#this is me trying to find ways around the fact that twp is the end

[bookish-mind]

You know what I really want tho ?? The Lightwood-Bane Chronicles where Max is the main character and it’s about his adventures with the future generations,, just picture it

[prongsisabadger]

TWP Chapter 24

I really needed to stop getting injured on the battlefield, eating med bay food was getting a little old. That, and Master Plo had threatened to bench me unless I learned some self-preservation. I couldn't really argue with him on that point, I did have a tendency to put myself in harm's way to spare others, the thing is, that if I was getting injured this often it was because I was risking myself the way clones did on a regular basis. If they thought I was getting injured a lot, it was because clones were getting killed a lot. That didn't erase the fact that I probably had a savior complex and needed therapy, but that was beside the point. At the end of the day, it was all worth it. I didn't do these things for the clone's gratefulness or recognition, but it felt nice all the same. The best part of doing what I did was seeing the injured clones I saved being released from medical care. That was what kept me going.

Different battalions had different ways of showing loyalty, affection and gratefulness, I came to realize. The Pack made sure to integrate you to the force, welcome you in with open arms and regard you as a full fledged member of the family. The 501st was a little more clumsy in their approach, they refused to call you anything but the title they'd chosen for you and on rare occasions saluted you or even patted your shoulder or back.

The 212th on the other hand, were the kind of men that returned the favor silently. Just like their general, they were better at showing rather than telling, which is why T.H Boil and Waxer were assigned to be my official wingmen. And by wingman I mean shadows. It had been a unanimous decision of the three after the skirmish on Naboo. They had approached Commander Cody, and then General Kenobi with the idea. If I was going to put myself in so much danger for their sake, the least they could do was make sure I didn't get myself killed in the process, they said. Master Kenobi found the wording very amusing. He agreed to it because it would give him a little peace of mind since it would be harder for me to get killed with people actively trying to stop me from doing so.

A little peace of mind and a ton less anxiety. But he never said that, of course. Obi-Wan Kenobi would be dead before he told anyone a situation made him have feelings, but I had grown amongst the sand people and then lived with the Kel Dor. I knew stoic when I saw it, and I had learned how to read it. Master Kenobi was a lot easier to read than he thought, one just had to look at his actions rather than his words. There was a reason he had perfected sarcasm and made it into an art form, there was a reason for him to grow silent when things got rough. Obi-Wan Kenobi was many things, cold was not one of them.

I did also realize I would have to be more careful though. Severe injuries would be quite detrimental to my health in the long run, and I still wanted to be able to protect people once the war ended. But in order to do so, I would have to survive that long first. The thought of the war ending seemed incredibly far-fetched at the moment. Conflicts were starting in all corners of the galaxy, those that were already in motion continued to escalate, and the GAR's troops continued to be stretched even more thinly. The kaminoans were working overtime to provide fresh troops to aid the overworked ones and Jedi were being Knighted left and right to make up for the lack thereof in the battlefield. Things were complicated, and they would get even worse long before the war came to an end.

But there was no use in thinking about the future, I had to make sure to be present in the moment or I ran the risk of making mistakes I would surely regret. For now, I had to rest and recoup as best as I could and start preparing for our next assault on Felucia. We would be working alongside the 501st once again, and there was much work to do still. We had two battalions to coordinate, a patrol to organize and a planet to take. Even if battles often forced one to throw the plan out the window, it paid well to be prepared.

During my time in the med bay, I'd gotten into the habit of calling The Pack. It was usually Art who had the holo transmitter and passed it around the barracks whenever we spoke. I hadn't realized just how much I missed them until I was put on bed rest for an entire week after Naboo and there had been no one with me. No Art to tease me for being reckless, no Headfirst to punch my arm for being stupid, no annoyed Twitch to grumble about my savior complex. There was no Wolffe either to be angry at me in that quiet, exasperated way of his, no pat on the shoulder.

Naturally, none of them had said a thing about it when I called, only Art did that first time and quit instantly when I didn't laugh with him. They understood, they didn't say it but they missed me too. I would tell them about my day and they would return the favor, maybe throw in a funny anecdote of something silly one of them had done. It felt extremely lonely, but it comforted me to know they were there, whole, healthy and alive.

"Took your time," said Art when I called.

I had waited until the end of the day when I could have some peace and quiet in my quarters. I was sitting crossed legged on my bunk, the holo transmitter on the mattress in front of me.

"Sorry, we're moving in on Felucia soon so last minute details are taking most of my time," I answered honestly before yawning. "How 's the gang? You guys going anywhere soon?"

"Not right now, the General is dealing with things in the Temple and we were given a few days off before we are assigned another quadrant patrol," he said sitting down on his own bunk. "Things are quite boring without you here, Commander. None of the boys will let me work on them."

"That's because none of us want our entire bodies tattooed like the Commander does." Said a voice outside the hologram. It was most likely Headfirst.

I chuckled and smiled fondly, I missed them so much.

"Well, this will be my last assignment with Master Kenobi until new orders come in, so you'll have your canvas back in no time, Art." I said. "Just make sure you find some blue and orange ink, I'm gonna need it."

"How many?" He asked somberly, as if he felt the weight of every name he tattooed on my skin.

"Fourteen blue, one orange," I answered. "Orto Plutonia was especially rough on the 501st. I'll tell you about it when I see you."

I knew there was a chance of someone overhearing my conversations with Art, and although Jedi were allowed their opinions, my thoughts on Chairman Cho weren't exactly Jedi-like.

"Make sure you do," he answered before leaning back on his bunk and smirking. "By the way, Wolffe found out what you did on Naboo. He isn't happy."

I groaned, the man was going to put me through the grinder for this one. One thing was shielding someone on instinct, another thing entirely was compromising one's own health because 'I'm gonna die anyway'.

"Fuck, he's gonna kill me."

"Nah, he's just concerned for you, and a little overprotective if you ask me. I told him already Jedi can't have relationships but he doesn't seem to-"

"Art, stop teasing the man, he's got enough on his plate already."

"I'm just saying, if he wants to get laid, he should look elsewhere, Jedi code and everything…"

I laughed hard. I sometimes forgot the clones were younger than me even if they didn't look it.

"I mean he could if he found a Jedi looking to let off some steam." I kept laughing.

But Art seemed to freeze. He sat so still all of a sudden that I thought the signal was getting cut.

"What do you mean?" He asked finally, seemingly forcing himself out of his shock.

"Well, Jedi aren't allowed possessive relationships and emotional attachments, sex isn't necessarily forbidden. It depends on how the Jedi decides to interpret the c-"

"Are you telling me none of you are virgins?!" He probably was a little too loud about it considering he was inside the barracks, but I didn't really mind telling him since it was a common misconception.

"Are you telling me you thought Obi-Wan Kenobi was?" I laughed. "A man is not that sassy and confident if he isn't a great lay, he screams big d-"

"But wait, that means you…"

I laughed even harder.

"Is that really what you are worried about?" I wiped the tears from my eyes as I tried to answer without making him feel stupid about it. "I could if I wanted to, Art. I just chose not to because I need an emotional connection with a person to even want it, and since I am a Jedi and we don't allow those, sex isn't something I want because to me it implies an emotional attachment."

There was a beat of silence as he considered this. He even looked around beyond where the Hologram ended, probably to see if his brothers were as baffled by this as he was.

"I feel cheated," he said finally. "You are telling me I might have had a chance with General Fisto?"

I smirked and raised my eyebrow, now this was new intel to me.

"Art, I don't think the GAR rules of conduct allow for that either, regardless of Master Fisto's status as a Jedi."

He sighed dramatically.

"Yeah, I know but still."

I yawned again and tried to cover it with my hands. The day had been quite hectic, and I had an early morning the next day in order to put the finishing touches on the plan. I said goodbye to Art and turned the transmission off. Chatting with my friend always put me in a better mood, and to have that comfort before heading to bed made for very uneventful nights. I would let him deal with the new information I'd dumped on him, it would take a while for him to assimilate. It would also be less fun to stop him from trying to get me -or Force forbid, Master Plo Koon- laid. Art was a romantic at heart, he thrived when playing matchmaker, and I would definitely be one of his targets. I didn't mind though, it was fun to frustrate people into giving up.

I put the holo transmitter away before changing into my sleeping clothes. As I layed down,it occured to me that having such strong attachments to those around me might not be wise. But it felt so right, to have people to care for, to be cared for. It felt right to have friends, to have family, to have the care, love and loyalty of people. Oh and to give it back, to return it was even better. To protect, to care, to love, to miss. How could it be wrong? Yes, the explanation was simple enough. Attachments create strong feelings, and if those feelings are hurt then the way the person reacts might lead them to the dark side. But is it not the reaction the problem rather than the attachment? Surely healthy coping mechanisms and emotional maturity would be much more detrimental to the dark side, wouldn't they?

Wouldn't they?

[jellybeanbeing]

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

WARNING: It’s gon’ be long.

Synopsis:

What if damnation is the price of true love?

Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the blight that is destroying the race of warlocks.

Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.

REVIEW WITH SPOILERS!

Queen of Air and Darkness was INTENSE. My goodness... There was so much stuff that happened and were packed into this book. It was amazing and so well done with some exceptions but I’ll get into it later on. Overall, it was so emotional, dynamic, and great! And since this book was so big, I’m gonna try to go over every storyline(?) or significant character.

Starting off with Ty/Kit/Dru. I knew that some necromancy was gonna happen and I was prepared for it, BUT I thought that Livvy’s ghost was gonna pop up and say “stop it” and then everything would go back. Apparently, that’s not what happens. Ty now has to face his consequences which I’m pretty sure we’re going to see in The Wicked Powers. I wasn’t so invested in their story line, mostly because it didn’t have a big relation with the bigger story line. I felt like it was all set up for Kit and Ty’s story. I did really enjoy it though. We get to see more layers of Kit and Ty, and even Dru. I really loved getting to know Dru more. She has such a great voice and seeing things from her perspective was so interesting. I’m really excited to get more from her because what we did get from her in QOAAD, I really liked. She’s so smart, strong, and has a lot of potential to grown and be an even more amazing character.

I am loving Kit even more as we get to know him and the complexity of his character. I can understand his decision at the end when he wants to leave with Tessa and Jem without saying goodbye to the Blackthorns (especially Ty). Since Livvy’s death, all Kit did was be there for Ty even if what he was doing was really wrong. But when they both were at Lake Lyn and Livvy’s ghost came up, Ty was saying how there was nothing for him if Livvy wasn’t there, and that hurt Kit. So I can understand Kit’s decision. On another note though, KIT IS THE DESCENDANT OF THE FIRST HEIR? And that scene where he and Emma are with the Riders and magic just bursts out of him? How did that even happen? I need to know what is up with that. Again, on another note, I am always loving how Kit is accepting the fact that he’s a Shadowhunter. I love a good character development, and Kit’s development is so good. When he has that conversation with Jace, Kit wants his own weapon of choice and it was such a precious scene. We can really see Kit’s growing love of being a Shadowhunter.

We didn’t get a Ty perspective AT ALL in QOAAD so I’m really thinking Cassandra Clare is saving his voice for TWP which I’m all for. We’ll get to hear his voice and it’ll be so great. Ty was really something in this book though. I was lowkey kind of getting Julian-ish vibes from him. Ty was so determined to fix himself and his family that he completely forgot the logistics of everything and tried to do the almost impossible. We saw that Blackthorn stubbornness in him and I wasn’t all about it. I JUST NEED HIS PERSPECTIVE because when he got that letter from Thule Livvy, it seemed like he didn’t care. Not even a tiny bit. I just... I need TWP now. On a side note, holy mole. What if the Thule Jace coming to the normal Shadowhunter world is the consequence for Ty trying to raise Livvy? The necromancy could’ve opened a portal and let them pass through. Oh shit. DAMN IT. That means Ty will have to face this consequence and there’s gonna be another war. Are you kidding me?

I want to explore the Scholomance more. With just the small scenes we get of it, it seems so interesting. They weren’t happy or jolly scenes but something about it makes me want to delve in the Centurions lives more. I’m hoping that in The Wicked Powers, we will get to see more of the Scholomance. Especially since Ty is going to become a Centurion which WOW. I can’t wait for it. 

Moving onto Diana/Jia. Seeing things from their perspectives was pretty interesting considering that they are really the only adults here besides the TMI gang. We really saw the politics during their parts and it was unsettling because of the parallels it had with our real world politics. That was one thing that scared me. We know how things have gone in the real world when hateful people and extremists have power and influence. With those parallels, we can kind of grasp at how high the stakes are within the Shadowhunter government. There was that scene where Diego, Divya, and Rayan are brought upon the council and have the runes of Quietude put on them so they can’t speak. This hit me hard and made me tear up because it was so real. They, who are still basically children, aren’t given the chance to speak for themselves and are imprisoned. It was so heartbreaking to read that scene. But overall, I didn’t really care for Diana/Jia’s story line because nothing really happened.

There was that one badass scene where Diana was talking to Horace and he’s trying to convince her to side with him. I was so nervous that Diana wouldn’t have a way out of it and when she agreed to it, I was like, WE ARE FUCKED. But no. Diana grabs Horace’s sword, chops his arm off, and busts out the window like a BADASS. I was livid. 

And then the hot faerie threesome aka Cristina/Mark/Kieran. This was a pretty wild one. I absolutely loved the character development with every one of them. Not really Cristina because her character arc wasn’t that big or different. Mark and Kieran have come so far from being these broken faerie warriors to these strong and amazing people. It makes my heart ache and feel so happy. Oh my gosh, that last scene with the three of them at Magnus and Alec’s wedding, killed me. There’s that recurring line “Remember that none of it is real.” and at the end, Mark says, “Remember that all of this is real.” RIGHT IN THE FEELS.

I need to know more about the relationship between the Rosales family and faeries. There are so many unanswered questions with this. Why does Cristina have that time medallion thingy and the Rosales have the Eternidad? And I’m pretty sure there’s something sketchy about all of that. I need answers...

Speaking of the Rosales, Diego and Jaime? I actually really liked them in this book. I was pissed at Diego for lying to Cristina but he kind of redeemed his character. He showed his compassion and kindness which I really liked, and he apologized to Cristina. He confronted the situation and knew what he did was really shitty. Side note: I really ship him with Divya and I’m hoping to see them both in TWP at the Scholomance with Ty. ALSO, Diego was asked to take the spot as Inquisitor????? Would’ve never thought of Diego as the Inquisitor but I’m not mad. Yay, Diego. Jaime literally didn’t have a huge role in here and I felt like he was just there to set up TWP story line. For a second when Diego and Jaime were in the cell together, I thought that Jaime was going to die. I think it would’ve added so much more drama if he did die and given them something to hold against the Cohort but it’s okay. Jaime lived so yay.

Really quick before we get into Emma and Julian’s part, Aline was probably one of my top favorite characters in QOAAD. She was so sassy and always stood up for Helen. She was also so understanding and logical. Aline is quick to catch onto things and I’m hoping we get to see more or Helen and Aline and their POSSIBLE BABY.

Now let’s get to Emma and Julian. I was kind of disappointed in their characters, not gonna lie. I was really liking them in the beginning but towards the end, I was beginning to not really care if they lived or not. It just makes me sad because they’re the main characters. But if I’m gonna be REAL HONEST here, I didn’t really care for anyone’s story line. This pains me to say SO MUCH because this is my favorite series in the entire Shadowhunter Chronicles. 

Anyways, back to Emma and Julian. I was really liking borderline evil Julian. He was really living up to his ruthless title and it was so interesting. I seriously thought that his character would just continue to go downhill and no one was going to or could save him from it. That scene where Emma and Julian find out that Dane Larkspear was following them and then Julian MURDERS HIM sent chills down my spine. Julian was so cold and heartless in that moment and I kind of liked it. Also, call me heartless too but Dane deserved it. When he decided to go fetch the Black Volume by himself, he was asking to be killed. Back to Julian, though I liked borderline evil and emotionless Julian, he was such an asshole. Not only did he lie to and hurt Emma, he also did the same thing to his siblings. What the fudge nuggets, Julian? I was so glad that Magnus took that spell off of him because I was low key getting irritated. BUT that spell should have never been put on him in the first place, just saying.

I still think Emma is such a great strong female lead character. As I said in my Lady Midnight review, she is strong both mentally and physically but she has emotions. She expresses those emotions and shows her vulnerabilities. She ain’t no stone cold badass who welds a sword around, threatening people all the time. She’s a cool badass and I love it. One thing I really liked was how when Emma and Julian are in Thule and Julian tells Emma that he can feel again, she doesn’t just jump at the chance to be with Julian. He hurt her and lied to her, and she ain’t about that. Even when they returned from Thule, Emma knew Julian wasn’t himself and restrained herself from getting hurt by him again. 

That battle scene in the Unseelie Court was probably one of the most epic scenes in this book for me. We get Jace and Clary back, Mark and Kieran are there in chains, about to die, and there’s also Adaon, Julian, Emma, and Cristina there. I almost forgot that ASH, ANNABEL, AND THE SEELIE QUEEN WERE THERE TOO! Everything just went to shit but Kieran killed the Unseelie King, the Seelie Queen stole Adaon, Ash and Annabel jump through that portal, and soon after when the building is in flames, Julian and Emma jump through the portal too. It was absolute chaos and I loved it. And you know what scene I lived for during this whole thing? It’s when Julian is stabbing the shit out of Ethna with Simon’s D&D figurine. Amazing.

This book made me realize how crucial or very helpful it is to have read The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices. I feel like if you’ve only really read TID and TDA, you won’t be able to grasp the how high the stakes are in Queen of Air and Darkness. Especially the whole deal with the Mortal sword and the Dark War.

Speaking of the Dark War.. when Emma and Julian went to Thule, I didn’t know what to expect but I was not expecting what we got. It was so different from what we know of the Shadowhunter world and it felt like a short novella inside QOAAD. But again, being honest here, that was the best part in this entire book. I was so captivated and entertained by this alternate dimension. Seeing Livia grown up and being a leader was just so nice to see, but it was also heartbreaking. 

Y’all, Cameron deserved so much more. I don’t know about you guys but I didn’t really care or like Cameron because we got the bare minimum of him. I also don’t know if it was mentioned in the other books about how he was as a person but the way Emma described him in QOAAD, he seemed like a sweet and goofy guy. I mean, this boy sent Emma llama pictures when he was sad. How precious is that? He was done dirty in this book. He was locked in the city of bones while fighting for his life by his girlfriend Livvy, got stabbed by his own cousin, and was ridiculed by his entire family. Cameron needs a hug.

I am so loving how the writing and characters in this book are getting so (dare i say) “rebellious”. Cassandra Clare isn’t sugar coating ANYTHING OR ANYONE anymore. I just want to appreciate the appearance of curse words whether its in English or another language. My rebellious heart loves it. I think this also ties into the fact that a lot of these characters are so done with the bullshit that’s been thrown at them that they just don’t care about censoring themselves anymore.

Zara and the entire Cohort can go choke. That’s all I’m gonna say about them.

That last battle scene was just intense. And the build up for this scene was equally as intense. I just absolutely loved how Julian got his shit together and remembered who he was. He is a motherforking genius. He contacted everyone he knew and set up that meeting. This seventeen year old boy did that. He was also smart enough to know that there was obviously going to be spies at the meeting so he had a secluded one after the majority of people left. I knew the Cohort was screwed from there on out, even when it was revealed that “Oskar” was Annabel. I was shocked but I knew they were gonna be in deep shit. But back to that last battle scene. What the fork? Everything was going pretty smoothly until someone just had to throw the knife and kill someone. I was living for that scene with the Mortal Sword. Everything was coming out and it was so amazing. But shit happened, so there’s that. 

The ending for this battle scene was a different kind of battle scene that I’m used to reading. Usually the perspective stays within the battle but Cassandra Clare included ALL perspectives of this battle, on field and out. I seriously thought that after Emma and Julian became giants, they were going to die or have all of their marks stripped. I really didn’t think they were have a happy ending. I mean, I’m happy they did but, it just doesn’t make sense. Also, I was not expecting Emma and Julian to become giants. Was it only me who imagined them as the Green Giant from the frozen vegetables thingy? Haha, yeah, just me.

I did really like how we saw so many perspectives of the battle. It made for a really good battle scene, but I guess I was a bit underwhelmed by the entire ending of this book.

THAT EPILOGUE? I was kind of expecting to get an epilogue similar to the one in Clockwork Princess. In Clockwork Princess, we get closure and I felt satisfied with the entire story but THE QOAAD EPILOGUE? I’m unsettled and I have to wait until around 2022 FOR ANSWERS. My heart will be unsettled for about 4 years. Okay. Cool.

Just the fact that this whole situation is coming full circle back to TMI but with it being more complex, is making me so tired of these assholes coming back to fuck shit up. Let these children be, goddamn it. 

I seriously thought I would feel at ease when I finished QOAAD but I don’t. That’s the one thing that bothers me. This book is so big yet we have SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND LOOSE ENDS. Please fucking yell at me if this was also the situation for COHF because it’s been a hot minute since I’ve read it.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed some aspect of this even if it’s complete shit.

[shallxt]

Book 4: Go Forth! Fledgling Warriors!

Shallot, Cabba, and Androds 17 and 18 make it to another wasteland to the coordinates that Bulma sent them for another one of Gero’s hideouts. Smoke is billowing from the lab. They hear a voice, and from the smoking lab pop Kid Trunks and Kid Goten! Shallot is confused why a couple of brats are playing around and tells them to scram, while Goten explains they’re taking care of the “bad robots” to the shock of the adults. Cabba can tell they are Saiyans and Trunks assumes the Shallot and the crew are friends with the “robots” due to 18 and 17 having the Red Ribbon logos on their clothes. Shallot and Cabba ask why 18 and 17 haven’t changed their clothes yet, but they can’t be bother and leave the boys to the two of em. The boys go Super Saiyan (to the shock of both Saiyans), they make fun of Cabba who is unabe to transform but are surprised when Shallot can transform, and attack.

Shallot and Cabba are able to hold the boys off. Shallot goes off on the kids who complaining about going all out on kids, when they themselves told them not to just treat them like children. This only makes the boys angrier and Shallot is willing to beat up two Super Saiyan kids. 18 and 17 offer to step into the fight too, and 17 plays around with them on the evil robot angle. Shallot’s baffled by 17′s “acting”, but it works and spooks the boys off so they can get stronger.

Cabba is moping about how a pair of children is able to go Super Saiyan, while he cannot. Shallot tries cheering his pupil up, but 18 takes a moment to jab at Shallot’s strength. Shallot tries picking a fight with 18, who chides him on how barbaric and indelicate he is (Bulma says it a lot to him, but he doesn’t get what it means) which amuses 18. Shallot is annoyed and thinks if he he gets rid of being “indelicate” that he might get stronger which makes 18 burst out laughing to Shallot’s annoyance. They party moves on to regroup.

Another voice interrupts their banter. It’s Bardock! Shallot mistakes him for Goku, and Turles, but recognizes he’s neither of them. Bardock has some questions, asking Shallot if he’s the Hooded Man going around killing Saiyans. Cabba is surprised, but Shallot says that he’s being mistaken for someone else. Bardock thinks he’s playing dumb and recognizes his “old fashioned look” and his face just like the rumors have been saying. Bardock is here to avenge the Saiyans the Hooded Man has killed, though Shallot berates that no one believes him. Even the Androids believe it to their own amusement. Shallot defends himself saying he’d never go around killing Saiyans, but even Cabba is starting to doubt his mentor. Bardock, ticked off, powers up and attacks.

Bardock proves to be a stubborn fighter despite not being all that strong, putting Shallot under pressure. But Shallot is having fun in their fight and the two continue to fight until both of them are tired. Bardock then decides to end it, feeling done, concluded that Shallot isn’t the Hooded Man due to the way Shallot fought (he doesn’t go in for the kill). If he were the Hooded Man, he would’ve already killed Bardock. Shallot asks why he didn’t stop the fight then, and Bardock answers that it’s because it’s in their nature to fight whenever twp Saiyans meet. Bardock apologizes for the misgivings and wishes their luck on their pursuit of the Hooded Man.

Cabba interrupts and reasons that since there’s a killer going around after Saiyans, Bardock should join their group for safety with 17 backing him up. Bardock passes due to the fact everyone in the group seem soft at heart and get in his way. Shallot tells Cabba to leave him be and Bardock gives Shallot his name and hopes they meet again.

17 and 18 continues to berate Shallot for wasting their time and call it a day to head to town. Shallot then says that he and Cabba are going to train in town and 18 doubts Shallot’s “get-angry” theory. Shallot then comes up with the idea to try a method of Zahha’s recommendation

Meanwhile, Bardock is still tracking the Hooded Saiyan and musing about Shallot’s old-fashioned clothe and when did he exactly come from. Bardock suddenly feels something and dodges an attack coming his way..and hears a taunt complimenting his dodge despite being someone “connected to the blood of the tainted”. It’s the Saiyan in Red, whom Bardock mistakes as Shallot. The Hooded Man is interested that Bardock met Shallot. Bardock realizes this is the one he’s after and swears he’s going to take him down. The two are locked in combat. The Hooded Saiyan knocks Bardock down and asks him where did he meet Shallot. Bardock gets right up and tells him to go to hell. The Hooded Saiyan kills Bardock, speaking how Bardock won’t sell out his race. 

“Hah, don’t give me that. You think “we” are the same race as you “blood of the tainted?” and disappears. 

But it turns out you can’t keep an old dog down, Bardock survives and swears he will get revenge on the hooded Saiyan!

Meanwhile, Shallot is training Cabba in Zahha’s “recommended method”. Of course Shallot is bullshitting this as “Warrior’s training”, but Cabba calls him out on his bullshit. Shallot tries to sell the training by saying “if we fight bad guys and you get angry, you might go Super Saiyan”. Cabba even doubts if Zahha actually recommended this...

After fighting some bad guys, Cabba doesnt feel nowhere closer to Super Saiyan and is just exhausted. Shallot just enthusastically suggested whipping out the stamina training HIS master made him endure, but the twins step in to give Cabba a break. Shallot claims they’re near a breakthrough but 18 doesn’t see anything. 17 says they’re nearly at the city and it’s time to call it a day. Dejected, they rest. 

When they reach the city, they find it a ghost town with nothing but clothes littering the streets. Cell had hunted every human down and consumed them. This angers and disturbed our heroes, but it’s better to the Androids as it makes taking stuff easier. Cabba and the twins get into a tiff about morality and stealing and Cabba has HAD ENOUGH. He concludes the Androids aren’t good guys to the amusement of the twins. He has no right to complain about their, his job is to guard them. Shallot stands up for his pupil for the only reason of “they upset him” and giving that enough reason to complain. Shallot threatens to rip them to shreds in place of Cabba just for saying sneaky things like that, 18 calls Shallot not a barbarian, but a good-two-shoes and scoffs at him. The tension is at an all time higher and the the Saiyans and Androids are at odds. The twins and Shallot get into a fight while Cabba tries to calm things down.

Cabba watches from the sidelines, helpless as Shallot and the Androids right. Cabba tries to reason with them, only to be shot down and berated by arguments from everyone. While the twins and Shallot fight over right and wrong, Cabba becomes more frustrated as thing spiral out of control and no one listens to him.

Finally, in a burst of anger and frustration, Cabba explodes on the trio to everyone’s surprise. He scorns them for their in-fighting--while Shallot is stunned by Cabba’s sudden burst of power and familiar feeing of ki. And it’s not unnoticed by the Androids either, who can even feel somethng is differnet. 17 concludes that Cabba is the kind of guy you’re never supposed to make angry. Cabba threatens to use brute force is the trio can’t control themselves and the twins agree, while Shallot is to hot to keep fighting. Which only ticks Cabba off further and spooks him back in his place. Shallot knows that Cabba’s ki is definitely a Super Saiyan’s, but unperfected yet and asks how his ki felt when he flipped out. Cabba was unaware of it and Shallot exclaims he’s getting close!

Zahha contacts them on their communicator, aware of a huge blast of ki from their location and was worried if it was Call. Seems even Zahha noticed! Shallot calms Zahha down and explains they were just fighting and brags about Cabba’s amazing ki, to Zahha’s annoyance. He calls them idiots for not being careful enough when Cell is out there on the prowl and orders them to leave immediatley and find somewhere to hide since Cell could’ve easily sensed that energy.

And speak of the devil, as the gang are flying away and Cabba is moping about messing up (with no help from 17′s teasing), the group try to sense Cell’s ki if he’s pursuing them. Shallot doesn’t sense anything until he feels something! He tells everyone to fly higher until they see they’re under attack from the surface. Cell was surpressing his Ki and launched a sneak attack. His power had grown in a magnitude higher than last time! Shallot is done sneaking around and wants to finish things here and now, but Cabba tells him they can’t! It’s doubtful they can even escape when he’s that close. Cabba volunteers to hold Cell back while the others escape as he feels this was his fault. This reminds Shallot of Nappa’s sacrifice and sending him flying to Vegeta while he held the Ginyu Force off. Shallot refuses to let Cabba go alone and play hero and refuses to run, vowing to defeat Cell here and now. He asks 17 and 18 to help out to everyone’s surprise. Shallot tells the twins of what his Masters taught him,

“When it comes to battle, you better not hesitate in doing what needs to be done.”

Either way, the twins have no intention of fleeing either. They want to kill Gero and dont wish to stand down either. Both promise not to get in each others’ ways. Cabba protests, but 18 yells at him venting her frustrations about being protected all the time. Cabba is fearful that even with their powers combined, they still wouldn’t be a match for Cell. Shallot teaches Cabba a valuable lesson, that he’s “A thousand year too young to be worrying about his Master”. The trio stop mid-air engage the pursuing Cell.

Cell mocks them for their foolishness and Shallot remarks that being called an idiot doesn’t bother him anymore. Cell isn’t too bothered and manages to knock the Saiyans around easily. Cell now sets his sights on the twins. Their attacks do nothing on the monster and Cell prepares to absorb them. Shallot gets up and suddenly has a burst of memory from that same mysterious voice

“Frustrated? Then...get stronger...You can still get a lot stronger...You have the potential...”

Shallot still needs to get stronger! He demands his body to let the energy out and goes Super Saiyan, teleporting to where Cell is and knocking him away. Telelporting back to face Cell far away from the twins. Shallot fights Cell with all his might, actually putting the pressure on Cell with his underlying power. But even still, Shallot is losing steam. Cell commends his efforts and attacks for the kill, until Cabba steps in to stop Cell! 17 and 18 teleport behind Cell thanks to being untraceable with no ki, the trio power up and send Cell flying in a trio attack. Shallot is still severely tired and hurt and collapses. Cabba goes after Shallot while the twins make a run for it.

Cell is furious that he lost his chance and was taken by surprise. Cell is shocked he can’t sense their ki, realizing their hiding themselves from him. In a furious rage,he curses the Androids. 

The twins meet up with Cabba and the wounded Shallot in the city from earlier. A perfect place for hiding spots. Cell is still alive and even though Shallot is frustrated on losing their chance to finishing him, 17 commends Shallot’s amazing prowess. Zahha interrupts from the communicator. Like an angry parent, Zahha is pissed and demands a big explanation from Shallot. Zahha berates Shallot and Cabba, especially Cabba who was supposed to be the level-headed one who allowed this to happen. 17 defends Cabba and Zahha scorns the twins for picking on him. Zahha then explains that their risk had some sort of payoff.

By coming into contact with Cell, Cabba was able to attach a tracker on Cell without his knowledge. Something Zahha and Piccolo wanted to do. Shallot doesn’t know what a tracker is. Shallot is proud of Cabba nonetheless. Checking the tracker, Cell’s movements have stopped and this is probably where the real hideout is. Shallot is ready to take Cell and Gero down, but Zahha says its too early for that. The second thing they achieved was acquiring knowledge of Cell’s current strength. Zahha believes even with their entire team together, they couldn’t truly stand up to defeat Cell as he is now. Zahha explains they’re looking for new allies to join them and to “suck it up” to the dismay of everyone. 

The next morning..Cabba wakes up and broods about being on standby while Cell is absorbing people. He notices something in the distance..Shallot’s up early and taken by surprise. Shallot’s excuse is that he’s up early to hunt breakfast--and totally not thinking of storming into Cell’s place. (he’s not a good liar). Shallot really wants to go and asks if Cabba wants to too. Cabba agrees, but also thinks Zahha’s decision was correct too. Shallot’s convinces because of yesterday, they might have a chance to fight. This ticks Cabba off and he powers up to Shallot’s surprise. Cabba stands his ground to stop Shallot from proceeding. Shallot, determined, goes Super Saiyan and agrees to fight.

Cabba can’t keep up with Super Saiyan Shallot. Shallot turns back, worried if he overdid it and hurt Cabba. He gets up, laughing. He compliments Shallot’s strength and announces his belief in his Master’s resolve. The twins appear as well and explain that Cabba believes Shallot will somehow save the day. Cabba is finally on board to take down Gero and Cell. Shallot is annoyed but asks if it’s okay to go against Zahha’s instructions, but Cabba remarks that travelling with them has been a bad influence on him. Shallot’s amued at his “troublesome student” but cries that he’s not a bad influence, the Androids are! The Androids joke that Shallot’s also a bad influence and say they have unfinished business with the two villains and 16. 17 claims their friends, which Shallot remarks “since when are we friends?!” 17 overheard Shallot’s exclamation to Cell “not to hurt his friends!”, embarrassing the ancient Saiyan.

18 remarks that men bond in the strangest ways. The party decides to head out at last, for Gero and Cell!

[comic-movieheroesranked]

Cinematic Comic Characters Ranked! (Year 2005) Final Part

Another year, another ranking of our favorite comic book characters to grace the movie screen! This year we have the debut of several movies including: Aeon Flux, Batman Begins, Constantine, Fantastic Four, and Sin City; a spin-off movie centered on Elektra; and the final installment to an outer space trilogy, Star Wars: Episode Three-Revenge of the Sith! Here’s TOP 25!

*SPOILERS FOR ALL THE MOVIES HIGHLIGHTED ABOVE*

25. Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow (Batman Begins)

"There's nothing to fear but fear itself!"

The second-class criminal that becomes a threat to Batman in a new way. Even though Bruce trained his body physically to withstand anything, he had no preparation to deal with Scarecrow's fear toxin, an attack on the mind. It's Scarecrows toxin that threatens to destory all of Gotham via terrified citizens but it's clear he's not the one pulling the strings. When the toxin starts infecting people, Scarecrow goes on a terror spree until Rachel shuts him down with a taser to the face.

24. Satan (Constantine)

"Looks like someone doesn't have your back anymore."

Don't quite understand why Satan's feet are dipped in black paint all the time but this man is P-E-T-T-Y. John brings him in to save the day (it took me a minute to wrap that around my head too) and that's kinda what he does. He stops his son from trying to overthrow him and take over Earth and he puts the smack down on Gabriel. He really wants John in hell though so before he goes to heaven he brings him back to life so he could sin again because the man is what? PETTY!

23. Hartigan (Sin City)

"An old man dies. A young woman lives. A fair trade."

Hartigan is what I wanted Marv to be. Doing what needs to be done and stopping the bad guy because it's the right thing to do, not because he got great sex. He dedicated to stopping the pervs that keep going after Nancy and asks for nothing in return, he even turns down sex, which proves he isn't a perv either! I don't really think he had to go kill himself but he looked like he wasn't going to last long anyway so at least he went out nobly.

22. Abby Miller (Elektra)

"I don't respond well to authority and I don't take bullshit."

Abby is that annoying little sister you never had. As soon as she meets Elektra she wants to be just like her. She wants to learn how to kill, she wants to use sais, and she also wears her hair the same way. Turns out she's the "Treasure" which is a big deal for both sides. She knows how to fight with a fancy chain and her witty banter with Elektra is adorable so I definitely was happy when she was saved.

21. Rachel Dawes (Batman Begins)

"But it's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you."

I like Rachel and she is a huge reason as to why Batman exists. She knows Gotham is falling apart and she decides to help save it in her own way: the courtroom. She becomes a great lawyer in the DA and won't back down when criminals try to scare her. She also lets Bruce know the huge difference between vengeance and justice and shows Bruce that fighting for the greater good is better than just fighting for yourself. I think this is also why she finds out his identity by the end of the film while most romantic interests like Mary Jane haven't found out their heroes identities until the sequels.

20. Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Fantastic Four)

"I found a broken gasket from space."

Mr. Fantastic is the most boring out of the Fantastic Four, in my opinion. His flexible powers are really handy and make him near indestructible as long as you don't freeze him, but that's kinda it? He's mainly valued for his brains and it's the only thing he relied on when the team went up against Dr. Doom. Seriously, all he did was bark orders while Sue, Johnny, and Ben did all the heavy lifting.

19. Mace Windu (Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith)

"May the Force be with us all."

Mace Windu is a boss. He knows how to shut shit down and if Anakin hadn't been a total back stabber (or hand slicer, really), none of the problems they're facing would've been a thing. Instead, Mace gets betrayed and killed by twp people he considered allies.

18. Gabriel (Constantine)

"You're fucked."

I kinda see Grabriel's frustrations in the film. Why should rapists go to heaven just because they repent? Like where's the justice in that? Do I think all humans need to prove their goodness by having Satan's son bring Armageddon to Earth? Absolutely not. Gabriel definitely goes a little insane and because he tries to help Satan Jr., God takes away his wings and makes him human.

17. Sithandra (Aeon Flux)

"You taught me a lot more than that."

Sithandra is a rebel and Aeon's best friend. She had a cool surgery done that replaced her feet with two extra hands. Her loyalty to Aeon is tested when it seems Aeon betrayed the rebels but their friendship prevails as she leads a team of rebels to protect Aeon and Trevor from Oren. Too bad she runs out of bullets just as Oren sends a missile her way, killing her in front of Aeon.

16. Chas Kramer (Constantine)

"You were right, John. It's not like in the books."

I was so angry when Chas died! Like here we have this young kid that just wants to help and actually does help in a huge way. At first all he does is drive John around in a taxi and fails miserably to get into Midnite's club, but turns out he really did his reading. When John couldn't muster up the chant to stop Satan Jr.'s birth, Chas came in and saved the day. And then he died, very brutally.

15. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith)

"You underestimate my power!"

Anakin is the type of person who will literally do every shitty thing possible and then still try to make himself the victim. Like how can you justify calling the Jedi evil when you're out here killing children? He even admits he wants all the power in the world to Padme but still tries to act like the Jedi are selfish when Obi-Wan confronts him. Wack! I'm glad he burned to a crisp and I straight up GIGGLED when he got his legs sliced off (Obi-Wan literally told him not to and he does it anyway). He SOMEHOW survives and is transformed into the dangerous Darth Vader that fans of the series have come to know him by.

14. Gail (Sin City)

"Always and never."

I knew I was going to like Gail as soon as she listed tying people up in chairs as one of her specialties. She seems to be the leader of the prostitutes that run Old Town and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. I think she actually prefers it, which is why I think its accurate that Dwight dubbed her as "Valkyrie." Only thing off about her, for me, was her relationship with Dwight. I mean it seemed obvious she was into him from the get go but I kinda hoped they didn't end up together.

13. Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Fantastic Four)

"I can't believe I'm doing this again!"

Sue is still in love with Richard but since he isn't willing to courageously take their relationship to where it needed to go, she ended it and tried to move on with the douchebag known as Victor. After the space storm she learns she can not only turn invisible, but she can also create force fields. She spends most her time figuring out where she stands with Richard in their new lives as superheroes but when it comes down to the fighting she's quick and ready to get her hands dirty. Was the proposal a bit rushed at the end? Maybe, but it's clear her and Richard were meant for each other so positive vibes to them.

12. Alfred (Batman Begins)

"What is the point of all those push-ups if you can't even lift a bloody log?"

Alfred is way more than just Bruce Wayne's butler. After his parents are killed he basically takes responsibility over him and raises him. Now that Bruce is a grown adult and bringing the Batman to life, Alfred starts going on his own secret reason. While Ra's Al Ghul is teaching Bruce how to become a legend, something that will never die, Alfred is doing whatever he can to make sure Bruce doesn't lose his humanity. He keeps wanting him to enjoy life and embrace who he is when he isn't wearing the cowl.

11. Aeon Flux (Aeon Flux)

"We're meant to die, that's what makes anything about us matter."

Aeon is the best assassin working with the rebels. After the government kills her sister she's the one they send to take down their leader, Trevor Goodchild. Turns out he's actually good and used to be married to Aeon before the whole world fell apart. She has some really neat gadgets like tiny marbles that explode, shiny egg looking things that disrupt all technology, and she can make her eye pupil grow so she can see if someone spiked her drink. Plus she can do a bunch of flips and knows how to use a gun. It turns out she was meant to destroy everything about the society she lived in and lead it's people to the world outside, one they thought was a wasteland but turned out to be rich with nature and plant life.

10. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars: Epidsode III-Revenge of the Sith)

"You were the chosen one!"

Obi-Wan Kenobi wasn't as condescending as he was in the last film so that was nice. In fact I think he was very much on his way to seeing Anakin as his true equal until Anakin decided to turn to the Dark Side. His infamous speech to Anakin after he's forced to take him down is pretty sad, he really cared about the other dude and it sucks to see someone you care about ruin themselves like Anakin did.

9. Dwight (Sin City)

"I'm Shellie's new boyfriend and I'm out of my mind."

So he starts off his chapter in a relationship with Shellie, fighting for her honor and then ends his chapter in a relationship with Gail, shooting down all his enemies. Besides him being a bit of a player, he was actually my favorite hero in all the stories. He's not ridiculously unbeatable like Marv and has more of a personalty than Hartigan. He actually admits to needing help from Gail and Miho to stop his enemies. He's obviously pretty smart because he's able to come up with plans left and right once things keep getting shittier which is also nice because I feel like everyone else just goes about things guns ablazing. He does to, but I like that he has back up plans.

8. Elektra (Elektra)

"I died once."

Back from the dead, Elektra has turned into a deadly assassin with no emotion or attachments to anyone. To save her from this dark path, Stick has her tricked into protecting Abby from the Hand, a bunch of evil assassins. She takes care of them no problem, like it seems like she's afraid but when she faces them she pretty much kills them all with no problems. Despite the movie being kinda lame it was so good to finally see Elektra in her red outfit kicking ass with her pair of sai. Like most characters in the Daredevil universe, her tv counterpart ends up being a better version, but unlike the others I would go on record to say that movie Elektra wasn't bad, she was just decent.

7. Yoda (Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith)

"At an end your rule is, and not short enough was it."

Yoda is my favorite and only because he really knows how to throw down when he needs to. Like some people try to talk the bad guy into seeing the error of his ways. Nope, not Yoda. He literally always just shows up and is like "So, we're fighting." Except, he mixes up his speech while he does it. His fight against the Emperor was epic and he totally won until the other got to his safety net of soldiers. Still, Yoda accepted failure with grace and decided to leave into exile.

6. Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Fantastic Four)

"Flame on!"

I feel like Johnny represents a lot of us in a situation where we discover we have powers and basically lose our minds because we've decided we're going to be superheroes. Like he changes their outfits, gives them their superhero names and basically creates the brand that is Fantastic Four because he's so excited to be a superhero. His fire/flying abilities definitely help feed the flame that is his confidence as he skyrockets to celebrity status via extreme sports and indulges in the pleasures of his female fans. Still, when it's time to actually be hero, he's there and ready to take on Doom, using his Super Nova heat to melt the metal man away.

5. Ducard/Ra's Al Ghul (Batman Begins)

"If someone stands in the way of true justice, you simply walk up behind them and stab them in the heart."

Ra's Al Ghul is the leader of the League of Shadows, a clan that serves their own justice against those who break the law. Wanting to take down Gotham, the international city of crime, he ends up training the city's prince, Bruce Wayne. Using the death of Wayne's parents as a tool, Al Ghul ends up basically creating the Batman. He's the one that really drills into Bruce's head that he won't fix anything as just a single man. Of course, his methods of justice are radical, to say the least, and it ends up putting him at odds with the new Dark Knight. This ends up being a classic battle of student vs teacher, with Wayne eventually outsmarting Al Ghul at the end.

4. John Constantine (Constantine)

"Gods a kid with an ant farm, lady. He's not planning anything."

My new aesthetic is John Constantine giving Satan the middle finger as he's ascending into heaven. I'm familiar of the character in the comics but I think I only know about the current magic-based one instead of the religious one they tried to portray in the movies. His goal is simple: get ins God's good graces so he doesn't get sent to hell. He doesn't accomplish this by defeating demons like he does throughout the whole movie, or by even stopping the birth of Satan's son, but by giving up his chance at life to spare one girl from a tortuous eternity in hell. He still doesn't end up in Heaven, but now he has a clean slate to live life right.

3. Ben Grimm/The Thing (Fantastic Four)

"It's clobberin' time!"

Ben definitely got the short end of the stick when it came to abilities. Sure he now has super strength but his new rock appearance has people, including his now EX-fiance, running away screaming. What's worse is that, unlike the others, Ben can't even turn it off or on, he's just stuck that way. So I totally get the depressed state he's in when he thinks Richard isn't trying to help him and appreciate so much that despite all that he's still loyal and quickly takes on the Thing again to help his friends go up against Doctor Doom and put a stop to him. In the end he does find happiness with Alicia and his witty banter with Johnny was one of the best parts of the film.

2. Miho (Sin City)

*Silently kills everyone*

Miho is the best damn thing about this entire movie. Each freaking story is about a man saving a helpless girl in some way, shape, or form and Miho just defies all that nonsense. She's a prostitute by day, assassin by night and she literally always gets shit done. She kills a car full of assholes all by herself and saves Dwight's ass several times during the chapter. She can handle several weapons including samurai swords, ninja stars, and a bow and arrow. I'm positive she could go toe to toe with every other character in this film and still come out on top, YES I'm even including Marv because his slow ass wouldn't even see her coming.

1. Bruce Wayne/Batman (Batman Begins)

"Bats frighten me. It's time my enemies shared my dread."

This is the first time we really get an in depth look at how Bruce Wayne becomes the Batman, Gotham's protector. The loss of his parents give him the anger, but its the teachings of Ra's Al Ghul as well as the advice from those close to him that give him the tools to truly serve justice in a city that knows no meaning of the word. It's a hard task getting the police on his side as he tries to rid the city of its most powerful criminals like Falcone and Scarecrow. There's even a personal struggle of keeping the bat separate from the man, as his romance with Rachel won't go any further unless he gives up the costume. Odds are he won't be giving it up soon after he investigates this new enemy that we all know very well. This film was a great birth to one of the most iconic super heroes in comics and one that finally gets DC rolling on it's feet.

[lowsodiumlevels]

Escapism (Captive AU version one)

Altren walked into the abandoned ship, thank goodness it was in an air bubble. He had someone with him. Popping his pet’s air bubble. Letting him breath fresh-ish air. “Orxefo! We’re Here!” Dragging his pet behind him by the chain and shackles. Looking around a few corners and rooms and finally finding the fuchsia blood hanging at the end of the hallway. “There You Are. I Was /ooking For You. I Brought My Pet.” Pointing to the Bronzeblood behind him.

This troll looked like a wreck. Tired, thin -but strangely well fed-, and his hair was a mess tied in a low ponytail. Looking up at Orxefo, he just gazed with his blank eyes for a few moments before going back to staring at the ground.

“He’s Quiet. So He Won't Bother Us.” Orxefo and Altren were planning an attack on a small lowblood village. Altren wanted more pets and servants, and Orxfeo wanted to test out his weapons and gather some new decor. So why not do it together as two proper friends should.

“Wa-Well. I do have a troll he can keep company wa-while wa-we talk. Come wa-with me.” Walking further down the hallway and down some stairs. Reaching a long hallway and what seemed to be the opening of a large room. The pet looked up. Gazing at the room. Gears powering the ship lined the walls. The floors were shined with glossed sea rock. Even if they were kinda deep in the ocean, it didn’t seem like the pressure was getting to any of the trolls in the room. Must have been a pressurizer that was still working. Wires were strung up like party streamers. The colors of light orange and mint green seemed to be the main two. Finally, the centerpiece was rather small. 4’11 feer to be exact. The battery powering the large ship. “Your pet can hang out wa-with this fellow-wa right here. I’m sure they wa-will get along quite nicely.” 

Altren just nodded and attached the chains to a pipe near the battery. The key to letting his pet go was his own strife weapon. A burning iron. The same one that made the scar on his pet’s back. Visible for anyone to see. The only sign that the pet was allowed to wear. “A/right Then. /et’s Go Start P/anning” Turning away from the two stuck in this enormous room. Closing the large metal door that sealed them away from the rest of the world.

The Battery quietly gazed down at the Troll that was under him. Sitting there on the floor. He looked so tired, and his hands were covered in what he could only guess was the blood of other trolls. Not entirely sure if this troll was the one to murder them or only had contact with the corpses. Opening his mouth to talk, nothing came out. No motivation to say anything, but it didn’t take long for a sound to come out of him. The ship took more of his psionics from his body. Leaving The Battery in a groaning mess. Panting as he tried to regain his compulsion. He was sick of this. It’s fell like forever and by the lack of using his langs from hanging mid-air for so long, he can’t even feel those limbs anymore. Taking another look at the new troll, The Battery could see this guy suddenly afraid. Must be sensitive to loud noises. From seeing the shit bag that brought him in, he’s not surprised. 

The Pet just sat there shaking. Wondering what the hell was going on with this guy above him. It took a moment for him to take a good look over this troll. His hands were connected to all the wires everywhere. The gears that were stagnant, were suddenly slowly turning. Was that Fuschia using this stranger like some kind of power source? Letting out a sigh, The Pet just slid onto the floor. Tired as hell. Staying up late making paintings he was forced to make. Well, he had a choice. Either make use of this skill he had, or not be able to eat or drink. Looking up at the troll hanging from chains, he couldn’t tell if this guy was looking at him or not. His eyes had no pupils. Not wanting to admit it, but even if this troll looked like a mess, his eyes were very pretty. The contrast between the background of dark pink and magenta. They really stand out.

This ongoing silence went on for at least an hour and a half. Both parties jumped, well The Pet more than the Battery. Orxefo and Altren walked in. Gazing at their respective property. “So, My Pet. I’m /eaving You In Here For About A Day Or Two. We’re Going To Have Some Fun But Don’t Worry. Orxefo’s Servants Wi// Be Giving You Food.” Altren rather not have his pet starve to death. Even if that would take a few good weeks, the weaker he is, the longer it’s going to take to bring him back to health. The two highbloods walked away. Closing the large door again.

The Pet just let out a sigh. He couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle, which slowly turned into a loud cackle accompanied by bronze tears that streamed down his face. A break! He gets a break from that bastard! “>Finally!<>I fucking hate that guy!<” Wiping his tears and slowly standing up. Seeing how far he could walk. Not much. Looking at the pipe he was attached to. He had an idea. He might just be culled for this, but he doesn’t give a damn. Looking up at the troll still hanging there. Brown eyes messing with confusing hetero-sclera eyes. His tears still streaming down his face. Turning back to the pipe he’s stuck to. Walking over and trying to pull it off. Sadly, The Pet isn’t strong enough. He tried kicking it. No luck. “/If you h3lp m3 out, I’ll h3lp you 3zcap3.” The pet just looked up again. Taking a moment before trying to see what he could do. Taking a few minutes to climb on the pipes and not get caught on the chains trailing him. The pet looked at everything this troll was attached to. The main problems were the chains and shit in his hands. The chains he was stuck to won’t let him climb much further. Looking for anything that could help them both. Managing to stand on the metal that supported the other’s waist, he grasped his hands. “>On the count of three, pull down with me as hard as you can.<” Both captives are weak from the endless torture they’ve been through, but maybe this could work. Everything in this ship seemed so old. These chains and wires holding him have to be too. “>One…<>Twp…<>Three!<” With both parties yanking down on the chains, the rusted links broke and fell to the floor. Loud crashing rang through the room when the metal met groud. Frightening the pet as he covered his ears. “/H3y! /It’z okay!” The Pet just looked down. Seeing that no one was coming for them. Good.

The Battery took a moment to look at his wrist. Free. Sadly his palms were still attached to the ship. Already trying to grip onto the connectors, his grip was shit. Not able to grab onto it very well. “>Wait- Stop!<>If you pull those out, you could bleed.<” The last thing they need is a trail for others to follow. The Battery just looked up to see the other holding a bunch of wires in his hands. “>Catch me if I fall.<” Not even a second later, he was tearing at the copper and wire with his teeth. With each wire torn, The Battery could feel less and less of his energy draining. Doesn’t meed he’s still not weak. It only took a minute for the wires to be handing in strands. The Bronzeblood was hanging onto dear life. Psionics had been shocking him the entire time, which made The Battery feel terrible. “/Ar3 you okay?” Getting a nod, The Battery was helped up from the waist hold he was in. Both trolls climbed down the pipes and looking at the last thing they needed to tear apart. The Battery was the first one to grab onto the pipe. Wrapping his arms around and pulling. Looking next to him to see this bronze blood almost face to face with him. His face couldn’t help but flush a small but of yellow. After a few pulls, the pipe gave out. Clashing to the ground. Water was already flooding out of the crevis. “/W3 n33d to g3t out of h3r3.” “>That’s what the entire plan is<” Now free-ish, they ran off to the large door. Trying to open the door as the water was slowly, really slowly, filling the room. Finding the handle, The Battery was able to crack the door open. “/Com3 on!” Running up the stairs and wherever the hell the exist was

The Pet was following close behind. His chains were collected and thrown over his shoulder. “>I know the way.<” Turning down the right hallways and not caring if anyone saw they escaping. At their best luck, it was other captured lowbloods scattered in what seemed to be the endless hallways. He wouldn’t be surprised if they lead a stamped out. 

In fact, that’s what they did. It started with a Burgandy watching as what he knew as ‘the most secured troll’ escaping, he dropped his things. Running after the two. “\<eep running!” He wanted out. Soon, a jade blood had joined the party, then another gold, a bronze, a cerulean, a teal. Any color a land dweller could possess was in that escape party. The sound of running had attracted servants from different levels. Jumping off the ship’s deck, everyone hit the ocean’s water. Exiting the air bubble and making their wait towards the surface.

The Pet was having trouble swimming. His hairs were heavy. Watching as his escape partner was slowly going further ahead. He was about to give up, before feeling a push against his exposed back. Turning his head to see that first follower pushing him. A smile, even if it was hard to see with his puffed-up cheeks, was shown. The Pet kept going. Getting small shoves from random trolls. Others dragging him by the chains closer to the shore. Finally getting back to his friend’s side (He’s guessing their relationship). Gasping at the air as his eyes looked at the midnight sky. Crawling against the sandy shore, he stood there on the ground. Looking at the 20 to 30 trolls that had followed. Many hugging and praising that they were free. All too scared to escape alone, but the motivation and inspiration had encouraged them to leave. Looking over to that gold blood he had met only two hours ago, he pulled him into a hug.

The Battery just stood there for a moment before returning the hug. “You know you just stole a shit load of a fuchsia’s property.” “>And you basically caused them to cause a riot.<” The two pulled away. Smiling. Adrenaline showing their real faces. “>Jacque…><Jacque Lucrus.<” “/Zhik3n...  /Zhik3n Tailton.” The Bat- Shiken… Couldn’t help but pet the other’s face a bit. Seeing that the water had washed any color off of his body. The Adrenaline finally slowing down, Shiken couldn’t help but pull the other into a kiss. Just suddenly feeling so connected to him. Like he’s done this before. Jacque just smiled and kissed back. Like he’s wanted this for so long.

(Not gonna lie- If Anlero didnt help Shiken escape and somethings changed. This could be one hell of a story of how these two met)

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

Shrimp response: OOOOH- *claps* This is really something. I love it!

[topmediumreadersclub]

Psychic in Cranberry Twp PA 16066

  The following article goes into detail about psychic in Cranberry Twp Pennsylvania 16066 After conducting psychic readings, numerology readings and tarot card readings for over 20 years now, I have gained a definite perspective not only as an advisor but as a client. As a client, I have been able to see exactly how psychics who are not real work their magic. After getting a psychic reading from dozens of so-called psychic advisors, you may find yourself intoxicated by the things that the psychic tells you. If it sounds too good to be true, most likely it is. You have to understand the origins and purpose of psychic networks. Their job is to make lots of money, not to help you. Granted, there are real psychics who are gifted and working on psychic network lines, but I have found that most of the people working as psychic advisors period, are not real at all. I'm sure you have heard by now that many fake psychics use scripts and certain formats in conducting their psychic readings, but for the most part, it's really simple what they tell you that gets you hooked. For example, if after getting a psychic reading, you find yourself feeling intoxicated almost, then they have done their job superbly. To be told that the one you love, loves you and that you will marry them and be together for the rest of your life is intoxicating. They give you hope that keeps you calling and calling until after you see that you have been lied to, you begin to face reality and the truth sinks in, you now realize that what they said was not true when they said it nor will it ever turn out to be true. You will find yourself hurt and disillusioned beyond the ordinary disillusionment experienced from your own life's complications. You may even find yourself broke or in debt. It's unconscionable that people could prey on others' vulnerabilities and pain in this way. But that is exactly what they do. And in the end, there is only more pain. And the inevitable distrust of psychics. It's this "fake" paradigm, which has its roots in the first elemental phone psychic networks, that dominates the public's perception and legitimate scrutiny is reasonable. But real psychics around the globe are out there and you should make it your business to find a foolproof way of determining who is real and who is not until such time as this paradigm is changed to ensure that your advisor is authentic by virtue of their credentials as it is for any professional practitioner.

Now you may frequent sites where the advisor is given feedback after your call. This is a good thing but, it is not foolproof. I have seen fake psychics who will have almost perfectly glowing feedback that goes on and on for pages. Perfect! You may wonder why this occurs. Simple. After you hear exactly what you want to hear or want to believe verified, well, this is where that intoxication comes in, you tend to reflect your glorious feelings with equally glowing feedback! But when things don't happen the way were told, you never come back. So, others following in your footsteps will call this advisor because "they too want to believe." Another thing to watch out for is fake feedback. This is also a tactic used by fakes to fool you. On sites where feedback is left, an authentic psychic advisor has to have a very high level of integrity in order to be comfortable telling the truth despite the fact of what the client wants to hear. If the psychic does not tell them what they want to hear in a reading, the client may leave very bad comments and a bad rating. It's the price you pay for being real. In my experience when I tell a client something they didn't want to hear, for the most part, they don't leave any comments. The fact is, they will most likely go find another psychic who will reflect their own feelings about the situation. A reading can be truthful and uplifting without bringing the client down but you have to ready to hear the truth. So how do you know who is real and who is not based on feedback! That is not to say that an authentic psychic is not going to have great feedback. They do, but sometimes they will be the ones to receive bad ratings and feedback mixed in with the good. Life is all about taking the good with the bad. Honestly, it's very hard to tell. The proof is really in the reading and outcomes and developing a relationship with a few trusted advisors who have been able to connect with you and your energy and have proven that their insights and predictions have been accurate for you. But, just remember, if it sounds unbelievably good, it probably is not really true and the psychic is not real and only setting up a line to take your money and setting you up for emotional failure. So be careful of perfect feedback. It's really not always an accurate gauge of the psychic advisors true abilities; except of course their ability to fleece you out of your dollars. Of course, really consistently bad feedback is a good indication that the advisor is probably just very bad and should think about going into another line of work.

Another point, you need to understand that even if you are speaking with a gifted, authentic psychic, you and that particular psychic may not connect that well. That is different from the psychic being fake. There a many reasons why a particular psychic may not connect with you. They may not be rested and ready to take calls, or you may not be relaxed and ready to receive truthful information or in some other way blocking the flow of what is being channeled thereby skewing the information on either side. Psychic readings are not an exact science. Intuition is relied upon to conduct an accurate psychic reading for a client. The reading goes much better when both the psychic advisor and client are relaxed and ready to receive. I personally find it difficult to connect with a client who wants to hear a certain thing. I have experienced many times my client trying to guide the reading. So see your authentic psychic advisor as someone who wants to help you and be ready to assist in the flow of information. To spot a fake psychic is not impossible, but if there was a way to quantify the statistic of fakes out there, I would be willing to bet that most (due in large part to large networks hiring script readers) are not real. Unfortunate, but through observation and experience, I feel this to be true. One of the Oldest Tricks in the Book. First Warning Sign That You Have Got a Fake! One of the oldest tricks in the book and something which continues to surprise me because people are continually taken in is when a psychic tells you someone has put a curse on you or there is a negative block on you which only they can remove for some exorbitant price, HANG UP! Say goodbye, because this person could not care less about you or your problems. Psychic parlors are notorious for this kind of activity. It is not for real, the curse nor the psychic. I have always believed that having a good doctor, a good mechanic and a good psychic are all professionals that are worth taking the time to assess their skill, experience and credentials to see if they are the one for you. There is nothing more satisfying than actually making a positive difference in someone's life and their continued use of your service over many years. A walking, talking testimonial is very gratifying for this psychic advisor.

Read Full Article Here: Psychic in Cranberry Twp PA 16066

[prongsisabadger]

TWP: Chapter 17

It is strange -feeling grief, true grief for the first time. Even more so for someone who had viewed death as a part of life for most of their life. It started out as a loss of hearing. The trooper who had given me that dreadful news was still talking, but there was nothing I could do to make myself concentrate on his words. I don't remember dismissing him, or even thanking me for passing on the information. I don't remember starting to walk, or even where I'd been headed. I don't remember bumping into Art, or him deciding to pull me aside and figure out what on the Force's name was wrong.

Nahdar was dead.

I stared into nothingness for a while as Art tried to make me speak, make me react, make me do something other than breathing and staring dumbly into space. He panicked, I think, because his next move was to grab me by the shoulders and shake me like he was trying to get rid of dust on a mantlepiece. This wasn't the right move to make apparently because of course troopers would notice a clone "assaulting" a commander. Art, poor thing, explained as best he could and someone had the brilliant idea to call the General. Something was wrong with the Commander, and no one knew what to do.

They escorted me to the medical bay and had someone look me over. There was nothing physically wrong with me, of course, so they decided to just let me sit on the cot until Master Plo arrived. They didn't have to wait long. Master Plo had sensed something was wrong, and had been on his way even before they decided to call for him.

"General, thank the Maker, I found the Commander like this and I don't-"

"Art, is it?" Interrupted Master Plo.

"Yes, sir. The medics couldn't find anything wrong with her…"

"That's because there is nothing wrong with the Commander," explained the general. "Your loyalty to Commander Foreas is commendable, Art, but rest assured she will be just fine. She is simply grieving."

The words seemed to burn me out of my stupor. As if hearing someone say it made it all the more real. I struggled not to cry in front of everyone present; not only would it have been embarrassing but also disrespectful. Jedi, just like clones, were simply life forms. One was not more precious than the other. If I hadn't cried for all the troopers we had already lost, what right did I have to cry over the life of a single Jedi? Granted, a close friend, but a single Jedi nonetheless. He had been fulfilling his duty, just as the fallen troopers had been.

"I need to pay my respects to Master Fisto." were the first words I felt I could say without breaking down. "I'm sorry I scared all of you, I overreacted."

Art put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

"No you didn't," He said. "I might not be a Jedi, Commander, but I know loss. We all handle it differently."

"Your friend is right, young one." added master Plo before patting my head. "You are allowed to have feelings, but what you must never do is let them consume you."

…

There was a simple memorial in the Jedi Temple for Nahdar. A recently knighted Jedi, a dutiful Padawan, and a treasured friend. There were only six of us. Master Yoda came to pay his respects as he did every time. Master Fisto was mourning the murder of his former Padawan just as I was that of a friend. Master Plo, Ahsoka, and her own master came to pay their respects and to support me. Murdered. Nahdar, the competitive little kid, my dueling partner for years, my close friend. It was hard to let myself feel grief but still power through. It was hard not to resent the war, to resent General Grievous. But Master Fisto had told me: Nahdar had died for his pride, for his fury, for his resentment. It was both a tragedy and a lesson on the mortality of Jedi, on how sometimes, even we were proud and made ourselves to be invincible. We were just life forms like any other, and our sensitivity to the force sometimes made us arrogant when we were no better than anyone else. We were simply different.

We had been taught not to make attachments in order not to let our feelings dictate our actions and lead us to the dark side. But I couldn't bring myself to not feel. It went against who I was, who I am. Emotions are a part of life but one's will and perseverance need to be strong in order to cope with them. To have the ability to reason through them, to know oneself enough to stop one from doing things out of sentiment.

I knew myself enough to realize I needed to meditate on the matter. To allow the Force to guide me through the pain, to let it light the path before me. A path where I could care for others and still remain on the light side of the Force. I sat by the altar Master Fisto had set up and stared into the flames of the candles around. I would need to rely on the Force, it's will, and it's wisdom to get through this war. And it all started here: at the very end.

…

Once again, death was all around me. The beautiful flora that had once decorated this planet was all but destroyed. I had lost so many men- so many. But we had orders, we had to take this position and hold it. I couldn't remember the name of the planet, or why the CIS had decided to invade such a remote system. All there was there and then was the will to survive and keep as many troops from dying as possible. We were outnumbered, but that was often the case and thus something the Pack and I had come to expect. Air support was busy with their own battle in the upper atmosphere, and Master Plo had taken a different squadron to outflank our enemy in the northern hemisphere. We were making good progress, pushing the enemy back with everything we had and outmaneuvering them at every turn. It was gruelling, relentless and it was almost an entire rotation of hard fighting before the enemy retreated. We didn't pursue it. Many troopers wanted to, but Commander Wollffe -who was put in charge of this battalion with me- and I thought it best to let the men rest and recoup before pressing the attack. We hadn't had too many casualties, but still the names on the data pad before me engraved themselves in my soul as I ate my rations.

Around me, Wolffe, Art, and Twitch all busied themselves. Wolffe was going over the holo maps of the area for the fifth time in an hour, and Art was tattooing Twitch's neck. The design looked like a flower they'd found in the area, and the fact that Twitch decided to remember the battles he'd fought by engraving them on his skin gave me an idea.

"Het, Art?" I asked as he put the finishing touches on the beautiful design. "Can you give me a few tattoos when we finish the mission?"

"I never pinned you like the type, Commander, but sure. I can start now if you'd like." He smiled.

"Oh, I don't want to tire you out even more th-"

"Keeping myself busy helps one not think, Commander."

I said nothing and simply nodded. I knew the feeling. Art took his laser gun and approached me as I started taking off the armour on my left arm. When he asked for the design, I simply gave him my data pad. The list I had been reading had the names of all the members of the Wolf Pack who had died in action since the incident with the Malevolence. It was a long list, and it would take several sessions to tackle.

"Commander…" He started when he realized just what he was looking at. He seemed to rethink what he was going to say and sucked a breath in before straightening up. "This will take a while."

"Then you better survive this, trooper. I wouldn't want to lose my tattoo artist, now would I?"

Both Wolffe and Twitch watched us silently, never asking a question, never saying what they thought on the matter. And I appreciated it. It wasn't nightfall yet, in fact it wasn't even dusk, so we still had time. None of us had guard duty that night, so for the next four hours we kept eachother company. We talked, and joked and planned all while Art continued to engrave the memory of lives lost onto my skin until it was time to turn in for the night.

…

"Come on, Boys! Let's show these tin cans who's boss around here!" Yelled Twitch beside me as we pushed the enemy back on the battlefield.

We had decided to ambush their position before they could make the first move. We had decided on a pincer maneuver, surrounding the enemy and pressing the attack on three different flanks. Wolffe suggested we have snipers positioned in the trees and dividing our troops into small, flexible teams to ensure maximum effectiveness. My knowledge of strategy was quite limited, but I trusted him to make the right choices for our sake and that of the mission.

The plan was working, and we had the upper hand. That is until the enemy started to get desperate.

"INCOMING!"

To my right an explosion went off where the enemy had pointed their tanks. But it wasn't the same kind that went off when plasma was fired, no. They were firing incendiary charges, which did more damage to the area around the target.

"Lay cover fire! Team alpha," I yelled before tapping the top of my head twice. "On me, we are taking out those tanks!"

The order must have been relayed over the comms, because the entire force started to move at once, pressing the attack and laying cover fire for our team to get to the tanks. It was a six man team and there were two three tanks. Headfirst and I took the center one while the others went for the ones on either flank. It felt rehearsed, really, how even without talking we still knew what to do. I worked as a shield for the both of us as we made the desperate sprint for the tanks. The blaster fire clashing with my saber, and Headfirst own blaster going off deafened me as we ran. I cleared a path for us, cutting down droid after droid and using the Force to push away those I couldn't.

"Headfirst, get up there, I'll cover you!" I said without looking.

Even when our troops had the clear advantage in the battle, it still felt like chaos. My senses were overloaded with stimuli, the Force was disturbed around the entire battlefield, the Troopers' stress, fear and fight for survival felt like my own. And then, I felt it. Headfirst's desperation and rising panic. I turned to see what happened as I deflected more blaster fire. His armour had got stuck on a broken piece of the tank's hull, and he didn't have a grenade in his hand. He had set the charge and thrown it into a tank full of incendiary charges and he couldn't get away.

My body moved before I even got to think about it. I jumped onto the tank and cut the piece of metal holding him down with my saber. I knew what was about to happen, so I grabbed him by the waist and turned from the tank before jumping. I didn't even get to use the force to get us further, the blast from the explosion did it for me, burning the entire back of my armour in the process. I felt something dripping down the side of my face and down my chin as I lay there, motionless, and face down on top of white and gray armour. My ears were ringing and my right shoulder blade felt as if it had been on fire. Underneath me, Headfirst was still breathing, and the Force around him was still very much there, which gave me the tiniest bit of comfort. My vision was quite blurred, but I could still see white bodies moving around us and shielding us from enemy fire as they continued to chase the enemy out of their positions.

Someone got me off Headfirst and onto the ground beside me, attempting to get me to sit so I wouldn't put pressure on my back.

"Medic," I said to the trooper checking on Headfirst. "Report."

The man who was at my back continued to clean what I deduced was some sort of burn.

"He's got a concussion, but it's not serious. One rib and a few fingers broken, Ma'am. He'll be just fine."