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ddaz3d-and-cc0nfused · 10 months

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༉‧₊˚. 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 || 𝐬𝐚𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

― pairing: sam winchester x plus size!reader

― summary: sam winchester was never comfortable with pda, but while on a hunt, sam is shaken with the harsh reality that he's needy, and the only person that can fix it was you.

― warnings: kissing, making out, dry humping, marking, teasing, needy sam winchester.

― wc: 1288

⋆ a/n: more old writing sigh, but i guess i can say i kind of like this one but i kinda didn't know a lot about sam's character when i wrote this because i was only in the earlier seasons then, but now since i've watched the show three times, i feel like i can say that i know his character like the back of my hand!

masterlist | AO3

You had no idea what was up with Sam that day, but he couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself. He wasn't usually a PDA type of person, opting to keep the kisses pg, meaning only cheek, temple, or forehead kisses. You had no problem with it, because if he wasn't comfortable with doing it out in the open or if he was afraid it would make him look unprofessional, you had no reason to try and push him to do anything he didn't want to.

When the affection happened in private, it just made it all the more special, both of your senses heightened and a lot more pleasurable when you two made love.

You never usually joined the brothers on hunts per Sam's request, only staying behind in the hotel room to offer some emotional support afterwards; but this time, you felt like going on an adventure. Dean was more than happy to humor you, but Sam was a bit more skeptical. He knew that you were your own person, that he truly had no say over what you did, so all the hunter asked was for you to stay close to him; easy enough, right?

At first it was a little difficult seeing how there were many places you three had to go, and it was giving Sam some anxiety, not only that, but he was feeling a type of way that he couldn't put his finger on. He thought it may have been is psychic abilities, but one touch from you and his skin lit on fire, he instantly knew that he was horny. When he got into your shared hotel bed together, his crotch pressed into you full rump, it took every bone in his body to not jump you right then and there, to keep his wondering hands placed tightly in yours.

You could sense something was off with your lovely boyfriend when you had gotten into the Impala, and instead of Sam sitting up front with his brother, he chose to sit in the back with you, one hand on your thigh. You found it a bit strange, but nonetheless welcomed the out of the blue affection. But you didn't welcome it when all of you split to go investigate different parts of an abandoned house, Sam hot on your heels.

As you were turned around, you felt Sam wrap his arms around your waist, his head buried in between your shoulder and your neck.

"Sam?" You questioned, the energy detecting device in your hand slowly lowering. He dragged his large hand down your fluffy stomach, resting it over the zipper of your pants. "Sammy?" You asked again, but this time your voice was higher pitched. He always acted this way when he was needy, but it was never out in the open like this, not when somebody could easily walk in and see your compromising decision.

"I just— I just want you so bad. . . I don't—" Sam rambled, pulling down the zipper of your fly. "You couldn't wait to do this?" You breathed, your head slightly tipping back. "Why did you think I picked the farthest room in the house?" Of course he lead you hear with an ulterior motive, why wouldn't he? He was smart, strategical, and you'd be lying if you said that you were tempted to give in.

"Sam, we can't, I'm sorry." Your hands fell over his sneaky one's, pulling your zipper back up and placing his hands back on your waist. He audibly groaned when you turned around threw your arms around his neck. His pupils were blown out, his expression was that of a kicked puppy. "Baby, you know that I want this as much as you do, I always will, but not in public." You sighed, pushing some of his hair out of his face. "I know. . . Can I— can I just kiss you?" He asked, his hands sliding lower before resting on the swell of your ass.

"Dean's gonna be real mad that we haven't got anything," You teased running your fingers through his hair, but you showed no hostility as his lips ghosted over yours. "It'll only be for a couple of minutes. . ." He mumbled, pressing his lips onto yours. It felt so great to kiss you, like your touch was slowly extinguishing the fire that had been burning in his stomach for the past two days. He couldn't help that his palms gripped your ass aggressively, rubbing you crotches together. You moaned quietly into his mouth, Sam hiking up your thigh so that he could get a better angle. His growing erection was pressed against your heated cunt, the friction driving both of you nuts.

"You said only kissing. . ." You breathed against his lips, arousal becoming more prominent in your panties. He only groaned in reply, his head tipping back so that his neck was exposed to you. You attached your lips onto is most sensitive spot located just under his ear, Sam bucking his hips against you. You were muting yourself by making marks that wouldn't easily be seen, but Sam was forced to bite his lower lip to silence himself. The worst part about doing this in not only a potentially haunted house, was that it was extremely empty, sound basically bouncing off the walls. You knew Dean would never allow Sam to live this down if he were to catch the two of you.

The tingling sensation of an orgasm was barely in your grasp, but it was enough to detach yourself from his neck and collarbones, only placing a kiss there which your lipstick left a mark.

"Sam, ____?" Dean called out. "You guys got anything?" Your eyes widened as you pushed Sam off of you, giving him a look of apology. "Uhh— no, there's nothing here!" You shouted back, licking your sleeve and wiping the makeup off his lips. "Alright well I explored all of downstairs and most of the upstairs and I got nothin', so I think we're done here." His voice was a bit closer, but now by a lot. "Okay! So are we gonna go?" You asked, straightening up Sam as he stood there with a stupid smile on his face. "Yeah! I'm goin' to be in the Impala, so you guys better hurry up!" He concluded, his voice growing fainter as he walked back down the stairs."Sam," You growled, "I'm going to kill you." You glared, now wiping off your lips for any smeared product.

"I'm sorry honey, I got a bit carried away." He apologized, but he didn't even sound remotely sorry. You just scoffed, grabbing your things with the intention of leaving. "Sure." He only laughed, following close next to you. "Don't act like you didn't like it," He teased. You only rolled your eyes, but it provoked a small grin on your lips. "Well I hope this'll sedate you until we get back home." You poked, both of you now walking down the old stairs. "Maybe, but seeing how your butt is looking in those jeans, I may be tempted to do it again." You groaned, "I'm going with Dean next time."

As you guys were about to get into the car, your eyes landed on your lipstick mark that you had placed on the side of Sam's neck. You felt your stomach fall into your ass but it was already too late, Sam had gotten into the front seat of the car while you got into the back anxiously. You watched Dean look at Sam's neck before smirking wolfishly, making eye contact with you in the rearview window.

"Looks like you guys got a lot of things done." He said, his voice full of amusement.

ೃ⁀➷ my lovely taglist!: @alina02 @louderfortheback @minervadashwood @fandomsarelifee @theendofthe70s @nomajdetective @mgg-theprettiestboy

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archivistofnerddom · 1 month

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The Batch + Getting forehead kisses from their partners

Hunter

Hunter carries so much weight that comes with keeping the family safe and together. You giving him this soft gesture is an acknowledgement of and silent thanks for everything he does. It’s a little action between you two.

With his heightened senses, Hunter frequently deals with overstimulation. You gently brushing back some of his hair and cupping his face calms him. His focus is solely on you in this moment. All his senses focus directly on you as you tilt his head back slightly to kiss his forehead. When you press that gentle kiss to his forehead, he glitches a bit and reaches out for you, holding you close to him.

He won’t say it, but he needs to have you so close to keep him from getting so overwhelmed by everything. And you understand. You stay close and lean into him, pressing one another kiss to his forehead as you hear him breathe more steadily.

Crosshair

He doesn’t trust easily, doubly so after what he survived with the Empire. Trusting you is a Big Thing for him. You can tell how much Crosshair needs gentle, soft reassurance that you’re still there, still around to support and love him.

Crosshair is tense when you slide next to him, wrapping a blanket around his shoulders with one arm. He looks at you intently. You shift yourself enough so that you can press a kiss to his forehead. Crosshair’s hand finds yours, squeezing gently, a little act of gratitude from him.

When you draw back a bit, he moves a bit and presses his forehead against yours. This feels safe. This feels like home. You feel warm when he acts like this with you. Crosshair is telling you that you are important to him without having to say anything.

Tech

This man always has something going on in his head, and he usually has four projects going on at once. Tech is a man of activity. He doesn’t slow down easily.

When you join him at his work bench, he’s happy. Tech likes having you nearby. He smiles at you when you lean over and sneak in a kiss to his forehead. You feel his hand sneak around your waist when you do, keeping you from stepping away after you finish that kiss.

Tech isn’t always good with his words, but he does show he cares with his actions. Accepting your kiss to his forehead and holding you close is one way he says he cares about you. Holding you close after you press this little kiss to his forehead is an enjoyable way for him to take a break from his work.

Wrecker

Wrecker is a very physically affectionate person. He loves openly and freely, often wearing his heart on his sleeve. When he has someone he loves deeply, Wrecker will let them know so clearly how much they mean to him.

You laugh when he pulls you down into his lap, one of his hands on your hip and the other around your back. Wrecker inhales sharply when you cup his face with both hands and kiss his forehead. His hand on your hip tightens a bit, a sign of how much you doing this means to him.

For Wrecker, this gentle sign of affection from you is also a sign that he is safe and can enjoy peace after war and being on the run. Wrecker likes being able to slow down and put down roots with his family and with you.

Echo

Look, Echo has been through a lot. He does so much to get his brothers to safety from their horrible treatment from the Empire. It’s a heavy thing that he’s handle, one that is thrown on top of him still recovering from his trauma at the hands of the Techno Union and his new life with three prosthetic limbs and cybernetic limbs.

You know how much that weighs on him, and it tugs at your heart. In the quiet moments between missions, Echo finds comfort being near you, often taking your hand in his good hand. Adjusting your position, you put your free hand on his scomp gently and press a little kiss onto his forehead.

Echo might be surprised by getting a forehead kiss from you, but he loves receiving it. Your acceptance of him as he is now means so much to him. Echo appreciates having quiet moments like these. He draws strength from having you around, especially as he’s dealing with so much for his brothers.

#the bad batch moments #the bad batch getting gentle kisses #forehead kisses #star wars #the bad batch #tbb tech #tbb crosshair #tbb wrecker #tbb hunter #tbb echo #little scribblings #the bad batch and romance with a partner #the bad batch x reader #the bad batch x you #drabble

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moonlight-sonata99 · 1 year

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My headcanons of The Bad Batch falling in love with a jedi

SO... i wrote a thing, I want to get better at writing so i'm hoping to write more of these!!please note that i've written before when i was 12- im 18 now XD so i hope to get better!!

For now, Please enjoy my headcanons for The Bad Batch!!!

My headcanons The Bad batch falling in love with a jedi reader

Sidenote

Takes place after order 66,Reader was a Jedi knight who was once mace windu’s padawan. And reader is based off a oc of a another fanfic in the works!

Hunter

Loml💖💖💖

Hmmm hunter I imagine a very VERY slow burn for him. Not to say that the rest of batch would be slow but I feel hunter would take extremely long at realizing his feelings

The man literally was a soldier then a dad-

So imagine his feelings when he and the reader actually start getting close. His heart would go doki doki and he would just be like.. wtf?

And obviously omega has to like you,how would she not like you?

Hunter will fall even harder when he sees the reader having a genuine interaction with omega.

Even though they're gone I still wanna add them so…

Cut lawquane and Suu already know what's up. Hunter can't hide it from them.

So does Rex, I'd like to think that Rex would be happy seeing his comrade falling in love after such events happened.

Hunter tried to ignore these feelings but..it doesn't work. They just grew.

As time passes he stars accepting that he MAY like(love) you

And recently with his heightened senses he has been feeling eyes on him…

Overall very confused at first and takes the time to think about his feelings.

Echo

Like hunter he would be slow but not that slow, considering reader is a Jedi and went through order 66 they would have trauma.

Enter trauma buddies

I vision the reader befriending echo first. Due to the fact that echo knows how scared you might be of clones at the moment.

Despite being a bit grumpy echo is very sweet. He's very considerate of your needs. And with time,He knows what triggers you. He also weirdly helps you to open up more but you remain very quiet.

Friends to lovers trope ftw-

It would begin when the batch and reader are on a mission for Sid when things go wrong, as usual. And reader gets lightly hurt and echo's freaking out

Then he hears a laugh

"Won't you calm down? I just sprained my foot. I can heal it" you chuckle with a gentle smile

And echo's face just goes red

Also to note, this man will ALWAYS be at your side. He's a puppy and it's adorable.

Also staying up late and planning for future missions are yours and echo's thing don't @ me.

Tech

ayo this GIF

OOHH I just love this man's to he reminds me of myself knowing a lot of useless info-

I think tech isn't very shy? Maybe to an extent!but i think he wouldn't really show much as the others.

in the beginning you and tech wouldn't be very close,but one day you ask him what he's working on out of boredom and he goes on to tell you the whole declaration of independence-

he's used to people zoning out while he's explaining (cough) wrecker (cough)

but no, to his surprise you're still actually interested!!

and you listened.

after this tech somewhat limits himself to talking to much but he always ends up getting lost in his words. Especially if what peaked his interest is in depth. But you never seem to mind.

Like echo he would be next to you always. His go to if you will when he needs help

And get ready from a lot of questions about jedis and the order i feel like he would be very curious about that topic.once you get comfortable talking about it of course.

a couple of months with being with the batch you go on a separate mission on a lead that your old master might be alive.

after you first told the batch of this tech was strangely quiet for the rest of your time there…

Wrecker

•Ngl I haven't really thought about this one, But I'll try my best!!!

•wrecker is a very fun loving man, and that's very admirable.

• I imagine wrecker would be the one to get readers out of their shell more faster than the other guys.

•What do you expect? He's so lovable.

•but this of course didn't come with its own trial and errors…

•in the early stages there were sometimes where he would try to help you out, however this meant grabbing you and throwing you up a high wall when you could've forced jumped-

•as you can imagine reader was caught of guard °_°

•But all was forgiven when the wrecker sought you out privately and awkwardly apologized.

•for falling in love. The feeling would come to him awkwardly and he somewhat embraces that!

•this would include giving you random trinkets that remind you of him

•inviting you out to his tradition with omega after missions

•being protective during missions

•compliments

•being very obvious.

•I mean…More obvious than hunter and echo combined.

Crosshair

Damn that gif STGG

•whoever told you this mf would be sweet to you if he ever did like you-

•idk what to tell you💀💀

•you know that thing children do when they have a crush on another kid and there just mean to them?

•that's crosshair.

•I knowW this man would be anything but nice to you.

•and that because he's most likely not used to liking someone.

•that being said, I read somewhere that crosshair would make you chase after him. I find that true imo, idk it just makes sense to me he would do that-

•BUT I do also think he would be the one who lowkey flirts with you the most but he would be very VERY subtle,And only do it when he gets comfortable with you. Examples being when you and him would be bickering and he would say something that would make you stay quiet and he uses that God daMn nice voice of his- or with subtle touches.

• I do like to think that as time passes by he gets a bit more bolder and somewhat overprotective-

•also the reader actually taking the time to know crosshair would be very appealing to him I think, I just feel crosshair needs someone to talk to in Canon, just don't let him know you're a Jedi🗿

Uhh idk how to end these,..but i do really hope to write more!! as for request im not sure about that just yet!!anyways if you read this far thank you!! please be kind as this is my first time writing this kind of stuff;; okay enjoy TBB and stay safe!!!!

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moonlightdarlings · 10 months

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bad batch & their love languages

a/n: pics not mine! these are my hc’s for anon :) i firmly believe, though, that each person has their own unique love language and quirks that make others fall in love 🫶🏼🧚🏼‍♀️

reminder the love languages are: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch!

tech - quality time and words of affirmation

tech strikes me as the type to simply enjoy your presence- whenever or wherever he is. he talks a lot, so he's genuinely grateful that you sit happily and listen as if the words flowing out of his mouth are pure honey. both you and him have been through a lot so there's this mutual love language of affirmation. he says, "oh i'm really proud of you," and you reply, "you did well out there today." similar to other members, due to how many close friends they've lost, tech loves how no matter what, you're always there for him.

hunter - words of affirmation and physical touch

hunter is someone who enjoys lifting people up and offering loving touches! definitely helps that his heightened senses allow him to be more understanding and empathetic if you happen to be going through something. he knows what you need best and thinks that physical touch is a good way to show just how much he loves you. with his senses, he immediately knows when you don’t feel confident in yourself so he tells you everything that is beautiful about you and that he’s in love with you- flaws included! he means it too :)

wrecker - receiving/giving gifts and physical touch

wrecker is a big, cuddly soldier and i don’t think enough people point out that he’s probably seen a lot of sadness so he tries to be the happy-go-lucky guy. you see through it- and you show him how it feels to be loved and valued as a person! he’s always been really thoughtful about gifts and it makes it all the more meaningful when you receive them. when you give him a gift back, he always has it with him :) saying that it brings him good luck and it’s a reminder that he has something to look forward to when missions are over. you both hug a lot and dare i say, have a secret handshake! his hugs definitely involve being picked up and spun around btw.

echo - acts of service and quality time

echo believes that actions truly and always will speak louder than words, so he shows you he cares through tiny, slight actions of love throughout the day. whether it's getting you a cup of caf in the morning or making sure to get your favorite fruit while on a supply run, he simply wants you to know he cares. he's been through a lot, as far as friendships go, so echo values quality time more than service. whether you're just talking, sitting next to him, or if it's spending time staring at the sky together :)

crosshair - quality time and receiving gifts

crosshair loves you through the gifts he gives you. now, these aren't fancy, expensive gifts, but they're softer in a way. he strikes me as the type to write you letters and enjoy sitting with you in silence. there are many unsaid words, yet he doesn't need to say them, since you both simply understand each other. he places a lot of trust and love in you. he probably picks interesting flowers on the way back from a mission and says something like, "this reminded me of you." it may not seem like it but he genuinely enjoys your company and he's always thinking of you. :)

#bad batch headcanons #the bad batch #bad batch imagine #tbb crosshair #tbb tech #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #tbb echo

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zoeykallus · 2 years

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Hunter/Tech/Echo/Crosshair x Pregnant Reader + Toddler HC's

___________

What I want to get into in these HC's is how do our favorite clones act while "we" are pregnant, what is the first time like with the kids, as babies and toddlers? Be warned, there is fluff but there is also hurt and tension in this aswell as comfort. I didn't see any point in making up all fluffy, it's jut not how I see this in my head.

I maybe will do this with Wrecker and some other clones too, we'll see.

___________

Hunter: You can't hide from him that you're pregnant, so don't even try. He immediately smells the change in your hormone levels and asks you nosy questions until you give in and tell him what's going on. Or, of course, you tell him directly. He will be happy, very happy, he is made to be a Dad and he knows it, at least since Omega came into his life.

Hunter will take care of you as best he can, he won't be afraid to ask for advice or maybe even to ask Tech to get him some reading material, so he can help you in the best possible way and ease your circumstances. It's less fun when you get cravings, because he'll be meticulous about what you eat to make sure you and the baby get only good and healthy things. So when you get cravings for fast food or something like that, you have to somehow get rid of him for a little while first. And don't let him catch you trying too hard, especially when the baby bump is starting to show, from that point on you're a raw egg.

In the first days and weeks after birth, he is the proudest guy in the universe. He tells everyone he meets whether asked or not, that he recently became a father, absolutely EVERYONE. And his love for his child underlines everything he says and does about the baby.

Changing diapers Hunter rarely does, you can't blame him, his senses make it hard for him, he perceives unpleasant smells much more intensely, yet he does his best and relieves you of as much as he can for it in other areas. He loves to feed the little one, to rock it to sleep and to bathe the baby. However, the little one cries a lot, for a long time you are helpless and tired almost to the point of despair, until Tech suggests that your child might have inherited Hunter's senses and the sensory influences are just too much for the little one. The first months are very exhausting, but together you are an unbeatable, even if tired team.

Toddler: Physically the child develops quite fast, motor skills are developed early and you always have to keep a watchful eye, also a thing that Hunter has passed on with his genes. The toddler is shy and rather reserved, just because of the heightened senses it prefers a certain quiet. Favorite uncle is Crosshair, the rather quiet sniper is the child's favorite babysitter, he doesn't talk much but is attentive and provides security without making the child feel crowded. Hunter starts early teaching the little one how to best use heightened senses, protect himself and use that heritage wisely. He is a patient, loving father and always willing to learn.

Tech: "Oh," is the first thing you hear from him as you deliver the news. It takes him a little while to collect himself and finally a smile appears on his face, "A baby? We made a baby?"

Tech already knows a lot of things anyway but he plunges into even more information to really find out everything. He makes himself nervous by doing this, because he reads about a lot of things that could happen to you during pregnancy. He is hyper vigilant, accompanying you to every doctor's visit and putting together a nutrition plan for you. If you have cravings, he still can't deny you anything, he wants you to be happy so he gets you everything you want.

Just before and after the birth you don't have to worry about anything, Tech does EVERYTHING. He suffered with you when the baby was born, no information in the universe could have prepared him for that, shocked to the bone and worried every millisecond he might lose you, he held your hand and allowed you to almost break his fingers when the contractions hit you, and he wants you to rest.

He is a proud, very caring father. He has always been a busy workhorse but as long as the child is so young, he will prefer to be with you and the little one to take care of you instead of tinkering with his projects.

The toddler speaks very early, shows tendencies to a particularly high intelligence very early, something that makes Tech happy beyond measure, a pretty child that looks like you, has your kind-hearted nature, but his intellect. As soon as it can speak, it pesters its father with questions, MANY questions. Tech is only too happy to answer them, but you need to have a conversation about what the child should already know and what not....

Echo: Is completely overwhelmed at the first moment. "Father, me?! How could this happen... oh, yeah, sorry, of course I know how this happened".

He is super nervous but once he realizes his behavior makes you sad, he finally catches himself. He is looking forward to having a family with you, his first reaction was just automatic fear of not being enough.

He takes loving care of you, bringing you your favorite snacks from the road, little pretty things to make you happy and as compensation when he couldn't be with you because of work. Echo tries to free up as much time as possible for you, he wants to support you and be with you when you need him.

During the birth he collapses in the delivery room, he was exhausted just before, organizing everything, then the warmth of the delivery room plus the already existing excitement and his system collapses. He cries when he holds his child in his arms for the first time, something he never thought possible, a family of his own, a child.

The baby is loved and cared for, Echo, contrary to his expectations, is completely absorbed in being a caring father. He changes diapers, he feeds, he bathes, he even sings the little one to sleep. His heart overflows with love and joy. But don't let the baby cough - PANIC. You've been to the doctor more often than the rest of the universe.

As a toddler, Echo takes your child with him more often when he is on harmless missions. All batch members are uncles and the little one is protected and loved from all sides.

Crosshair: He just stares at you when you tell him you are pregnant. He can't handle it at all and you should be prepared for that. He didn't want kids and he told you that from the beginning, but now it's happened. He is acting distant. Crosshair doesn't blame you, he knows it takes two to tango and he has as much responsibility in this as you do, he won't run away but joy looks different. This is a bitter pill.

He hasn't touched you for a long time, has generally kept his distance, of course you are depressed and many a night you have cried yourself to sleep, feeling lonely and suddenly very anxious about becoming a mother.

But one night, as you are getting changed for bed, he happens to come in and there you both are, frozen in your movement, he sees the beginnings of the baby bump and something happens to him. He blinks, his hard, usually stern expression softens. Crosshair steps closer to you, his hand, his long fingers, gently rest on your belly. You can't help it, you start to cry, the hormones, the fear and the relief as he finally approaches you again open the dams. He presses you against him and whispers "I'm sorry that I left you alone". He realizes that you must be afraid and he regrets how he has behaved up to this point. He is suddenly much more quick to be jealous and also much more protective, almost too protective.

Crosshair cares for you, more than usual, but still don't expect him to overcare, it's just not in his nature. In the first few months you are already happy when he holds the child, he is desperately trying to feel a bond, but it is hard for him. However, as the child gets older and he can play the first games with him, he finally thaws out, he pays attention, takes care, makes food for the child and loves to play with the little one. When you come into the nursery to get your child ready for bed, you hear them both say in unison, "Five more minutes!"

@chxpsi

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

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barncat-therapy · 11 months

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The Nose Knows

TIMING: April 2nd PARTIES:@barncat-therapy & @mortemoppetere SUMMARY: When Perro seems excited to meet someone, Emilio finds himself suspicious of the stranger, only to find the unasked for company sufficiently tolerable. CONTENT WARNINGS: None

Having a dog was more work than Emilio had thought it was going to be. If he were smarter, maybe, he would have considered things a little more before scooping Perro up after slaying his former owner, would have weighed the option of taking the little guy to an animal shelter or putting up an ad online to convince someone more capable to take him. The thought of either made him feel uncomfortably sweaty now, but maybe it would have been possible in the beginning.

He probably wasn’t the most well-suited for a dog. With his bad knee and his unpredictable schedule, Perro’s walks came fewer and farther between than Emilio would have liked, so the little guy seemed to want to make the most of them. Though he was a little unbalanced with only three legs, Perro trotted down the sidewalk with little care. There weren’t many people out and about, which Emilio was grateful for. Perro, he’d learned, wasn’t a big fan of anyone human. Hunters he seemed to tolerate — Emilio was proof enough of that — and he didn’t seem to mind spellcasters like the necromancer Emilio occasionally hooked up with. But anyone without a little something extra running through their veins tended to find the dog growling and spitting and trying to look bigger than he was.

So it was a little suspect when Perro took off running towards a stranger with his tail wagging.

Emilio eyed the man warily, hand clenched tightly around Perro’s leash. He wasn’t undead, at least; Emilio could count on his slayer senses to warn him of something like that. But if Perro’s ‘senses’ were anything to go by — and so far, they had been — he wasn’t human, either. Fucking fantastic.

“Sorry,” Emilio said gruffly as Perro jumped at the stranger’s legs, desperate for the man to pet him. “Gets excited.”

The click-clack of claws against pavement interrupted the repetitive chanting of an address in Luis' mind. Clutching a crate with a few jars he was meant to be delivering, he'd instead stopped to turn and look down at the small black dog jumping at his leg for attention.

He could only assume the scent of the farm dog had drawn it in, expecting someone it could expect to be friendly.

By all means, that was much preferable to yapping some dogs were prone to.

"Oh, it's no trouble. As long as he's not trying to bite my shins, we can make friends."

Glancing only briefly up to the taller man, Luis showed little indication outwardly of how he felt about this - both his tone and expression an at ease sort of neutral.

To the stranger's dismay or not, Luis even shifted the box to be held up against his side with one arm, so he could crouch down to offer the dog his hand to sniff, then scritches behind the ears if the reaction was positive.

"I'm not giving you any jam, though, that's not for you, alright-"

One comment addressed to the canine, the next clearly to its owner with how Luis' head was now turned up to look at him again.

"So what happened to the poor fellow's leg. Bad accident?"

“He won’t bite,” Emilio assured the man, though there was a tightness to his tone. Though Perro was clearly happy to meet the stranger, Emilio would have been far more comfortable if the dog were yapping and growling. Perro’s senses weren’t as airtight as the ones that told Emilio when something undead was near, of course — at the end of the day, the dog was just a dog and not anything with any kind of supernatural detection abilities — but they’d been accurate enough so far to put Emilio on edge. His already impressive paranoia was heightened at the slightest provocation, after all.

He watched as the stranger shifted the box in his arms to allow him to pet the dog, hand tightening a little more on the leash. Perro shoved his head against the stranger’s hand with glee, practically crushing his ears against fingers in an attempt to inspire affection. The guy was good with dogs. Werewolf, maybe? Some kind of nymph? The possibilities were unfortunately endless.

Blinking as he was addressed, Emilio looked confused for a moment before he realized the stranger was asking about Perro. His own bad leg twinged faintly, as if upset to be left out of the conversation. Emilio shook his head, shrugging a shoulder.

“Don’t know,” he admitted. “Was like that when I got him. Probably an accident, I guess.”

Used mostly to the thick weatherproof coats of dogs built to stay outdoors year-round, the terrier's fur felt quite strange to Luis, though he still obliged and offered the much asked for affection.

It was the owner's unease with the situation that he'd failed to notice for a while, however. And it...did make sense.

Dog owners may be people who are most often quite happy to talk about their pet, but they also did prefer to teach an overexcitable dog not to jump on people, especially strangers.

"Doesn't look like he's all that bothered by it at least. That's good." Springing back up to full height, his new little friend would have to make do with a brief pat after all. Oh well.

"Well, it looked like we were headed in the same direction anyhow. Would you mind if I ask what your name is? And the dog's. Sorry about the petting, it slipped my mind that you're not supposed to do that."

On the off chance it would be accepted, Luis offered out his free hand for a handshake.

Always better to know people's names in case he runs into them again. As a plus, it'd hopefully smooth things over a bit.

“He gets around just fine,” Emilio confirmed with a shrug. He’d been worried about it, in the beginning. He got the feeling the missing leg was a recent thing. Perro was too unsteady on his feet to have been dealing with it for a significant amount of time, like it was a development he was only just beginning to register. Or… maybe that was Emilio projecting, just a little. His own leg was still there, but there were days where the pain was so bad, it might as well have been an empty space. He wasn’t used to it. Maybe the idea that Perro wasn’t either was comforting, in a way.

He watched as the man got back to his feet, grimacing a little when it seemed the stranger now intended to walk with him. He could probably say no and get the man to leave, but if an argument arose, Emilio knew he’d be too tired to participate. Besides, since it seemed like the man wasn’t human, it might not be the worst idea to get a feel for him. Figure out if he was the kind of person Emilio might need to take care of in the future.

“Emilio,” he replied with a curt nod. “He’s Perro.” His brow furrowed as the stranger continued, confusion clear in his expression. “You’re not supposed to?” He didn’t know much about owning a dog. He certainly hadn’t known there were rules about whether or not you were supposed to pet them. Maybe he should be doing more Googling after all.

Hesitantly, he shook the man’s hand. “And you are?”

Luis’ stock response to an introduction died in his throat once he realised with both mild amusement and some surprise what the dog’s name meant. More proper Spanish than what he’d learned himself, but it was recognisable.

In differing circumstances, he’d certainly consider not pointing out the meaning to avoid being rude. Between the little bit of accent he could pick up, and the man’s name, however, he felt bold enough to assume it may not be a lack of understanding behind it.

“Luis. Nice to meet ya.” Luis gripped the other’s hand firmly, withdrawing quickly to be considerate to Emilio’s hesitance. “If a dog’s jumping on someone for attention, it’s just not a good idea to reward it, is all. I figured you just didn’t, hmm, didn’t want to tell me to stop?”

Well, ignoring that mishap, they did seem to be getting along well enough now. He didn’t much mind covering leading the conversation along. Though getting back on track with deliveries was something else he had to keep in mind, slowly starting to pad onward to see if he’d be followed or not.

“So. Perro. Why not ‘Chucho’? Was the name choice your own, or was that from a prior owner?”

Though didn’t the choice name of Perro for a dog sound a bit familiar…

“Ah, were you the one seeking dog training advice online recently? I think I recall that dog being named Perro also?”

Luis. He filed the name away with another nod. He listened as the man spoke again, brow furrowing. It wasn’t a good idea? He supposed that made sense. One of the first things you learned as a parent was that rewarding bad behavior would only cause it to be repeated. A dog wasn’t a child — Emilio knew that, he did — but the concept was the same. If you didn’t want your dog jumping on people, you shouldn’t reward it for doing so.

“Right,” he agreed. “He does it a lot. Seems pointless to tell people not to pet him. Most of them do it anyway.” Perro was a social little thing, and the people he liked, the ones who weren’t normal people, they picked up on that. And it was hard to tell someone not to pet a dog once they’d started. It only upset the dog and the person.

Luis was full of questions, it seemed. And from a culture that differed from Mexico’s. Emilio raised a brow at the first question, shrugging. “Soy mexicano. Perro makes more sense. I don’t know if he had a different name before I had him.” Perro’s previous owner, the one whose chest Emilio had stuck a stake in, might not have been the type to name his dog. Considering the state Perro was in when Emilio grabbed him, he wouldn’t have been surprised. The thought made him a little angry, and he pushed it aside.

Luckily, he didn’t have to focus on it for long. Luis, full of questions, asked another, and Emilio nodded his head. “Yeah. That’s me. Not sure I got any advice worth getting. Some of those people are idiots.”

“So. Perro. Why not ‘Chucho’? Was the name choice your own, or was that from a prior owner?”

Though didn’t the choice name of Perro for a dog sound a bit familiar…

“Ah, were you the one seeking dog training advice online recently? I think I recall that dog being named Perro also?”

Walking slowly, Luis juggled making sure to keep track of Perro in case the dog got tangled up between his legs or got in front suddenly, watch the path, and chiefly look back towards Emilio since they were still speaking.

"Ah, sí, sí. That is good to know for me then. Not from around here?"

Luis clearly had no intent to stop with the questions, beyond pausing for responses. Well, not unless he caught on to them being unwanted anyhow. He held no intent to push anyone into feeling uncomfortable perse.

It just kind of happened.

"Oh, yeah. Some people just want to joke around online and all that. I'd offer to give you some advice myself while we're here, but...I think the best I could do is try to teach your dog to herd sheep."

A forceful little puff of air from his nose to indicate amusement with what he said - to show he'd not meant it to be serious.

That'll do it.

"I don't think he's up to that kind of task. Are you, Perro?"

A sharp turn of the head down towards Perro, then right back up. Never really having made actual eye contact with the other man.

The slow pace was far better for Emilio’s bad leg, though he’d never admit to as much. Perro, too, always appreciated a slower walk; Emilio suspected that waddling around on three legs was a lot harder than the dog made it out to be, sometimes.

Hesitating for a moment, he shook his head in response to the other man’s question. “Oaxaca,” he replied. It was a vague response, giving the state he’d grown up in and refusing to narrow it down further, but it was still a more detailed one than he was typically prone to giving. “¿Y tú?”

Glancing down at Perro, he tried to imagine the dog even attempting to herd sheep. He couldn’t picture it. “Ah, he’s too lazy for that, I think. Would rather just sleep on the couch.” His tone was light, a quiet indication that he, too, was joking.

It was clear that Emilio was still a bit wary of Luis, but he was warming up a little. It was comforting, in a way, the way the stranger spoke to Perro more than to Emilio. He preferred that. He’d never been much for eye contact.

"Nebraska." In contrast, Luis' answer came just about immediately, though now he found himself wanting to ask where Oaxaca was and what exactly it was too. "But I may as well be from around here by now."

His attention shifted once again, up to scanning for house numbers, noting that he was getting pretty close despite the slow pace.

"Well, every dog's built for a different thing, it makes sense. Perro's what...a terrier of some kind..? Those are the ones with the mustaches, right? I think those are more the 'hunt rats' dogs than herding ones to begin with."

Eyes narrowed in concentration when it came to recalling dog trivia, pausing as he spoke where he wasn't too sure or just needed a moment to dig for what he wanted to say.

He still wanted to ask about Oaxaca. Though found himself opening his mouth to ask, then closing it again as soon as the realisation hit him that well it probably was someplace in Mexico. Could always Google it later anyhow.

"I'll have to split off in a moment. But I can catch up to you after if you'd like to keep chatting on."

Nebraska. Emilio knew just enough to know that that was one of the States, though he had no idea where it was located in relation to Maine. He wasn’t even sure if he’d been to it or not. He’d done a lot of traveling in the two grief-fueled years after the massacre back home, never quite registering where he was and never stopping long enough for it to matter.

“How long have you been here?” Must have been a while, if he felt as if he was from here now. Emilio wasn’t sure he’d ever feel the same about Wicked’s Rest, about anywhere. It was hard to imagine being from anywhere but Mexico, even if it was just as hard to imagine going back. Home was something that was etched into his veins. There were days when all he could do was bleed with it.

Looking back to Luis, Emilio furrowed his brow. “Sure.” He had no idea what kind of dog Perro was, but he did sort of look like he had a mustache, so Luis was probably right. There was something funny, in a way, about the idea that Perro’s ‘purpose’ had once been in hunting. Like Emilio, he’d been bred for it with little say in the matter, had the decision made for him generations before he was born at all.

Maybe ‘funny’ wasn’t the right word for it.

He watched Luis open his mouth, watched him close it again. It was clear that there was more he wanted to say, and it was clear he wasn’t saying it. Emilio didn’t push him to open up for fear of what the words might be. He was a man who asked a lot of questions by necessity, but he’d never liked having those same questions turned on him.

“Where are you headed?” He found he didn’t outright hate the idea of Luis finding him again, though he also didn’t want to hold the other man up. “You could probably catch up. We’re not very fast.” Between Emilio’s bad leg and Perro’s missing one, their walks were often slow and short.

"Been here for about a quarter of my life, actually. I practically know the place like the back of my hand."

Okay, well, maybe that wasn't entirely true. The town did have a way of proving much more malleable than his little bubble of a home had been. There was always something new and unexpected. Something to hold his attention.

Rather than answering the latter question, however, Luis left it to answer itself when he veered off onto the steps to an apartment building.

"I'll be sure to find you then. It was a pleasure meeting you and Perro."

The smile offered was slight, easy to miss, especially as he didn't linger for very long before disappearing beyond the door.

A sharp sense of nostalgia washed over him, though he wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because there was no place that he knew as well as Luis knew this one now. Etla was gone now, tainted by what had happened there and forever changed in the aftermath. And Wicked’s Rest? Emilio was still barely gaining his footing here.

But none of that was something he’d say to a stranger, which meant none of that was something he’d say to anyone anymore.

He offered Luis a nod, slow and careful. “Yeah. You, too.” Surprisingly, he found the statement wasn’t a complete lie.

#While in the fog and still afraid (thread rp)#mortemoppetere

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canmom · 2 years

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Animation Night 110: Berserk

That manga... No... too large to be called a manga...

Hello once more my friends! Happy Thursday. It’s finally time for Berserk!

So. Today we’re going to be looking at one of the adaptations of Berserk - not the renowned 90s TV show, although I will tuck in an episode of that, but the movie trilogy by Studio 4°C that ran from 2012 to 2013. But first! Let’s talk about the manga...

What has not been said about Kentaro Miura’s genre-defining epic? Probably very little, but that’s never stopped me before!

So. Berserk is a ‘dark fantasy’ manga series that ran from 1989, when Kentaro Miura was just 23, until his death in May last year - a span of 32 years. At this point I have read up to

The story has gone, as you’d expect, many different places, but broadly it is a projection of the horrors of the European Wars of Religion into a heightened fantasy world - all centered on the character of Guts, a badass traveling swordsman who, marked for demonic sacrifice, persists in the world out of sheer stubbornness and battles the demonic ‘Apostles’.

The real meat of it begins with the Golden Age arc, the point where we see just how great a storyteller Miura really is. He precisely lays out a kind of grand Shakespearian tragedy, following Guts’s growth to adulthood with a mercenary band led by the iconic ambitious (evil) femboy Griffith, and the grand betrayal that set him on the present path. Even though we have some idea how it will end, the story rolls on with a feeling of terrible inevitability.

One of the great strengths of Berserk is the sheer variety of emotional tones Miura can convey. It is of course best known for its incredibly vivid and detailed battle scenes, the splattery panels of people being hacked apart by swords - and certainly Miura is one of the best at composing action, and a ludicrously methodical illustrator. Berserk loves to deliver the spectacle of, say, a massive cavalry charge...

(Look at all these horses in distinct, active poses and dynamic perspective, the use of value in the composition to make sure it reads, the sheer amount of effort put into precise hatching around the muscle shapes of each horse. I can only imagine how long it took to draw just this one panel.)

But more than that, Miura is capable of portraying moments of painful tenderness and wicked humour. The Golden Age arc wouldn’t work nearly so well if we didn’t feel the sense of camaraderie in the Band of the Hawk, watch Guts warm up to them, or even ourselves come to believe in Griffith’s dream. The horror of the eventual climax at the Eclipse depends on all of these moments leading up to it.

Yet that’s only the first quarter 100 chapters or so of a manga that has so far reached around 364 (with Miura’s assistant Kōji Mori now set to continue). Following this point, the story enters the Conviction arc, beginning with relatively self-contained stories but building up into a new story about a depraved inquisitor. Miura has a good eye for turning these stories into not just a monster of the week, but compelling self-contained story in its own right (usually a very sad one!), embedded in an overall arc of the traumatised Guts cracking his cynical shell and slowly growing to once again accept connections to other people and become more of a protector figure.

So by the following Falcon of the Millenium Empire arc, the central cast has expanded considerably: Guts, now on a mission to heal his wife Casca who has been traumatised to the point of taking on a totally childlike demeanour, gradually finds himself joined by a whole party. Puck the elf (here more like a fairy than a LotR elf) is a fourth-wall-breaking Greek chorus present from the start; alongside him arrive Isidro, a young boy who idolises guts and tends to form the comic relief; Farnesse, once an aristocratic witch-hunter fascinated by flames; Serpico, her loyal retainer and secret brother; eventually even Schierke the young apprentice witch and her own elf companion Ivalera.

One of the biggest concerns of Berserk is to show how these various characters came to be as they are, and show the events unfolding as a chain of causality. Every so often, we’ll dive into a flashback to flesh out one of the central characters, and honestly these tend to be some of my favourite parts of the story.

This idea of causality is actually explicitly discussed by characters like the mysterious Skull Knight, implied to be something of a predecessor to Guts who seems to have a sense of how the plot will unfold; Guts is described as existing outside the chain of causality by virtue of being sacrificed - and though he has become a kind of homo sacer to be killed with impunity by demons, this also gives him the opportunity to intervene in events. But how is in question; Guts is torn between two impulses: his desire for revenge on Griffith, his desire to protect Casca and the others who came under his wing, mixed his fear about hurting people in rage and bloodlust during fighting.

All this must sound very macho, and yeah, it often is - but right from the very start of Berserk it’s balanced by symbols of effeminacy as well, whether in the form of Puck the neotenous elf (who the camera loves to linger on) or, of course, Griffith - and the relationship between Griffith and Guts is very heavy on sexual tension...

So, wherever did all this come from?

Prior to Berserk, I don’t believe this particular kind of fantasy manga was well-established. Certainly pretty much all subsequent works in the ‘dark fantasy’ genre, from other manga like Claymore (2001-2014) to games like Drag-on Dragoon (2003) and Dark Souls (2011) cite it as a massive influence.

In the 80s, Western fantasy works were enjoying a wave of popularity, particularly in computer RPGs attempting to capture the experience of D&D - which of course ended up with quite a different lineage in Japan (a divergence exemplified by the Wizardry series, which spawned a completely different line of sequels in Japan and the West). And by this point, Dragon Quest (1986) and Final Fantasy (1987) were on the scene; there was a big interest in fantasy art. However, the tone of these games was quite different, targeted much more at children.

Here we’ve got to tread a little carefully to avoid muddying the picture! When we talk about the ‘grimdark’ movement of Western fantasy novels that kicked off with A Song of Ice and Fire in 1996, there’s a narrative that claims all prior fantasy was highly moralistic and full of uncomplicated romantic heroes, but thanks to authors like Martin, there was a turn to cynical realpolitik, bloody violence and torture, and sex (and in particular lots of rape). But it’s not true; this narrative erases the whole ‘sword and sorcery’ and ‘dying earth’ subgenres from existence; in fact there has been ‘dark fantasy’ pretty much from the start, at the very least from the 1960s. Such works, particularly the writing of Jack Vance, Poul Anderson, Michael Moorcock, and (sigh) yes Lovecraft and Howard formed a major part of the fabric of D&D in 1974.

And indeed, Miura cites two major sword-and-sorcery works as part of his inspiration for Berserk’s setting: the 1982 film adaptation of Howard’s Conan the Barbarian (featuring Arnie!) and Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone series. I think the Elric connection would be very interesting to develop, because Moorcock was definitely interested in the same sort of grand themes as Miura, but I’ll have to actually read it first lmao...

Alongside this, Miura cited some other works from the West, namely the films Mad Max (you can kinda see it) and Star Wars (bwuh?).

Of course, Miura also had plenty of influence within manga. Buronson and Tetsuo Hara’s post-apocalyptic fighting manga Fist of the North Star (北斗の拳, 1983-88) frequently comes up as a big influence, and we can certainly see the resemblance between Kenshiro (above) and Guts, as well as the general post-gekiga art style full of heavy hatching and intricate, thin lines that Miura would pick up so well.

Alongside that, Miura’s demons unsurprisingly owe a lot to Go Nagai; he also heavily praises Osamu Tezuka’s historical manga Dororo. But there’s actually another line of influence that may or may not be surprising: shōjo manga, particularly that of the Year 24 Group...

Miura commented about the influence of shōjo manga on the series, stating that it is about "expressing every feeling powerfully."[17][23] Particularly, he mentioned influence from Yumiko Ōshima,[17][23] and that the anime adaptations of The Rose of Versailles and Aim for the Ace!, both directed by Osamu Dezaki, inspired him to read The Rose of Versailles manga and the works of Keiko Takemiya, notably Kaze to Ki no Uta.[16][24]

Dezaki we covered previously on Animation Night 95, and we watched the anime adaptation of foundational yaoi manga Kaze to Ki no Uta back on Animation Night 69 - and, like, yeah! You can certainly see how Griffith in particular, with his flowing curly hair and pouty lips, looks like he comes straight from a shōjo manga - something perfectly fitting the larger-than-life charismatic hero role he assumes. And in general, this old school shōjo approach to storytelling proved an absolutely perfect fit for the quieter, emotional parts of the story: repeated lines to establish a certain cadence, panels which don’t show events but just establish mood, a certain wistful beauty.

It is the contrast between these two elements that makes Berserk sing. It invites you to indulge in its gleeful fascination with fever-dream ultraviolence but it’s also very determined in observing its consequences on the survivors.

Surely the most controversial aspect of Berserk is how frequently it portrays rape. Make no mistake, it is quite a lot, and if you do not want to deal with that, just don’t read Berserk.

So, how exactly does it go about this? Notably, the main three characters of Berserk are all survivors of sexual violence. Guts was betrayed by his father-figure early in life; Casca was rescued from rape by a noble by Griffith; a young Griffith did deeply traumatising sex work for a different noble to fund the Band of the Hawk in its early years. All three of these events, while they might be a bit absurd and melodramatic on some level, are treated with a great deal of care and gravitas - in particular, the arc of Guts and Casca sharing their respective stories and growing closer together and creating a more positive form of sexuality is one of the most affecting parts of the Golden Age arc, frankly the best het scene I’ve ever read lmao.

Furthering that approach is effective use of rape as an element of horror, namely the climax of the Golden Age arc, where (spoilers) the tortured Griffith, rescued from the king’s dungeon but too injured to ever carry on his rise as a mercenary leader, chooses to sacrifice the entire Band of the Hawk to demons in order to make himself a kind of demon lord. Most of them are torn to pieces, but Casca is raped, first by tentacle monsters and then by Griffith himself while Guts looks on powerlessly. The manga forces us, like Guts, to watch; it is one of the most viscerally upsetting scenes I’ve read in manga, even by contrast to the blood and guts and deaths of beloved characters throughout the rest of the eclipse.

At the same time, there’s a lot of rape or attempted rape that’s just kind of... there, part of the broader texture of violence that fills the series. Our actual and would-be rapists include mercenaries, apostles and at one point monstrous trolls; Casca in particular gets the absolute worst of it, with many attempted rapists showing up both before and after the eclipse. The first time I read Berserk, I felt strongly about such portrayals and couldn’t read much further than the Golden Age arc - now I’ve evidently changed my mind about what’s appropriate to treat in fiction in general.

At this point I think it’s up to each person to decide what they’re comfortable reading and all I can do is just, tell you what you’re in for.

Perhaps it’s worth digging into what role this serves. Berserk is of course deeply concerned with the subject of violence in general. Guts’s defining feature is his connection to violence; he has killed hundreds if not thousands of people and is separated from the rest of the world by the fact he’s attacked nightly by demons. It does a good job of depicting violence as both alluring and repulsive and in many ways, nihilistically treating it as just natural; we’re often reminded that the people slaughtered for Griffith’s dream or because they got on the wrong side of Guts are often just people, other mercenaries, who probably followed their own charismatic leader or just went to war because they had no other way to make a living. Moreover, it is very interested in notions of domination and powerlessness, and this is where the sexual violence fits in. And honestly, these kinds of ero-guro elements seem appropriate for what this story is about.

And yet, the way it treats rape is curiously... limited. It seems even a giant monster completely divorced from humanity will only ever get the tentacle dick out because they see a woman. Casca is often quite awkwardly depicted as ‘the girl one’, with most of her conflicts stemming from that - there’s even a plot point where she goes into battle and can’t fight as effectively because she’s on her period. Often it seems like the only way Miura can think to give a conflict to Casca is by having someone try to rape her. (By contrast, women who appear later in the story like Farnesse and Schierke tend to get very different conflicts - as much as even early Berserk features brilliant writing, I think Miura surely matured while writing it.)

One possible explanation I’ve heard is that Miura’s editors at Young Animal magazine knew that the sexual violence sells, so they would pressure him to put in things like rapist trolls to satisfy that side of the audience. Right now I don’t really have any evidence to confirm this one way or another.

So... all in all, it is what it is I guess. Know what you’re going in for and make your decision appropriately.

Berserk has been adapted to animation three times. The best known one is the TV adaptation by Oriental Light and Magic (OLM), best known for their adaptation of Pokémon(!), which actually began at the same time as their Berserk in 1997. It’s hard to imagine two more completely different franchises. Their adaptation, and in fact subsequent, focused on the Golden Age arc - unlike the manga which introduces the Golden Age as a flashback, it starts the story from the beginning.

This 90s anime series, although inevitably limited by the bounds of TV animation, was very well-loved and was for many people the first introduction of the series. Even with two cours (25 episodes) to play with, it had to cut a little, and due to TV censorship I’m told it ends rather abruptly in the middle of the eclipse sequence.

Notable is the soundtrack by Susumu Hirasawa, who would later become famous as the composer for almost all Satoshi Kon’s films (Animation Night 16, Animation Night 42). It’s got that classic 90s end-of-the-cel-era look, with muted colours and frequently impressively detailed drawings. It’s of the kind of vintage where encoders will be quite particular about preserving film grain or not!

However, two cours of anime is too much for Animation Night, so this is not the version of Berserk we’re going to cover. Instead, we’re going to look at Studio 4°C’s take, a trilogy of movies released 2012-2013.

Here, I may refer you to youtuber SteveM, who made a good retrospective on the trilogy in the context of 4°C’s broader work:

youtube

The impetus for this one comes from Lucent Pictures, who approached 4°C after seeing their work on films like Tekkonkinkreet and the Animatrix. Producer and 4°C cofounder Eiko Tanaka was actually unfamiliar with the work at the time; the decision to focus on the Golden Age arc comes from the screenwriter. First came a pilot in 2008, which earned Miura’s approval; the subsequent single movie ended up splitting into three to contain the material, and still cuts a lot compared to the pacing of the TV series.

4°C’s overall approach was to combine cel-shaded CG with traditional animation, an approach which would allow them to take on the enormous battle scenes and complex suits of armour. As SteveM describes, the result is... a bit of a mixed bag, visually speaking. 4°C are definitely one of the best when it comes to merging 2D and 3D, but this time they were applying it to living creatures rather than environments or machines for the first time. The results often looked awkward and uncanny in motion, with the attempt to animate the CG on 2s to mesh better with the 2D frequently ending up with the worst of both worlds. This was improved a lot by the time of the third movie, but still an unfortunate weakness.

Despite this, this is anything but a passionless project; they got in HEMA practitioners to choreograph the fights and went to considerable effort to include historical armour and weapons - perhaps a misguided effort since historical accuracy was never especially the point of Berserk, but definitely a sign of something. And at least going by the reactions of critics, the troubles were largely ironed out by the third movie, which finally got to deliver the Eclipse sequence in its full horrible splendour. In the comments of that video, there are some interesting discussions of what 4°C did better: some people point to the romantic scenes between Guts and Casca, the moment where Guts accidentally kills a child, and the amputation scene in the eclipse arc.

I don’t have an opinion yet! Right now I’m purely a manga reader and haven’t seen any adaptations of Berserk. So I’m looking forward to seeing how all this hangs together in full tonight. Berserk is something that’s impossible to adapt without some sort of compromise, so the strength of an adaptation will be what it chooses to make of the material.

And oh, god, look at the time - that’s about all I have time to write. Thanks for bearing with me. We’ll be starting the Berserk movie trilogy very shortly, at our usual spot, twitch.tv/canmom - hope you can join me, I’ve been looking forward to this a while!

#animation night

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spiritualawakening-2 · 1 year

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Psychic Awakening - Learn how to Discover It?

spiritual awakening online

Exactly who doesn't wonder regardless if happiness that takes is ever potential and if so what can one have to do to create it about? Definitely will this need to possess some form of spiritual waking up and if so how do you really discover it?

spiritual awakening online

Faith based awakening and present-day culture Much of materialist science has this that we are slaves to our inherited mother nature, family upbringing along with economic constraints associated with adult life. Put simply we are led to think that our personal fate is more or less presently predictable and that you'll find little or no personal personal preference in the matter. Present-day commentators thus declare that the only way for improving upon things is to try and change the external usb world and thus your experiences of the consumers in it - your economic, political, a higher level education. And so nowadays, knowledge and idea spiritual ideas will often be sidelined.

It may be true that the very dependence on spiritual awakening is normally challenged implicitly in this Western culture. Still, I suspect many of us privately wonder whether or not they need to undergo some form of personal transformation whenever they are to be really cheerful. This would be completely in line with what full thinkers say within the need for spiritual arising if one is possibly to become a better someone.

The trouble is this particular deeper form of your own change can look like a mystifying operation.

Spiritual awakening together with Observing Spirit Around Observing Spirit, Andrew d Rhodes however explains the process; for example demonstrating how spiritual awareness involves self-awareness and additionally being fully tuned in to inner experience.

Watching Spirit: Evaluating a daily progress in relation to heaven with Gurdjieff and Swedenborg by way of Peter Rhodes, 2005 Chrysalis Books ISBN 0-87785-316-9

The site reader is offered a series of handy spiritual exercises as well as the necessary theoretical knowledge to foster faith based awakening and the very own benefits they can provide. These can be major; including heightened consciousness and vitality, a good focusing of one's strength and sense from individuality and authenticity.

Personal self-help ebooks are in plentiful provide. Often they plead the question whether it be possible to use a tactic or task in addition to the framework of religious ideas which underlie it. For example can we need spiritual objectives regarding what declares of mind non secular awakening can lead you and me into?

On the other hand a world's religions possess plenty to say around human destiny, in addition to morality. The inescapable experience of confronting loss is seen as a critical spiritual test designed for liberating us out of excessive material preoccupation.

Spiritual awakening along with world religions Inside the three Abraham help make religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, success is framed when it comes to our individual identification surviving death with an eternal afterlife. This particular vision, in greater terms, embraces thinking in relation to our habits of life, at times an intermediate declare of waiting and also re-schooling and then, also ultimate union together with the divine (called shangri-la or paradise), or even in a state with ultimate separation within the divine (referred to help you as hell). Inside Hinduism there is reportedly a continuous cycle involving birth, death, together with rebirth (reincarnation) right until - through perfect action, an increase inside selflessness and the train of a spiritual journey - the pattern eventually ends in put out from suffering and additionally merging with the divine.

But such spiritual traditions have not as much to show how their particular teachings can be placed by the spiritual hunter who lives close to a religious civilization: how can such a man use theology to have interaction in healing for the spirit?

Peter Rhodes offers an answer. For the personal level he previously found what to trust about life in addition to death in the Holy bible and Emanuel Swedenborg's interpretation of it. Still it was in the publications of Gurdjieff along with his associates this Rhodes discovered an unusually practical spiritual method for applying Swedenborg's religious thought to the down sides of personal modify.

Deeper ideas together with tasks for psychic awakening Once key idea in the Swedenborgian approach, is of which effort must be meant to turn away from or simply put aside whatever isn't good about the strategy one is living. Noticing Spirit offers together some deeper suggestions and tasks when it comes to waking up to: --

Where you are and at which you want to go, A person's effects on some, Prevailing negatives as part of your character, Your getting aims, Your all-natural side in service for the spiritual side, Versatility from natural time frame, Space for a faith based life, Remembering your own self, Being conscious of someone else's difficulties Removing problems, A real sense associated with self, Being amazed by what is true,

To me this inspiring e-book shows that it is essential so that you can wake up to the design of our illusions and additionally false attachments and then to gain spiritual practical knowledge and understanding on the subject of ourselves and the divine source of all that can be good and real. At the same time what is moreover needed is a bona fide acceptance of the reasons that stand with respect to our journey from personal transformation as well as a willingness to work upon spiritual awakening.

The procedure of spiritual progress described in Seeing Spirit is frustrating. It takes effort, in addition to there are times when spiritual enlightenment about yourself is not a particularly pleasant knowledge. But that while using spiritual power within the divineworking within yourself, it is so much less difficult for you to see a person's true intentions so to listen to other people along with appreciate the amazing benefits in them.

The guide has greatly made it easier for its readers to be able to behave more as stated by their true prices and to pay much better attention to the simple yet inspiring feelings and feelings show within the human intellect.

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neon-junkie · 3 years

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in my hUmble opinion i think,, hear me out,, a sex pollen with the bad batch smut,,, amd ,,, reader is the only gal,,, thoughts? or maybe ur headcanons on how the bad batch react to being dommed

from ur fave mutual💗😁

I've started writing a fic for the Batch being sex pollen, so in the meantime, pls enjoy these headcanons on what the Batch is like when you're in charge.

Gender-neutral reader<3

Hunter

He's more than happy for you to take the lead. If anything, he encourages it.

Hunter is always in charge, seeing as he's the Sergeant and all. That mindset often follows through to the bedroom, but when you wag your finger and instruct him that you're in charge tonight, he instantly submits.

In some ways, this is Hunter's time off, a moment to breathe and relax, even if you're turning him into a whimpering mess.

He's a laid back guy who enjoys most sexual acts; guidelines and safe words are always spoken about before you two begin, and the second it begins, he instantly snaps into a submissive mindset.

Hunter feeds on praise, gentle touches, stimulation - anything giving. You can deprive and tease him every so often, but don't make a habit of it. The poor man needs somebody to care for him, not somebody to punish him.

Thanks to his heightened senses, he's incredibly sensitive, and it's going to take a while to find that perfect balance. You can always use this to your advantage though...

Hunter will lose his mind if you tie him up, sit opposite him, and get yourself off whilst declining his pleads to touch you. He can feel how fast your heart is beating in your chest, the lingering scent of your heat, even the faint taste of you dancing on his tongue. He needs you so badly, but you're in control, so it's up to you how long you drag this out for.

Orgasm denial is a 50/50 topic for him. You're allowed to deny him here and there, but don't go overboard. He needs his release; he's always pent-up, and this moments alone with you are rare. He wants to enjoy them!

Despite being submissive, Hunter still has a dominant glow to him. He'll go down on you, mouth occupied with the task at hand, but he has that look in his eyes as he locks his focus onto you. It's in his natural persona to at least have one hand on the reigns, even if it's subconscious and not intentional.

Please spoil him during after care. Give him a massage, clean him up, run your fingers through his hair as you praise him over and over. He needs it.

Wrecker

The goodest boy to ever grace this earth.

Despite his large and intimidating size, Wrecker is a switch, and he enjoys a 50/50 balance throughout his sex life.

He knows damn well how to play both parts, and always make a show of it.

Wrecker is far from bratty - he would never dream of being bratty! He wants to be your good boy, and he's going to be the most obedient, submissive, goodest boy to ever grace the galaxy.

Wrecker has few limits, but for the more extreme things, he needs a heads-up. This can be anything from casually letting him know what you'd like to do later, to making a game of it and riling him up throughout the day.

Pull him into a quiet corner, look him dead in the eyes as you place your hands on his chest, and maintain eye contact as you begin going into detail on what you want to do later.

The others know you two are discussing certain things, all thanks to Wrecker's gasps and whimpers. He attempts to keep the noise down, but you're making it so hard for him!

He's the king of praise, and needs to be gifted compliments every few minutes. Tell him over and over about how good his tongue feels, how much his cock stretches you, how perfect he's fucking you, and so forth.

Wrecker has no problem begging, he has no snooty attitude that gets in the way. If he's desperate for something, then he'll beg over and over, practically nagging your ear off!

It's impossible for Wrecker to be quiet, even if he's gagged, so most of your intense sexual acts take place in hotels. Even then, you've had noise complaints, but hotels were designed for this kinda stuff - right?

After care is one of his favourite moments, and he snaps out of his submissive stage the second the sex is over. He wants after care to be a mutual thing, even if you've really worn him out. He's going to clean you up, just as you're cleaning him up, and he won't take your protests for an answer!

Echo

Echo's always been a switch, both before and after Skako Minor.

Before, he was always extremely down to be submissive, sometimes more than he is dominant. But after Skako Minor, he almost always needs to be dominant.

He's lost a lot, both mentally and physically, and sex is one of the few times when he can truly be in control.

However, there are days when Echo is so exhausted, needy, overwhelmed, desperate, etc. Those are the days when he's more than happy to submit to you, because he needs someone to take the ropes, someone to remind him how fantastic and beautiful he is, someone to praise him over and over until he's practically in tears.

If you haven't already guessed it, Echo needs a gentle, kind, and considerate dom. He enjoys being 'whatever you need' when the roles are reversed, but when it's his time to be on his knees, he needs nothing but pure love and affection.

Edging is an act that Echo really enjoys; it's one of the few things that truly makes him feel alive, having his body feel oh-so-desperate for release. He doesn't care if he becomes a sobbing, whimpering mess - if anything, that's all the better!

But during his edging journey, you need to be reminding him often on what a good job he's doing, how he's your good boy, how strong and resilient he is, how he's perfect in every single way.

And the second you allow him to cum, he's thanking you, over and over until you silence him with a kiss. He's not just thanking you for allowing him to climax, but for everything - for being there for him, for making him feel alive, for your support, kindness, consideration. Literally everything.

After care is just as intense, and Echo is exhausted when the sex is over. He always softly protests, telling you that you don't need to clean him up, that he can do it himself, but he makes no physical effort to get away from your gentle touches.

Honestly, he loves having somebody caring for him, but the voice in the back of his head scolds him for it. Continue cleaning him up, pull him into your arms, let his head rest against your chest, and plant kisses on him as he drifts off to sleep.

That's all he needs. That's all Echo's ever needed - somebody to care for him.

Tech

Are you really surprised that Tech has a locked-away, deep and endless knowledge of sexual activities? He has minor experience with sex in general, but he's dived deep into the adult side of the holonet, both out of curiosity, and arousal.

So, when you inform Tech that you want to take the lead, he begins questioning everything that you have planned for him.

Tech needs an in-depth discussion before you two begin. He wants to know your limits, favourites, pros and cons. He wants to ensure that boundaries are set, and safe words are agreed on. Even if you're not doing anything too extreme, Tech wants to ensure that both of you are safe.

Don't be surprised if Tech pulls out a list of sexual activities that he'd like to try, marked from highest to lowest priority. His living space may be a mess, but his holopad is laid out flawlessly.

It takes a couple of sessions to 'break him in.' He often snaps out of character, wanting to ask questions, suggest future ideas, and so forth. He can't help it, his mind is always in overdrive!

At first, you need to follow his lead and reassure him when needed. But when he's still blabbering on after a few sessions, that's when you pull the ball gag out and inform him that he needs to keep his mouth under control, or else he won't be allowed to cum later.

Tech's submissive mindset finally sets in, and oh boy, he is the whiniest, loudest, most sensitive man you'll ever meet. The slightest touch has his mind spinning, and if you think that's bad, just you wait until you begin denying and edging him.

Tech will try almost anything once, and he'll know almost instantly if he's enjoying it or not. But out of everything, he adores being gagged and tied up, edged and denied over and over, all whilst you're telling him about what a good, smart boy he is.

Seriously, rile him up by going into depth about how much you adore his exceptional mind. He'll lose it. That's his weakness!

After care is a mutual activity. You'll be telling him about how good he was, and he'll be thanking you for treating him so well. Tech almost always ends up falling asleep in your arms after, and he'll fall asleep even quicker if you play with his hair.

Crosshair

Oh boy.

You're going to need to be extremely patient, firm, and dominant when it comes to having Crosshair submit to you. He's the brattiest brat you'll ever meet, but it's worth the time and effort when you finally 'break him in.'

He needs to be close to you in order to truly submit, really close. Crosshair's truly submissive side reveals that he's a whiny mess of a man, and he's not comfortable with just anybody seeing that side of him.

At first, Crosshair is full of back chat, petty comments, follows your orders wrong, or refuses to do them overall. He has made it his mission to rile you up, so you need to make it your mission to train him.

If you want him to stop being smug, then pull him over your knee, and give him a spanking. Seriously. He'll understand that you mean business after the first slap, and the more you spank him, the more his walls begin to break down.

You'll spend months getting through to him, but each session breaks his walls down ever so slightly, and you'll know when they're truly broken down.

Crosshair will never openly admit to this, or at least, not at first, but he loves being your personal fuck toy. He wants you to fuck him however you want whilst degrading him, maybe humiliating him every so often.

Mock him for how pathetic he looks as he's bound and gagged for you, desperate for his first release. It's been hours, and you're still riding him, chasing yet another orgasm, and you've lost count of how many you've already had. He's so desperate for one, just one, but you've trained him not to speak unless spoken to, so until you give him the all clear, he won't beg, he'll just take it.

There are few things that he's not okay with. Feel free to choke him, slap him about, use him however you want. However, you need to make up for everything when he is finally allowed to cum.

Crosshair is going to have tears pouring down his cheeks when he releases. Soothe him, praise him, remind him over and over about how wonderful and perfect he is, how proud you are of him, how much he means to you.

He's so exhausted that he allows you to clean him up and tuck him into bed. Seriously, you two have been going at it for hours, of course he's tired! Please pull him against your chest, run your fingers through his hair, and snuggle him tightly throughout the night.

#swwriting #tbbwriting #the bad batch #the bad batch x reader #reader insert #gn!reader #smut #nsft #star wars #bad batch #tbb x you #tbb x reader #hunter #wrecker #echo #tech #crosshair #gender neutral reader

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lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks · 3 years

Text

fuck I still haven't done the rewrite of the Mutant Town AU that I specifically came off hiatus to write, like the Plant Witch Sam and Pharaoh Tucker posts were written to prep this au and I just got wildly distracted so uhhhh

yeah the concept is in the link but the gist is that the people and town becoming mutated by constant ectoplasmic contamination, we all know and love this concept right but I'm gonna expand on it

this is a direct result of the portal being opened, but they aren't getting infected from the portal, the issue is that creating a permanent opening into the ghost zone has weakened the veil between their worlds and Amity Park and the Ghost Zone sort of slip in and out of each other constantly

and because ectoplasm responds strongly to emotions (poltergeists being made from atmospheric emotions for example) it all tends to converge very heavily at the school full of hormonal teenagers

so Casper High becomes its own god damn cryptid, the teachers get so jaded about opening the door to a classroom and finding just a whole ass ghost zone on the other side that they just put a sign on the door telling kids to go to a different room, lockers swap contents with other lockers so kids have started putting their names on the inside so they know who's stuff they've just found

this also means the kids get super affected, like super affected, literally, they all get ghost powers, some are just physical mutations, some are just super abilities, or a general increase in natural ability, like a member of the track team getting super speed

it takes a while for Danny and co. to figure this out, Sam and Tucker should have been warning signs as they've spent the most time around ghosts and the ghost zone, but that's why the Witch Sam and Pharaoh Tucker posts are important

they have powers, but they thought they came exclusively from outside sources, they had no idea that their abilities were also strengthened and influenced by being highly contaminated by ectoplasm, which is why when one day Mikey sneezes and green acid shoots out of his nose and melts his desk, everyone is a little bit startled

the teachers have long since started using ghost detectors after the time Paulina spent a whole week overshadowed by Kitty, so Mikey gets a check over and other than the usual atmospheric reading Lancer gets nothing especially strong from him

there have been concerns about the gradually increasing ectoplasmic content in the air messing with ghost detector results, the devices have to be recalibrated constantly, so Lancer asks the one and only son of the local ghost hunters in the room if he has some other way to check

Danny's parents make him keep a few protective items in his schoolbag, so he tries some gear on him to see if anything comes flying out, but nothing does, Danny isn't too surprised seeing as he couldn't sense a ghost in the room anyway, but it definitely makes things a little concerning

even if it were a repeat of the Spectra incident and he wasn't being overshadowed, the Fenton's tech would have still gotten rid of whatever was causing this if it were an external influence

Mikey is sent home for the day and his parents are told to keep an eye on him

and then the next week, Star drops a pen off her desk and a strand of her hair whips out to grab it, she's also checked for ghost influence and sent home

a few weeks after that it happens again, a kid on the basketball team makes a leap to the net and stays in the air, they have to call in the cheerleaders to climb on top of each other to reach him and pull him down

Danny has been trying to figure out what's happening from the first moment with Mikey, and his parents have also been getting calls from worried parents who want to know if they can fix whatever's happening to their kids

over the next couple of months, every kid in the school has some kind of ability or mutation, Dash heals whoever he touches, which he discovers after punching Nathan in the face and curing his acne, Paulina turns invisible, which freaks her out at first until she realises it's great for eavesdropping, Wes can conjure fire (because I desperately needed him to have a polarising ability to Danny), Kwan becomes empathic and can feel and influence people's emotions

Valerie also had an early mutation that she didn't know about, when Technus gave her a new suit, her body pretty much just absorbed it as a part of her, Technus had not intended this to happen, and was pretty peeved about it, Valerie found out that she had stolen control over the suit when Technus had a big rant about it during a fight, and she put the pieces together once other kids started developing abilities

this whole thing causes a ton of chaos as kids are struggling to control what they can do, so Danny has to step in and help them out, he often has to run off to change into Phantom in order to protect everyone from an ability that's gone haywire, he ends up pretty much running ghost power training courses after school to help them control themselves

he's also gotten stuck in situations where he's had to step in and help someone without having the time to change forms, meaning he has to make up a cover story about having developed his own powers way before everyone else since he's been living on top of a portal for years, he only tells people about his ice powers

Jazz has always had a tendency to be able to reign in her emotions and keep a cool head, (the only ones who can really push her buttons are Danny and sometimes her parents, at school around other kids who look up to her she's often very in control) meaning she doesn't draw ectoplasm to herself all that much, and though Danny uses the excuse of having lived on top of a ghost portal to explain why he's already so familiar with using his power, it's actually not even remotely true, because the Fentons use specialised air purifiers to keep the atmospheric ectoplasm at a manageable level, the Fenton house ironically has the least atmospheric contamination compared to the rest of the town, that's how Maddie and Jack have had limited mutation to themselves (though they aren't wholly free, they've mostly just gotten physically stronger and tougher)

so even though Jazz develops her power a little earlier than everyone else's, it's not that far ahead, and she actually doesn't even realise she already has one until half the school has developed theirs

Jazz has the power to slow time in a little bubble around herself, she'd been using it without realising while studying, having gotten through hours of work in half that time, she always thought it was just her losing track of time or she was just getting faster at reading, she also spends a lot of time counselling other students and trying to help them sort out their problems, and they'd often comment that they felt like they'd been talking for so much longer than they had, again she just chalked it up to losing track of time

a lot of students had wondered why Danny developed a power early and Jazz hadn't, until someone walked in on Jazz helping a girl through a panic attack in the bathroom, and found them both talking extremely fast, a lot of her friends realised in hindsight that she'd been doing that unwittingly for quite a while, nobody had noticed because she always talked to people privately, so nobody outside her little time bubble had seen it happen

Sam and Tucker come clean about their abilities too, but they also don't give the full rundown, still keeping some things close to the chest to avoid standing out from everyone else

then there's the teachers

adults typically have a better time regulating emotions than teenagers, meaning much like Jazz they aren't drawing as much ectoplasm toward themselves, but this doesn't exempt them from developing something after a while, especially with the heightened stress of managing a school full of volatile super kids

Mr Lancer discovers that he can create shields, after an incident where he jumps in front of some students to protect them from another power gone awry

Tetslaff ends up with a sonic ability, able to project her voice like a megaphone (yes this is a Coach Boomer from Sky High reference don't @ me), Principal Ishiyama develops a physical mutation, growing to twice her size, she likes that she can tower over the students while delivering speeches, but she doesn't like having to stoop through doors all the time, she has the one to her office resized, along with her chair and desk

so as you can imagine, the town ends up erupting into chaos, a lot of kids very much misuse their abilities, Danny does his best as Phantom to teach people to be responsible, but sometimes he has to resort to literally kicking their asses to get them to straighten up

but for the most part, a ton of kids were already looking up to him, and are generally pretty happy to follow his example, especially the more popular kids, it's generally considered not very cool to get your ass kicked by Phantom, so weirdly enough a lot of kids get peer pressured into not causing any real damage or injury with their powers

this doesn't mean they don't absolutely misuse them, they're just more subtle about it

until a ghost shows up, a lot of the kids are more than happy to let loose to protect themselves and their friends, and Phantom for the most part is happy to let them, with some supervision of course, he still has to make sure nobody gets too hurt (including the ghosts)

the entire debacle makes Danny's life simultaneously a whole lot easier AND so much more fucking stressful

#lula's aus #mutant town au #danny phantom #you have no idea how hard it was to find the links to the other posts #tumblr's search system was fucking me around so much

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hanibalistic · 3 years

Text

#8A4961 | BANG CHAN.

genre | werewolf au, questionable fluff

word count | 2016

warning | mention of injury, mention of poison

the pocket knife in your hand was bloodied with the werewolf hunter's blood, but all you could do as you run the opposite direction from where you were once walking toward was to pray that the wounded hunter, and his friends, did not catch a glimpse of your face.

chan has shifted to his wolf form shortly after the bullet poked through his chest. despite his strong resistance to losing control, whenever emergencies arise, such as being exposed by hunters in a local bar during a quiet drink, even a mighty alpha like him would take precaution and howl to the moon for strength.

chan had no idea where those men came from. he has never seen the likes of them, and he thought he knew all of his enemies already. were those new people? if they were, why have there not been any words spread between packs about this? this is no ordinary matter, this is about a hunting group, a common enemy—he would know if someone new came along.

you made a lucky stab to the closest man when you found out they meant harm, then you jumped off the wooden stool and raced out the bar with chan, who bolted the door to the bar with the heavy, decorative logs placed just outside as a waiting area.

you two did not make it far before a whimper left chan. you paused immediately at the pitiful noise and you turned around to find him barely standing on four paws, wheezing and whimpering with slow, heavy breaths.

widening your eyes when he fell to the side, you rushed toward him, sliding across the snow in the process. you knelt next to him. your weak hands were unable to lift his body when you wanted to examine his wounds, so you resulted in shifting through his furs carefully to find the bullet hole.

you knew there was nothing you could do, there was nothing you knew how to do. staying with seungmin, a beta your age who specializes in herbs and medicine, has taught you nothing about dealing with injuries. but if you could just take a look, you could access how severe it is and plan from there.

"ah–found it!" you brightened up when you found a trace of veins, but as quickly as your smile came, as quickly as it went. that was not the bullet wound, those strong veins were the aftermath of it—the aftermath of a poisoned bullet.

to kill an alpha, a simple bullet would never be enough, not even when he takes it to the heart.

even though you never understood why the killing was not necessary; people are so afraid of potential threats, it is almost stupid, especially when dealing with it causes more loss than letting it be.

"okay, it's okay, let's just... let's find a place to hide and rest," you huffed out quietly, looking around the foggy, snowy forest with furrowed brows, trying to find a way out.

your heart dropped when you found lanterns flashing at a distance.

the hunters were already here.

you saw chan's eyes shift downward, his ears flapping gently. he must have heard the sound of footsteps, or he sniffed out their malicious scent from all the way over there. either way, he was not happy with their approach, and he showed it by letting out a tantrum-like huff.

"it's going to be fine," you told him, but you were more so trying to comfort yourself when you realized chan may soon lose the complete ability to stay conscious and you would be left alone in a foreign tree maze. you slid your hands under his body and struggled to tuck him upwards. "come on, just try to stand, please."

chan complied with your request. he moved slowly, his legs bending and his feet anchored on the ground. he whimpered again when he added pressure to stand, and he fell almost immediately after his attempt. you barely caught him, and your yelp turned the lantern lights toward you.

he gruffed out when he heard the footsteps quicken toward you. he could hear their conversations: talking about your whereabouts, talking about the werewolf in a man's disguise, talking about his faceless companion who could be a potential liability, talking about taking the alpha's weakness.

his gaze sharpened. evidence kept being added to his theory. the fact that he has never seen nor heard of these hunters only proved that they could be sent through a rival pack who deliberately hid the information from them. now, with all this weakness talk? it only reinforced his theory.

chan looked away from the lantern lights to you. your frightened expression made his heart clench—the same expression you held when he found you hiding in your small closet after you got chased down the block and had your apartment door kicked open. the fact that he has to see it again made him fume with anger, and he couldn't think of much else but this: nobody takes you. absolutely nobody takes you, no matter what.

he already killed those who tried once, he will not hesitate to do it again.

"i am so sorry, but please just endure it a little more," you said, mistaking the nudging of his leg as a sign of pain spreading. turning to the approaching light, your breath quickened and you cursed.

think fast, think fast! do something!

you had refused to train to learn how to fight better, and you were unable to participate in meetings of private pack matters. you knew nothing about farming, or hunting for food, or cooking and knitting. you were practically useless, to be harsh, but because of chan, you still have a spot in the pack, a home.

you still stayed with chan's pack despite being traditionally unwelcomed as a human. for what reason, you never knew. some suspected that you may be the alpha's mate, or because chan was just being more generous than usual.

either way, everyone has treated you politely at best, some friendlier and more docile than others. you still have a place to sleep and food to eat. you were still alive right now. and it was all because of chan. he doesn't seem to like you, but he kept you safe nonetheless.

the least you could do was think of a plan. you owe it to him to not panic.

"i–i got something! just move a little for me, chan, please?" you said as you tugged at his torso and attempted to drag him with you. "just to the tree here, really close, please?"

he huffed questioningly but complied. he didn't stand to walk, he wasn't able to. his heightened senses could feel the silver poison spreading through his veins, burning and burning to weaken his system.

all he could do was dig his claws into the ground and drag his body as you pull onto him. it took three big strides for you two to arrive at a snow-covered tree. when you two were there, you immediately took off your jacket and draped it over him.

chan grumbled in protest when you pulled him toward your chest. you snuggled him against you, covering his wound and making it appear as if you were just someone sitting under a tree with a sleeping wolf.

"this is going to work," you muttered to yourself, "we are going to be okay."

the swaying of the lantern sounded—the noise of a door creaking, the sound of a high-pitched rusty gear. the circle light expanded until they were blinding your eyes. it moved away with a creak of the rusty lantern and standing before you was the hunter you remember you nicked with your blade, holding a shotgun in his hand.

"hello? did you need some help?" you asked first, attempting to establish an upper hand in the situation.

it was possible that your face was not discovered at the bar, and there was also a possibility that chan was only known in his human form. you could pass off as a normal residence in this area who is friends with a wolf, that was all.

"this forest is pretty big, it is very easy to get lost," you said with a laugh. "i learned it the hard way."

the hunter raised his brow, suspicious but not backing down yet. he tilted his head, nudging it to the side. "really? i suppose you know how to navigate through it, then?"

you shook your head calmly, a hand sifting through chan's fur. "no, but my friend here does."

"a friend?" he questioned, glaring to the side when his friends snickered under their breath in disbelief. "a wolf is hardly a friend."

"only if you fail to domesticate it."

chan deadpanned quietly. he knew better than to protest loudly at such a thin-ice situation. but please, him? an alpha? being domesticated? what a joke!

"what are you doing here?" ignoring your remark, the hunter asked, to which you sneered gently and sighed.

"i asked you first," you said. "do you need help? this is a big forest."

chan twitched beneath your jacket. you spared him no glance but ran a hand through his fur to soothe him. tilting your head, you flashed an impatient look, urging someone to talk.

"we are... we are looking for two people. one of them a man with–"

"didn't see them. i was sleeping," you interrupted.

"uhm, we followed a trail of footprints and they lead us right to you," he said, gesturing toward the ground where the footprints stopped right at where you two left off.

you raised a brow then, your heart palpitating strongly. but you took a short look at the snowy ground and you relaxed. pulling chan's warm body against you, you slumped closer to the ground and faked a yawn.

"look at the prints, sir," you muttered, "do they look like they came from two people, or one person and one wolf?"

"you guys walked into the wrong forest, sir," you said after a plop of silence. "there are only me and the wolves here."

the man lightly dropped his hand. you raised a fair point, unfortunately for them. despite his suspicion, capturing you both on the spot would be a bad look for them. not to mention, this area is known to have normal wolves littering around befriending humans—more people would believe in your faux innocence than their werewolf story.

"alright then," he voiced, deciding to call the hunt off now. "still, you should be cautious around wolves. they are loyal only to their own, and you are not their own, if you understand what i mean."

chan eyed up at the men. there was a low growl in his throat, the hostility spreading through his instinct to protect your rightful place in the pack, as well as to protest their assumption that you will ever be hurt by his hands.

you kept silent as they took their leave. your mind lingered at the hunter's words, realizing that a part of you knew you thought of what he said before he told you. you could not possibly be considered as their own, after all.

"chan..." you called, "when will i outgrow my welcome in the pack...?"

he shifted, a whimper leaving his lips. his healing ability is ultimately weaker in his human form, but he felt that if he stayed in his wolf form to maintain as much health as he could, he would miss an opportunity to make you feel better. sometimes words do speak louder than action, especially when the action is unclear and ambiguous to the receiver.

“no...”

steam flowed upwards when chan shifted back to his human form. his clothes were long gone since they got torn apart after his shift. pressing his head to your shoulder to mask the pain in his chest, he huffed, “no.”

that was not a yes or no question, but you understood.

“okay,” you said. “let’s get you home now.”

chan nodded weakly. however you planned to do that, he has no idea.

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its-ya-boi-autumn · 3 years

Note

Can I request Morel meeting reader at a bar where they hit it off really well and hook up?

Yessss more Morel content~ I'm glad I get to write uncommon characters~ also I'm so sorry about this being a little later I ended up coming home and going straight to the gym (The gif decided to just not work but whatever I guess) I didn't know if you wanted in depth sexual content or not but I didn't have the time to write it before work, though I hope you still like it~

Word Count: 1566

Warnings: F! reader, intoxication, dubcon, suggestive

The eyes burned the exposed space between your shoulder blades, causing you to shift uncomfortably in your seat. You'd been trying to ignore it for almost 20 minutes but the consistency unnerved you enough to nearly move entirely. Though when you had decided to turn around and greet your pursuer, you locked eyes with a man who you hadn't expected to. Morel Mackernasey, a sea hunter well known in the area. What he was doing here and of all nights when you'd finally decided to leave the comfortable confines of your home, you weren't sure, but it likely meant there was business somewhere nearby. You shouldn't interfere.

Instead of shooting your shot like you normally would have, you decided to simply turn your back to him again, completely blocking him out. Your attention was then focused back on your friend who hadn't even noticed you stopped listening a while ago, still chatting away at both you and the bartender. Morel's gaze still pierced through to you, making you glance at him again. Maybe you should go speak to him. He seemed interested after all and hadn't moved since you noticed him.

Before you could finish making your decision however, Morel interrupted the man in front of him, who was speaking rather quickly from what little you could overhear, and stood from his seat. Long stride made way towards you until finally he sat down in the seat behind you. You could quite literally feel his body heat from where you sat, the warm feeling suffocating. Morel is a rather large man and thought this was common knowledge seeing it in person was a different story. Broad torso, rounded biceps, long thick and now crossed legs, and hands the size of damn near dinner plates holding him up on the counter.

"Hey there gorgeous, noticed you seem to recognize me. Have we met before?" his voice was rough, the vibrations ringing through to your ears despite all the noise of the bar. It made you blush a little underneath your makeup.

"Hello, no, I don't think we have. Though I have seen you on tv here and there. You're Morel the sea hunter. Isn't that right?" you replied, turning your body to face him. Your friend wasn't too happy that you stopped listening this time, though when she noticed who was in front of you, she didn't say anything more, instead continuing to speak to the bartender in front of her.

"Well look at that, you know your stuff." he answered, switching out of the cross of his legs to manspread along the stool. His feet touched the ground easily, one on the bottom of the stool and the other planted firmly on the floor, elbow holding his weight against his thigh.

"Of course I do, even if I hadn't seen you there I'd of only guessed. You do give off that kind of energy I figure." you offered him a smile which he returned in kind. He laughed a little at your sweet demeanor.

"Well then little lady, what do you say we get to know each other some more over a game of pool?" Morel inquired. You took a glance back at your friend, hoping she wouldn't mind. To your surprise she wasn't even there anymore, possibly left for the bathroom without saying anything. Hopefully you didn't lose her somewhere, she was your only ride home after all.

"Alright then, since I guess my friend decided to leave I'll go play a game or two with you." you accepted, standing with him and walking over to the group of men and women standing around the pool tables.

Morel was quite the entertainer you had to admit. After a couple of drinks and some rounds of questionnaire pool, you had to hand it to him. He was pleasant, attractive, and charismatic, everything you could of asked for in a man. Once the music kicked up Morel pulled you aside to the dance floor and danced with you while still asking you questions about yourself. Your likes and dislikes, cats or dogs, where you thought a good date might be. His interest in you was more than obvious, though you couldn't necessarily complain.

Though at some point, the drinks had began to get to you. Your vision had become slowed and you could feel the alcohol taking its toll. You were suddenly so full of giggles along with the fact that your hands would wander every so often. You'd nearly forgotten you hadn't broken the seal until it came upon your poor bladder that you had to pee. Bad.

"Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom real quick." your speech was slurred, pushing off of Morel's chest to leave him. A strong hand grabbed at your wrist, tugging you back as gently as he could because of his size.

"Here, let me walk you, wouldn't want you to hurt yourself on the way there." he chuckled down at you. You weren't entirely inept, you could still stand just fine and walking wasn't too much of a problem. Though the more you thought about it the more you realized your sense of direction may have been off by quite a bit. You nodded, giving him the brightest smile you could muster. Morel held onto your waist as he guided you towards the restrooms, staying close behind you. His hands felt hot through your clothes, his fingers providing a harsh grip on your figure to be sure you stayed moving forward. The possessiveness made your thighs feel like jelly, or maybe it was simply the alcohol heightening your sex drive.

Morel stood by the door in wait for you, gesturing for you to go on in for yourself since it was a women's bathroom.

"You should come with~" the offer was rather bold of you, assuming that he would even be inclined to do anything with you. His eyes widened beneath his glasses, his face showing a bit of initial discomfort. You recloiled into yourself slightly, realizing your mistake. You'd only just met him and already you'd decided to be fruity. Hopefully he just thought it was the alcohol and not you trying to dig for gold. Instead, the corners of his lips turned up into a smirk.

"What? Don't trust yourself alone in the bathroom?"

"It's like you said, what if I get hurt? Or I fall?" you teased the questions out, wishing he'd just walk in with you. Considering the fact that you still had to piss really badly still. Morel shook his head, snickering at you.

"Are you sure you want me to go in with you? I could get into some serious trouble like that." he was right, but the burning between your legs egged you on to continue trying.

"But you're a hunter~"

"That doesn't mean I can just waltz into the bathroom with you sweetheart."

"Will you take me home with you then?" you bounced a little, the urgency of your bladder pressing down onto your crotch. His smirk widened into a smile.

"Sure, if that's what you want. You better use the bathroom before you piss yourself though."

"How do I know you're not gonna just leave me here?"

"I'm not going anywhere princess, just hurry and go really quick, I'm gonna be right here when you get out." he shook his head, leaning against the wall in wait. You groaned, rushing through the bathroom door to the nearest stall and pulling your pants down. Your panties had soaked a little at this point, stained with your arousal. You let out a sigh, hands gripping onto your thighs in need. It was gross you knew but you didn't even bother washing your hands upon finished, in way too much of a rush to get back out and see him.

He was still just outside the door like he'd said he would be, staring down at you with a sly smirk.

"Shouldn't you tell your friend where you're going first?" he said, placing a hand on your back to push you onward towards the front door.

"She'll be fine, I'll text her later tonight or in the morning." you said hurriedly, smacking around your jeans to find your phone. You unzipped your purse to find it sitting there, flashing up at you from inside the dark confines. As long as you knew you had it that's all that mattered right now.

Your body fell limp against the mattress of his bedroom, his hands immediately squeezing your thighs and prying them open. Your own hands ran up and down your legs, skin burning with the desire to be touched. Morel came up between your legs and met you face to face. HIs lips brushed against yours, emitting a soft moan on your part. Your hands grasped on his shoulders, pressing your nails into his shirt. You felt a sharp thrust against your clothed core, eyes widening at the strength he possessed. Now that you were below him and nearly ready to go you weren't quite sure if you could take him. Though you didn't make this concern vocal, wanting nothing more than to be taken.

"Morel, don't tease me tonight please, I need you." your words were still slurred, eyes closed to enhance the feelings of his body pressing up against yours.

"Don't worry sweetheart, I'll give you everything you need tonight."

#morel #morel mackernasey 2011 #morel mackernasey #hxh #hxh 2011 #my work #fanfiction #request

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mugichaaaa · 3 years

Text

Bad Batch Analysis prt2

Welcome back everyone to part 2 to my Bad Batch analysis trailers. The trailer just happened to be posted around midnight and my wifi went out in the morning so I couldn’t really do much until now. Since we got another AMAZING trailer for the Bad Batch series I believe it’s time to do another analysis. If you haven’t read my first analysis from the first trailer you can read it here

Without further ado let's get started.

The first scene we get from the trailer is a shot after that one shot we got from the first trailer. This could probably be around the time they landed on Kamino because if you look in the top right corner there is the Havoc Marauder.

Training Sequence

Next we see one of the many training grounds on Kamino. It’s strange seeing only one training ground and not multiple. It seems like this specific training ground might be underwater, as there is this long pole in the center with surrounding lights around it. Now that might be a reach, but honestly where could you see that training ground on the round houses above the ocean.

Along with that in the Legends there was a Kaminoan Jedi who lived under the sea to try to prevent the vision she had. (the vision was the clone army betraying the Jedi) So it could be possible when the Kamioan’s were building the floating city they builded the bottom levels to be used as training grounds or something.

In this scene we can see that Echo is using a vibroblade. Now is this Echo’s own vibroblade or does this belong to Hunter and Echo just picked it up to destroy one of the droids?

I feel like this shot can tell us a lot about the bad batch and how they interact with each other. Hunter and Crosshair are looking at the camera to which I can probably assume where Tarkin speaks to them. Echo lightly turns towards the direction of Tech, Hunter, and Crosshair. Tarkin probably said something that would make Echo turn to look at the three of them.

Also Tech although very subtle looks at the ground. Now this could be two things, if Tarkin said something then it might be tech looking at the ground like a Child does when their parents scolds them. Or it might be Tech is exhausted and is looking at the destroyed droids all around him.

Hunter is seen talking to someone (probably Omega) telling them that their squad (aka the Bad Batch) is nothing but trouble. We can see Crosshair and Tech walk to a door which I can assume to be their barracks for the time being (before they escape).

I really like this scene from Crosshair. This seemed to show how well the Bad Batch worked together. Hunter throws his knife in the air and Crosshair goes and shoots it in place. Which might make it even more sad if Crosshair betrays the Bad Batch. Imagine this, The bad batch is in this certain situation where a duo between Crosshair and Hunter would work. Hunter turns to where Crosshair would normally be.

“Cross lets-”

All he sees no one, and the feeling of betrayal and pain seeps through him.

“Right…”

Hunter Civilian Clothing

So we see Hunter in Civilian clothes which is like. UGH please let me hold your hand Hunter. The first time we see them is at 0:31 where Hunter steals a speeder, probably to catch up to Fennec as we can see in 1:39 who has a kid.

We get a better look at Hunter’s Civilian clothes, it really reminds me of Cut lawquane’s outfit from The Clone Wars Season 2 “The Deserters”. Maybe we might see Cut lawquane in the Bad Batch, if so I think that would be really great to see. Cut’s children with Omega might be the cutest thing we might get from Bad Batch, that’s if it happens.

Now in this scene we see Tech piloting the ship, but if you look at the corner there is Hunter on a control panel with bandages wrapped around him. So this might be either Hunter getting injured from a mission (maybe from Fennec Shand??)

This kid (not Omega) is dangling onto a cylindrical object. The Following scene with Hunter and the kid following a speeder that belongs to Fennec Shand.

The Final Part of the Clone Wars

At 0:37 we see the Batchers coming down from what seems to be like a hill destroying B1 battle droids. While the next shot is Tech and Echo shooting down said droids.

So in my previous analysis I mentioned how for one the explosions I was wondering if it was the Batchers or the Empire. Now with this new Trailer it seems to be leaning more towards the Batchers doing this.

We see Hunter putting away his knife with Wrecker carrying what seems like to be a destroyed droid.

Now I mentioned in my previous analysis that the snowy planet might be a Crosshair arc. But now with these new scenes with the snowy planet it might be a set up to Crosshair being something that most Bad Batch Stans don’t want.

Crosshair as the traitor

So I know I talked about this in my last trailer analysis and I said this was very unlikely. But uhhhh now with this trailer I'm 70% sure Crosshair will betray the Bad Batch. Now the reason why I said Crosshair wouldn’t betray the Bad Batch was because the Purge trooper and Crosshair just didn’t have things that lined up. But now with this new trailer I am pretty worried for our boy Crosshair.

This is the ONLY scene we get of Omega and Crosshair together. Any other scenes with Omega and the Bad Batch Crosshair is nowhere in sight.

I literally called this when I wrote about my predictions about the Bad Batch series. Where I wrote two paths. One where Crosshair was not the traitor and stays with the bad batch and one if Crosshair was the traitor (I censor the right since it had my actual name since I did the bad batch analysis during school)

And 1:19 seems to likely prove my Crosshair is the traitor snippet I did. All the batchers + omega are running through what seems to be like the late night halls of Kamino. Who knew Echo would be following his brother’s footsteps.

Again Crosshair isn’t here

… or maybe he might be hiding him behind Hunter to give us anxiety about what happened to Crosshair. But if Crosshair is gone then they need a new sniper to fill in his role...

Omega

We are first introduced to a new character who is called “omega”. Now who is Omega? Well we don’t know this is the first we EVER got to see them anywhere. Now when I first saw Omega I immediately thought of Satine’s Mandalore. We are not talking about the houses and clans (like house Wren). We’re talking about Satine’s Mandalorians (the pacifist) in which when we see her people in the clone wars they are normally pale with light colored eyes. Omega almost fits that but without the bright blue eyes. Another thing is that Omega kinda sounds like they have a Satine Mandalorian accent. As I was listening to Omega speak I was comparing it to Korkie and his friends and Omega lowkey sounds like Korkie’s friends but that’s probably a really big reach.

This is where I think if Crosshair betrays the Bad Batch this is where Omega would come in and take Crosshair’s role as sniper. We don’t know how good Omega is but with Hunter’s heightened sense his sight might be just as good to teach Omega to work with a bow and arrow

The Explosion

Now we have an explanation for the explosion we saw in the last trailer. It was definitely the bad batch and now we know it was part of the thrusters from a broken Venator Star Destroyer. Since now we got more context to that explosion, I believe that this will be on Bracca where maybe MAYBE we might see a young ginger Cal Kestis.

Rex

*breaths in*

REX I MISSED YOU SO MUCH

I’m so happy Rex and Echo are going to a reunion. I really hope Rex and Echo have a moment where Rex completely vents to Echo about everything that happened. Like Umbara, how much Five’s death took a toll on him, and when he left Jesse and his brothers during order 66. It would be really interesting to see if Rex has some sort of survivor's guilt. I know we see a little bit in Season 7 when he’s talking to Cody about the Domino squad but after order 66 I think it would be nice to dwell onto a little more.

Another thing I really hope we get to see how Rex meets up with Wolffe and Gregor.

AT-ET Walker

We get a couple of scenes here of the AT-ET but here look at this. The republic symbol and the red paint is completely removed, it’s completely bare (which is so boring). Another thing is that the AT-ET are completely cutting across a group of people, these could be protestors of something that we yet not know of.

It seems like Hunter and Tech snuck into and AT-ET, now the next scene we get is an AT-ET blowing up another AT-ET. There are two possibilities on who shot at the AT-ET, one could be the Bad Batch themselves shooting at the other AT-ET or two it could be the Empire shooting at the Bad Batch stolen AT-ET

Saw Gerra

It’s really nice to see Saw Gerra, we have seen him in 5 star wars projects (Clone wars, Rogue one, Rebels, Jedi Fallen Order, and now Bad Batch). Since this is the beginning of the Empire we get that small time between Clone wars and Jedi: Fallen Order to see what Saw was up to.

Fennec Shand

My wifey, I love her so much. But I did get something wrong and right with Fennec Shand in my last analysis.

First of all the explosion we see with Fennec Shand is NOT connected to the factory arc but instead connected to Hunter saving the kid.

But the thing I did get right was that one scene where Fennec was holding a gun out. That fog is from a fight and Fennec and her opponent are at a standstill.

One thing new about Fennec is that she had a Kid dangling off her speeder. First of all that’s not safe at all and 2 why does Fennec have a Kid with her and then why does Hunter have the child in the next scene?

Small theory but this kid might be just like Omega that escaped. Fennec is sent out to retrieve the kid but Hunter is like “not on my watch” and takes the kid. Fennec looks shocked that Hunter interferes with her job and looks ANGY.

Or this kid might be just some random kid that Fennec took.

Now a recurring segment called Cool things I saw on the Trailer

Just any scenes from the training scene with Wrecker is just cool and I’m like yes sir go off.

I swear every scene with Wrecker is a joy to see. He just brightens my day all the time

Bad Batch are taking notes from Waxer and Boil about adopting kids during war times.

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This segment was short due to most of the trailer being analyzed and not much random spread out scenes.

And that’s that! Thank you all who read this far, I hope I was able to make this clear enough for you all to understand. If there’s anything else you saw in the Trailer that I miss I would love for you to comment about it! I think i’m going to do a countdown for Bad Batch, idk let’s see how I keep this up.

#bad batch #the bad batch #clone force 99 #star wars #sw #tcw #swtcw #sergeant hunter #clone trooper wrecker #clone trooper tech #clone trooper crosshair #crosshair #arc trooper echo

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bluerose5 · 3 years

Text

The Ghost of Paradise (Exile AU)

Chapter 2: By the Minute

Rating: M

Word Count: 3,796

Tags: Mass Effect: Andromeda, Scott Ryder, Reyes Vidal, Reyder, Pre-Relationship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Exile, Flirting, Secrets, Complicated Relationships, Eventual Romance, Rivalry, Engineer/Mechanic Scott Ryder, Jealousy

[Read it here as well on ao3.]

“Our agents say that you were speaking with Reyes Vidal at Kralla’s,” Nola said. She didn’t even give Scott a chance to breathe. The second he was through their gates —which were still a work in progress— Scott was ambushed. “Do I even want to know what you have planned?”

Scott grinned at her.

“Why must I always have something planned?” Scott asked. “Reyes is a good friend. For all you know, we could have been catching up over drinks.”

“‘Could have’ doesn’t mean that you were.”

“Fair enough.”

As she fell into step at his side, Nola led him around while they spoke, appraising their growing community with pride.

“Scott, as governor of Paradise, should I not be made aware of any transactions that might affect us?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“Tell me what I need to know then. Nothing more, nothing less.”

As if he could refuse her insistent prodding. Every time he left, he always forgot how relentless she could be upon his return, but only when it pertained to matters that could have both predictable and unforeseen effects in their future.

In a way, Scott was grateful to have someone with that type of dedication on their side. They’re going to need it.

“I swear, it wasn’t anything particularly groundbreaking,” Scott promised. “I gave him some seeds from our latest project in exchange for a long-ranged scanner modification. That’s it.”

“Hmm… A decent enough trade.”

“Glad to have your approval.”

Of course, it was too much to hope that she would leave it at that.

“What is it for?” Nola asked.

Scott knew from experience not to lie to her face.

He sighed. “I’m going to scout out some of the Remnant ruins nearby. See if I can get a read on their bots, or a turret if I’m lucky.”

She cocked her head to the side and considered that for a moment, lips pursed.

“Promise to be careful then. I know you would gladly give your life to protect any of these people, but we don’t need you to throw it away because of pure recklessness,” she reminded him. “If it comes down to an altercation, we would rather have you here than some lousy turret schematics. Besides—” She shrugged. “You would probably be the only one who could make sense of them anyways. You and that stupidly genius brain of yours.”

Scott scoffed, suddenly uncomfortable as he shifted in place.

“Got it from my parents, or so they say.”

Ellen and Alec Ryder. The woman who literally gave her life to perfect biotic implants and the man who created a whole new type of AI. Quite the legacy to live up to.

Good thing Scott wasn’t living his life based on their achievements. Andromeda was a whole different playing field compared to the Milky Way. The work he was doing with Paradise was incredible in its own right. At least, he liked to think so.

If he could change at least one person’s life for the better in Andromeda, then he considered that a success.

Based on the feedback he was receiving from the residents, he was doing a damn good job, and that was enough for him.

But Nola had a point.

People relied on Scott now. As much as he was willing to dive headfirst into danger, he needed to refrain from doing so.

“I’ll be careful,” he promised her. “If things start to go south, I’ll ping you and Nakamoto.”

“Thank you,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Scott hated to worry her so, but there was that one other matter.

“If it’s any consolation to you,” Scott said, trying for a lighter tone yet failing, “Reyes offered to accompany me on the trip.”

Nola stopped short, and Scott skidded to a halt. She narrowed her eyes at him with a sneer curling at her lip.

“No, that is not of any consolation to me. Scott Ryder, you know how he is.”

“Charming and witty?” Scott tried for his best smile, but Nola wasn’t buying into that bullshit, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Flighty and untrustworthy, especially once his back is against the wall.” Then, she amended her statement, taking on a slightly accusatory tone. “That’s assuming you didn’t pay any of his ridiculous service fees.”

“Puh-lease.” Scott chuckled. “If anyone should be spending their credits, Reyes should be the one paying me for my company. I’m a treasure not many can afford.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Nola snorted, “but at least you know your worth.”

“They say that time is money, after all. I’ll make sure to charge him by the minute while we’re together.”

“Please do, and make sure to get a picture of his face once you show him that bill.”

Scott was only happy to see her smile again.

“Will do,” he said.

“While you’re at it, drop a few hints here and there that Paradise might be looking to contract out some exclusive deals with top-rate smugglers. Leave out the ‘top-rate’ part, of course. Can’t have that going to the poor man's head.”

“His ego is already insufferable enough without the compliments,” Scott agreed, “but isn’t the whole point of secrecy for you and I not to draw attention to our connections here?”

“A woman can dream though, can’t she?” Nola sighed.

“So much for Reyes being ‘untrustworthy.’”

Nola didn’t even hesitate, brushing off his attempt to use her words against her.

“Skill is skill, and we don’t exactly have the people or resources to be picky right now. Everything is a commodity on Kadara, even integrity. If he betrays us, we’ll deal with him, simple as that.”

Right.

Still, it was laughable to think that the Charlatan would take on a contract with some of his direct competitors.

Although, that sounds like exactly the type of stunt that Reyes would pull. More than likely, he’d have an ulterior motive for doing so, but Scott could see it happening.

Did he support the idea, though? Definitely not.

“I don’t know,” Scott muttered. “I couldn’t see Reyes limiting his business to one group, especially if we’re only starting to get our feet wet.”

“You would know how he operates better than I, but I suppose that attitude is understandable. Disappointing, but understandable.” Nola grumbled. “Well, if nothing else, tell him the least he could do is give you a discount.”

“Trust me, I’ve been working that angle for a while. No such luck.”

“Greedy bastard.”

As they finished up their routine patrol, they soon switched direction, heading towards Nakamoto's clinic to conclude their meeting. There, Paradise’s leaders convened. They reviewed the requests that their colonists posted on the message boards around the settlement. Together, they decided on what matters they could approve for certain and which ones would be placed on the docket for a community vote. After that, they moved on to logistics, including topics such as requisitions and inventory.

To draw the meeting to a close, Nola relayed their latest numbers for colonial development. Water production was steady. However, food stores would be struggling soon to keep up with the recent influx of residents, so security personnel and all of those who knew their way around a gun were strongly encouraged to increase hunting and foraging activities while out on patrols or while performing their daily tasks. A roster will be posted on the local message boards to look for volunteers who would like to fill a full-time hunter-gatherer role.

Hopefully, what few angaran scientists they had amongst their people would be able to process their first batch of nutrient paste after their next harvest. It wasn’t exactly the tastiest solution available, but it was a necessary one if they were to survive.

In terms of population, there was a rapid spike in enrollment when word spread that Paradise actually got shit done and held true to their promises, but they expected the effect to eventually plateau once people settled in. Angara enrollment was up at the moment, especially after Scott appointed Nola as governor, and they have even seen a few Initiative members join up, having made the journey all the way from the Nexus to be reunited with friends, family, and loved ones.

Scott asked that they spread word for people to be warm and welcoming. The request probably wasn’t necessary, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Their community would make no friends by tearing people apart, and they prided themselves on being close and tight-knit.

It was important that they not only claimed to be but that they acted like it as well, backing up their words with actions.

Security assignments were then posted. Patrols would have to be upped to make up for an increase that they were seeing with gang-related attacks. Once automated security measures were in place, they would revisit the matter in order to assess which sectors needed heightened security. Emergency drills would be held at the end of the week.

With all of their needs addressed, Nola called the meeting to a close.

Once the meeting was adjourned, Scott approached Nola and their Head of Security, requesting a full census to be done within a day's time. Scott needed names, numbers, faces. Each citizen’s profile needed to be updated within their database.

If Scott was going to make an effective defense matrix for the colony, then he would prefer to program an IFF system that only a select few could remotely activate. For the system to work as intended, all of the colonists' photo IDs and biometric profiles would need to be kept current and constantly updated in real-time.

Nola promised to see to it that Scott got what he needed, shooing him off.

Apparently, he was hovering, but Scott could take a hint. He could tell when he was no longer needed, and he knew that Nola worked best when he wasn’t constantly worrying after her like a mother hen.

Departing from the settlement, Scott cloaked himself the second he went beyond the boundaries of their walls.

He was almost halfway back to Port when he received a message from Reyes. Figuring that he was in the clear, Scott made sure that the coast was clear before deactivating his cloak.

Pulling up his omni-tool’s interface, Scott opened the message. Along with it, there was a set of coordinates, sent from Reyes’s location.

R: Think I’m ready to cash in on those shuttle repairs. Wouldn’t mind the company right about now.

Scott’s fingers hovered above the holographic keys, contemplating his next move before deciding to hell with it.

S: Miss me that much?

R: Am I that obvious?

He didn’t even give Scott a chance to reply before he sent another message.

R: If it’s still in question though, let me put it bluntly.

R: I want to see you.

Scott pursed his lips, cursing his stupid heart for racing in response.

S: Give me a few. I’ll be there.

R: I’ll be looking forward to it.

Before he could embarrass himself, Scott closed out his messages. He quickly made his way to Port, grabbing his bag of tools and gear before venturing back out into the badlands.

From there, Scott followed the coordinates to a cliff, overlooking a nearby valley. The sun was slowly but surely sinking down over the horizon, lightning up the sky in array of pinks and oranges and reds.

Reyes was already waiting for him by the time he arrived, the shuttle powered down for the moment.

However, the second Scott noticed that Reyes was facing away from him, he instantly slowed his walk to a crawl. He bent his knees into a slight crouch and shifted his weight with each step, toe to heel as he snuck his way up behind him.

“You look like you’re waiting for someone.”

Scott delighted in watching him him jump in shock, only to have a blade at his throat in the blink of an eye.

As soon as Reyes realized who it was, all the blood drained from his face.

“S–Scott!”

Hands raised in surrender, Scott raised an eyebrow at him incredulously.

“You know, I was kind of expecting a warmer welcome,” he admitted, careful of the firaan's sharp edge. Keema must have given it to him. “Have to say, though, would it be weird if I was a little turned on right now?”

Reyes scoffed.

Trailing the blade along the outline of his throat, Scott swallowed thickly when he eventually felt its pointed tip press underneath his chin. Reyes tilted it up, and Scott followed, lest he risk being cut.

Their eyes met, and Reyes smirked.

Bastard was toying with him.

Retracting his knife, Reyes sheathed the firaan while Scott tried to catch his breath. The goosebumps left behind in the dagger's wake soon receded, yet a warm heat lingered.

“Tsk.” Reyes huffed at him. “Ryder—”

Uh-oh, back to last name basis. From experience, that meant trouble.

“You know better than to sneak up on me!” Reyes scolded.

“I do,” Scott said, not even afraid to acknowledge it, “but I love getting a rise out of you.”

“What if I would have hurt you?”

“But you didn’t.”

Scowling, Reyes placed his hands on his hips. Shaking his head, he pinched at the bridge of his nose.

“Scott, what the hell am I going to do with you?” he asked, releasing his nose, half-fond and half-frustrated.

“I’m sure we could think of something.”

Reyes hummed in agreement, watching Scott approach the shuttle with his bag tossed over his shoulder. He dropped it to the ground, then immediately got to work.

Watching him closely, Reyes leaned against the side of his shuttle with a thoughtful look.

“Maybe I could take you on a date?”

While Reyes tried to sound confident, his attempt ultimately failed. Instead of forming the words into a bold offer, they fell flat, sounding more like an uncertain question.

Scott stopped what he was doing. He spared Reyes a brief glance, only to return his attention to the task at hand, hiding his flushed face.

“Wouldn’t Zia disapprove?” Scott asked, being rougher than necessary as he practically took apart the control panel.

Envy curled inside him, spreading like an infection through his bloodstream. There was a sharp squeeze around his heart as it was encased in the feeling.

Reyes called him out on it, way too perceptive for his own good.

“Ryder, are you jealous?” Reyes chuckled.

Scott glared, causing him to throw his hands up in surrender.

“Just asking.”

“And if I am?” Scott retorted.

“Then I’d have to put your mind at ease.”

“It’s really none of my busin—”

Reyes closed the distance between them. Reaching out, he cupped Scott’s cheek, brushing his thumb along his bottom lip. Weak as he was, Scott leaned into his touch for a split second. His eyes threatened to flutter closed, but he had to remain firm about this one matter, if nothing else.

As he started to pull away, Reyes said, “There is nothing going on between Zia and I.” Scott froze into place. “We went out for drinks a few times, nothing more.”

“You swear?” Scott asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I swear.” His voice grew heated, impassioned. “I might be a bad man when it comes to many things, but I wouldn’t ever lie about that to you.”

Scott considered that before replying, “Well, like I said—” He cleared his throat, eyes averted. “ It’s not really any of my business, so I don’t know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pried.”

He trailed off, uncertain why he was acting that way.

Reyes furrowed his brow.

“No need to be sorry. If you had crossed a line, then I would have said so.”

“Even then, you’re not mine. Your relationships are your own.”

“I could be.”

Scott regarded him skeptically.

“Could be what?”

“Yours,” Reyes answered instantly, staring intently at Scott. “Just say the word.”

If only they weren’t both keeping secrets from each other at the moment, then Scott might take him up on that.

Turns out, being with the Charlatan would be a huge conflict of interests. Who could’ve guessed?

Silence settled between them. It was as if the whole world was awaiting Scott’s answer with bated breath. Time itself seemed to stand still in anticipation.

“I—” He struggled to find the right words. “Give me time.”

That’s all he could ask.

Reyes’s hopeful expression fell, and that alone felt like a stab to the chest. Scott's breathing trembled a little, as if it was becoming difficult to continue drawing in one breath after another.

God, he didn’t want to hurt him, but neither of them could really afford to rush into things half-cocked.

Scott copied his earlier gesture, reaching out to cup Reyes’s cheek. The change was almost instantaneous, how the tension drained away, only for Reyes to melt into Scott’s touch. He leaned into his hand, starved for affection.

Scott swallowed thickly, unable to pull away, let alone take his eyes off of him for even a second.

“All I ask is that you give me time,” Scott repeated. “That’s not a ‘no.’ I just need to think a few things over, iron out a few details.”

Reyes listened, then agreed.

“Alright.” He pulled away with a small, private smile. “As if I could deny anyone such a reasonable request, especially you.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Returning his attention to the shuttle, Scott got back to work. After all, he didn’t want to neglect the poor bird, and it appeared that the shuttle was in desperate need of a little TLC.

His diagnostics only confirmed his suspicions.

When a couple of sparks resulted from his prodding, Scott chastised Reyes for mistreating their baby. Reyes grew defensive, both of them falling back to old habits as they bickered.

This was the type of work that Scott did on the Nexus after he got sidelined and shafted. Systems repairs, shuttle repairs, routine maintenance… That sorta thing.

It was how he met Reyes to begin with. Few pilots had the energy to hang around and talk shop with Scott while he worked, especially since a lot of them had only recently returned from failed colonization efforts. Understandably, most people didn’t want to entertain idle conversation after watching their friends die out in the field.

That was fine by Scott, but Reyes had always gone out of his way —even then— to make sure that Scott had anything and everything that he needed.

They might have taken his shuttle out on a few joyrides together, gotten in trouble for wasting fuel, but Scott wouldn’t trade that time they spent together for anything in the galaxy.

Even now, it felt natural to settle back into their old routine. While Scott worked, Reyes watched, and they talked about anything and everything.

Time passed, and Scott only got deeper into the repairs and modifications. Despite the setting sun, he still broke a sweat, a light sheen glistening upon his skin.

Eventually, he had to take off his shirt, leaving him in a plain tank top that quickly got dirty along with his hands.

Swiping at the perspiration beading at his hairline, Scott grunted as he came to a stopping point for now. He reached for his bag, but what he was seeking wasn’t there.

“Shit.”

Turning towards Reyes, Scott huffed at him.

The bastard wasn’t even trying to hide his staring. Face flushed, he was biting teasingly at his bottom lip, brown eyes dark as he watched Scott through a hooded gaze.

Getting to his feet, Scott crossed his arms over his chest.

“See something you like?”

“Definitely.”

“You’re shameless.” Scott shook his head in disbelief, tsking under his breath. “You’re just as bad as that one time when Gil Brodie asked for a ‘second opinion’ on some fix he made. Turns out, I ended up doing almost all of the work while he sat back and watched.”

“Smart man,” Reyes noted, giving Scott a thorough once-over. “This Gil must have great tastes.”

Scott snorted.

“Flattery will get you nowhere. If you really want to make me happy, then you would grab your water bottle for me.”

“Did you forget yours?” Reyes asked, slightly concerned. After all, being caught out in the badlands without water was just asking for dehydration or heat stroke.

Nevertheless, he got the bottle for him. Scott placed his hands over Reyes’s, shrugging with a flustered blush.

“Yeah,” Scott sighed. “I thought I had packed it! I don’t know where it could’ve wandered off to.”

“Perhaps you were in a bit of a rush to get here,” Reyes said, trailing off suggestively.

Scott figured that he would allow that.

“Perhaps,” he agreed, “but what else do I keep you around for, if not the water? You wouldn’t want the guy repairing your shuttle to get dehydrated, right?” Scott smirked. “I could get delirious, and it would be very unfortunate if I just so happened to forget to install an essential component.”

Reyes gasped dramatically, relinquishing the water to Scott, who was quick to take a swig.

“You always have to watch out for the pretty ones,” Reyes grumbled. “Always causing trouble, keeping secrets…”

There it was again. That sense of knowing , that sense that both of them were holding something back. It was left unsaid. Neither confronted the other about it, but they knew that the secrets were there.

Before the sudden lag in conversation could get too awkward, Scott took another swig of water and asked, “So, you think I’m pretty?”

Reyes chuckled, glad for the change of subject.

“Kian seems to think so,” he muttered. Leave it to him to avoid the question. “He keeps asking when you’re going to start working for him at Tartarus.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“As a dancer?” He had to make sure he was hearing right.

“Yep.”

“Could you imagine?” Scott scoffed. “Me, shaking my ass for money? A tempting offer. It would probably be more profitable than the odd jobs I take on here and there, but I think I’m fine where I’m at.”

“Damn,” Reyes sighed, “what a shame.”

Scott raised an eyebrow in his direction.

“You saying you would have come to watch me?”

“Not only that, but I would have paid to watch you,” Reyes said, “especially if I could have gotten a private show out of it.”

Scott tried to imagine it, grinning in spite of himself.

“What’s so funny?” Reyes wondered.

“Nothing, nothing,” Scott said, brushing off his concern. “That just made me remember a thought that I had earlier.”

“What about?”

“Oh, you know.” Scott gestured vaguely. “Just that I should start charging you a fee for when we spend time together.”

Reyes winked at him.

“It would be worth every credit.”

#mass effect #mass effect andromeda #scott ryder #reyes vidal #reyder #mreyder #my writing #my fanfic #scott ryder x reyes vidal #exile au #hopefully tumblr doesn't screw with the order of my paragraphs again :/

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zoeykallus · 2 years

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Hi ZoeyKallus,I love your works especially My Beloved Enemy. Could you do a Hc on the Batch with Howzer as a bonus. On their first times with the reader for whom it is also his first time. PS: I don't see Crosshair as a bastard on the contrary I think that when he loves the reader it's entirely without showing it in public.

Hi! Oh thank you!

The Bad Batch x Reader - First Time HC's 2

Warning: Suggestive / Mention Of Nudity /Mentions Of Sexual Intercourse

Hunter

You are both virgins and it's time to make the first experiences. Hunter acts very instinctively, he is the type of man who does or decides a lot based on his gut when it comes to such things as intimacy. He may be a little clumsy at first like most, but unlike most, he learns very quickly and can improve directly during your first sexual encounter. His advantage; he perceives through his heightened senses much faster what you feel, what you like and what you don't and if you are enjoying yourself.

Basically, this gives him the opportunity to be much more sensitive than most men. He is quite passionate from the start, a wild kisser, a lot of physical contact, his hands are everywhere, he will probably automatically take the lead even if he doesn't really know what he is doing yet, but that comes automatically for Hunter. You could say he is a natural.

Echo

Things are very bumpy here. Echo is super shy and you are both inexperienced. The first touches are accompanied by little accidents and embarrassed giggles. It takes quite a while for things to click and for you to actually be at it. He will learn, you both will, but it will take time, Echo is way too shy and reserved and it is hard for him to let himself go, so the whole process involves a patience game.

But he tries hard and he enjoys your closeness, he just takes a lot longer than everyone else to get things going to some extent. His caring and loving nature makes up for it quite well. It is worth to have patience.

Wrecker

Unexpectedly, he is a real natural, also in terms of foreplay. Somehow you just fit together wonderfully, even intimately, there are very few bumpy moments, the whole thing actually works out almost flawlessly from the beginning. He is patient and very loving, you are almost not nervous, because he is so incredibly sweet.

Of course, the first time is not perfect, but much better than expected and Wrecker is very curious and ready to learn more and new, everything that makes you happy, shall be fine for him.

Tech

Be prepared for the fact that he wants to prepare everything. Your first time will definitely not be spontaneous. He plans the location, all the items you need, a time frame and everything else. He's read up on information, tons of it, because even if he doesn't say it and you might not see it on his face, he's super nervous.

But as soon as you start and he tries those foreplay techniques on you that he learned or read, he's all over it. He tries his hardest and he learns damn fast, he has stored every one of your movements in a split second and knows which touches you find the hottest. He knows all kinds of tricks so that you can have fun and reach your desired goal at the same time. You will spend a long time in the bedroom, but it will be hot and you can safely sit back, Tech has everything under control.

He won't admit he's a virgin, at least not right away. It will be feverish and bumpy and he will finish way too early. He'll be incredibly embarrassed, he'll expect way too much from himself.

Crosshair can't take this lying down though, he'll try his hardest to make you have fun before he tries another round. He will want to start over and over again until he actually manages to satisfy you at your merge. This could be a long first night.

Hozwer

The guy is super romantic from the get go, romantic and passionate. He will surprise you with rose petals in bed, fruits dipped in chocolate and moody background music. He tries hard and he is a natural when it comes to kissing. Somehow it is easy to let yourself fall with him, because he is demanding and gentle at the same time.

Maybe not everything works out perfectly, but he still ensures that it will be one of your most beautiful experiences of your life. He is very attentive and anything but selfish.

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

@thebahdbitch

@nahoney22 @ladykatakuri

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