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henswilsons · 1 year

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lafd updates kissing booth scene 😙

hi hi hello !! i was fortunate enough to get featured on an episode of @dispatchpodcast with the simply wonderful @burnthatbridge and had a truly delightful time, cannot recommend enough. i mentioned i had a few deleted scenes from lafd updates 2 and said “hehe maybe i’ll upload them during christmas”, and then as soon as rachel and i hung up i immediately forgot i’d said that so did not in fact upload them on christmas. anyway so better late than never? hope u enjoy hehe

this is lafd updates 2.5: kissing booth. aka will mia ever stop milking this verse (probably not)

Eddie has served two terms in the army. He has fired guns; he has killed people. He left his wife and his newborn son to do a military tour in the Middle East; he has lost countless people on the job.

And yet, somehow, this is his lowest moment: standing behind a kissing booth, wearing an LAFD shirt two sizes too small and a $5 FOR A KISS! badge.

It makes sense, he thinks resignedly to himself as the next woman steps up the booth. This is probably just karmic retribution for all the terrible things he’s done in his life. He’d thought he’d paid it back, by moving himself and Christopher to a new state where they’ve both thrived, taking a job that focuses on saving people instead of milling them down, but apparently not. Just when he thinks the universe has finished taking its turn laughing at him, he falls through another new, impossibly worse trapdoor of shame.

He just didn’t realise this one would mean potentially contracting Covid or beard burn.

“Hello,” he says, anyway, because he’s nothing if not a diligent protector of state. Also Buck has promised him the mother of all blowjobs if he cracks eight hundred dollars. “What’s your name?”

The latest woman blinks at him, a little owlishly. “Um, Alice,” she says with a blush. “Hi, sorry, I just can’t believe it’s really you. You’re so handsome in person.”

“Ha, really,” Eddie says, as though ninety percent of the tax-paying public willing to spend their daily latte budget on a smooch haven’t said the exact same thing to him. He’s honestly starting to get a little offended on behalf of his station portrait; he didn’t think it was that bad. At least not the point where people are insultingly surprised by his apparent good looks. Maybe it’s the hair? “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Alice. I’m Eddie.”

“I know,” she says. “I’m a big fan.”

Eddie reiterates: he posted about traffic and sandstorms. “Well, let’s give you your money’s worth.”

Behind manning a kissing booth, probably one of the more mortifying experiences of Eddie’s life had been discussing the parameters of what constituted a five-dollar kiss with his coworkers and captain. It’s good to know that at least two of his top five most humiliating moments have been solidified within a day; economical, probably, even if it means he needs to go into hiding for at least a week. Chimney had begun the team brief with, “Okay, but do you use tongue?” which was how Eddie knew he was in for a long afternoon. Or, the big banner outside the station with MR LAFD UPDATES MAN KISSING BOOTH INSIDE!! had been an inkling, but he’d been mostly optimistic.

“Like French kissing?” Bobby said.

“No one calls it French kissing anymore, old man,” Buck said. “It’s making out.”

“I,” Eddie said, “am not making out with people. I’m going to get the kissing equivalent of rug burn.”

Chimney had looked concerned. “A peck isn’t worth five dollars.”

“I didn’t tell you to charge five dollars per kiss.”

“Uh, if we want to beat out Station 19 for biggest donation, we’re gonna have to pull out the big guns.” Chimney then gestured at him, as though Eddie was in danger of forgetting that the culmination of the rivalry between the 118 and their biggest rivals rested on his shoulders. And tongue, apparently. He’d been having stress dreams for weeks.

“Yeah, you’re probably gonna have to use tongue,” Ravi said, not sounding apologetic at all. “Everyone in my mentions is talking about it.”

Maybe today would also encapsulate the third worst moment of Eddie’s life. If he played his cards right he might be able to hit all five. “About my tongue?” he said, tiredly. Three months ago, he would have been dismayed. He’s older and wiser to the whims of Twitter now; he’s resigned to his fate.

“#LAFDKissingBooth is trending,” Ravi said. “You better mint up.”

Eddie sighed anyway. “I liked it better when you were riding the coattails of my fame.”

“Oh, I still am,” Ravi said, and flashed his phone screen. “I run an LAFD Updates Man Updates account where I mostly just report on everything you’re doing.”

Hen was pretending not to find this deeply hilarious. It was fine; Eddie was used to being betrayed at this point. “Why?”

“Because I’m at, like, sixty thousand followers,” Ravi said. “By the way, everyone sends their best wishes about your defeat in Mario Kart yesterday.”

Buck said, “Ha!” like this was tremendously funny. “Update-caption.”

“Don’t you have anything to say about this?” Eddie said. “We’re dating.”

“And you’re about to make us hundreds of dollars,” Buck said kindly. “If you kiss them the way you kiss me we could probably charge eight or nine dollars for a kiss.”

“Oh, gag,” said Hen, at the same time as Chimney perked a finger up and broached, “Now, that’s not a bad idea.” There had also been a talk about Covid protocols and the implications of a kissing booth in the metropolis of California, as well as an agreed-upon number of seconds a kiss should last (six seconds, which Eddie had fought tooth and nail down from fifteen, what the fuck, Chim) and a loose script Eddie would follow, because apparently money in a box and then a smooch was “unromantic”, or whatever. “It’s the Mr LAFD Updates Experience,” Chimney said, emphasising the words in a way that they probably all started with capital letters, like a board game or bad dating simulator. God, it’s only a matter of time. “We need to generate good press for our charity auction in Christmas so hopefully we can sell off a date with you for over a grand.”

“We could start a farm in the mountains,” Eddie said to Buck. “Raise goats.”

Buck, who was an asshole for still sniggering at him, but also the love of Eddie’s life, said indulgently, “Goats are cool. Do you think we could make our own cheese?”

Their hideaway in the mountains where Eddie does nothing but spend time with his son and boyfriend making cheese and babying goats has kind of been the thing keeping him going through the afternoon. Even now as he leans in to kiss Alice, counting to six in his head (and keeping his tongue in his mouth, thank you), he lets his mind wander a little: pictures Buck in overalls and nothing else, milking cows and chewing on wheat. Mm.

It's not until she pulls away that he realises to his mortification he’s sprung to half-chub. Quickly he quickly slides the donations box in front of him.

Alice wipes her mouth on the back of her hand, looking a little dazed. “Damn,” she says. “If I pay another twenty what will that get me?”

Eddie tries for a smile. “Probably several rounds at Whack-A-Mole and maybe one of my captain’s smash burgers.”

Alice leans forward across the booth. “Just a smash burger?”

Eddie coughs. “Um, well. And Whack-A-Mole.”

“Lady,” someone loudly says in the queue behind her. “You got your turn. Stop holding up the line.”

Alice scowls, but drops twenty dollars in the donations box anyway before disdainfully swanning away. Eddie is sort of pleasantly surprised by this; he busies himself smoothing the bill down, does a rough estimate in his head with the amount of people he’s kissed across the afternoon and reckons he’s probably very near his eight hundred dollar goal, then looks up for his next customer.

And smiles.

“Well, hey there, cowboy,” Buck says, which is a poorly timed choice of words considering the trestle table they’ve got set up is only just covering Eddie’s boner at the thought of Buck murmuring yeehaw into his ear as they slow-fuck against a haybale. “I heard you’re giving out kisses?”

Eddie raises an eyebrow. Goat-rearing fantasies aside, he hasn’t forgotten it was Buck’s big mouth that landed him here. “It’s gonna cost you, you know. Five dollars.”

Buck pouts. “I don’t get a boyfriend deal?”

“You’re right. Ten dollars.”

Buck barks out a laugh, but pulls out a ten-dollar bill anyway. “Deal,” he says, tucks it into the box that only yesterday he and Christopher had spent an hour decorating at the kitchen table as Eddie fried gorditas at the stove. He leans forward, bracing his weight on the table with both hands. “So?”

“Well, let me give you your money’s worth,” Eddie recites dutifully, and it’s worth it for the way Buck laughs when he closes the distance, tasting his smile. Kissing Buck is familiar; grounding in a way, amidst the probably hundreds of strangers he’s kissed today. Buck tastes of the candy corn he’s definitely been sneaking behind Hen’s back, of the protein shake he and Eddie had shared on the car ride in; Eddie counts six seconds, but keeps a hand around the lovely curve of Buck’s face, where he can fit his thumb against the pulse in his neck. Buck bites a little at his lower lip; Eddie is on second twelve of fuck it and opens his mouth enough that he can lick his way in, chase out the bubbling laughter.

Behind them, someone wolf whistles.

Abruptly, he pulls away. Buck is still leaning forward, looking kinda dopey, mouth curved in that indulgent little smile of his whenever Eddie fucks up flipping pancakes or holds his hand in public. “Wow,” he says.

Eddie wipes his mouth. “Come again.”

“Oh, I will,” Buck says, who is predictable as the day is long. “Best ten dollars I’ve ever spent.”

He’s such a piece of shit. There’s no one Eddie wants to escape to the mountains to more. “Go help Bobby with his burgers, slacker.”

“And after I’ve made such a generous donation.” Buck leans away, and Eddie catches a glimpse of the people in line behind him, all gaping. Half of them have their phones out. Eddie altruistically lets this be tomorrow-Eddie’s problem. “How much have you raised?”

“With this?” Eddie flaps the latest ten-dollar addition. “I think this makes it eight hundred dollars.”

Buck grins. “Well, how about that, hey.”

“How about that.” Buck still doesn’t move away. Eddie sighs, but it’s mostly (read: all) for show. “What, Buck?”

Quick as whip, before Eddie can blink, Buck leans back in again over the table and pecks him, soft and slow. “Love you,” he says, and then darts off, leaving Eddie blinking after him.

The next person in line looks impressed. “Damn,” they say. “If I pay you ten dollars will you kiss me like that?”

“Sorry, boyfriend toll,” he says, and they good-naturedly snap their fingers. “But hey, nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

#my fic #mr lafd updates man #im. so sorry LMAO

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direwolfrules · 1 year

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Would anyone care for some unsolicited fanfic recs in this trying time?

Star Wars (because I have no other life):

(Re)convene by Nightfall_1409:

10 years after sacrificing himself for the Rebellion, Ezra Bridger is offered the chance to turn back the clock and alter the course of history forever- the Force sending back with him a ragtag band of heroes, all whom have proven themselves worthy of the chance, all of whom have the drive to prevent the events that turned their lives into living nightmares, all of whom have the chance to save their loved ones from their fates.

Now 35 years in the past, returned to the era of the Republic 6 years before the rise of the Empire, 3 years before the start of the Clone Wars, he has to unite his scattered allies- Ahsoka Tano, Din Djarin, Boba and Omega Fett- and put together the puzzle of what caused the galaxy to fall, or they'll all be doomed to watch it happen again.

Personal Thoughts:

I really like this one. Time travel is my favorite trope. It’s well written, it draws you in, and the author has done an excellent job of mashing up Legends and Canon in fun and unique ways.

It has everything: Force Sensitive Omega, Tired Space Dad Din Djarin accidentally becoming a main character, Ezra and Anakin as chaotic besties, no Jedi bashing, and much more that would be spoilers.

The author tries to update twice a month. It’s really good. Also this is the only one I’m including the summary for because I’m lazy.

Time-Traveling Artoo by SpiderMansUnfriendlyNeighbor

Crack fic go brrrr. Seriously though, it’s just Artoo fucking with Sidious and then kidnapping children to matchmake. I was laughing the whole way through.

A Means of Survival by LessAttitudeMoreAltitude

In which Ursa finds a half dead Jedi Padawan named Caleb and the Mandalorian Adoption instinct activates. Listen, Sabine has decided the Jetti’ad is her favorite person, they can’t just not adopt him

The Time Heals ‘verse by jessicas_pi

Force Sensitive Sabine travels back in time to the Clone Wars, accidentally bonds with a Force Entity that I’m 99% sure is the Brother, becomes Obi-Wan’s Padawan, and keeps accidentally-on-purpose bringing people back to the past.

Also Quinlan Vos is there.

It’s Sabezra if that’s a turn off for anyone.

You Either Die A Hero… by RennyBanette

The 501st gets trapped in a time loop on Umbara. Delightful crack full of Krell murder and fire.

The Desert Storm by Blue_Sunshine

This is the Star Wars time travel fic. It’s so good. 4 years after the fall of the Republic Obi-Wan gets caught in a sandstorm, and when it passes he’s back in time when Anakin’s just a three year old clinging to his mom’s skirt.

Naturally, Obi-Wan frees the Skywalkers, changes his name to Ben Naasade, takes his younger self as a Padawan, and gives Mace Windu so many headaches.

Featuring: Jedi Shmi Skywalker, Pong Krell getting his shit wrecked, Legends stuff, Jedi Shmi Skywalker, Mandalorians being awesome, Alderaan being awesome, Jedi Shmi Skywalker, Obitine, the Sith being evil and creepy, and most importantly, Jedi Knight Shmi Skywalker

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phoenixyfriend · 1 year

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Star Wars AU Masterlist: Time-Travel

Navigation Post

Fun fact, tumblr allows 250 links on the old editor and 100 in the new. So. Network of masterlists.

Currently this list is separated into:

Time Travel AUs in the Wider AUs masterlist

Jangosoka

Ahsoka-focused

Disaster Trio (one or more, exclusing Ahsoka solos or Vader solos)

Original Trilogy cast

Other

Time Travel AUs in the Wider AUs or Big League posts:

* Fake Spontaneous Training Bond

Uncle Ben and Little Luke

* Sandstorm Verse

* Obi-Wan Declares Himself Dad-Shaped

* Anakin and the Jedi Babies

* Rex and Anakin Raise a Family

Commander Buir: an excuse to let Cody be dad-shaped

* Dimension Hopping to an Omegaverse

Fake Sith TCW Trio (7.5k words)

Ghost Vader Shows Up To Help

Time-Travel Bosoka AU

The King the Soldier and the Spy

Parole Officer Fulcrum Steals Three Million Babies

Jangosoka

Fett and Fulcrum

Crack Ship Ahoy: Jango/Ahsoka

* Sugar, Spice, and a Heart to Entice (4.7k words)

Rex Cockblocks Jangosoka (it’s more depressing than it sounds)

Accidental Mand’alor Ahsoka

Jangosoka scarring Obi-Wan for life

Go away, Skyguy!

Something that’s... approaching analysis

The nature of time-travelers and Jango

Jango gets catapulted to “The Book of Boba Fett” and refuses to believe that Boba is Boba, so Ahsoka gets involved

Ahsoka

Ezra and Fulcrum’s Wacky Adventure

Rex and Ahsoka are two halves of the same idiot black ops specialist

Breaking into Kamino

The Girl Who Died at Mortis

Ahsoka/Depa ft. jealous Bo-Katan and jealous Jango

Naming Conventions for time-traveler Ahsoka

Ahsoka’s Terracotta Army, which is honestly mostly @epicmusic42 and @graylinesspam - A wee addendum - New Mando Archaeologist

“On her way to fuck your dad” Ahsoka/Jaster, Jango staring in horror from the background

Ahsoka claims her mom is Daughter from Mortis

Disaster Trio (non Ahsoka-solos)

A Knight, a Padawan, a Captain... and Boba, tagged as “Boba and the Torrents”

Obi-Wan adopts Jango by accident - Obi-Wan even lectures Jaster

The Future Assistant Dooku Didn’t Ask For

Are you done talking yet? (now with ficlet by @nevertheless-moving)

Obi-Wan and Anakin as twins

The Nature of Time-Travel Romance (absolutely sucks for you)

My Obi! AU - Addendum

Obitine + Baby Anakin

Inconvenient Crushes - Arguments with Adult Obi

Jaster/Obi

Faustian AU: Anakin and Ahsoka go from TCW Mortis Ep. to TPM-era Kamino, and somehow become the AI that controls Tipoca city

Fulcrum and Old Ben

TCW Anakin ends up Dooku’s care between Qui-Gon and Komari since the Council can’t just give him Knighthood when there’s not a war

Physically time-traveled Anakin ‘kidnaps’ mentally time-traveled toddler Obi-Wan

Other Prequels/TCW Travelers

Time-Traveled Clones Give Anakin a Mental Breakdown

Time Travel to Release the Zillo Beast

Bo-Katan is here to ruin fix change everything

Conservation of souls retroactive clone eggs, Thumbelina/Momotaro/Kaguya style

Padme dies and wakes up fourteen again, goes for Sidious’s throat

12yo Shmi Skywalker, with memories of the next 35 years, hijacks a ship and finds Obi-Wan’s parents (one of whom is pregnant)

Cryo Kix wakes up, spends two weeks in the ST, and then falls backwards into TCW

Time-traveler Dooku (trying not to be evil, this time), mostly by @epicmusic42)

Dooku, who is older than Palpatine, travels back far enough that he can grab Young Palpatine for the Temple before Plagueis gets him

Dooku gets punted back to Galidraan. So does Jango.

Totally the Real Jango: some clones lie to bb!Jango’s face and claim to be him, from the future

Vader

Fox and Vader’s Excellent Incredibly Stupid and Homicidal Adventure

Future Emotions AU

Anon suggests Vader shows up in that short period between Amidala’s election as Queen and Palpatine’s election as Chancellor

Why we love Vader time travel fics

Vader and baby Anakin body swap through time

Vader time travels to be baby Anakin again, goes full vegetarian

Another Vader time travel (along with links to a misskirby au that is no longer available on her now-defunct blog)

DarthFett, possibly body swap

The one where Darth Vader travels back in time as a Kitten

Vader Swears Loyalty to a Clone Toddler - With fic on AO3 written by @delightedlymisinformed

Vader lands on Rattatak

Baby Vader (Raised a Sith, mental time-travel) finds padawan Obi-Wan for Help (also Maul is there) - Maul is also an uncle for the Twins

Original Trilogy Cast

Time Travel ft. Leia and Vader

Han & Boba bumped to pre-TCW - Addendum - There’s more now - A bunch by @uh-oh-its-bird

Luke Collects Last Names

Luke brings a porg

Ghost Aunt Leia

Leia Antilles, Senator of Serenno - Addendum

Leia/Jango (Concord Dawn & Alderaan destruction comparison)

Time-traveled Boba, also this

Han shows up in pre-TPM, accidentally starts Being Dad at his pint-sized father-in-law

Fulcrum is how the twins know their pragmatism was justified even by pre-war standards

Somewhat Estranged ST-era HanLeia and pre-AotC Padme end up on Melida/Daan

De-aged Mandalorian cast (Din, Boba, Fennec, Luke) tossed into the months leading up to AotC

Leia when meeting AotC Anakin

Other

Rey Gives No F*cks About the Grandfather Paradox - Palpatine Tries to Arrange a Marriage - Addendum

Maul: Motherfucker Unlimited

Artoo and Threepio cause problems

Rey ends up in the PT, then Qui-Gon’s new apprentice

Baze/Chirrut messing around with Jinn&Kenobi

Tarre Viszla is reincarnated as Bo-Katan's baby

Cal Kestis drops back to TCW, accidentally derails things because he didn’t know he was Obi-Wan’s bio kid

An ask I got about Obisoka and Anisoka

#star wars #time travel #phoenix posts #masterposts

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val-victory · 5 months

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Meet the Trainer

You can call me Val, i am an Ace Trainer from Unova on my way to become Champ. i can beat some of the Elite-4 but i lack the consistency to beat all of them. (and i am scared of the Champ).

Btw my Partner is Piper @/justyouraveragepoketherapist they are the loveliest Person i know.

//CURRENT ARC: BITLEAKS (read them and every Post marked #lore)

Bitleaks File 01: Toxic Voltage

Bitleaks File 02: Paperwork

Bitleaks File 03: coming soon //

Here are my two Teams, featuring the cutest and friendliest little Mons you could possibly meet.

6v6 Team: Glassstorm

Every single Member is immune to Sandstorm which is my Main Strategy with them (bring your Goggles if you wanna fight)

Scizor - "Sense"

My beloved. Even though he lost a Part of his Pincer, he still packs a Bullet Punch. He is emotionally dependent on me and follows me everywhere.

"Torterra - "Cheli"

he is just a sweet little Boy who often forgets that he is no longer a small Turtwig. a real gentle Giant, unless he wants to play.

Magcargo - "Kratik"

She is slow, but she warms my Heart and my Home. Literally, she lives inside of my Cellar and gives off enough Excess Heat to keep my Home at a warm 20 degrees even in the Winter.

Tyranitar - "Dess"

The bringer of the Sandstorm. Do not get on her bad Side, otherwise you will have to sweep the Floor(from all the Sand).

Mawile - "Schkrinkel"

He is cute and knows it, he constantly demands to be pet otherwise he will nibble on you with his small Mouth. But don't worry he might bite you with his Big Maw too.(positive)

Gliscor - "Fledex"

Tried to teach him Flight. didn't work. He's well versed in Literature and Art but because he can't talk he just hangs upside down on the Ceiling. i like his Pincers :3

3v3 Team: "Lightning Polygon Team Star"

Porygon2 - "Bit"

It likes to digitize itself and lives in my Computer, i don't mind since it never corrupts anything. Also i won't evolve it, i am not giving a sweet little thing weird Data from another Dimension.

Vikavolt - "Don"

i honestly think that she is evil. But since she listens to my Commands i don't have to fear for my Life, but sometimes when i hear her flying around... those Wings are the sound of Death. She is larger than a typical Specimen of her Species, the Alolans called her a Totem.

Toxapex - "Quäli"

He is so sweet, i like him a lot and even though his poisonous Stings hurt a lot and for a long Time, i can't be mad at him, he is just trying to hug me. i think it's mostly on me when he attacks me, since i disturbed him in his Aquarium.

//HUGE BITCH ALERT. do not attempt Contact unless comfortable with being Called a Shithead.

mild rules.

if you don't want to be yelled at you have to write in an overly friendly tone, hype up Val's achievements or write something like "genuinely curious". Expect a rude answer otherwise.

Val is not an evil Villain, don't treat her like one. treat Val like a rude Person who just took your Bus Seat.

Pelipper Mail:open

Magic Anons: off(unless you think that your idea is like really good but i will probably delete anyway)

Musharna Mail: open

#rotumblr #first post #rotomblr #pokeblogging #pinned #pinned post

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hum--hallelujah · 8 months

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all ears and all scars - Danger Days/America's Suitehearts, Dr. Benzedrine & Horseshoe Crab character/relationship study & hurt/comfort

There's only so much a silent sandpup like him can do. Understanding only goes so far. In the end, it seems the others always turn to him, as if he has any idea what he's doing. All he knows is that he wants to make life better for them. It's the same thing they all want for each other, isn't it?

Benze wants to make life better by making it safer, offering help where it's needed, making something out of what he's lost. Sandman wants to make life mean something, be it by love or smuggling. Donnie wants to make the harm he's done mean something. Crab just wants to make his friends know that their lives do mean something, already, without any of that.

When Sandman and Donnie go to the races sometimes Crab stays behind. If they're not taking the van, there’s no point. They can’t all ride on Sandman’s bike, anyway. Half the time Crab and Benze stay back, do inventory, bicker silently and make each other crazy trying to read or talk. The fact that Crab’s shit at reading and Benze is shit at signing makes things difficult. But they make it work.

Crab will admit it can be frustrating. Not just that Benze never seems to be able to learn sign, that’s just the way his brain works, or doesn’t work; but that the other see him as someone solid, a fallback. He’s not too much of everything the way Sandman is, or trapped inside himself like Donnie. Benzedrine’s brain is broken. Crab is arguably the most steady of them, but they think he knows what he’s doing. They think it’s on purpose, instead of accidentally stumbling into exactly what he needs to do. He’s fumbling through everything and they don’t even see it.

It’s never bothered him as much as it should that he can’t talk anymore. The wound itself hurt like hell when it happened and it took a long time to get used to it, but it doesn’t cause him grief anymore. He thinks, sitting on a rusty stool in the garage while Benze flips through a medical journal one of their sources had slipped into a shipment as a bonus, humming something under his breath about surgeries and biometrics and cybernetic replacements, that it bothers the others more than it does him.

And oh, Sandman is chill about it. They knew each other as kids, though Crab was never as close with him as Donnie was, but meeting up again as they are now, one of them more jaded and one with vocal cords severed, never seemed to faze him. Most sandpups grow up at least vaguely versed in sign, anyway. But Donnie will never forgive himself, and Benze spent a week after they met trying to avoid him before asking, suddenly, if he could examine the wound. Crab had sat patiently, curiously, while the strange little guy’s hands had probed and pressed at his throat. Benze had apologized, said he wished they’d met sooner. Crab thinks he still regrets that by the time they knew each other it was too late for him to do anything. But Crab doesn’t care.

He waves a hand in the air for way too long before Benze registers the movement. That's how he knows it's bad. When Benze looks over, there's something faintly glazed in his eyes, like the blue has been mixed up in a sandstorm. He's not exactly focused. There's a wildness in his gaze. Not many people clock it, but Benze is a whirlwind. They see the soft roundness of his face, the wide eyes, the complete and utter lack of understanding of how life works in the Zones, the way he struggles with words and language, and think he's an easy target, something fragile. They don't know the heart that beats behind those soft clothes and sunburnt skin.

Benze might be crazy. His brain is definitely broken. He doesn't think the way anyone else does. He doesn't talk straight — tenses change a the time, his words come out in the wrong order, similar sounding words mixed up, syllables misspoken. There's times he gets confused about people's names. His own name, sometimes, even. The things inside his head just don't work right.

"Are you okay?" Crab signs slowly, concentrating on making the movements clear. He's known sign for most of his life but only had to speak in it for two years. His habits are sloppy, hands slurred.

Benze blinks a few times, quickly. "Am I... okay?" He checks, face forming into a quick flash of a frown. Crab nods. "Oh," Benze says. "I'm... thinking but fine?"

Crab doesn't think that's how he meant that sentence to sound. He forms his response off his best guess. Maybe they're always trying to translate each other. "Thinking about what?" There's about a half dozen phrases the two of them can bounce back and forth. They've had some version of his conversation, either out of concern or curiosity, enough times that this, at least, is easy to translate.

Benze takes a pause to process the question. There's an untidy stack of papers in his hand, pages torn from books, dictionaries, zines, anywhere Benze could find them. He looks like if he thinks much harder he's going to drop them. Crab huffs with a smile and leaves his stool behind with a hop, reaches out and takes the sheets from his friend before they slip and cut his hands. Benze might think Sandman is the careless one of the bunch, but Benze hurts himself more often than any other.

"You," Benzedrine mutters faintly, glazed-over eyes squinting upwards at Crab. "The... if I could... you... I want just..." he purses his lips the way he does when he realizes his words are getting all tangled up. "Maybe it's not too late?" he says shrilly, high pitched and hesitant and determined all mixed up.

Crab shakes his head. He sets the papers all down and snags Benze's hands in his own. Benze freezes, any small movement stalling completely as he jerks his eyes down to the contact. He'll let Crab know if it's too much. It always startles him but it isn't usually bad. It always startles Crab how warm his hands are, too. He always expects Benze's hands to be cold to the touch, but they're warm and soft and uncalloused. He wonders idly if Benze would let them paint his nails.

He's not gonna use any words for this. He's too much at a loss for that. He doesn't see his condition as something that needs fixed. But he's stopped being offended by Benzedrine's fixation on it. He's a doctor. He thinks he's supposed to fix things. Crab thinks it might be the only way he knows how to show love. He never knows what to say and he has to let his hands speak for him anyway. Sign isn't the only way to do that. If it all goes wrong they'll figure it out as they go.

He draws one of Benze's hands up and lets it go. Benzedrine's eyes become suddenly clearer as his hand hovers just over the thick, raised scar across his throat. His breathing hitches and his eyes flick to Crab's. "I'm sorry," he whispers. Crab isn't sure if he means for overstepping or for the wound itself. Crab shakes his head again either way.

Benze carefully runs soft fingers over the scar. The feather-light touch almost makes Crab flinch, but instead he leans into it, pressing his neck into Benzedrine's hand. It's an incredibly vulnerable position to be in. A doctor should know that. By the careful steadiness of Benze standing in front of him, straw-colored hair illuminated by ugly solar-rigged fluorescent lights, Benzedrine does.

Crab wonders if Benze can feel the fast, fluttery way his heart is beating. He's out of his depth, so far at a loss. He's trying to do the right thing and terrified it's wrong.

"Your pulse is fast," says Benze. His familiar fingers move from the pinkish scar to Crab's pulse point, pressing gently under his jaw. "Are you okay?" He asks, turning Crab's question back on him.

Crab lifts his hands up between them. "If you are," he signs, so wholeheartedly his hands shake. This whole thing scares him. Benzedrine's insanity, the mess in his head that drove him to shoot up just to get away from it. The fact that they'll never really understand each other. The way he's always offering reassurances but sometimes wants some for himself. If he can make others okay then maybe he can reassure himself next.

Benze stares at his hovering hands for a moment, then grabs them again, like he doesn't want to let go. "But you're shaking," he observes, almost clinically. "Your pulse is racing. You're nervous," he says. "You asked me if I'm okay but you're anxious." He says all this calmly and confidently, as a doctor, but then glances up at Crab with a question asking in his eyes.

Crab hesitates, but nods. He feels out of his depth, and he can't swim. Like the way it feels when you're falling asleep and jerk awake with the feeling that you're falling, losing your balance. Maybe that's it. He hasn't been sleeping well. Nightmares he can't tell anyone else about because they'd only make the life they've built worse. So he nods. And doesn't offer an explanation. He isn't sure he has one.

"Why?"

Crab shrugs. He suctions his tongue to the roof of his mouth, like sealing his mouth shut makes any difference. He shifts his weight, almost swaying back and forth on his feet.

Benze hums a few low notes, the way he does sometimes. They never have any particular melody. But Benzedrine has a beautiful voice. "Can I help?" He asks, half sing-song.

"I wish," Crab signs bitterly, pulling one hand away to form the words and mouthing them silently at the same time.

With unusual clarity, Benze peers up at him, before questioning, "You wish what?"

"You could help," signs Crab. He doesn't quite care if Benze gets it or not. Whatever strange nervous, feedback loop energy is hanging in the air says enough already. "I'm just tired," he adds. The doctor will accept that explanation even if Crab's own mind will not. He has no real reason to be bothered. He wasn't bothered a minute ago. He's supposed to be worrying about Benze, not the other way about.

Benze catches the last word, used enough in the station to be familiar to him. Maybe if the others used sign more, it would help him learn it better? Or maybe his brain just won't accept it, maybe things will always be stilted like this. "Tired?" He hums thoughtfully. "Are you sleeping enough?" He asks, his hands moving back to either side of Crab's neck. Much longer and he's going to start going through the motions of a checkup, lights flashed in eyes and all.

Crab nods. He's always some form of tired. Aren't they all? Sleep doesn't change it. Benze should know that by now. "Not always well," he admits, because he is a mostly honest person, unless you play cards against him.

Benze, after the cautious confusion of working out the words, nods, like he expected that. Maybe he did. Far be it from Crab to know what goes on in that cracked head of his. Far be it from Crab to know much of anything, maybe. He’s been operating on instinct for so long that paying attention starts to feel weird. Benze continues humming, a light sound that’s half thought, half music. It’s tense, like most things about him, but soothing.

His thumbs run over the scar over Crab’s throat again and he tips his head in a parody of a knowing shrug. “Bilateral vocal cord paralysis can lead to increased fatigue,” he says. It’s less cold, doctorish and more flowing into that continued subconscious hum he carries on. “You might not even notice it. The effort of even breathing takes more work due to the lack of function… here,” he says, pressing slightly on parallel spots at Crab’s throat. It makes Crab’s breath stutter outside his control, and his eyes lock onto Benze’s.

Benze is staring fixedly at Crab’s face, brows folded slightly, watching for his reaction. It’s unsettling. Still, despite instinct welling up inside him, he trusts that though Benze might be crazy, he’s still his best friend. He would never hurt him.

He forms one hand into the single letter 'Y' and his face into a question. Benze watches it intently, adds the two together. “When the vocal cords are paralyzed they usually fall into a default position that’s too close together to allow for perfect normal breathing. The remaining throat muscles have to pick up the slack, which requires more effort than simply the medulla oblongata and pons’ rhythms.”

Crab doesn’t know what much of that means. He doesn’t know much of anything, as a matter of fact. But when Benze moves his hands away, he knows he misses the touch. It’s a strange version of the kind of comfort Crab usually offers. He’s not used to being on the other side of it.

“Did you know you snore?” Benze hums quietly. He’s shuffling through his stack of papers again while Crab stands unsure of himself in the same place, and looking back over his shoulder. Crab shrugs. Makes sense, he guesses. Benze nods. “That’s why.”

Crab looks over Benze’s shoulder at the papers. He can read some of it, tentatively, uneasily. It’s all the things Benzedrine was muttering about earlier, he thinks. It unsettles him, but at the same time, this is how Benze cares about people. By caring for them. Maybe they’re a little bit alike in that way. He sets his hand on Benzedrine’s shoulder and reaches, fumbles more like, for a pen he’d seen him writing with earlier.

You don’t have to fix me, he writes next to the heading of a lone page of a heartless medical advertisement. It’s wobbly and spelled by sound, so probably not right, but Benze gets it right away. He stares from Crab’s shitty handwriting on the page and then into his eyes. Crab doesn’t know what’s going on in there, but does he ever?

“I know,” he says eventually. “But I still wish-“

Crab signs, “Wish what?”

“That I could help.”

Crab nods. He leans against the work table, stares down at the mess there. He taps one of Benze’s books. It’s one of the ones he goes back to when he’s trying to explain his practices. It’s old and soft around the edges and was written by a real human. Benze says it was one of the only things he had on his person when he broke for the Zones. The humanity is written in the pages. “Read to me?” He signs slowly, not because it’s something he thinks will help Benze. It might. Maybe even probably will. But it’s something he thinks will help him. Maybe even probably.

Benze’s eyes go wide and startled for a moment when he gets the gist of what Crab is saying. Crab thinks he pieces it together more from the gesture to the book and the asking in his eyes than by the actual words he spells with his hands. That doesn’t bother him. And Benze, after a few moments’ hesitation, leaves his stack of scavenged papers to reach for the book.

“Okay,” he says, not quite a question but nearly there. “…Inside?”

Crab huffs, the lift in his chest just brushing the edge of his lips. He nods, loops an arm around Benzedrine’s shoulders when he turns toward the door to the rest of the station. He starts to pull away when Benze tenses up, but he shakes his head.

“It’s okay,” Benze assures him. “It’s fine. You’re good,” he says, far more casual, loose even, than he’s seemed all day. Maybe the switch has flicked somewhere in that cracked brain of his, and the light is getting in. He glances sideways at Crab and offers a smile. His smile is always a little off. Too wide, not wide enough, too flat, something wrong in his eyes. But it’s genuine. He never smiles unless he means it.

They wind up settling on the ancient, worn-through couch in the lounge, where there’s a faint breeze pushing through the fabric covering a broken window. Crab taps the cover of the book again, drops his head onto Benzedrine’s shoulder and tilts it to look at him expectantly. Benze stares right back, like he always does. The sandstorm’s out of his eyes and now it’s more like that breeze.

Benze starts to read quietly, stilted at first before setting into that natural humming tone. It’s just the introduction, the most human part of the book, the part that talks about promises to be kept, lives to be saved. Crab’s head rests comfortably on the soft slope of Benze’s shoulder and the warmth of him beside him is comfortable, safe. His breathing rasps a little, but the doctor is right here. He’s asleep before Benze gets to the second chapter.

#oh yeah btw in my headcanon the suitehearts live in an old fire station outpost thing #i mean like the zones are in california it’s highly populated irl there’s probably fire stations all over out there #so like they have the garage/bay to park their van/sandman’s bike/their supplies #and they’ve got a reasonably adapted living space directly attached to it #anyway. yeahg this…. them….#she writes!#ddas #danger days #america’s suitehearts #dr benzedrine #horse shoe crab #i’ll edit to add a title later once i uhhh figure one out dsjhkjghfjkg #and if i have to make any like. regular edits too. but i’m too tired rn lol

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johannwolfgangvongoethe · 15 days

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Hello valued mutual-in-law (I am the twitter mutual of Matt’s whose friend is long term essaying with him over curiouscat, for context); I just wanted to say I just read your writing on disability within enstars you linked in reply to one of the curiouscat exchanges (which I’ve been reading bc I like seeing what both people involved have to say) + the post about guardianship re: the Merus that it linked to. Just wanted to say thanks for writing it all because it was really insightful — particularly the Sakuma segment, because I’m not very well-versed on the two of them and especially not with Rei, who I’m mostly acquainted to through being a casual enjoyer of the oddballs’ group dynamic, as well as a 2winkP (the latter of which provides sort of complicated feelings on him based on Setsubun & its aftermath, or general lack thereof that’s only really brought up in Nightclub from what i’ve seen do far;;). Like I did know to a basic degree about the Wagahai & Orei selves being personas but the detail in which you went into them + the way his disability affects him & his relationship with Ritsu really gave me some new insight on him & a motivation to learn more up on him.

Tldr; I enjoyed your thoughts and writings on the mixed bag of disability representation in enstars, thank you for writing all that it was nice insight, and it helped me understand the Sakumas — particularly Rei — better. Good posts op

HIIII holy shit, thank you so much for reading them. JUST HOW FAST WERE YOU.... i am really happy to hear you liked them!!! its just a lot of rambling but i love to yap + i love when others yap and it introduces me to a new perspective...... in my mind were holding hands and dancing in a meadow <:)

genuinely, i think no one can be immune to the oddballs, right. theyre just good. see.... my partner is a shuP and my bestie is a natsumeP and matt is a wawaP and i am a rei guy by necessity and ..... THIS IS HOW I KNOW NOTHIONG ABOUT KANATA.... i feel like often orienting oneself around enstars as a series is extremely about picking like a handful of charas to major in and knowing people who are into everyone else so you experience enough secondhand lore LOL

i extremely get you though, rei is not sympathetic. i am on pc but what i mean is 2winkP handshake emoji kogaP = Fuck That Guy

i could talk about rei (and ritsu for that matter. tho i havent read that much about him) in the context of disability forever.... and it feels important because it is an angle that discussion about him is just EXTREMELY lacking. it often feels like barely anyone bothers to think about how much being ill shapes his person, his relationships, his job, his actions.... and i cant really blame people either because they probably havent made the necessary experiences to really internalize how big of a deal that is...

and narratively..... there is a big trend of characters being very lenient with him and basically thanking him for being.... extraordinarily condescending, nosy, emotionally unavailable, and actively a danger for everyone involved. the worst examples that instantly come to mind for me are repayfes, setsubun (as you mentioned), and dont even get me started on hidden beast.

+ often hes some sort of deus ex machina plot device for lazy writing and its SO obnoxious.

setsubun specifically is so weird because i understand and support his weird cartoon villain act (as in, its engaging to read and an interesting manifestation of his issues) and obviously i LOVE the drama of characters being unwell and causing issues for others that way... conflict is great... but the way the twins react to it purely positively at the end is just a really disappointing. like i dont expect them to truly nail that hinata almost died an hour ago but come on. (ig sandstorm tries to pick up there....) also sort of why i never brought anything in there about being "monstrous" and how "monsters are created" up in my disability post.... really really fits the topic and a lot of it is coming from the horses (reis) mouth but the context hinata and yuta experience it in is just an entirely different one. hm....

its sort of a similar deal with himeru, right. narratively i am disappointed. they dont get chewed out by the people i want. and hes doing evil shit. but then i see him and i go :( thats my funny menhera man.......

#sorry i started ranting........ i have so much energy to shittalk characters i actually enjoy

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trinitynox · 10 months

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Trin Reviews: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part I

This review contains spoilers for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part I

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Amidst the memery and hyper of Barbenheimer, Tom Cruise’s latest attempt at tempting fate and spiting god appears to have slipped by audiences – kinda like how Ethan Hunt slipped by his pursuers in the movie though he probably intended it.

As someone who hasn’t even watched every movie in the franchise (never saw M:I 1 or 2; vaguely remembers 3-6), some easter eggs and themes are going to be lost on me, so do forgive me. I also rate Fallout to be the best Mission: Impossible before going into this one. Has this entry changed my ranking?

The movie opens with a tense scene in a Russian submarine, the Sevastopol, in a sea-trial gone wrong that sets the movie in motion. Ethan is then sent to rescue Ilsa from mercenaries sent by his boss. In true Mission: Impossible fashion, the fight isn’t easy. The power couple has to shoot their way out (I agree with Hideo Kojima, Rebecca Ferguson with an eye patch, sniping... sweats) of a sandstorm and fake Ilsa’s death. Maybe because I’ve seen the trails too many times but the camera work didn’t feel as impressive to me in this scene as I thought it would from the trailers. Or maybe it’s the score? I don’t know.

I was originally going to continue on scene by scene but then it wouldn’t really be a review, would it? It’d be a text based reaction commentary.

So anyway, the movie was supremely entertaining. My partner who has never watched a single Mission: Impossible, was very happy with the movie and had the urge to watch every preceding movie after we came out of the theatre.

The action was fantastic. A lot of hype and attention was given to Tom Cruise biking off a cliff and parachuting down but to me, the more impressive stunt was the fight atop the Orient Express, where they had built a train to shoot on and eventually wreck because they couldn’t find a train that they could also destroy.

Tom Cruise and Esai Morales (and his stunt person, I guess?) fighting on a moving train was one of the tensest and most exhilarating fight sequence I’ve seen. One wrong move and the whole thing could’ve been over. Then there was the part where they had to fight on their bellies while the train was going through a tunnel. God. What a show. I’m really interested in knowing how the whole sequence was filmed.

A fight that I was not a huge fan of was between Rebecca Ferguson (Ilsa) and Esai Morales (Gabriel). Ilsa entered the fight with a sword while Gabriel had a knife. In theory, as long as Ilsa kept her distance, she had the advantage. BUT SHE KEPT CLOSING THE DISTANCE, WHERE SHE HAD EVERY DISADVANTAGE. That ticked me off so badly, and made me so anxious, especially since Ilsa is my favourite MI girl. She had Gabriel locked with her legs at one point, which he obviously used as an opportunity to stab her in the thigh...

Needless to say, I was quite upset with Ilsa’s death (they faked her death once, they can do it again. C’mon McQ) especially with her role in this movie. She felt less like a character and more like an NPC team member whose role is to get the MC to the next plot point.

Haley Atwell was a welcomed addition to the crew, if only it wasn’t so obvious she would be replacing Rebecca Ferguson. Ethan being given a choice on whether Grace or Ilsa should die may seem weird, and it kinda is, given that Ethan and Ilsa has been through so much together. Even if not romantic partners, Ilsa should’ve been the obvious choice for Ethan to save over Grace. But I think him not being able to choose or refusing to choose is very in character for Ethan. He will have his cake and eat it too, or die trying.

Anyways, back to Grace. The chemistry between Ethan and Grace is fantastic, and I think it’s carried by Haley Atwell’s charm. She definitely showed that she has the potential to be a stellar field agent but not one yet. Someone put it well, she’s well versed in the criminal world but terrible in the spy world. I think she just needs some training and polishing, which I think she will get with the implication of her joining the IMF.

Which leads me to the comedy in this movie. I think this is the funniest Mission movie of the ones I can remember. The jokes are not the quippy Marvel fare, which has gotten grating over the years with almost every character having a one-liner. The comedy in this one is more situational, more like 2 close friends giving each other shit and being themselves, and of course lamp-shading how absurd the series has gotten. (What does the International Monetary Fund got to do with this?)

I think almost every joke landed for me or at least got a chuckle out of me. And it didn’t detract from the emotional moments while adding some levity to moments that didn’t need to be as serious where other franchises might’ve taken very seriously.

I have tried to find a way to work in parts about Vanessa Kirby and Pom Klementieff in this review but failed to because their characters were fairly minor and not very relevant to the central core of the plot. They’re not irrelevant, just minor.

Nothing much to say about Vanessa Kirby’s White Widow except the way looks she gives throughout the movie makes me feel things. Such a powerful and commanding presence whenever her character is relevant to the scene.

Pom Klementieff’s Paris was fun. I’m glad she survived and hope to see her in Part II. Her enjoying the thrill of the chase and fight with Ethan in a tight alley makes me think she could be a very good Harley Quinn. Maybe an alternate version since Margot Robbie currently owns that role?

I thought the story was a little weak compared to Fallout, but the latter had set a high bar for Mission so it’s not a failure on Dead Reckoning Part I to not meet that bar. It was a little confusing who the players are, which side they’re on etc, but perhaps that is the point?

In this crazy crazy world where facts almost don’t matter, how can you know who is good and who is bad? Who is right and who is wrong? The movie has pointed out that Ethan has gone rogue frequently to save the world and that he has always been right to do so. But what if he’s wrong once? What will the consequences be when Ethan thinks he’s doing what he’s doing for the greater good but is actually becoming the very villain he has tried to stop time and time again? ...That might be a good potential movie idea. TC, McQ, gimme a call.

There’s also a question of what is the Entity’s end goal? What does it want? Besides killing Ethan, of course.

I hope these question can be answered in the next movie, along with a proper emotional payoff for Ilsa’s death (SHE BETTER NOT BE DEAD)

8.5/10

#movie #movies #mission impossible #dead reckoning spoilers #dead reckoning part 1 #dead reckoning part one #movie review #tom cruise #vanessa kirby #pom klementieff #rebecca ferguson #haley atwell #simon pegg #ving rhames #vanessa kirby glower at me please

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mayxthexforce · 5 months

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Headcanuary - Day 2

Prompt: weather.

A'Sharad Hett

Due to being born and raised on Tatooine for the first 15 years of his life and then spending the rest of it mostly on Coruscant, where the weather and temperature are carefully controlled by the artificial atmosphere, he can't handle cold weathers well. He's not used to it. Gets cold very easily even though he puts out a lot of heat. Whoever sleeps with him, get ready to get pulled into rib-crushing cuddles.

Kilindi Matako

You'll never meet someone who gets as happy about hot and humid weather as Kilindi does. It's her absolute favorite. While most other people are trying to stick under the shade and right beside an AC unit or just to stay as dry as possible, she's taking the time to bask in the sun without the risk of rapidly dehydrating or her skin drying up. It's the sort of day when people want to stay indoors, meanwhile she's trying to drag them out to do things.

Koska Reeves || Medrit Vasur

They have mixed feelings about rainy weather. On one hand, it's good for the land. On the other, it turns Mandalore into a muddy hellhole where no matter where you step you end up a few inches deep in mud.

Goran Beviin

He loves the rain. Nar Shaddaa didn't have any rain ever. Loves how after it rains the sky is clear and so many stars can be seen the night after a rainy day (stars was also something he just didn't get to experience growing up on Nar Shaddaa). He definitely isn't stopped by rain when it comes to having to go outside. Comes back with boots caked in mud but his armor? It's never been cleaner.

Luke Skywalker || Merrin

They love snow. They both come from places where it never snows at all, where —to them— snow was just a concept, a thing that other people got to experience– not them, never them. But then they got to leave their homeworlds and now they have to get dragged back inside, lips purple, because they want to be out in the snow as much as they can. My condolences to whoever happens to be there with them because there WILL be a snow fight. Merrin is far more ruthless than Luke is.

Maulkiller || The Dark Apprentice (Thunder verse)

The Kamino weather is ruthless and unyielding. A good weather day on Kamino is considered a day where it's raining so hard you can't see five feet in front of yourself, but the waves have yet to claim any lives. Because of this, the day Subject 1139 was taken out of his growth tank and allowed to roam certain areas of the facility, he was first faced with the storm outside, the lightning blinding him momentarily while the thunder shook the walls. Maulkiller was there to watch this, it was the first time he saw the scientists' so called perfect creation show any sort of reaction. Fear. Maulkiller knew Vader wouldn't like that, and decided to give the newest addition to Vader's menagerie a small mercy nobody else ever got, the mercy of some knowledge. With some context of what caused those wall-shaking, booming sounds, Subject 1139's fear soon themed to fascination, and Maulkiller ended up naming the new clone Thunder.

Melee

Due to spending her whole life on Tatooine, she hasn't gotten to experience many varied weathers. It's always either scorching heat, freezing cold nights, or sandstorms. But there was one time in her lifetime, just a couple days after the empire took over, when it rained on Tatooine. First, nobody could believe it was happening. Then, it was soon followed by almost everyone running out with as many buckets and containers as they could carry to fill with water, and just stand in the rain.

#may the queue be with you #||headcanons: kilindi matako||#||headcanons: a'sharad hett||#||headcanons: koska reeves||#||headcanons: medrit vasur||#||headcanons: goran beviin||#||headcanons: luke skywalker||#||headcanons: merrin||#||headcanons: melee||#headcanuary 2024

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sparatus · 1 year

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This or That

tagged by @korblez :3 tagging uhhhh whoever wants to go for it

Historical or futuristic?

futuristic, or somewhere just slightly out of time, but also i like to play with the history of fictional settings (war for palaven anybody) so really. if it fucks it fucks

Opening or closing chapter?

i hate both, i like it to be DONE the middle part is the fun part (but also i am so very good at cliffhangers i love them so much)

Light and fluffy or dark and gritty?

a bit of both, i like to play rough with my characters but also if i dont let them have breaks and give them and the readers space to breathe and process the fucked-up stuff that just happened or the heavy emotions they just went through i'll die and also it's less fun to read

Hard or soft magic system?

kinda an in-between, i like to explain enough that there's a good framework and you can follow along but also leave enough wiggle room that if i need to handwave and go "source: dude trust me" i can without it seeming like an ass pull

Stand-alone or series?

hahahahahhah a,,,,, listen i just get attached

One project at a time or always juggling 2+?

[kicks 6 active wip documents under the rug] hush

One award winner or one bestseller?

neither. leave the positive feedback on my doorstep and back away slowly

Fantasy or sci-fi?

i'll read anything if it's well-written enough, my own writing is an even blend of both depending on verse and also i enjoy weaving some mystical supernatural shit into my scifi for fun and sexiness

Character or setting description?

b. both

First or final draft?

first draft only draft babeyyyy

Love triangle in everything or no romantic arcs?

no romance. love triangles are hell and also usually more like love corners so just give me the cool adventure, also i will always ALWAYS be pissed off about the time i picked up a book that promised me a really interesting moral quandary about the ethics of genetic engineering and then SURPRISE IT'S A THIN KLEENEX OF A PLOT FOR A SHITTY LOVE TRIANGLE

Constant sandstorm or rainstorm?

RAINNNNN

#councilor's notes #tag game

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crystalelemental · 10 months

Text

Violet Adventures, part 4. I think. Might be part 5.

Team Star Defeated.

Titan Team Arven round 2. He beat me, barely, the first time through. The second time through, I thought I was super clever, putting Air Balloon on Pawmot. Greedent also knows Psychic Fangs. So that’s just great. We did ultimately win, but by the skin of our teeth. Espathra thought it could sit on Toedscruel, but it knows Power Whip and of course hit the attack instantly.

League Team Alright, show time. The team is Quaquaval, Dudunsparce, Garganacl, Brambleghast, Rabsca, and Mabosstiff. We are level 49. Time to see how easy this league actually is.

Vs. Rika The gameplan is Agility/Coil/Baton Pass Dudunsparce into Quaquaval. This lasted approximately one turn, before catastrophe. Turns out, her Whiscash knows Future Sight. Which meant Quaquaval was very exceptionally definitely dead. Donphan having Sturdy just ensured we didn’t take out two with this gambit. Dudunsparce is at critical HP, and Quaquaval is down. Not a great start!

Mabosstiff finishes up Donphan, and just barely misses the 2HKO on Camerupt. Which means we fall asleep to Yawn. Not great. Fire Blast connects twice but misses once, but that’s all it needed to win. So, Brambleghast had to finish Camerupt. And then Dugtrio comes in. I won’t front. This is ideal. Ghosts can switch out of trap abilities. So I get up my Leech Seed (after three misses) and a layer of Spikes. When she puts Sandstorm back up, Brambleghast takes a swing with Giga Drain, and miraculously lands it. Dugtrio drops to the Leech Seed chip. Clodsire has Protect, which is slightly irritating, but nothing we can’t manage thanks to this game dropping Ether like candy. Brambleghast sits on Clodsire for days. Even a crit is only like 50%. We whittle it down a bit, until Phantom Force is in range (under half HP on Clod). Fun fact, she threw out Toxic right as I vanished. Don’t know why she didn’t lead with that one, Brambleghast would’ve been destroyed by that. Oh well, one down.

Vs. Poppy Second verse, same as the first; Dudunsparce, get boosting. Thankfully, Poppy leads with Stealth Rock, which is an open invitation to some free boosts. We make it to +6, thanks to Heavy Slam kinda just bouncing off of us. So now you may think, oh, go Quaquaval. No. No, that’s what she wants me to do. See, she has Magnezone. And I have now learned that this is the path to death. Because that fucking thing will fry Quaquaal, and we’ll be without boosts. No, we need another plan. And I know just who to bring in.

Right as she runs out of Heavy Slam PP, pass to Garganacl. Body Press + Recover. With the Agility boosts, it outspeeds basically everyone. Unfortunately Magnezone also had Flash Cannon, and despite Garganacl’s fantastic special defense, it got dead. So there goes that plan I suppose. Brambleghast it is. Magnezone trucks that too. We don’t die, so Salt Cure finishes the job. But Brambleghast is on its way out now. Corviknight is physical, so I get the thought in my head that I can take it with Dudunsparce and try another pass. Body Press. 2PP on Roost left. It crit anyway. I’m not happy with this, but Rabsca with the Revival Blessing is oh right Brave Bird. WELP. At this point it’s basically good game. I have no reason to believe my team can handle the remaining threats. Mabosstiff manages Thunder Fang KO on Corviknight, but not before it gets Body Press in and leaves us near dead. Now, if Mabosstiff were faster than Tinkaton, I’d say there was a chance. Unfortunately, despite the Jolly nature, it’s not. So it’s all on Water Tera Quaquaval’s Aqua Step to finish this thing. It barely misses the KO. Because of course it does. Gigaton Hammer, even with the resist, takes it out. Honestly, that’s super annoying, because like one more point of attack on Quaquaval would’ve done the job.

Vs. Rika (Round 2) Unlike the first round, I remembered to give Dudunspace Roost so it could set up all day long. At +5 and Tera’d out, Quaquaval one-shots Whiscash, so Future Sight isn’t such a threat. With +5 defense as well, we’re able to blank Donphan’s damage too, so the Sturdy effect doesn’t matter. With Aqua Step boosting, we outpace Dugtrio too, removing the Sandstorm evasion cheese. And while Clodsire has Water Absorb, I taught my Quaquaval Ice Spinner. A much cleaner sweep this time through.

Vs. Poppy (Round 2) Okay kid, rematch time. I have learned zero lessons and will be repeating all the same mistakes. But this time, with intent. The unfortunate reality is that Magnezone is a wall. I cannot get past its shit. Garganacl and Quaquaval both cannot manage it, and Rabsca is basically useless come Corviknight. So instead, the plan is to go straight to Rabsca after they drop, revive, and get ready to sweep from there. Amazingly, Poppy throws. Magnezone uses Light Screen instead of icing Garganacl. Salt Cure easily bypasses Corviknight, and at +6 speed too, Tinkaton is as dust. Clean wins all day, friends.

Vs. Larry I finally, for the first time, remembered his lead is Sunny Day Tropius. Quaquaval with Ice Spinner one-shot. Next in is Staraptor, who I throw Garganacl into. Unfortunately, I wildly underestimate how hard Close Combat will rock my shit, and Garganacl is barely alive, but Salt Cure does finish it. It is at this point I get ambitious. Dudunsparce, how well do you take Dragon Pulse? Around 60 damage. That’s enough for a Baton Pass sweep attempt. Bless Altaria’s complete lack of offensive presence. I don’t know Flamigo’s speed tier, but to be safe, I opt for a second Agility, then pass to Quaquaval. I Tera to pure Water, just to avoid any Flying-based shenanigans. Which it turns out I need, as Altaria, SOMEHOW, managed to outspeed. In fact, Oricorio does too. I double Agility boosted. I am...so perplexed as to why I am having trouble. But here we are, I suppose. Rabsca, Revival Blessing my rock. It miracle dodges Air Slash, and Rabsca actually managed to net a KO this run. Unfortunately, that’s all it can do before Flamigo jumps in. I decide to try with Mabosstiff, but apparently Scrappy means immune to Intimidate now? News to me. Admittedly, I’m kinda mad, because we do lose this one. I just don’t understand how. What happened there, Quaquaval? So I decide to reload. That one feels weird, and I’m wondering if I just forgot to Baton Pass or if I missed Altaria having Haze or something.

Things proceed similarly, except Garganacl gets crit so Mabosstiff has to save us. It also gets a freeze on Altaria, which I decided to just kill off of. Turns out, Oricorio is way scarier to set up on with Dudunsparce. It knows fucking Teeter Dance. Thankfully, Quaquaval actually is faster and stronger this time so I guess I just didn’t actually Baton Pass? Quaquaval proceeds to hit itself in confusion fucking twice, after eating our Tera use so it didn’t die immediately, effectively throwing the match to Flamigo.

OKAY FUCKING ROUND CHRISTDAMN THREE I GUESS. Only set up on Altaria. ONLY ALTARIA. Just gotta Ice Spinner Tropius and IT’S A FUCKING RANGE?! QUAQUAVAL HOW ARE YOU THIS SHIT BRO? YOU HAVE DROPPED EVERY FUCKING BALL.

Round 4, things proceed normally. I pay very extreme close attention to the Baton Pass chain this time. I am convinced I must have manually switched or something, because it clears just fine. This was so much harder than it needed to be. On like every level.

Vs. Hassel Alright, after that whole disaster, we enter the Hassel fight. I am well aware that Noivern is up first, and lead Garganacl. Astonishingly, Garganacl handles it just fine. Dragon Pulse doesn’t do too muhc, and only Super Fang is much threat, so we can recover up without much issue. Dragalge’s next. I get overconfident, expecting to be able to outspeed is possibly, and it Hydro Pumps me into powder in response. I opt for Quaquaval at this point. Did you know it knows Thunderbolt? So that was fun. Less than half damage thanks to Assault Vest, but still not a great time. Flapple is, unfortunately, quick enough to be a problem. I attempt to do some boost passing with Dudunsparce. It knows Leech Seed. So this is bad. Dragon Rush also crit, so we’re well on the back foot with very, very little headway. The next one misses though, so I guess we’ll call it even since I didn’t die. It crits again. At this point I call it. If it crits Dudunspace one more time, even with a Roost, we die. I do the only thing left, and bring in Mabosstiff. Fun fact: did you know that Leech Seed is transferred by Baton Pass? This game is actually stupid. Mabosstiff with +3 does not one-shot Bxcalibur. But the defense boosts combined with its attack drop off Play Rough allows it to survive just fine. And so, success. First try. Levels are 53-55.

Vs. Geeta Alright, time to see if Geeta can beat the allegations.

So, Espathra one-shot my Brambleghast with an immediate crit. It is, of course, faster than Mabosstiff despite the Jolly nature, so Mabosstiff is down too. It is only when I go to Garganacl that I realize...I should’ve just led Garganacl. It took Lumina Crash like no one’s business. Avalugg comes in and tries to beat me at my own Body Press game. But I have Recover and Rocky Helmet, so she’s welcome to try. Garganacl completely walls it, and we get to +6 defense with only 30 damage. Veluza came in and bless it did it try. But +6 defense just walled it too soundly. We ended that fight with only 3 damage. We healed, girl. Kingambit is sadly quad weak to Fighting. So that goes about as well as you’d expect. So finally, it’s Gogoat’s turn. It gets off one Bulk Up before needing to Horn Leech. Horn Leech recovers like nothing, because it deals nothing, and Rocky Helmet hurts it. Glimmora enters with special attack to capitalize on that Lumera Crash, and does get the KO. Which is dangerous because frankly, we’ve been brutalized so bad from that opening crit and bullshit that there’s not exactly much left of the team. Rabsca makes an attempt to get Brambleghast back in, but at half HP it’s not enough. Dudunsparce manages to Agility pass to Quaquaval, who thankfully resists Rock, but couldn’t pass along a Coil boost due to the offensive pressure Glimmora has. Blessed be, she relies on Dazzling Gleam when I Tera, so despite Quaquaval continuing to be a failure and missing the KO, we manage to win anyway. Closer than I’d like, admittedly.

Vs. Nemona Alright Dudunsparce. We’re gonna aim to just obliterate this girl. Just end her entire life. Lycanroc isn’t that scary of a-oh god a crit right away. Okay. Okay, this is fine, we can salvage this. I have two Agility boosts and a Coil on Quaquaval, all we need is to get a full KO on Pawmot with Quaquaval’s Aqua Step, and we’ll be fi-oh who am I kidding, it’s Quaquaval, it always fails me. EXCEPT THIS TIME WHEN IT SOMEHOW DIDN’T. So okay, we might have this. Even her Dudunsparce got 2HKO’d despite the Coil, and Orthworm despite all appearances to the contrary. The train stops at Goodra, though. Ice Spinner couldn’t take it out, and Orthworm’s bullshit crit on Body Press really kinda hosed us.

...anyway, Rabsca, if you would? Quaquaval’s back in action...but somehow, is slower than Goodra. I just. I love how Quaquaval can’t outspeed a damn thing. Including fucking Skeledirge, who I know for a fact is slow as dirt. Thankfully, Mabosstiff and Brambleghast were. So, we had Garganacl hit it with the Salt Cure, then Crunch and Phantom Force. First try. Weaker than Larry. Levels 54-56.

For anyone who wants to keep the tally: all gyms beaten first try; Rika, Hassel, Geeta, and Nemona beaten first ry, Poppy got one win, Larry got three. E4 Larry is the strongest. Even though I would’ve beaten him first try if I apparently hadn’t gotten myself distracted by something and manually switched in Quaquaval instead of using Baton Pass. I still don’t know what happened there. I wound up looking up his team, and there is no Haze, so I legitimately just fucked up that hard.

Next time, it’s Area Zero and continuing the attempt at a complete dex. I do not want to do the complete dex thing, given Slowking and Palafin, but I’ll do my best.

#pokemon violet

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