#a ponytail that spiked upwards? and third's hair? i see it

[pocketramblr]

Upon seeing the post about second as iida my first thought was and third can be uraraka then I noticed you had the same idea in the tags

Great minds think alike I just think that's what she deserves,,,trio holders to the original trio babeyyy

#*while making a chart* third's lack of familial care meant he had to find his own in group and eventually meant supporting his leader #where later uraraka was raised with love that she would go as far for her parents as third originally would have gone for second #and still is inclined by nature to a supportive role- she has no great aspirations on leadership or power itself but in how she can help #other heroes (where previously how to help a ragtag freedom fighter group) #*continuing to make a chart* now Second's influence on Izuku could link to that early acceptance of 'yeah world isn't fair' #and i see a link in how Second really took apart his minor speed quirk to do more with it and Izuku's general quirk analysis and hacking #but where Second was mistreated as a threat Izuku was seen as a lack of one and someone to pittied even by those who looked him #which influence the way they react to said injustice though both are moving without thinking to do Something about it #(second having support of a group and Izuku very much not is the deciding factor between Izuku not going with the spider plan methinks) #and i think second + third having teamed up first like how Izuku + Uraraka met first is a good parallel with how Tenya is initially #antagonistic to Izuku but ends up joining both quickly when actual opportunity arises and he sees good things from them #and as Yoichi's somewhat black and white morality did develope somewhat specifically to oppose a terrible brother‚(i gotta finish that fic #where i go more into how they pushed each other more extreme to try to shut down loopholes) Tenya's developed in a way both supported by and #to support a great older brother which is why murder is a hundred percent ok if it's for tensei's sake #and this can be expressed by their different aproaches to making their hair look very different from or very similar to their brothers #speaking of hair that chapter where Uraraka did #a ponytail that spiked upwards? and third's hair? i see it #just as i see a connection when it comes to how she grapples and redirects enemy momentum to the fa jin power and connected combat style #also second scar = Izuku's ofa activation and tbh both could not care less about what their hair is doing dhfhfjgg #plus something about Izuku's 'gotta give ofa away' mode we joke about activating and Second's specific disapproval of him #man that self esteem deficiency sure can spread across more than one lifetime! #and of course. hands. #hands in the vault. tenya returning the favor to grab Izuku's #though the next step is to wonder about fourth but i do have an idea. wonder if we're on the same track about it again #pocket talks to people #anon

[jorrated]

Redid my Maya Knux gijinka! Now with notes and sources on how I did the design (It's kinda long, around 2k words jsyk):

The hairstyle:

Knux has pretty long spikes, so I knew I wanted to give him long hair! Braids or dreadlocks look pretty fitting, so I tried looking for references of hairstyles to see if any fit what I was looking for:

Source: Mayavase.com (Photograph by Justin Kerr)

http://research.mayavase.com/kerrmaya_hires.php?vase=1092

http://research.mayavase.com/kerrmaya_hires.php?vase=1453

http://research.mayavase.com/kerrmaya_hires.php?vase=694

http://research.mayavase.com/kerrmaya_hires.php?vase=1340

While all the vases show a variety of interesting hairstyles, I particularly loved the look of the braids in K694 (the third picture). Being tied upwards wouldn’t really fit Knux however, so something like the man in K1340 (fourth pic) with his hair fully down, or the 5th man from left to right in K1092 (first pic) with a cloth holding the hair would be really nice!

I didn’t want to give him a headpiece, if only to not clutter his head, but also I didn’t think it’d fit Knux as a warrior. The ruler’s headpiece in K1453 (second pic) however allows the hair to come off it, and seems to have some dangly adornments on the end of the strands/braids/locks, which I found super pretty. Plus:

“Elite Mayan men and women styled their hair to show off their pointed heads, crafted through the careful head flattening they experienced as children. Women gathered their long hair on top of their heads in flowing ponytails. For special occasions they braided their ponytails and decorated them with ornaments and ribbons. Mayan men grew their hair long but burnt the hair off their foreheads to accentuate their elongated profiles. They would bind their hair into one or many ponytails or tie it in a bundle on top of their head. Mayan slaves had their hair cut short as one visible mark of their inferior status.” p.399

Source: Fashion, costume, and culture: clothing, headwear, body decorations, and footwear through the ages (Sarah Pendergast and Tom Pendergast, Sarah Hermsen as Project Editor), 2003.

https://archive.org/details/fashioncostumecu0000pend/page/n5/mode/2up

Taking all of that! I settled on tight braids with a few adornments made of jade and wood, with a red cloth to keep his hair from his eyes. Almost all of the braids are pulled together into a ponytails, but there are some smaller braids loose.

It’s somewhat of a mixture of styles, combining ornaments of special occasions, with the long hair of elites on a character like Knux. But I kept these ‘contradictory’ aspects of the design to remember that Knux kinda learns about his ancestors on the go, through murals, writings and technology, so I doubt he’d have a great grasp on what he should and shouldn’t wear. I think it adds character as someone who’s trying to figure out himself, his history and his place in the world.

Shoes and Accessories:

For footwear I kept it simple, just turned Knux’s existing shoes into sandals:

“Ancient Aztecs and Mayans of Central America adopted a thick-soled sandal with a protective legging attached at the heel, while the top of the foot and shin remained exposed.” p.135

Source: Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion (Valerie Steele), 2005

Although my gut instinct was to cover Knuckles from head to toe in accessories, I also tried to keep it simple like the shoes. He’s a very mobile fellow so he can’t have too much weight or annoying bits flying everywhere and getting in his face. So I kept his moon necklace, like in Fleetway, just adjusted the shape to have a bit more of details:

“The jewelry worn by the Mayan, Aztec and Inca people was rich in variety and quite beautiful. Without metalworking skills, Mayans made jewelry from many materials. Mayan men wore nose ornaments, earplugs and lip plugs made from bone, wood, shells and stones, including jade, topaz, and obsidian. Necklaces, bracelets, anklets and headgear were made with jaguar and crocodile teeth, jaguar claws and feathers.” p.402

Source: Fashion, costume, and culture: clothing, headwear, body decorations, and footwear through the ages (Sarah Pendergast and Tom Pendergast, Sarah Hermsen as Project Editor), 2003.

https://archive.org/details/fashioncostumecu0000pend/page/n5/mode/2up

As stated here, Mayans didn’t have metalwork, so I imagine this is an artifact that his ancestors got from another group of people.

Just a page before they also mention how the Maya people used to file points into their teeth, to make their mouths more appealing. This includes shaping them into pointy teeth, (like the classic shark teeth), but they could also file them into other shapes, like in this picture:

Source: https://www.archaeologynow.org/blog-3/blog-post-title-two-txwxl (I’m pretty sure this isn’t the source of the image, but I couldn’t find an actual source that wasn’t an uncredited blog)

The Maya people are also notorious for their good dentistry, as seen the stone ornaments in the teeth above. I think the filling is something Knux could do on his own, but anything that would involve actual dentistry would be too much. But it’s still interesting to read about!

(Here’s an article named “Mayan Esthetic Dentistry: Using Modern Techniques and Digital Imaging Technologies to Link the Past to the Present” by Yassine Harichane if you want to learn more!)

While a non-permanent version of stones on teeth seemed cool, like Jade incisor-coverings, at the end of the day I don’t think Knuckles is too vain, so I didn’t add that to the design. Although I think he’d definitely try out a bunch of things like this, just to try to understand them.

For additional outfits I gave him a red layered cape and a green huipil! The red cape is just to bring back more red into the design, since I gave him a lot of green. And the huipil is a nod to his poncho in the comics! (Although huipiles are commonly associated with women and girls, I still wanted to give him one, not only to bring up his partial detachment to his ancestors, but also because Knux probably wouldn’t think much about gender in general let’s be honest)

Source: Mayavase.com (Photograph by Justin Kerr)

http://research.mayavase.com/kerrmaya_hires.php?vase=638

Somewhat based the red cape on the 4th man in this picture, from left to right, but I kept it simple, as maybe just some fabric Knux found around the island, nothing too fancy.

For the huipil I wanted to do something more detailed but was having a really hard time coming up with designs. And I didn’t want to straight up plagiarize someone’s else work, so I kept it vague, maybe some day I’ll sit down and give it a more detailed version. I did come across a very nice store/ catalog that sells traditional Maya textiles, and this one was very gorgeous! Highly recommend give this and the other textiles a look!

In the end I made the huipil look vaguely like the ones shown in page 128 of the following book:

“In the Museum collection, costumes that looked very much alike usually turned out to be from villages that shared a language. Among Cakchiquel villages, dialect differences were usually mirrored by costume differences. Working on this principle we were surprised by the striking similarity of style in the huipils of San Antonio Aguas Calientes (fig. 195) and San Martín Jilotepeque (fig. 196). These villages, while both Cakchiquel, spoke very different dialects and were separated geographically (map, below). The similarity of their huipil was so remarkable we felt the need to investigate these two villages more thoroughly and found that a multi-cultural history probably accounted for these unexpected similarities of style. Huipils from these villages may well illustrate the earliest examples of pan-Maya acculturation after the Conquest.”p. 127

Source: Threads of identity: Maya costume of the 1960s in highland Guatemala (Patricia B. Altman, Caroline D.West), 1992.

https://archive.org/details/threadsofidentit0000altm/page/n7/mode/2up

Lastly on accessories, which I don’t know if it counts as an accessory but I didn’t know where to put it: the body paint. Last time I gave Knux a human design I couldn't find a good resource on Maya people painting their bodies. Every source mentioned and was in consensus that some of the people did paint their bodies, but that was the extent of the info. I wasn’t able to find any patterns or meanings of the body paintings, or even good visual reference for it. But! This time I was able to get a bit more:

“Body painting was a common Maya practice. Classic Period murals and polychrome vases depict warriors covered with red or black paint; sometimes their bodies were striped with red paint. Paint was also used around the eyes and nose to give a fierce expression. In the 16th century, these practices continued. Women also applied red paint to their faces and bodies, but presumably to make themselves look beautiful, not fierce. Small paint jars of red hematite mixed with mica were found in the houses at Cerén, and these may have been for cosmetic use. Unmarried young men painted their bodies black, and so did those who were undergoing periods of ritual purification and fasting. Priests often wore blue body paint. “p. 338

Source: Handbook To Life In The Ancient Maya World Lynn (V. Foster), 2002.

Source: Mayavase.com (Photograph by Justin Kerr)

http://research.mayavase.com/kerrmaya_hires.php?vase=2800

http://research.mayavase.com/kerrmaya_hires.php?vase=2573

http://research.mayavase.com/kerrmaya_hires.php?vase=7996

I of course wanted to give him red paint, and I really liked this design of the red lining the cheeks on the face down to the neckline. However in most of these depictions the red on the body is accompanied by the white face, which I can’t actually tell if the face has white paint, or the body has black paint, like described in the quote before. Either way I chose to only use the red, to keep in line with Knux’s original design.

(It’s worth mentioning that these vases shown depict rulers, as you can see the intricate thrones and altars, which isn’t really fitting with Knux. But again, I want to keep some mismatched aspects into his design, not only warrior-related things.)

The main outfit:

Last but not least, the main outfit. Don’t have much notes on this I’m going to be honest, I just tried to keep in line with descriptions of warriors clothing:

“While some warriors may have been resplendent on the battlefield, the common Maya soldier fought with little clothing other than loincloth and body paint, based on battle scenes in the few Maya murals that remain (see figure 2.9, page 54).” p.147

Source: Handbook To Life In The Ancient Maya World Lynn (V. Foster), 2002.

I considered putting him in a loincloth for accuracy, but tbh I was scared people were going to be weird about it, and so I gave him a skirt with some fabric that emulates the look of a loincloth and some scrap fabric around his waist and limbs! He actually ended pulling up a lot from the dude I mentioned in vase K1092 (the very first ref pic in this post) lol!

And that´s all, hope y’all liked it :P

#jo.art #sonic the comic #knuckles the echidna #gijinka

[comm-caribou]

Chapter Four: The First of Many

Word Count: 3.6k

Warning: none (let me know if I miss any)

————

Watching Mirage work was like an artist.

He had an image pulled up on his datapad, and was meticulously parting and pulling at different strands and sections.

He lathered some gel in his fingertips, rubbing it through his sides.

“What’s the look today, Pretty Boy?” Boomerang leaned over the ARC’s shoulder.

Their faces exactly the same in the mirror, but hair styled strikingly different.

The corner of Mirage’s mouth pulled up like tugged by a string, “you really need to stop talking to yourself, Doc.”

Boomerang made a pfft noise in his ear, making Mirage pull away laughing.

Boomerang went back to his pack, checking his supply for the third time. Maybe the sixth.

When it came to his brothers, he was very serious.

He had one too many hands grip his, and then go limp.

That was not counting the brothers he didn’t even get to say goodbye to.

He closed his pack, smiling satisfied that it was right once again.

Before he could think of his next move, Mirage ran his fingers through the front of Boomerang’s hair.

He didn’t even know he was right there.

“Really?” Boomerang groaned, crossing his arms over his chest as Mirage bit his tongue intently focused.

“I used too much,” Mirage spiked the front. “Consider it a piece of my good looks.”

“I already have your dumb face,” Boomerang teased.

“So does everyone else,” Mirage admired his work. “There. Looking great, Doc.”

Boomerang took the mirror from the smirking ARC, seeing how he changed his standard cut.

It was barely anything spontaneous, but he appreciated the sentiment.

“Huh,” Boomerang decided to throw him a crumb, “not bad, Pretty Boy.”

Mirage seemed pleased with himself, packing up his stuff and tucking the box in the empty storage locker.

“You know that’s not medical supplies,” Boomerang reminded him.

“You know that this isn’t your private office,” Mirage stumbled over his feet.

“Graceful,” he put his pack on.

Mirage shot him a look.

“How come you’re fine on the battlefield, but off it you will fall down stairs, trip on your feet, walk into closed doors-“

“I get it,” Mirage wrapped an arm around him. “Let’s just get going.”

Boomerang wrapped an arm around Mirage. His brother has always had a clumsy streak, and would get pretty insecure when it was brought to attention.

Boomerang had a theory; it was his lack of sleep.

Mirage chewed on the inside of his cheek, thinking about something.

Boomerang smirked, “hey, I like your hair today.”

A smile crossed his face again, “oh yeah?”

Being Mirage’s favorite brother had its advantages.

He never stayed too angry.

Boomerang smirked, “yeah, even if it looks like a reverse ponytail.”

“It’s called the Eopie trunk,” Mirage gave him a pout.

“Civvies,” Boomerang rolled his eyes, “the names they come up with.”

****

Hardwire checked his pistols again, making sure they were fully loaded and set right.

Waiting was making him itch to get going.

Cooper stood beside him, head tilted down in his datapad.

Maybe Master Yoda had a point.

Cooper was always looking at that thing lately. Reading reports, checking statistics, looking up politics, and catching up on the military networks.

It usually didn’t annoy him, but today he wanted to take that thing from his hand and chuck it across the hanger.

“They’re dead!”

That damn mission wouldn’t let him sleep a wink the previous night.

He thought he’d be okay.

He had a General who was good to the men, treated him like an equal, and looked out for all of them.

He glanced over at Cooper again, seeing him though his HUD. The Sergeant still was inverse in whatever he was reading.

Hardwire put his hand on the screen.

Cooper looked up at him, quirking an eyebrow upward, “yes, sir?”

“Can you just put it away?” Hardwire said tiredly.

Cooper blinked, but powered off the screen, “okay?”

Confused, Cooper took off his pack and set it carefully inside. Then, he closed it up and threw it back on over his shoulders.

Cooper awkwardly stood there, tapping his fingers on the helmet under his arm.

Hardwire sighed, “sorry, vod. I’m just irritated.”

“It’s fine,” Cooper tilted his head, “looks like the General made a new friend.”

Hardwire glanced over. Juliette was talking to that pilot again.

CT-6226 got his name by her, and it was the perfect name.

Cosmos.

Hardwire couldn’t think of anything better.

Cosmos was going on about something, making her laugh so hard she was red in the face.

Hardwire shifted his gaze to the gunship, toward Fang and Coyote. He was trying to focus on Coyote, but Fang’s dark eyes kept shifting to her.

The young trooper was lovesick.

He felt bad for the kid. Fang just wanted her to notice him too, maybe even give him a peck on the cheek. Hardwire would bet all the credits he didn’t have that Fang would literally float away if she did that.

“Here come the rest,” Cooper stated.

“Cosmos,” Hardwire called, “time for take off.”

“Yes, sir,” he saluted him, and walked off.

Juliette practically hopped over, “ready, Commander?”

He herded her inside, “yes, yes. Let’s get this relief mission over with.”

“You must hate being Commander of this Legion,” Boomerang teased.

“What? Why?” Juliette frowned.

“I don’t hate it,” Hardwire glared at Boomerang though his helmet, “I just wish we weren’t the Republic’s errand boys.”

“In case you weren’t told this,” Boomerang nudged Juliette with his elbow. “We go on a lot of relief missions. Delivering supplies, offering aid… nothing too wild.”

Hardwire gently pulled Juliette away, “come stand on this side.”

“Your ear ringing again?” Boomerang asked him.

At the moment, it wasn’t.

“A little,” Hardwire lied.

Juliette sweetly stood next him, taking hold of the above handrail.

She smiled at him, “whatever you need, Commander.”

Fang smiled softly behind her, slipping on his helmet to make it less obvious he was staring.

“Thank you, General,” Hardwire said.

****

The village was pretty behind in the field of technology. Everything about the locals was simple and handmade right down to their clothing.

Boomerang couldn’t help but wonder how these colorfully furred natives could live without at least medical based technology.

“I got a question.”

Mirage turned his head, humming, “yes, Doc?”

Boomerang readjusted the box in his arms, “is it just me, or does Fang got it bad for the General?”

Mirage set his crate down, “the kid definitely has it bad.”

Cooper checked the crates, marking his datapad, “no gossiping, you two. The Commander’s on edge.”

“He’s been on edge since he was sent into that cave,” Boomerang stated. “I haven’t seen him remove his helmet since the day she arrived.”

Every time Boomerang thought of that night, it made him sick in his stomach.

The General sent Hardwire in there to die.

He sent Hardwire and Pack squad in there, and deviously ordered the cave to be bombed.

It will be an image that will haunt him till the day he could no longer fight.

Mirage gently took his arm, getting him out of his own memories.

He didn’t even realize Cooper walked off, getting captured by the young locals.

“You okay?” Mirage asked.

“Yeah,” Boomerang walked with him, “I’m okay.”

“Odd how we’re all cut from the same cloth,” Mirage nodded to Cooper, “but the little ones always go to him.”

Boomerang looked over at the Sergeant. There was a kid wrapped around each of his legs, squealing with every careful step he took forward avoiding their long tails.

“Better him than us,” Boomerang shrugged. “Where’s Keks? What we need now is the little kid giving him presents.”

Mirage laughed boastfully.

****

Hardwire leaned on the gunship, supervising while the the men carried and guided crates to the relief tents.

Sometimes he hated this Legion because he wasn’t in the frontlines.

But, with his ear ringing he was relieved.

He looked around, counting his men and Juliette.

Wait… where did Juliette go?

He could’ve sworn he just saw her.

Hardwire stepped forward, looking around.

Kriff. Dammit. Where’s his General?

“You okay, sir?” One of the locals asked.

“Fine,” he lied, “just need to locate the General.”

“Oh, she’s over there,” she pointed a claw over to a group of others.

Among them was Keks and Juliette.

There was a baby snuggled into her arms.

“Thanks,” Hardwire nodded, then walked over.

As soon as he was in range, Juliette turned to him smiling.

“Is she the sweetest?” Juliette said softly, “look at that cute little face.”

Hardwire tilted his head, “I guess. I’m not that big into babies, General.”

It’s kind of cute…

She had red fur and a long tail that curled around Juliette’s arm. The species looked like a cross between a Wookiee and a Lurmen.

“You’re no fun, Commander,” Juliette teased.

“That’s vhy he’s hiding from the children,” Keks quietly stated.

It got a chuckled from the locals, much to Hardwire’s expense.

Juliette passed the sleeping baby back to her father, gently slipping her arm away from the curled tail.

“I shall be back,” the leader assured, “I must ensure Zamora is properly put down for her nap.”

Lucky baby. I’d give anything for some uninterrupted sleep.

Once he and his little council walked off, so did Keks. Knowing his Corporal, he was going to go find another small child to entertain.

“How you doing, Commander?” Juliette asked him, looking up at him those big, kind eyes.

I can see why Fang is so smitten by you.

“I’m fine, just wish we were doing anything else.” Hardwire looked over at the men, “I get why they like it, but I rather be in the action. Our whole point of existence is to fight and die in this war.”

He should’ve worded it better.

The look on her face looked crushed. Like telling a child that the make believe creature that brings them credits for loosing their teeth isn’t real.

“General, I’m sorry,” he didn’t know why he was apologizing.

She just looked so heartbroken.

“What if the war ends and you’re still here?” Juliette asked, “what happens next?”

Hardwire rarely thought about the end of the war. It was hard to think of the end when you’re in the thick of it, and when he thought of his end he thought of blaster fire piercing though him. Dying beside all his brothers.

“I honestly don’t know,” he admitted.

Juliette took his hand, “you could be a bounty hunter. I’d let you work with me. We could bring the all the troops, and be a mini army for hire.”

“That sounds-“ unlikely. “-nice, General.”

That made her smile again.

Hardwire still felt like he was going to die in battle though.

“They’re all dead.”

The ringing returned and his brothers’ voices.

He hit the side of his helmet without thinking too much about now. A knock on the noggin and they’d stop for a little while, but come back worse.

“Is something wrong with your helmet?” Juliette released his hand, moving her’s to lift off his helmet.

He caught her hands, “it’s okay. I’m okay.”

He could tell she didn’t believe him, but she let it go.

He released her hands, and she brought them back to herself as she rubbed her wrist.

“Did I hurt you?”

He didn’t think he squeezed her that hard, he thought he grabbed them lightly. The last thing he’d ever do is hurt her.

She waved her wrist, “it’s okay, I don’t think I ever told you about my accident I had years ago.”

“You haven’t told me much about you,” Hardwire said.

“Huh,” Juliette smiled, “we should fix that. How about you come visit my quarters tonight? Professionally, of course.”

What other reasons would I be in her quarters other than for professional matters?

“Sure,” Hardwire wondered if telling her about his trauma might stop the voices.

“They’re all dead!”

Please, shut up.

****

Boomerang sat with the local healers, going over how the medical supplies worked.

IVs, heart monitors, defibrillators, bacta…

They all listened, swaying their tails.

How do they not hit each other all day with them? Mirage would probably trip over his own if he had a long tail like those.

The idea of Mirage with a long furry tail made him chuckle as he packed up his own gear.

Counting it as he went.

Checking every box in the mental check list.

Then double checking.

Maybe a triple check?

“Excuse me?” An older local approached from the disassembled group.

His fur was more gray than teal, and there were matted areas.

If Mirage saw him, Boomerang wondered if he’d feel compelled to fix his fur.

“While impressive as this chemical of yours sounds, I fear it does not compare to the natural oil these seeds have,” he took Boomerang’s hand, dropping a pouch no bigger than a droid popper.

“Why are you giving this to me?” Boomerang had never been given a gift before.

“I see how careful you are with your kit,” he smiled with jagged yellow teeth, “from one healer to another.”

“But, how do I use them?” Boomerang asked.

“Just squeeze the oil onto the wound,” the elder said, “trust me, they work. They healed deaf ears once.”

Could come in handy. If it’s not a hoax.

“Thank you,” Boomerang carefully set the pouch on top. “I greatly appreciate your help.”

The elder didn’t say another word, and hobbled off humming happily to himself.

Boomerang did another check, making sure he had everything still.

Mirage came over as he closed up, “the Commander says we can go now.”

“Great,” Boomerang put the pack on.

“When we get back,” Mirage wrapped an arm around him, “want to get some grub?”

“Sure, you buying?” Boomerang smirked.

“Why am I always the one who has to pay?” Mirage exaggerated a sigh, “the least you could do is cover one meal.”

“Nah, I read somewhere a gentleman always pays,” Boomerang elbowed his ribs.

“Sounds a bit unfair,” Mirage elbowed him back, “and are you saying you’re not a gentleman?”

They bumped into Keks, who was staring at them like they were weirdos. Which wasn’t too far off, and everyone of them all knew that.

“You two have the strangest sense of humor,” Keks sighed, “vant one?”

He offered them a cookie from a care package.

What is up with locals always giving Keks food?

Mirage took one, “thanks, vod.”

Boomerang waved him off, “I’m fine.”

“Suit yourself,” Keks walked off, biting into a cookie as he offered them off to others.

So many of them were missing someone with them, or finding new groups to part of.

Boomerang turned to Mirage suddenly, “hey, vod. Promise me you won’t die on me.”

Mirage turned to him, eyes wide, “what?”

“Just don’t die.” Boomerang wrapped an arm around him. “I can handle a lot of loses, but not my favorite brother.”

Mirage awkwardly smiled, “you won’t lose me. I’m too stubborn to die.”

Boomerang smirked, “good.”

Mirage thought for a moment, “wait, I’m your favorite brother?”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Boomerang groaned.

“I’m your favorite,” he chuckled quietly to himself.

“And you let it go to your head,” Boomerang rolled his eyes.

****

Hardwire stood alone in the corner of the gunship, focusing on his breathing.

Everyone around him was talking, but it was a murmur with the ringing.

Why won’t it stop?

Someone bumped his shoulder, and he looked over.

Cooper showed him his datapad, “do you approve?”

He barely looked at the report, and nodded.

“Commander?” Cooper leaned in speaking low, “forgive me if I overstep, but I haven’t seen you take off your helmet since before our mission with General Vos.”

My helmet is better than my face.

“I just am having an off day,” Hardwire mumbled.

“Sir,” Cooper’s brow furrowed, “are you doing okay?”

No.

“Yes.”

“You sure?”

I need help.

“I’m sure.”

Cooper frowned, but let it go, “I’ll get this sent out then.”

He went off to find Keks, and he saw Juliette standing alone as well.

She was watching them, as if mentally taking notes.

Hardwire approached her, “General?”

“Hi, Hardwire,” Juliette said softly, “how long till we’re off on our next mission?”

“A day or two?” Hardwire shrugged.

The gunship landed with a soft thump, and the blast doors opened to the hanger.

Everyone began filing out.

She looked unsure, and stepped off.

Oh, kriff. Did I ever show her around the hanger like I promised?

“Hey,” Hardwire offered her his arm, “you can walk with me.”

Juliette placed her hand on his elbow, “thank you.”

****

Boomerang laid in his bunk, listening to the others as he stared at the ceiling.

“I’m telling you, kid,” Keks was talking, “just talk to her.”

“She bought you an arm,” Cooper had his head in his datapad, “means she already likes you a little.”

“Or feels sorry for you,” Coyote cut in.

“Come on, Coyote!” Keks groaned, “be nice to your batch mate.”

“Technically, they’re not batch mates,” Cooper corrected. “Fang is a replacement.”

Fang sat quietly in his bottom bunk, just letting them talk as he stared at the underside of Coyote’s bunk.

“I’m just saying, the General likes us all,” Coyote stated, “and maybe it’s part of her agreement that she has to follow Jedi rules.”

“I doubt they’d force that,” Mirage grumbled from his bunk below Boomerang.

“Be pretty pointless,” Boomerang agreed, poking his head down to the ARC’s bunk.

Mirage was scrolling though the network, looking for inspiration as he put it. Hair still damp from the refresher and and hanging loosely around his face. He smelled of aftershave and fancy soap, not issued by the GAR.

How the Hell does he get a hold of that stuff?

Mirage lifted his head, meeting Boomerang’s gaze. He held out his datapad, a picture pulled up.

It was another fancy looking hairdo.

“You could pull it off,” Boomerang said, “you’re charmed with good looks.”

“Don’t I know it?” Mirage smirked, saving the photo to his camera roll.

“Maybe you could rub your charm on Fang,” Keks said, “help our little brother out?”

Fang sighed, rolling away from them.

Poor kid must be embarrassed he can’t talk to her.

“Please,” Boomerang laughed, “Fang doesn’t need fancy hair to woo the General.”

Keks laughed, “vhat do you suggest then?”

“I could put in a good word.”

They all looked over at the bunk next to Tracks’s, it was Cosmos.

Boomerang honestly didn’t even notice him come in.

Fang poked his head out, “you’d tell her what exactly?”

Cosmos shrugged, “I could just see if she is interested in any of us. Like Coyote said, she probably has some rules she has to follow.”

“Thanks,” Fang laid back down, rubbing his prosthetic.

Poor kid.

The doors opened, and Hardwire came in; helmet still on his head.

Boomerang whispered to Mirage, “have you seen his face recently?”

Mirage shook his head.

“Hi, Commander,” Keks said, “vhat brings you here?”

“We’re on standby,” Hardwire announced.

Mirage groaned, “standby is the worse!”

Boomerang chuckled, “I think the Republic is scared of us now.”

Hardwire went to leave, but he paused looking at one of the posters on the wall.

“Hardwire, you good?” Coyote called.

As if something possessed him, Hardwire tore the pinup art down and balled it up almost angrily.

“The Hell?” Keks stood up, “Hardwire!”

Hardwire threw the balled up poster at him, “I’ll be in my room.”

Hardwire stormed out, shutting the door behind him.

Keks picked up the balled up poster, “jerk.”

“Give him a break,” Cooper sighed, “he’s having a rough time.”

Boomerang looked around, at all the pin ups of beautiful women on the walls.

He himself had one by his bunk of a pretty blonde with bright blue eyes, posing with a short skirt and slit up the side and her bosom barely covered.

He looked at the poster, realizing she kind of looked like the General. Then he remembered the poster Hardwire ripped down had this same girl.

Boomerang showed it to Keks, “vod, look.”

“Vhat?” Keks tried smoothing out the crumbled poster.

“Look at her.” Boomerang urged.

“I am!” Keks exclaimed. “Vhat am I looking at?”

Tracks tapped his shoulder.

Keks whipped around, “vhat?”

Tracks tapped his fingertips to shoulder, cupping his hand.

“Sorry, vod,” Keks sighed, “I’m not sure what that one means yet.”

Tracks sighed, holding out his pinkie and swooping it in the shape of the letter J.

Fang sat up flushed, “she looks the General!”

Keks balled up the poster again, sucking in his lips.

Cosmos got up, “would anyone be opposed to me taking a few posters down?”

“Actually, I’d like to make it an order,” Cooper stated looking a little flustered.

“Wonder if she’s related,” Boomerang teased.

“Shut up.” Fang groaned into his pillow.

Coyote rolled his eyes, but he was fighting back a laugh. Just a hint of the old Coyote appearing for a moment.

Boomerang balled up his poster, and passed it Cosmos as he walked by with an extended hand.

****

Hardwire stumbled, and practically collapsed into his room. He took off his helmet, slamming it on his cluttered desk.

He couldn’t breathe, and he felt hot.

He pulled at his collar, gasping for air and panicking as it burned his throat.

“Hardwire? What’s wrong?”

He could hear that voice, but when he went to look he felt uneasy.

The room spun and he saw the floor before he blacked out.

#caribou stories #caribou originals #caribou ocs #star wars #star wars the clone wars #952nd #juliette trix #commander hardwire #fang #coyote #tracks #boomerang #arc trooper mirage #sergeant cooper #corporal keks #cosmos