Do you have any resources on how bats gain fat, while on the topic. I couldnt find anything that actually told me how it would be distributed and such, maybe youll have better luck?
I also have been unable to find an exact answer on this.
my searches turn up studies on bats gaining weight seasonally, especially for hibernation in some regions, of course. but nothing on where in the body that fat tends to sit.
also one of the problems in searching for this information is that "BAT" is a commonly used acronym for "brown adipose tissue" so internet searches seem to get confused and give me information on human body fat instead of bats.
That said, it seems plausible just from looking at their body shapes that bats would primarily store fat at the front of their torso. not so much around the back, I would think.
I did a short research on german-speaking websites. One page (https://www.naturland-noe.at/was-tun-mit-fledermaus-findlingen-im-winter) mentioned that bats store fat between their shoulder blades; unfortunately there were no further sources to confirm this statement.
Nach einer Erstversorgung kontaktieren Sie in jedem Fall Fledermaus-ExpertInnen.
Welcome to the Den! Here you will find a complete masterlist of all my AUs, fics, and select tags. I may add more in time, so keep an eye open for updates!
This was put together to celebrate the 10k followers milestone. It is rather long, so check for the info under the cut.
ATLA | ZK
For The Spirits | New Gods AU
Type: fanfiction, lore, & art
Tags: #New Gods AU | #For The Spirits
Fic: AO3
Summary:
Zuko was a child when he met Agni. Then, the spirits started coming to him. Eyes hidden in the hallways, voices pleading for help, for recognition, for remembrance.
Zuko could see Agni. He could see the broken remains of a Great Spirit and the empty smiles of amnesiac ghosts.
And they could see him in return.
Ā¦
Or: Being spirit-touched isn't everything it's cracked up to be.
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Spitfire
Type: fanfiction, lore, & art
Tags: #Spitfire | #Lu Ten II
Fic: AO3
Summary:
It begins with Ursa, with that sparkle of life she vanished to protect. When Zuko finds her, everything changes.
Hope is a tender, fearless thing. Zuko's hope has the shape of a child and the eyes of his mother, and it must be protected.
The Avatar can wait.
.
In which Lu Ten II, Zuko's little brother, takes the world by storm.
Ā¦
Or: Raising his six-year-old brother throws Zuko into an early redemption arc triggered by parenthood. And stress. (And love.)
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Akai Kotou | Kyoshi Warriors AU
Type: fanfiction, lore, & art
Tags: #Akai Kotou | #Kyoshi Warriors AU | #Kyoshi Warrior Ursa AU
Fic: AO3
Summary:
"Akai Kotou," Jian Li says, "means Solitary Red Island. It's the name Rangi gave to her lover's home. It's the name given to Kyoshi Island by the children of Fire."
.
When Aang, Sokka, and Katara arrive at Kyoshi Island, they're only looking for a place to rest for the night. They don't expect to find new allies, soul-deep connections, and a myriad of secrets.
(Sometimes, Zuko forgets that Jian Li isn't his real name. But now it's time to start remembering.)
Ā¦
Or: Ursa took her children and hid themāraised themāin Kyoshi Island. Years later, beautiful and scarred Jian Li joins the Gaang on their travels in hopes of finding his sister (and learning how to bend).
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Imperfect Canvass | Painted Red AU
Type: fanfiction & art
Tag: #Imperfect Canvass
Fic: AO3
Summary:
It's easy to forget, there, in Caldera. So they do everything in their power to remember.
.
The Blue Spirit and the Painted Ghost meet in the city each night, two souls in eternal search for repentance.
Katara tries to find a way to kill the war, whatever it takes. Zuko, the Perfect Prince, offers her the only pieces of him that remain.
Ā¦
Or: Katara becomes the Blue Spirit in an attempt to move on from his death at Lake Laogai. Crown Prince Zuko, inspired by folktales of old, shows the citizens of Hari Bulkan what the Painted Ghost is capable of.
Ā°Ā°Ā°
To Hesitate | Lee & Kya AU
Type: fanfiction, lore, & art
Tags: #Lee & Kya AU | #Lee and Kya From The Tea Shop AU
Fic: AO3
Summary:
As she watches Lee and Kya avoid each other's eyes from across the room, the phrase comes back to her, swift and silent:
"To hesitate is to lose."
.
As Song treats the victim of an unfortunate interaction with a rare poisonous flower, her day takes an unexpected turn when it becomes apparent that the old man's nephew and her assistant have history.
A vivid history.
Ā¦
Or: Traveling through the Earth Kingdom and settling down in Ba Sing Se wasn't in their plans, but destiny has a lovely sense of humor.
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Soundless (Uiscefhuaraithe)
Type: fanfiction & art
Tag: #Soundless AU
Fic: AO3
Summary:
Katara of the Southern Water Tribe has hands scarred by fire and great talent, though no teacher.
Zuko is a mute War Child, a herbalist and healer, and the Blue Spirit. He bears the mark of fire, and the scar of the blade that took away his voice.
The first time they met, the Blue Spirit had just saved her, though not before her hands got burned. The second time they met, his name was Lee, and he was healing her.
They live in war and they will fight, if not for the world, then for themselves.
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Letters To Home | Leave The City AU
Type: fanfiction & art
Tags: #Letters To Home | #Leave The City AU
Fic: AO3
Summary:
"Live," she pleads. "I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for this warāfor me. I just need you to come back. Please...please come back to me."
.
Zuko writes the letters whenever he can. During a break from a council meeting, late at night in his chambers, after another training session with Azulaāall he does is write to her. Because he needs to let her know that he's alright and their plan is working. She needs to know that he'll come back.
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Hunters AU
Type: lore & art
Tag: #Hunters AU
Summary:
Katara is desperate to end the war that killed her mother and called her father and brother to the battlefield. When Aang, that strange kid she found unconscious out in the snow, is revealed to be the Avatar and flees the South Pole, Katara turns to the Prince who helped the Tribe through the winter months.
The Fire Prince has a plan, and she wants in. For the war to end, he must be crowned, but the only way to reinstate his claim to the throne is by delivering the Avatar to the Fire Lord. Luckily for Aang, nobody said it had to be in chains.
Ā¦
Or: Katara joins Zuko's crew of traitors and spies to destroy the Fire Nation from the inside (and capture the Avatar).
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Tales From The Couch
Type: lore & art
Tag: #Tales From The Couch
Summary:
They're young and stupid, but they're together.
The Gaang's shenanigans in a modern AU. Songs, teasing, bending, and a little bit of love.
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Kintsugi AU
Type: lore & art
Tag: #Kintsugi AU
Summary:
Kintsugi is one of the few cultural practices all the remaining nations have in common. The Water Tribes seal their scars with silver. The Earth Kingdom with bronze. The Fire Nation with gold.
It is a sign of status in the Fire Nation. For one of noble blood to have a natural scar is paramount to disgrace. It's no surprise that Fire Lord Ozai prohibited Zuko's burn to be sealed with Kintsugi after the Agni Kai. Nor that the Prince tried to hide all of his golden scars afterwards.
(After all, it hurts less to pretend you were never worthy.)
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Dandadan AU
Type: lore & art
Tag: #Dandadan AU
Summary:
Yokai, Zuko affirms, are real. Unlike spirits.
Spirits, Katara believes, do exist. Unlike yokai.
As it turns out, they're both right. (And they hate it.)
Ā¦
Or: They make a bet, and it works out just fine. Zuko gets possessed by the Blue Spirit, and Katara is cursed by the Painted Lady, a (reformed) yokai. Oh, the irony.
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Unwilling Hosts AU
Type: art (lore to be shared)
Tag: #Unwilling Hosts AU
Summary:
Sokka's strategy is to infiltrate Prince Jerkbender's ship, play the part of war prisoner, gather as much information on the Fire Nation navy as possible, and leave.
Instead of following the planāor allowing her brother to ruin itāKatara stomps into the Wani, declares it her permanent-until-I-say-so residence, and proceeds to bully the Prince into an early redemption arc, because he's stupid. Iroh is enjoying the show, Zuko just wants her to go away, and somehow they forget all about the navy's plans. Oops.
Ā¦
Or: A subversion of the Capture trope.
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Marked AU
Cycle in Reverse AU
Type: lore & art
Tag: #Cycle in Reverse AU
Summary:
Once a Prince, Zuko was taken by his Uncle to the Sun Warrior Tribe to heal from his burn and learn the true meaning of fire. Years later, he finds the treasure the Sun Warriors have kept hidden for over a century: a sleeping Avatar.
After waking up the Avatar and running away from the Tribe, Zuko swears to protect Aang, force him to learn all elements if he must, and end the war. Along the way, the Gaang grows to include a sassy sandbender (who's actually a runaway heiress), and two siblings raised in the Foggy Swamp Tribe.
It's all pretty straightforwardāuntil they realize that Aang's century-long coma has greater consequences than they're prepared for.
Ā¦
Or: the title of this AU isn't subtle at all.
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Type: lore & art
Tag: #Marked AU
Summary:
Katara tries to heal the wounds caused by Aang's firebending, but the scars remain. Zuko, who notices the waterbender's marked hands in the midst of battle, thinks he's the one who burned her.
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Halfblood AU
Type: lore & art
Tag: #Halfblood AU
Summary:
Kanna never made it to the South Pole. Instead, she settled down somewhere in the Earth Kingdom.
Katara is a half-child who barely remembers her mother and never met her father. Zuko, an ashkid raised in the Earth Kingdom, is a lone traveler with a single mission in mind: to discover the identity of his fatherāthe man responsible for his mother's death, responsible for Zuko's existenceāand murder him.
Ā¦
Or: The road to Ba Sing Se is long, but you're not really alone when the stranger walking besides you understands what it's like to have blood of different elements coursing through your veins.
.
(Inspired by Blue Eye Samurai.)
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Arcane AU
Type: lore & art
Tag: #Arcane AU
Summary:
Enforcer Zuko Kasai has a very simple task: survive in the Undercity long enough to complete his mission, and do so without calling forth Councillor Ozai's wrath. Again. Sounds easy enough, but things get messy when he has zero information about the weapon of massive destruction he's supposed to find and bring back to his father. The things he does to go back home...
The people of Zaun aren't making his job any easierāalways getting into trouble he can't sweep under the rug. He sympathizes with their cause, he truly does, but if that Katara girl blows up another factory, Zuko swears he'll jump off a bridge before Father's goons can get to him.
How is he supposed to protect both cities from an unknown danger and reclaim his status as the Kasai Heir in these conditions?
(The solution finds him when a strange kid with a weird connection to the Arcane itself drops almost dead on Katara and Sokka's doorstep.)
(Naturally, it all goes downhill from there.)
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Bloodbound AU
Type: lore & art
Tag: #Blood AU
Summary:
The vampire isn't like others of his kind, she notices. He's strangely gentle, has the self-esteem of a squashed bug, and took care of her injury without succumbing to the temptation of her blood. Without caring that she's a Hunter. But in spite of all his frustrating goodness, the Prince is still a vampire, and he still needs to feast.
Luckily for Zuko, Katara knows of a criminal or two whose blood just begs to be bent (and consumed).
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Dema's AU Kisses
Type: art
Tag: #National Dema AU Kisses Day
Summary:
Sketch requests for kisses and tender moments. Askbox now CLOSED for this event.
Ā°Ā°Ā°
Lyric Comics Series
Type: art
Tag: #Lyric Comics Series
Summary:
A series of comics inspired by my favorite songs and sets of lyrics.
Hey guys, wanted to give peeps the headsup that Phlurrii's account was outright terminated randomly today.
Please be aware that she did NOT delete her account or block anyone.
āHi guys, Iām not really sure how to even type this out, but tumblr just terminated my entire account, side blogs and all. Iām not sure what happened beyond that long time follower messaged me and I went to reply; then boom. Deleted off the face of the planet. Losing everything I worked on for 4 years, all the art, asks, theories, comics, and community is kinda insane? Iāve reached out to tumblr, but there no guarantee. So umā¦ I donāt know, honestly I donāt know.ā - Phlurri
She has already gone to Tumblr Support and we are hoping she gets her account back.
@staff While she has already submitted a support ticket, please reinstate her blog, She has not done anything to violate ToS rules.
Regret
- What it is: Wishing the outcome had been different.
- Focus: The consequences of the action - especially for yourself.
- Key traits: Self-focused, reflective, sometimes selfish.
Remorse
- What it is: Emotional sorrow for causing harm to another.
- Focus: Empathy and moral awareness.
- Key traits: Other-focused, internal suffering, emotional heaviness.
Guilt
- What it is: A moral or emotional weight for breaking a personal or societal rule.
- Focus: Internal shame or conflict.
- Key traits: Internally driven, can be irrational, often causes rumination.
Accountability
- What it is: Acknowledging and taking responsibility for your actions.
- Focus: Behavior, consequences, repair.
- Key traits: Can be rational, does not require emotion.
HOW THEY OVERLAP
All Four Present
ā Regret | ā Remorse | ā Guilt | ā Accountability
Example:
āI lashed out and hurt someone I care about. I hate that I did it (regret), I feel awful about the pain I caused (remorse), I canāt stop thinking about how wrong I was (guilt), and Iāve already apologized and made amends (accountability).ā
ā Classic āI messed up and I know itā moment.
Regret + Remorse
ā Regret | ā Remorse | ā Guilt | ā Accountability
Example:
āI wish I hadnāt said that. It clearly hurt them and I feel bad. . . but I donāt think I was actually wrong, and Iām not going to apologize.ā
ā Feels sorrowful and wishes things went differently, but doesnāt believe theyāre morally at fault.
Regret + Guilt
ā Regret | ā Remorse | ā Guilt | ā Accountability
Example:
āI broke the rule, and I feel ashamed. I just wish I hadnāt gotten caught.ā
ā More focused on personal consequence and inner shame than on the harm done to others. Self-loathing can show up here.
Regret + Accountability
ā Regret | ā Remorse | ā Guilt | ā Accountability
Example:
āThis deal went badly. Iāll own it and fix the damage, even if I donāt feel bad about it.ā
ā Professionalism. Do what must be done but donāt get emotionally involved.
Remorse + Guilt
ā Regret | ā Remorse | ā Guilt | ā Accountability
Example:
āI had to make the choice. . . I know it was right. But I still feel awful for what it did to them, and I canāt stop thinking about it.ā
ā A moral dilemma. They wouldnāt take it back, but they still hurt.
Remorse + Accountability
ā Regret | ā Remorse | ā Guilt | ā Accountability
Example:
āI donāt think I was wrong, but I hurt you. I want to make that right.ā
ā The person doesnāt think they acted immorally, but still feels emotional pain for causing harm, and they try to fix it. A very mature emotional space.
Guilt + Accountability
ā Regret | ā Remorse | ā Guilt | ā Accountability
Example:
āI broke the rule and Iāll face the punishment, even if I donāt feel bad about it or think it hurt anyone.ā
ā Rule-follower or someone trying to prove their morality. They take responsibility purely from principle.
Regret Only
ā Regret | ā Remorse | ā Guilt | ā Accountability
Example:
āI wish I hadnāt done that. It didnāt work out.ā
ā Often selfish or neutral. Thereās no emotional weight, just a reaction to negative consequences. A wish that the situation ended differently.
Remorse Only
ā Regret | ā Remorse | ā Guilt | ā Accountability
Example:
āIt had to be done. . . but I hate that I hurt you.ā
ā Sadness or empathy without shame or moral conflict. A great example of emotional depth without self-blame. You just hurt for them.
Guilt Only
ā Regret | ā Remorse | ā Guilt | ā Accountability
Example:
āI feel guilty for surviving when they didnāt.ā
ā Internalized shame without external harm or desire to fix it. Often irrational guilt.
Accountability Only
ā Regret | ā Remorse | ā Guilt | ā Accountability
Example:
āI did the thing. Iām responsible. Thatās all.ā
ā No emotion, just ownership.
None
ā Regret | ā Remorse | ā Guilt | ā Accountability
Example:
āYeah, I did it. So?ā
ā No emotional or moral engagement, no ownership, no care. Just indifference.
Why It Matters
When people use them interchangeably, it erases nuance.
You can:
Regret something but feel no remorse
Feel guilty but not be accountable
Take accountability without feeling bad
Feel remorse without wishing youād chosen differently
And that distinction is super important when you're figuring out:
Inspired by @paperback-rascal ās prompt and glorious artwork where Crosshair, after being left on the landing platform on Kamino, suffers from sunstroke, I wrote this fic!
Sun-Kissed
Hot, sunny days were rare on Kamino. However, as the sun beat down and Crosshair began to feel faint, he stared up at the cloudless sky and realized that he had made a mistake. Perhaps the Empire wouldnāt come for him after all.
Warnings: Blood, vomit, talk of death, descriptions of heat stroke, descriptions anxiety and feelings of betrayal.
Hours ago, (Days? Weeks? Years? The time seemed to slip through his fingers like sand) Crosshair had watched the Havoc Marauder become smaller and smaller until it was nothing more than a single point of reflected light, far, far away, and heād been certain that the Empire would come to retrieve him. He was important, after all. He was a commander. They needed him. Didnāt they need him? Wasnāt he important? Did he matter at all? Or was he nothing more than a dark stain on a pinprick of light, so small and insignificant that nothing in the great vacuum of space could hear his tiny cries for help?
After hours and hours and hours, the skies remained silent.
Yet Crosshair, ever the good soldiers, persisted. He had used his com to alert the Empire of his escape from the ruined Tipoca City; heād given them his coordinates and tipped his head towards the sky, certain that, at any moment, Rampartās star destroyer would emerge from hyperspace and appear at the zenith to take him home.
The skies, however, remained silent, and Crosshairās requests for rescue remained unanswered. Crosshair, however, was steadfast and waited patiently. He had been loyal to the Empire. Surely, they would come for him. He had earned that rightāthe right to be rescued, the right to be needed. He had proven himself worthy.
Did they know that he had disobeyed orders? That he had turned his gun on the TKs in order to protect his old squad? Did they understand the depth of his failure, as his brothers did?
Crosshairās armor was thermo-regulated, designed to withstand any weather. He could spend hours in the sweltering heat, crouching on burning sand; he could endure sub-zero temperatures, buried in the snow and ice for as long and the mission required; he could brave hail the size of his fist and comfortably wait out torrential downpours, all without consequenceā
But this black shell was not his armor.
As with every faulty simulacrum the Empire attempted to recreate in a more āperfectā formālike his squadron of conscripted soldiers; like the medical treatment heād received after Bracca; perhaps even like Crosshair himselfāCrosshairās fancy new imperial armor was nothing more than a cheaper, poorly-designed, less functional recreation of something the Republic had done right.
As the hours ticked by, heat began creeping into his dark armor until his sweat-soaked blacks were plastered to his back. At some point, to wipe the sweat out of his eyes, he removed his helmet with trembling fingers, and it slipped from his weakening grasp, tumbling off of the platform and disappearing into the dark waters below. He cursed and dug the heels of his palms into his eyes to keep himself from screaming in frustration.
Where was the Empire? Werenāt they coming for him? Hadnāt he proved he was worth-while? He felt stupid and childish and jealous and afraid. What if the Empire never came for him? Would the Batch come to his rescue, if he cried out for help?
Tech and Echo and Wrecker had pointed their blasters at him. In the pods, when he had lifted his rifle to rescue the girl, they had pointed their blasters at him, as if they thought he had intended to slaughter Hunter or the child. Why would they think that? Hadnāt he proved, over and over and over again, that he was unwilling to kill them? Even under direct orders and the heavy influence of the chip, every shot he fired missed. In the end, he had picked his brothers over his sloppy TK squadron; he had murdered them to rescue his brothers. He had sided with them. His loyalty, as fierce as it was for the Empire, had always been to his brothers first. Hadnāt they seen that? Hadnāt he proven himself worthy of their trust?
They had turned their blasters on him.
Crosshairās fingers dug into the side of his head, pain sparking across the length of scarred flesh. Their lack of trust was understandable, he supposed. Perhaps they hadnāt known about the inhibitor chip. Perhaps, when he shot Wrecker, they assumed he had done so of his own volition, and their trust in him had shattered in an instant. He hadnāt wanted to shoot Wrecker. He hadnāt wanted any of this. Did they know that? If he told them, would they believe him? Would they rescue him if the rains came and the violent waves threaten to swallow him whole? Had he earned that right?
The heat was becoming unbearable. The platform was small and there was not place to take shelter from the rare, sweltering sun. His legs hurt. His head began to swim. He began to pace to keep himself concentrated on his objective.
...what was his object, again?
Right. To be rescued.
So Crosshair waited. The Empire was coming for him. Somebody would come for him. Right?
Why would they? His traitors thoughts asked.
Crosshairās chapped lips curled into a snarl. Because I am a commander. He answered. Because I am important.
You are expendable. His thoughts replied. You have always been expendable.
When he was a child, he had struggled in social situations. He lacked Wreckerās sense of humor, compassion, and good nature; he lacked Techās inability to be effected by the cruelty of others; he lacked Hunterās rationality and empathy. He didnāt consider himself an enjoyable person to be around and, for the most part, kept to himself for fear of further ostracization. Unfortunately, his lowered self-esteem began to effect his team-mates during training courses. It was easy to become so consumed by his fears that he was somehow a burden on his teammates, that he lost focus on his objective and his accuracy suffered. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, his worst fears began to manifest: his team began to fail because he couldnāt keep up.
So he trained. He trained and he trained and he trained. He spent hours on the shooting range, forgoing sleep and food to refine his craft. He wasnāt created to be somebodyās brother or friend, he was created to be a sniper. It was in his DNA. It was, in his head, the only reason that people kept him around. During those long, sleepless night, as he set into the routine and his mind began to wander, anxiety festering like an abscess, it was easy to imagine his three older brother barring the door of their barracks and refusing to let him enter unless he proved his worth.
Hunter was an incredible leader, wise and dedicated, and his senses were incredibly sharp; Wrecker was strong and kind and gave good hugs; Tech was intelligent and witty and he could fix anything;
And Crosshair was angry and rude and he could shoot good.
A drone could do his job.
So he practiced. He practiced and practiced and practiced until he was better than everybody, and he was certain that he had proven his worth and secured a place in Clone Force 99-
And they abandoned him.
The taught the girl to shoot. They gave her his com. They replaced him.
They turned their blasters on him.
Crosshairās face began to hurt. The skin that stretched across his cheeks and forehead began to burn, as if they had been pulled too tight. He knelt at the edge of the platform, hoping the spray of salty water would cool his sunburnt face, and his legs gave out from under him, nearly sending him plummeting into the water, where he would be swallowed up and forgotten.
āExpendable. Adjective. First definition: describing an object of little significance when compared to an overall purpose, and therefore able to be abandoned. Second definition: describing an object designed to be used only once, and then abandoned or destroyed,ā Tech recited. His voice came rolling in on the waves, and Crosshair propelled himself to his feet, twisting around frantically in search of his brother, but nobody was there.
āThatās why we never came back for you!ā Wreckerās disembodied voice boomed over the nothingness. āBecause you donāt matter at all!ā
āActually, we were pretty happy to get rid of your sorry ass. Things are better now that youāre gone,ā Echoās voice made Crosshair stamp his foot and clamp his hand over his ears.
His head was pounding. His heart was racing. Suddenly, he pitched forward and vomited into the ocean. With such desperation that his fingers dug into the sharp edges of plastoid and bled, he pried off his armor and stripped off the top half of his blacks, practically throwing it into water with the hope that the wet material would cool down his sweltering skin. But the water-logged cloth was too heavy for his heat-weakened grasp and was eventually tugged away by the current.
Crosshair laid there, on his stomach, for a long time. The sun kissed his back until it blistered. The skies remained silent. Nobody was coming for him. His lips cracked and oozed blood. His mouth hung open and his dry tongue felt too heavy and made swallowing painful. At some point, he stopped sweating, and his skin dried in the sun like leather.
He wanted to go home. He wanted his brothers. He didnāt care if they never trusted him again. And... of course they wouldnāt- they held him at blaster-point. They came back for Hunter, but not for him. Never for him.
They abandoned him.
He was expendable.
Crosshair laughed, almost hysterically. He wanted to cry, but there wasnāt enough liquid in his body to produce tears. Would they forgive him if he apologized? Would they rescue him if he begged them to come back?
Forcing himself up onto his hands and knees, he vomited again. There was nothing left in his stomach, so the convulsions brought up only bile until his stomach was empty of that substance as well. It was liquid he couldnāt afford to lose. Unfortunately, the spasm didnāt stop. He heaved and heaved until his sides ached and his throat burned. When, at last, the cramping stopped, he collapsed onto his side and gasped for air.
He was frightened. He was dying.
Moving as if on auto pilot, he retrieved his com and inputted the Marauderās frequencyāhe knew it by heart.
He said something into the com, but he wasnāt sure what. He couldnāt hear himself speaking anymore. He felt like he was standing above himself, watching his body bake in the sun.
Slowly, slowly, he once again tried to push himself onto his hands and knees, but the effort proved to great, and he lost consciousness.
- - -
When Crosshair woke, he was laying on his bunk in the Marauder. He didnāt even need to open his eyes to know where he wasāthe smell was pungent and familiar. Slowly, he cracked his eyes open. The room was dim. Pain coursed through his headāhe could feel his pulse pounding behind his eyesābut the bed beneath him was soft and cool, and he felt so relieved he wanted to cry.
āHey there, Cross. Howāre you feeling?ā That was Hunterās voice. Crosshair squeezed his eyes shut, afraid that, if he turned his head, nobody would be there.
āCross?ā Hunter asked again, voice gentle, and the sniper felt a firm hand rest on his chest.
Crosshair cracked his eyes open. There he was, right beside him. There they all were, playing a round of sabaac on the floor beside his bed. He wanted to cry, but no tears came. He couldnāt help but think of all those hours heād spent alone, on the shooting range, and he was happy. Theyād come back for him, hadnāt they? Had he proven his worth?
āThere he is! We thought you were never gonna wake up!ā Wrecker boomed with a grin. There was no greater sight in the galaxy.
āYou look like shit,ā Echo said with an equally warm smile, and Crosshair allowed the corners of his mouth to twitch upwards.
āI feel like shit,ā he agreed, his voice hoarse.
Wanting to be with his brothers, Crosshair rose from the bed slowly. His body was numb and his head felt hazy, like he was hungover, or waking up from sedation. It was hard to think straight. His skin hurt. Once upright, he paused for a moment as a wave of nausea rolled over him. His mouth suddenly tasted tangy and Echo, scowling, passed him a rag.
āHere. Youāre getting blood everywhere and I just cleaned the floor,ā he grumbled.
Blood?
Crosshair knit his brows together as confusion welled up into his throat and his stomach twisted with worry. He pressed the cloth against his nose and his eyes widened in surprise when it came back coated in blood. His nose was bleeding. Why was his nose bleeding? Should he be worried? Should the others be worried?
There was a heavy, uncomfortable pressure that suddenly swelled in his abdomen, and he groaned, doubling over and pressed a hand to his hip. A sharp, hot pain spiked across his lower back and, for a moment, he thought, with some panic, that he was dying. However, after a moment of labored breathing, the pain subsided (or grew distant and numb) and his fear eased.
āAcute renal failure,ā Tech surmised, pushing up his goggles with one finger. āYour body is too hot, and itās lost too much fluid. Your brain is swelling and your kidneys are shutting down,ā
Too hot? No, no, no, that wasnāt right at all. He was on the Marauder, wasnāt? Theyād rescued him, theyād cooled him off. He was home, he was forgiven, he was safe. Right?
Crosshair grit his teeth as panic flashed through him. As usual, he attempted to stuff the more vulnerable emotion away, hiding it behind a thick layer of anger. His brothers were watching him, but nobody moved towards him. They didnāt seem to care. Why werenāt they doing anything?
āHelp me!ā he snarled, stepping towards his brothers, and Tech merely quirked a brow.
āCrosshair, we canāt help you,ā he said, as if the fact was obvious. āThis isnāt real. You betrayed us. Surely we wouldnāt give you this much autonomy if you were actually on board the ship with us. Donāt you remember? You commed us for help, and nobody answered,ā
āYouāre lying,ā Crosshairās voice was tight and practically dripping with vitriol.
āWhy would I lie? How would that benefit me? Or you, rather, as Iām not really here. Thiis,ā Tech said, gesturing to the room around them. āIs just your brain, processing what it feels like it needs to,ā
āWhat?ā Crosshair cried, sharp and indignant. Blood continued to stream down his face. He tried, with great irritation, to wipe it away, but it always came back and the flow only grew heavier.
āYou probably just wanted to pretend like you werenāt going to be alone when you died!ā Wrecker exclaimed with a hearty laugh.
The panic, in that instant, was blinding. Something tugged on his leg and, when he looked down, he immediately wished he hadnāt: the room was filling, ever so slowly, with tar. Crosshair grasped, nearly choking on the breath as it caught in his throat, and tried, desperately, to pry his legs out of the muck.
āThereās no use fighting it, you know,ā Echo said gently, moving forward and resting a comforting hand on the sniperās shoulder, just as the sniper had done for him when theyād rescued him on Skako Minor. āItās going to be okay,ā
Echoās words of comfort sparked a wildfire of furious, blind anger in Crosshair, who violently shoved the ARC trooper backwards.
Crosshair twisted around, as if he could find somewhere else to escape. Behind him was a white, sterile hallwayālike the ones in Tipoca Cityāso impossibly long that he couldnāt see the end of it. One by one, the lights began to switch off, and darkness began creeping up the hallway.
āFuck off,ā Crosshair spat and Tech merely shrugged.
āHey! Leave āim alone! Heās only here ācause you want him here!ā Wrecker bellowed. He was still sitting on the floor, unbothered as the tar swallowed up his legs and continued to climb.
Crosshair squeezed his eyes shut. āWhatās going to happen to me?ā he croaked, his voice hoarse from the dryness of his throat.
Hunter knit his brows together and put a heavy, comforting hand on Crosshairās shoulder. āYouāre going to die,ā
āAnd when high-tide comes, youāre body will be swept away and eaten by the aquatic life. Eventually your armor and bones will sink to the bottom and falling sediment will collect on them until youāre buried. If youāre lucky, over millions of years, you might be fossilized,ā Tech explained. āSo, at least your life wonāt be a total waste,ā
The pressure in Crosshairās abdomen was mounting. Behind him, the lights continued to flip off, one by one. āHow pleasant,ā he sneered. Then, suddenly, his shoulders slumped. āWill you remember me?ā he asked his brothers.
Hunter smiled. āOf course we will,ā he said.
Crosshairās eyes narrowed and flickered over to Tech. āWill you really?ā
Tech smiled. āNot likely,ā
āWhat dāyou want, Cross?ā Wrecker asked.
The sniperās eyes drifted shut and he swayed; one hand gripped his abdomen, and the other hand gripped his head. āI want... I want to go back home,ā It was a horrible, frightening thing to admit, but he was so tired. He didnāt want to be angry anymore. He didnāt want to fight. He wanted to go home.
When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer on the Marauder. Instead, he was in their barracks on Tipoca City. His brothers were small and dressed in red and blue outfits they had worn as cadets.
Everything was so much easier back then.
Tech looked up from his workbench, his goggled a little too big for his head. Hunter, who sprawled out on his bunk reading a holo-novel on his datapad, sat up and grinned.
āCross! Youāre back! Where were you?ā he asked.
Crosshair stepped closer on wobbly legs. āI... was at the shooting range,ā he explained, and Tech frowned, sticking out his bottom lip.
āYou spend too much time there. Youāre not getting enough sleep,ā he tutted.
āYeah! And we miss you!ā Wrecked exclaimed. His face was not marred by any blast scars. He had a full head of curly, dark hair and two big, brown eyes.
āYou missed me?ā Crosshair echoed, almost in disbelief.
āOf course we missed you. Youāre our brother,ā Echo protested. Echo... Echo wasnāt supposed to be there. He was small and healthy and whole, and Crosshair was glad he was there.
āWhat if I canāt shoot good enough?ā Crosshair asked, and his bottom lip quivered.
āSo what?ā Hunter asked. āWe donāt care how good you can shoot. Weāre just happy youāre here,ā
Crosshair took another wobbly step forward and rubbed his eyes. His vision was starting to blur around the edges. He looked to Tech, expecting the clever young clone to tell him not to fall asleep, but he merely smiled.
āItās okay, Cross. Weāve got you,ā
āAre you sleepy?ā Wrecker asked. He wiped his sticky, jam-covered fingers on the bedspread and rose from his bunk. The gesture was disgusting and so, terribly familiar. Crosshair wanted to cry.
āYes, Wrecker. I am extremely exhausted,ā he croaked.
āAww...! Come here!ā His older brother exclaimed and outstretched his arms.
The sniper stumbled forward, desperate for the comfort and safety of his big brotherās embrace. He felt awful. Wrecker would make him feel better. Wrecker always knew how to make him feel better.
Crosshair collapsed, alone, on the landing platform in the middle of the Kaminoan oceans. Far above him, the skies came to life as the Havoc Marauder emerged from hyperspace and appeared at the zenith.
CW: Blood, sharp wounds, general violence. You have been warned! Enjoyš
Friendly Fire (part 4)
(First part) Prev / Next
It seems that the stealth mission ended up attracting the attention of the real and most dangerous enemy. Now both are in danger and without their weapons to protect them.
Will our rival heroes be able to settle their differences and make peace? We'll see in the next part of Friendly Fire! Yes this is NOT THE ENDING btw.
----ā--------------------------
OK! HEAR ME OUT!šBefore you send me to the guillotine for making Mayura and Chat Noir beat the shit out of each other, you should know that this is a Hurt/Comfort story. It gets worse before it gets better.
It took me a lot of effort to get these details right, and I hope you like them.
The exposure to violence gives me the freedom to use oversaturated colours to highlight the mood rather than the presence of a specific background.
The plan is set, and there's more action and tension to deal with. Will Mayura and Chat Noir successfully complete their mission, or will they be consumed by rage? Probably the second.
Find out in the next episode of Friendly Fire. When? I have no idea. We'll see.
As much as I love Nathalie and Adrien's relationship. I really like the idea of Mayura and Chat Noir to just fcking DESPISE each other. And this little interaction is just the start of it, let me tell you... things only get worse from here.
By the way, this is only 6 of 20 or 23 pages for part 2.
Sorry for the delay, I been having some trouble lately, and didn't have the energy to draw. I'm doing a little better tho. I'll be working on the next pages slowly, for the sake of my wrists.
Soooo a little context first: I decided that my redesign of Mayura, will be used as a season 6 design, just so the og design with the dress is still a thing. She changed her look to not be recognized by any civilians, because magic stuff.
Anyways, enjoy :)
Friendly Fire (part 1)
First Part (you're here) / Next
I know it's basically imposible that Felix had just left the miraculous and do something else, but for the sake of having Mayura back... My excuse? He was taken hostage by the akuma right before he could put the miraculous back on.
This is the first comic that I make with a full superhero theme, it was a fun time. I'll post the bonus extras laterš.
Day 3 of ace week and day I-don't-know-how-many of me trying to best articulate the issues I have with how asexual and aromantic characters are treated in fandom, forever hoping to get the point across
Children of the Light- Chapter 7, Page 1
Welcome back! Children of the Light updates Mon/Wed/Fri for July! At this point in the story, I recommend reviewing the comicās Content Warnings. Stay safe, and please enjoy!
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