#unlimberness

[retroactivebakeries]

unlimbering something? it's probably a spike of siggort. the classic thing to unlimber—maybe even the only thing to unlimber

[oh-the-hcrrcrs]

@unlimbed

"Will you please stop laughing and help me out here?" Antoine glared at his cat from over the palisade that separated his patio from the neighbor's. He wasn't precisely pro smoking inside, and it was starting to get warm enough for them to enjoy the sun there. All this because he had fallen for the sad cat eyes. Idiot. "Garrus, you get back here you stupid prick," perched on a plastic chair, he tapped on the wood, but no amount of pleading was going to suffice.

[g1bsongirl]

𖤐⋆.˚  SPECIAL DELIVERY FOR  ... @unlimbed .ᐟ 𖤐⋆.˚  LOCATION  ... the boardwalk .ᐟ

what better way to spend the day than sprawled across a bench probably built by jesus christ himself fixed on a structure one wrong step away from singlehandedly reigniting a reboot of the final destination franchise ? iris’ bet on the first blood bath, the opening scene to really reel the viewer in ? the merry-go-round. classic. one loose bolt would no doubt send some poor citizen flying and from there ? carnage. she’d like to think she’d survive, be the one with the prophetic visions and hoped to hell julian would too. fan fuckin' favorites. despite their potential dance with death, it was the ideal place to scope out the new stars of their hypothetical films. “ that guy over there, ” tip of her bendy straw swung to the man in question, “ def an oswald. goes by ozzie with an -ie not a -y. never oz, he’ll tear your teeth out with his hands if y���call him that. ” she glanced over at her companion and bared her own teeth with a chomp, “ couldn’t get a girlfriend in high school so he made a fake facebook using a pic of some site model with, like, ” despite an occupied hand, she still managed to cup the air around her chest. “ huge tits to trick his friends into believing he ‘met her on vacation’. the two broke up very dramatically after a month because he got caught by his sister who got pissed he’d hog the family computer which prevented her from playing barbie horse adventure and was scared she'd rat him out. he says he’s into heavy medal, but you know he’s got a secret norah jones playlist, cries to come away with me. went to college for library science because he’s heavy into reading and information systems, lowkey about it though. couldn't get a job so he works from home as customer support for like, bath and body works. has a collection of collars even though he doesn't own a dog. probably here waiting on a tinder date, which he planned, because he's under the impression it'll score him some puss if she sees how good he is at tossing darts. unclear whether or not she'll show up — but he's going home to his one bedroom with a corndog either way. ” her free hand slipped into the vat of fries scorching her upper thigh, teeth sinking into a grease grabber to conclude her spiel.

[mbat]

dude the other night i dreamt that my leg was cut off and replaced with a prosthetic and when i woke up and realized i still had both my legs it felt. wrong that i did? and it still felt like that a day later only when i recalled the dream. so weird

[ask-runaan-anything]

Ethari: I don’t think we can mansplain, manipulate, or malewife our way out of it this time.

Runaan, unlimbering his bowblade: Manslaughter it is.

[scotianostra]

April 16th 1746 saw the Battle of Culloden.

Much has been said about the site of the battle and the Prince has been criticised for “choosing” the moor.

Three sites were scouted in the 48 hours leading up to the battle, they knew Cumberland’s army was coming, their had been skirmishes in the week or so before this day, things were coming to a head.

The first site as at Dalcross Castle, which John Sullivan, the Irish adjutant and quartermaster general, rejected, because the distance across the ravine would have been too small to protect the Jacobite army from British musket fire from the other side.

The second was on the south side of the Nairn, chosen by Lord George Murray. This was poor ground, did not protect the road to Inverness and was vulnerable to British mortar fire from the other side of the river. It is clear that this site was a prelude to retreat and the dissolution of the army, because it was not an effective battle site.

The third site was about 1km east of where the battle was eventually fought, and John Sullivan drew up the army there on 15 April. It was on higher and less boggy ground than the final battlefield, and both wings of the army could see each other, which they could not in the next day’s sleet and rain. No one ‘chose’ the site of the battle on Drummossie Moor as a preference: it was the line closest to headquarters at Culloden House which could defend the road to Inverness.

Many of those soldiers who were asleep after the failed night attack on the 15th had retreated to the grounds of Culloden House, and there was little time to form them up as the British Army approached on the morning of the battle.

Some had urged the Prince to fall back into the hills and glens, split into units and launch a guerrilla campaign, historians can’t agree who ruled this out, some say Lord Murray, others Prince Charles, some a mixture of the two, no matter what it never happened, as we all know.

The battle began around before mid-day, the 9,000 well-rested Government troops advanced downwind across the Moor towards their exhausted opponents who faced directly into the north-east wind and its accompanying sleet. The Prince’s forces numbered about 6,000 and were in two lines. The left flank of the front line was held by the three regiments of MacDonalds, highly resentful that they were not in their traditional place of honour on the right, held by the Atholl Brigade.

In the centre were some of the best of the Jacobite infantry, veterans of the victories at Prestonpans and Falkirk: Lord Lovat’s Frasers, the MacLeans, Mackintoshes, McLachlans and Chisholms. Weak in artillery, the Jacobite frontline could see Cumberland’s gunners unlimbering and loading their batteries of cannon. Receiving no order to unleash the fearsome Highland charge, by far their best weapon, they must have known what was coming.

And come it did; Cumberland opened fire with roundshot across the unobstructed moorland. Behind his artillery, the Duke’s own front line consisted of six regular infantry battalions; the Royal Regiment on the right, opposite the MacDonalds, with Barrell’s Regiment on the left, facing the Athollmen. The second line contained six more infantry battalions, with yet three more in a third line alongside two squadrons of light cavalry. Out on his flanks were the feared heavy Dragoons: Cobham’s on the right, Kerr’s on the left. All was ready for the Jacobite charge.

Cumberland’s infantry had been given intensive training on how to deal with the onrushing Highlander, claymore in right hand, targe on his left. Having fired his Brown Bess musket, each man was to use his socketed bayonet to attack the opponent on his right front, trusting that his own comrade to his immediate left would do the same.

This was designed to avoid the parrying effect of the targe and inflict a disabling wound in the first shock of contact.

For a full half-hour the Government artillery thundered on unchallenged, roundshot and then grapeshot hammering into the Prince’s waiting battalions. Still no order to charge came as scores of men went down, thinning the ranks and producing frantic calls from officers and men to be released to the charge. Eventually they went off anyway.

The MacDonalds crashed in to Barrell’s Regiment, overrunning the front line before losing momentum and being shot and bayoneted by the upcoming second rank. Elsewhere the charge was even less successful; depleted by cannon fire and decimated by the rolling volleys of the infantry, Highland courage and dash proved no match for regular infantry discipline. The charge reeled backwards leaving up to a thousand dead in front of and among the Government positions.

Cumberland ordered a general advance and unleashed his cavalry. What had been a battle was now a rout. It had lasted an hour.

Jacobite casualties are estimated at 1,500 dead, with an unknown number of wounded and fugitives bayoneted and shot in the merciless pursuit that followed.Cumberland lost only 59 dead and 250 wounded, the only senior officer to die being Lord Robert Kerr, commander of grenadiers in Barrell’s Regiment and a son of the Marquess of Lothian.

It was over; the military neutralisation of the Highlands was about to begin.

The ease in which the Government troops surprised Cumberland, and he surprised further when the Jacobites did not regroup and force another battle, he certainly expected another, but none came, around 1000 gathered the following day at Ruthven ­Barracks, where a written order from Prince Charles told them to “seek their own safety” and disband. But, for many, surrendering was too dangerous an option.

As time went on, the risks of Jacobites handing themselves in became clear. The mood of the Ruthven meetings was downcast. Many fought on to avoid capture or because the risk of surrendering was high. In June, a number of Jacobites went into Fort William after the British government ­promised six weeks’ immunity. Captain Scott drowned them in a salmon net.

Jacobites engaged in low-level disruption, raiding and ­protection of vulnerable tenantry as well as recruitment to the Irish Brigade and probably Scottish regiments in French service, including Ecossais Royales.

Assassinations of unpopular ­government officers or sympathisers were also recorded. The British government still considered the Jacobite threat to be “major” at this time with around 12,000 to 13,000 soldiers deployed across the entire country – from Berwick and Stranraer to Elgin, Forres, Stonehaven, Inverbervie and Montrose – by the end of August 1746.

As government forces mobilised, significant units of armed Jacobites continued to appear in the field. At the end of April, 120 armed MacGregor men were recorded in Balqhuidder after marching home ‘colours flying and pipes playing’ with the Army unwilling to tackle or pursue Jacobite units that maintained discipline.

One battalion of Lochiel’s ­regiment was still operational in May – as were 500 men under ­Clanranald. Orkney remained under Jacobite control until late that month and, despite British attacks, four local Jacobite lairds remained successfully hidden

Clans made concerted attempts to resist Cumberland and his men with around a dozen chiefs meeting at Mortlaig in early May. At the meeting… they entered into a bond for their mutual defence and agreed never to lay down their arms, or make a general peace without the consent of the whole,” according to an 1832 account by James Browne.

“By the bond of association, the chiefs agreed…to raise on behalf of the prince and in defence of their country, as many able-bodied armed men as they could on their respective properties.”

Around 600 men gathered later that month across the north and west but the clans “ultimately did not have the time or morale to raise or retain enough men in the field.

Although a unified response failed to materialise, Jacobites remained active across Scotland. Jacobite expresses – the non-stop delivery of letters by horse – continued until August. A British regiment was deployed across Banffshire in the summer of 1746 with insurgents reported in Argyll that September.

Arms were surrendered in the Mearns right into the summer of 1748. British atrocities were carried out against innocent ­victims, but there were plenty of continuing Jacobite threats and remained so for some time, this led to the building of roads and bridges, to make it easier for troops to be deployed into the heart of the country, many still used to this day, these projects and the act of proscription meant the end of the old Highland way of life.

Many of us have made our pilgrimages to Culloden to pay our respects to those that died that day, and to the commemorations, both on the day, and at the one at midnight the night before, I hope you all take a moment and remember the brave men who fell that day and afterwards…………

[writergeekrhw]

Somewhere in the Great White North, the Script-Eating Monster has awakened from its long slumber and is unlimbering its steel jaws. Soon, it will begin the chew.

[evilhorse]

Cap unlimbers his shield with firm resolve!!!

(Captain America Annual #3)

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A Judgment Day Is Coming

by Rev. Thomas De Witt Talmage (1832–1902)

We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ — Romans 14:10

The Mogul of Turkey used to be weighed once a year. On the opposite side of the scales first was put silver, then gold, then jewels, and then the gold and the jewels were thrown among the people. My friends, the day comes when you and I must be weighed in scales of a different character—weighed not against the gold and the jewels of this world; but weighed by the law of the eternal right and the eternal wrong.

Painters have tried to sketch that day but always fail. It is easy to sketch a city on fire, but not a universal conflagration. … All the mountains falling. All the seas boiling. All the stars dropping. All the heavens rolling. All the earth vanishing. Angels flying. Graves bursting. Dead rising. Thrones hoisting. God coming. The apostle Peter speaks of that day as “a great noise.” The slide of an avalanche deafens the ear; but what will it be when the Himalayas and Alps and Mount Washington tumble into the dust. A thunder storm reaches only five, ten or fifteen miles; but what will it be when all around the earth the artillery of God shall be unlimbered? The whoop of the wind; the blare of the trumpets; the chorus of the saved; the groans of the banished…

I do not pretend to tell you where the judgment hall of the last day will be; but there will be a place of judgment where we will have to meet God and answer for this day; for what we say, for what we hear; answer for all the opportunities we have had or might have had; answer for all resistances of the Holy Ghost; answer for all sick-bed vows broken; all death-bed warnings slighted; all Sabbaths, and Bibles, and communion-tables despised. For every year we will have to give answer; every month, every hour, every moment of our life we will have to give answer; and it will be under the scrutiny of that God who has seen us, and watched us, and knows all about us. Will we be ready for such a scrutiny under the eye of the all-seeing God?

[nightbringer24]

Okay, so you mentioned war wagons. What are those? I have heard of rebels in the Hussite Wars using wagons as mobile gun bunkers, but I'm assuming a war wagon is something different?

So my laptop konked out on me last night, so I'll use this to reply to @wanderrealms' question on what is a war wagon.

The war wagon, or what is referred to a war wagon in the European context, is definitely the wagon that became synonymous with the Hussite Wars (the Chinese had war wagons of their own though their main source seems to be something more adhoc and impromptu then planned), was basically just a regular peasant wagon but with extra barding and planking on the sides to create a steep sided defensive platform. That is it. That is literally it.

This was due to the genius of Jan Žižka, the man who basically became instrumental to the prosecution of the war in Jan Hus' name. He knew he could not rely on a largely infantry based army made from the peasanty against the overwhelming number of mounted knights from the Western European nations in the eventual crusade, including the knightly orders of the Teutonic knights and the Knights Hospitallers, so he had to get radical.

His solution: use the wagons that carried both weapons, supplies and men as weapons themselves. This allowed Žižka and the other Hussites to basically force the crusaders to fight on their terms, allowing them to fight offensively on the defensive. Along with the prevalent use of crossbows and handgonnes, and the main weapon of the Hussite soldiers being short polearms and their regular farming implements, such as the threshing flail. Later, these would be supplemented by small cannons and bombards carried by the wagons to fire from the sides out at the attacker.

Tactics wise, the wagons would be arrayed in a circle or square, with their horses unlimbered and the wagons locked together by their wheels with chains. This was called the wagenburg or wagon fort, and was incredibly resistant to the flat out charges of European knightly cavalry since it was akin to a knight charging at a castle's tower: useless. They could be defeated, but it took a lot of doing. The battle of Lipany in 1434 which ended the Hussite Wars is a good example of how you'd beat them.

And that's my commentary on what a war wagon is.

[retroactivebakeries]

laminar flow. the given beasts. onion-like layers of glistening, radioactive pearl. tiled space. nicatorine. molten acid. seven symptom. a crude assemblage of sacrificial stockbrokers. ecstatic organ rituals. the wounded hours. the night that walks. corpse fever. pomary. fool-fleshed. profligacy. concatenated beef. caryatid-eater. ampersandic fluid. scrimshawed half-valves. gravity venom. secret ape techniques. unlimbering. you can just say words that I like in disjointed fragments and it's a post. you don't even need to torment catgirl space admirals to make a framing device!

[roosterarts]

Battle of Gettysburg - Day 2

July 2

6:00 PM

The 9th Massachusetts Battery Retreats by Recoil

The gun fired and pushed itself back from its own recoil. Quickly, the troops of the 9th Massachusetts Battery reloaded the piece, while others pulled it a few yards back. Some fell as they did their task, but were quickly replaced by others. The battery was in a desperate situation, but they kept their order and did their tasks. To lose discipline now would lead to death.

The 9th Massachusetts Battery, under the command of Captain John Bigelow, was part of the Army of the Potomac's Artillery Reserve. On the afternoon of July 2, III Corps' Artillery Brigade requested two additional batteries in order to support their defense against the Confederate First Corps' attack. Because of this, the 9th Massachusetts was ordered forward.

The battery was assigned to deploy pass the Trostle Farm, in a position west of the Union line at the Peach Orchard. Unlimbering there, they joined other Union artillery batteries, who were firing on Confederate forces that were advancing on the Peach Orchard. With 6 12-pounder Napoleon cannons, they Confederate infantry gathering in the Rose Woods.

However, as the situation deteriorated for Union forces at the Peach Orchard, the artillery line west of the position found themselves in a dangerous position. When the Union troops at the Peach Orchard eventually routed, the artillery were left exposed and without infantry support. Lieutenant Colonel McGlivery ordered two of the batteries there to retire, while two other batteries, the 5th and 9th Massachusetts batteries, were ordred to hold and cover the retreat. Because of this the 9th Massachusetts continued to fire on the advancing Confederate infantry, that was slowly moving closer to them. As they fired, the enemy returned the gesture with muskety and even artillery from a distant enemy battery.

As the 9th Massachusetts continued to fire, the 5th Massachusetts was ordered to withdraw.

Eventually, it was only the 9th Massachusetts that remained in position, all alone and without support. McGlivery then ordered them to withdraw. But just before they could, Barksdale's Confederate Brigade were rushing out of the Peach Orchard and heading towards them.

Realizing that they could not escape without suppressing the advancing Confederates and with no infantry to do that for them, Bigelow requested to McGlivery if he could retire his battery by prolonge and firing. With no other option McGlivery consented and rode away.

Retiring by prolonge required the the artillery troops to use ropes to pull their guns, instead of limbering them and riding away.

Begining their maneuver, the 9th Masschusetts would fire their guns, using both canister and solid shot to keep the advancing enemy back. The recoil of each shot would then push their guns backwatds, but, instead of pushing it back foward into position, the troops would pull the guns back, while others reloaded it with the next round. They would then repeat this process until they reached the Trostle farm, where, Bigelow believed was distant enough from the enemy that they could now limber their guns and ride away to safety.

However, before they could do that, McGlivery rode back to them. Due to the collapse of III Corps forces, there was now a hude gap that led to Union positions at Cemetery Ridge. Union reinforcements were still on their way and until they got there the enemy had to be slowed down. Because of this, he ordered the 9th Massachusetts to hold their position and do their best to slow down the Confederates.

Following orders, they stood their grund and continued to fire upon the advancing Confederate Brigades. At that point, the troops knew that they were being sacrificed for time. Despite that knowledge they did their duty and continued to fire upon the enemy.

All around them Confederate forces rushed to their guns. At one point, Bigelow orderd the battery to fire case shot with fuses so short that thwy would explode just a few yards from the guns.

Eventually, the enemy got too close and, under heavy musketry, the 9th Massachusetts was ordered to limber and escape. They hoped to pass through a small gap on a wall at the Trostle farm. However, the first gun overturned, blocking the path.

With the enemy closing in, the battery decided to continue the fight and soon engaged the Confederates if close-quarters fighting. But they could not last long, as they were not in their element and were outnumbered. Eventually, Bigelow ordered his troops to retreat and abandom their guns.

The 9th Massachusetts Battery endured heavy losses in that fight. But they did their job and managed to delay the Confederate advance. Their action, and the action of various other units, prevented Confederate forces from seriously exploiting the gap at Cemetery Ridge.

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

Featuring @fetch26291 and @daintydoilypon as members of the 9th Massachusetts Artillery Battery. Behind them is a 12-pounded Napoleon gun.

[eternitas]

Beasts of Nuvella

A small introduction to Zarria as a character and a small big prologue to Reborn! Next-> or the Unseen Varias Training Camp Arc

Squad 4 gets led into a trap and ambushed, being completely out of their element, so HQ sends Zarria to get them out of there.

Leave it to your seniors

The sky was clear, aside of a few mystical fluffs around the fullmoon that illuminated the entire area. Peaceful, some may have called it, if it weren't for the bestial screeching in the background.

He could feel every cell in his body aching as breathing became harder and harder. The simple act of keeping his eyes open was strenuous and as if he was fighting 20 armies at once. Damn it... I-... have to tell them...

Sergey bit his teeth together and inhaled, before he pushed himself to roll onto his stomach, the wound gushing out more blood and causing him to spit out blood with his exhale. He was breathing in liquid, coughing hard, but he was the only one who could still move. If they were lucky they weren't dead yet. Agonizingly he propped himself onto his ellbows and dragged his body behind him, inching closer and closer to the earpiece in the grass while leaving a trail of blood wide as his hand. His exessive bodyweight in muscles was dragging him down and he could feel his lungs on fire as gradually his life seeped out of him. What was driving him now was pure adrenalin. He managed to grab the earpiece with his hand and pulled it close, breathing hard as he shakily pushed down the connection button, as hard as he could, unable to gauge how much strength he still had left.

"C-Captain..."

"Ser! Voi, what's the situation?!"

He could hardly focus his thoughts. The world was growing colder and colder, freezing setting into his limbs.

"We---... we've been.... tricked..."

"What?!"

He couldn't help a hapless laugh as the last bit of strength left him. Drop. by. drop.

"We-.. were... am-...bushed---..."

Ah... there it was.... Unconsciousness. His body grew limb and fell to the ground, beathing shallow and heart barely beating.

"Shit! Ser! Sergey come in! FUCK!"

An uncharacteristic panic arose in Squalo as he slammed his hand onto the table in front of them, holding the receiver with quivering hands. The mere thought of something happening to them- to him--

Lussuria whined before he leaned closer to the receiver.

"Zarriaaa! Hurryyy!"

"On it." A few agonizing moments seemed to pass, seconds that felt like whole decades.

"Zarria!"

"200 meter."

A loud screeching as if it came from hell itself echoed through the small clearing, the earth trembling steps of the beast echoing their own rythm as it returned to swat the body that had just moved again.

"Engaging."

The sound of metal whirring through the air could be heared, before it hit flesh. The disgusting noise of cut flesh, bloodsplatter and cut bone echoed through the illuminated night before the beast let out an eardrum shattering cry. It was deep and gutteral and full of rage.

Zarrias gloved hands were on her weapons handle and she twirled it around once, watching the beast flail in agony and taking the moment to unbelt a healing box, feeding it her sunflames and letting it hover over Lorenzo who's body she stood next to. Luckily the boy was on his back already and the soft golden glow shone down on him, slowly saving his life.

The beast now finally turned to her and she spun the scythe around herself. Judging by the destruction in the forest, she had just sprinted through, the marks and wounds on her colleagues and this things size- Mh. Yeah. She had this thing figured out.

It charged at her, now slightly off balance with one limb missing, giving Zarria the opening to slide by under it at the unlimbed side as she stuck her blade into the ground, the sharpness cutting through the earth for a few more meters. The weapon stuck after all and Zarria stepped on the handle, with one foot, then the next onto the edge of her scythe , it's staff making a turn, as she stepped back onto the ground. She grabbed her weapon again, hands now shorter on the handle so she could twirl it and gain momentum.

The beast came closer, charging at her, her body making a spin, angling her scathe and swinging. The blade lodged itself into the back of the neck of the batfaced creature, stopping it in it's tracks. Zarria jumped into the air, using the curve of her blade to go around the beast, and as she was in the air, her scythes blade directly under the beasts throat, she stepped on it's back for proper resistance and then pulled.

The sharp blade cut through the beast as if it was made from butter, decapitating it completely and suffocating it's screech in the middle. She jumped off it's body watching it fall- quickly she lodged her blade into the monsters chest to stop it and pulled , to make it fall into another direction. She also lodged her scythe into the skull of the decapitated head and with a swing threw it away, off of her junior.

They look miserable. I should heal them, but there is no way a beast like that could attack such skilled fighters without sustaining any injuries itself. Meaning, it didn't lead the attack.

She heared something in a tree further away. A rustling and a hushed "Fuck- it's the reaper!"

There you are.

The unseen figure tried to discreetely leave the scene, fear running through their body when they heared harsh footsteps and the whirring sound of a sharp blade cutting down wood like it was paper. Something grabbed them by the back of their neck yanking them backwards before they were thrown towards the clearing, crashing to the ground and rolling a few more meters, disoriented and groaning in pain. Just as they managed to get up, they saw the blade of the scythe lodge into the ground next to them, close enough that one yank would kill them straight away. The figure started to shake and moved their mouth, only to have ungloved fingers shoved between their lips to pry her teeth apart. The fingers scratched at her teeth before pulling out the cyanide capsule.

"As I thought." Zarria said calmly, her entire body relaxed enough to be still threatening and ready for any movement, but not strained.

"Now, tell me. You're a Nuvella member, aren't you?"

The young womans eyes widened at that and her shaking got worse.

"Thought so. You will come with me. You have quite some explaining to do-"

The figure made itself fall towards the blade, Zarrias grip slipping from the figure just enough for them to get a deep cut to their throat, enough that they'd die in a moment.

"Shit!"

Zarria yanked the girl away and pulled out a healing box, pressing her hands against the cut to prevent too much bloodlosss. If they lost this woman, they'd lose their lead onto who caused the attack- well... technically speaking Zarria knew who this was the moment she had heared about her juniors mission. After all this wasn't the first time she had encountered this trap or such beasts, spliced and modified by people with no regard for decency.

The healing box did it's work, barely managing to save the girl and Zarria quickly pulled out a pair of flame supressing handcuffs to put on the young woman, to prevent her from doing anything weird. For safety reasons she dissolved her blade back into her box and then walked over to the body of Ava, feeling his shallow breathing. Still alive. She opened the third healing box and let it hover over the boy, before she looked to the body closest to them. Sergey.

I have only one healing box remaining, because I used one on that Nuvella kid.

She approached the lying body and turned Sergey onto his back with her foot. She would have to make a call here. Depending on how bad Leonards wounds were-

A hand reached for her long skirts trail and unalarmed, Zarria turned to see Leo, gasping for air, having pulled himself towards her, hand against the gushing wound in his side. He was shaking with how much he forced himself to function. A cold shudder ran down Zarrias back.

He should be dead at this point. How is his body able to withstand such insane attacks and damges? He's inhuman. Something's wrong with this kid.

She watched as the young man shakily signed to her. Save-him-please.

"You want me to use my last healing box on Sergey?" She asked for clarification and he nodded, looking right into her eyes and holding contact. She rarely saw such seriousness from this young man.

"Fine. Don't die on me." She answered and unlocked the box, letting it hover over Sergey who seemed especially receptive to the healing.

Leo managed a small smile before his strength gave in and he fell back to the ground.

She turned her earpiece back on.

"-ARRIA! COME IN!"

"I am not deaf, Captain, I just turned off the communicator to focus on the mission. Reporting in: we have 5 heavily injured, 4 of us and one enemy that tried to kill themself. I had to use a healing weapon on them, so Leonard is without any first aid."

"Nooo! Not sweet Leo!!!" "How bad is it? What even happened?"

She looked around the clearing.

"They were lead into a trap set by enemies and had to face of a mutant beast controlled by a Tamer."

"What...?!"

"This is Nuvellas doing, I am sure of it."

The name let Squalos breath hitch and his blood run cold for a second. Nuvella. He knew that name too well.

"Nuvella you say? Are you sure?"

"Pretty much, but you may interrogate the hostage I made yourself."

"Zarria, if this is true, we will have some real shit hitting the fan, you know that."

"I know that better than any of you, Squalo."

Lussuria looked a bit confused to the captain.

"Nuvella?"

"An old enemy of the Varia, they already caused trouble when Tyr had still led. That's how Zarria knows them. She shouldn't be wrong about something like this, but-... why should they suddenly rear their heads again now?"

"Isn't Tsunayoshi Sawada about to start the transition from italy to japan? I doubt someone like the Nuvella would let such an opportunity slide. They and Serpente will likely be Sawadas biggest adverseries in this change."

Squalo took a minute to think. If this was true--

"Return to HQ, Zarria." A deep and raspy voice behind them said and Squalo was torn out of his thoughts, noticing the intense rage radiating from Xanxus.

"Boss!"

"Xanxus."

"What about the injured?"

"We'll send a crew to get them back and into Nonos care. I want you to return with the hostage right away. And bring the monsters head while your at it."

"Head?" Lussuria asked curiously, but made a small "oh!" as he realized himself what it meant, Xanxus still answered.

"There's no fucking way she hasn't decapitated that thing."

"I'll be on my way then."

It was hot. It was unimaginably hot. Seering, burning, completely hellish heat, like feeling pure magma on his flesh. And among the pain, he could feel a sudden wave of water wash over him, before a scream tore through his head.

"Lorenzo!"

"AVA!"

He shot up in bed, eyes wide and a cold sweat running down his body.

"Lay back down, if your suture opens up, I'm going to kill you." Nono said in his usual slightly annoyed tone, as he put gloves away and pulled his mask down. Really not in the mood to argue with the overseeing medic, Lorenzo layed back down n the hospital bed, turning his head and noticing that he could look out of the window. So he was back at HQ? He tried to remember what happened. They went on a mission for a target that was supposed to run a deal, they arrived, but then Ava noticed that the whole scene was an illusion. Next thing he remembered a big beast attacked them. He got clocked in the head straight away and ... the last thing he saw... was Ava getting skewered by that beasts claws....

"How is-"

"Your friends are fine." Nono assured him, cleaning up his desk.

"They will all come through, but Sergey and you might take a while. You got a heavy concussion, so you're on watch."

So much fucking work will pile up. I already hate it.

"You guys are lucky that Zarria doesn't abide by protocol that much, or you'd all be dead now."

"Yeah, I'll remember to thank her later." Lorenzo said a bit uninterested. So Zarria had got them out of there. He'd have to ask her a few things.

"You need to rest. Lorenzo. Turn off your damn workaholic brain and just chill for a second. There is nothing you can do right now but lay there and wait for recovery."

"How fucking boring."

"Should'nt have gotten your brains pinballed by a giant bat-bear."

"Bat-bear?" he asked a bit unbelieving, Nono just gave a nod.

"At least that is what I could clearly isolate from it's blood sample."

"Actually, I don't wanna know."

"No, you don't."

The door swung open.

"Nono, did Lor- Lorenzo!" Avas voice immideatly jumped in excitement when he saw Lorenzo awake, catching himself right the next moment, cheeks flaring red and looking away.

"The fuck are you doing walking around?! Ya want your damn organs to spill out?!"

"But I-"

"But I nothing! Get your ass back to bed before I tell your brother!"

Ava slumped in on himself at that, looking like a scolded child. He turned around, but hesitated, sending a last look to Lorenzo and a gentle encouraging smile.

"I'm glad you're okay."

Lorenzo completely ignored the feeling in his chest.

"All of you are the same brand of annoyingly uncooperative. Oh wait! except for Leo! The only sensible guy in this fucking building!"

Lorenzo completely ignored Nonos further rant.

[glauconaryue]

I was tagged by @esther-on-fire to name one song for each letter of my url.

G - Galgentanz by Lebanon Hanover L - Let There by Light by Sunn o))) & Ulver A - An Angel of Great and Terrible Light by Uboa U - Unlimber by Coaltar of the Deepers C - Cardenal en el Infierno by Varsovia O - Ochansensu-su by tricot N - Los Niños del Parque by Liaisons Dangereuses A - Alien Babies by Easter R - Re-Run Home by Kamasi Washington Y - Your Turn to Run by Malaria U - U-Haft Muzak by Einstürzende Neubauten E - Everything Evaporate by Felicia Atkinson

Damn that was some work. I'm tagging @wolven-maw @hellengomes @perishlikeadog @ludovicosinistrari @shiningcelebi cause I'm always curious about their music taste but you only have to do if you want to.

[umarthiels]

Yet, when by this collision forced to turn towards home, and for long months of days and weeks, Ahab and anguish lay stretched together in one hammock, rounding in mid winter that dreary, howling Patagonian Cape; then it was, that his torn body and gashed soul bled into one another; and so interfusing, made him mad. That it was only then, on the homeward voyage, after the encounter, that the final monomania seized him, seems all but certain from the fact that, at intervals during the passage, he was a raving lunatic; and, though unlimbed of a leg, yet such vital strength yet lurked in his Egyptian chest, and was moreover intensified by his delirium, that his mates were forced to lace him fast, even there, as he sailed, raving in his hammock. In a strait-jacket, he swung to the mad rockings of the gales.

JESUS CHRIST

no wonder he's so messed up, they really just left him there?!

[therapardalis]

"You said it was left open for us!" Wes complained. The words were for the man behind him but were being muttered into the security panel that he was frantically jabbing in the hopes of silencing it. A stream of less savory words followed, spat out at the traitorous buttons as he tried entering the code he'd been given.

"I also said, and I quote, 'Wes, this isn't the Skate'." Hobbie was edging further and further away from Wes and eyeing the hanger exit.

They were supposed to have gone aboard Pulsar Skate, which was not this ship, and clear out a load of supplies that were being delivered. Once again, Wes had volunteered him for chores in order to then bully him into assisting with a prank once they were aboard. All well and good except that this wasn't the right ship, an alarm was starting up, and Hobbie didn't want to be caught messing with a random smuggler's ship.

A bottom panel opened up and something suspiciously shaped like a turret swiveled around.

Well that was that for Hobbie, he grabbed his wingmate by the shoulders and tried to pull the other man away from the ship, "Wes -"

"No, wait I think I got it. We can't just leave with all the security going off, we aren't barbarians you know."

"Oh yes we can. It's looking at us." When Wes shook him off Hobbie started backing away, and the turret tracked him as he moved further. What a way to die, caught trying to prank the wrong ship, safe on base.

'Don't go too close to the freighter', she'd said. 'The automatic security systems will be engaged', she'd said. It had been a serious but friendly warning to people she more or less trusted, at least as far as they wouldn't try to damage or steal the ship, and ... well, those security measures were made for the shittiest backholes of the Galaxy, and could be a little extreme.

There wasn't usually an alarm, or not a loud one, since most places she didn't want to attract attention, but on the off-chance of someone triggering things accidentally ... and just as well, as the high-pitched siren suddenly began to sound.

And continued to sound, which was a little more of an issue. Anyone with a lick of sense would have backed away when it first went off, left the outside motion sensors reading blank and avoided the engagement of 'Phase Two'. That being the automatic deployment of the belly turret as a preventative measure.

But, no ... someone was persistent, and as she came pounding back into the hangar at the run she saw ... well now. It looked like an attempted break-in after all.

"She doesn't like you." Thera thumbed the remote in her pocket, silencing the alarm before she spoke, and casually unlimbered her blaster from her hip. "I'm not enthusiastic, either."