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ganondoodle · 5 months

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you know, a plothole (kinda, its one to me) i havent even talked about before is .. how is there basically no sonau tech in the past, or isnt shown nor used; the only thing i remember is that weird half assed way to try and make us care about the apparent time zelda had spent there and tell us in a tiny text you have to find scattered above the sky that she "tamed a construct beast" which .... could be anything bc its so vague and non-interesting and .. maybe one or two non-combat constructs in the background in a few of the cutscenes

but given how many constructs there are alive in totks present, and more are broken down that were probably working back in the past, did they even use anything of it against ganondorf? like, i know its called a war but we only see ganondorf charging on that badass horse we never see again and that bit lasts like .. 5 seconds? and he just ... somehow ends up in that cave so far below the earth with the other sages? HOW did he even get there

the constructs you find in the game can be pretty tanky and packing quite a punch, theres auto-targeting mini tanks, lasers and fire/electric/ice throwers, bombs and otherwise explosives, couldnt they have easily fought against some bokblins even if they were miasmafied

or am i supposed to believe ganondorf became THAT strong just through that little magic pebble (isnt that a little insulting too?), while all the other stone having people are so much more inferior AND have gans bossfight not be that hard is kinda ... weird? i know link is special an all, but he doesnt have a stone and the sages dont really add to his powerlevel, the msot they do is distract gans little clones for a bit

doesnt that, and how irrelevant the whole sonau tech actually is to the plot, feel even more like its a thing put in there just to showcase that they could do it (like ... a tech demo) and like its an unfitting sandbox element just for some very dedicated players to build entire war maschines for viral videos out of but the vast majority will not have that kind of patience nor fun with that (i for one do not care to laser explode or otherwise terrorize little enemy camps with otherwise overly ridiculous weapons bc its not fun and really not worth the effort to me)

#ganondoodles talks #zelda #totk #ganondoodles rants #mini rant #but #i just realized there isnt anything shown of any combat construct fighting #but i dont think people were able to build this stuff after both rauru and mineru died #in fact we see no one fight in that war #besides gan charging on cool horse we never see again for a few seconds #and the stone guys standing around gan with some mud on their faces now suddendly faaaaaaar underground and also at the end of the fight #somehow #do you even need ANY of your abilities to get to gan?#also to be clear #i do not hate people who build godzilla in totk #but i do feel like enabling that was one of the main reasons why nintendo decided to make that the focus #since those videos are what goes viral #rather than say #very good researched theories about lore or something #totk should have been a spin off to focus fully on building and nothing else

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sea-buns · 6 months

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Holy fuck, man. What a trip Fearne has been on, huh?

You tell her how grateful you are to have her in your life, you flatter her, you tell her you need her, that you have to do this together. You have her make a promise that has this woman, born of chaos and fey, agreeing through shaking hands and a trembling voice.

You make her deceive your friends; you make her follow where they cannot know; you make her help you into this contraption; you make her feed this thing into you despite the fact that you both have been warned extensively of the risks. You make her watch you crumble and splinter and shatter and fracture and burst and implode. You make her watch you die, over and over and over and over, for a minute in agonizing bullet time.

You make her do all these things, because when she tries to back out, when she tries to not be the one who let you do this—how could you do this—

you tell her, "YOU PROMISED."

Because if there's one thing you know, it's that the fey do not break a promise.

#cant wait for her to fucking pissed for a very long time. shes really packing the entire human experience in a very short period of time.#critical role #cr spoilers #c3e77 #fearne calloway #ashton greymoore #bells hells #just gonna get ahead of the um actually mfs and state that i am aware that its not confirmed that thats why ash brought up the promise #but boy howdy would it make for some great drama down the line huh?#edit: apparently i did not get ahead enough cuz ive had to turn off replies #since ppl were somehow interpreting this mini introspection piece as me infantilizing fearne??#anyway the first line is now changed to something a bit more neutral. after sleeping on it i do see how it was a bit aggressive at the top #other than that im not sure how else to reword without completely disregarding the core of the post #i might make more posts addressing this but im not sure yet. i wanna try to approach it in the best way possible.#but if it helps any the point of the post was not to say fearne had no agency. she had plenty of moments where she tilted one way or the #other. the POINT was to just shine some light on the emotional pressure she had been put under.#hasnt your friend ever asked you to keep a secret or promise that felt wrong or unsafe or made you anxious?#it has nothing to do with the amount of agency she had. ash wasnt holding a knife to her throat and forcing her to follow against her will #all i was trying to do was take this detail about his reminder of the promise that i thought was interesting and have some fun writing an #overview of the kinda stress she was under BEFORE theyd reached that scene. this entire ep was everyone discussing how grateful they were #for this family theyd made. and while im not saying ash was PURPOSELY emotionally manipulating fearne..#there is a level of unintentional manipulation when you pair the severity of his request with the convo theyd had 2 seconds prior #as well as the desperate need they all have to save each other NO MATTER WHAT.#ash was giving incredibly strong energy of a friend who peer pressures you into helping them do something that you know in your gut WILL #cause problems. hes a fucked up guy. theyre all fucked up guys. even if he didnt mean to “force” her into anything the pressure was THERE.#<- i feel like all of this overall gets my message across. i think maybe ill clean it up later into its own post.#im gonna try not to rush myself to get it done tho.#im under no obligation to explain myself. especially when ppl approach the misunderstanding by being rude af. but i do think it CAN #be clarified so id at least like to try to some degree

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spearxwind · 7 months

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writing this apology months before it happens but i am so sorry for the person i am going to become eventually. i am getting into warhammer 40k

#ive not touched the lore yet but miguel gifted me so many minis to paint and im slowly picking it up... and i have a big lore book too #that i rly rly wanna get into when i can and actually like. fucking KNOW what him and the guys at the store talk about whenever we go there #like hello. i understand nothing thank you <3 #btw if anyone knows abt 40k he assigned me tyrannids. he just decided those guys were for me #and he was right they genuinely really slap. alien bug freaks that consume everything and mimic other beings hell yes #anyways. let this be a warning. a prophecy even. the second i get into it i will not know peace and i will become incomprehensible #thunderclap #also i might as well start tagging #40k

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starmonsterrr · 7 months

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day 1: warmup

Yesterday i had to do an event for a roblox game (creeturs of sonarfreakingnaiararia, S stands for "super grindy") but I'M GONNA CATCH UP

I was originally gonna do something different for the warmup but i got this hilarious idea

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anonymouscreampuff · 7 months

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if you don't think they can still work, that honestly sounds like a you problem

#fionna and cake #adventure time #simon petrikov #betty grof #petrigrof #finn mertens #marceline abadeer #//honestly i just wanted to doodle golbetty who kills my eyes #and then whoops she has hair now.#alongside;;; other design changes #maybe she's like this bc of some kinda wish #like lets just pretend wishes worked mkay? mkay #or maybe this is basically like a mini copy to keep around simon who knows at this point #i did not plan that far ahead #anyway monster wife lets go #also mans deadass comes home after being missing for gods knows how long #everyone is worried sick about him and he just rolls up like nothing happened with his wife and absolutely nothing is wrong nope sirree #everything is fine and normal and cool :)#ALSO the absolute urge to do a funnie animatic/pmv thing with simon is growing (the pigeon song by cavetown will NOT leave me alone)#anywho hi hello yes im done rambling now goodbye!

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baekhyunnybyun · 3 months

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NEW YEAR NEW GIF CHALLENGE RULES: give your 2023 music review by showing your fave boy group, fave girl group, fave soloists, fave debut and most played song of the year, then tag some friends to do theirs!

tagged by @xiaojuun thank you eri for tagging me in these things that are typically done only by gifmakers 💜 they're a lot of fun!

I don't gif, so I just made some simple gfx. To switch it up a bit, my picks are my favorite albums/minis of the year for each category. Plus my most played song of 2023 (according to Spotify)! I think you're supposed to pick your favorite song for each of these but 🤷‍♀️

honorable mentions (in order of category; aka the albums I almost picked): exist - exo // cabin fever - purple kiss // rover - kai // door - kim sejeong // the unseen - shownu x hyungwon

tagging: @jwooyoung @possession1981 @dongkwan @eeunwoo @sunghanbin @jeonwon-wonwoo @honeydewtual @hohowonho @bethereforme @hyvnsuk @got7 @talksaxy @db2k @onmywayv @neonsbian @okaysign @kimsmingyu @28reas0ns @leewonseo @lee-minhoe @nfly5 @yongheez @ninqz I am again going off of memory and forgetting a million people 🫣 feel free to ignore the tag for whatever reason 🫶🏻 and mutuals, if you see this and want to do it, pls, pls, pls consider yourself tagged by me & tag me if you do it!!

#bex.edits #bex.faves2023 #multi #tag games #ik it's the middle of january #but in my defense i was tagged in this 2 days ago #everyone act surprised by my bg pick #and i still know absolutely nothing about jo yuri #except that i loved her mini #also ik my debut mentions aren't really debuts...#side note: how does riize not have a single mini album yet??

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imminent-danger-came · 10 months

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MK: "No way! I may not understand your irrational love of noodles, or working hard, or being angry all the time—but you are always there when I need you, so it's time for me to return the favor! Because Pigsy's Noodles, are noodles worth fighting for!"

(2x04 Sweet'n Sour)

Subodhi: "Zhu Bajie was a stubborn one too." Pigsy: "Oh! So you think we're the same just cause we're pigs huh, bet you think I'm just a disgusting little monster too." Subodhi: "Zhu Bajie had his vices, however, like all the companions he grew up. He struggled the most, but he worked hard, not unlike yourself. Although he didn't start out this way, in time he became a deeply caring and protective creature, and a powerful ally—one of the best in fact. The heart you have in abundance, the power? Why, you've barely scratched the surface of your potential! And that's saying something."

(4x09 Roast of the Monkie Kids)

Gettin' emotional over my favorite hard working Pig man.

#Thinking too hard about s2 pigsy rn don't mind me #Like. In 2x03 he definitely does feel he can rely on MK. But by the end of 2x04 he knows he can #So then going from 2x03 ''Classic MK. Goofs off and screws around all day!'' to ''You've earned a break kid'' in 2x07 #To then chewing SWK out in 2x10 on behalf of MK #Growth #Also omg in 2x04....is that MK being their for a friend when they need him??? 3x10 and 4x02 anyone #Actually Tang in this ep too. ''Some day I will become someone they can depend on...the way I can always depend on them!''#And here he was being someone Pigsy could depend on #Really I think that's tang's motivation in 2x02 too #What I mean when I say this show is so well thought out #Like. Pigsy was closed off until Subodhi mentioned how he ''works hard'' because that's something Pigsy really values #Could even relate ''the heart you have in abundance. The power? Why you've only scratched the surface!'' to 1x09 #''You're hearts in the right place bud! We can work on the rest.''#Like. Don't look at me #Pigsy had a mini Zhu Bajie arc in s1 and the first half of s2 send tweet #*Pulls out conspiracy board* MK Mei Tang and Pigsy are all dynamic characters. They change in distinct ways #Sandy however is very static (with the exception of resolving to fight in s3) and while there is nothing wrong with a static character #I THINK SANDY IS WRITTEN THIS WAY FOR A PLOT REASON. SUBODHI POINTED IT OUT IN 4x09.#AND HERE'S WHY OG SANDY IS CURRENT SANDY-#lmk #lmk parallels #lego monkie kid #lmk Pigsy #hmmmm. s4 dadsy fr fr

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see-arcane · 2 years

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After today’s entry, I am once again baffled by any adaptation that makes Renfield out to be some direct and obedient minion to Dracula’s whims. This guy literally breaks out the second he thinks his Lord and Master (read: Idealized Supernatural Benefactor He’s Decided Will Give Him Grisly Boons and Superpowers) is being ‘stolen’ from him and begins wailing on those he deems responsible...

...except those same guys are the ones hired specifically to carry out Dracula’s instructions of Transylvanian dirt box removal/delivery. The actual, if unwitting, minions getting paid to do his mysterious bidding. Considering Renfield’s mindset, it reads a lot less like ~protecting his Master~ and a lot more like--

Dracula, having a grand time: Well, that’s Miss Westenra taken care of, obstinate guardians notwithstanding. Oh, and here come my laborers for the earth moving! Lovely. What a productive few days this has been--

Renfield, Victorian era “Girlfriend” by Lady Avril Lavigne blasting in his head, attempting to murder the Count’s secondhand employees out of doing their job: DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH MY MAN OR HIS DIRT

Dracula, now t h i s close to having people turn up to snoop around Carfax to figure out what this guy’s problem is with the place/apologize to the homeowner and revealing his whole deal: 8)

All of which lends more weight to Renfield being less an outright Igor caricature being unduly influenced by the Count, and more like Dracula getting a taste of, How About That, Not So Fun Having a Fixated Aggro Stalker, Is It? medicine himself.

#to be clear this isn't meant as an insult to Renfield himself #he's obviously suffering his own issues with mental illness and little to nothing's being done about addressing it #beyond letting him eat bugs and birds and stuffing him in a straitjacket as a last resort #and just generally having him live out his life as-is under a magnifying glass #but at the same time we need to go back to Seward's admittedly theatrical read of Renfield's motives regarding the new Lord and Master bit #i.e.: He isn't after a savior as much as someone/something that will shower him with inhuman gifts and benefits #a feat he was already chasing with the mini turducken attempts and (after picking up some unknown hint from Dracula) human blood #he's not chasing salvation #he wants to be more/better than human and is experimenting with ways he thinks he can get there #and somehow he's mentally sensitive enough to pick up on Dracula's presence and potential #and is now literally throwing himself at the bastard trying to volunteer himself as a minion/acolyte/blood sugar baby #all while Dracula is likely weighing the options of letting him live in case of future usefulness #or just getting around to murdering him for making too much noise #and drawing the wrong kind of attention #r.m. renfield #dracula #dracula daily

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fellshish · 8 months

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#me: haha i’m over that podcast where they destroyed my fic #also me: has a mini breakdown where i question everything about my writing #also don’t ask me where the podcast is don’t try to find it it’s nothing really. nothing #everyone’s entitled to their opinion #i’m just in my feelings again that’s all #but also like…… if you stumble upon ppl hating on a fic. don’t send that hate to the author. just a psa

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lacallemojada · 1 year

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on Andrea and Beatrice sibling bond - Hygge Universe by @jmflowers

“You’re a good big brother,” she whispers, her fingers tracing a familiar path down the side of his cheek, “You’re kind and you’re smart and you’re helpful.” (October 2025)

Hygge chapter 6: Travel Light//I don't love anyone, Belle and Sebastian//NA//The Elektra Complex, @filmnoirsbian//Everlasting - Acoustic, Seafret//The Other Boleyn Girl(2008)//Sunday Afternoon, Joseph Lorusso//Seven and Five mix by Sleeping At Last.

#silly silly little thingy #but i have so many feelings about these two and their bond #i haven't been able to stop thinking about the last hygge prompt or mini shot since it was posted #i needed a way to convey how much they mean to me and how much i believe Andrea and Bea mean to each other #nothing special just intense intense feelings am i right????#hygge #fic rec #jmflowers #i can't believe what your writing is doing to me janelle i hate you <3

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sircesimblr · 4 months

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Manon: Pardon me?!

Stam: What kind of a suit is that?!

Klaus-Ove: Me? Mine?

Manon: Why, yes!

Orbin: Mine, probably.

Stam: Orbin! You're positively reeking of mothballs! Don't - ugh, don't even think of coming near Rachel in that thing. You'll ruin your... why! am I even saying this?

Orbin: Sorry. It's my father's wedding suit. He wore it on the happiest day of his life. I don't own a suit myself so I figured it "suits", haha, to borrow it, for a special day like this. Don't I look, like, "flashy"?

Manon and Stam: "Flashy"?

Manon: Oh, my eyes are hurting me, Mr. Larsen. I cannot look at you. Flashy? Those colours are thunder flashes to the soul. You may be artistic, little pup, but this isn't exactly a display of good taste and modesty!

Klaus-Ove: And why not?

Manon and Stam: Why not?!

Klaus-Ove: People, look at the big picture. Squint your eyes. I am just a simplified representation of this breathtaking nature all around us: the green and mustard grasses, the grey skies and waters, my seven ginger strands of hair, hahaha. I could've gone a little more with the greys, I admit. But imagine Rachel next to me. She's got her hair up. She wears a long dress, like, teal, or soft flaxen... white? Would she not be the only one, anybody would be looking at, next to me? Exactly. And nothing would make me happier. Mr. Stam "let me show some more of my chest so everyone will notice how hot I am" Hardenes!

Stam: I.. I... Oh, shut it.

Klaus-Ove: Hahaha, just teasing, man. You don't care about looks, I know, it's okay, you probably lost a button when you changed. I'll help you look for it later.

Manon: Oh, this is terrible. Absolutely terrible. My apologies, dear Rachel, this was a true misreckoning on my part. Please, please, erase their formal appearance from your mind when this is over... They were such fine, charming gentlemen before... Do - I urge you - do take them to a taylor's first, before you'll debut with either of them in society! Now, gentlemen, let's not prolong this and take our leave. A final bow, a kiss, to our esteemed lady!

And with that, Miss Rachel Murray, I feel my little adventure, my story about love, is coming to an end.

It wasn't an easy task, but I'm honoured to feel a little of what it must have been for you. My big little nibbles, presenting their solemnest of hearts to only you, dearest and loveliest you. By now they're all behaving like loosened hosiery, pardon me, but you've seen them. Their ways and wishes, words and dreams, and in between the lines, who they truly are.

Dearest Rachel, I wish you the very best of luck. Meeting my gentlemen, and the many more that seek your friendship and affection. Have fun, dear girl, on your journey. I bow to you too. And please, let me, or let my Watcher know some day, how it all turned out for you. It's not only love, it is life.

So, good-day, Watchers, Authors and Readers! Thank you so very much for spending your time with us. And now: back to our own worlds.

(behind the scenes:)

The gentlemen: Thanks, Miss de La Haye. A bow and a kiss for you too. Here. Here!

Manon: Stop it. Stop it.

The gentlemen: Well done! Good job. Rachel will be over the moon. We'll take it from here! But we'll forever and always be your big little nibbles too.

Manon: My heart. My goodness. Give me a minute to breathe, to recuperate, before our Watcher just magically poofs us back to where we came from. Please excuse me, lovelies. This is not the easiest thing to say good-bye to...

My big little nibbles. This desolate, lovely island. My heart, my heart, connecting with these gentle souls, like it does with each and every one of my children... it's, it's - how did I ever get to experience this? How do I go back to Praaven remembering this? Knowing these kind of men exist, knowing this kind of love exists, ready to be given to one special woman... Not me...

How do I live on, with all this inside of me?

What... And what... if she makes me... forget? What if my Watcher makes me forget this ever happened, when she sends me back?!

Heavens, no! To forget what became so dear... I don't want to, no... she can't - is that hell? Will she truly send me through hell, to get back?! All of us?!

My goodness, my goodness!! May the heavens help me!!

Stam: Guys, something is wrong with our hostess. She's having a ... meltdown? Miss! Miss de La Haye, are you alright?!

Orbin: Miss de La Haye? Are you in pain?

Klaus-Ove: Miss de La Haye!

(prev)

#a man for rachel #@kimmiessimmies #intermezzo AU mini story #that's it!#we'll see what happens over on kimmiessimmies' simblr!#and don't worry about manon #she came through hell remembering nothing but she awoke with a sudden strong determination #to raise her little nibbles a little different than she used to do #she would send a whole different generation of men into Praaven's historybooks!

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masterjedilenawrites · 8 months

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Broken Wings - Part Two

What's this? A second chapter one year after the first? More fic writing from me in the same week? Idk guys, I'm just riding the motivation wave as far as it'll take me...

Thrawn x pilot!reader | 2.5k words

Content warnings: Cursing, only a little Thrawn/reader interaction (slow burn anyone?), also I gave the reader tattoos for funsies

< Previous Part | Masterlist | Next Part >

Hangar 12 was massive. Not even the largest rebel hideout could equal this space you found yourself in. TIE fighters hung from their docks in the ceiling while larger transport ships were lined neatly along the slick floors. And there was still plenty of room to spare. Room to reconfigure the ships in a thousand different formations and never run the risk of them crashing into each other.

Thus, the set up of a little podium and rows of chairs in the middle of the hangar was comical. It looked like furniture for a dollhouse. The pilots milling around the chairs seemed tiny, too, the details of their faces and flight suits barely remarkable when compared to the expanse of metal and space surrounding them.

You stood by one of the entrances to the hangar, having just emerged from a hallway into the location you were instructed to be in this fine morning. Well, a biological morning, anyway. Here there were no suns, no atmospheric skies with clouds or stars, no indications of whether you should be awake or at rest. Here, time did not exist. The viewport at the end of the hangar boasted of a vast outer space, likely deep within the Empire's control, far from the places you were used to. And yet, it still stirred that itch within you, the desire to go into it. To explore. To fly.

"Oh good, you've made it."

A flash of blue and white appeared in your periphery. You quickly closed your eyes, as if by not seeing him, he couldn't see you in return. You'd been dreading this moment, but your damned curiosity compelled you to show up anyway.

"I will introduce you to your squadron," Thrawn spoke to you anyway, not commenting on your lame attempt to hide from the situation. "They are among the Empire's best pilots, though still not close to your level of expertise. For now you will set the standards for their training, help them understand what is required. But I expect to see intensive training within the cockpit soon."

There was a pause before he spoke again, one simple, inquiring word. "Captain?"

You opened your eyes. Everything from before was still there: the ships, the tiny pilots, the viewport into darkness. But now added to the view was the imposing form of the Grand Admiral, looking down at you with those piercing red eyes, waiting for you to agree to being on board.

"I didn't realize titles transferred across war lines," you said in response.

Thrawn did not seem phased by the venom you put behind your words. Or perhaps you hadn't put in enough for him detect. You weren't exactly in pique form at the moment, your body still feeling like it'd been wrung through a trash compactor a few times. The rest and rehab you'd received the day before was far from rejuvenating your fighting spirit.

"The goal is to have you become Flight Commander for the squadron. But we'll retain your title of Captain for now, until you prove yourself. Even if it creates more paperwork for my staff."

He nodded slightly behind you and you turned to find a few officers standing nearby.

"This is Officer Amara Tilde, the fleet's logistics liaison. And Sergeant Lou Mam, from the Chimaera's tactical division. They'll be overseeing the training and provide assistance where needed."

While you were arguing against the small voice in your head that sounded strangely like your mother's, telling you to be polite and smile or nod at the two in acknowledgement, Thrawn continued.

"But for all intents and purposes, the squadron will report to you. As their leader."

"Like it or not," you heard Sergeant Mam mutter under his breath.

If Thrawn also heard, he ignored it, instead turning to indicate he was ready to proceed with this grand plan of his. "If you are ready, Captain, we'll begin."

"And if I'm not ready?" you couldn't help but ask.

One corner of Thrawn's mouth twitched upward. "Then you'll have roughly a hundred meters to gear yourself up, Captain."

And with that, he set off, striding confidently into that dark and massive hangar, his staff members falling in to flank him on either side. You found your feet guiding you to follow along, making you ponder with each step what you were doing here and how you could possibly get free.

"At attention!" called out Sergeant Mam as they approached the group of pilots.

There was a rustle of boots, with a small squeak or two, as the pilots hurried into proper standing positions in front of their chairs. Thrawn and his two officers strode past them toward the podium, but you chose to hang back just behind, out of view. For one, you were still in denial and any little thing you could do to delay the inevitable, be it closing your eyes or pausing in your steps, you would shamelessly do. But for another, that short trek from the door to the middle of the hangar already had you beat. Your body had not fully healed from your crash just a few days ago, and what little rehab you'd done so far to gain mobility back did not prepare you even for a walk. Your body felt flushed, heated, and you were pathetically out of breath.

"At ease," the Sergeant stated as he took his place behind the podium. Thrawn and the other officer stood off to the side, the former giving you a questioning look that you didn't know how to answer from this distance.

The pilots relaxed into their chairs at the command.

"As you all know, you have been selected as the top graduates from the Academy to serve in this special training unit aboard the ISD Chimaera...."

As the Sergeant spoke, you couldn't help but unzip the top of your flight suit and shake at the fabric a bit, trying to get a breeze onto your sweating skin.

"Training?" one of the pilots interrupted, apparently interpreting the at ease command a little too loosely. "We were told Special Forces Unit."

"Indeed, you will become a force to be reckoned with. But first we must train you to get there."

There were grumbles and whispers but you weren't focusing too much on the scene. You still felt too hot. Confined. Trapped. Screw it, you thought, and pulled the zipper all the way down and shimmied out of the sleeves. The top of your suit now hung at your waist, leaving your top half in only a black tank top. Your tattoos would be showing now, as well as the many bruises and barely-scarred wounds you'd recently sustained. Even amongst the rebel forces you'd be considered indecent. But at least you now felt just a little freer.

"With all due respect, sir," another pilot spoke up, "we already received our training, at the Academy."

"Yeah," a third chimed in. "We're enlisted soldiers now. Not cadets."

"And not only that, we're the best," said another. "You said it yourself. Top of our class. What else could we possibly have to learn?"

You couldn't see their faces but you could hear their smirks. Oh, these were cocky SOBs. Something stirred in you at their behavior, very similar to the feeling you got whenever you looked up at the sky or out the viewport into space. In fact, one could argue the two feelings often went hand-in-hand. You had an insatiable desire to fly, yes, but also to prove others wrong. These smug pilots, fresh from the Academy, with their clean suits and fresh haircuts, thought they were on top of the world. But they didn't know what it was like to be in an active war zone. To feel pressure in the cockpit. To be faced with impossible decisions. They had a lot left to learn.

Thrawn chose this moment to step forward, and the murmuring of the crowd quieted down.

"The Academy has prepared you well enough," Thrawn addressed them with that quiet confidence you'd already grown used to. "But we can no longer afford to settle for only enough. The Rebels are growing in their strength and number, and most importantly, in their skill. Do you know who the best fighter pilot is at the moment?"

There was a silence as the pilots looked around to each other. One happened to catch you from the corner of his eye. He frowned in confusion at your presence before turning back around.

"A Captain in the Rebel forces," Thrawn answered his own question, following it up with your name. There was murmuring as some seemed to recognize the name. You weren't sure if you should feel flattered that your reputation preceded you.

"Can any of you confidently say you are better than her?" Thrawn threw out another question but this time didn't wait for a potential response. "No. You are not the best. But, you can be trained by the best. And then there may be hope for the Empire yet."

The pilot who'd noticed you before swung back around to look at you, starting to piece two and two together. You figured this was about as good a time as any to finally push yourself forward.

The whispers returned as you came into view, shuffling amongst seats to get a better look at your disheveled appearance. Or perhaps just your presence in and of itself. They were in as much disbelief as you were over the situation.

One pilot was a little slower than the others and called out, "Who the hell is this?"

Thrawn cooly responded, "The best," before stepping back to give you room.

You took in a deep breath, mostly to get your panting under control, and a little to calm the nerves. You were surrounded by enemies, you reminded yourself. These pilots meant nothing to you. You had nothing to prove to them.

And yet, the itching inside continued.

"Is this a joke?" You recognized the voice as the first pilot who had spoken up. He was a handsome guy, round face and clear skin. His smirk was as mischievous as you'd pictured it earlier.

"I wish it were," you said, hating how your voice betrayed your physical exhaustion.

The pilot didn't seem to know how to respond to that, so the one sitting next to him spoke up instead.

"So you're telling me this Rebel twat knows more about flying than we do?" She seemed to be questioning one of the officers or Thrawn himself, but her eyes were fixed on you.

"There's no need to be vulgar, Heva," the one who'd noticed you earlier spoke up, albeit in a soft tone. "She is the best..."

"For a Rebel," Heva scoffed, settling back in her seat with arms crossed. "Which isn't saying much, now, is it?"

You desperately wanted to scratch the itch, to put these MF-ers in their place, but you'd need to pace yourself. Battles weren't won in a day, as you unfortunately knew firsthand.

"Test me," you said, straightening up a little.

This earned you a mix of snorts and incredulous smirks.

"Alright," Heva sniffed. "How do you reprogram a misaligned targeting system mid-flight? Smoke is coming from the underside of a TIE starfighter cockpit, what has been damaged? Do you use concussion missiles or proton torpedoes against a particle shield?"

You noted her questions were specific to Imperial tech, things you would likely not know about. But even if you did, they were hardly the most important things to be quizzed on, so you didn't feel particularly demeaned like she probably hoped.

You hummed. "I confess, I don't know."

Heva wore a self-satisfied grin while a few snickered around her.

"Now let me ask you something," you continued, not letting them enjoy their petty victory for long. "You're flanked between two enemy crafts and no wiggle room on either side. Ahead is a building, or some other obstacle, where impact would be fatal. What do you do?"

Some of the pilots seemed to be considering the question while others, like Heva and the pretty boy next to her, were more reluctant to play along.

"How far away?" asked the soft-spoken one.

You looked out across the hangar. "Let's say... from here to the viewport. A hundred meters?"

"Wait them out" said the pretty pilot, and it was then you noticed he had some chewing gum in his mouth, further accentuating his blasé attitude. "The enemy craft won't risk a collision either. As soon as they peel off, you follow."

"They're Rebels," you pointed out. "Some of the crazier ones. Flyers who know how to bank last minute and won't let you breathe for an inch. You can wait to bank with them, but if you're even a hair's length out of sync, you'll collide."

"Pull up sooner," someone shouted out.

"Collision," you asserted. "They're flanking, not mirroring. You won't fall far enough back before they do, too."

"Alright then, Best Pilot in the Galaxy," sneered Heva. "What do you do? Or are you trying to use a trick question to make yourself sound smarter?"

You took in a measured breath to maintain your composure. "You drop. Kill the engine, drop a few meters, fire it back up in time to bank."

There were even more scoffs and snorts than before.

"That's not... you can't..." the soft-spoken pilot's face was screwed up in deep thought, trying to make sense of your outlandish idea. "I mean, the physics of it alone... How could you even calculate the timing of it?"

"A situation like that, there's no calculating," you agreed. "There's no recalling a classroom lesson or reciting a manual. There's only feeling."

You hadn't exactly held their respect before, but now you'd really lost them. You were preaching about feelings, to a crowd who didn't think they needed to be taught anything in the first place. The looks on their faces, the not-so-polite words they were sputtering at a not-so-subtle volume, were proof they found you ridiculous.

You risked a glance back at Thrawn, whose expression was deadpan and gave away nothing of how he perceived this whole exchange. Not that you needed his approval. But he'd staked a lot in this plan of having a captured Rebel pilot teach an Imperial squadron; you were nervous about the consequences of failing him.

Your gaze shifted from his apathetic eyes to a starship just behind him. A TIE Interceptor by the looks of it. There wasn't much you envied about the Empire, save for this one vessel. The itching intensified; you were practically chomping at the bit now that the idea popped into your mind. A way to kill two birds with one stone.

You steeled yourself with another breath and turned back to face your disgruntled audience.

"...it's just not possible," someone was saying.

"It is possible." You raised your voice to be heard over their ruckus. Whatever fatigue your body had been suffering was now muted as adrenaline began to ramp up inside you. "I've done it before."

This hushed them up a bit, though skepticism was still written across their features. You couldn't help but grin in response.

"Would you like me to do it again?"

~ ~ ~

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