#it will be super super small batch and made to order

[fatmasc]

Wait i was never transparent ab this idea. Sound off if you would be interested in made to order plus size exclusive bondage pants (yknow like tripp pant style) made by me :)

#looking for a job but in the meantime planning to launch an etsy store #it will be super super small batch and made to order #but id only work in plus sizes and would include my design philosphies of catering to bigger bodies #thought it might be fun #.txt

[exhaslo]

Hiii i was wondering if you could do a miguel x cinnamon bun reader who’s a chubby baker and catches Miguel’s eye sometime when he was out as spiderman and decides to wife her up. And now that they’re together since she’s always baking at home miguel comes home to the smell of cinnamon buns and her as well who’s filled with flour on her face. You can make it smutty if you want, i was just thinking that this scenario was cute 😭😩

have a good dayyy

Crying bc I wrote like half of this before Tumblr froze and deleted everything so I gotta rewrite it again.

Anyway, this is a cute idea. It would be super adorable if Miguel didn't like sweets either...so...without further ado...Time to write again

Warning: None, just fluff, light mentions of sex

------------------------------------------------------------------------

You owned a small bakery in the middle of Nueva York. It was no surprise that the smell of your bakery would attract anyone walking down the block. The aroma of your desserts would attract even the most grumpiest of people.

You were working in the kitchen, sweating as you tried to perfect your latest batch of cupcakes. You took a look around at your workers, smiling as they had fun while making your desserts. You loved your job.

"Hm, I'll take whatever you recommend. I don't really like sweets." A voice from outside said.

Your ears perked up as you heard such a phase. Your curiosity got the best of you as you poked your head out of the kitchen. You saw two men at the counter with your cashier. One was giddy with joy, ordering a bunch of sweets while the other had a stern look at his face.

Slowly, you made your way behind your cashier, avoiding the tall man's gaze. He was handsome, but also somewhat scary. Pulling one of your not so sweet desserts, you carefully placed it in a cute box and slid it towards him on the counter.

"T-This is on the house. I...I hope you like it." You whispered, glancing up at him.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't think anyone but this idiot heard me." The man said while pointing at his companion.

"Migueeeel!"

"Thank you," Miguel said with a fanged smile.

You felt your cheeks flush as you rubbed your eyes. You had to be exhausted from working because you swore you saw fangs. Returning your gaze to the handsome man, you smiled as he took a bite. His eyes widen, licking his lips,

"It's good,"

Miguel was surprised by the delightful treat you gave him. He glanced towards you, caught off guard by the cute smile you gave him. He watched as you hurried into the kitchen, shaking with excitement. Unable to stop staring, Miguel looked back down at the dessert.

"Shall I get more of those for you~" Gabriel, Miguel's brother, said with a silly grin. Miguel nudged him away,

"No. I can get these myself."

----------

Miguel was swinging around the city, patrolling for any crime. He stopped, catching whiff of something ridiculously sweet. Disgruntled, he stoop and searched for the source of the smell. His shoulders sunk, spotting your bakery.

Perhaps you were working on a new recipe? Miguel made it a habit to stop by once a week. He enjoyed your company. You were different. Miguel was willing to try anything you gave him as long as it meant seeing your smile.

Sitting against the roof of the building, Miguel just sat there and watched you. You were hard working, helping every customer and your employees. He knew the struggle of managing a business. Hell, Miguel was technally in charge of two companies, if the Spider Society counted as one.

"Haha! She probably eats all her sweets! Look at her!" A rude teenager yelled as his obnoxious friends laughed alongside him.

"P-Please leave!" You begged.

Miguel stepped in once he saw tears form. He jumped onto the sidewalk and quietly walked behind you. His presence scaring the teenagers away. You whimpered, rubbing your eyes and sniffing before turning around and yelping.

"It's okay. I just scared them away," Miguel whispered, not wanting to spook you.

"Thank you," You whispered, still shaking. Miguel wanted to comfort you, but he knew this wasn't the right time or place,

"Don't let those kids get to you."

"I-I'm used to it...A chubby girl who owns a bakery. I hear it a lot." You whispered. Miguel grinded his teeth together,

"You're beautiful."

"Haha, thanks. That cheered me up," You said with that sweet smile of yours, "Here, let me give you a treat as thanks."

You hummed happily as you held Spiderman's hand, leading him into your bakery. Your customers were surprised, but went about their business. You looked behind the counter and took out one of your newest desserts, placing it in a cute box.

"I just made this, I hope you like it."

You watched as Spiderman's mask slowly disappeared revealing his lower half of his face. Your eyes widen as you saw fangs when he took a bite. Your smile widen as you thought of your regular Miguel, whom you liked.

"It's good." He said. You just giggled,

"Thank you."

--------

Miguel was determined to wife you up. He had started to stop by your bakery three times a week, chatting and getting to know you on a deeper level. Once he found out that you were single, he did not hesitate to ask you out.

Miguel wanted you. He was determined to protect you and keep his sweet little baker by his side. You were so sweet and cute that Miguel was having a hard time restraining himself. He wanted to swing you in his arms and make you his.

By your fifth date, Miguel kissed you. He held you close to him, enjoying your flushed cheeks and shy expression. He was your first for everything and Miguel was going to savior everything about that. He was going to enjoy giving you everything.

By your twelfth date, you admitted to him that you knew he was Spiderman. Miguel was slightly embarrassed, but felt a weight off his chest since he didn't have to hide it from you anymore. With his secret known to you, Miguel was able to give you even more affection due to his powers.

The first time you guys had sex, Miguel went overboard. He joked about you being his dessert for the night and ended up filling you like one of your cupcakes. He had to apologize to you, but you weren't complaining. It was the best night of your life.

Finally, after a few months, Miguel offered to have you move in with him. You were hesitate, but after some reassuring, you agreed. You were currently in your shared house, making a new recipe while waiting for Miguel to return from work.

"Mhm~ I wonder if my customers will like this~" You cooed, trying the cookies.

"Of course they will. You're the one making them," Miguel hummed as he wrapped his arms around your waist.

"Miguel~ You're home!" You chirped. Miguel kissed your neck, his hands groping your tummy,

"Missed you, baby. Couldn't stop thinking about you all day,"

"M-Miguel," You glanced away, feeling flustered, "D-Do you want to try my cookies?"

"Of course, but I'll be enjoying my cookies later," He whispered, groping your breasts.

"Miguel~"

Miguel chuckled lowly, capturing your lips in a kiss before willingly tried the cookie. He scrunched his face up, still not liking sweets, but told you that they were amazing.

You chuckled towards him, letting him know that you'll make some dinner. Miguel wanted to complain, saying something about feasting on you, but you managed to convince him to shower. You couldn't help but smile, happy that you found someone who loved you just the way you are.

"Oh, (Y/N), I've been meaning to ask," Miguel started as he came out of the shower, "Did you give Spider Chef a recipe for a Spiderman burger that looks like me?"

"..."

Miguel sighed heavily, "It's a best seller." He muttered,

"Yai~ I knew it~" You cheered happily.

Miguel resisted a chuckle as he watched you do your cute little cheer. You were defiantly going to make it up later. Miguel did think it was time for you to have little helpers after all.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hehe, hope you enjoyed~

Part 2 (smut)

#miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara x reader #spiderman 2099 #miguel spiderverse #miguel o’hara x reader #miguel spiderman #atsv miguel #across the spiderverse

[astro-pioneer]

hello!! can i pls request the sumeru men with a reader who's a confectioner? and like, they can make from cookies to cute bento cakes to super elaborate, detailed, huge cakes.

affectionate confectioner!

he thinks your job makes you even sweeter. 『wanderer, tighnari, cyno, kaveh, al-haitham』

wanderer!

get him out of the kitchen please i beg

he loves you, sure, but he loves inconveniencing you even more

scale? gone. any measuring tool? gone too

since he doesn't enjoy sweets all that much he won't show much interest in consuming most of what you make

seeing you design the cakes, though? amazed

if you somehow annoyed him that day and you're making something small (like cookies) he'd definitely try to mess up a batch just because

if it stressed you out or something he'd lowkey feel bad and "begrudgingly" help out

if you ever make him something that's not as sweet (or a dessert that's meant to be bitter) as your usuals he'd nag you for ages to make it for him

aka he does it whenever he's in your kitchen

can't complete any customer's orders with him around smh

tighnari!

your bento cakes are his favourites but he advertises everything you sell to anyone who shows interest

you gave him one that had cute mushrooms and aranara

wouldn't shut up about it and sometimes orders it whenever he stops by

most of the time he picks something up for collei because sweet girl deserves it

sometimes cyno too but most of the time he allows him to get it himself because he's tired of the jokes

but! whenever he does get something for himself he makes sure to brag to his rangers but in a passive way

he doesn't seem like the biggest sweets guy so other than the bento cake he'd most likely buy cookies once in a while

the last time he bought something for cyno was for his birthday

never again would he do that

collei and him wanted to leave the small hangout they planned because he wouldn't shut up

cyno!

he's your self-appointed taste tester and no you can't stop him

due to his position he sadly can't visit your shop as much as he wants but he makes sure to be there when you're trying something new

when you experimented with jam sandwich cookies he barged into tighnari's room with a container of them

and proceeded to say a horrible joke. and explained it. like always

"what did the blueberry say to the strawberry? 'i can't believe you got us into this jam!' this relates to these because-"

he repeated it at dinner (which included himself, tighnari, collei, and you) before doing three others about the same cookie

tighnari was debating on just foraging for dinner at this point but he knew he wouldn't be safe from the jokes

kaveh!

he still remembers the feeling of the general hunting him down to show him the combination you were nervous about and the jokes he had prepared

but due to his somewhat constant visits some of his coworkers started to check out your shop

he unknowingly became your walking advertisement as well. oh well

dude is all for your extravagant cakes

he breathes architecture and design so seeing the sketches for the client's cake got him like ⚆⚆ ⚆⚆ ⚆⚆

usually he doesn't get involved in your business because that's not his forte but just seeing the plans for an upcoming event had him begging for permission to help

but like how could you say no? one) he's one if not the best structural designer in sumeru and two) he's cute and you love him

turns out the cake was for the celebration of al-haitham's promotion to acting grand sage

biggest disappointment in his life but he got to spend time with you so who cares

but in terms of consumption he chooses more towards your fruit-orientated pastries

like you made this fruit tart special with fresh fruit on top and he bought basically all of them

the same thing happened with a pie you made

it got to the point where you had to decline him from buying any more for the day

al-haitham!

he takes high interest in any scones and simple cookies you make

also anything he can enjoy in the morning with his coffee

enjoys snacking on any extras you bring home for him while reading throughout the day

he doesn't mind the other things you make but he finds them more of a hassle to eat while passing the time so he usually avoids them

whenever he's craving something a little extra he might get a cupcake or bento cake and enjoy it in your shop

also gets a slice whenever he's looking over submitted applications for archived files

he either lures in or away business - it's a struggle for you

there's sometimes some akademiya nerds who wanna be closer figuratively to the scribe and buy a lot before scurrying away when he glances up

then there are people (kaveh) who see him in the corner and immediately leave

he got so annoyed with people (again, kaveh) continuously entering and leaving where it got to the point where he asked to move in the back

#✎ expedition #✩ neptune #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #wanderer x reader #scaramouche x reader #tighnari x reader #cyno x reader #kaveh x reader #al haitham x reader #alhaitham x reader

[hp-hcs]

Omg are you a SAINT??? I’m the one who requested the Theo x ftm Parkinson Reader and it was incredible!!! I love Yanderes ngl because I have….issues…..anyways please bring me a part 2 （╹◡╹）

uh. super dark themes in here? i’m really sorry?

requests open

CLAIRVOYANCE AND TASSEOGRAPHY (Chapter Two of Pansy’s Brother) — yandere! psycho! theodore nott x ftm! sweetheart! parkinson! reader

WARNINGS: abduction/kidnapping, stalking, possessive/obsessive behavior, intense unwarranted jealousy

hey! if you like someone, please don’t stalk and kidnap them! that’s decidedly uncool!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“You going back to your dorm?”

“Nah,” you shake your head. “I need to finish my homework for Trelawney. Going to the library.”

Enzo snickers. “Good luck. ~Clear your mind~,” his voice took on a sing-song quality as he imitated your professor, laughing when you smacked his arm and told him to be nice.

“I like Divination,” you whine. “Trelawney’s nice!”

“Yeah, sure…” he teases, knocking his shoulder against yours. You roll your eyes and wave goodbye to him, heading to the library while he turns to go back down to the dungeons.

The hallways are mostly empty, although a few straggling kids make their way through the castle, but a multitude of others must’ve had the same idea as you, because the library is completely full.

You weave your way between a pack of first year Hufflepuffs and a group of zonked-out Gryffindors, dropping your bag down onto the only free table to claim your spot.

Madam Pince, always one beat ahead of everyone else, emerges from the maze of bookshelves, holding a simple wood box out for you.

“Y/N, dear. I believe you’re in need of this?” She said wisely with a small smile on her otherwise stern face.

Madam Pince had always quite liked you. You were quiet (unlike your sister and her friends), you always thanked her whenever she helped you (even if it was just bringing you another cup of tea and an interesting book on the Muggle constitutional monarchy), and you once marched down to the library just to give her an entire plate of cookies because I made too many, really Madam, and besides, you deserve a bit of thanks for all the hard work you do.

(She’d later asked the house elves. They informed her that you’d only baked one batch of cookies. She’s had a soft spot for you ever since.)

You thanked her gratefully, taking the wood box and opening it. Inside was one of the library’s loaner crystal balls. A bit scuffed up, but it did the job.

Sitting down at your table, you got to work writing your Divination essay. You weren’t particularly adept at clairvoyance, but as long as you tried (or at least pretended to), Trelawney would leave you alone.

The library grew quiet as groups began intermittently leaving, rubbing tired eyes and yawning as they stumbled their way down the hall. Madam Pince came by with two mugs of tea and and an order to take a break, dear, have a cuppa with me.

You laid down your quill, taking your offered mug with grateful thanks and a tired smile. She pulled a chair up next to you, sipping her own mug.

“I’ve closed the library up for tonight, but you’re welcome to stay for as long as you need. I know, I know. As an educator, I’m not supposed to have favorites but…” she gave you a conspiratorial wink. “Anyway, the only people left in here are Miss Granger, you, and I. Lovely girl, that Granger. But remember, you need to sleep at some point, dear.”

You laughed and nodded, draining the rest of your tea and swirling the leaves around. “I know. I just need to finish this essay.”

Madam Pince gave you a pointed look, glancing down at the three sentences you had written on your otherwise blank twelve inches of parchment and then back up at you.

“Divination is a difficult subject,” she advised. “Take notes, and write your essay later. Although you seem to be doing quite well with tasseography.” She nodded towards your empty mug which you were still swirling around, just as something to do with your hands.

You laugh, finally stopping the cup and peering in. “Oh no, I’m terrible at reading tea leaves. This looks like a… an axe, I think? And… ooh, this looks like a shark. Or maybe a goldfish.”

She snickered, patting your shoulder and standing up, smiling at you before returning to her seemingly endless task of reshelving books.

You spun the cup around once more, finding only a wonky heart and a vaguely knife-shaped bit. The rim of your tea mug held only a weird looking dog.

You brushed off the silly reading and resumed your homework, tapping the crystal ball with your fingernail in frustration.

There wasn’t anything in there.

You sighed in annoyance, setting down your quill with a clack and rubbing the heel of your hands over your eyes. It was starting to get late, and you weren’t getting anywhere. Might as well call it a bust and go back to your dorm.

You huffed out a short breath as you screwed on the lid of your inkwell, stuffing your quill and parchment in your bag with little care.

Turning back to put the crystal ball back in its box, you froze when you saw something.

You narrowed your eyes, leaning closer to get a better look.

Nope.

Nothing.

You sighed again, shaking your head. You could’ve sworn you’d seen something move. But alas, it was still just the same stupid upside-down reflection of the bookshelves in front of you.

You picked up the ball, nestling the stand back inside the satin interior of the box. As you moved the set the sphere down as well, you saw it again.

Movement.

Now you knew you weren’t crazy.

It was a little hard to tell, as whatever was on the other side of the ball would reflect back inverted, but you swore it looked like a person.

You squinted, shifting a bit. The indistinct figure vanished.

You looked up from the ball tentatively, a bit afraid of what might be ahead of you.

Nothing.

“Hermione?” You called softly. Your voice carried in the empty library.

“Upstairs!” Hermione’s distinct voice called back. You glanced up at the small second floor loft, catching a glimpse of bushy hair.

A hand suddenly came down on your shoulder with a vice-like grip.

You startled, a yelp halfway on your lips when another hand covered your mouth. The mystery person leaned down behind you to whisper in your ear.

“Easy. You’re okay.”

You were frozen with fear, the ball slipping out of your hands and falling onto the (thankfully) carpeted floor, where it rolled to a stop some feet away.

“Not a word.” The stranger’s voice hissed, their grip tightening over your mouth, their short nails digging into your skin.

They yanked you out of your chair from behind, leaving all of your things scattered across your desk. The stranger moved their hand from your shoulder to your opposite elbow, their arm across your torso and keeping you from moving as they dragged you down the row. They made a beeline for the library doors, your weak attempts to fight them off not hindering them in the slightest.

As the stranger fumbled to open the door with both of their hands occupied, a familiar voice called out.

“Are you finally leaving, Y/N, dear?” Madam Pince’s called from just around the corner, half-hidden behind a bookshelf.

The stranger’s grip on you tightened even further, to an almost painful degree.

“Answer her.” They hissed again, digging their nails into your cheeks again before slowly moving their hand down to uncover your mouth.

You trembled with fear. “U-uh, yeah. Got some wonderfully mediocre notes down, and I’m exhausted.”

Her laugh drifted through the library. “Alright then, Y/N. Oh! And if Professor Trelawney actually does assign any tasseography homework, you know where to find me.”

“Yeah, of course. We can share a cuppa chamomile together.”

“Sounds lovely, dear. Sleep well.”

The rather sweet moment was ruined as the stranger’s hand returned over your mouth and you were bodily dragged out of the library.

~~~

Irma Pince was many things, but she was not stupid.

Once hated by the students of Hogwarts, now one of the most beloved staff members, she was an integral part of the school. Since allowing for more freedom in the library—which now drew more regulars and first years who were no longer afraid of her—plus with the addition of befriending some of the more polite students, she no longer was the sour, unpleasant woman she’d once been.

She was knowledgeable in virtually every subject—she knew who needed to return what books by when, who the Muggle prime minister in 1857 was, what dittany is, and how fireworks worked, they’re really quite simple, Mr. and Mr. Weasley. Point being, she knew just about everything about anything.

She also knew for a fact that Y/N Parkinson hated chamomile tea.

#harry potter #fuck jkr #hp #hp x male reader #x male reader #x reader #theodore nott #theodore nott x reader #theo nott x reader #yandere theodore nott #theo nott #trans reader

[hivefleet-hellbender]

Out in the desert, no one can find you... (Hex Tiles 1)

A sharp wind whistles through the desert dunes, bringing no reprieve to the travelers following the thin paths left out in the sand. Don't drink from the river — the plants that grow along its shores contain toxins that could leave a grown man coughing up blood, and chemical spills float through the current. A faraway road carries the rare drone-tank, long abandoned from any sort of human use.

My newest hobby, to distract myself on months when the purse is a bit too tight to be buying plastic crack from Games Workshop, is to build modular hex tiles! It's super easy — I pick up a hundred of these wooden MDF tiles from Amazon for $10 (they're advertised as 2", but they're 1.75" from tip to tip, and each side is 1"), grab any spare craft supplies I have lying around, and get to work! They're super quick (this first batch of one hundred took me around a week) and they open the door to a lot of cool experimentation. A lot of this is inspired by the work of u/Marcus_Machiavelli over on Reddit, who makes these fantastic modular hive city components that I hope to someday be able to emulate. 

I'm making these for two purposes, neither of which I've put in practice yet but I'm hoping to get to do at some point. They're for:

Any mass-battle games played at 6mm. This could also work for Adeptus Titanicus or the upcoming Epic reboot that Games Workshop is working on. 

Tactical TTRPGs like Lancer that are played with large beings, who can operate on a 6mm scale.

Once I get some games in with them, I'm sure I'll encounter future problems and reassess how I approach them. But for now, this is what I've got!

I Hate Sand

The first set of tiles I made, to serve as the backdrop for the rest of them, are these sand tiles. I chose to make this a desert (and thus make a bunch of sand tiles) because I already had some sand lying around, and because it's really cheap and easy to work with. Be careful though! Anakin was right; sand sucks. Try and pick up a finer grain than what I went with, apply the sand in a more-controlled location than I did, and secure it better than I did too. But here's how I did them:

Coat the surface of the hex with a mix of PVA glue and water.

Sprinkle on a light dusting of gravel or small rocks.

Apply a thick coat of sand on top of the gravel.

Knock off excess sand and recycle it for next time.

Spray with 1-2 layers of varnish. (I would recommend a sealant instead, but I didn't have any at the time)

For the ones with little paths on them, I painted the path on with White before applying the gravel or sand, and it shows through well enough! The paths are unnecessary — they're a fun experiment, but I don't think I'll be making more of them in the future.

The Gurgling Creek

Making the river tiles was a bit more involved, but still pretty easy. The method I came up with I think looks a lot better than just painting on water, and is a lot easier to work with than resin or water effects. 

Use some kind of texture gel to build up the riverbanks, trying to have them end around 1/4" on the sides of the tiles where you want your river to connect.

Paint a strip Black where you want the river to flow, running from one edge to another.

Apply sand as before, everywhere except where you painted the black. (If you're worried about fucking this up, you can swap the order)

Varnish (or use sealant) as before. 

Take some gloss mod podge and mix it with a light blue paint, and apply in large goopy quantities everywhere you want water to be. Leave overnight to dry. (If you want the river to be less cloudy, apply many thin coats of mod podge instead, letting each layer dry before applying the next)

As an extra, stipple green along the edges of the water and use a dark green wash to create patches of vegetation.

The river pieces are my favorites, and I'm the most proud of them. The tiny bridge was a thin strip of balsa wood, painted white and then washed black. It turned out fine.

I did a solid mix of straight river pieces and curving river pieces. If I was going to do it again I'd make more curving pieces than straight river pieces, because the curving ones make more sense for how rivers work.

The Road To Nowhere

These road tiles turned out really well, perfect for a run-down highway in the middle of nowhere. Here's how I made them:

Take a piece of corkboard and cut it down to be 1.75" long and 1" wide.

Glue it on a hex with the two edges of the corkboard touching two sides of the hex.

Go at the edges with a knife, making it all worn down and busted up.

In some of these spots, I fucked up and glued the corkboard on wrong. To fix that, break off a chunk and reposition it so it'll connect correctly. This will look like a big fat crack in the middle of the road, which is perfect.

Coat in a layer of mod podge or PVA glue. Leave to dry.

Once dry, paint the cork entirely Gray.

Drybrush White onto the corkboard, focusing on the edges and exposed spots.

Paint two thin yellow lines along the middle of the road. (These are optional, but they do a lot to make the 6mm scale convincing)

Apply sand, as before, onto the ground and up the sides of the road, so it looks like the road is emerging from the sand. Maybe apply some sand in a couple spots in the cracks to make it look like the sand has gotten in there.

Varnish and/or sealant, as before.

Apply a Black wash to the road. (There's a lot of tricks here! If you want the yellow stripes to be more vibrant, you can only paint them on after the first black wash. You can also target spots of sand on the road to make it look like it's asphalt runoff, soaking black into the cracks.)

Apply a second Black wash to the road. 

The bridge was a bit more complicated, and took some finicky positioning and a trip to Kung-Fu Tea.

Take a boba tea straw and cut it into 1" segments, then cut them in half, gluing them to the middle of the hex as culverts.

Take corkboard and glue it over the culverts, bending it so it meets the two edges you want the bridge to run along. If it breaks, that's okay — this is a crumbling, middle-of-nowhere bridge.

Use texture gel and spare corkboard to fill in the gaps.

Use texture gel to define the steep edges of the river. Apply a little bit in between the culverts.

Do all the road steps to the road part of the bridge, and all the river steps to the river part of the bridge.

I'm exceedingly proud of the bridge hex. It turned out perfectly, and feels very emblematic of what I want this project to be like.

Why You, Too, Should Make 6mm Terrain

6mm terrain is amazing to make. Mistakes look like part of the landscape or the brain smudges them over due to the small size, and small changes look like fascinating little details. It really opens the imaginative space and I absolutely adore working at this scale. Plus I'm developing a ton of experience with various materials I've never worked with before, so I get to enjoy the triumph of carving foam or corkboard. It rules! I might even try to make a 28mm bridge after the success I had making a 6mm one.

My future plans for this project include cliffs, craters, 3D-printed shantytowns, and overpasses. But all that is for a later date — for now I'm gonna rest on my laurels, and spend the rest of the evening reconfiguring various tile combinations and cackling like a mad scientist.

#6mm #epic 40k #terrain #warhammer 40k #terrain building

[trickphotography2]

D-Day by TrickPhotography | Chapter 1

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x female!reader

Word count: 3k

Synopsis: After finding out his girlfriend is pregnant, Jake is ready to move in and get married. The last thing he expected was to be hit with a six-month deployment at sea and missing the birth of his first child.

Master List | Ao3

---------------------------------------

Chapter 1

The heat of the flight line radiated up through your flats as you raised your hand to shield your eyes, tracking the contrails of the incoming jets - the newest batch of F-35 Lightnings. The DoD had recently increased the number of planes they had ordered from your company, and as one of the contract writers based on the West Coast, you had the pleasure of being on the flight line when they were delivered. After inspecting the merchandise, the Navy pilots jumped into the cockpits to take their new jets for a joy ride. You smiled, watching one tip the wings before climbing steeply. To this day, feeling the roar of an engine in your chest and seeing the beauty of the afterburner made you think of your dad. Snapping a quick picture to send him later, you turned to join your coworkers in the shady hangar. 

The small crowd had grown, circling and ducking under the planes to get a closer look. When you lifted your phone again to take a picture of the tail code, you heard someone behind you. “Want me to get one with you in it?” 

“I’m good, thanks,” you said before turning to face him. His green eyes snapped up to your face - he’d clearly been checking you out. Forcing yourself to take a deep breath, you plastered on your customer service expression. “Are you one of the Lightning crew?” 

“No, just coming to check out the new toys. I fly a Super Hornet.” 

“Nice,” you replied, eyes drifting down to read his name badge - Seresin. When you met his gaze again, he smirked, crossing his arms over his chest and drawing attention to his biceps - you’d seen that move used too many times - and nodded to the plane.  

“You one of the engineers?”

“No,” you replied, feeling a slight twinge of regret. “Just a paper pusher.” 

“That right?” 

“Yup.” 

“Any idea what the top speed for one of those is?” he asked, tipping his chin towards the F-35. 

“A little less than the Super Hornet - Mach 1.6 with a full weapons load. Better stealth capabilities, though.”

“More expensive, from what I’ve heard.”

“Well, upgrading old tech comes with a price tag. And they’ll be less expensive to maintain than the F-18.”

“The Super Hornet isn’t old tech,” he replied, the corner of his mouth tipping down. 

“Of course not. For a fourth-gen fighter, it’s holding up well, but times are changing and so is air warfare. For example, the F-18 would have difficulty doing an ISR mission whereas our F-35 would be well up to mission parameters.” 

“If they’re sending in the F-18, the time for intel and surveillance is over and it’s time to get down to business.” 

“Of course…for air-to-air combat. Or the F-35 can continue the mission with its wide weapons array and ability to do air-to-air and air-to-ground combat.” 

“Not certified for a nuke, though.”

“Not yet, but we’re working on that certification,” you shot back. “The ability to take off and land vertically is a nice trade-off, though. How long of a runway does the F-18 need again?”

“Less than a thousand on a carrier.” Behind you, you heard someone call ‘Hangman!’ and Seresin lifted his head in acknowledgment. 

“Exactly.” 

“You sure you’re not an engineer?” 

“Just a good saleswoman. Give it a few years, and you’ll also be in one of our jets. You’ll have to tell me how it compares to the Super Hornet.” Glancing at his collar and clocking the double bars, you smiled and tilted your head. “It was lovely chatting with you, Lieutenant Seresin. I’ll let you get to your friends now.” With that, you turned and walked to join your colleagues. 

“Nice chatting with you, Ma’am,” he called out. You felt his eyes on your back but, as a woman in the male-dominated defense contracting industry, it wasn’t uncommon. This was exactly why you dressed in slacks and loose blouses more often than not - no need to draw more attention than necessary. That hadn’t stopped you from updating your resume more than once after a rough day at work, ignoring one too many comments from old men who thought you were a secretary instead of someone in charge of multimillion-dollar negotiations. At least the pilot had called you an engineer. 

“Happy hour?” your boss asked, throwing an unwelcome arm over your shoulder and pulling you into his side. You pasted on an uncomfortable smile and nodded, wanting nothing more than to go home and open a bottle of wine on your own.

Growing up, you’d never imagined being a defense contractor. While other little girls dreamed of being a teacher or president, you dreamed of being in the Air Force. Your dad had been a jet engine mechanic for the Air Force and loved nothing more than bringing you to the test cells to see what the squadron was working on. When your family moved to Japan, he would sit on the back patio overlooking the flight line at sunset, pointing out each plane landing to you. He quizzed you on the tail codes until you could identify where most planes were based. Back stateside, you went to every airshow nearby, watching the beauty of physics and engineering lifting the plane from the ground, the acrobatic twists of the jets, and the majestic thrumming of the C-130’s turboprops. Once you got your license, there was no greater thrill than driving your dad’s Mustang with the top down on the base and seeing the jets descending on the flight line next to you. 

For a long time, everyone in your family thought you would follow in his footsteps. You’d taken the ASVAB and SAT’s to keep your options open. When you qualified to go into mechanics, recruiters from every branch called and pressed you to come to sign papers to enlist. You kept pushing them off, wanting to keep your options open as long as possible as you waited for the responses from your college applications. And besides, it was blue or bust - there was no way you would go into any branch other than the Air Force. In the meantime, Dad worked with you to prepare for basic training. Running, push-ups, and pull-ups became your after-school workout. He took you on base to talk to some of the women in his squadron. They were frank with you about the benefits and downsides of the military - the pay was okay and the travel was great, but you had to put up with a lot of shit. Being away from family was hard, and there was no control over where you moved. Too many of them had stories about sexual harassment. But if you were going to join a branch, the Air Force was the way to go. 

After that talk, you went to lunch with your dad. He wanted you to know what you would be getting into if you joined. While he loved his time in the service and what it had given your family, it would be different for you. You would face things he couldn’t imagine being a woman in the military. He assured you that he didn’t want you to decide based on his feelings but only what you wanted. 

You enrolled in college two hours from home that fall and decided to pursue engineering. If you weren’t in the Air Force, you could at least be near planes. Sure, the math was hard, but it wasn’t impossible. There were lots of nights spent huddled in the library, working through your physics and thermodynamics homework instead of hitting up the bars with your roommates. The hardest part of school was dealing with your classmates. Most of the time, you were the only woman in the class. Sexist jokes came from classmates and professors. 

“If you’re just trying to get an MRS degree, I’d be happy to make that sacrifice for you,” one guy said, winking over the top of his laptop. 

You made sure to study extra hard for the next test and smirked in his direction when you set the exam curve.  

College wasn’t all work, though. You found time to date, trying to avoid STEM boys in favor of social sciences and humanities (finance and business guys were too arrogent). You lost your virginity after a night at the club where your boyfriend used his fake ID to get banded, chasing shots with horrible gin and tonic. It was okay - the touch was nice but you hadn’t gotten off. When recapping with your friends the next morning, they assured you that sex got better. It didn’t with that particular guy and you broke it off before the end of the semester. 

After twenty-six years in the military, your dad announced his retirement. You traveled home for the ceremony, crying with your mom when he thanked you both for going on the adventure of a lifetime with him.

Less than a year later, he was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Angry that something like this could happen to him, you dove into researching what could have caused it. And, buried in a journal online, you found a study linking jet fuel to colon cancer. 

Your parents were confused when you changed your major. Your advisor tried to talk you out of it - your grades were decent, and you were halfway through the program. Desperate to graduate on time and avoid STEM, you switch to English and turned your analytical brain to rhetoric and editing. 

Dad breezed through chemo, walking miles around the hospital during his sessions. You picked up an extra shift at the grocery store when he asked you to see an airshow with him. When you came home for Thanksgiving, he tossed you the keys to the Mustang and said it was time for a cruise on the beach. You put the top down while your dad collected the list of things to pick up from the base commissary on the way home. 

The breeze off the Gulf was cold but you didn’t care - Dad cranked the heater and music, grinning at you as you easily navigated the slower traffic. When you first got your license, he’d nicknamed you his fighter pilot with how you forced your way into spots between vehicles. You were never sure if it was a compliment or not. But today… today he was happy, and you could ignore the chemo port on his chest that tented his shirt and try to forget why he was bald.

You switched in a parking lot, and he drove you onto the base. But rather than go straight to the commissary, he followed the road to his old squad headquarters. When you asked what you were doing there, he shrugged while putting the top up, said he needed to drop something off and motioned for you to come inside. You refused. But when he was inside for over half an hour, and the car started to swelter, you got out and followed him. When you tentatively knocked on the door he’d gone through, it swung open and an airman smiled before handing you a pair of ear protectors and motioning you in.

Dad stood at the observation deck, watching the engine cycle through the start-up and cool down, the glow of the afterburn reflecting in his eyes. You could smell the jet fuel and felt bile rise in your throat. When the engine stopped screaming, you grabbed your dad’s hand and asked to leave. After waving goodbye to his friends, he led you outside. Rather than going to the car, however, he pulled you into the hanger. Grinning, he walked towards the F-35 and raised his hand to run it along the wing.

“I miss this,” he said, turning back to smile at you. “Where’s this one from?” 

“Cannon, New Mexico,” you replied after glancing at the tail code, the fuel smell choking you. “Can we get out of here?” 

“Come on, kiddo, let your old man have a moment to relive his glory days.”

“Your glory days are what’s trying to kill you,” you snapped without thinking. Dad’s arm dropped, and he turned to face you, raising an eyebrow. His calm expression was so frustrating that you couldn’t hold it in any longer - it didn’t matter that two men were sitting on top of the plane next to you. “This is what’s trying to kill you, Dad! The fucking jet fuel you breathed in every day had carcinogens, and you want to stay here longer to breathe more of it in?” 

A few tears escaped your tight control as you turned on your heel and stormed out of the hanger. Your nails dug into your palms as you collapsed back into the car passenger seat. It was a few minutes later that he joined you. Rather than turning the ignition, he stared out the windshield. “Is this why you dropped out of engineering?” You stayed silent. “Honey, talk to me. Your mom and I are worried.” Slowly, you nodded, feeling his eyes on you. When he reached for your hand, you let him take it. “Look at me, please. I need you to hear me when I say this to you, young lady.”

“What?”

“We’re never gonna know what caused this cancer, okay? Yeah, it might have been the fuel or a million other things. But you don’t get to give up your dream because of this, alright? You don’t get to give up something you love because of something that happened to me.” 

“It’s not just happening to you, Dad,” you whispered. 

“I know, sweetheart. But I’m okay, and I want you to be, too. And if that means you never get near another plane again, I’ll be sad to lose my co-pilot, but I’ll support you. I won’t ask you to do anything you don’t want to, but don’t lose your passion because of me.” 

True to his word, Dad hadn’t asked you to attend any airshows with him but would mention them in passing when you called to check-in. When he got his clean bill of health, they threw a party and some of his airmen dropped by the house to celebrate, bringing him a model of the F-15s he’d worked on as a gift. He returned to work as a defense contractor and was back on the flight line doing quality assurance checks after repairs were finished. And he stayed in remission. With each clean bill of health his oncologist gave him, the more you found yourself looking at his memorabilia around the house - pictures of the planes he’d worked on, model airplanes, and squadron plaques. It was too late to return to engineering, but you found yourself wandering to the university career center to see their suggestions to combine your love of aircraft with writing. They helped you draft your resume, and when you graduated with your degree in english with a minor in engineering, you’d secured a job with one of the largest defense contracting companies in the US in their contract writing division. 

“To another successful delivery!” Dutifully, you and your coworkers raised your glasses to toast the latest success. While they tossed back their drinks to make the most of the happy hour special, you nursed your beer while picking at the pretzel bites you’d ordered. They’d chosen a bar not far from the base, but on the opposite side of town from your apartment. Your eyes drifted across the other patrons, not really taking anyone. 

When your beer was almost gone, you excused yourself and walked to the restroom to wash the pretzel salt and oil from your hands, ready to escape for the evening. But when you walked back into the bar, one of the servers stopped you. “A guy over there wanted me to give this to you,” she said, handing you a fresh beer. Glancing at it, you frowned, wondering if one of your coworkers was playing a joke on you. 

“Who?” you asked. Turning, she pointed to a man in khaki leaning against the bar and talking to someone. As if feeling your gaze, he turned and smirked, lifting his drink and nodding. 

Seresin. 

Taking a deep breath and steeling your shoulders, you thanked her and took the beer. Glancing at your coworkers to ensure they weren’t watching, you walked toward the bar, feeling his eyes on you the whole time. You would return the beer, thank him, and then head home to relax. As you neared, he pushed off the bar with a smile and wink before retreating towards the dartboard where a group of Navy guys were congregated. Debating the merits of confronting him in front of a group or sucking it up, you swallowed your pride. You took a sip of the beer, and resigned yourself to at least another half an hour there, listening to some truly atrocious stories about dating and time in the military from your coworkers. 

When the second beer was finished, you quickly said goodnight to your coworkers and went to the bar to close out your tab. “Looks like it’s already covered,” the bartender said when you flagged him down.

“What do you mean? I didn’t leave my card with you.”

“Looks like someone picked it up and left this,” he shrugged, passing you a napkin. Nothing sexier than a woman who knows her way around a jet. Dinner? You looked at the phone number and took a deep breath. 

“I’d like to close out that gentleman’s tab,” you said, handing over your credit card. While he rang you out, you grabbed one of your business cards from your wallet, crossed out your office phone number, and underscored your job title. On the back you wrote 1) Thank you 2) Not a tag chaser 3) I don’t date boys in bags 4) CONFLICT OF INTEREST

When he handed you the receipt to sign, you asked him to give the card to Seresin. Then, leaving the napkin on the bar, you turned and saw him frowning in your direction. Smiling, you waved before making your way outside. 

Your pajamas were calling.

-----------------------------------------

Author's note: The connection between jet fuel and cancer is my dad's story. He's thankfully fine. Tag chasers are people who actively try to date military members (usually for the benefits), and boys in bags is a reference to men in flight suits.

Read Chapter 2

#hangman seresin x reader #jake seresin x reader #top gun fic #top gun maverick

[morethansky]

***TBB SPOILERS**

Realized I never wrote up my thoughts on "Into the Breach," which was the first episode I've liked since "Extraction"!!! Probably because all I could think about was Echo for 72 hours afterward.

This episode gave me such Rebels vibes, and that's truly the highest compliment I could pay any Star Wars media. I present my case:

There's an objective laid out from the start that is a small but crucial piece of the larger plot. The beginning of the episode presents this problem, and by the end of the episode, that specific problem solved.

Everyone is competent, and every character gets to do something vital to the mission. Whether it's a small thing doesn't matter; it's the fact that if that character wasn't there to do that small thing, the mission might be screwed that matters.

The action is meaningful—it conveys something about the characters while also driving the plot forward—and there's suspense that ratchets up the tension. And then to diffuse it, there's humor, and each joke is funny, but it's not overdone.

Infiltration episodes are such a Star Wars staple, and it's a real shame that TBB hasn't had more of them. They tried to make up for it by putting THREE infiltrations into this episode lmao. The fact that they show one long-term infiltration, one short-term infiltration, and one super short-term infiltration is very clever and makes the writing feel cohesive and dynamic, something this show hasn't always been able to achieve.

Also important, they do both a space/flight mission and a ground mission (two of each, technically), which is something that always helps make an episode feel like it's set in the GFFA and not just, you know *cough* Space!Louisiana. Or Tatooine scene #700.

There's also some nice storytelling going on with the environment—they go from being outside on the cloud city (free) to inside a space station (trapped with enemies), and for Omega, inside a cell (in which she actually enters another cell, visually—her bunk). The wide outdoor shots make the close, indoor shots feel much more claustrophobic, which is exactly the atmosphere these particular indoor settings should be giving off.

Other thoughts and meta:

Daytime Tantiss is a good sign! Forecast: Not death?

Prison Break Omega is just such a good vibe, and this would just be so fucking cool...except we've literally already seen her escape once this season??? And it was already really well done??? This is like the flip side of my complaint that Omega was too helpless in the first season, and it was annoying how she constantly needed to be rescued. Now she's too competent and is always escaping lol. It just really, really cheapens the dramatic effect either escape could've had.

Needless to say, the Batch's driving purpose once again being that they're struggling to rescue Omega is just. I'm tired. If there are going to be two major captures and two major escapes this season, at least one of them needs to be a narrative flip!!! The Batch rescuing her at the front end of the season and Omega escaping herself at the end, or vice versa, would've made it much less repetitive (and stopped cutting the Batch off at the knees in order to show Omega's competency). Omega even gets captured in the same fucking way—she gives herself up in "Plan 99" and "Point of No Return"! Ughhhhh

Okay I swear I actually like this episode lmao, I just. Editor instincts.

Thinking about how Omega left Lula on Pabu and has essentially left Straw!Lula to Eva, and how it shows that she's shed her need for comfort and is now ready to provide that comfort to other children, which is very lovely. But I'm also worried about Lula and Tech's goggles being on Pabu, because there are only three thematic options here: Everyone returns to them (sanctuary), everyone leaves them behind (leaving the past behind), or Omega returns to leave more items, say a bandana or a Firepuncher (memorial). The link between Lula and the goggles is actually not that natural (unless you're a Techwrecker shipper like me :D), so I've been pondering this choice a lot.

The symbolism of everything inside Tantiss being in the shape of the Empire cog and every character within its walls being a cog of the Empire is so heavy handed...and I am here for every moment of it!!!

Truly did not expect Rampart to stick around for so long. He's going to be a main character in the finale at this point?? I like how he's like a Kallus foil here—despite being scapegoated by the literal emperor he's still loyal to the regime and takes such pride in it. A very Jennifer Corbett & Brad Rau–esque character.

The way that when Echo came down the ramp I literally said, "Oh, thank god."

Hunter and Echo doing the clone hand clasp (and not wrist clasp, you'll note) isn't as emotional given that we already know how strong their bond is at this point, but it's still nice to see this visual callback to the Batch respecting Cody so much despite him being a reg that Hunter would use this hand clasp to greet him. It's a great shorthand (ha) for Hunter's feelings, since he is particularly suspicious of outsiders, and Echo is now fully "one of his."

I really love the mirror of the scene when the Batch is in the cell on Kamino and they escape by breaking into the wall—Omega effectively does the same thing here. These are the satisfying kinds of repetition, rather than entire arcs!

Every time I think about the Tech-is-the-mustachioed-doctor theory I giggle. It would just be. So anticlimactic?? But absolutely hilarious.

The costume change is so unnecessary, buuut I'll be first in line to buy the variant figures! Also it's nice to see some canon clone armor painting after writing and reading so many fics about it!!

I really like Hunter sensing Rampart plotting and how it brings his powers even closer to Jedi precognition.

Not too much Crosshunt in this ep, but I like how in both shuttle scenes, Crosshair stands in a position that blocks Rampart from getting to Hunter in the cockpit (while Wrecker blocks Rampart from getting to the exit).

Not particularly significant, but I like the visual detail of Hunter, Echo, and Crosshair bracketing Rampart in a triangle and it looking like they're his bodyguards but them actually forming that position because he's their prisoner.

The way I screamed when Rampart tries to get Echo to say "sir" and he just says, "I don't think so." Echo did not go through everything he's gone through up to this point to take anyone's shit!!! And the way Rampart just takes it and looks down all ashamed is peak comedy to me. Even he sensed that he was treading on dangerous ground there. (Just for a second think about Fives on Umbara and how he refused to take Krell's shit from the very start...)

The commandos being on this space station (that's orbiting Coruscant??) makes me very sad because it kind of foreshadows a dark ending for the Tantiss arc by showing that the commandos are spread all over the galaxy. So even if they rescue all the commandos from Tantiss, it still wouldn't save all the others. In which case, writing wise, it feels way more unlikely for them to save the commandos on Tantiss at all.

Wrecker tapping his foot while scrolling through the comments on his AO3 account is very cute. Also in the last episode the mining foreman was on his datapad like a phone and I thought it was supposed to convey that he was lazy lol but maybe this sort of thing is just going to show up in SW a lot more now haha

The lieutenant demanding to know where the captain is is kind of silly because wasn't he the one to let him go inside?? Why would he be back at his ship? But I love me the Rebels-esque gag of knocking him out on the ship.

Everyone is screaming about Crosshair having faith in Echo getting them through, but I would also like to contribute the fact that Crosshair says, "You can't go alone." A very poetic line of dialogue because being alone in the Techno Union is what the Batch saved Echo from being, and it's what Crosshair chose to be for two and a half seasons of this show. Not wanting to be alone again was also what made him turn against the Empire! We also see this anxiety in the previous episode, where he (in that very ridiculous reveal) admits he doesn't want to go back to Tantiss (and be alone again).

ECHOOOOOO!!!! About fucking time they gave him another action feature!!! I rewatch that opening sequence in "Tipping Point" constantly. And not only that, it's a very character-driven action feature for once!!! We see him showcase what it means to be an ARC trooper and also what it means that he's "part-droid." A test I like to consider when I gauge the quality of action-ensemble media is, Could any other character have done that? In this case, the text is very loudly telling us absolutely not! Also the way he exudes confidence about it ("But I can") is also just. Super hot, 10/10

Tbh the Echo feature felt so out of place for this show that at this point I was suddenly filled with terror that he was about to die. Thank god he did not, but he's still separated from the others by the end, so it's not out of the question for something terrible to happen in hyperspace, and I do not want it!!! But altogether that was a badass third act and a very good episode!

#the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #the bad batch #star wars #amph talks

[greghatecrimes]

You said you used to be a barista? Any headcanons on how our darlings at PPTH take their hot cocoa?<3

I did used to be a barista indeed!! <3 Oh this is such a good question, I'm much more of a hot cocoa than a coffee person myself so I absolutely love it.

These are based more on vibes than anything else:

House: With a near obscene amount of mini marshmallows sprinkled in, and a very healthy spiral of whipped cream on top of that. Like, tall enough that it looks like it might tip over. Half the time he probably makes it that big just to be obnoxious/see the ducklings' reactions lol

Wilson: Either normal hot chocolate (homemade though, not the powder/instant mix kind. Only ever homemade! Probably chides House whenever he sees him going for the hot cocoa powder and then stops him, takes over, and makes a big batch of luxurious homemade hot chocolate. (little does he know that was house's master plan all along.)), or he goes like... super indulgent and enjoys something like salted caramel hot cocoa every once in a while. If such a recipe exists.

Cuddy: Let's be real, it most likely wouldn't be a hot chocolate, it would be a mocha. That caffeine fuels her through her day. Unless she's at home with Rachel for a snow day or something. Then it's the good ol' swiss miss they keep a box of in the pantry. Rachel likes to put rainbow sprinkles on top with her mini marshmallows, and somehow there's always a little handful of them that end up in Cuddy's mug, too.

Cameron: Peppermint hot chocolate, one thousand percent! I wrote a post about coffee orders a while ago and I mentioned that Cameron totally seems like a peppermint mocha girl to me. The same carries over for hot chocolate, too. She'd be happy drinking peppermint hot chocolate any time of year, no matter the weather! (And I love her for it). I think it would be a total comfort drink for her. Very grounding. <3

Chase: Similar to the coffee orders, I think Cameron introduces him to peppermint hot chocolate, and he ends up really enjoying it. I think he'd also enjoy just plain hot chocolate with a small layer of whipped cream on top. (I'm picturing that it's the kind where the whip is about even with the rim of the glass, so that when you drink the first couple sips, you usually end up getting a whipped cream mustache). ALSO? Bailey's hot chocolate (hot cocoa recipe spiked w/Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur). Great nightcap on a cold winter night.

Foreman: Like I said, a lot of these are based on vibes alone. My man is really giving me "Hot cocoa with Nutella stirred in" vibes rn. Or something else that'll give it a nice, rich hazelnut flavor alongside the chocolate. Anything that adds more depth to the flavor instead of stacking on the sweetness. I can see him liking a dark chocolate hot cocoa with some dark cherry extract added in, too!

Kutner: Hot chocolate infused with orange extract, from a recipe specially made so that it tastes like you're drinking the equivalent of one of those chocolate oranges. Everyone thinks he's nuts until he convinces them to try it, and then they're all absolutely hooked.

Thirteen: I have two thoughts in my mind. One: I think she'd like both white hot chocolate and milk chocolate hot cocoa. Two: She strikes me as the type of person who would get a craving for hot chocolate in the summer, but absolutely NOT want the sensory feel of a hot drink when it's hot out. So she takes hot chocolate powder and mini marshmallows and mixes them into a glass of cold milk. House calls her out on it and is like "you're just drinking glorified chocolate milk at this point." Kutner immediately jumps to her defense and says "it's not chocolate milk, it's cold chocolate." (Then he makes himself a glass of "cold chocolate" and is like "This is actually pretty good!" and then orders an iced mocha with no espresso in it every day for the next week)

Taub: Dark chocolate hot cocoa. Something that's not too, too sweet, but still has a good cocoa flavor. Maybe this part is because I'm POTS-y/probable EDS and need way more salt than average (and thus fucking LOVE salt), but I feel like he'd enjoy sprinkling little sea salt crystals on top. Then it tastes like one of those fancy dark chocolate candy bars you can get at trader joe's.

Bonus Amber, just like in the coffee questions: Homemade chocolate infused with pure raspberry extract. And just a little bit of whipped cream on top (probably also homemade). (I adore her)

This was so much fun to think about! Thank you for the ask, anon! <3

#PPTH starbucks run #ask #anon #greg house #james wilson #lisa cuddy #eric foreman #robert chase #allison cameron #lawrence kutner #remy thirteen hadley #chris taub #amber volakis

[hearts4golbach]

The Night Shift.

Johnnie Guilbert x Fem!Reader.

Chapter 22.

my head pounded as i dug through my bag, praying i had some sort of pain killer in that damn thing. unfortunately, i didn't have shit. i leaned against the counter and texted johnnie.

me: johnniee

me: Are you up?

johnnie: yeah babe what's up

me: Are you coming tonight?

johnnie: Of course

me: Would you mind bringing something for my headache? it's starting out to be a terrible night, lol

johnnie: yeah ill head that way soon :)

me: Thank youuu

i turned off my phone. the bell on the door rang, and i greeted the customer. "Welcome in. what can i get for you?" Hearing the same repetitive phrase angered me tonight, way more than any other night. i cleared my throat in an attempt to calm myself down.

"Can i get a latte, please?" the girl requested.

i hummed. i turned around towards the espresso machine. i packed it and slid the container into the slot. i pressed the on button, expecting it to work, but it didn't. "you've got to be fucking kidding me." i said under my breath, hoping the customer didn't hear. i turned back around. "im so sorry, the espresso machine is broken."

"Oh, no worries!" she gave me an awkward smile before looking up at the menu.  "Can i get a medium vanilla cream hot coffee?"

"yes ma'am, so sorry for the inconvenience." i picked up the coffee pot, which i had made a fresh batch not long before she had come in.

she finally received her drink. she paid and left, leaving me alone in the cafe once more. i poured myself a cup of cold water and chugged it, hoping it'd dull the pain.

i discovered that the espresso machine had just unplugged, but it was still a bitch to plug back in. i opened the cabinet and moved the extra bags of coffee beans. the plugs were in the very back of the cabinets. i was torso deep into the cabinets, trying to fish the cord out from behind the small opening in the back of it whenever johnnie walked out.

i heard a chuckle slip out of his lips. "You okay over there?"

"Yeah, just trying to plug something in." i mutter as i finally reconnect everything.

i stand up and turn to find johnnie holding a small bouquet of about 5 light pink and white tulips. i purse my lips and try to hold back tears.

"Awe, it's okay, y/n." he smiled softly, coming behind the counter to hug me. i held onto him tightly, feeling as if some of my problems had washed away. he rubbed my lower back and pulled a small container of painkillers out of his back pocket. "Here are those, if you wanna take them real quick."

he kept one arm wrapped around my waist as i did. "Thank you so much," i pecked his lips, "im so glad you're here."

he pulled up a chair behind the counter to sit with me, "What's been going on?"

"It's just that nothing seems to be working. It's just been a weird night. i have a massive headache, and my temper is super short tonight. of course, the thing was unplugged, so i had to fix that. but im only an hour into the shift, and i know the rest of the night is going to be shit." i rambled, dreading the following hours.

"Can i help around the store again? maybe that'll take some shit off of your shoulders." he offered. "What all do you have to do tonight?"

"Well, take orders, obviously. i need to sweep and mop out here and go do the last of the day shift dishes, then i need to wipe down all the counters and tables. we need to take down the valentines decorations, too." i listed off all of the main tasks that came to mind.

"Where's the broom?" he asked with zero hesitation.

"Since you really wanna help, the broom is in the closet right over there." i pointed to my right, "but really, you dont have to help."

"i wanna help, love." he replied before taking out the broom and beginning to sweep the floors.

the next hour worth of orders went smoothly. surprisingly, tonight was a busier night than usual. i decided to stop complaining, as i was getting more money, the more people that came in. johnnie then wiped off all the tables and counters, leaving them spotless.

"youre actually the best." i called from across the cafe. he smiled and gave me a thumbs up before returning to the last few tables.

"You ready to take the decorations down?" he asked, wiping his forehead after tossing the dirty rag in the dirty bin.

"Yeah, let's do it." i climbed up on his shoulders, figuring it'd be best to get the hard shit to take down out of the way first.

"There's a party me and jake were invited to this weekend. Do you wanna come with me? i think tara is going, too." johnnies thumb gently rubbed my thigh.

"Uh, obviously," i stuttered. i tossed the small stack of heart cutouts onto the floor before moving on to the next one. "Why wouldn't i want to go?"

he shrugged. "i dunno."

"My parents are coming to town soon. i told my mother about you, and she wants to meet you." i mentioned. i was anxious for his response. "Do you want to?"

"Uh, yeah? of course i fucking do." he giggled.

i sighed, "i just need to warn you, im not sure if she'll like you. she's very judgemental."

"Then I'll earn it. dont worry, y/n."

"You'll earn her liking you?" i raised my eyebrow even though he couldn't see.

"Yeah, I'll find a way." he patted my upper thigh.

after i picked the last heart off of the wall, i got off of his shoulders. he placed a soft kiss on my lips. i replied, "im sure you will."

#fanfiction #fanfic #johnnie guilbert #jake and johnnie #johnnie guilbert x you #johnnie guilbert x reader #jake webber #the night shift #fluff #café #cafe aesthetic #cafe #tara yummy #hearts4golbach

[twinsunstars]

Remember Me - a small Bad Batch fic

Y'all I'm causing pain right before the premiere tomorrow, don't come for me 😭 I also haven't written in a long while, and I wrote this super fast. Just something I thought of based on a post I posted last week while listening to the song of the same name. This fic takes place during Season 2, so hope you like it!

also up on AO3

There were so many stars in space, Omega wished she could count all of them. The view from her makeshift room–normally the gunner’s loft of the ship–was stunning as always. 

Omega sat in the gunner’s seat, holding Lula close and observing the view of space. She remembered the first time she had gotten to see space all those months ago, the way the tiny white stars twinkled in the vast darkness. Her eyes sparkled with wonder, her heart leaping with delight. 

The Batch had just finished up another mission Cid had sent them on, and it was a long way back to Ord Mantell. Omega could hear Wrecker’s snores from her room. He knocked out pretty easily after long tiring missions. Tech and Echo were likely keeping a watch on the ship’s controls, and Hunter was making sure everything was in order before the jump to hyperspace. She could even hear Gonky making some small noises as he listened to her brothers. 

Flashes of blue streaked her room’s window, the ship now entering hyperspace. Omega stepped down from the gunner’s seat, sitting herself down on the makeshift bed Wrecker had made for her. Holding Lula, she laid down on her back, staring at the golden string lights that lit up her room. The lights made her blond hair glow, and Omega felt comfortable in here. Away from a dark room. Away from a dark laboratory. 

“Comfortable in here?”

Omega looked up to see Hunter giving her a soft smile, leaning his arm against the sides of the room. Omega sat up, crossing her legs and setting Lula aside next to her. “Yeah. Getting a little tired though.”

Hunter let out a soft chuckle. “Get some rest. The others will be getting some shut eye too. I’ll be on watch duty this time.”

Omega nodded, her eyes starting to shut. Hunter closed the curtain, the curtain rings making a small creaking sound as they glided. She laid back down, pulling her blanket over her and tucking in Lula, letting sleep capture her for the trip back home. 

______________________________________________________________

Omega’s eyes opened to a foggy view, and she was definitely no longer inside her room, or the ship. She listened for any snores or voices, but couldn’t hear any. 

“Hello?” 

Her tiny voice echoed in the fog. Omega couldn’t see anything either as she tried to navigate herself through the thick fog. “Hunter! Echo! Tech! Anyone?”

A ceiling light lit up in front of Omega, followed by a line of lights that yearned for her to come after. Omega arched her eyebrow, following the lights. She still couldn’t see anything, but the fog was starting to thin out. 

Lights to Omega’s left and right appeared, displaying large tubes. Omega could easily recognize them. They were just like the ones she saw growing up in Nala Se’s lab. Even in the secret rooms Nala Se would take her to when the Kaminoan needed her for specific help. 

Omega’s heart rate began to grow. She always hated the labs, reminding her of how scary her life was since she was born. It was always wires, tubes, and injection needles, never any warm hugs or toys to play with. 

She kept on walking under the lights, beginning to see unknown figures inside the tubes. Omega looked away and held her arms together, refusing to see all of that again. She didn’t want to be here anymore, wherever this place was. 

Up ahead, a light appeared larger than the rest, displaying a control panel in front of her. Omega walked up to the control panel, which looked exactly like one of the panels inside Nala Se’s underwater lab. A small button was glowing in white, flashing every second. Omega couldn’t help but press the button out of curiosity, and she wished she hadn’t. 

The button caused a larger light to switch on, revealing five large tubes in front of her. Each one of them had one of her brothers inside, hooked up with tubes. Even Crosshair was there, asleep inside the tube’s liquid. 

Omega trembled, stepping away from the panel. “No, no…” Her lips trembled, tears coming out of her eyes. 

“I’m sorry, young one.” A strange voice completely unfamiliar to Omega spoke from the darkness. But there was no figure to be seen. 

“But they have to leave you. They can’t be with you anymore.”

“No,” Omega whimpered. She wanted to run towards them, do anything to set them free. Something grabbed ahold of Omega, preventing her from moving. The unknown force pulled her away, and Omega could see wires wrapping around her bare arms. All Omega could do was scream. 

“NO!”

“Kid?”

______________________________________________________________

“Kid!”

Omega woke up with a jolt, her hands shaking. She was back in her warmly lit room. Omega realized it was a nightmare. A really scary one.

Hunter laid his hand gently on Omega’s soft hair, helping her sit up. His enhanced senses had sensed Omega whimpering in her sleep, almost sobbing. “Breathe.”

Omega’s eyes welled up with tears, still in shock from the nightmare. She looked up at Hunter, letting him see her glistening eyes that were full of fear. She pushed herself into Hunter’s arms, sniffling. 

Hunter held her, letting her cry it out. “It’s okay. It was just a bad dream.”

Omega lifted herself off Hunter’s armor, wiping her tears away. “It felt real. All of you were in tubes, and I couldn’t save you.” She broke into more tears. “I was alone.”

Hunter let her continue crying, pulling her into another embrace. He knew what it felt like to have those dreams. Fearing his brothers were ever pulled into those tubes as failed test subjects. Continued experiments until their blood was drained from their bodies. He never wanted them to come true. 

“I don’t want to lose any of you, ever,” Omega mumbled. 

Hunter had made that same promise to her all the time. At her young age, she had a lot of hope. But reality is something she has to learn. 

“Omega,” Hunter began, putting his hands on her shoulders. “It’s alright, we’re here for you now. But you know we can’t always be. We age faster than you, and death is something everyone has to face in this world, not just a soldier. It is hard, but you have to remember all of the memories. When that time comes, will you be brave and remember what we taught you?”

Omega looked down for a few seconds, then back up at Hunter. She was the only one here who aged normally, since they were designed to age faster for the army to grow quickly. She nodded. Omega never wanted them to leave her, but she was slowly understanding the lesson Hunter was trying to teach her. 

“Come here.” Hunter pulled Omega into his lap, handing her Lula. He stroked her hair and began singing the lullaby Cut had taught him. 

Remember me though I have to say goodbye

Remember me, don't let it make you cry

For even if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart

I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart

Omega was lured back into sleep, holding Lula close and embracing the warmth in Hunter’s arms as he sang. Everything was okay within this moment, and she was safe.

______________________________________________________________

Hunter remembered the last night he had sung that lullaby to Omega. She had grown to love that lullaby, wanting Hunter to sing it for her many times before she went to bed. 

The ship was quiet while traveling through hyperspace. The others were in the front of the ship, silent while thinking about the loss they had just faced. Tech was gone, and now Omega was taken. 

Everything that replayed in Hunter’s mind was when he saw that Imperial ship leaving with Omega inside. The tears that welled up in his eyes while seeing his little sister being taken from him. 

He laid back in his chair, remembering the smiles Omega had on her face. 

“Sing me the lullaby again! Please!”

Tears grew in Hunter’s eyes again. He closed them, breathing in as he began to sing again. 

Remember me though I have to travel far

Remember me each time you hear a sad guitar

Know that I'm with you the only way that I can be

Until you're in my arms again

Hunter felt like he could hear a tiny voice singing with his broken vocals. 

Remember me.

#@half-truths-and-hyperbole-louk #bad batch #the bad batch #the bad batch omega #the bad batch hunter #tbb #the bad batch wrecker #the bad batch tech #the bad batch echo #the bad batch crosshair #star wars tbb #bad batch clones #star wars the bad batch #clone force 99 #the bad batch series #star wars #omega the bad batch

[ros3ybabe]

Daily Check-in: October 11th, 2023 🎀

So I was wat more productive then I had thought i would be given the exhaustion I felt from jet lag. I am proud of what I got done! However, I only slept about 2 hours, and it was broken sleep at that so I am not exactly feeling top of my game at the moment. We'll see what my energy allows me to complete today.

🩷 What I Ate, Oct 11th -

Brunch/Lunch - Spaghetti with meat sauce and ground turkey, topped with grated parmesean

Dinner - Turkey & Roast Beef bagel sandwich with avocado, 1 slice muenster cheese, 1 slice cheddar cheese, and a small side of potato chips.

Snack - a half bowl of spaghetti with ground turkey and meat sauce

Extra - 4 cups of coffee, each with one sweet n low and a splash of French vanilla creamer

I actually cooked which is odd for me as I typically don't have energy. My goal for today is to cook a batch of ground beef for taco bowls!

🩷 Personal Achivements, Oct 11th -

Washed bed sheets + pillowcases

Did the dishes

Maintained Duolingo streak (1 lesson)

Maintained Busuu streak (3 lessons)

Video called with my boyfriend twice

Made a shopping list for langaueh tracker/bullet journal (purchased at 1am because Amazon prime big deals were ending and I wanted to save some money)

Made a schedule/routine for working out next week

Cooked myself a real meal

Swept kitchen and disinfected/wiped down counters in kitchen

showered + morning skincare

🩷 Academic Achievements, Oct 11th -

Completed and submitted lifecycle nutrition chart

submitted and passed lab 7 anatomy pre lab

submitted discussion post + replies for nutr discussion 3

I feel quite proud of yesterday! Let's hope today I can tackle some more stuff on my todo list!

🩷 Personal ToDo, Oct 12th -

cook ground beef for taco bowls (leftovers!!)

wash dirty laundry

put away all clean laundry

therapy appointment

video call boyfriend

morning + night skincare

morning + night journal (?)

do 2 duolingo lessons

do 2 busuu lessons

complete/continue genki I lesson one

type up draft for upcoming blog post(s?)

🩷 Academic ToDo, Oct 12th -

Chapter 9 Notes Psyc

Quiz Chapter 9 Psyc

Culinary chapter 10 Quiz

Consumer Debt Inventiry assignment

Using Credit personal finance assignment

I've put a lot on my to-do list for today, but if I can even get a third of each list done, I will still be very proud of myself. Productivity should not come at the cost of my own well-being. Maybe I'll take a nap today? My boyfriend thinks it's a good idea, but I'm not a big fan of naps regardless of the situation. We shall see.

I took complete advantage of the prime big deals on Amazon and ordered some new workout clothes, some hair accessories, a set of silk pillowcases, and supplies for my bullet journal language tracker/planner. I even bought this cute little journal that's made specifically for fitness and health tracking, as a little side thing of mine to help keep me going! It comes with stickers and already set up pages, so hopefully, it proves to be useful!

I may or may not have made an Ulta order for some makeup using my afterpay account as well, because as it gets colder outside I'm starting to want to wear makeup for fun again. I'm not typically drawn to full beat looks but in the winter I love going all out with my makeup looks, whether I'm doing a more grunge goth emo look or a soft coquette girly look and everything in between. I love makeup as a form of self expression!

May or may not buy some more skincare as well, I'm just trying to decrease the amount of stuff in my skincare cart on the shopping app but it's so hard choosing what to get now and what to wait on!! I'm super indecisive too so that intensified the struggle.

Thats all for today! I'll make sure to update you lovelies tonight/tomorrow!

til next time, lovelies 🩷

#pink pilates girl #pink pilates princess #self care #self development #self love #wonyoungism #health & fitness #it girl #mental health #physical health #language learning #japanese langblr #studyblr #langblr #college studyblr #university student #it girl energy #that girl energy #that girl #girl blogger #coquette girl #pink academia #pink aesthetic #pink blog #clean girl #green juice girl #vanilla girl #high value woman #wonyoung aesthetic #health and fitness

[22hemi12]

Another one of my Unedited thoughts, awhile back I was super into anything that has to do with humans having wings, like maximum ride.

So I made a very small and unfinished Winged! Crosshair X Reader. (A male reader was in mind)

Taking one look at Crosshair, I know he's nervous.

"I've never really even looked at them myself" Crosshair and I were in our blacks, outside while the other batch members were in town.

Worry etching my soul at the fact that he has never taken care of his wings.

His wings were still bound flat to his back, I smiled at him. It's so sad how the kaminoans Clipped their wings, even sadder that the Jetti and the galactic wings organisation continue to let them.

Like the clones are lesser than any other winged being.

"would you feel better if you looked at mine first?" Crosshair looked at me confused.

"I've seen your wings before" I smiled at him. Without answering him I opened my wings, wide, watching the amazement on his face.

He reached up almost instinctively to touch them, stopping himself short. He glances at me. I nodded, feeling him softly graze his fingers over my feathers.

His eyes shined in fascination then sadness. "this is what our wings are supposed to look like?"

He glanced at me before turning his back, even with his wings bound they looked so sad. What should be white beautiful pristine wings were patchy and stained with blood.

I dare not think what the other batch wings look like.

Softly unbinding his wings, stopping every once and a while at his hisses of pain.

I sigh, dropping the offending cloth, moving my hands in between his poor wings to softly massage his back muscles.

At my assistance, his wings slowly shuddered to life and unfold, once his wings were fully unfolded I took a true look.

It's worse than I thought, missing chunks of feathers, broken feathers that have stabbed into his poor wing muscles.

It'll take months for his wings to heal and even more to learn how to use them.

Allowing Crosshair to fold them again, turning back around I see evidence of tears. Holding his face and kissing his wet cheeks.

"It's okay, I promise, I'll help" He nodded. Rubbing his forehead against mine. "Come, Tech said there was a lake nearby, let's clean off the blood"

-

Watching the blood swirl around us as I massage his wings, removing broken feathers and applying bacta to wounds that need them.

Now that his wings are cleaner I'm able to see any patterns or markings, seeing black tips on his pure white feathers.

The back of his wings has more black than the front.

His wings would look stunning when they are full of feathers. Sighing I kiss his bare shoulder, feeling him chuckle.

"you'll have to open your wings at least once a day so you get used to it" I see him nod. "Are you okay?"

"yeah, still getting used to someone who isn't my brothers caring" wrapping my arms around his torso.

"well I'm not going anywhere, my ram'ser"

-

It had been a year, and helping the boys with missions made the time go by fast.

We were on a planet, and keeping the wings a secret from the boys was hard, but now, Crosshair is ready to show them.

Hunter stood at the top of the ramp while Echo and Tech sat on the steps. Wrecker was sitting on the grass.

"So what do the two of you want to show us?" Echo asked.

"I knew you two were hiding something, but I didn't want to pry" Hunter had a smug look on his face, like he knew.

"Are you pregnant?" Wrecker asked with an innocent look on his face.

"Neither of them can get pregnant Wrecker" Tech explains making Wrecker groan sadly.

Crosshair groans "this was a bad idea" turning to me, nervousness etching his face.

"You'll be fine, besides when did you boys start listening to orders?" I teased, he smiled a little, taking a breath. He removed his chest piece, getting everyone's attention.

Taking one last look to me he unfurled his wings full of pristine white and black feathers.

#the bad batch #the bad batch hunter #the bad batch tech #the bad batch echo #crosshair the bad batch #the bad batch wrecker #crosshair x reader #crosshair x male reader #winged au

[afriendlywizard]

My review of a warehouse I found on Earth's Moon in the video game Starfield

I work at a cidery in the PNW. We have a pretty hefty canning line that can handle what I like to call a Solid Chunk of Volumetric Output. Our fulfillment and warehouse team touches several hundred pallets a day. We handle ingredients that come in drums, plastic IBC totes, 5 gallon buckets, and raw ingredients off the back of people’s Ford Raptors. We have pipes and valves and connectors. We talk about glycol and peracetic acid a lot. We have standard 4 level pallet racks, as well as push-back pallet racking and back-load pallet racking that maintains a First In First Out order.

I manage our Quality Assurance team, which means I spend most of my team at a desk or in a lab. I have driven our forklifts and our scissor lifts. I’ve blended our ingredients into our batching tanks. I verify our sanitation practices, and I help solve problems as needed. I spend a lot of my day staring at stainless steel pipes and mumbling about dissolved oxygen to myself.

That’s all to say, I’m not an expert. I would call myself a warehouse hobbyist and enthusiast. Not out loud to anyone, but when I play a video game that has a warehouse in it, I like to spend my time looking at how the warehouse is put together.

In addition to this, a note on Forklift Certification: It’s largely made up. There are some machines that require special licenses, and OSHA has classes you can take that probably look good on a resume, but if you look at the language that OSHA uses to define who is allowed to drive a forklift it only has two requirements. “Trained operators must know how to do the job properly and do it safely as demonstrated by workplace evaluation.” It’s up to the employer how that’s interpreted. My employer had me watch a forty five minute video and then someone watched as I drove around for thirty minutes saying “oh fuck oh fuck okay okay okay don’t hit anyone.”

I took my character, Dr. FLIPJUMP DARKSWALLOW, to the moon. I brought my companion Sarah with me, she said she wouldn’t mind a detour so that we could finally live out our shared dream of owning a pair of moon boots, so down we went to explore a seemingly abandoned lunar station. It seemed to be some kind of staging facility for receiving shipments, landing dock, staff kitchen and common area, but as far as I could tell there wasn’t anywhere within a kilometer or two to send the shipments once they arrived. Typical supply chain issues, major distro hub with nothing in site to distro to. But it did have a small on-site warehouse so Sarah and I both agreed to put a pause on our moon boots dream and explore.

This is called an IBC tote. You can fill these up through a big screw-top hole on the top, super easy to use, cheap ($275 new), universal. The most common versions I’ve seen have a galvanized steel cage and a galvanized steel pallet attached to the bottom so it can be universally picked up by a forklift. They typically have a 2” drain valve with a butterfly and a camlock. This is a pretty good example of an IBC tote! You can see how the galvanized steel was welded together at each intersection, bent into place and held there. The butterfly at the bottom has a cap in place, it has a pressure valve that’s clearly labeled. This looks pretty good!

This is a pallet jack. On Earth in the present day, you roll it into the slats on a pallet, squeeze on a hand lever in the handle, and pump the handle bar up and down as it lifts. On the Moon in the future, it looks like it’s been upgraded for use in space with what I assume is probably some electric battery type of deal. Otherwise it’s very similar to a normal pallet jack! It even has the double wheels in the front, a detail I was very excited about. There doesn’t seem to be the hand lever though, or any buttons anywhere. I assume that’s because this model has a voice assistant like an Alexa in it.

It has a spring in the back as well, another neat little detail. I’d be curious to see how this works in action, there’s a decent number of mechanical parts on it for how futuristic it looks. There’s also two small… baskets, I guess? For paperwork maybe? On either end of the handle shaft. I made up the term handle shaft.

Here is what I assume is a future-forklift. And Sarah. Please ignore Sarah. I was required to take her on a mission early on, but she keeps saying things like “that’s not yours!” and “we should not break the law,” which has been definitely cramping Dr. DARKSWALLOW’s style. Anyway, this forklift is a far cry from the kinds we have in present day. Barely recognizable.

My best guess is that you stand on this platform to operate it. But there’s no buttons or levers again, no key ignition. Presumably this turns on somehow and that panel is a touchscreen, or maybe it’s another Alexa operated device. This whole thing seems pretty dangerous. There’s no roll cage. I guess maybe there’s no OSHA in the future? Or maybe this thing has a lot of safety tech built into it to protect the operator from making mistakes. Maybe it follows Asimov’s rules of robotics and can’t allow a human to come to harm, through action or inaction. But that seems like a lot of liability to pack into programming, and it seems expensive to attach a positronic brain to a forklift. I don’t know how it would anticipate other drivers doing things badly, knocking over pallets? It seems dicey.

I do like that the cabling looks like it’s painter’s taped onto the frame so it doesn’t get caught anywhere. That’s a great little detail, very much something a maintenance team might do in a pinch. A “short term hold” as they “work with supply chain details to implement a long term repair.”

I climbed up onto a pile of boxes to get this picture. It looks like they redesigned the forks in the future, kind of a high-heeled shoe thing going on at the ends there. And this forklift seems like it has reduced functionality from what forklifts here on Earth can do. Forklifts can usually do three things with the forks: lift up and down, pitch the forks back and forth, and spread the forks wider or narrower. I think this can only lift the forks up and down. There also seems to be a large orange ball on the bottom, but I don’t know what that’s used for. My best guess, given the short cylinder above it, is that the forks can control their yaw and rotate on a horizontal access? But they’re right up against the axle so I’m not sure how that would work. Maybe if you lift the forks up it’s able to rotate? But I don’t see much of an engine to ballast the center of gravity anywhere. Maybe the entire body is made with a very dense metal, it does seem to be pretty flush with the ground.

My biggest complaint is that this forklift doesn’t have any headlights or taillights. It’s important for forklifts to have a horn and bright lights to let other workers know there’s a forklift around, especially reverse lights. These might be taillights, if I’m giving some benefit here, but they’re so low to the ground I’m not sure how other drivers are going to be able to see them. But I’m not an expert in future light bulbs, maybe these work just fine.

These look like future pallets! Pallets come in different materials, with wood or plastic as the most common, but they also come in standard sizes. But these pallets look like they’re way too small for the forklift to pick up. Maybe they’re just for the pallet jack? And big note here: I really hope for the sake of the warehouse manager in this facility that OSHA doesn’t exist, because each one of those pallets standing up on its side is going to be its own fine. Overall these pallets look pretty good, if small. And this disaster of a pile seems pretty true to form with how pallets are stored, no matter how many @everyone pings on Microsoft Teams you see get sent out about stacking pallets correctly.

I suspect everyone in the warehouse crew here hates their coworkers. They have four of these pallets in a square but are stacking things randomly on top of them. None of these things are strapped down, this black cube is on a pallet that’s a different size than the pallets underneath it. Just a bizarre move. I hope everyone’s doing okay.

And then on the other side is this: … Why? Why would anyone do this? You can’t pick those rolls up, the rest will roll right off the pallet. They’re not centered on the pallet so even if you did pick it up, you couldn’t put this onto pallet racking anywhere, it’s hanging off the edge.

This is pallet racking. It seems bolted together for some reason. I haven’t seen that before on this style of racking. It seems counter-intuitive; the whole point of this type is that it’s easy to put together, it’s modular. But if you bolt it together, it’s not modular anymore. Normally you just slot the pieces in, they fall into place and don’t require additional parts. Just welded steel with drop slots.

Oof. A dead body. I’m a little surprised there aren’t more of these here. It does feel a bit dangerous.

Here’s another pallet jack, but they aren’t using it correctly. The pallet goes into the forks, why did they put a pallet on top of the forks? Ridiculous. Now they’re just lifting things for no reason. A forklift put the pallet on, now a forklift has to take the pallet off? Why use the pallet jack at all?

And lastly: a propane cage! There’s no locks on it, the maintenance team is probably screaming at everyone to make sure they Lock Out/Tag Out their equipment, but I’ll give the benefit of the doubt and sign off on it because there’s no propane tanks inside the cage so maybe the locks just aren’t necessary. Hopefully it’s just in someone’s pocket while they’re going to refill the tanks.

Overall, this is a pretty dangerous looking facility but probably usable. I’d say they ought to start working towards shoring up some safety gaps here, maybe making more intentional decisions about purchases for a while so they have the equipment they need for their process flow instead of all this equipment that requires rework and multiple touches to get anything done. But a growing business sometimes has to take what’s available! Kudos to them for getting things up and running on the moon, not an easy feat.

#starfield #forklift #hard cider #warehouse #supplychainmanagement

[gaypiratebrainrot]

our flag means death fic recs - round two

hi all! here’s a second small batch of ofmd fic recs (first round here), mostly but not exclusively stede/ed, exclusively smut. i also try to focus on lesser read fics that i think deserve more attention. as always, YMMV, so mind the tags! in no particular order:

Anyone But You by codswallop (E, stede/ed, 6k) very fun and hot sex pollen fix-it.

Missed Kisses by ravenbringslight (E, ed solo, 2k) ed thinks about all the times he should have kissed stede during ep5, lots of wonderful sexy pining.

rather exquisite by leaveanote (E, stede/ed, 4.4k) super sweet and hot second time where the first time is so good it gives them both anxiety.

Split by angelsunaware (E, stede/ed/ed, 7.5k) ed can’t take the breakup pain and his heart gets split into a second body via buttons sea witch magic, stede comes back, hot and funny threesome fix-it ensues.

elegant and restrained by afterism (E, stede/ed, 10k) i rec’d this series last time around but this new installment dropped since then and i just can’t rec this series enough.

Little Wonder by alsaurus (E, stede/ed, 3.7k) as much as i love big dick stede, i deeply appreciate this super hot small dick stede fic.

Aside by InkandOwl (E, stede/ed, 1.5k) sweet and fluffy trans guy stede feelings-focused smut.

Made for Love by trinityofone (E, ed/izzy, 2k) dark enough that it falls squarely in the psychological thriller genre but honestly made me squirm with delight.

sacrament that should be taken kneeling by holograms (E, stede/lucius, 4k) the world needs more stede/lucius platonic sex fic but for now this one is fantastic.

if you enjoy, definitely leave the authors some love!!

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd fic #our flag means death fic #ofmd fic recs #our flag means death fic recs

[blorbopolis]

hello! im sorry if you get asked this a lot, but I was curious how you got into doing art ttrpg? and what should an interested artist have in their portfolio? thank you 💖

hi! so i wrote out a big "how to" before re-reading your message and considering you maybe just... asked how it happened for *me*, not necessarily how someone else should do it LOL. so, how it happened for me: i've been actively courting freelance art work since ~2009, and fantasy ttrpg is a natural extension of my interests - my portfolio was already full of world of warcraft fanart by the time ttrpgs & D&D really started having their modern moment. TTRPG is a good low-to-mid level place to find leads, as well, because the barrier for entry is super low for creators, which means a lot MORE projects to go around. (If you want to make a board game, your artist has to know a LOT about packaging, printing, manufacturing, graphic design, etc. if you wrote a D&D module and just want to publish it on itch.io? your artist only needs to know how to send you a decent sized .jpg.) as far as portfolio goes, when i started getting consistent replies to my cold emails, my portfolio had mostly covers and half-pages (ie, narrative illustrations), portraits, and animals. If you want to be more well-rounded you could also include pieces focusing on environments, items, and creatures. Don't include anything unless it's GOOD though. (i am so serious about this - bad work in your portfolio makes the good stuff look like a fluke.) now. if you wanted a "how to" answer, here is 600 words lol. I'm gonna start with the base assumption that your work is already hirable so we can focus on just like, specialization + client acquisition tips. getting a folio up to snuff is a whole other can of beans short version goes like this:

this whole thing only works if you have the ability to honestly self-assess. new work & skills: you should have fresh stuff that's a snapshot of what you can do *right now.* this doesn't mean old work can't stay in your folio if it's still good, but a small, current folio that really hits is WAY better than a bloated old one with irrelevant studies or student work. new artistic peers: as you continue to evolve as a professional, you should have an idea of which other working artists your work is most similar to, in terms of skill/tone/specialties/other relevant skills (3D/graphic design/etc) in order to see how you stack up to your """competition""" for lack of a better word. Additionally those artistic peers have hangout zones (discords or FB groups, etc) where you can talk shop & pass around job leads. research peers' clients: research who those peers are contracting with. See if your work would be a fit for them; if so, find their contact info and put it on your list. Those clients are probably also promoting other similar projects or publishers on their feeds; twitter has a handy "you might also want to follow" list that has other similar accounts you can explore. You can also work backwards from the product to the creator (see any cool battle maps, CCGs, board games, etc? find out who made it and whether they're the ones doing the art hiring.) Additionally, those discords & fb groups I mentioned will have leads (of varying quality) shared around that you should be assessing as they come in. reach out to new batch of clients: cold email. be realistic about who's worth contacting, but don't self-disqualify. that part is a balance. art directors are people with problems to solve, and you need to be able to A. anticipate the problems they need solving, and B. confidently (and honestly) let them know exactly what you can do for them. Attach A FEW, SMALL, RELEVANT jpgs that they can easily download and keep for reference. do not send massive high res attachments, their inboxes are full enough as it is. If you're responding to a specific call, attach relevant pieces or curate a page on your portfolio site specifically for work that would fit the project. If reaching out to clients doesn't result in a lead - *or*, if it takes them 3 months to get back to you, you should spend that time doing your own stuff and bolstering your skills. eventually your portfolio will be good enough that it kicks down doors for you.

you'll notice i never included "be active on social media! post your new work! feed instagram's ad revenue by giving it more content!" in this strategy because it doesn't matter. i'm not professionally active on any social media. we were getting hired before twitter existed and we'll still get hired after it dies. just do make sure you have an online portfolio (your own website >> artstation >>> other free folio builders >>>>>>>>>>>> an instagram feed.) the more times you do this cycle the easier it gets; both because you'll just get good at every step of the process, and because more people will know you and have known you for *longer* so you seem like a safer bet. I'll be honest: it's a ton of rejection lmao. I would get a rejection in my inbox at least once a week - even more than that i'd just get radio silence. But eventually you'll get a yes, and if you're lucky that yes will result in high quality new work you're proud of and can put into your folio (taking you back to step 1 lol.)

the freelance life is (INSHALLAH!!!) behind me since i now have a full time job doing marketing/supporting art for video games. But my portfolio never would've gotten there if i didn't have the experience of going through the freelance meat grinder first. it really taught me how to be an actualized *creative* (who can stand up for her own expertise, think like a project manager, and take creative ownership of / responsibility for my assignments) and not just a hired hand. my team likes that. i think

#not art #ask #freelance artist #not sure i want to tag this for discoverability tumblr thank you #art advice

[writingisawildride]

Hello

I know I'm barely here anymore

But unfortunately the Ritalin shortage in Summer caused me to become hyperfixation on Overwatch, Gabriel Reyes/Reaper in particular (AGAIN), against my very will.

But I'm here to make it everyone else's problem again and have been challenged by @wildissylupus to post my Martina Reyes HCs (or basically character summary at this point)!!!

So

Here

We

GOOOOOO

(Please note I am Filipina, not Mexican or Latine at all, I'm trying my best to research, but please correct me if I'm wrong)

- 1st of all, for me it is Dr. Martina Nuñez-Reyes, women in STEM, iconic

- Born and raised in San Diego, in particular in or by Barrio Logan!

- She is specifically Nahua Mexican with family in Guerrero, Mexico. She has learned a lot of Precolonial History and mythology, both in school and from her family. She also speaks Nahuatl fluently, as well as Spanish and ASL.

- Sweet, nurturing, professional, good tempered, graceful, makes lots of bad puns (she and Winston got along great), but occasionally slips in some "joking" sadism and morbid curiosity.

- Loves perfume even though she can't wear it often due to her work in laboratories and hospitals, will wear even just a little bit even at home to enjoy it.

- joined a ballet folklorico troupe up until High School, but still remembers the moves well. Specializes in Guerrero style folklorico!

- Excellent cook, amazing baker. Loves to adapt recipes to include lots of spices. (This will come back later)

- Interested in the medical field, specifically medicine itself, after learning about how advanced Mesoamerican civilizations were medically.

- Martina was a regular prodigy, attending an advanced secondary school academy in Mexico City, before continuing on to get PhDs in Medicine, Chemistry, and Pharmaceutical Science by age 24.

- By age 26 she had already made strides by synthesizing and creating medicine that was able to do things like naturally accelerate healing in the body.

- That's also when the Omnic Crisis began. She was inducted by the United States Military among swathes of other skilled doctors to create the Super Soldier Serum for the Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP) at a hidden facility.

- Six months, they managed to get it to an acceptable loss rate of 25%, and test it on 100 Soldiers. She was in charge of overseeing the injections of 20 of the 100 randomly assigned under her, which included Soldier 24, Gabriel Reyes, and Soldier 76, Jack Morrison. It was also done in doses, not all at once.

- She and Gabriel were attracted to each other but didn't act on it for quite a bit, due to the taboo nature of a doctor and a patient. They didn't flirt either, but had moments of "Oh fuck they're hot" before shaking it off.

- After the second round of doses, she lost her first soldier, which made the risk of SEP all the more apparent to her.

- Remember when I mentioned she's good at baking? She stress bakes because it helps make a zen sort of ritual of following steps/regaining a small sense of control. The reason Gabriel loves cookies? It's because he woke up at 2AM catching her stress baking a batch of Chili Chocolate Chip Cookies. It's where they had a heart to heart about Gabriel and the other Enhanced Soldiers trusting Martina and the doctors no matter the risk because they know they're liable to die in the Crisis anyway if they can't make headway.

- As the Crisis gets more dire, the General orders the doctors at the SEP facility to also go through basic military training, which Martina disliked, so she never really went past a machine pistol.

- 33 Soldiers make it out, and she sent with them on missions to retake cities across America. She wouldn't always be an active combatant, but she could hold her own if she had to.

- When Gabriel Reyes and Jack Morrison were selected to the elite Overwatch core team, she helped lead their medical support team. Also yes during this whole time, Gabriel and Martina still were attracted to each other but still sort of afraid to act because not only is she still his Doctor, he's now her commanding officer.

- Also during this period she helps treat a young Angela Ziegler during the bombing of Zurich.

- After fighting alongside Inti Warriors (Specifically Illari's dad) to help retake part of Central and South America, Gabriel almost died, which caused her to go full BAMF, and save him.

(Jack: "... can someone please tell me why our medic is rushing in alone, guns blazing?")

- They have to repair ships and stuff, so they decide to take R&R in reclaimed Guerrero, where Martina shows Gabriel around, and they end up dancing together. It's where they finally give in and end up in a relationship.

- Get married the last year of the Omnic Crisis, and have a son a few years later named Izel (who is the grown man with a family in my heart and soul in the Reflections Comic)

- Dr. Martina Nuñez-Reyes is the first Head of Medicine in Overwatch's Golden Age because goddamnit someone had to have that position before Angela.

- She's also Angela's mentor and sort of like an adoptive mom, Angela absolutely idolized her

Here's where my Canon deviates hard, because Blizzard's timeline makes no sense

(Fun fact this next part exists because I misread Code of Violence and thought that the ash and burning was from Gabriel's memories of Echo Park and not where he was so I straight up thought Martina was fridged a whole ass year before I heard the voicelines and reread it for clarity, but she's not fridged. Just stay with me.)

- On Izel's 6th birthday in Echo Park, there was an attempted assassination via explosions that caused Izel to lose his left arm and replace it with a prosthetic (the man in the Reflections comic has his left arm in his pocket)

- It also very nearly kills Martina, who is 6 MONTHS PREGNANT WITH THEIR DAUGHTER, Graciela

- The family lives, and Graciela has to be c-section delivered prematurely

- This ofc enrages Martina and Gabriel who, after recovery, hunt the motherfucker down to kill.

- It is not a quick death. Martina synthesizes POISON to make that fucker die screaming. (Basically I wanted to flip the Dead Wife trope where the wife lives and is FUCKING PISSED AND JOINS HER HUSBAND ON A ROARING RAMPAGE OF REVENGE)

- Oh yeah and that triggers the birth of Blackwatch lmao.

- Gabriel brought Cole Cassidy home for Christmas where she immediately enfolds Cole into the family.

- Martina and Gabriel also help Cole get his GED.

- Oh yeah Blackwatch

- So Martina supplies the poisons for coercion, torture, and assassination (and torture) to Blackwatch under the table for super covert missions, basically even people at Blackwatch didn't even know about. Ma'am was committing war crimes to keep the world and her babies safe. All while keeping up the sweet, dedicated, professional facade for like 14 years.

- Gabriel tries to get her to make another super soldier serum so he can be stronger, she refuses, they argue, him calling her a hypocrite, and it looks bad, UNTIL

- Shit happens and she accidentally lets a poison slip that gets reverse engineered and kills a lot of people, causing her to retire and Mercy steps up. Gabriel keeps her secret and they end up staying together

- HOWEVER, once the Venice Incident happens and Izel disowns his father, she chooses to not back up Gabriel's choices, whereas their daughter Graciela does, causing them to be separated but still married.

- Gabriel considers leaking her secret, but loves her too much to/wants the kids to have at least one parent they don't detest

- After the Swiss Explosion, Martina and Graciela mourn very badly, Izel rekindled his relationship with his mother but not Graciela

(Izel needs his own post probably lmao)

- Martina tries to move on, but finds she can't.

- listen once a man is willing to cover up war crimes for you, it's a very hard standard to meet

- She rejects the recall initially but to avoid this post from being even longer REASONS, Graciela goes with/gets kidnapped by (it's complicated) Talon, which is how Cole finds out Gabriel is Reaper

- Joins in to get her daughter back, and to redeem herself because she realizes how much destruction she caused even if people deserved it... lowkey she even doesn't fully regret it depending on the person she killed

- Her abilities are she got a CPR glove that can shock people in one hand that can pull Medicated/poison grenades out of a storage and a Pistol in the other and she can inject peeps with medication close quarters.

- She's like 63 currently also (in my Canon, Gabriel got a significant age bump with a bunch of other characters, he is 67 but is technically frozen at age 58)

- blizzard if you read this and wonder why I turned this nameless, possibly faceless character into someone that's committed war crimes, I don't got a fucking clue either

- wildissylupus I'm so sorry for subjecting you to this, like how I will subject my friends to a PowerPoint presentation about my character lore and alternate overwatch timeline on my birthday

#overwatch #reaper #gabriel reyes #martina reyes #dr martina Nuñez-Reyes #Overwatch OC #Headcanon #what is wrong with me #i should hate Overwatch #stupid sexy reaper #and lifeweaver being 7 feet tall making me reinstall the game