July 23, 1999, the space shuttle Columbia launched into orbit carrying NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. August 26 marked 25 years since Chandra released its first images.

These were the first of more than 25,000 observations Chandra has taken. This year, as NASA celebrates the 25th anniversary of this telescope and the incredible data it has provided, we’re taking a peek at some of its most memorable moments.

About the Spacecraft

The Chandra telescope system uses four specialized mirrors to observe X-ray emissions across the universe. X-rays that strike a “regular” mirror head on will be absorbed, so Chandra’s mirrors are shaped like barrels and precisely constructed. The rest of the spacecraft system provides the support structure and environment necessary for the telescope and the science instruments to work as an observatory. To provide motion to the observatory, Chandra has two different sets of thrusters. To control the temperatures of critical components, Chandra's thermal control system consists of a cooling radiator, insulators, heaters, and thermostats. Chandra's electrical power comes from its solar arrays.

Learn more about the spacecraft's components that were developed and tested at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Fun fact: If the state of Colorado were as smooth as the surface of the Chandra X-ray Observatory mirrors, Pike's Peak would be less than an inch tall.

Engineers in the X-ray Calibration Facility at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, integrating the Chandra X-ray Observatory’s High-Resolution Camera with the mirror assembly, in this photo taken March 16, 1997. Credit: NASA

Launch

When space shuttle Columbia launched on July 23, 1999, Chandra was the heaviest and largest payload ever launched by the shuttle. Under the command of Col. Eileen Collins, Columbia lifted off the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Chandra was deployed on the mission’s first day.

Reflected in the waters, space shuttle Columbia rockets into the night sky from Launch Pad 39-B on mission STS-93 from Kennedy Space Center. Credit: NASA

First Light Images

Just 34 days after launch, extraordinary first images from our Chandra X-ray Observatory were released. The image of supernova remnant Cassiopeia A traces the aftermath of a gigantic stellar explosion in such captivating detail that scientists can see evidence of what is likely the neutron star.

“We see the collision of the debris from the exploded star with the matter around it, we see shock waves rushing into interstellar space at millions of miles per hour,” said Harvey Tananbaum, founding Director of the Chandra X-ray Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

Cassiopeia A is the remnant of a star that exploded about 300 years ago. The X-ray image shows an expanding shell of hot gas produced by the explosion colored in bright orange and yellows. Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO

A New Look at the Universe

NASA released 25 never-before-seen views to celebrate the telescopes 25th anniversary. This collection contains different types of objects in space and includes a new look at Cassiopeia A. Here the supernova remnant is seen with a quarter-century worth of Chandra observations (blue) plus recent views from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (grey and gold).

This image features deep data of the Cassiopeia A supernova, an expanding ball of matter and energy ejected from an exploding star in blues, greys and golds. The Cassiopeia A supernova remnant has been observed for over 2 million seconds since the start of Chandra’s mission in 1999 and has also recently been viewed by the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO

Can You Hear Me Now?

In 2020, experts at the Chandra X-ray Center/Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and SYSTEM Sounds began the first ongoing, sustained effort at NASA to “sonify” (turn into sound) astronomical data. Data from NASA observatories such as Chandra, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the James Webb Space Telescope, has been translated into frequencies that can be heard by the human ear.

SAO Research shows that sonifications help many types of learners – especially those who are low-vision or blind -- engage with and enjoy astronomical data more.

Click to watch the “Listen to the Universe” documentary on NASA+ that explores our sonification work: Listen to the Universe | NASA+

An image of the striking croissant-shaped planetary nebula called the Cat’s Eye, with data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope.  NASA’s Data sonification from Chandra, Hubble and/or Webb telecopes allows us to hear data of cosmic objects. Credit: NASA/CXO/SAO

Celebrate With Us!

Dedicated teams of engineers, designers, test technicians, and analysts at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are celebrating with partners at the Chandra X-ray Center and elsewhere outside and across the agency for the 25th anniversary of the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Their hard work keeps the spacecraft flying, enabling Chandra’s ongoing studies of black holes, supernovae, dark matter, and more.

Chandra will continue its mission to deepen our understanding of the origin and evolution of the cosmos, helping all of us explore the Universe.

The Chandra Xray Observatory, the longest cargo ever carried to space aboard the space shuttle, is shown in Columbia’s payload bay. This photo of the payload bay with its doors open was taken just before Chandra was tilted upward for release and deployed on July 23, 1999. Credit: NASA

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

[sunarryn]

DP X Marvel #12

Danny Fenton never meant to end up in space, much less as part of a dysfunctional alien superhero squad led by a tree, a raccoon with PTSD, and a guy whose only qualification is that he’s listened to every 1980s mixtape ever made. But when you accidentally fly through a NASA portal powered by ectoplasm while trying to stop Technus from hijacking the International Space Station, you don’t really get much of a say in where you land. Which, in Danny’s case, was the cockpit of the Milano. Mid-flight. Mid-chase. Mid-explosion.

Rocket screamed. Gamora drew a blade. Star-Lord yelled, “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?” And Danny, with his hair floating around his face in zero gravity and a half-melted Fenton Thermos in his hand, went, “Hi. Uh. I’m Danny. Do you have any snacks?”

A lot of things happened after that. For one, Rocket immediately declared Danny a “haunted science gremlin” and demanded he be dissected. Gamora stabbed him (not fatally, but like, “welcome to the crew” levels of stabbing), and Drax attempted to bond by declaring they were both hunted weapons of mass destruction. Groot tried to plant Danny in a flowerpot. Star-Lord, upon learning that Danny was from Earth and had ghost powers, decided he was now the team’s “Spooky Mascot” and handed him a Walkman, which promptly exploded when Danny touched it. Apparently, ghost boy plus alien tech equals “we now need a new comm system.” Danny fixed it in thirty minutes and Rocket reluctantly stopped trying to murder him in his sleep.

The team wasn’t sure if Danny was a ghost or an alien or some weird human mutant until he started phasing through walls and talking to the disembodied soul of a long-dead Xandarian war general haunting their fridge. (Her name was Bev. Danny and Bev played intergalactic chess on Thursdays.) Once the Guardians realized Danny could punch the soul out of people (and then slam-dunk it back in), they promoted him from “weird hitchhiker” to “full member with explosive privileges.” This was a mistake.

Danny was a space nerd, sure. He watched every space documentary, built model rockets, and could name the moons of Jupiter backwards. But what the documentaries didn’t prepare him for was being shot at by a gang of space pirates because Groot accidentally won a planet in a poker game, or Rocket creating a neutron grenade disguised as a cookie (“Don’t eat it, Danny—DANNY THAT’S NOT A REAL COOKIE”), or Star-Lord insisting they stop at an interstellar karaoke bar in the middle of a war. Danny had to fight off a swarm of brain-sucking parasites while singing “Eye of the Tiger” in full ghost mode. He got a standing ovation.

Things got worse when Technus came back, this time infecting Nova Corps servers and announcing himself as “God of Wi-Fi.” Danny had to team up with Rocket, who uploaded himself into a blender for reasons no one fully understood, to create an anti-ghost firewall using a toaster, Gamora’s sword, and Groot’s root clippings. The good news? It worked. The bad news? They accidentally opened a portal to the Ghost Zone mid-fight, unleashing the Box Ghost into the Nova HQ. The Box Ghost was immediately arrested and sent to space prison, where he became king of the vending machines.

Danny tried to explain Earth things to the Guardians. Like taxes. And Target. And what a cow was. Drax was horrified. “You allow milk beasts to rule your society?” Star-Lord cried when he learned Blockbuster was dead. Gamora tried to understand TikTok and ended up nearly assassinating a diplomat during a trend called “smash or pass.” Danny didn’t help by going ghost mid-video and screaming “pass” at the ambassador. They were banned from that planet forever.

But despite the chaos, Danny kind of… fit. He’d never felt truly understood on Earth, where being half-dead meant constant fear of being dissected by the government, but out here? Out here, people didn’t blink when he turned into a glowing, green-eyed wraith who could fly through spaceships and scream in an eldritch tongue. If anything, they applauded. One particularly wild night, Danny exorcised a Kree emperor’s cursed hover-throne live on intergalactic television. Ratings spiked. He was declared a demigod in three sectors. Star-Lord tried to get merchandising rights. Rocket tried to sell his ectoplasm as a weapon. Danny put them both in the Ghost Zone timeout corner.

They kept running into other people. Thor once landed on their ship looking for a beer and a nap, only to get into a flexing contest with Danny. Danny won. Barely. Thor still calls him “the glowing child of sorrow.” Tony Stark tried to recruit Danny for the Avengers. Danny politely declined by phasing through his hologram and turning it into a haunted Tamagotchi. Doctor Strange asked Danny to stop creating micro-rifts in the astral plane every time he hiccuped. Danny said he’d consider it.

The Guardians eventually got wind of a plot involving the Collector trying to obtain Danny’s core to power a ghost-zombie version of Knowhere. Naturally, they handled this in the most reasonable way possible: by launching a full-scale assault while disguised as a musical theater troupe. Danny, dressed as Phantom of the Opera, used his wail to destroy an army of spectral cyborgs, then accidentally set the Collector’s hair on fire. Gamora tackled him out a window. Rocket declared it a success.

Danny missed Earth sometimes. Jazz would call through the interstellar line to check in, often while holding a frying pan and yelling at someone in the background (“NO, TUCKER, YOU CAN’T ORDER CHICK-FIL-A TO SPACE”). Sam once left him a thirty-minute voicemail about ghost gentrification and the ethics of ghost labor unions. But even with all that, Danny knew he wasn’t the same kid from Amity Park. He’d been to star systems no human had seen, danced with sentient nebulae, and accidentally became betrothed to an alien princess after sneezing in her direction. He had battle scars and space memes and an intergalactic criminal record that included the phrase “unauthorized spectral possession of a judge.”

Rocket taught Danny how to rig a ship to explode using only shoelaces and spite. Groot taught him how to grow little plant buddies that helped him cook. Drax taught him the art of standing dramatically in silence, which Danny now did every time someone asked him about his tragic backstory. Star-Lord taught him how to moonwalk in zero gravity. Danny taught them all how to scream “GET BENT, YOU INTERDIMENSIONAL TWERPS” in ghost language, which they used during diplomatic missions. They were banned from another planet.

There were close calls. Danny once got trapped in a black hole and had to phase out by screaming every bad memory he’d ever had at once. He and Rocket were fused for a full day after a teleportation mishap—Danny’s ghost tail merged with Rocket’s back leg, and they had to fight like that. Gamora walked in on Danny watching High School Musical and refused to speak to him for a week. Star-Lord caught Danny crying while watching old Earth footage and tried to cheer him up with mixtapes titled “Sad Boi Vibes Vol. 1-9.”

But for all the wild, unhinged nonsense, Danny had a place. He’d spent so long being hunted, misunderstood, called a freak. But here, with this chaos crew of space weirdos and traumatized murder-huggers, he wasn’t just accepted. He was wanted. He was the team’s go-to for ghost stuff, space stuff, sarcasm, and emotional trauma suppression. He became a Guardian of the Galaxy not because he asked to be—but because he fought a black hole, exorcised a death god, and beat Star-Lord in a dance-off to “Take On Me.”

And when Earth eventually called—when the Avengers requested help with some “small ghost invasion” (Box Ghost had escaped space prison again)—Danny arrived with the Guardians, blazing through the sky like a neon comet. He kicked open a portal, yelled “SUP SLUTS,” and unleashed Groot, Drax, and an emotionally unstable raccoon with a bazooka onto New York.

Nick Fury sighed.

Tony screamed, “Why is there a tree in my penthouse?”

Danny just smiled, green eyes glowing, and said, “I brought friends.”

[subtlenighttribute]

"Sad? Absolutely Not."

Selkie AU | Reader x Selkie!Sylus, Selkie!Rafayel, Selkie!Zayne, Selkie!Caleb, and Selkie!Xavier

Comfort | Soft Weirdness | Seal forms only on this one

---

You knew this day would come, vacation time is almost over.

Thinking about going back to the city causes you to become sad. Our seal boys don't know yet, they only see that you’re sad and try to fix it.

In their own chaotic seal way.

---

🐺 Sylus – The Weighted Blanket With Eyes

You sit on the sand, hoodie sleeves tugged over your hands, chin on your knees.

For a moment, the sea is calm. Then something big breaks the surface.

And then—

WHUMP.

A heavy seal-body flops beside you. White fur, red eyes. Sylus. His whiskers twitch.

You sniff. He grunts. Edges closer.

Hmph. His head lands in your lap.

He stays there like a sack of wet potatoes, rumbling softly—almost like a purr but more…growly. You think he might be growling at the ocean on your behalf.

He presses his side against yours and pushes sand over your shoes protectively.

Every time your breath catches, he noses your palm gently. If you don’t pet him, he huffs. Loudly.

Eventually you do.

---

🫧 Rafayel – The Seafoam Clown

You feel the vibration before you see him.

SLAP-SLAP-SPLASH.

Rafayel hurls himself ashore in a blur of shining dark fur and kelp covered chaos. His head pops up from the clump of kelp. He’s wearing it like a wig.

He strikes a pose. Wobbles. Tips over.

You blink.

He rights himself, dramatically twists around untiil the kelp looks like a scarf, and rolls toward you with maximum flair. A silver shell pushed against your foot— a gift.

Then another.

And another.

You end up with a pile of sea junk and seal gifts, watching him do a dramatic jump that ends in a bellyflop right across your lap.

It knocks the breath out of you—along with a startled laugh.

He chirps trimphantly and bonks his head into your chest.

---

🪨 Zayne – The Solid Rock Seal

You don’t hear him arrive.

You’re just crying quietly, face hidden in your hands, when a large, silent shape appears next to you—like a soft boulder made of fur.

Zayne.

He doesn’t move.

Just...sits. Like a monument to patience.

Eventually, when your hiccups soften, he shifts—just a little—and nudges a single flat stone on your lap. Black, smooth, still warm from his underside.

You look at it.

Then at him.

He doesn’t blink. Just settles in again. His presence doesn’t demand a smile—it offers a place to rest the sadness without shame.

You lean into him. He doesn’t move. But his flipper gently taps your feet. Once. Twice.

You stay that way until the stars appear.

---

🦭 Caleb – The Attention Vacuum

You say, “I just need space.”

Caleb hears: “Please slam into the sand near me like a cannonball.”

Which he does. Loudly.

Then he spins in circles until he’s dizzy, flops onto his back, tongue poking out.

You side-eye him. He wiggles his back flippers and slaps his tail loudly—like applause.

He toots mid 'clap'.

After a very pregnant pause, he shoves a very ugly, very sharp shell toward you and blinks expectantly.

You try not to laugh. He shimmies closer. Slaps your knee with his flipper. Honks.

Makes a tooting noise with his nose- face scrunched up. Like a 'silly face' you make at toddlers.

You give him a wobbly grin, holding back laughter.

He makes a happy screech, wiggles his whole body like a puppy, and immediately knocks over your water bottle with his butt.

You chuckle and pat his head. He closes his eyes, his flippers flopping happily like he’s swimming in joy.

---

🌊 Xavier – The Flailing Sea Prince

The moment your shoulders slump, he’s already airborne—splashing through the surf like a missile.

Xavier rockets ashore in full drama. He glistens in the sun, his fur sleek and darker from the water, flippers fanned like jazz hands.

He slides up the sand… then skids too far and crashes into a driftwood log.

You blink.

He lies there. Still. Then slowly raises one flipper like he’s saying "I meant to do that."

You snort. He explodes to life, leaping in strange circles around you, occasionally flopping over for belly rubs.

Then he drags a piece of seaweed across your lap like he’s gifting you a royal sash.

It smells awful. He’s wide eyed with joy.

You laugh despite yourself.

He honks proudly and throws himself into your lap, wet fur and all.

---

☀️ Afterward

You’re damp, salty, and your coat smells like the ocean.

You’re also surrounded by five very committed seal friends, each more ridiculous than the last.

And though the sadness still lingers like sea fog, you can finally breathe through it.

Because these chaotic, flippery idiots?

They love you. In their weird, wordless way.

And for now, that’s enough.

[theguywithaplan]

List of Video Games turning ten (10) years old in 2025

Alone in the Dark: Illumination (if you thought the AitD game from last year was bad, check this shit out).

Angry Birds 2 (yes, there was a 2).

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer

Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival (two AC games from 2015 and neither of them were what people wanted).

Assassin's Creed Syndicate (the Bri'ish one).

Atelier Shallie

Axiom Verge

Batman: Arkham Knight

Battlefield: Hardline (the last game from Visceral Games, the guys who made the Dead Space series).

The Beginner's Guide (the second game from the creator of The Stanley Parable).

Bloodborne (anything for the 10th anniver-- no. Never gonna happen).

Broken Age

Call of Duty: Black Ops III

Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash

Cities: Skylines

Crypt of the NecroDancer

Devil's Third (one of the rarest Wii U games ever).

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance

Disney Infinity 3.0

Dragon Ball XenoVerse (the first one. not the second).

Dying Light

Evolve (these guys would go on to make Back 4 Blood).

Fallout 4

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD

Game of Thrones (the Telltale game)

Guitar Hero Live

Halo 5: Guardians

Hatred (a game so edgy and terrible that it got itself kicked off of Steam).

Helldivers (the first one).

Heroes of the Storm (the Blizzard MOBA).

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

HuniePop (for all you pervs out there).

I Am Bread

Just Cause 3

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes (the quintessential VR game)

Kerbal Space Program

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (one of the few Wii U games that hasn't been ported to the Switch. And probably never will be).

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

Lego Dimensions (a crossover game with about a billion different franchises).

Lego Jurassic World

Life is Strange (controversial opinion: I sacrificed Chloe and felt nothing).

Mario Party 10 (the only MP on the Wii U)

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (back when the 3DS was single-handedly keeping MH alive)

Mortal Kombat X

Need for Speed (the reboot)

The Order: 1886

Ori and the Blind Forest

Pillars of Eternity

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon

Prison Architect

Rainbow Six: Siege

Rare Replay

Resident Evil: Revelations 2

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Rock Band 4

Rocket League

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell (RIP Volition. You were too good for the modern day).

Shadowrun: Hong Kong

Skylanders: SuperChargers

Soma (the best horror game ever made. Play it if you haven't yet).

Splatoon

Star Wars: Battlefront (the EA reboot).

StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void (RIP StarCraft. You were too good for modern day Blizzard).

Steven Universe: Attack the Light!

Story of Seasons (the very fight one)

Super Mario Maker

Tales from the Borderlands (the best thing that Telltale EVER made).

Tales of Zestiria

Tembo the Badass Elephant (published by Sega and developed by Game Freak... the Pokemon guys).

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5

Total War: Attila

Transformers: Devastation (RIP PlatinumGames. You... kinda started sucking after Astral Chain).

Undertale (yep, it's happening).

Until Dawn

Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (just in time for the 4th game)

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (remember, kids: Nazi lives don't matter).

Xenoblade Chronicles X (finally escaping the Wii U this year).

Yakuza 5

Yo-Kai Watch

Yoshi's Woolly World

[wwaheoh]

“What do the cold hands of Fate fear the most in the Universe? The fiery indomitable spirit of Humanity.” HSR x gnReader

Firefly, Himeko, Jing Yuan (+ Yanqing)

a/n: Starman by David Bowie type shit

Rip and tear. A dwindling defense against a relentless offense. Bugs, in the billions, cascading down towards Glammoth, all with the intent to devor. Her muscles screamed, the armor she was in began to grow heavier each minute, a metal coffin awaiting the moment her body gave up on her.

But she would not- could not let this happen. As part of the Iron Calvary, she had met someone she sparked a sense of wonder, of the uniqueness of each and every person. Someone she wanted to defend. Of course, this relationship was difficult to manage, with all of them having been born as nothing more than to fill the ranks and fight for their Empress. But there were times where the two of you could spend time together, really feel like people instead of the bred soldiers you were. Emotions that others in the Iron Cavalry knew not of bloomed between the two of you. 

The day the Swarm had come to their planet had been the day she intended to speak to you about these feelings she had, during the small breaks they had. She didn’t even know what to say, the words and their meaning never having been taught to her. 

So as she fought, all she could think about was you, the Empress barely even holding a space in her mind. Yet as she watched the suits of metal fall from the sky, it dawned on her that she might never be able to tell you anything. Tearing through the bodies as she rocketed forward, carnage raged around her, blood, guts, and fire being blown everywhere as panic fueled adrenaline.

Then the Swarm Mother appeared. And alll hell broke loose.

In her peripheral vision, a bright light appeared. Turning, she realized that it was yours. The two of you had played with the idea of decorating the suits- being reprimanded when attempted. But some super specific damages could be overlooked.

You exploded forward with a speed that left a sonic boom behind. Fire exploded as you bulldozed your way through the Swarm, leaving a trail of destruction through the army. Going straight for the Mother.

You exploded, with enough power to detonate stars, a beautiful supernova. 

Firefly screams, muscles seemingly revitalized with a feeling she’s never felt. Born to be a soldier, emotions taught to be kept down to keep a level head. All of it is thrown out the window as she charges forward into the regenerating mass. 

The smoke begins to clear, the Swarm Mother seemingly unaffected by what you had done.

It fills her with a rage that burns deep into her core.

Tearing through, she aims at the Swarm Mother, filling this blast with all of the power left in the mech, firing. 

A bright light overtakes her vision, white is all she sees before it goes to black.

-

Firefly sits by the window of the ship, watching the stars slowly pass by, one of the lessening times her body is able to be outside of stasis without suffering repercussions. An odd feeling stirring in her chest, bits of memories leaking from the box she locked them in, too much to bear.

Silver Wolf is running some maintenance on the mech. As the resident tech support of the Stellaron Hunters, it's become her job to make sure the mech known as “SAM” is in top shape.

beep… beep… Beep… Beep. BEEP… BEEP

What starts off barely audible begins to screech, the navigation system begins to go wild. Silver Wolf looks towards Firefly, who was broken from her thinking and now staring with wide eyes at the sound. 

“What’s that?”

Firefly quickly rushed to the mech, nearly tripping over herself as she hit a series of buttons, prompting a green holographic map to shine. A small red dot currently hurling itself at nearly 43,000/mph through the vastness of space. A red dot that symbolized a mech suit just like hers, another survivor…

“We have to recover it- it’s another one like me!” She exclaimed as she rushed to tell Kafka and get the ship to follow the projected path. 

Quickly the ship began to move faster, slipping off course and diverting its route to intercept the mecha. 

After several tense minutes, the ship was successfully able to slow the object down and reign it into the ship.

It was a giant piece of rock, yet something inside told her that it held something deep within. The frequency that had been discovered wasn’t something that could be made from an asteroid or piece of space junk.

Clearing everyone from the room, she entered her mech, charging it up to live with a flare of green, before slamming her fist down onto the rock and breaking it in half.

Inside was a damaged mecha, another Fyrefly Type-IV Strategic Assault Mech. Damaged, with battle damage all over. Metal melted and melding into other parts. It slowly creaked open, a body, with a face she never thought she’d see again falling out and onto the cold surface.

It was you…  the soft motion of your chest rising and falling told her that you were atleast alive.

Breaking from her stupor, she quickly screamed, “K-Kafka!” Said person quickly barged into the room, Blade and Silver Wolf ready, guns and blade in hands before quickly realizing what was happening. “We need to get them to my pod!”

They did just that, pulling your body into Firefly’s pod, stabilizing your vitals and checking for the sickness that ailed all of the Iron Calvary’s soldiers. It was there, but had been slowed to an insane rate as you had basically been ambered.

-

After several hours passed, you had finally awoken. Panicking at first before Firefly, who had been waiting by your pod-side, helped calm you down. Finally stable and conscious, they started the procedure to let you out: draining the fluids, unhooking you, taking out the IV, and taking off the oxygen mask. 

They allowed you some privacy to put on some clothes, pulling a white curtain around you with some spare clothes ready for you. 

After what seemed like forever to Firefly, you walked out of the room. A sense of dread as she proposed the question, “Do you remember me?”

An uncomfortable silence fell, with the other Stellaron Hunters trying but failing to not show that they were very blatantly eavesdropping on the two with bated breaths.

Finally you respond with affirmation, you do remember her. You remember them. You remember that hail-mary effort to take down the Swarm, intending to sacrifice yourself in order to bring down the Swarm Mother and give a chance to the Iron Cavalry- to her.

She rushes in to embrace you, with you opening your arms as she launches onto you. “Well, I’m called Firefly now…” “It’s… nice to meet you Firefly.” The name feels weird on your tongue, the two of you only having been designated with numbers rather than anything meaningful. But as you play with it, it feels right. 

Fyreflies, small little things that shone beautifully in the night. A future, together, that shone as well.

A beautiful sunset began to fall on this planet’s horizon, a warm orange transitioned into a deep purple. Stars twinkling in the evening sky.

It was you and Himeko, a cup of coffee in both your hands. The two of you were sitting on the porch of a home the two of you purchased. It wasn’t somewhere the two of you lived year-round, coming only for a couple weeks to relax from all the trailblazing the Astral Express got up to. It was quaint, overlooking a beautiful environment.

Taking a small sip of the coffee, you held in spitting it out- yup, still incredibly strong. Himeko laughed softly, admiring the fact that you still attempted to build up a resistance to the taste over the years. A beautiful thing to hear, never losing its novelty no matter how many times you heard it.

This was all so perfect…

“This isn’t real, is it?”

“No, dear.”

Even in a fake world, Himeko was so incredibly intelligent, probably having even figured it out before you did. 

“We didn’t win against Sunday?”

“No, everyone in Penacony is currently under the control of the Order.” She nursed her cup of coffee on her lap.

“Well then… I guess this is goodbye. I’ll see you in the real world.”

You leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek before setting down the cup of coffee and standing up. 

“I’ll see you too dear.”

You readied yourself, tensing the muscles in your arm as you pulled your arm back, righting your feet before swinging forward. A crack formed in existence, another swing, it expanded. Several more impacts before finally, the world exploded in white.

-

Alongside the rest of the Astral Express, all six of you readied your weapons, as the giant behemoth of a golden conductor leaned over the group.

Now it was time to reach the truth, in the Waking World…

Waves and waves of Mara-Struck, soldiers under your command, fallen and changed into these walking dolls for the Abundance to control. They begged for the sweet release of death, pleading for it all to be over. Apologizing over and over, begging for forgiveness as their bodies became prisons, as they attacked those that they swore to protect.

The last contact they had with your squadron was three hours ago. An outbreak of Mara-Struck caused by chemicals planted in the drinking water. The scientist had been apprehended already, but the effects were still being felt hours after. 

Jing Yuan paced in his room, awaiting further updates. You, his betrothed, was a respected commander, even with his hand in marriage you refused to become complacent, continuing your training and leadership on the battlefield. Yanqing was just returning from his mission, having been the one to find the source of the contaminant and lock up those involved in spreading it. 

“General, I have returned.” Yanqing greeted as he closed the door behind him, before quietly asking about your whereabouts, having not seen you. “They did not return with you? The last they told us, they’d be regrouping with you.” Jing Yuan questioned, a slight panic beginning to settle into his otherwise calm and lazy demeanor. “No sir, they didn’t relay such to me… last I heard they were clearing out the Mara-Stricken.” 

“And why was I not informed of their prolonged absence?” “I don’t know, general.” “It seems others are keeping vital information out of my hands. I’ll deal with it later, come, we must ensure the safety of them.” “Yes General!”

The two didn’t want to think of the possibilities, what might have happened to you in these few hours that you were dark. They weren’t arm-chair philosophers but men of action.

Stepping out, they marched out of the Seat of Divine Foresight, people instinctively moving out of their way. Yet one did, a newly instated assistant, one who was quiet but as they babbled on about how Jing Yuan shouldn’t leave, he knew why they truly were there. Nodding with a polite smile, he acknowledged their words before turning and continuing his march, signaling to a nearby Fu Xuan about the “assistant”. 

A group of guards quickly apprehended them as Jing Yuan and Yanqing left in search of you.  

-

Their first stop was your final ping before you went dark. Upon entering the area, the smell of bark and scent of iron filled their noses. Corpses were strewn about, mara-stricken and normal alike. None have the insignia of a Captain. 

Following the carnage, they begin to hear sounds of metal on metal, grunts, shrieks. Quickly hurrying, they turn the corner to see you, covered in blood and sweat, and a mob of mara-stricken soldiers surrounding you.

Quickly they rush in, with the power of the General of the Xianzhou Luofu and his Retainer, they carve a path through and quickly pull you from the center. With you out of the danger zone, Yanqing summons several blades, slashing at the horde with killing intent, slicing them in half as the blades whizzes through them.

As the Retainer takes out the horde, Jing Yuan turns to you, apologetic, “I’m so sorry, your whereabouts were hidden from me. I came as soon as I could.”

Still shell-shocked from finally being able to rest, you turn to Jing Yuan, softly pressing your knuckles against his jaw. 

“I knew you’d always come for me…”

Those were the last words you exchanged with him before passing out.

-

You woke up in an infirmary, several doctors rushing by, attending to other patients. Covered in bandages, the sterile smell of the room filled your senses. Looking around, you noticed Jing Yuan and Yanqing sleeping on the seats next to your bed. 

Your lips curved upward into a small smile as you took in the scene. Your boys, waiting for you to get better. 

[lizardsfromspace]

Generational discourse is bleak in general but watching the ascent of "Gen X is so unflappable! We didn't cancel anyone! We weren't offended!" is exceptionally grim. First of all bc Gen X was very much framed as Politically Correct at the time, second of all bc that kind of 90s above-it-all disaffection absolutely doesn't play in a modern political environment, but also bc.

Why do they always bring up how traumatic Challenger's explosion was like it's unique

*deep breath* The generation after you had school shootings. They have active shooter drills. If the worst thing to happen during your school years was watching a space shuttle explode on TV, that's pretty good. You didn't even have access to LiveLeak!

But it's just the lack of solidarity that grates. Every generation witnesses traumatic events. But instead of making this about relating between generations, they make it unique. The generation after them saw 9/11, but Challenger's explosion is apart, entirely, uniquely traumatic that it's worth...boasting about witnessing? Though the context was much different - a landing not a launch, and not shown in schools - the generation after them also had a space shuttle explosion (and given astronauts are now flying on ships made by Boeing and Elon Musk, Gen Alpha your Challenger is coming!!!) but it's not the same, man.

When you're speedrunning becoming Boomers 2.0, except instead of God, momma, and apple pie your core values are cool disaffection and remembering the music of R.E.M., you can't go "the people before me lived through the assassinations of JFK and MLK and the Vietnam War; the people after me lived through Columbine and 9/11; the people after them are living through active shooter drills and having a constant feed of footage of real violence on their phones, and all of these are different, but similarly traumatic". You have to say that you saw a space shuttle blow up on TV, and these Gen Zs will never understand what that's like, even though space rockets are now made by Boeing so they probably will tbh

[ducktoo]

Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

Side 2. Rina, Rocket Puncher

Note: someone pls tell her to stop punching the phone-

This took place between Chapter 35 & 36

The Smash Room was not the type of place Y/n had expected to visit that day. The walls were covered in padding, and an impressive assortment of “smashable” items—plates, bottles, electronics—lined the shelves like some dystopian buffet. Karina stood beside him, grinning from ear to ear, holding a bat like it was the best gift she’d ever received.

“Are you… sure about this?” Y/n asked, eyeing a particularly delicate-looking lamp.

Karina rolled her eyes, thrusting a bat into his hands. “Yes, I’m sure. Trust me; you’ll thank me later.”

“But smashing things on purpose… it feels wrong,” he admitted, staring down at the bat.

Karina laughed, already cracking her knuckles in anticipation. “It’s supposed to feel wrong! That’s the point. I needed a place to blow off steam, and I thought it’d be way more fun if you came along to try it out.”

"…I don't really have anything to blow off steam, though?" Y/n questioned.

"Lies." Karina deadpanned. "You're dating Minjeong. Surely there is something you find annoying about her."

"Oi, you're trying to rat me out now?" Y/n widened his eyes.

"It's between us." Karina giggled. "…unless?"

Y/n gulped, but Karina’s enthusiasm was infectious. “Fine… let’s do this.”

-

When they finally suited up, helmets secure and armed with a stack of plates, old electronics, and an assortment of glass bottles in the centre of the room, Y/n couldn’t shake a lingering sense of hesitation. He’d been dragged here, no doubt, by Karina’s insistence that “everyone needs to smash something every once in a while.” She practically glowed with energy as she scanned the items around them, clearly fired up for what was about to go down.

“Ready to blow off some steam?” Karina asked, eyeing a nearby plate with a devilish grin. She picked it up and weighed it in her hands like a pro, already looking to him for the go-ahead.

“Uh, as ready as I’ll ever be,” Y/n replied, still clutching his bat with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. “You seem a little too excited about this.”

“Oh, trust me, I am,” Karina laughed. “You don’t know how badly I’ve needed this!”

With a wild swing, she sent the first plate crashing against the wall, bits of ceramic scattering in every direction. She let out a triumphant yell, her face lighting up.

“Jeez,” Y/n said, raising an eyebrow. “Is that plate supposed to be someone in particular?”

Karina grinned, winding up for the next throw. “That one was for all the times I’ve had to work late for a last-minute meeting. And—” She smashed another plate. “—for every time I had to remind everyone to be on time, especially NINGNING!”

Y/n snorted, gripping his own plate. “Ning just use her aespa time….a bit too much, huh?”

“Oh, and don’t get me started on the stress of managing appearances and, like, fifty different social media expectations!” Karina vented, smashing another plate with gusto. “Not everything needs to be perfect, but the pressure is still there! SO DAMN ANNOYING!”

“YES!” Y/n said with feeling, setting up his own bottle to smash. He hesitated for a moment, thinking back on his recent frustrations with Winter, from her infamous ‘kiss prank’ to the slightly overwhelming reality of actually dating her…which came with some undisclosed baggage. He swung, and the bottle exploded in a satisfying burst.

“OHHH SHT! That felt good!”

From the bottom of his heart, he loved Winter, but that was liberating.

Karina, catching his thoughtful look, nudged him with a knowing smile. “That looked personal. Care to share?”

He grinned, a little sheepishly. “It’s just… Jeong. There’s so much about her that’s awesome, but dating her is a whole new experience. I mean, she’s perfect, but also impossible. She just, like, invades my space EVERYWHERE, which sounds great…"

"Uhuh" Karina was intrigued.

"…until she messes with all my stuff and stole my oreo stashes I kept for myself.”

“Oh, I get it. Minjeong does have that… selective attention to detail,” Karina laughed, setting up another bottle. “She’ll memorise every outfit in her closet but will still ‘forget’ to tell you she invited the whole group over to your place.”

Y/n laughed, nodding. “Exactly! And it’s like the more time we spend together, the more I realize she’s just as rowdy as the rest of you—if not more. But… it’s hard to stay annoyed when she gives me that look, you know?”

Karina grinned as she grabbed a plate, holding it up like it was a prized possession. “This one? This is for every time a schedule’s changed last minute, throwing off everything we’ve worked on!” She wound up, smashed it, and let out a satisfied sigh.

Y/n found himself nodding along. “You know, Jeong has this habit of casually dropping huge things at the last possible moment. Like, ‘Oh, by the way, I promised my mom I’d come by for dinner’—while we’re already on our way somewhere else.”

“Oh, she finally did that to you!” Karina laughed, taking a quick swing at another bottle, the glass shattering on impact. She turned back to him with a playful glint in her eye. “Sounds like you’ve got your hands full.”

“Tell me about it.” Y/n lined up another bottle and smashed it with a swing that was a little more enthusiastic than he’d intended. “I love her for how she is, but…those will kill my sanity.”

They both shared a laugh, the cathartic smashing of objects somehow loosening up more than just physical tension.

-

“Alright, Rina, use Rocket Punch!” Y/n challenged, feeling his earlier nervousness fade as he grabbed another plate and handed it to her.

"Ya, I'm not a Pokemon!" She took it, eyeing him with a mock-serious expression.

"Whatever, do it!" Y/n cheered.

“This one is for all the choreography changes we go through in the middle of a tour,” she muttered with feigned gravity, before smashing it so hard that tiny ceramic pieces ricocheted off the wall.

"Perfect shot." Y/n winced and gave a low whistle. “Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “Honestly, I think all of us need this every once in a while. You can’t keep everything bottled up without it exploding, right?”

He nodded, a grin spreading on his face. “Speaking of which, I think it’s time for the grand finale.” He held up an old radio, raising its high for dramatic effect.

“Ohhh, nice choice!” Karina cheered, standing back to give him space.

"KIM MINJEONG! STOP DOODLING ON MY FACE!"

With a loud yell, Y/n hurled the radio against the wall, bits of plastic and metal scattering everywhere as they both burst into laughter.

Breathless, Y/n leaned back against the wall, shaking his head. “Holy….I seriously didn’t think this would be so… satisfying.”

Karina nodded, grinning at him. “I knew you’d come around. It’s not just about breaking things; it’s about letting go, you know?”

He looked at her, her usual serious leader demeanour replaced with a relaxed, genuine smile. “You know, I think we all see you as this powerhouse who just handles everything. It’s easy to forget that you need to punch things.”

Karina’s smile softened. “I guess I do. It’s just… hard sometimes. When you’re the leader, there’s this pressure to always be ‘on’ and ‘perfect.’ But, it’s nice to have these moments where I can just be myself. Not ‘Karina the leader,’ just Karina.”

“Well, for the record, you’re pretty cool Rina, leader or not,” Y/n said, giving her a sincere look. “I think we’d all be a little lost without you, to be honest.”

“Cool? Not cute?”

“Erm. Sorry, I have a Minjeong.” Y/n denied.

She let out a soft chuckle, bumping his shoulder. “Thanks, Y/n. It’s nice to hear that, especially from someone who has to put up with us 24/7.”

"You're welcome." Y/n grinned. "Now, please stop punching the camera."

-

Exhausted and a little breathless, they finally put down their bats, slumping onto a bench in the lounge area. Bits of dust and tiny shards clung to their protective gear, but they looked thoroughly exhilarated.

Y/n turned to her with a smile. “You’re living up to the name Rocket Puncher, you know that?”

Karina shrugged, though her eyes sparkled. “I guess I just have a habit of punching things.”

Y/n laughed. “Just don’t go overboard. We can’t have you smashing plates left and right during practice, alright?”

She laughed, nodding. “Fair enough. I’ll keep it contained to smash rooms.”

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before Karina pointed toward the photo booth in the corner, her eyes lighting up. “Hey! Before we go, we should take a picture. Just, you know, to remember today.”

Y/n followed her gaze and groaned. “Are you serious? We look like we just walked out of a war!”

“Exactly! That’s the point!” Karina insisted, practically dragging him over. “C’mon, tough guy, one picture won’t kill you.”

As the camera flashed, Karina made a series of increasingly ridiculous faces, pulling Y/n into the antics with her. By the last frame, he was laughing so hard he barely noticed the camera snapping.

When the photos printed, Karina held up the strip with pride. “This is definitely going up on the fridge. Maybe I’ll even show Minjeong.”

Y/n’s eyes widened. “Please don't. She’ll never let me hear the end of it.”

Karina just smirked, pocketing the photos. “Consider it payback for letting me rant today. And don’t worry—I’ll only tease you a little.”

“Tsk.” Y/n sighed. “ But thanks for this, Rina. I think I needed it more than I realised.”

She smiled, looping her arm over his shoulder. “Anytime, Y/n. A little smash helps wonder.”

They sat in comfortable silence, the weight of the conversation lingering, but in a way that felt comforting rather than heavy.

-

Karina’s usual habit was quickly taken up by a notch in the dorm. No one could resist teasing her after each new incident, and her reactions—half-defensive, half-mortified—only added to the fun.

Which happened sooner than expected.

One evening, everyone was gathered around the dinner table for takeout night. Y/n watched with an amused grin as Karina grabbed her chopsticks with a little too much enthusiasm, causing her plate to slip and crack against the table.

“Welp, another one bites the dust,” Y/n quipped, leaning back with a smirk.

Karina gave him a narrowed look, cheeks flushed. “You know what? Maybe plates these days just aren’t made to last!”

Winter snorted. “Or maybe you’re just turning into some kind of superhero with ‘smash’ as your only superpower.”

“Sooo…Hulk?” Giselle questioned.

Karina huffed, crossing her arms. “Well, I didn’t ask for this power.”

Ningning leaned in, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Yeah, but if you keep breaking things, people might actually believe you’re the leader of a super-powered girl group.”

Giselle clapped her hands, laughing. “Imagine if they replaced our choreo with you smashing props on stage!”

Y/n’s eyes lit up with mock seriousness. “Rina, think of the fan meetings. You’d just need to sign autographs on concrete blocks with a sledgehammer or something.”

Karina tried to stifle her laugh but couldn’t. She finally gave in, laughing as she tossed a crumpled napkin at Y/n. “You’re all just jealous of my raw strength.”

-

The next morning, Y/n and Karina found themselves in the kitchen, prepping for a long day ahead. Karina was trying to work the espresso machine, but it seemed to be giving her trouble. As she pulled the handle, the coffee machine sputtered and stopped working entirely.

“Did it just…?” Karina blinked, staring at the lifeless machine.

Y/n, stifling a laugh, leaned in to inspect. “Hmmmm, let’s see, it was perfectly fine this morning, and now it’s dead. Who could possibly be responsible?”

Karina swatted his arm. “Hey! I didn’t even touch it that hard! I just… pulled the lever with a bit of confidence.”

“Oh, ‘confidence,’” Y/n said with a grin. “That’s a nice way of putting it. You know, you’re like a coffee machine whisperer… except in reverse.”

Karina glared at him, then let out a laugh. “Fine, maybe I got a little too eager. But you’re making the coffee, then.”

Y/n shook his head, feigning exasperation as he grabbed his phone to put in a delivery order for iced lattes instead. “I’ll be sending this bill to the SM. You know, at this rate, you’re going to single-handedly ruin every appliance in the dorm.”

“Then maybe you should start getting unbreakable appliances,” Karina shot back, grinning as she took a seat at the counter.

Winter wandered into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. She looked between the two and yawned. “What happened now?”

“Coffee machine casualty,” Y/n explained, waving a hand at the machine. “She claimed another victim.”

Winter shook her head with a small laugh. “Great….another funeral?”

Karina shrugged, holding up her hands in surrender. “Apparently, I’ve just… developed an ult.”

-

A few days later, Karina and Y/n were shopping for some supplies when they wandered into the electronics section. They’d been joking about her newfound “habit” all morning, and Karina couldn’t resist poking fun at herself.

“Ya, Y/n, think they sell smash-proof headphones?” she asked with a grin, picking up a sleek pair.

He laughed. “If they did, you’d be their first customer.”

Karina nodded thoughtfully, pretending to examine the headphones. “Maybe we should just go all out and buy everything in metal. Like, imagine an indestructible blender or a phone that can survive anything.”

Y/n snorted, crossing his arms. “What, you’re planning on hurling your phone across the room?”

Karina gave him a playful nudge. “Not *intentionally*. But you never know.”

She picked up a ceramic mug, examining it thoughtfully. “Hmm. You think this one would survive me?”

Y/n raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you try holding it like a normal human, and we’ll see?”

Karina broke into laughter, the two of them gathering curious stares from other shoppers. “Fine, fine, I’ll keep my grip to a minimum.”

-

That night, back at the dorm, the members were lounging around after a busy day. Y/n was tidying up the living room when he heard a familiar *crack* from the kitchen. He didn’t even have to look to know who the culprit was.

“YOO JIMIN!” he called, trying to sound stern but barely hiding his amusement.

Karina peeked around the corner, looking sheepish. “It was just a spoon…”

Winter groaned dramatically. “Do we even have spoons left at this point?”

Ningning held up a plastic spoon with a grin. “These are the only safe ones left. And I’m not taking any chances.”

Giselle couldn’t resist piling on. “At this rate, we’re going to have to wrap everything in bubble wrap. Including you, unnie.”

Karina laughed, her face flushing pink. “It’s not my fault! Everything’s so fragile!”

Y/n rolled his eyes, though he was smiling. “Okay, you and I are making a pact. Once a month, smash room therapy. But no more ‘practicing’ in the dorm, got it?”

Karina raised her hand in mock seriousness, nodding. “Fine, deal. Monthly smashing sessions only in the smash room. But only if you join me.”

The others burst into laughter as Y/n sighed, defeated. “Alright, alright. As long as you promise to keep your ‘smashing’ in the smash room.”

Winter nudged Karina, grinning. “This is really gonna be a thing, isn’t it?”

Karina shrugged, laughing. “Guess so. Let’s just hope I don’t smash anything important, like, I dunno… the door.”

“Or my boyfriend” Winter instantly glared at her leader while hugging Y/n. “Only he can deal with our rowdiness here.”

The entire group laughed, shaking their heads. Despite the accidental destruction, they couldn’t help but enjoy every minute of it. Karina’s “habit” had become an endless source of entertainment, and Y/n knew he’d never look at a coffee machine—or a remote—the same way again.

-

The next month rolled around, and true to their agreement, Y/n and Karina made another trip to the smash room. Karina was fired up, armed with a bat and practically bouncing on her heels as she looked at the new array of breakables.

“Oh, you’re going down this time,” she taunted, tossing Y/n a helmet. “Get ready to lose, mister.”

Y/n scoffed, slipping on his helmet and giving her a playful glare. “Is that so? We’ll see about that. Just don’t go breaking anything else when we get back to the dorm, okay?”

With that, the smash room countdown started, and they both went at it. Plates shattered, vases exploded, and Karina laughed wildly with every hit. They were neck and neck, neither one letting up as they plowed through piles of items. But just as they were about to swing at the last piece—a towering stack of old electronics—they paused, catching their breath.

Karina raised her bat, grinning. “Alright, let’s end this. Whoever smashes it first is the ultimate champ.”

Y/n, equally competitive now, rolled his shoulders, raising his bat. “Prepare to lose, Rocket Puncher.”

“Three… two… one!” They both swung, aiming straight for the top of the stack.

But just as they were about to hit, Karina’s bat connected a split second sooner, sending pieces flying—and her bat continued on its path, grazing Y/n’s arm as he tried to dodge.

“Ow!” he yelped, dropping his bat and clutching his arm, though a grin tugged at his lips.

Karina gasped, immediately dropping her bat. “Oh my gosh, Y/n! I’m so sorry!” She rushed over, her hands hovering as if she wanted to check on him but didn’t want to make it worse.

Y/n burst into laughter, holding his “injured” arm dramatically. “You actually smashed me, Karina! I didn’t know I’d signed up for *full-contact smashing.*”

She smacked his shoulder playfully, though she was still red-faced with embarrassment. “You were in my way! And stop laughing—I thought I broke your arm!”

He couldn’t help grinning. “Next time, we’re putting a strict no beating your manager rule in place. I barely survived.”

Karina laughed, shaking her head as she helped him up. “Guess I did win the smashing contest, though,” she teased, flashing him a victorious grin.

Y/n chuckled, rubbing his arm with a smile. “Yeah, yeah, Rocket Puncher… but the prize is definitely on you. Because from now on, I’m giving you a permanent smash ban.”

She pouted, though she couldn’t hold back her smile. “Fine. But don’t be surprised if I accidentally ‘smash’ something again. Just… try not to stand in my way next time?”

“That sounds wron-“

“Finish that and you will eat this bat.” Karina glared.

“Yes ma’am”

With a shared stifled laugh, they both left the smash room, Karina proudly claiming her “victory” and Y/n mentally preparing to dodge any “unintentional” smash attacks back at the dorm.

As they finished their monthly agreement and left the smash room, a renewed sense of camaraderie between them, both feeling lighter than they had in a long time. There was certainly mild hostility between the two of them when first met, but things changed for the better.

It wasn’t just the smashing or the laughs—it was the reminder that they had each other, through all the chaos, and that was a pretty solid foundation to lean on.

[trickstertime]

At this stage I'm wondering if we got it wrong this whole time and Space X rockets are meant to explode and it's actually a glitch if they go to space

[artist-named-chris]

Superman Character Concept/Redesign: I really couldn't explain my ideal version of Superman any better than what has already been said in the introduction to Max Fliescher's Superman cartoons of the 1940s. So I won't even try:

"In the endless reaches of the universe there once existed a planet known as Krypton, a planet that burned like a green star in the distant heavens. There, civilization was far advanced and it brought forth a race of supermen, whose mental and physical powers were developed to the absolute peak of human perfection.

But, there came a day when giant quakes threatened to destroy Krypton forever. One of the planet's leading scientists, sensing the approach of doom, placed his infant son in a small rocket ship and sent it hurtling in the direction of the Earth just as Krypton exploded! The rocket ship sped through star studded space, landing safely on Earth with its precious burden, Krypton's sole survivor.

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! This amazing stranger from the planet Krypton, the man of steel, Superman! Empowered with X-ray vision, possessing remarkable physical strength, Superman fights a never ending battle for truth and justice, disguised as a mild mannered newspaper reporter, Clark Kent."

[riflebrass]

Elon's a piece of shit but I think the hatred for him is pretty disproportionate.

Last year Boeing had a ton of plane crashes, their incompetence left a couple astronauts stranded on the ISS for the better part of a year, and were killing off multiple whistleblowers.

Space-X is getting more flack for an unmanned rocket exploding than all of Boeing's stuff combined. There were probably over a thousand people working on that rocket that had a more direct influence on the outcome as Elon but they act like Elon personally built the rocket himself out of a coke bottle, cardboard, duct tape, and gunpowder. Elon is such an idiot for blowing up the rocket!

The guy's not a saint. I don't think he's really helping America. I just get tired of everyone focusing so much energy on the guy and getting tunnel vision so they can't see the worse offenders.

[oywcalendar]

Prelude to the One Year War

The following is a master post of events leading directly to the start of the One Year War, particularly the rapid development of new weapons by the Republic of Zeon.

UC 0074

The EFSF convert their vessels' main armaments from shell-firing cannons to mega particle cannons.

In February, Zeonic complete the MS-04 Prototype Zaku.

December, UC 0074

The first Jupiter Energy Fleet returns to the Republic of Zeon, rendering the nation energy independent from the Earth Federation.

Zimmad submits the design of their EMS-04 Zudah to Zeon’s military.

Zeonic completes the first prototype YMS-05 Zaku, later renumbered MS-05A.

UC 0075

Zeonic’s Zaku and Zimmad’s Zudah are trialled against each other to determine which will be adopted as the Zeon military’s mainline mobile suit. The Zaku underperforms compared to the impressive Zudah, but the Zudah’s reactor overheats and explodes, destroying the mobile suit. The Zaku is chosen for its reliability and lower production cost.

In May, Zeonic rolls out the MS-05B Zaku 1, Zeon’s first combat-ready mobile suit.

In July, Zeon commissions the Musai-class space cruiser, the first warship in history designed to carry mobile suits.

UC 0076

In March, Zeon commissions the Gwazine-class battleship, a command ship for their highest-ranking officers.

In April, Zeon begins mass-producing the MS-05B Zaku 1 after widely expanding their mobile suit factories.

In May, Colonel Kycilia Zabi creates the Mobile Training Battalion to train mobile suit pilots and establish mobile suit tactics.

In December, Zeon begins development of specialized mobile suit variants, especially for terrestrial and maritime warfare. A high-performance "R-type" Zaku is also proposed.

UC 0077

In April, the Riah Revolution occurs at Side 6. Zeon military backs the nationalist faction, sending a squad of Zakus to blockade the EFF, helping to secure the revolution’s victory. Side 6 declares independence from the Earth Federation as the Riah Republic.

In August, Zeonic rolls out the MS-06A Zaku 2. Its performance is greatly improved over the Zaku 1, but Kycilia Zabi orders it redesigned to be better equipped for melee combat, expecting that the Federation will eventually develop their own mobile suits.

In September, per Kycilia's orders, Zeonic rolls out the MS-06C Zaku 2.

UC 0078

In January, Zeon begins mass-producing the Zaku 2 C-type, replacing the Zaku 1 as its military mainstay.

In February, the EFF's SCV-X project begins construction of SCV-27A, a carrier for the FF-S3 Saberfish fighter.

In March, the EFF commence the RX Project, though the Federation at large dismisses the threat of Zeon's humanoid weapons and remains skeptical about developing their own.

In September, Zeonic rolls out the MS-06F Zaku 2. This version lacks its predecessor's heavy radiation shielding, making it lighter and in turn granting it better performance. The commander-use S-type is later developed, based on the nimble F-type.

In October, as part of Zeon's preparation for a possible Earth invasion, Zeonic rolls out the MS-06J Zaku 2. It is closely based on the F-type, but lacks rocket thrusters to further reduce its weight.

On October 24, the government of Side 3 rechristens itself as the Principality of Zeon and declares independence from the Earth Federation.

In November, the Principality of Zeon begins national mobilization. Supreme Commander Gihren Zabi divides the military into the Space Attack Force, under Vice Admiral Dozle Zabi, and the Mobile Assault Force, under Vice Admiral Kycilia Zabi.

In December, the Principality of Zeon begins the lengthy production of the Dolos-class, a trio of massive warships capable of carrying a staggering 182 mobile suits.

[girlactionfigure]

🟠 Monday - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

🌡 HIGH (but not extreme) TEMPERATURES over the next 4 days.  Take extra care with outdoor activities.

▪️HUMANITARIAN SHIELDS.. IDF spokesperson:  Due to numerous acts of terrorism and mortar fire at the State of Israel from the eastern part of the (Gaza - Khan Yunis) humanitarian space, staying in the space has become dangerous. Therefore, at this time the space will be adjusted. The adjustment is in relation to accurate intelligence information according to which  Hamas has located terrorist infrastructure in an area defined as a humanitarian space.

The IDF is going to act strongly against the terrorist organizations, and therefore calls on the remaining population in the eastern neighborhoods of Khan Yunis to temporarily evacuate to the adapted humanitarian space in Mawasi.

▪️A BIT OF HYSTERIA OVERNIGHT.. after an X threat from the Houthis, a flock of large storks were video’d up high in the center, went around social media as a drone swarm from the Houthis.  Several “Air Force on high alert” and “Haifa and Tel Aviv on maximum Home Front alert” messages also went around.  As well a series of reports of power outages across parts of Israel.  ALL FAKE NEWS.

.. These are intentional propaganda ops against Israel.  As we learned over last weeks spy scandal, Iran is paying some Israelis to post such things.

▪️PM LEAVES FOR US.. I am traveling while Israel is fighting on 7 fronts and there is political instability in Washington, telling Congress that regardless of who will be elected, Israel is the country that is the most important ally of the US in the Middle East.

.. CNN: it is not certain that the Netanyahu-Biden meeting will take place as planned.  AP: Yes he will.

▪️YEMEN COMPLAINS TO THE UN.. The Minister of Foreign Affairs in Yemen sent a letter of protest to the Sec. of the UN Security Council and called for Israel to be condemned for its aggression. (( .. in responding to Houthi aggression.  The nerve of those Jews defending themselves! ))

▪️MINOR EARTHQUAKE.. A magnitude 3.7 earthquake was felt in the Dead Sea region.  Felt in Jerusalem.

▪️SENIOR IDF OFFICIALS - DON’T WITHDRAW.. Senior army officials admit if Israel doesn’t maintain an armed presence in the Netzer corridor dividing Gaza, this will endanger Sderot again in the near future.  (Maariv)

▪️TURKEY THREATENS GREECE?  Erdogan says will establish a military naval base in east (Turkish) Cyprus, accuses Greece of intending the same in west Cyprus.

▪️DECREASE IN LEAKS?  Ch. 14’s Berdogo: Since National Unity left the war coalition, the leaks from the cabinet significantly decreased.

▪️POLITICS & MONEY.. Keren HaYesod, an NGO and charity which “does not contribute to political activity”, transferred donation money to Brothers in Arms, one of the lead protest organizations trying to bring down the coalition.  Hmm.

▪️AGAINST THE THREAT OF SOLDIERS BEING PROSECUTED FOR KILLING TERRORISTS.. the organization 'Mothers of the Warriors' is establishing an initial legal counseling system for the warriors.

♦️YEMEN WEAPONS WAREHOUSE EXPLODES?  An official in Al Hashd Al Shaabi reveals that the weapons warehouse that exploded last week was the target of an aerial attack.

♦️COUNTER-TERROR OP - Khorsa.. overnight, near Hebron.

♦️GAZA AIR STRIKES.. IDF: Air Force attacked about 35 terrorist targets throughout Gaza, including a rocket launcher in the Khan Yunis area that was aimed at the country's territory, military buildings, terrorists and other terrorist infrastructure.

♦️US CENTCOM - RED SEA.. US forces destroyed four Houthi suicide boats in the Red Sea in the last day.

⭕ 3 rounds of ROCKETS at the Golan from HEZBOLLAH this morning - nothing overnight.

[mackjlee9]

Adam Warlock x Male!Reader [Angst&Fluff]

[It's funny how this was gonna be a Will Poulter x Actor!Male!Reader instead lol]

[sorry if there are any confusing moments, I tried to make the flashbacks transitions obvious but not awkward :/]

Masterlist.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3

"Help us! Please"

The painful screech of a woman pleading for her children's lives bounced off the walls inside his skull, "Someone... We need someone who can help us!" A deep, hoarse voice followed, the same desperation and pain in his voice.

Blinking in what felt like slow motion, his (e/c) eyes observed through the flying dirt around him, structures exploding and collapsing, pieces of rumble finding their way to them, hitting their skin and leaving scratch marks and even deeper cuts, the shock wave of the nearby explosion reached them, walls tumbling down to the ground along with him, knocking him unconscious for a few minutes.

He looked around the room he was in, realizing he was... Alone. His parents and siblings were nowhere in sight, and he panicked.

"Mother..." He spoke softly as he stood up, his stance wobbly as he reached to hold himself up the wall, "Father!" Yelling out to them, he walked out of the room into the next one, his breath getting caught in his throat at the gruesome sight, "No..."

His body gave up on him, falling to his knees and painfully crawling his way to his family, tears clouding his eyes when he saw his mother, a tight feeling in his throat.

"No!" His voice broke as he cried out for them, clinging onto what was left of his family, "Come back, please! You can't leave! Mom! Dad!"

In his desperate and futile attempt to save his family, he didn't notice the voices of people outside the remains of his house, calling for them as they found another survivor. He only realized there were others with him when he was held around his waist and picked up off the ground, begging to be dragged outside.

"No! Let go of me! Mom-!" His voice was raspy and his throat was sore, his hand scratching at the arms around him, his rage and pain making the still standing walls shake and crack, threatening to fall any second, making it impossible to stay inside any longer.

He wasn't strong enough to free himself, and he was realizing that he was losing strength, his eyes watching as they walked away from his collapsed home, being carried away...

"(M/n)?"

The sound of his name being called and a warm hand placed on top of his got him back to reality. He had been swarmed by memories again, all the people screaming, his family, his friends, even his enemies... He remembered it all, all the pain and sorrow that came with the invasion of his planet.

But with that, hope and faith came along.

Staring into bright golden eyes, (M/n) hummed in response, letting Adam know that he was there, with him.

"Do you... Wanna talk?" Adam's voice was hesitant, perhaps because he knew all the pain (M/n) felt, only being amplified by the fact that they were flying past the remains of his planet, floating aimlessly out in the vast void that was the space.

(M/n) looked at him, and showed him a small smile, before shaking his head.

"It's okay, I'll be fine," he stands up, lifting his hand to Adam's shoulder before patting it a couple of times, "Don't worry about me."

And with that, he walked away.

Adam frowned as he continued to stare at (M/n) until he disappeared around the corner. Six months had passed since the day the Guardians had come to (M/n)'s home planet for a mission, rescuing the (h/c) haired male from its invasion. He had asked if he could join the Guardians on their missions, and now, he was one of them. This was his first job, of course everyone was gonna be slightly worried about him.

//////

In the time he has been around, he found out a lot of things about the Guardians and everyone who used to be one back in Knowhere. Unfortunately, he could only hear stories about Star-Lord and Mantis from their friends, such as Rocket and Groot.

And knowing about the Guardians meant knowing about Adam himself. The boy was quite naive, and clueless, but he was eager to learn, not scared to make mistakes and learn from them instead of looking back on them and thinking 'what if'. It was safe to say that they, Adam and (M/n), had become quite close.

Neither of them really knew why or how it happened, but they are what one would call, friends. Which meant, being there for each other during bad and dark times.

Like the time when Adam hadn't been able to save a small family, a dad with his two daughters, surrounded by grotesque creatures. There wasn't much he could've done, but he gave them hope, a glimpse of light in the tunnel, before their eyes closed to never be opened again.

He had beat himself over and over again for that, becoming scared and skeptical about whether he was cut out to be a Guardian of the Galaxy. (M/n) hates remembering that Adam didn't say that to him directly, but he rather knew because the golden boy had been talking to his little furry friend Blurp, a cute and rather mischievous F'Saki.

"Why didn't I save them? I could've..." Adam sighed, messing with his already messy blond hair, and (M/n) frowned as he kept himself hidden, "They were... There, right in front of me and I... I couldn't..." Hearing his voice trembling and breaking made Blurp whine, nudging Adam's hands that were covering his face, "There's... No reason f-for me to be a Guardian if I... I can't s-save someone in front of me..."

He couldn't take it anymore.

"You did what you could, Adam," the sudden sound of his voice made the Sovereign jump in place, his hand lowering as he turned his head to look at him over his shoulder, "We all did," stepping closer to him, (M/n) made his way until he was sitting next to Adam, slowly placing his hand on top of his, gently holding it, a reassuring smile on his face, "Don't beat yourself up for it."

Adam shook his head and stared into (M/n)'s eyes, his bright golden ones filled with tears.

"I could've done more, I know I could've..." He paused for a moment, blinking as tears fell down his golden skin, looking down at their hands, "I'm not cut out to be a Guardian, I'm not made for it."

He wanted to tell him that it wasn't true, that he was more than worthy of being a Guardian, but he doubted Adam would've believed him with the way he talking about himself.

"Adam," leaning closer, (M/n) made eye contact with him, "Maybe you weren't able to save them, but... You saved so many more people, you're always helping others and doing your best, pushing your limits, and putting yourself in danger every time," his soft tone made Adam sigh, feeling his mind quieting down, feeling calmer now, "And you will continue to do so, wouldn't you?"

A small smile graced Adam's face, turning his hand to squeeze (M/n)'s back, "I do it because I know you'll always have my back."

That was a pretty nice memory, even if it had a bittersweet taste to it, it was what they needed, to know they will always be there for each other, no matter what. And they aren't gonna let these weird feelings be the cause of that either.

(M/n) and Adam had been sent on many missions together on their own, something neither of them minded, they enjoyed spending time together, even if it meant going to a chill place to bring something to someone or like that other time they jumped off the roof of a building.

They just had the simple task of having a delivery to a neighboring planet, nothing wrong with that, they were actually received with a warm welcome, heading to the rooftop of the business building they were in, enjoying a nice lunch of intergalactic food and delicious drinks.

Everything was going okay, which wasn't a recurrence when it came to the Guardians, but it was nice whenever it happened. However, they don't usually last long.

It appeared to be some political discrepancy on the planet, and they just so happened to be where the so-called president or queen or ruler of the land was.

The rogues, as they were called, were against her and her beliefs, her opinions, and her way of seeing their home, they didn't like that. The planet wasn't at war, but... It wasn't peaceful, it seemed more like a riot.

Thankfully, everyone in the building had managed to evacuate with (M/n) and Adam's help, but now their only way to escape the place before it collapsed was from the roof. And with each passing second the building shook more and more often. Adam could've easily just flown away, but (M/n) didn't have abilities like the Sovereign male did, so Adam had to save him as well.

Which he did.

He held (M/n)'s hand in his and ran off the edge of the rooftop, wrapping his arms around his body on their way down, before flying away together.

Adam only managed to get away a few meters before the shock wave reached him and messed him up, causing him to hit the ground and roll on the grass for a short while. Another explosion went off and sirens could be heard around when they finally stopped rolling.

(M/n) opened his eyes, staring directly at Adam's neck. He placed his hand on the ground and lifted his upper body off of him.

"You okay?" He mumbled loud enough for Adam to hear him, watching him frown and look at him. A shiver ran down (M/n)'s body when he realized how close their faces were, and he noticed a copper tint darkening Adam's face, it looked like he was blushing.

Adam opened his mouth to say something, but it seemed like the air was stuck in his throat, making him release quiet sounds, until he finally nodded a few times.

Damn... The tension between, the mutual pining, adoration, and respect was so obvious. And yet, none of them could realize.

But right now wasn't the time for (M/n) to be reminiscing the past, they had a job to do.

//////

Blurry sight and dizzy mind were all he could make out of the current situation.

Knowhere was under invasion, and everyone that could fight was fighting, with their lives on the line.

Like (M/n).

He can't remember the number of times he got punched and tossed around, after the few first ones everything felt like a dream, he couldn't hear and see properly, feeling as if he was underwater.

He made out the big and robust silhouette of the same guy he had been fighting, and something in his mind clicked. This was it. This was his end. He was gonna die.

(M/n) coughed up more blood as he move his body, feeling it throbbing with pain everywhere, every inch of his body was screaming and screeching at him to stop moving, but his mind told him to keep fighting, for Knowhere, for the Guardians. For Adam.

"Come at me, asshole," he managed to gruff out, a deep frown on his face, and he heard the growl the guy released as he approached him.

In his dazed state, he felt his body being picked up and thrown, his back colliding with a wall soon enough, before falling limp to the ground, a smile on his face as he witness the Guardians giving it their all, and succeeding.

Good job, guys...

(M/n)'s eyes began closing, dark spots filling his vision more and more with each second that passed, until there was only darkness, filling his sight and mind, his pain fading with a quiet hum, one last breath leaving past his parted lips, drops of blood running down his skin and falling to the cold ground under him.

Perhaps he could've done something different, something more, anything that would count, but... Maybe it just wasn't meant. Maybe he and Adam weren't born to be together after all.

I love you, Adam. I'm sorry.

//////

Rage clouded Adam's vision, his fist colliding with anything that got in his way to save (M/n), including the robust guy that had been throwing him around, the enjoyment in his face only made him angrier.

If it wasn't for Groot holding him back, his hands would've squished the guy's head, he could easily do that if he so damn pleased, but not now, and not ever.

"Kraglin!" Cosmo's voice could be heard, a scared and desperate tone in her robot voice, "(M/n) is not breathing!"

That was all Adam needed to break free from Groot's hold, and they ran as fast as they could to get to (M/n). Nebula and Drax had helped as much as they could to protect their home and population, and now, they were looking over (M/n)'s bloody and beat up body.

"Let's get him to the medbay!" Rocket called as he started making his way there, thankfully it had survived the attack and was mostly still standing.

Adam leaned down and picked (M/n) up before anyone else could, blinking away the tears that clouded his sight, he still looked magnificent to him, despite the dirt and blood coloring his skin, Adam could only hope that (M/n) would open his eyes and smile at him like he always did whenever Adam wasn't feeling the best, doubting the perfection of his civilization, and the loss of his mother... He didn't know what he would do without (M/n) in his life.

He walked into the med bay and gently laid (M/n) down, and soon, med-packs were placed everywhere on his body, fixing broken bones and open wounds, but he was completely still, not breathing despite the oxygen mask and getting colder by the minute.

Nebula's shaky hands grabbed the cables attached to the heart rate monitor, and she placed them in (M/n)'s chest, the dreadful sound of the flatline filling their hearing, making them freeze in their spot. But while everyone took a step back, Adam stayed in place, his eyes fixed on (M/n)'s face, and only one thing in his mind.

To get him back. He wasn't gonna let (M/n) go... Not without telling him how much he means to him, not without letting him know how madly in love he is with him. He wasn't gonna let him go, not now.

His hands moved on their own, removing every cable and med-pack out of his body, placing his hands on (M/n)'s chest to begin the chest compression, his sight shifting from the monitor to (M/n)'s face, a silent yet desperate pray for him to just... Wake up. Or for him to wake up, because this felt like a horrible nightmare.

Adam had no idea for how long he had been trying to get (M/n)'s heart to beat on its own again, but everyone around him couldn't keep looking, the sight of a broken and desperate Adam, as he attempted to revive (M/n), was painful enough to cause tears to freely fall their faces.

"Adam-" Kraglin called him, trying to get his attention and make him stop, he was only hurting himself more by doing all this, but Adam wasn't gonna give up, not now.

Even so, the tears have also started falling down his gold skin, sobs of his own leaving his body, his bottom lip trembling, "Come on... Please, please, please..." He cried with a quiet, broken voice, maintaining his eyes locked onto (M/n), if anything, he wanted to remember him, every detail of his face, he needed to have him engraved in his memory.

His determination to get him back was faltering, and his compressions were slower and more spaced, he was giving up...

"Just... One last time, please..."

The moment he pushed for the last time, a sharp gasp could be heard in the medbay.

(M/n)'s body shot up, his hands gripping tightly onto the surface he was laying on, blindly reaching to take the oxygen mask off his face. He blinked a few times, regaining his sight slowly, and he saw Adam next to him.

"What-?"

Adam's hands held his face as he leaned down closer to him, muffling his question as their lips pressed together. (M/n)'s eyes were wide open for a few seconds, before they slowly began to close, his hand reaching up to hold onto Adam's wrist, reciprocating his kiss.

Shivers ran down their spines and goosebumps covered their skin, but they soon had to pull away from each other. Adam looked at him, a faint smile pulling the corners of his lips up.

"I missed you," (M/n) felt a smile of his own growing on his face as he felt Adam's hands stroking his face, staring into his eyes with a feeling that warmed his whole body from the inside out.

He would've said something if he wasn't because he caught a glimpse of the rest of the Guardians behind Adam, and he realized where he was.

He felt a knot in his throat at the realization that he was gone, for a short while, but he was, he could barely remember how he had decided to part from them- from Adam, without a goodbye or a confession, and he hated himself for that, because...

There's no way he could just leave the Guardians behind, he couldn't give up on his life and... He couldn't cause that pain, sorrow, and guilt to Adam.

He smiled brightly with tears glossing his sight as he sat up with Adam's help.

"I'm home."