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lets-try-some-writing · 5 months

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Patient 2: AI Optimus (Ft. Ratchet.)

and also part two of Optimus and Ratchet's fic sharing! Author's note: This took two-ish days and I'm very very proud of it. Please enjoy more Orion shengians!! :)

Orion, getting used to how the portals work by this point, carefully stepped out of the portal and adjusted his medkit once again. He looked around, well the same ol jasper nevada. He would never get tired of it though! The sunsets, the gorgeous fauna.. If he had to pick one as his favorite, it would have to be the desert tortoise. He found it the cutest thing imaginable, it really just reminded him of bulkhead if he was completely honest. The shell reminded him of a wrecker’s hard external frame. He remembered a fun fact about tortoises, that they can almost live the same lifespan that a human can! At most they can be 80 years old, which would be most human lifespans, but it’s roughly between 50 and 80 years old. He loved being here on earth, with the sun shining, nothing could really go wrong. But he knows that a prime is hurting somewhere, and he needs to focus. He barely gets any information on the optimi he meets, but sometimes there’s scribbles on his notepad! He should check.. “AI?” He said out loud to himself, blinking. That was the only thing that was written down on the notepad, besides from a small frowny face. He didn’t really understand it at the moment, but he knew he had to help as soon as he could. Warzone + Sad + Being a prime is probably very stressful, I mean look at sire + responsibilities = disaster for a prime’s mental and physical state!

Orion knew the math all too well, and by his very rough calculations, bodily neglect is very much possible.

He figured he should go to this universe’s autobot base in his vehicle mode and see if anyone’s there. There most likely will be, and he’s dealt with his fair share of beings. Pretender Oppy may have been given a spook by the whole ‘larva’ thing but he’s not going to let small things get to him like that again! It was a long drive there, but he finally made it. He transformed into his bot mode and approached carefully, yet resiliently. He was prepared for anything!

There wasn’t a door so to speak, but he was aware of a military only access door that he can ring the doorbell for. And so he rang the doorbell. “Access code required. This conservation will be recorded for future records, anything you say may be used against you.” the voice on the intercom announced,

Orion spoke into it, not knowing the access code himself, but willing to say his case in hopes someone hears it.

“Greetings, I do not have the access code, but I am Orion Pax. I am a medical officer in training that’s being taught from my ratchet from my own universe. I have a thing where I do checkups on primes all over the place! I know it’s not very believable, but I can show you my license for further information. I am here to help!” “Door unlocked by inside source.” the monotone voice replied, much to Orion’s surprise. So someone did hear him.. He walked into it cautiously, he could be walking into a energonbath for all he knows. But it was eerily silent, besides from more technical bits around the base and some advancements.. It’s almost normal. Orion called out, “Hello?” he figured that maybe they speak cybertronian, so he said in cybertronian, “Hello? Anyone here?..” “I heard ya kid.” A voice spoke out from the darkness, “I can hear you loud and clear..” Orion jumped back in surprise, it was this universe’s Ratchet walked out.. But he looked much worse for wear than his own. It concerned him, “Sir, are you alright? You look.. Honestly horrible! What happened?” Ratchet rolled his optics, “Don’t we all?” Orion just looked so worried, Ratchet sighed, “it’s nothing that concerns you.” Ratchet’s spark ached. This.. youngling just reminded him, just reminded him alot of his own Orion. He knew it wasn’t the same bot, and he could just tell from the kid’s demeanor alone. “How did you even get here?” He asked,

Orion sheepishly chuckled, “I sorta get sent at random?.. It’s a long story but I’m here to do a medical checkup. I guess for both of you.”

Ratchet just looked tired, “Don’t bother, I don’t think he’ll be interested. He doesn’t like the idea of ‘checkups’ anymore.”

Orion had a determined look on his face, “Well, if he isn’t willing to do one, I might as well do one on you!” He recited a line from his medical officer field-guide, “A medic helps everyone, no matter the circumstances. What matters is seeing them smile at the end.” He added, “I want you to smile too..” Ratchet couldn’t help but get a bit soft, sure, this kid had good intentions. But he knew his Optimus. The thought of a checkup now might scare the AI half to death, and he knew it was his own fault. He didn’t want him snapping on poor Orion. Just one checkup, he figured. He’ll send the kid on his way after that, but he could tell Orion probably won’t take no for an answer. “Fine, I'll let you give me a checkup.. But afterwards you're leaving. Understood?” Orion realized he wasn’t really going to get far with this Ratchet, but he still needed to help somebody. Maybe if he talked to Ratchet he could figure out why this Optimus disliked checkups? He had to agree to the deal, he was hesitant, “.. Understood sir.” Ratchet sighed, “I know, you want to treat our Optimus. I can tell on your face, you want to ‘make him smile’, Don’t you?” “Of course, that’s what makes being a medic wonderful! The hardwork and effort is worth it. I can tell both of you are hurting in some way, and I want to make everything better.” Ratchet sat down on the examination table, not sure of how to respond to this. It just reminded him of how far he was from Orion as the ‘medic’ on the team. He didn’t even want to be a medic anymore after what he’s done. Orion sat down on the spinny chair next to him, reading off of his notepad, “Alright, now these are the questions I'm supposed to ask, for reference but I think you would know that. Any histories or unwanted exposures to synth-en, dark energon, red energon, etc? Be honest with me.” “It's been awhile since I've done that, very brief history with synth-en, but the effects only lasted a day and a half. Haven’t used it since.” the ‘medic’ replied starkly, “Even thinking about synth-en now makes me feel sick.” Orion nodded, writing on his notepad, “Noted! Very brief history with synth-en.” he then asked the next question he usually asked, “Any recent injuries on the battlefield? So I don’t accidentally touch those sensitive places while I'm patching you up.” Ratchet stared at him blankly, and then replied, “It’s really innocent how you think I go outside, I really don’t anymore. I guess the only ‘pains’ are my joints, which by this point are normal.” Orion looked very concerned as he wrote on his notepad again, “noted.. Have you tried painkillers?” “Are you licensed to diagnose me with painkillers?” Orion paused, “oh.. Uh.. no? That’s for fully trained medics like yourself!” Ratchet looked away, “Please don’t call me that kiddo, I’m not.. Look, in this universe I have done terrible things. And I have a sinking feeling that your ratchet is very very nice to you because of how you're treating me. If you knew what I did, what I did to Optimus, I.. I don’t know what you would do.”

Orion looked undeterred, “I have met optimis who have.. Murdered millions of people. Treats humans like trash, but did I still treat them? Yes, yes I did! Don’t you know our mantra? A medic helps anyone in need, no matter their history or what they've done.”

He added, “I would help Megatron himself if he needed it. Because that’s what medics do! Don’t ever forget that!” he said, then suddenly held onto Ratchet’s hand tightly, “Promise me something ok? No matter what, we are medics! And we help each other..” He looked down, “Please…”

Ratchet just was very very guilty now, this made him feel worse than he was previously because he knew Orion was completely serious, “Promise..” Orion smiled, “good, let’s keep going with the checkup.” He said cheerfully. The two weren’t aware that Optimus was watching them, he awoke to this and at first he couldn’t help but be entertained by Orion. He thought that the youngling’s courage was admirable. He enjoyed his positive attitude to things, even depressing things like Ratchet saying he isn’t a ‘medic’ anymore. It almost made the AI a bit jealous, if he was being honest. But a checkup, no no he did not want that. No matter who did it, he confidently believed that Orion would hurt him, not on purpose, just because he doesn’t know he’s an AI and makes a mistake. He’s always been anxious over checkups. Ratchet certainly didn’t help at all, hated the idea of touch. Touching in his processor meant ‘threat’, meant ‘being hurt’, ‘restrained’ Orion finished the checkup, and exclaimed, “Besides from some malnutrition and some ignorance on keeping up with rust checks, I say you're all clear!” He reached into a medkit and got out a sticker and an energon treat, “since you got the Orion treatment™, you get a sticker and an energon treat!” He placed the energon treat in Ratchet’s servo along with the sticker, Ratchet accepted it graciously, “Thank you, you know for a medical officer in training your good.” Orion smiled, proud of himself, “Course’! I Learned from the best in my own universe.” Ratchet knew who he was referring to, and couldn’t help but sigh. He knew that Orion would now try to do an examination on his Optimus, which he believed would end in disaster. Orion then looked at him, and asked, “Why does this Optimus hate checkups?” He didn't mean to be invasive, he just wanted to figure it out. Maybe he could convince the prime that checkups were good again!

“.. It’s my fault.” Orion blinked, not sure of what to reply, “Did you accidentally hurt him during an exam?” “No, I wish it was just that.”

Then Orion understood what Ratchet meant by ‘I have done terrible things’, but did that stop him? He did want to talk to Ratchet about that, a serious discussion because he assumed it would be bad bad, but he had an open mind. He will help everyone, and that’s what a medic does. Even to those who don’t deserve to be cared for, even for those who have forgotten what being a medic is.

“I understand, but I need to do a checkup on him. That’s what I do, I'm not.. I know I promised I would leave when I finished yours but it’s vital that I do a checkup on him.” He added, “If he doesn’t trust you, he’s probably hurting and not saying anything about it!”

The AI continued to watch, and he agreed with that sentiment. Ratchet didn’t want to force him, then again the two needed to fulfill their promise to each other, a promise that was the reason why Ratchet was in disrepair.

He understood why Ratchet didn’t tell Orion. Orion was far too innocent and pure, but he knew that the youngling wasn’t stupid. He understood when he was being lied to from his knowledge from observing them interact. He was hurting, he was being completely honest. His struts ached, his optics strained against bright lights, injuries he refused to have inspected. He was in worse disrepair than Ratchet was, but he hid it. He had a war to lead, he was created to fight. Not to cry, not to feel. Yet he was. He was feeling for this child, who wanted to help everyone. Who wanted to make them smile, make them feel better. He wanted to cry from the pain, to be held by someone. To be told it’s ok.

The artificial prime was stuck in two opposing thoughts, one of which was to reveal himself and accept a checkup, and the other was to sink back into his quarters and stay there. He needed to watch more, to watch Orion prove himself to him for a definite answer.

Orion meanwhile, was now talking to Ratchet about how nice earth was. How the desert outside of their missile solo was full of life. He was trying to convince Ratchet to take a walk with him, why? Because he was worried about how Ratchet stated he ‘didn’t go outside anymore’.

Until he could treat Optimus, he’ll care for Ratchet the best he could. And that started with a walk, to get some fresh air and to see what planet they were fighting for.

Orion said cheerfully, resmicing on how he saw a desert tortoise, “The outside is wonderful, I think I saw my favorite animal out there too!”

Ratchet questioned, amused by Orion. He knew what the youngling was plotting, and accepted it. This kid was… a better medic then he was if he was being completely honest. Aftercare for a patient, “And which one is that?” Orion replied, “A desert tortoise! Gopherus agassizii if I remember the scientific term.” Ratchet hummed thoughtfully, “And why are they your favorite?” Orion gushed, “They're adorable! Their shells remind me of a wrecker’s external frame, and their mouths look like they’re always smiling.” he smiled, causing Ratchet to have a small smile in response. “You seem to love animals.” “I do!” Orion exclaimed, “They're so gorgeous and that’s why I love earth so much. Do you wanna know what my second favorite is?” Ratchet nodded, “Sure, lay it on me.” Orion answered, “Deer! Me and Sire go to Jasper National Park for creator-youngling bonding time sometimes and I always get to feed them banana chips.” His smile got bigger, “They seem so happy..” The false prime was very impressed, this youngling cared for a lot of things, not just cybertronians. He would probably care for humans just as much. That was enough for Orion to prove himself, and he slowly slinked himself out of the darkness and into view.

Orion lightly gasped in surprise, then quickly softened his expression and got into a position that would make him the least intimidating. He didn’t have to do the extra steps, he was already very not intimidating..

“Hello there.” He whispered, “I am a medical officer in training, Orion Pax. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Ratchet started to back away, then stopped when Orion suddenly held onto his servo, “no no, you're staying here. I know I can’t fix things but I know that he wants an apology! Right?”

Ratchet was shocked, as much was Optimus. Orion wants.. Ratchet to apologize? It would be best, but the two have already been past the ‘apology’ phase of things. But now, it was clear that Orion wasn’t letting Ratchet disappear into the shadows until he apologized.

Optimus spoke, still on a bit of an edge due to Ratchet’s presence but due to the gap between the two with Orion in the middle, he felt comfortable. Just a little,

“It would be.. Nice. Young one, we are past that stage. I.. I know you mean well, but we cannot reconcile until our promise is fulfilled and the war is over.”Orion blinked, “oh.. And what is that promise?” Ratchet froze, and for once Optimus and Ratchet came to a agreement; they should not tell Orion that they are planning to commit suicide after the war is over due to their.. History to say the least. But they couldn’t.. Lie to him either. “We have.. How do we phrase this nicely?”Ratchet tried to come up with something, “We.. um…” “Ratchet, we have to tell him the truth. I believe he can handle the truth.”

Ratchet looked skeptical, “Optimus, this is.. Unacceptable! He probably doesn’t even know what it means! We can’t.. We can’t just tell him.” Orion started to connect the dots a bit, he understood what whatever this ‘promise’ was, it wasn’t a good one. And it could possibly be harmful, but he was an open book. He liked to think he was, he could handle anything.

“Lay it on me!” He said, “I can handle it.. Whatever this ‘promise’ is, I can take it.” “Your.. courage. It’s very admirable Orion.” Orion nodded, “of course.” Ratchet sighed, “Alright, who’s going to tell him?” “I will.” Orion approached, freezing every so often if Optimus even flinched as if he was some oversized stray cat, but eventually Orion gently held his hand, it was only holding a digit but it counted, “It’s alright.. You're safe with me. Tell me.” The response was Optimus gently petting his head, “Our promise.. Is one of death. I am not a true cybertronian, I was built. Built for war. Once the war is over, we will give ourselves to well of allsparks. For me, it’s to escape the reality of my situation. And for him, it is to condemn his crimes.” Orion thought it out, “so.. Suicide?” he said, with concern. But that concern faded, he finally understood the ‘AI’ note in his notepad, along with the frowny face. “I understand, it must be terrible for you to live knowing you're not.. Real. it sounds like a nightmare, anyone would do anything to escape a fate like that.” He glanced towards Ratchet, “No wonder you two look so terrible.. You're just waiting. I get it.” Ratchet was very shocked that Orion understood what he meant, he knew what it was, “.. We..” he glanced at Optimus.

Optimus glanced back, “We, thank you for your words little one. I knew when I saw how you cared for Ratchet you were a special bot.”Orion chuckled, “I’m not that special, but thanks!”

“I give you my consent for a.. Checkup. I know that you will not harm me.”Orion then got very excited, he was very proud of himself for managing to convince Optimus despite his anxiety for checkups and just overall medical procedures from how bad Ratchet’s ‘crimes’ were, “Are you sure? If you don’t want it, it’s completely fine! We can just go on that walk I was talking about with Ratchet. You two can keep your distance and we can have fun!” “You are.. Very compassionate for your duty aren’t you? It is fine, you are.. Very very special to me. Special little one.”

Optimus Prime said to him, continuing to pet him. He eventually stopped, sitting on the medical berth abiet starting to shake a bit from the memories he had while sitting on it. Orion noticed. “Would you.. Like to sit elsewhere? You don’t seem very comfortable, you look anxious…” “Thank you.. That would be best for me.”Instead of on the medical berth, Optimus sat down on the bot sized couch along with Orion as he did the checkup. He did it with care, realizing that Optimus had a disdain towards touch.

It was short, gentle touches as Orion worked, he eventually asked per protocol before he started to patch anything, as before it was simply do checks; small optic exam, the works.

“Any recent injuries on the battlefield? So I don’t accidentally touch those sensitive places while I'm patching you up.” he said softly.

“I have gotten a limp recently.. I think something may be stuck in my right leg.”Ratchet wanted to say something in response, like ‘Why didn’t you tell me’ or ‘that’s why you were in your quarters for so long?’ but kept his vocoder shut. He decided on just letting Orion work.

Orion nodded, “Do you.. Want me to remove it?” “Yes, please.”Once he heard this, Orion went into his med-kit and started to get out the tools he had on hand. He wasn’t very experienced in this section of work, but he was prepared due to his handbook and capability.

Ratchet seemingly noticed the younger’s lack of proper tools as he went to get them, “I’ll go get you some proper tools.” Orion smiled, “Oh, Thank you!” When Ratchet left, Optimus hummed thoughtfully, remembering the discussion that Orion and Ratchet had when he watched them. He figured he should say what his own favorite was, as a sort of ice breaker while they waited.

“My favorite fauna to see here.. It has to be Sylvilagus audubonii.”

He said, Orion got all excited, “Oh, that’s a desert cottontail! Oh those are adorable!!” “Do you want to know why?” The AI asked playfully,Orion’s head tilted slightly, “Why?” Optimus proceeded to put his servos on his hand, as if they were ears. He started to flick his digits to try and prove his point, “they sometimes have floppy ears.” he added as he continued flicking his digits, his voice almost sounding monotone, “flop, flop, flop..”

Orion giggled at this as he did the same thing, “Flop!” “Flop.”

When Ratchet returned with the tools, Orion and Optimus had their servos on their heads, just flicking their digits down and just repeating the word ‘flop’. He laughed quietly, “I’m back, Orion, remember you have a patient to care for.” Orion stopped, nodding as Optimus stopped also. The false prime looked away sheepishly as Orion got the tools, “Could you place your leg on the couch? So it’s closer to me.” Optimus nodded as he lifted his right leg and placed it on the couch, Orion gently used the miniature frame-scanner of his, “It’ll only be a light tingling sensation, I just need to see where it is.” “Very well..”

Orion sat there for a couple moments, unmoving. Optimus questioned, “Why aren’t you doing anything?”

“You look anxious. I want my patients to be comfortable, I'm waiting until you're ready. Patient’s wellbeing matters over all!” Orion explained, now with the frame scanner on his lap.

“...”Still not moving the frame scanner, Orion simply had a genuine comforting smile on his features. He figured that touch wouldn’t be best right now, so his face said it all.

Optimus finally relaxed, venting softly as Orion started to work, the frame-scanner went off almost immediately and the younger looked up at him in concern, “That’s.. A Lot of damage. I can see it on the scanner.. You must have been in pain for a long time.” He gently patted Optimus’s thigh, “don’t worry, i’ll help you.”

“Can you.. Extract it doctor?”Orion’s features were full of confidence, “I’ll do my best, I have my handbook and the proper tools.” He got out his handbook, reading it outloud, “Prepare numbing solution in injection vial..” he followed the instructions, to the amusement and interest of Optimus and Ratchet. He read more out loud, “Once the injection vial is prepared, flick the needle tip to get rid of excess air bubbles..” Orion then started to sanitize the area, and once it was finished, with Optimus’s consent he injected the needle. He went back to the handbook, “Once the area of injury is numbed, use tweezers to lift up metal plating..” The young medic did so, flinching a bit at the sheer badness of it. There was a sharp piece of metal firmly lodged into the prime’s leg. It must’ve been accidentally launched into him during a battle..

“I.. Know it’s bad.”Orion nodded, “It is. But I can fix it. I know I can.” he read the handbook again, “Use larger tweezers to gently loosen the item enlodged..” he did so, stopping every so often to make sure the AI was fine.

Ratchet stayed silent, watching. He knew he should be the one doing this, helping his creation. But he was the reason why Optimus hid that for so long. He doesn’t want it to get worse..

Orion pulled out the piece of metal, freezing a bit as a spurt of energon went on his thigh. But he was semi-calm, smiling. He welded up the injury, making sure no fuel lines were broken in the process, and put down the metal plating.

He then wrapped up that part of the prime’s leg, in a cast of sorts. Then he got out a black sharpie. “Isn’t the treatment over? What are you doing?..” Orion grinned as he suddenly scribbled on a picture of a desert cottontail on his cast, with the phrase ‘flop’ on it, he had a big smile on his faceplate. “Ta da! Since you told me your favorite animal is a desert cottontail, I wanted to put something on your cast so you can feel better during your recovery.” “.. Thank you for your kindness. It does make me feel better.” Orion nodded, helping Ratchet put away the tools and then once that was finished, hopping back onto the couch and happily getting out an energon treat and a sticker, “since you got the Orion treatment™, you get a sticker and an energon treat!” “I don’t think that is very necessary…” Orion was undeterred, “It is. You're going to spend a good bit recovering, so this is good aftercare!” He gave him the sticker and energon treat, and Optimus smiled softly.

Orion then got a bit sad, “How are we going to go on the walk now?..”

Ratchet sighed, “It’s fine, I can go separately.” Orion nodded, “You better go out! You have to be healthy for your promise.” “Thank you for your help and understanding of our situation, Orion. We don’t know how to thank you.”Orion smiled, “Of course! A medic helps everyone.” Ratchet paused, “I can give him something.” “?”

Ratchet got out a small goodybag, it contained miniature medical equipment. He handed it to Orion, “it’s for your medkit incase you have to do a extraction like this again-” Orion suddenly hugged him, smiling, “Thank you!” he was touched, “This will help me so much..” Ratchet in response patted him on the head, “Of course..” A portal opened, and Orion quickly let go of Ratchet and put everything away, he smiled at the two, “I have to go now, sire will get worried if I stay here for too long..” “Understandable. Thank you again for your help, we have something new to fight for. For mechs like you to grow up in peace..” Ratchet agreed with him, “Yes.” Orion waved goodbye, he waved goodbye to this universe to go back home to Nimbus Prime and his mentor. He couldn’t wait to tell them what happened, and he would cherish his gift dearly. He knew that the two would probably not be there and had ascended into the well when he eventually returned, due to how time worked in separate universes. But he would be honored to do another check-up on them, to see how they're doing.

And with that, this wraps Orion's second patient case. Who knows who he will care for next, it could be anything. But he will address them without fear, and with compassion. Because that’s what a medic would do, wouldn’t they?

Good soup.

#transformers #maccadam #transformers prime #team prime #ratchet #optimus prime #orion pax #fanfic #not my writing

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cheapsweets · 2 months

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The unassailable Taerfleg

My response to this week’s BestiaryPosting challenge from @maniculum

For a change I focused initially on the anatomy and worked out the rest of the composition later, which is why the adult Taerfleg looks a little stiff. I also continued my trend of drawing baby animals so tiny you can barely make them out (when I was thinking about developing my own drawing style, this wasn't what I planned... 😅)

Jinhao shark fountain pen with a fine, hooded nib, with Monteverde Raven Noir ink, over initial pencil sketch.

As ever, reasoning under the cut…

The Taerfleg is covered in prickles. It bristles, when it is enclosed in its prickles and is protected by them on all sides against attack.

Okay, so first question, what are prickles? The most defined explanation refers to plants, where technically speaking, a 'prickle' is a spiny process, but whereas thorns are modified branches/stems, and spines are leaves or parts of leaves, a 'prickle' is an outgrowth of the epidermis or skin or the plant (so, technicaly, roses have prickles, not thorns... learned a thing today!).

While I don't imagine that the authors of the bestiary (or if we're being honest, the translators) are going to be particularly fussy in terms of these exacting biological definitions, it gives me a place to start - the spiky bits of this animal are related to its skin rather than say, spiky bones or osteoderms.

For as soon as it senses anything, it first bristles then, rolling itself into a ball, regains its courage behind its armour.

Okay, armour, and curling up into balls... What kind of (land) animals have armour? Tortoises and crocodiles do, but aren't so roly poly unfortunately. Armadillos, pangolins, and all sorts of lovely bugs like isopods and pill millipedes definitely fit the bill. We just need to work out what kind of creature this is though, since its never specified whether the Taerfleg is a beast, a serpent, or something else...

Given the above note that 'prickles' are processes of the skin, rather than bone, we can eliminate crocodilians and turtles, as well as things like armadillos, which leaves us with squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes), potentially with prickly scales. I mean, I suppose these prickles could be modified hairs on a mammal, but surely the author of the entry would be more specific if that was the case, right? 😏

Plus given I interpreted the previous entry very conventionally (well, as conventional as tiny subterranian birbs can be) it's nice to stretch and draw something a little different...

The Taerfleg has a certain kind of foresight: as it tears off a grape, it rolls backwards on it and so delivers it to its young. It is also called [redacted]. This animal, thinking ahead, protects itself with twin ventilation ducts, so that when it thinks that the north wind is about to blow, it blocks the northern one, and when it knows that the south wind is giving warning of mist in the air, it goes to the northern passage to avoid the vapours blown from the opposite direction, which will do it harm.

One of the things that prompted a lot of the other design decisions was trying to work out exactly how it removes the grapes from its spines when it delivers them! I wondered about long necks (for instance, some tortoises) or tails, but ended up giving it reasonably long limbs and a bit of flex. I wasn't sure how well the grapes would survive being transported this way, so they're looking a little shrivelled...

Also, have some baby Taerflegs, one of which is munching down on a grape, the other is practicing curling into a ball, since I had to put that in the picture somewhere!).

I also read this as it digging burrows, based on the ventilation ducts. I didn't want to just duplicate what I'd drawn last week (with the cross section of the burrow), so we have the northern ventilation shaft blocked with grass and straw (I'd considered if it might block the shaft with its body, but that didn't seem likely given that the vapours would 'do it harm', and I didn't think that a weird lizardy thing would appreciate the cold draft on its posterior...

Note from this challenge - I really need to work out how to draw the interior of caves or tunnels...

So, I've taken inspiration from a lot of different creatures here. Ironically, despite picking up a copy of Charles Knight's animal drawing at the suggestion of @silverhart-makes-art (thank you, it's rad and really interesting, though I'm still on the lookout for some of the other suggestions I received too!), not a lot of use for this particular drawing, but it will definitely be useful in future projects.

One of the main inspirations here are girdled lizards, particularly the Armadillo girdled lizard (which has the greatest scientific name ever, Ouroborus cataphractus) - a spiky lizard that curls itself into a ball. Incidentally, another member of this family is the genus Smaug.... 🐉

Initial armadillo-inspired plating was superceded by pill millipedes (as most armadillos can't make a full ball); I also used the three-banded armadillo as the basis for the anatomy, but made a lot of changes along the way, particularly after I decided to make it a reptile - tortoises were considered briefly, but mostly monitor lizards (in part at least because they get big enough that I could find some good reference photos online!).

Digging claws on the forelimbs are largely from echidnas, I wanted the spiky bits to at least partially reflect the prickles on roses, back facing so they don't get in the way when its crawling through tunnels or vinyards, and there was also a lot of inspiration from Scolosaurus in the general vibe and the head (what? Dinosaurs are cool!).

Overall, interesting challenge, learned some things, have a few new things to learn, mostly had fun :)

#Taerfleg #maniculum bestiaryposting #bestiaryposting #my art #art challenge

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lunarsilkscreen · 5 months

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FF/Nier/PSO/DR. WHO/DRAKEN GUARD/Chrono Trigger--Connection

The ultimate theory of everygame.

I got this idea from watching an FFXIII stream where they were killing shoopuffs from FFX (Tortoises)

Which links those two worlds together via shoopuff.

In FFXIII, the humans are living in/on an artificial planet called cocoon. Which could be thought of as a moon to the inhabitants of Gaia. Which there aren't any until they come down from the moon to escape persecution.

Because life was good in cocoon, why leave. The "Gods here" protect and feed us. (kind of an artificial Eden.)

But what's interesting is that, a second uninhabited planet isn't a foreign concept to the FF series. In FFIX they call it the "Red Moon". And "artificial humans" reside in it. They look like Saiyans, without the super technically they can go super Saiyan, but the regular humans can do it too. So I don't know if there's a difference like in DBZ.

There's a lot of lore connecting the Red Planet and Gaia, non as much as in the movie "Spirits Within" which said that the inhabitants of the red planet (which were monstrous in comparison to humans) were actually human souls from earth. And the whole plot of the movie is a war between the humans and the red planet.

Except for the main character "Aki Ross". Who has constant dreams about the red planet. Except there's a sort of "minority report" thing going on where they monitor your dreams, just in case you're being "mind controlled " by the moon people.

So she understandably erases the records of her dreams, and starts pursuing a "reunification route". Which was just allowing those human souls to return to earth, and to not continue hostilities, which were kind of started by earth as a form of self-defense.

To which she also becomes a villain in her own home, but the real villain is the General Hein. Who ends up trying to blow up the entire red planet. And pursues this with hyperfixation, because he doesn't believe there can be another way with a being he can't communicate with.

In Neir 1, the humans are affected with the "black scrawl" (the flood from Dr. Who on Mars) and humans try to figure out a way to save the affected humans, while also trying to create a kind quarantine for the infected individuals)

In Neir:A we learn that the humans were sent away to the moon. And the Androids believe this to be the actual moon. But the robots, and the Androids continually keep being infected with a kind of virus said to come from the black scrawl itself. Which is why the Android Team keeps creating new Androids as a replacement. Because if they can all be infected, then they'll all infect the human population when they eventually return too.

But it turns out, in the game, the "virus" is built into the Androids core (their black boxes, which they share with the machines)

Here's the Theory; the "Moon" they were sent to was to the "Red Planet". And the humans didn't leave that info behind so that anything left on the planet wouldn't know.

Now I connected Dr. who in here, somehow. (So maybe it's just a coincidence) but what about the other stuff? Well we already know the black scrawl comes from drakenguard. That's the premise of Nier 1.

And the black scrawl infects both humans AND machines. Just like the villain from PSO: Dark Falz (Fals? Falls? False?) (Wait. Does DFV stand for Dark False Value? Like, a null value? Or like a bit that can switch from false? Like viruses and malware tend to do?)

What does that also sound similar too? Demise and The switch Zelda Games Gannon? Are the chosen ones *also* robots?

But here's the thing, The FFXIII earthlings aren't *actually* from Cocoon. They were from earth, they were put into stasis from *before*. Something that happened to a lot of humans left stranded in Nier one. And the waking up of humans to reunite their bodies with their *souls* created replicants. Or cloned humans with their own souls, memories, and consciousness.

A big portion of the ending was accepting that for humanity to continue, was to let the replicants, to continue to exist. Because trying to revive themselves, trying to live forever just meant them fighting against their "replicants" or rather "humanity's children".

But a visitor from Drakenguard, an Android, Accord, undoes the choice Nier made, because Kaine couldn't let him go. (If you get the "good" ending, your save file gets erased. But then you unlock a secret bonus game from the Nier:Replicant remake which undoes that decision.

Because neither could live in a world without the other.)

This is why I'm Nier:A Emil is left alone without anybody. (His head kinda looks like the Moon from Majora's Mask, doesn't it?)

So now there's this cocoon that travels to the dark reaches of the galaxy and isn't always visible to the telescoped eye on earth, and that planets name in the Phantasm Star Series? RykRos.

What other cataclysmic event forces humanity to this moon?

Lavos, deemed an "alien parasite" responsible for all the evil in the world. And responsible for the end of the world, per the future timeline in Chrono cross.

What else exists in Chrono Trigger? Time gates. Where did these time gates come from? They were created by the Goddess Etro which is explained during the events of FFXIII-2, and used by Hope with the "hopes" of reuniting with Lightning (his mentor and mother figure on FFXIII-1.)

What ends up happening is a null timeline is created, which Lighting ends up herding all the leftover souls from that timeline, to a new one which is possibly earth, thanks to Lightning cutting a deal with Louis Vuitton as spokesperson and model. But I'm not so sure about that.

PSO2 is a video game in the Earth that the heros travel to which is supposed to represent the "real world" as well. And in our real world, both PSO2 AND Lightning are not *real* places and people. As far as I know.

So it must be an alternate earth, and who's to say they aren't connected?

Who's to say their souls weren't trapped into some giant computer that simulates earth? The main *not villain* of that particular PSO2 chapter is a being called "Mother". And the only other time we see a "Mother" is the "Mother Brain" both present in PS2 and Super Metroid.

Lightning in "Lightning Returns" was shown to have a personal battle herself, being split into two characters; Her logical side, controlled by Bhunivelze, who wants to scrap humanity, and her emotional side, influenced by the Goddess Etro, who wants to save humanity as it is.

What if; Lightning was separated in twain by the Black scrawl, and that's why her counterpart "Lumina" is distinct. What if, Lumina is a Replicant, and Lightning is what's left of her logical soul.

Just like Nier in Nier 1.

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kiwiwioui · 4 months

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At what point do lives become so intrinsically connected, that it impossible to live without the other?

When living is the equivalent of needing to breathe, and when they’re gone, so are your lungs. But, you can’t die, not technically. Some otherworldly force keeps you alive, forces oxygen into your blood, forces your heart to beat at a normal pace. But you’re standing there, suffocating, starving for something, someone, but they’re gone.

You’re alive, but not living, because how can you live when you can’t breathe in the most literal sense of the word.

When do people become so intertwined with each other, that it isn’t an emotional turmoil that is an ocean to swim across. When hurricanes, and typhoons keep pushing you away from land, but there is land. It’s hard, it feels impossible to do, but you have people throwing life savers and beckoning you home.

When does that ocean of mourning become the universe? Endless, empty, and so cold. There is no end to the typhoons and waves pushing you away from land, because there is no land. It is just space, and you’re there, without your anchor. At what point does the loss of a connection become so utterly hopeless that there is no end. There is no grief to overcome, or hardship to endure. There just is.

Are these interwoven lives even possible for humans? We live such blissfully short lives, and there are billions of people on Earth, and the one thing we all have in common, is that we live for but a blink in the long eternity that is the universe. There is comfort, and distress in those notions, but it is an irrefutable fact, that there are billions of people like us in that one way, and trillions that were.

But what if we lived longer, what if we outlived the tortoises who clamber from their burrows, or the whales who live for hundreds of years, or the clams who can live for thousands. What then? Would we still be human? Would we ever be able to achieve this conformity, this, love, whatever form it may take.

I don’t think so.

We still all live the same life spans, we die, though it takes longer, but that merely allows us to live slower, grieve longer. But with grief comes recovery. Grief is an ocean.

Hopelessness is a universe.

But what if you lived, without a set expiration date. You lived forever. You couldn’t die, save for an unfortunate accident that can be avoided. You can hurt, and cry, and laugh. But death isn’t an option. You live, you aren’t human, but you are among them. They laugh too, and smile at you, but you’ve met millions of humans, and none of them have known you long enough to know your life. It would take their entire lifespan to recount the events of yours. It’s lonely, but you have no choice. But there is one other, who is as eternal as you. You’re very different, but thousands of human generations leaves the only two who can truly talk together. You know that they are the only one in all of existence who can understand you. The only being who you can truly love because no human lives long enough for the emotions to form.

What happens when they’re gone? Is there grieving to be done? Should you swim to land, through the troubles and turmoils of loss because the only being who could ever understand you is gone. Or are you in the universe, never, ever able to heal and forever floating.

What happens when you’re alone in the universe? And is this reliance on another being unhealthy? A severe co-dependence that you should be wary of. Or is it inevitable? Being so thoroughly intertwined with another being because they’re the only one.

I don’t think humans are capable of this. We always have something in common with one another.

We die, and we die fast. And despite everything, we’re never alone.

#aaaaaaaaaa #good omens #not explicitly #but they were def. on the mind when I was writing this #they have a dynamic I absolutely love #it’s been months #I just want to shove them under a microscope #and psychoanalyze these little freaks #crowley #aziraphale #aziracrow #azicrow #this is definitely just my thoughts though #I have to many for my own good

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crepes-suzette-373 · 21 days

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The Genpei War and Germa

"Sequel" to my previous Genpei War parallel analysis post.

This one kind of goes into red string pinboard conspiracy, and not as straightforward as the Venus one. Final warning, this is kind of fanciful.

This is also in relation to my previous theory post about Germa possibly being connected to the ancient kingdom.

In mainstream Japanese storytelling, for centuries the Taira/Heike is almost always depicted as evil. Anything from corruption, destroying the nation by their evil deeds, even connections to evil spirits and all that. Naturally it's propagated by the Minamoto/Genji side.

In One Piece, I don't think there's that many entities who gets this "evil evil evil forever" reputation attached to them besides Germa. And based on my previous post, if the Genji side is World Government... there is some similarity there.

Besides, though they were defeated, the Taira weren't destroyed. There were still survivors who remained as smaller clans.

Among the so called descendants of the Taira was Oda Nobunaga, who I saw as the primary samurai parallel to Germa. And this could even branch off to even further conspiracies.

Survivors from the Ancient Kingdom founded or is generally part of Germa royalty.

Germa just wants to continue the "legacy" of the Ancient Kingdom, even if they're not actually personally tied to that kingdom by ancestry.

I'm not going to go that far yet, though. For now I just think Germa is a separate entity, but they know something about the void century and/or the ancient kingdom. Still, there is a connection there.

Also, I want to mention the exoskeleton.

I don't know if this is something I've mentioned before, but one of the conspiracies I had is that maybe the exoskeleton modifications were made based on or using the sea prism stones.

It might even explain why Sanji could block Kizaru's laser beam, since it was produced through Devil Fruit and not machine, and perhaps the exoskeleton can counteract that.

I don't believe we have seen any other example of what specifically happens if the Vinsmoke siblings faces fruit abilities. If it's embedded in the skin, then it's not 100% pure sea stone, so Big Mum and her children being able to touch the Vinsmoke siblings doesn't really mean much. It's like the sea stone shackles in Wano that only takes away special abilities, but doesn't really injure the person.

Well, as it were, I also had theorised that maybe the "sea prism stones" are actually the "exoskeleton" of some kind of ancient animal. My main theory is tortoise and lobster (in Japanese, tortoise shell is included in the broad category of "exoskeleton" too) due to the linguistic analysis (see above link). Since as of now it could be anything, though, crabs are among the list of possibilities.

So, in Japanese mythology, there is a certain water creature called "kappa" that is most commonly depicted as a reptilian creature with a tortoise shell.

Some legends said that kappa was the reincarnation of the Taira/Heike soldiers who drowned in the sea, when they were defeated in the sea battle in Dan no Ura.

Judge had alluded to the souls of the Germa ancestors having no land to rest. They may have originally died on land, if the Germa empire had land before, but if that land is gone they're then technically "lost at sea" now.

There is also a certain breed of crab whose shells are wrinkled in such a way that it kind of looks like a human face. Heikegani, it's called in Japan, because legend says they're also the incarnation of the ghosts of the Heike soldiers who died at sea.

Aside from the exoskeleton parallel, there's also that "ghosts of people who died at sea".

Even suppose I'm wrong, and the exoskeleton has nothing to do with sea stones, Germa still chose to call it "exoskeleton" and not something more straightforward like "iron skin". It still felt like a term that is connected to a still-hidden lore, and in this case, makes me think of the Taira clan.

Speaking of the souls of the dead. If you've ever heard that in Japanese mythology butterflies represent the soul of the dead, it was said to specifically refer to the swallowtail butterfly.

The same butterfly is the clan crest of the Taira, worn as a clothing motif by Oda Nobunaga, and in One Piece, it's the design inspiration of Reiju's raid suit.

You can see the swallowtail's iconic "tails" at the bottom of Reiju's wings there, and you can see how the zero motifs on the upper part of the wings somewhat resembles the circular patterning on the Japanese crest and design versioon of the butterfly. A real swallowtail butterfly does not have "spots" like that.

So again, another possible parallel.

But what is all this convoluted parallels supposed to mean? By the Genpei parallel, the "shogunate" is World Government.

The (supposed) lineage of the Taira nearly succeeded in toppling the shogunate system altogether, and wouldn't you know, it was 300 more years before the shogunate finally came down and the Emperor becomes the supreme ruler of the land again.

All this very convoluted parallel is to say, once again, the Germa empire of 300 years prior knew something very important that is needed for the plot. In which case, they're coming back, and pretty much because of that I think there's no need to worry about Sanji "turning evil".

His issue with the Vinsmokes is not over yet, even if he acts like it's all fine. I feel like he's going to have to confront them truly and properly one more time, and it would go against the theme of the story if it has a bad outcome. Why did we even have all the drama in Whole Cake if it's going to just go poof into nothing?

No matter how it plays out, I just think it will be fine. There'll be drama, angst, sadness, tension, but it will be fine.

#one piece #germa kingdom #germa empire #germa 66 #analysis #theory #conspiracy theory #vinsmoke #vinsmoke family

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freshlybakedspiderbread · 9 months

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my immediate (well its been a whole day and then some, so not really) touhou 19 impressions for all the new characterbelow the read more so beware spoilers!

for context, all my knowledge and understanding of the plot and dialogue comes from a scattered mix of the translated omake, official profiles, a pal explaining this or that line, various different snippets of online talk i saw, and general me absorbing vibes through the screen after playing the game for over seven hours. if i got something wrong, oh well, there will be plenty of time to come to get a clearer picture of everyone!

its neat how the three new animal girls on the cover are all associated with one of the leaders from the animal realm. Although at first i assumed that meant there wouldnt be much to think of them beyond that because i also assumed they came from the animal realm to work with their respective leader. But actually they all come from Gensokyo, and the animal leaders got them to join their cause! That's way more interesting to me, and makes me wonder if all those three's posturing about taking over gensokyo might not just be hot air after all...

All three of them also have either direct or indirect connections to the final boss but i'll get to her later. for now my thoughts of all the newcomers one by one...

son biten 🐵 : okay so when i first saw an image of her, i went 'oh its sun wukong. okay...' and didnt think much of her beyond that, but her story is a lot more funny than that. she was (is) in fact just a normal monkey girl (normal by gensokyo standards) who got into big trouble but was 'saved' by Yachie, who convinced her that she's the legendary sun wukong. Now she proclaims herself as a hero and thinks Yachie, who only wants to use her as a tool, is her best friend. That's a lot more endearing to me than i thought and maybe i am more than a little invested in this bizarre dynamic between monkey and tortoise.

mitsugashira enoko 🐺🐺🐺: pretty similar to Biten's story albeit more straightforwardly charming. she was a regular animal who turned into a monster and was well on her way to becoming a really nasty one at that, but then Saki came along, showed off her back muscles, and was like 'join my gang', and then Enoko calmed down and was happy to do so! its funny but also kinda sweet? but really the most i have to say is that the bear traps on her wrists are funny. the profile and ending images make it seem to me like they do Not come off and those may as well be her hands. I know for sure Saki offered to shake her hand and did not regret it 🤠

tenkajin chiyari 🩸: what a freak!!!!!!! just some lanky, hunched over creature that literally nobody even knows what species she is, who lurks in the deepest depths of hell who loves doing nothing more than gulping up pools of cursed blood in her free time. I thought Momoyo, who lives in a cave and eats rocks was a freak, but Chiyari is on a whole other level. I love her. it's so easy to see how she and Yuuma beccame friends due to their 'common interests'.

yomotsu hisami 🍇: she's so cool!!!!!!! i can't believe she's probably the least revelant out of the newcomers 😂 great design and concept, and her whole thing in nearly every route she appears in is trying to drag you to hell, offering a sweet deal and then happily resorting to force if refused, its so good. Hisami is also technically subservient to the final boss Zanmu (because she's hot) but will also just do whatever she wants and Zanmu just has to deal with that... Speaking of!

nippaku zanmu 👹: i think she's neat 🙂 I mean, like a lot of touhou final bosses, most of their meat comes from their elaborate backstory and someone else will have to comment about how its a cool intepretation of this or that myth. as mentioned, she has at least some form of role whether minor or direct to the backstory of every other newcomer, which is cool and lends a more connective tissue to the cast as a whole, and she's also a big authorative figure in hell! all the different profiles like to emphasize how Zanmu is a planner type who controls everything with guile and information, and the plan she sets in motion in the game's plot mostly goes off without a hitch, even with so many different characters butting heads with one another. The most interesting bit of all this only really comes in at the very very end, where she calls off her plan to take control of everything herself, instead choosing to trust Reimu because she sees her as a kindred spirit. fun to think about the implications of that...

#touhou #th19 #i may or may not make another post going into how i feel about the gameplay and the mechanics #though i dunno if id have much to say other than 'i had fun 😁'

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how-masterful · 1 year

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Remastered

Dhawan!Master x Reader

The Power of The Doctor - Part One

Summary: This is it. This is the day the Doctor dies. The plan is slowly falling into place, and the Master is ready for the show. UNIT and the Doctor have their questions, but the main ones are clear- What is he up to? What is going on in 1916 Russia? And why does nobody know where you are?

Notes: This is it! The big one! So big in fact, it has to go over 2 parts! The culmination of a month of daily fics, this remaster is the finale of my 31 fics of fright series (technically 32 now! Halloween part 2!). We were sufficiently fed with master content, and I was absolutely thrilled that it went out on my birthday! So enjoy part one of this remaster. My longest fic to date! As always, this is dedicated to @plethora-of-imagines. Enjoy the roast session, and wish me luck for part 2!

Warnings: Cannon typical violence, mentions of death

A knock came at the door to the cabin, the winter wind bellowing beyond the wooden walls. The woman glanced over towards the desk, her husband’s pen placed down delicately onto the parchment. She made her way to stand, hiking her skirts and placing a hand upon the shoulder of her lover.

“I’ll get it.” She said softly, before crossing over to the door. The latch opened easily, her eyes falling upon the soldier present at the door. The rosy cheeked military man gave a small bow of respect, her hand resting upon her hip, the winter chill biting at her nose. Removing his hat, he held it within his hands.

“Madam Praskovya,” He said. “I have been sent on a matter of urgency from the Tsarina. Is your husband home?”

The floor creaked beside you, the figure at the desk moving to stand. Footsteps made their way across the wooden boards, the man emerging to present himself at the door.

“Father Grigori, your presence is urgently required at the Winter Palace. The Tsaravich has been taken ill.”

The figure nodded quickly, turning his head to glance upon his wife.

“Fetch my cloak, my dear.” He said urgently, before blowing out the candle upon the desk.

“If we correlate the latest tremor detection data, with the aforementioned ground deformation measurements-”

The familiar voice from the conference hall grew louder as the Doctor and Yaz traversed down the corridor. The light bled into the wooden room from the doorway, the Doctor positioning herself as a shadow before the dark. Yaz stayed close behind, her teeth already on edge. She remembered, vividly though not fondly, what happened the last time she left the Doctor alone with the Master. That was a scenario she was keen to avoid this time, with more of the universe under her belt.

This Yaz was older and wiser than the one who had taken the first step onto Gallifrey. This woman had faced the Flux, travelled the world in the 1900’s, fought sword to sword with Sea Devils and beaten the Daleks to midnight. This Yaz had learned to fly the TARDIS. This Yasmin Khan was ready for anything. Yet despite her newfound confidence, a part of her still trembled at the sound of his voice. He was still the Master after all.

The Doctor showed no fear as she stood at the top of the staircase, her eyes falling to the pews filled with shrunken TCE victims. Yaz had tugged on the sleeve of her coat, her attention falling to the rest of the room. There were dozens of them, tiny figures lining the seats. The Master had killed them all.

It was then the Doctor realised the Master had stopped talking. Turning back to the podium she saw him leaning against the wood, a smug smirk on his face. The look was new, his messy hair now neatened and curled, face cleanly shaven. At least he hadn’t devolved into a full goatee like last time. He’d forgone the purple and dressed himself in a tweed jacket and colourful shirt, a pair of suspenders hung over his shoulders. The Doctor scoffed internally. If he’d added a bowtie, he’d have been the spit of her old self. She supposed the mockery was likely intentional.

From beyond his tortoise shell glasses The Master peered at the Doctor and Yaz, wiggling his fingers in a taunting wave. He pushed himself from the podium, swaggering to the front of the stage as he placed a hand on his hip.

“Do you like my seismologist collection? I think I've got the whole set now. First time I picked one up I swore to myself I wouldn't get addicted again, think of the storage space- But then I found out some of them were rare and you know me, such a completionist-”

“Is this just a ramble session or is there a point to your little breadcrumb trail?”

The Doctor said, copying the Master's pose from her position near the bottom of the steps. Yaz found her head bouncing between the pair like a game of tennis, shadowing just behind the Doctor. The Master scrunched his nose, crossing one foot over the other.

“Oh go on, what’ve you got so far?”

“Well, according to some you’re Rasputin, your cyber minions have stolen a quarunx, and all of a sudden there’s a second moon above 1916 Russia. Only it’s not a moon, it’s another planet. Made of metal. Wired up to a TARDIS. Do I get bingo if I say it’s one you made yourself?”

The Master nodded along, counting on his fingers sarcastically at each point, the Doctor stepping down a stair with each moment of emphasis. By now she was on the main floor, watching as the Master pulled the pair of glasses from his face and slid them into his top pocket.

“And do I get a full house if I figure out how it all fits together, or are you just going to explain it all to me with that smug look on your face?”

The Master smirked, hopping down from the stage and raising his hands in surrender.

“Be patient, we’ll get there eventually. By the way, hello to you too-”

“How did you escape Gallifrey? How are you still alive?”

The Master chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

“How many times, Doctor- It’s almost like you’re still surprised. If you paid a little more attention to detail, maybe you would know. Speaking of-”

The Master turned to face Yaz, strolling past the Doctor to lean against the front row of pews. He made a good effort to bump her shoulder on the way, the Doctor rolling her eyes as he went.

“Travelling a little thin on the ground, aren't you, Doctor? No room in the TARDIS for the whole Brady Bunch? I get why you dropped the boring one, I could never remember his name anyway. No hard feelings Yaz, but I was hoping if at least one of you was going to stick around it would be Graham. But then again, no prizes for guessing why you lasted longest. She has a bit of a thing for earth girls.”

“I could say the same thing about you.” Yaz said, pushing back her shoulders and sending the Master a steely glare.

“Where’s yours? I thought she’d be sitting in the front row drawing love hearts around your name in a notebook. Don’t tell me you got dumped.”

The Master smirked, tilting his head and looking Yaz up and down.

“That shade of green doesn’t suit, Yaz. I know you were rather fond of O, but as a married man I cannot sanction all this flirting-”

“And I can’t sanction all this killing. Why?”

The Master sighed, turning to face the Doctor and moving off from the edge of the pew. The Doctor pulled her gaze from Yaz, the proud burst within her chest hardening into disdain as the Master stood inches from her face. The Masters expression softened, eyes melting from his devious glare into wide eyed innocence. For a moment the Doctor found herself back in Australia, staring at the face of a supposed friend. But the dark reality came seeping back at his words. By now her friends, both new and old, were long gone. This was all that remained of the pair of them.

“To give you a simple warning, Doctor. Leave earth, right now. Or it will be the death of you.”

“Why, finally going to make good on all those threats?”

“Because this is the day you are erased.”

“I’ve dealt with that before-”

“From existence,” The Master whispered. “Not just history. This, Doctor, is the day you die.”

The two Timelords stood before one another, almost daring each other to break away from each other's gazes. They were old eyes, each gaze burning with a thousand memories of the universe. Shared histories, crossed paths. Broken trust, broken hearts. The Doctor's cogs were turning in her brain at full throttle, trying to poke a single hole in the Master's exterior that would break open his entire facade. But there was no speck of dishonesty within the Masters hypnotic stare. That was the most worrying part of all.

Eventually, the Master broke the stand off with a melodramatic sigh.

“Wow, quite the conversation stopper. Bit awkward, right Yaz? You see-”

All the energy had returned to the Master's body, his feet dancing across the floor as he slid towards Yaz’s chest. Yaz grit her teeth together, letting her eyes shut as the Master brought his face close to her own. She could feel the villainy radiating off of him like a stench of evil. She’d learned how to sense this sort of thing. Memory always put a vile taste in her mouth. The Master was no exception.

“Now she’s stuck and doesn’t know what to do, because I've just been brilliant and made her second guess everything. She doesn’t want to leave, because she doesn’t trust a single thing I have to say, which quite frankly, my hearts doth break. But she ALSO knows she has to take it seriously, because when I make a threat, it’s no empty one. Scouts honour. Cross my broken hearts, hope to die- we have to hope, because we both know, that never tends to happen-”

The Masters maddened rambles were cut short by a commotion at the back of the room. The Master whipped around in a frenzy as the soldiers of UNIT began to filter into the room, the harsh clatter of police boots stomping down the stairs, every possible exit slamming open as the soldiers began to pour in. Yaz stepped to the Doctor's side and watched as the soldiers began to encircle the Master, the Timelord spinning in a circle not unlike a dog before it sat down. His eyes were busy with thought, his hands once more raised in surrender as the backup descended on their prey, the Master scrunching his nose at the Doctor and chuckling.

“Oh, you brought soldiers! Are these for me? You shouldn’t have!”

The Master spread his arms wide as the soldiers stomped their way onto the floor, finding himself unable to withhold a smirk as he watched one crush a shrunken doll beneath their feet.

“Oh dear, there goes all hope of solving climate change. Those poor polar bears!”

The soldiers, now seemingly privy to the Masters taunting, began to watch their step as they made their way to make the arrest. The Doctor watched with her perfected poker face, the Master smirking as the soldiers took grasp of his arms and began to pull them into cuffs. He shifted uncomfortably, rolling his shoulders and gasping.

“Oh, gentle, gentle boys! It’s a good job my wife’s not here, she’s really into this sort of thing. A good old bit of roughhousing.”

The Master read the name badge upon the soldiers’ uniform, and caught the Doctor's glare with a devious glimmer in his eye.

“Am I going to UNIT? I really hope I am.”

Yaz glanced towards the Doctor. The Timelord was breathing heavily, though she was doing a good job at hiding it. The Doctor looked at the soldiers around her, and memories came flooding back. The last time this situation occurred, with Missy and Kate in London, it had cost the life of Osgood. She knew the Master had more up his sleeve than he was letting on. To leave him alone without any supervision would be to sign the death warrant of all the soldiers in the room.

Maybe he was right, perhaps it was a good thing you weren’t here, no matter why. You weren’t here to encourage him. But you also weren’t here to hold him back.

“Give her a gun.”

The Doctor said bluntly, and the world around her sprung into action. The soldiers, guns aimed at the Master already, intensified their grip. Yaz rushed towards the Doctor with concern, confusion riddled over her face. Even the Master seemed slightly confused, his eyes panning between the Doctor, Yaz, and the handgun that had been thrust from the pocket of a soldier- now primed and ready to be taken. This was new. This was interesting. This meant the Doctor was deadly serious about what was about to occur. The Master found himself sufficiently excited, pressing his lips together to suppress his laugh.

“What?” Yaz asked, her hand lingering in the same spot on the Doctor's arm.

“Why?”

“Cover him. We’re going to take him in the TARDIS. Take the gun.”

“C’mon Yaz,” The Master singsonged, watching her squirm with sick pleasure.

“I thought she didn’t like guns. She must be worried. C’mon, I'll accept it as an apology for insulting my marriage.”

The Master grinned as Yaz accepted the gun, her gaze lingering on the Doctor's eyes. He watched as something unspoken spread between the pair, the Doctor urging Yaz with just the power of her glance. Yaz could see the Doctor was worried, she’d learnt the microexpressions upon the Timelord’s face by heart. All those years of that hologram, she knew what the smile lines at her eyes meant, the furrow of her brow at her anxieties. The Doctor was anticipating the worst. Yaz knew this meant she had to be at her best.

“There you go. Do you need me to show you how to use it, dear?”

Yaz cocked the gun and aimed it directly at the Masters head. She stared at him with hatred down the metal barrel, her finger primed and ready at the trigger. The months and months of police weapons training still lingered in the memory of her muscles, her shoulders hardening as she watched her target.

“The only green I've been is in weapons training. So don’t you worry. Now move.”

The Doctor watched as the Master relinquished his resistance, the UNIT soldiers flanking every side of his body as he was paraded towards the same staircase the Doctor arrived from. Yaz stayed at his tail as he was yanked up the stairs, the Master glancing over his shoulder towards the conference room with a dramatic sigh.

“We’ll pick up on the volcanic ash radius next time. Great chat, brilliant questions. Nice to see some familiar faces. Oh and boys, when you’re done stamping on them, clean up the tiny bodies and inform the loved ones for me. It was Daniel's wedding anniversary, his husband will be so upset!”

The Doctor watched the troupe of UNIT soldiers disappear from the room, a dark feeling twisting in her gut. Everything was so… disjointed. She had the larger pieces of the puzzle to hand, but there were still gaping holes in the picture, one shaped just like you. She knew the Master, and she knew you.

If you really were gone, she also would have known by now. The Master would have pulled something ridiculous- gone on another rampage, destroyed a civilization, scorched a message into the side of a planet begging you to come back. It was the most dangerous part of this current face of his. Beyond his temper, his disdain for good, and his seemingly self destructive nature- he had you.

You were somehow a part of this plot, the Doctor knew for sure. Only where you fit in, and how, were still a mystery to her. All she knew was that your card was still in the deck, and the Master had still to play it. The Doctor sighed as she followed the crowd. Something big was about to come over the horizon.

Though luckily, she still had her own cards up her sleeve- she still had her Tegan and her Ace.

“Tsarina, Rasputin and Mrs Dubrovina approaches.”

A maid declared to the Tsarina of Russia, the grand doors to the Winter Palace opening on command. The man from the cabin and his partner strolled elegantly into the hall, the man's hand reaching forwards to accept the touch of the Tsarina.

“Father Grigori, Madam Praskovya, thank you for coming. It is my son…”

“His haemophilia is a cruel illness.” The woman said softly, Madam Praskovya nodding at the presence of the Tsar at the planning table.

“Such a cruel illness, such a small injury… it is a test of faith indeed.”

“That is the problem I face, dear Father.” The Tsarina admitted through a pained whisper.

“I fear my faith is failing- I worry he has worsened, ever since the second moon emerged in the sky.”

“Such cosmic wonders are nothing to be feared, Tsarina. As I'm sure Father Grigori has told you, the universe is a benevolent leader.”

“Indeed, my dear Praskovya. A new moon, a new test of faith. Times such as these are sent to strengthen our faith, to test our commitment. They are a challenge we should not fall to.”

“I simply fear-”

“You should fear not. You should trust in my words, in the advice of Madam Praskovya. You should place your trust in us. In me.”

“But how-”

Rasputin's words were careful, soft and intentful as he met the Tsarina’s gaze.

“Are my eyes not full of certainty?”

Indeed they were. The Tsarina felt the compulsion within her, the hypnotic pull of command that eased her back into the comfort of obedience. She could trust Rasputin and Mrs Dubrovina. She must trust Rasputin and Mrs Dubrovina.

“They are.” She whispered, before falling back in line.

“Put him in the bunker. Full security detail, constant monitoring. I don’t want him out of our sight.” Kate commanded, the UNIT soldiers standing to attention from the moment the TARDIS had materialised inside HQ.

The Master gave a hop step as he sauntered out of the TARDIS, the strong arms of the UNIT personnel returning to grasp hold of his handcuffs. The corridor was flanked like a bridal procession- soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder, every inch of path the Master was about to walk down armed to the teeth. The Master smirked at Kate Stewart, standing there in all her familiar glory. Unknowingly still stood in the looming shadow of her father. One that everybody still casted her in, no matter how hard they denied it.

“Learned from last time, eh Kate? Ooh the bunker! Sounds so dramatic!”

The Master gave another hop step, the arms of the soldiers keeping him in the air. If he were any other Master on any other day, he might have proceeded to swing his way down the corridor like a child. That was more Missy’s style, however. He liked to think he still kept her fun side, not for a lack of heels and a lack of trying.

“I do love a good bunker. Anybody want to join in? Bunk up in the bunker? As long as you don’t snore.”

The Doctor had slipped out of the TARDIS behind the Master, watching him stroll down the corridor with a stone faced expression. Yaz had followed, standing beside her with the gun hanging from her hand. A soldier had opened their palm for her to place the firearm in, and she’d accepted the opportunity with thanks. As much as she hated the Master, she hated guns even more. That was something she’d proudly learned from the Doctor. Guns never solved anything.

The Master suddenly stopped, leaning over his shoulder. Kate had followed him behind, keeping a watchful eye on her prisoner. The Master smiled sickly, leering towards her face.

“You can try all you want Kate, you’ll never be your father. As much as an idiot he was. Your dad had a bespoke little prison made just for me, meanwhile you’re about to throw me in some ratty old cage like an animal. You pulled this stunt last time with the plane. That Briga-dear old dad of yours had a little more respect for me than that.”

Kate smirked, her resolve firm as she stepped closer towards the Master. She’d been preparing for this moment for years, her institution ready ever since the Cyber invasion in 2014. It was the nature of the Lethbridge-Stewart line: every one of them was able to handle the likes of the Master. Or at least, they prided themselves on trying to. No matter how hard the situation seemed.

“You seem to believe I harbour any respect for you at all.” Kate replied, unflinching.

“I suggest you correct that before you rot in the basement of my building. It’ll make things easier for you.”

“Awe, spoken like a true Lethbridge- Stewart. Don’t try and play the girlboss, darling. That was my thing. You think you got this job because you earned it? Tell me, how can the head of scientific research fail her GCSE Maths twice?”

Kate leant in closer, narrowing her eyes and curving her lips into a grin.

“I should start charging you rent, the amount of times you’ve been held captive in one of my facilities.”

“Are you offering frequent foe stamp cards?”

“You wouldn’t qualify. That would suggest we see you as an enemy worth our time.”

The Master grinned, his voice velvet smooth, tongue pricked and tainted with venom.

“If we’re so keen on saving time, why don’t you point out your favourite assistants to me now and I can kill them like I killed Osgood?”

The Master turned away, feeling victorious in his endeavour. He liked to believe he was above such trivial matters as a petty verbal squabble. He liked to think it, but he knew he wasn’t.

The biggest surprise to the Timelord came as he passed under the top deck, emerging out of the corridor and into the main hub of the building. He glanced over every face, each sad state of affairs that bore the UNIT logo upon their chest or name tag. There were soldiers, scientists, assistants and interns. Poor souls hired to pour the coffee. Merely additives to the death toll that was to come later.

But stood on the stairs, oh what a treat. The Master broke into a gasp of delight at the sight of two old faces leaning over the balcony of the stairs, two of the Doctor's old companions stood waiting for him to arrive. Tegan and Ace, those old friends of hers. Certainly, much older than they were when the Master first met them. Still holding the same glare of hatred. Some things never changed, he thought. It was nice to know they still held him in such high disregard.

“Oh, Tegan Jovanka!” He grinned, casting his glance towards the Australian woman. Oh, how wonderful her narrow eyed glare was.

“How’s your Aunty Vanessa? Do you keep ‘er in a liccle doll’s house?”

He teased in a silly voice, watching her face morph into a fury. It was rather adorable.

“Aur naur, hit a nerve did I?”

“I’m going to enjoy watching you get locked up in a tiny cell.”

“That's it, you go girl. Stick it to the Master. Speaking of tiny, where’s that little wife of yours? I expected you to be taking high tea on Trakken with the other ladies of the royal court, not skulking around UNIT in your sensible shoes. Oh don’t tell me… did Nyssa leave you too?”

The Doctor's glare began to burn a hole in the back of the Master's head, her eyes staring daggers into his mess of hair. Yaz watched as her stoic face began to silently crumble, the Master's words digging deep into her guilt. Tegan gave a disgruntled huff.

“Aw, bless. Well If you see her, let her know I made good use of her daddy’s body. Of course, after a few genocides he began to wear a bit thin. So she can sleep easily knowing people around the universe quake in fear at the thought of him, and he’s currently burned out of existence.”

“You destroyed Trakken, you ignorant dick.” Tegan hissed coldly, leaning further over the railing. Ace took hold of her arm to stop her lunging across the bar to throttle him. The Master gasped proudly.

“Did I?”

“When you thought it was a brilliant idea to unwrite reality.”

“Oh wow, I genuinely didn’t know. Oi, Kate, are you hearing this?” The Master called over his shoulder towards the head of UNIT.

“Unwriting reality, destroying planets. Sounds like stamp card material to me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

Ace called from the top of the staircase, her hand still holding on to Tegan's arm. The Master turned to look back at the pair, smirking fondly at the woman in the striped suit.

“And Ace too! Aren’t I lucky! Or should I call you Dorothy? Are we a bit too old for our old gang nicknames, or are the 80’s well and truly back?”

“You’re one to talk, Master.” She spat, looking the renegade Timelord up and down. The Master shrugged his shoulders indignantly.

“See, doesn’t it sound nice? Rolls off the tongue. Like your Prrrofessor. Or is that a sore spot for you, considering she ditched you?”

The Doctor was a few steps away from charging down the corridor, but she knew better. The Master was buying time, enjoying picking at the threads of each and every person in the building. It was all he had, now he’d been caught. He was like a bratty child, trying to grab attention while being ignored.

“A little fall out, perhaps? With your machiavellian maestro?”

Ace leant forward across the railing, knuckles white against the metal.

“Last time I saw you, you were half cat.” She hissed, glaring down at the Timelord. The Master smirked, looking from side to side at the two soldiers that had kept a tight grasp on his collar and arm. He remembered the Cheetah planet well, the effects still burning hot within him.

“A man’s allowed to experiment.” He grinned, baring his teeth and turning his hands into claws.

“I mean seriously, is this the best you could do? The Aussie and the street rat? Sorry ladies, but today was going so well. Seriously, Kate. You couldn’t have gotten me Jo Grant? At least I would’ve been nice to her.”

Kate sighed, stepping forwards and taking control.

“Show’s over. Take him away.”

The Master nodded in agreement, scrunching his nose and nodding along with Kate's command. He looked up to see several more faces had joined the audience, staring down at the commotion from the upper levels of UNIT HQ. The Master grinned. You would have loved this.

“Oh yes, yes! Take me away! Because then we’ll all feel safer with me in the building, in the hole, in the dark, right beneath your feet. Great job, Kate!”

The Master was yanked backwards into the lift, the doors starting to close. He suddenly burst forward, sticking his leg out and craning his neck. The door retreated back with a metal hum, the Master turning to stare at the Doctor with the same innocent eyes as earlier.

“You’re not going to leave them alone again, are you Doctor?” He giggled deviously, the soldiers yanking him back once more. This time the doors to the lift managed to close, the Timelord grinning dangerously as they shut before him.

From within the lift shaft his excited whoops could be heard, the soldiers that once flanked the lift dissipating from their post. Kate looked towards the ceiling once more, staring at the onlooking faces.

“I said the show's over!” She stated firmly. At once the onlookers disappeared.

The Doctor took a step forward, meeting Kate’s eyes as she turned towards the looming blue box.

“Kate, put the building on high alert. He’s planning something. His wife-”

“Is currently unaccounted for. I’ve had a team monitoring the chatter, she hasn’t been seen ever since his defection from MI6. We’re working under the presumption that she's planning an attack.”

“The Master has an army of Cybermen in 1916, they could strike at any minute. If he’s in your bunker, somebody else has to be watching over things.”

Kate turned and whispered towards an aid, who scurried off in another direction. Ace and Tegan made their way hurriedly down the steps, watching the Doctor retreat to the front of the TARDIS. The Doctor peered over Kate’s shoulder, looking at her two former companions

“Keep an eye on the Master. We won’t be long.”

Ace stared at the Doctor in disbelief. All of a sudden the same creeping feeling that had plagued her long ago returned. She wasn’t the strong woman she had grown into now: she was a teenager again, standing there watching her mentor, her closest friend, disappear into those police box doors. Disappearing without her.

“Professor,” She called. The feel of it on her tongue felt sour.

“Where are you going?”

Tegan frowned, already disgruntled from her argument, yet more than happy to enter into one with more meaning. But the Doctor didn’t stay- just as the Master had predicted. The two women watched the Timelord beckon Yaz into the TARDIS, closing the door behind her without a second word.

“She really doesn’t want us in there.” Tegan sighed, hands falling to her hips. There had to be a reasonable explanation- perhaps she’d redecorated and knew they’d be more than happy to judge. Maybe she was simply thinking ten steps ahead as usual, and this was part of the grand plan. Whatever it meant, Tegan and Ace were staying in the building. Staying at UNIT HQ. Perhaps that’s where they were meant to be.

Beneath their feet, the Master was pushed from the door of the lift and into the corridors of the basement. He glanced around the dark corridor, categorically observing every turn and side of the route to his destination. He began to whistle a jaunty tune, waving to all the soldiers that flanked his path once more.

“I love what you’ve done with the place.” He mused, the soldiers tugging at the back of his jacket once more. He let out a grunt as he was shoved forwards, clattering against the far wall of the metal cage known as the bunker.

He turned up his nose at his surroundings. God, what a dump. He supposed it must have been his fault the standards were so low these days. All the budget must have gone towards defeating his bigger and better schemes.

“At least the plane gave me a seat.” He grumbled, scuffing his shoes against the concrete floor as the guard secured the lock to the gate. He took a run up to the front bars, plastering himself across the locked door and calling to the guard.

“Excuse me darling, I booked the cage with a bed? And I don’t seem to have the room service menu.”

The guard stared down at him unimpressed, yet the Master continued on.

“I’ve got allergies, you see. Ever since they changed the recipe, I’m suddenly UNIT intolerant.”

The renegade Timelord chuckled as the guard turned away with a scowl, slamming the second door of entry to the bunker shut with a heave.

“You laugh now, but mark my words, the wife will NOT be happy when she gets here.”

The Master grinned, pushing off from the front of the cage. He began to hum a simple tune, sitting himself down in the far corner of the cage and stretching out his legs. He gave a small wave to the large camera in the top corner, before reclining with his hands behind his head. Oh, he missed the early days of UNIT imprisonment. How wonderful his past cage had been, with his workout equipment and colour TV. He’d spent many happy hours watching earth TV shows and scheming, the UNIT sanctioned prison uniform was dangerously comfortable. Oh, and that cape! With its glitter and stars and jewelled clasp. He still had it somewhere in the TARDIS. You were awfully fond of it too. He often thought the world wasn’t as magical as it used to be. You somehow kept the magic alive, though.

“Not long now…” He hummed to himself, staring at the ceiling and settling back down. “I love a good reunion. Oi, warden! Any chance of the WIFI password?”

“My dear Tsar, this endless war- I fear for our people as much as you do. Have you made a decision upon sending in more troops? Or do you intend to withdraw?”

Madam Praskovya approached the planning table, the Tsar pinching the bridge of his nose in concern.

“The decision is difficult. So many lives. What do you suggest?”

The woman smiled, placing a hand upon her stomach.

“Much like my husband, I fear for your family. As a mother myself, I believe the stress brings great turmoil to you all. I’m sure my husband would agree… a holiday for you all is a powerful remedy.”

The Tsar tilted his head in thought as Father Grigori stepped to his wife's side.

“Indeed, a long holiday, very soon. Some time away shall benefit you, don’t you think?”

The Tsar nodded in agreement, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Yes… a long holiday… very soon. That’s what I want… isn’t it?”

Rasputin stepped nearer.

“Yes, it is. I shall care for your beautiful Winter Palace, your staff shall follow the guidance of Madam Praskovya. And you shall remain assured of your one certainty. Which is?”

The Tsar was unable to look away, his eyes locked within the gaze of Grigori Rasputin. The man's wife, Praskovya Dubrovina, watched by his side, a knowing look upon her face. One that understood the instruction within his mind. One that was present when it was first placed there.

“That you… are the Master.” The Tsar spoke, the words falling from his tongue. The Master smiled, your own lips curving into a grin by his side.

“And I will obey you.”

“I really hoped I'd seen the last of him. But y’know, cats and their nine lives.”

Rattle. The brown backpack Tegan had kept slung over her shoulder had spread itself out over the floor.

Clang. The material at the top lip of the bag had rumpled and split open, the contents of the carrier spilling itself onto the linoleum. Tegan watched the bag curiously, taking an anxious step towards the brown bag.

Ace briefly glanced up from the computer screen, watching her friend anxiously.

“You alright?”

“No… the toy-”

Tegans hand nervously made its way to clutch upon the striped material of Ace's sleeve, instinct pulling her away from the other side of the room. The chair the bag had fallen from was spinning idly, her books and papers scattered. But the Cyberman toy, the small doll the Doctor had gifted to her, had somehow walked across the room and positioned itself in the middle of the walkway. It was a stand off between the two women and the small Cyber toy, each one daring it to move and praying it wouldn’t. The screen behind them suddenly began to fizzle and crackle, the picture of the Master’s cell blaring itself in glorious black and white.

“Oh dear, did she want to come out already?”

The pair span around at the sound of the Master's voice from the speakers. The Timelord was sitting in the corner of the room, flexing his bound wrists and staring dead straight into the camera. Tegan was right, the sight of the criminal in a tiny cell brought the pair some sense of comfort. A miniscule sense of justice, just as big as the toy. But the smirk on his face and the glimmer in his eye spoke of something not to be trusted. How was he even communicating with them? How did he know where they’d be?

“I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. It must be awful being trapped inside a tiny little figurine. Mustn't it?”

“How the hell is he doing that?”

Ace whispered to herself. The Master scrunched his shoulders happily.

“Trust you, Tegan the brave heart. Should have nicknamed you Tegan the naive. Did you really think the Doctor would go out of her way to send you one tiny little toy?”

Tegan inched closer to Ace’s side, the woman's fists already clenched, her face calculating what he was saying. The Master was relishing in the cruelty of nostalgia today. It was a loose thread the two were determined not to let him pull. But he was tugging rather hard.

“The Doctor didn’t send you that toy. I did. I must thank you for taking such good care of her. Parting is such sweet sorrow, after all. But I knew I could count on you to keep it close if you thought your beloved Doctor still remembered you.”

The Master had risen to stand, bringing his face inches from the camera as he stared down the lens from the dingy basement bunker. Up close, the pair could see the evil speckled across his eyes. No wonder he’d been so adept at using them to control others. Even his eyes spoke of everything they and the Doctor stood against.

“You kept it close, because deep down you know you have nothing else. It’s poetry in motion, you’ll see. Especially with this next part. I hope you’ve been paying attention.”

“Why do you keep calling it a she?”

Ace suddenly asked, matching his look into the camera. The Master chuckled, tapping his fingertip against the glass.

“Oh, gold star for Mcshane! You see, that ain't just any Cyberman. It’s rather special, close to my hearts. All I have to say is, I don’t know… ‘Activate protocol 23’... and something rather magical happens.”

At the Masters declaration, the Cyberman began to shudder and grow. The doll's limbs began to expand and lurch outwards, the entire figure swelling and shooting up and size at rapid speed. The two women stepped back in shock as the figure soon reached north of six feet, the centre bond between the two half’s glowing and splitting itself open.

“Meet my Russian doll. Sweet Tegan, you should have held on to your dear old aunt. Because y’know what the best part of tissue compression is?... It also works in reverse.”

The Master laughed madly as a wild glow began to emanate out of the Cyber figure, the familiar stomping of Cybermen echoing through the office. Two by two the legion of Cybermen began to bleed out into the HQ, their metal feet punching into the ground as they assumed strategic formation. Ace was quick on her feet- the woman suddenly sprung into action, sliding across the floor of the office and grasping hold of the two handles in a floor panel beneath the main desk. The panel was yanked from its place in the floor, revealing a secret compartment- large black guns and strips of ammunition sat in floor-bound holsters, the gold bullets shimmering within their casings. UNIT knew how to handle a Cyber invasion. They’d had more than enough experience.

The layers within the Cyber doll continued to peel away, until the glimmering white faded into a silhouette of jet black. The doll split open as before, but this time an unfamiliar sight stepped out. It was a Cyberman, decayed and rusted, one arm covered in cloth and wielding flesh, half of its face broken and shattered, revealing the pale skin of its body beneath. The Cyberman glared at the two women with its still human eye. The Master clasped his hands together with glee.

“Don’t be scared girls, meet my friend Ashad! I killed him once but he’s forgiven me now, because now he’s become useful to me. Call him the head of security.”

The figure had yet to finish its lightshow. The black layer had slipped away, revealing a layer of shimmering metal, engraved in circular Gallifreyan and glimmering gold. The join in the middle split once more, revealing a distant figure between the hazing glow of the doll. Two feet stepped out from the doll before it came crashing down into a screwed up mass of metal, the figure's shoulders rolling back and arms stretching to the heavens. Rocking on their heels before sighing with a flourish, the figure gave a teasing wave to the two women.

“Lovely day for an invasion, isn’t it?” You grinned, before pulling two blasters from the holsters on your belt.

“TEGAN!” Ace called from across the room. Tegan instantly sprinted across the screen, the Master smiling devilishly as he peered into the screen.

“The basement calls, Love. Why don’t you let the Cybermen play while we catch up?”

You watched as Tegan hastily flipped the front desk onto its side, Ace wielding the large black guns. You gave a teasing laugh as you waved your blaster in the air.

“I’d love to stay and chat, but places to be! Boys, you can take it from here.”

The Master's laughter echoed in the distance as you sprinted from the room, the sudden sound of gunfire slamming into the walls. Oh, how incredible it felt to stretch your legs again! To feel the wind in your hair as you ran through corridors, terrorising men in uniform. You were practically skipping through the corridors, the tribes of UNIT soldiers bursting in from every direction as you made your way through the building. One by one you unleashed your blasters into their chests, their heads, any place you could land a hit. They had bigger things to focus on than little old you. Cyber invasions always tended to be rather show stopping. Metal men always managed to steal the attention away from the important parts of the plan.

“ATTENTION. UNIT HQ IS UNDER ATTACK FROM CYBERMEN.”

Kate’s voice blared over the speakers, the sirens calling out through the tannoy as you sprinted down the stairs towards the basement. You navigated every turn, the dark grunge of the basement alight with gunfire as you took your quest to find the Master. The corridors were sensical, the path ahead of you easy to navigate as you shot down soldier after soldier. You could feel them all, waiting to get that wonderful kill, a badge of honour. What a shame for them. What fun for you.

The last door in the corridor burst open, and you made your way inside. The two that were waiting were an easy shot, two blasts into their exposed chests were easy hits to make. You dodged the close range fire determinedly, a few near scrapes making you jolt. The soldiers fell like wonderful dominoes as you ran towards the next corridor, the sound of familiar laughter floating from down the hall. You felt your hearts lurch within your chest at the sound, the last two soldiers falling to the ground as you sent the blasts into their necks. There was a door at the end of the corridor, an entryway lined with fencing. That was where the sound was coming from.

You paused just before, shaking your hands and taking a breath. You fixed the stray strands of hair that had fallen out of place, smoothing down your outfit with the sides of the blasters before aiming at the locking mechanism on the door. The lock sparked with fire at the impact, the door to the bunker swinging open, inviting you inside.

Your eyes widened with delight as they fell upon the Master. He’d switched up his look since the last time you saw him, your heart fluttering within your chest as you ran towards the bars. The Master raised his hands to shield his face as you aimed your blaster towards the second mechanical lock, the black box bursting open with the force of the blast and sending the door swinging open with a start. The Master growled excitedly, his wrists ripping apart the chain connecting the two cuffs as he flexed his arms, the Timelord letting out a delighted sigh as he unbuttoned his tweed overcoat.

“Oh darling.” He grinned, his voice as velvet as you remembered it to be.

The distance between you was gone in an instant, the Master's arms opening wide as you flung yourself into his embrace. His hold wrapped tightly around your shoulders, his face plunging into your neck as you buzzed with excitement. Here he was, and here you were. Both alive and well, thanks to his genius.

“I knew it would work; I knew compression would keep you safe. Oh, that Tegan, she did so well. She brought you exactly where I needed you.”

You pulled away from his tight grip and gazed at your husband with adoring eyes. You’d missed him so much, the blood pumping through your veins as you felt his lips press against your hairline.

“Right by my side.”

“UNIT hasn’t changed.” You mused, tugging him forwards towards the exit of the cell.

“Still run like a circus, still just as fun to break out of.”

“I still think my stamp card idea is worth the investment.” The Master purred, his smile like the Cheshire cat as he shook his hands with merriment. All that energy built up in his system, now notched up a level by your arrival. He’d missed you terribly, the ache in his chest at your absence now replaced by the deafening thud of his heartbeats. Now his plan was well and truly in motion.

The Master took hold of your hand, your blaster slipped back into its holster as he leapt through the destroyed gate and into the perimeter around the bunker.

“They thought chainmail would keep me in.” He teased, leaning down and admiring the sparking wires of the lock.

“How cute.”

You watched the Master lean down to the base of the gate, running his fingers over the metal and grasping hold of the rod that connected into the lock box. He tugged hard, letting out a feverish grunt as the metal began to warp, the rod bending and creaking as he yanked it out of its position. The rod came free in the Master's hands, the Timelord snarling like a wild animal as he clutched the metal, and as if wielding a baseball bat, swung forwards and clubbed at the glass circuit breaker in the wall. The frosted glass shattered into a thousand pieces, the Master digging his fingers into the mains and ripping out a section of the wiring. Only this wasn’t any old part of the wiring, the way it shone in the light of the basement and churned within the Timelord's hands. You watched him grip the TCE with pride, his finger slipping into the copper ring as he stood before you with a flourish. You clapped your hands together with glee, the Master preening at your praise. He always worked better with an audience.

The Master suddenly surged forwards, his free hand slipping around your back and the other gasping your hand. The Master began to spin you, feet waltzing across the concrete floor, his eyes meeting your own. You danced to the sweet sound of bullets and screams, just as you’d danced to the destruction of Gallifrey. He’d kept you safe all that time, carrying you between his hearts until he was sure you could be safe. Until he could ensure nothing would stand in your way when it came to your part of the plan. Here you were once more, right between his hearts. Where you always were meant to be.

The sudden arrival of Ashad at the door told the Master it was time.

“The soldiers are moving down the stairs.” He grated, metal on metal.

The Master sighed, tilting his head and pushing your hair behind your ear.

“We need to get moving, don’t we?” You asked, shivering at his touch. The Master nodded, tapping his finger on the end of your nose.

“Yes, my love, we certainly do. I’m so glad I cloned him.”

“We should keep him, like a neutered pet.”

“Trust me, dearest. If it’s a pet you’re after, I have one in mind. You’ll see.”

The Master hummed once more to himself as he spun you one last time, elated giggles pulling themselves from your throat as he leant you down into a dip. Your hands flung to wrap around his neck, the Master's arm that held the TCE extending out beyond your head.

“Welcome home, love.” He grinned, before allowing his thumb to activate the trigger. Your faces met as the trigger was pulled, the Master's lips meeting your own as you disappeared in a whirlwind of teleportation energy.

There was truly no place like home.

The winter wind bellowed beyond the walls of the wooden cabin, the haze of teleportation energy sending light shining against the dark wood. You landed in the Masters embrace, your eyes adjusting to the darkness as you kept a tight hold upon his shoulders.

“Welcome to Russia, 1916.” The Master grinned, his hands refusing to leave your body. He’d been apart from you for far too long.

“I hope my disguise is warm enough.” You teased. The Master chuckled fondly.

“You won’t need to worry about the heat, the Winter Palace is cold in name only.”

“The Winter Palace? Am I about to be a Tsarina?”

The Master shook his head, causing you to give a melodramatic pout.

“Close, but no cigar. We’ll be having a little more fun than that.”

The Master's hand guided your lower back towards the wardrobe in the corner, the doors opening with a creak. Two different garments, similar in style, hung upon wire hangers- your hands instinctively went to caress the material.

“We won’t be Tsar and Tsarina, love. But we’ll be the next best thing. Say hello to Madam Praskovya, and Father Grigori.”

You paused, the name ringing familiar. You turned towards the Master with a raised eyebrow, the Timelord smirking proudly.

“More likely known to history as Praskovya Fedorovna Dubrovina, and her husband: Grigori Yefimovich-”

“Rasputin.” You breathed out, the same smile spreading across your face. You sank back into his hold, the Master’s head resting against your own. His excitement was tangible through his skin, the Timelord buzzing with anticipation.

“Russia’s greatest love machine?” You asked, hope in your tone.

The Master simply winked in reply.

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spanishskulduggery · 1 year

Text

Most Essential Vocabulary #3

Part 3 of some of the most essential Spanish vocabulary!

This time I decided to go with mostly nouns - animals (minus fish/marine life for the most part), metals, materials, fabrics, and basic weather expressions!

There are always going to be words I miss, but these are some of the most common ones you come across. Though if you’re watching nature documentaries or getting into crafting you might find other words or more specific words than these; still, this is a good baseline for things you’ll come across in everyday Spanish

Los Animales [Animals]

el perro = dog la perra = dog [f] / bitch [the literal word for “female dog” Spanish-speakers do call their female dogs perra or perrita; but it is also the insult “bitch”]

el gato = cat la gata = cat [f] [again sometimes some unsavory elements to la gata but still very common]

perrito/a = puppy

gatito/a = kitten

el cachorro = puppy, pup el cachorro = pup / baby animal [mammals; it’s not specifically dogs]

el pájaro = bird

el loro = parrot

el lagarto = lizard la lagartija = lizard [small]

la tortuga = turtle / tortoise [large land turtles are sometimes called el galápago like the islands]

la serpiente = snake

el ratón, la rata = mouse / rat [interchangeable at this point]

el erizo = hedgehog

el hurón = ferret

la cobaya = guinea pig [in the medical sense too!] el cuy / el cuyo = guinea pig [South America] el conejillo de Indias = guinea pig [lit. “little rabbit from the Indies”; occasional, but not standard]

el conejo, la coneja = rabbit

el pez = fish [as opposed to el pescado “fish” which is fish you eat, aka “seafood”]

el reptil = reptile

el ave = bird

el mamífero = mammal

la mascota = pet [and “mascot” for teams]

gruñir = to growl

masticar = to bite

ladrar = to bark

maullar = to meow

arañar = to scratch

lamer = to lick

acariciar = to pet / to caress

Also, not totally necessary unless it is - el sabueso is “hound” while el galgo is “greyhound” or “running dog”

Los Insectos [Insects]

el insecto = insect

el bicho = bug [sometimes means something very different in other countries but it is generally “bug”]

la mariposa = butterfly

la hormiga = ant el hormiguero = anthill

el gusano = worm / maggot

la oruga = caterpillar

el ciempiés = centipede [lit. “hundred feet”, just like what “centipede” means]

la mosca = fly

el mosquito = mosquito

la araña = spider la telaraña = web, spiderweb, cobweb [lit. “spider fabric”]

la abeja = bee la colmena = hive, beehive el panal = honeycomb la reina = queen

el enjambre = swarm

la avispa = wasp

el zángano = drone el obrero, la obrera = worker

la picadura = bug bite / sting

la mantis (religiosa) = (praying) mantis

el escorpión = scorpion el alacrán = scorpion

el caracol = snail

el saltamontes = grasshopper

el grillo = cricket

la langosta = locust [also the word for “lobster”, which is unfortunate]

la cucaracha = cockroach

la pulga = flea

el escarabajo = beetle / scarab

la luciérnaga = firefly, lightning bug

la libélula = dragonfly

la mariquita = ladybug [lit. “little Mary”, because ladybugs are linked to Mary in Christianity in many languages]

I know some of these aren’t technically insects don’t @ me

Las Aves [Birds]

el pájaro = bird

el ave, las aves = bird, birds [technically feminine; umbrella term] (el) ave rapaz, las aves rapaces = birds of prey las aves acuáticas = waterfowl [lit. “aquatic birds”] las aves marinas = seabirds

el águila = eagle [technically feminine] el águila calva = bald eagle

el gorrión = sparrow

la golondrina = swallow

la alondra = lark

el petirrojo = robin

la urraca = magpie

el buitre = vulture

el pájaro carpintero = woodpecker [lit. “carpenter bird”]

la paloma = dove / pigeon

el pavo = turkey

el pavo real = peacock la pava real = peahen

el ganso = goose

el pato / la pata = duck

el pollo = chicken

el gallo = rooster

la gallina = hen

la gaviota = seagull

el cisne = swan

la garza = heron

la grulla = crane

el cuervo = crow

la corneja = raven [but usuallly cuervo; even in literature, Poe’s “The Raven” is El Cuervo]

el búho = owl

la lechuza = owl [the ones with flatter faces; those owls... think Hedwig from HP]

el cucú = cuckoo

el loro = parrot [sometimes el papagayo]

la cotorra = parrot [regional, such as las cotorras de Murcia]

el avestruz = ostrich

el pingüino = penguin

el ala, las alas = wings [technically feminine]

la aleta = flipper

el pico = beak

la garra = talon, claw

la pluma = feather [or “pen”, since it all originally came from the idea of a “quill” which is pluma]

el huevo = egg

el nido = nest

el polluelo = chick, baby bird

Los Animales De la Granja / Domésticos [Farm (Animals) / Domesticated Animals]

el ganado = livestock / cattle

la vaca = cow el toro = bull

el buey = ox

el caballo = horse la yegua = mare

el establo / la caballeriza = stable, stables

el potro, la potra = foal / colt, filly [baby horse]

el ganso, la gansa = goose

el pollo = chicken el gallo = rooster la gallina = hen

el gallinero = chicken coop

el palomar = pigeon coop

el cerdo, la cerda = pig, sow el puerco, la puerca = pig, sow

el chiquero = sty, pen / pigsty, pigpen

el corral = corral

el carnero = ram

la oveja = sheep

la cabra = goat

el cordero = lamb el borrego = lamb, yearling

el rebaño = flock (of sheep)

el asno / el burro = donkey

la mula = mule

dar de comer (al animal) = to feed (an animal)

ordeñar = to milk (an animal)

montar = to ride (an animal/bike)

a caballo = on horseback montar a caballo = to ride on a horse, horseback riding

Los Animales Salvajes [Wild Animals]

el lobo, la loba = wolf

el oso, la osa = bear el osenzo / osito/a = bear cub, cub el oso negro = black bear el oso pardo = grizzly bear, brown bear el oso panda / el panda = panda bear el oso polar = polar bear

la serpiente = snake la víbora = viper, venomous snake [poisonous snake, used almost like a generic name]

venenoso/a = poisonous, venomous no venenoso/a = non-venomous, not poisonous

el búfalo = buffalo

el buey, los bueyes = ox, oxen

el bisonte = bison

el jabalí = boar

el mono, la mona = monkey

el simio = ape, simian

el chimpancé = chimpanzee

la gorila = gorilla

el león = lion la leona = lioness

el tigre = tiger la tigresa = tiger [f], tigress

el línce = lynx

el elefante, la elefanta = elephant

la jirafa = giraffe

la cebra = zebra

el cocodrilo = crocodile

el caimán / el aligátor = caiman / alligator [sometimes it has other names that are regional]

el hipopótamo = hippopotamus

el rinoceronte = rhinoceros

el leopardo = leopard

el ciervo, la cierva = deer, stag / deer, doe el venado, la venada = deer, stag / deer, doe

el alce = elk / moose

el reno = reindeer

la ardilla = squirrel

la nutria = otter

el zorro = fox [the female form is la zorra which is “female fox” or “vixen”; also a very mean insult like “bitch”]

el conejo, la coneja = rabbit

la liebre = hare, rabbit

el mapache = racoon

la comadreja = weasel

el castor = beaver

el canguro = kangaroo [also a slang word for “babysitter”]

la hiena = hyena

el chacal = jackal

el murciélago = bat

la foca = seal

la morsa = walrus

el delfín = dolphin

la ballena = whale

el asta = antler [technically feminine]

el cuerno = horn

el colmillo = fang el colmillo = tusk [boar, elephant, etc]

el hocico = snout / nose (of an animal)

la garra = claw

la zarpa = claw (feline)

la guarida = lair, den

la madriguera = den, lair, hideout

el depredador = predator

la presa = prey [la presa also means “reservoir” or “dam”]

el macho = male

la hembra = female

salvaje = wild / savage

manso/a = tame

la manada = pack / herd [generally the word for “a group of animals”, so you see it everywhere for animals but the most common example is la manada de lobos “wolf pack”]

Los Metales [Metals]

el metal = metal

metálico/a = metallic

el oro = gold

la plata = silver

el bronce = bronze

el cobre = copper

el plomo = lead

el hierro = iron

el acero = steel

el aluminio = aluminum / aluminium

el zinc / el zinco / el cinco = zinc

el platino = platinum

la lata / el estaño = tin / tinplate / tinfoil [la lata also means “a can” as in food]

el latón = brass

You will also find that el hierro “iron” is used very idiomatically just like in English to mean “strong” such as la Dama de Hierro “Iron Lady” which was the nickname for Margaret Thatcher; or the translation of Xiran Jay Zhao’s book la Viuda de Hierro “Iron Widow”

And many metals or things made out of metal can be called férreo, férrico, or ferroso. A common example is el ferrocarril or la vía férrea for “railroad” or “railway”.

In etymology, you also see this linked to el herrero, la herrera “smith” or la herrerería “blacksmith” or the metal section of a hardware store; and the word for “hardware store” is sometimes el ferretero

Additionally, though not metals some general materials:

el carbón = coal el carboncillo = charcoal [charcoal is also el carbón vegetal “plant coal”, el carbón de leña “firewood coal”]

el papel = paper

el cartón = cardboard

el cristal = crystal / glass [more formal is el vidrio “glass”]

el cuarzo = quartz

el diamante = diamond

el rubí = ruby

la esmeralda = emerald

el zafiro = sapphire

el ópalo = opal

la amatista = amethyst

el topacio = topaz

el ámbar = amber

la joya = jewel

la gema = gem

la perla = pearl

el nácar = nacre, mother-of-pearl

el yeso = gypsum, plaster [also a “cast” for broken bones, which were made out of plaster] el revoque = plaster

la madera = wood

el plástico = plastic

el pegamento = glue, paste

la resina = resin

el ébano = ebony

el marfil = ivory

el mármol = marble

la piedra = stone

la arena = sand

el ladrillo = brick

la arcilla = clay

la arenisca = sandstone

la caliza = limestone la cal = limestone, lime

el granito = granite

el alquitrán = tar

el hueso = bone

la mina = mine

la veta = vein (for metals)

cavar = to dig

forjar = to forge fraguar = to forge [interchangeable; la forja “forge” and la fragua “forge” are also interchangeable]

la aleación = alloy

el crisol = melting pot, crucible

La Tela [Fabric]

la tela = fabric

la fibra = fiber

el hilo = thread / string / yarn

la aguja = needle

la cinta = ribbon

la seda = silk

el algodón = cotton

la lana = wool / yarn

el terciopelo = velvet

el encaje = lace

la red = net, fishnet

el poliéster = polyester

a lunares / de lunares = polkadot, with dots [lit. “with circular”]

a rayas / de rayas = striped, with stripes [lit. “with lines”] de raya fina / de raya diplomática = pinstripe

a cuadros = checkered, gingham, plaid escocés / tartán = plaid [lit. “Scottish”] / tartan cuadriculado/a = checkered [lit. “with little squares”]

la piel = leather [lit. “skin”] el cuero = leather [formal]

el pelo = fur, hair la piel = fur / hide las pieles sintéticas / la piel falsa = faux fur, synthetic fur, fake fur

la gamuza = suede

orgánico/a = organic

artificial = artificial, manmade

sintético/a = synthetic

coser = to sew

cortar = to cut

tejer = to knit

ajustar = to tighten / to adjust

You may find something like un abrigo de piel which would be like a “fur coat”, as opposed to una chaqueta de cuero “leather jacket”, as opposed to a “fur jacket”

The issue here is that la piel is “skin” but it also means “pelt” or “animal hide” [el pellejo is another one] which has fur attached, so depending on the context it could be “leather” or “fur” for materials depending on context

El Tiempo / El Clima [Weather]

el sol = sun

la nube = cloud

la lluvia = rain / rainfall

el aguacero = downpour

el hielo = ice

la nieve = snow la nevada = snowfall

el viento = wind

la ventisca = blizzard

el vendaval = strong wind, gale

el remolino = whirlwind / whirlpool / swirl

el granizo = hail

la tormenta = storm la tormenta eléctrica = thunderstorm la tormenta de arena = sandstorm

la tempestad = big storm

el trueno = thunder

el rayo = lightning bolt

el relámpago = lightning flash

el tornado = tornado

el ciclón = cyclone, tornado

el tifón = typhoon

el monzón = monsoon

el huracán = hurricane

hacer sol = to be sunny soleado/a = sunny

nublar(se) = to be cloudy nublado/a = cloudy

llover = to rain lluvioso/a = rainy

nevar = to snow

granizar = to hail

hacer viento = to be windy

tronar = to thunder / to boom, to be very loud

hacer frío = to be cold (weather)

hacer calor = to be hot (weather)

asomar(se) una tormenta = “for a storm to be brewing”

caer un rayo = for lightning to strike [lit. “for a bolt to fall”]

la estación = season [or “station”]

la primevera = spring de primavera / primaveral = springtime, spring [adj]

el verano = summer de verano / veraniego/a = summertime, summery, summer [adj]

el otoño = autumn, fall de otoño / otoñal = fall, autumn, autumnal [adj]

el invierno = winter de invierno / invernal = winter, wintry [adj]

La Transportación [Transportation]

la transportación = transportation

conducir = to drive [also “to guide” or “to conduct”] manejar = to drive [also sometimes “to manipulate”, or “to work by hand”]

el conductor, la conductora = driver / conducter

el carro = car [general Latin America] el coche = car [Spain and parts of Latin America, still understood] el auto = car [often South America but still understood; short for automóvil “automobile” which is also “self-moving” literally]

la carretera = highway / roadway / motorway [lit. “car-way” or “place for carts”]

la autopista = highway / roadway / motorway [lit. “car-track” or “road/track for cars]

el camión, la camioneta = truck [regionally dependent [el camión is sometimes “very big truck” like the 18-wheelers, while la camioneta is sometimes a smaller truck that a regular person might drive; all regional but all makes sense]

la furgoneta = van / pick-up truck [regional; large car]

arrancar = to start a car (or machinery) [arrancar is actually “to yank” or “pull up/out”, but with many machines originally having a lever you had to “pull” the word became arrancar for starting machinery]

acelerar = to accelerate, to speed up

decelerar = to decelerate, to slow down

parar = to stop

dar (la/una) vuelta = to turn around / to make a U-turn

dar marcha atrás = to reverse, to drive in reverse retroceder = to go backwards

el autobús, el bus = bus

el taxi = taxi

el avión = plane, airplane

el helicóptero = helicopter

el aeropuerto = airport

el boleto / el billete / el pasaje = ticket (for a plane) [boleto and billete refer to a “slip of paper”, while el pasaje is literally “passage” or “fare”]

el pasajero, la pasajera = passenger

el viajante, la viajante = traveler

el asiento = seat

la parada = a stop, a layover

el tren = train

la estación de tren = train station

el andén = platform (often for trains)

el ferrocarril = railroad, railway

la vía férrea = railroad, railway, tracks [lit. “iron way”]

el metro = subway, “tube”, metro [short for el metropólitano “metropolitan” which literally means “inside the city”]

el subterráneo / el subte = subway / “underground” [regional for “subway”, usually Rioplatense Spanish; it’s literally “subterranean” or “underground” which is a basic enough adjective, but here it’s “the underground” as subway slang]

el túnel = tunnel

la bicicleta = bicycle la bici = bike (abbreviation)

la motocicleta = motorcycle la moto = motorcycle / motor bike (abbreviation)

ir = to go irse = to go away, to leave

marchar(se) = to go away

viajar = to travel, to voyage

volver = to return

de ida = one way el/un pasaje de ida = a one way trip/ticket

de vuelta = back / coming back el/un pasaje de vuelta = return trip/ticket

de ida y vuelta = round trip

¡Buen viaje! = “Have a good trip!” / Bon voyage!

#Spanish #language #languages #learning Spanish #learn spanish #vocabulario #spanish vocabulary #long post #ref #so much vocab #langblr

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