#and they explain some people join the army to fight and some join because their old pronouns dont fit

[silverskye13]

Will enby Helsknight/trans Tanguish/top surgery scars/stubborn avoidant Welsknight in a gender crisis make it into the main story of RnS? Like, a full acknowledgment of it? Because yes, us on tumblr are aware (and happily bully RnS Wels for it) but I’m curious to how it may be brought up in the main storyline instead of rambles and drabbles. (Don’t get me wrong, those rambles and drabbles are what get me through the day. But my best friend, who isn’t in the MCYT fandom whatsoever, just caught up with RnS and doesn’t use tumblr, and besides spamming her with tumblr posts I wanna know how much I can revel in the glory of the skrunkles with her!)

That is a great question, actually. And the answer is I don't really know.

So this is one of the downsides to writing things chapter by chapter. If I had gone into this going "oh heck yeah they're trans", this would've come up in the plot way sooner. It's nice information 1) for all the trans folks reading and 2) because it has the potential to inform the themes in the narrative. This whole story is about two chief things I think: death [the inevitability of] and identity [what defines you and why]. Why should you care if literally no one else (including the universe) does? That would be so cool to speak about in terms of a trans allegory! Why do you care about gender when it's just one thing in a world of crazy things? Or at the very least, how does it inform your identity? But this is a change I made on a whim suddenly, and I know Exactly Where I Want This Plot To Go, so trans topics and allegories as Plot Points probably won't happen.

On the more technical side of introducing trans characters -- how do you do that without just dropping "oh btw they're trans" in? Like, how do you make it a relevant thing to talk about, that doesn't feel forced or shoehorned in, especially this late in the story? Probably me overthinking, but I read it done wrong so often. It gets tired. And if I ever work on my original stories, there are trans characters in there! If I can figure out how to Do It Well in a fanfic, then I can figure out how to do it in original fiction someday maybe. So I kinda wanna take the introduction seriously? I've actually been thinking about it so much I've thought about rewriting the intro to the next chapter ahaha [it already needs rewritten in general, there's a lot going on, but the intro was going to be Helsknight waking up from something, and he sleeps shirtless, and not addressing top surgery scars then would be kinda silly I think.]

I can say at the very least, Gender Avoidant Wels probably won't factor in the story much. He is a character, but I don't think he'll become Enough of a character to faithfully address something like a trans self discovery arc. At best his issues with gender might be mentioned in passing.

Sorry! I know you probably want a better answer! My answer is basically: I don't know I'm still working on it. I want it to be there, but the capacity it's there is undecided.

That being said, I've been sitting on this glorious ask since the shenanigans started and the temptation to just Do That grows every time I read it:

#rns asks #trans tanguish #nonbinary helsknight #anonymous #no one asked but i think to date #the best intro to a trans character ive seen #is from the book 'what moves the dead' #where the mc explained they were a soldier and when you join the army you get assigned pronouns that only soldiers get #and they explain some people join the army to fight and some join because their old pronouns dont fit #and i dont think the mc ever defined why exactly they chose to be a soldier #but hey thats their pronouns now take it or leave it #them being a soldier has impact on the plot which means #even if the story isnt a trans story [about being trans] their pronouns still have weight and importance #the long pronoun explanation has a very compelling reason and never feels odd or forced #and it gets even more interesting in the second book 'what feasts at night' #where the soldier's PTSD has a direct effect on the ending of the story #[sighs dreamily] goddamn it T Kingfisher how do you always write so good #anyway enough about my writer crush on Kingfisher

[nientedenada]

Five Skyrim Lore Facts You May Not Know!

And unlike some of the clickbait videos on Youtube, these ones are absolutely true. Let me address some of the most common lore confusions I regularly see. As a Listicle, because why not? (It's easier than writing out long lore posts.)

The Blades never served the Mede Empire. Martin was the last Emperor they served. They then devoted themselves to looking for a new Dragonborn and working against the Thalmor. Titus Mede I created a new organization called the Penitus Oculatus, which handled all intelligence and security for the Mede Dynasty. The Penitus Oculatus has been the official Imperial organization for more than 175 years, while the Blades have been an independent force. It makes the Mede decision to outlaw the Blades a lot easier to understand if you know they weren't their employees at all. The Blades were loose cannons they couldn't control.

Ysgramor didn't destroy the snow elves. The stories about Ysgramor say he and his 500 Companions showed up in Skyrim, killed or sent the snow elves into exile, took all of Skyrim, and then wandered over to pick fights with the neighbours. In reality, the Falmer weren't completely driven from Skyrim till the reign of King Harald, thirteen generations after Ysgramor. In the interim, there was a whole Dragon cult and war, culminating with Alduin being flung through the time wound. It's a long period. The real Ysgramor definitely clashed with his snow-elf neighbours but he's accumulated the stories of hundreds of years around his mythic name.

The Companions haven't been a Nord-only organization for a very long time. You might think that a bunch of warriors venerating the legacy of Ysgramor and his Companion would be Nord only, and that was probably true way back in the First Era. But by the end of the First Era, the Companions had boasted both a Redguard and Elf (Altmer or Bosmer) Harbinger. Cirroc and Henantier are some of the most famous Harbingers in the history of the Companions. We're in the Fourth Era now, so if you're playing a non-Nord, you're following in a long tradition by joining the companions. (As is Athis.)

The Imperial Legion didn't win back most of Cyrodiil in the Great War. People often ask why Titus Mede II agreed to the harsh peace of the White-Gold Concordat after his army had destroyed the Dominion army in Cyrodiil and taken back the Imperial City. But that's not what really happened. The Legion destroyed "the main army". Other Aldmeri armies are mentioned in Cyrodiil. After Red Ring, the Dominion still occupied Anvil, Skingrad, Bravil, and Leyawiin. "The Great War" doesn't say that any of these cities were liberated. Put those territories together and you'll realize the Empire never got back its coastline or the Niben river. Titus Mede made his deal while the Dominion still occupied half of Cyrodiil. Maybe he could have won if he'd pushed on, but his decision is a lot easier to understand with this context.

The Bretons Don't Worship Talos. This is one of my favourite lore bits to explain. Talos is not a god in TES II, Daggerfall, though he is a historical figure, Tiber Septim. He's only introduced as a god in Morrowind. So, a lot of people assume that he's been retconned into the Breton religion, like he was into the Nord/Imperial religions. This is not true. In both Morrowind and Skyrim, the book Varieties of Faith in the Empire does not list Talos/Ysmir as part of the Breton pantheon. They worship the Eight (and sometimes Y'ffre, Magnus, and Phynaster), as they always have. Tiber Septim is an important historical figure whom some Bretons regard as one of their own, but he isn't an official god. I love this tidbit because it makes the White-Gold Concordat absolutely brilliant. One remaining province, Skyrim, gets all upset while High Rock wouldn't care. Cyrodiil is presumably somewhere in the middle. It's a perfect way to drive a wedge among the provinces. (Hammerfell's left the Empire, but for the record, they don't worship Talos either.)

#tes lore #niente lore #Skyrim #tesblr #a bunch of my favourite non-obvious lore facts

[mueritos]

i hope we continue to see more protests within the US military. i see a lot of leftists and folks who are anti-military who have such an open disdain for the people who are in the military, yet neglect to considering the conditions this country makes to produce ideology, poverty, and the illusion of choice to make all kinds of people choose to enlist in the military. You ever see those videos of ROTC kids recording each other asking why they joined the military and everyone's like, "healthcare", "it helped me go to college", "I was bored" or "free ptsd lol". I hate to remind everyone but folks who are in the military are people, too, and they are the same victims and perpetrators of violence as the rest of you, we have all been shallowly conditioned to view each other as enemies just because one person is wearing army greens and the other is not.

some of the biggest anti-war advocates are those who engaged in war. Veterans who genuinely believed they were protecting the US against "terrorism" come back with blood on their hands, and they choose to realize that it was US imperialism that forced them to carry out violence, instead of doubling down and shielding themselves from the fact that they too are capable of atrocities... This is a class of people who are intentionally conditioned to be as poor and as ideologically aligned to US imperialism so that the military has a never-ending pool to send their youth to destroy other country's youth. The only people I have ever heard say "do not join the military" are those who ARE military.

This is in no way to ever excuse or explain away any of the atrocious war crimes and violence this industry and its people have committed against others. What I am saying is that we absolutely cannot cast aside the individuals who have been victimized within US imperialism, even if they are wearing army greens. I was speaking with my Palestinian classmate last week and another classmate--a member of the US air force-- walked up to me and struck up a conversation. My military classmate showed me her new bird, bid both of us goodbye, and left. My Palestinian classmate asked me if I was close with her, and I said we talked quite often, and she said, "I never met a person who's in the military. I still hate the military, but I never knew that they did, too. I didn't realize that they were also victims."

If my Palestinian classmate--one who is actively watching her own community die--can understand that it is not individuals who are the problem but it is in fact systems, US imperialism, white supremacy, capitalism...why can't we all? And she has EVERY reason to hate any individual military member. A lot of online activism just creates more barriers. if your optics look bad, complicated, or contradictory, you are cast aside. Everyone has got the be the perfect activist, you can never make a mistake or share a half-baked thought, you should always believe every word from a marginalized persons mouth (because being marginalized doesn't mean you're not entrenched in white supremacy too!) and you should never question what you see...Do you know what you sound like? The very imperialists who are convincing poor whites to vote against themselves. Perfectionism is white supremacy. Black & white thinking is white supremacy.

I'd rather have a military member who genuinely believed in the US imperialism machine but was disillusioned after being deployed as my comrade than some leftist who cherishes the performance of "being a good person". I don't want "good people" in our movements. I want humans who care. I want humans who make mistakes and who learn from them. I want humans who accept the messiness of a person. I want humans who hold others accountable and allow themselves to take responsibility for their actions. I want people who change for themselves and others.

fight systems, not individual people. we can change each other, but if we're too preoccupied looking like the World's Perfect Activists, we will only consume each other alive. Connect to your fellow humans, forever and always.

#muertotalks #a mind dump after seeing so much come out after the self immolation of the us air force member #i know hes not the first one to self immolate for palestine #and he might not be the last #i hate the military #i really fucking do #but i choose to see the people within them as victims within the overall system just like the rest of us #i will never go through what they did to make them choose to enlist #i never struggled with poverty homelessness healthcare or social acceptance #i wont shame them #shame is not productive #i want them to know there are civilians who support their protests #i want them to know that we their allies too #a note on my palestinian classmate #if youre arab or also a colonized person impacted by the us military feel free to hate every member of the military #i dont intend to police yall in how you choose to feel your anger #im angry with you #the point i mean to make is about understanding and compassion #someone who has every right to hate these people still chose to see them as the people they are #yes i even want the best for the “bad” people in the military too #i dont want these people to continue the ideology but we cant stop that without dismantling these systems #and we cant do that without creating spaces for healing and reform and growth #so many thoughts so many thoughts #none of this is easy #i fight daily against impulsively hating the world #everyday is a fight to choose compassion and understanding #but being a leftist and doing leftism is not fucking easy #if you genuinely think it is it isnt #and you may be missing the point of what leftism is #anyway

[david-talks-sw]

Ever wonder how much the Prequels aligned with the original backstory George Lucas thought up in the 70s? Let's take a look!

"Once, under the wise rule of the Senate and the protection of the Jedi Knights, the Republic throve and grew."

"But as often happens when wealth and power pass beyond the admirable and attain the awesome, then appear those evil ones who have greed to match."

"So it was with the Republic at its height. Like the greatest of trees, able to withstand any external attack, the Republic was rotted from within though the danger was not visible from outside. Aided and abetted by restless, power-hungry individuals within the government, and the massive organs of commerce, the ambitious Senator Palpatine caused himself to be elected President of the Republic..."

"He had slowly manipulated things; in fact, it was he who let the bureaucracy run amok and therefore had blackmailed the Senate into doing things because he was the only one who really had any power over the bureaucracy."

"It was so large there was no way to get things done, but he knew the right people; the key people in the bureaucracy were working for him and were paid by the companies."

"He promised to unite the disaffected among the people and to restore the remembered glory of the Republic."

"Anakin Skywalker starting hanging out with the Emperor, who at this point nobody knew was that bad, because he was an elected official."

"Luke’s father gets subverted by the Emperor. He gets a little weird at home, and his wife begins to figure out that things are going wrong...

... and she confides in Ben, who is his mentor."

"The president is turning into an Emperor and Luke’s mother suspects that something has happened to her husband."

"There was a rebellion in terms of the Senate against the Emperor...

... they tried to oust him legally and have him impeached."

"The Jedi Knights were alerted immediately and they rallied to the Senate’s side."

"But there was a plot afoot and when the Jedi finally rallied and tried to restore order, they were betrayed and eventually killed by Darth Vader."

"They trusted him and they didn't realize he was the murderer who was decimating their ranks."

"The Emperor had some strong forces rally behind him, as well, in terms of the army and the Imperial forces that he'd been building up secretly.

"The Jedi were so outnumbered...

...that they fled, and were tracked down."

"Once secure in office he declared himself Emperor, shutting himself away from the populace."

"[Ben] goes back to Vader’s wife and explains that Anakin is the bad guy, the one killing all the Jedi."

"Anakin gets worse and worse, and finally Ben has to fight him."

"Vader is all beat up [...] his other arm goes and his leg and there is hardly anything left of him by the time the Emperor’s troops fish him out."

"Mrs. Skywalker has had the kids, the twins, so she has these two little babies who are six months old or so. So everybody has to go into hiding."

"Ben says, 'I think we should protect the kids, because they may be able to help us right the wrong that your husband has created in the universe'."

"And so Ben takes one and gives him to a couple out there on Tatooine and he gets his little hideout in the hills and he watches him grow."

I changed the order of some of it and had to use some deleted scenes but, all in all, I'd say what we got was pretty similar to what was originally thought out.

Obviously, most of it is shown in Episode III.

And it tracks, seeing as at Celebration III, George detailed that:

only 20% of his 7-page backstory was used for TPM (to lay the political groundwork, show how Palpatine rose to power and establish how Anakin joined the Jedi),

then 20% for AOTC (to show how Palpatine became a glorified dictator and how Anakin lost his mother and married Padmé),

and the remaining 60% is what was shown in ROTS (showing how the Republic becomes the Empire, how Palpatine becomes the Emperor and how Anakin became Vader).

Also I will point out that the bulk of the backstory material we’ve been shown is mainly oriented towards the political intrigue... Anakin's subplot is a close second. The Jedi aren't mentioned THAT much beyond trying to save the Senate and getting wiped out.

Sources:

Preface of Star Wars novelization, 1976

Story conferences with Carol Titleman, 1977 (transcribed in The Making of Star Wars, 2007)

Story conference, 1981 (transcribed in The Making of Return of the Jedi, 2013)

#long post #collection of quotes #bts tidbits #George Lucas #Star Wars Prequels #Sheev Palpatine #Star Wars #Revenge of the Sith #Attack of the Clones #The Phantom Menace #lucas quotes #sw meta #Jedi Order #Anakin Skywalker

[skyward-floored]

I know I've asked about First before, but how does he relate to Sky, exactly?

Well, in lu we don’t totally know yet, though I do have some guesses. More on that in a minute though.

First is Sky’s predecessor, according to the manga (which is questionably canon, but isn’t everything in zelda?) at the back of the Hyrule Historia. He’s a good man, but is wrongfully imprisoned for several years before being freed, and is then chosen by Hylia to use the Master Sword to help defeat the demon armies currently trying to take over the land. Hylia rides a crimson loftwing, and it ends up choosing Link as it’s rider as well later on.

Link fights the demons, and ends up in a battle with a leader (its probably Demise, but it’s a bit unclear), and First is grievously injured. First ends up using the Master Sword to send his people up into the sky (this eventually becomes Skyloft) but is unable to join them because of how badly he’s injured, and finally succumbs to his wounds.

I’m mostly cutting out the bits with Hylia, but she does come here and says her whole plan of being a mortal so they can meet again in another life... which I have some lore issues with but you know. Questionably-canon manga. The story then goes to many years later with little sksw Link, who meets the same crimson loftwing First once rode, evident by the marks on its beak, and becomes its new rider.

...

So. The biggest connection between them, aside from the reincarnation thing (which I’m ignoring because Jojo said for lu, it’s not exactly reincarnation between the Links), seems to be the crimson loftwing. Who, in the manga anyways, is the exact same bird, ridden by both First and Sky.

Lu doesn’t seem to be going that exact direction though. Here’s my thoughts.

Remember the crimson loftwing? In the manga, it’s the same one between First and Sky, but in lu that isn’t the case. We see Sky cuddling with a baby Crimson in these doodles, so my guess is that the Crimson Sky has is actually a descendant of First’s.

My biggest proof for this? Well look at them next to each other.

Notice something similar between them? Aside from the color and all that?

CHECK IT OUT. MARKINGS.

The same beak markings, only fainter on Sky’s bird (which adds again to my theory of the birds being descended from each other theory).

It might just be a neat reference, but we all know how much thought Jojo puts into everything in this comic. And First, though he hasn’t been entirely confirmed to be in lu, has been hinted at more then once. (I actually have a post around somewhere that points out all the hints to him and how it’s likely he will be in lu).

But yeah, I think I got a little off track from your original question, sorry XD Hopefully this explained things!

#if I actually didn’t explain too well feel free to ask I can clarify further 😅 #I got carried away a bit #linkeduniverse #linked universe #lu first #lu Sky #answers from the floor #lovely gryphonlover #long post #and I suppose I should add #it’s not likely they’re related #though I personally have a hc that Orville (one of First’s knight buddies) is actually first’s brother #and that Orville is Link’s however-many-greats grandpa #but that’s just a personal headcanon I use in my own stuff it’s probably not canon XD

[kanmom51]

JM live 15 June 2023 20:46 or 8:46pm KST

cr./to the creators of the media used in this post.

*Disclaimer: I hate Tumblr and it's stupid ass image limit. My personal feeling about this post is that it's lacking, but I guess c'est la vie, did the best under the circumstances (at least that's what I'll keep telling myself).

Guess what?

We already saw the pattern with JK, but is it possible that JM is joining in on the it? I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?

I won't be talking about every single thing that came up in JM's 1 hr. and 20 min. live. What I will do is touch on a few of the interesting things that happened during the live (well, what I found interesting at least), and what followed the live as well. Because JM didn't just show and dip. He wanted to take up home in his pocket, although he did think that over 7 million at his place might be too much, maybe if it was half of that it would be ok, lol. But we know JM, for reals, he wouldn't do a live at home, so he did the second best thing, which was to come back to us with posts and comments on Weverse.

Anyways, what did we have in the live?

JM talked about the 10 year anniversary a bit. Telling us he's not really that excited, but the biggest emotion he's feeling is fun. I get the not feeling excited. He also explains why. I'm happy that he felt it fun, I can't help but think that it was a bit of a bitter sweet celebration for them. He touched, not touched on it, when he mentioned the two members in the army at the moment.

JM tells us what he's up to lately, his daily schedule, more or less.

He's asked if he's working on a song, and JM like JM answers this:

He later gives us a little more detail: he's been working out and eating healthy and working on some music and living well. Once a week he allows himself to rest.

The question I ask is if JK allows him to rest too? Lol, nah. I guess that's the day they take off to visit Bammie. Ehm... we do have the scratch to prove it...

Jokes aside, JM talks about how it's good for him to have a set schedule and be at work. For him and JK both (that's me talking not JM). And seeing that RM kind of spilled the tea, we can guess that the workouts are probably, at least some of the time, together with JK.

At the 10:40 mark approx. Tae shows up in the comments.

JM, the kind of sassy and a true Slytherin that he is tells Tae, he will if Tae continues to comment for the whole time.

Well, I guess that was the end of it for Tae, lol.

Fuck people for calling him chubby in the comments. I hate this obsession with his weight, but even more so I hate people sitting at home on their asses and calling this 1.73 meter tall man that weighs 62.5 kg after putting on over 4 kg to get there, chubby. Like wtf? Man is skinny. And minus those 4 kgs he was fucking too skinny. Do they want him to starve himself? Do they not remember the issues he had in the past with his weight (issues which always linger even if you are "eating healthy" as he put it)?

Ok, so at around 14:55 min. JM's asked for the first time about the rainy day fight. When watching live, I kind of thought he was evading the question, but him answering the question later on, I tend to believe that maybe he just misunderstood the question at that point.

JM talks about sleep and R.E.M and how when you dream your mind is active and you don't really get deep sleep, and watching a video about it. I find it kind of funny and coincidental - NOT - that JK seems to have said practically the same things using similar wording in his live as well.

But no, they definitely aren't spending time together.

JM tells us he went to sleep at 6 am, woke up at 12 pm, made himself some chicken breast to eat and went back to sleep. Sound familiar anyone?

Sleep patterns. Chicken breast for lunch.

But no, they definitley aren't spending time together.

JM is asked to do the live all night.

He wants to sleep early.

Funny how that didn't work out for him... I guess someone was staying up to be able to speak with that very special person that happened to be in LA and would be waking up just as JM was supposed to go to sleep?

Slept at 12 and woke up at 8, ate at 12 pm, rest and go to workout at 2:30 pm approx., start working at 5 pm, at night he studied English. Ehm...didn't somebody else just let us know, repeatedly, that he's working hard on his English?

From his 5 June live:

Nah, I guess just another coincidence.

What I'm finding interesting is if JM is done with his promotions and it's off to the army any time now, why would he be working on his English?

Oh how I do hope that this is for something in the pipelines that involves the two of them TOGETHER!!!

Well, it is hard to break a sleeping pattern that has been with you for years and years. We all know of JM and JK's late night/early morning escapades. All night buddies that they are.

Rainy day fight, JM's version:

So this time around JM understands the comment asking about the rainy day fight and gives us his version of it.

Of course we got JM's JK smile.

He does tell us he's giving us an edited version of it. JK, on the other hand, edited without telling us, lol. Both said a lot about the what happened before and after, but magically didn't mention exactly what was said at the moment by JK to anger JM so so much for him to react the way he did.

Anyway, we got is the story from JM's pov. And yes, there are some differences, but I wouldn't expect otherwise. 2 people, 2 povs. No 2 stories would ever be exactly the same.

The main discrepancy I found was the timeline. JK's being when they were trainees, and JM's all over the place but still later on (2014-15). Idk, I'm gonna side with JK on this one, lol. Like I mentioned in the post about JK's live, I feel like this fight was way more impactful for JK than it was for JM. And as such it's more etched on his brain than it is for JM.

Something I found interesting was how each of them was keen to take responsibility for the fight. JK blaming himself for how he behaved and what he said, and JM the same.

What I also found interesting and very much not surprising is how this fandom roles. JK taking blame for the fight = "oh poor baby bunny JK, how big of him to take the blame"; JM taking blame fir the fight = "omg, how mean is JM picking on baby bunny JK, being so mean to him, ugh we hate JM."

Did I mention how there are some parts of this fandom that I absolutely despise?

One thing they both corroborated was the state of JK's eyes the morning after, lol.

Both JM and JK were happy giggly while telling the story.

A fight that definitley left it's mark of them both but also something to reminisce back on fondly.

Something else we learnt from JM's live was that he most definitely watched JK's live. He watched JK tell us about the rainy day fight and he also found JK's impersonation of G-Dragon very funny.

When is your next album coming JM?

Listening to army love letter

JM was truly moved by this.

Did JK cook Ramen for you?

JM averting eyes away from camera and moving on at the speed of light to..."oh angel pt. 2 came out today..."

There are 1001 options to why not yet. I'm not going to even start going there, because it's irrelevant and unimportant.

What I do know is JM chose to answer that comment but a. unlike the other comments that had to do with JK which he did answer, this one answer didn't come with a JK or jungkookie attached to it. It was short and he was done with it, and b. the way he looked away from the camera while saying it and repeating it once before just changing the subject was just so sus and felt like overcompensating.

Of course there are those that jumped at it like the dead feeders that they are. This must mean that they haven't seen each other. That JM isn't important to JK, etc. etc.

Funny how JM and JK don't see each other but are eating the same things for lunch, like Chicken breast and rice… or how they aren't seeing each other but JM somehow, magically, adjusted JK's mood lamp at JK's place…telepathy and telekinesis I guess. Oh, and did we discuss the sleeping patterns yet or the fact that they both happened to bring up the science mambo jumbo about sleep and dreams, almost word for word? But nope. They definitley aren't seeing each other and definitley aren't close. Also, for someone that is distanced they sure seem to be keeping up with each others lives. JM must be really bored to be sitting down and watching JK's long ass lives.

Moving on.

JM, being the king of evading answering whatever he doesn't want to answer, reads out comments asking about travel and tattoos, and decides those are topics he does not deem answer worthy, lol.

Do I talk about the goldfish lips? Nah, I don't wanna. Go watch!

Mashimaro

And this is JK way back in 2015 already.

JM assuming the position

So after saying he should do the next live lying down, cheeky thing that he is decided he's taking JK's sleeping live and raising him one, by taking us all home with him in his pocket, lol.

Although he took it all back. Yeah yeah, excuses excuses. So he can't fit 7 million into his place. Boo hoo. 3.5 million he can but 7 he can't. I do not accept such a cop out.

And then he was done, well more or less. Hungry, asking us for recommendations for food, and tired, he says his goodbyes and turns the live off.

But that wasn't the end of it. Nope.

Remember JM said he'd update us when he got home?

Well, he did. He came back to update us time after time after time.

And a comment too

Oh, and the next day as well.

Also interesting how that 5 and 8 found their way time after time into JM's posts and/or comments. 58 that happens to represent JK time after time.

At the end of the day what did we get from the live?

We got the rainy day fight - JM's perspective (muddled up timeline though, but I forgive him, getting old does make you forgetful, lol).

We got JM tell us he has seen JK's live, the one with him telling us his side of the rainy day fight and doing his G-Dragon impersonation, and I think we can assume he saw the sleeping live too.

I can't help but wonder if JM was reprimanded for commenting on JKs previous lives (you know with the shrimp, not really shrimp, comment and let me tie your hair), or perhaps he's just laying there enjoying watching his bf crush on him live.

We had JM call army and their comments cute. Funny, huh? How JK did that too?

Kind of interesting how the two seem to be saying the same things (the cute and the sleep talk), acting the same way, eating the same things.

I was going to add a clip and link here to JK's chicken breast eating tales, him cooking chicken breast with rice, him talking about eating chicken breast for lunch. Him eating healthy now days. Sounds familiar does it? JM talking about eating chicken breast for lunch, about eating chicken breast with rice. About eating healthy lately...

But damn Tumblr won't allow me. So you guys will either have to take my word for it (please don't), or go looking. You will see I am right...

For fun I will just leave you here with this:

Cause why not end this with an ear to ear smile on our faces?

#Jimin #JM #JM live #Jikook #Kookmin #Minkook #Jungkook #JK

[justanotherblogger]

GET READY FOR MORE ALASTOR THEORIES PEOPLE!!!

I am still reeling from the final episode, and I am currently just thinking about Alastor and all his little ticks and phrases that could mean so much more.

So let's get started on some of my favorites!

Obvious spoilers ahead

Alastors fight with Adam. The biggest thing in the episode for Alastor. He seemed to be cocky and treat it as one of his regular murders during the day, not taking him that seriously.

He seemed to have overestimated himself in his abilities against the angelic army leader, and in consequence had his staff broken in half and in his shock at that, left himself wide open for another attack.

Why was he so cocky? He seemed to be so sure of himself against Adam, and so sure he could at least get a few good hits in.

I think this was because he used to something more powerful before his deal with whoever owns his soul now. He just fell back into muscle memory from before he lost most of his strength, thinking he could beat Adam without an angelic weapon, and was surprised that he couldn't hold up to levels of power he could've dealt with before he lost his own.

Like when he was shocked his staff got snapped in half by Adams shockwave. Could it take hits like that before? Has he fought Adam like that before? Is the reason he fell back into muscle memory because he hasn't had this level of threat since his fall/maybe the start of his 7 year absence or because this is how their fights used to go?

He also talked about how powerful a mortal soul could get if it took control of its own fate. This could be a reference to Charlie and the others fighting the extermination, or it could be about himself. If so, what did he choose to get this way? Was this a reference to his deal? Or maybe about his origins to get to where he is now?

Then when he did get hurt in the fight, he looked panicked and fled the scene. He didn't expect to get seriously hurt, at least that quickly from Adam, for whatever reason. Like he didn't expect something like this to happen, or he's just realizing how weak he's gotten since his last major scuffle.

Now, in the radio tower scene. He's seen having a sort of mental breakdown. How he almost died a 'pathetic' death defending the hotel and everyone in it. He seems very distraught at how he almost died.

I did see someone analyze this as Alastors fear of death, and I agree partially with that. Alastor did seem to be caught up in almost dieing to Adam. But I don't think it was because he was about to die in general, but because he would die like that.

We saw how he mocked it in the "Alastor Altruist died for his friends." in his snipbit. I think it was about how he's realizing his situation in full now. What he's been forced into is taking more of an effect than he thought it would at the hotel, as he ranted about a possible back door in the deal that tied him to the hotel and took his power.

This makes me think that Alastors true power has been (hazbin, hehe) taken or suppressed by the deal maker, with them owning his soul, and he's not used to being this weak against slightly stronger opponents, as he definitely has battle experience based on his fighting style with Adam.

Now, for who owns Alastors soul, there are 3 that I've been interested in from different posts on here and actual show hints.

Additionally, his mouth was totally stitched up in his demonic form when making the deal with Charlie. Maybe this was so he is forced to keep his smiling persona up at all times, and maybe to keep him from spilling anything about the deal or where he was for the last 7 years.

Anyways, first off is obviously Lilith. As I have explained in my previous ramble, Lilith probably took Alastor in from a lethal experience, either manipulating or threatening him to join her deal.

I think a plausible reason for this now is to look after Charlie and her hotel. She's currently in heaven, and had a deal with Lute or the angel army about the extermination. She most likely can't leave, which is why she's been gone for the past 7 years with no contact in hell.

She probably chose Alastor because of his reputation and power, but limited it so he couldn't do any lasting damage to the hotel or daughter just in case, since he can theoretically hurt angels.

The second popular option is Eve, or Roo, as everyone's calling her. She was the root of all evil and was a big villain in Vivs' previous work that Hazbin Hotel was based on.

We haven't seen her yet, other than the storybook appearance in the first episode. We don't have much info about her, so I can't really draw any parallels just yet between her and Alastor.

The last one is a bit of a stretch, and I didn't think of this until I saw another post about him: Lucifer

I could see where this would go, to be honest. We see his beef with Lucifer immediately during episode 5, and how Alastor takes any opportunity ro rile him up.

Lucifer could've made a deal with Alastor during his depression funk, causing him to not exactly remember Alastor in good detail with all the other deals he probably made during that time.

Alastor most likely resents him for what his deal did to him if Lucifer was the deal maker, trapping Alastor at the hotel to protect Charlie, and Lucifer just doesn't remember crap from that time and is very confused.

This one is the least likely out of the rest and kind of crack-ish, but was kinda fun to entertain and make a bit of sense on.

These are the theories I have so far on Alastor in Hazbin Hotel from the final episodes. I love this guy's lore, and I am desperate for more about his origins and powers.

#alastor hazbin hotel #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor #hazbin hotel theory #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel thoughts #hazbin lilith #lilith #lilith hazbin hotel #lucifer hazbin hotel #lucifer #just some thoughts #what if alastor was a fallen being of some sort tho #if this turns out to be true im gonna scream #hazbin hotel spoilers

[meeks-just-wants-to-scroll]

thank you

kieran is a decent shot but is terrifying with a knife (people are not that different to fish). 110% he would win a 1v1 knife fight every time and thanks to army training he's pretty decent at disarming people in hand on hand combat. would take a knife to a gun fight and have a chance of winning

probably taller than 90% of the gang if he actually corrected his posture

his parents died when he was a proper baby only 8 or 9 and he pick-pocketed to survive along with a bunch of other urchins like the saint denis gang. he's still pretty good at it and is really good at being stealthy/light on his feet despite his stature (helpful for not getting noticed by the crueler VDLs)

he also became a pretty good liar and con artist as part of living on the street and getting out of trouble when caught (this is heavily inspired by how differently he treats gang members, happily tells karen he is a baby to get sympathy, people-pleasing 'whatever you say miss with mary-beth, needles arthur back a bit when they go fishing)

probably has a touch of the old imposter syndrome because he never really had the chance to figure out who he was he's just been focused on survival since since day 1. he loves horses because he doesn't have to worry about what mask he has to wear with them

he's frankly not sure how old he is on account of how young he was when his parents died. he enlisted for the army when he looked old enough, in reality he was probs only 17 and barely got in based on his facial hair, which he had never shaved a day in his life since it started growing (hc late 20s/early 30s in game)

he was in the infantry division. consistent food and routine after a decade of fighting for scraps and being spit on? he loved it. very upstanding, attentive, kept his uniform clean and sharp. was there years before he saw active combat. then he fucking hated it. refused to follow orders. was not dying over land. was not shooting at unarmed people. dishonorably discharged. would have deserted if they didn't.

looks like an absolute fucking baby without facial hair and would sooner bite someone than be clean shaven because he hates it

gets very irritable when he hasn't had a cigarette for a while. has picked cigarette butts of the ground for a quick hit. would have broken faster about six point cabin if they offered him a cigarette.

lying through his teeth about his time with the o'driscolls. he was probably with them closer to a year, and a little higher than bottom-rung. got to pick and choose what missions he went on, talk to colm directly, most knew his name ect. i cannot see him having the balls to argue with colm o'driscoll himself unless he had some level of protection/seniority within the gang esp given the circumstances of how he joined. he was trusted enough to ride off on his own without running off?

in saying that. he was definitely considering running off in colter. at no point does he try to fight arthur. no way he wasn't armed. just oh no i am being abducted this is v bad. don't give me food for weeks? still like you more than colm can i stay with you pls

AHHH!!! I READ THIS THE DAY YOU SENT IT BUT I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO RESPOND BECAUSE I WASN’T REALLY EXPECTING PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY SEND IN THEIR HEADCANONS, THANK YOU THESE ARE WONDERFUL!

:D You explained these all beautifully and I feel like I couldn’t say much more, but I’ll try to “yes and…” everything you said because I feel it is worth exploring these ideas you proposed. Long HC ramble under the divider.

1) I don’t know much about 1800’s military training but I can see Kieran being a knife guy like you said. He has a custom knife in game (at the very least he has a custom pistol). Him being good with a knife makes me think of how he comes off as unarmed from a distance but harbors a wicked knife up close. I am sure he mainly uses his knife for cutting fishing line or whittling sticks in his free time. He used it for cutting up animals he hunted while with his past gang. That knife has gotten him through a lot, it’s practically an heirloom at this point; it kept him alive and is one of the few things he fully owns and kept from his youth.

2+3+4) lanky scary guy is stealthy!! Yes!! I would like to mention how no one in the VDL gang noticed Kieran wandering off and getting a gun belt from a corpse during the firefight in A Social Call Mission. He did all of that AND was swift enough to save Arthur. I agree that he was very young when his parents died. I more so think 11-13 in my HC but that’s just because I feel like the stables would rather kick out a tween/teen than a little kid. This blends into your 4th point about being a con artist. Kieran knows his strengths and weaknesses. He knows that people see a scrawny little boy before they see him as a thief. Squirming and squabbling can be enough of a distraction to get away with things.

I don’t have a good explanation for how Kieran did this since he can’t leave camp, but while I was playing, I saw Kieran donated a jewel necklace to the camp funds (and not to brag on his behalf, but he donated WAY MORE $$ than the other members 🤭). Kieran still can pull his weight in pickpocketing, even in game. I imagine he does it without straying too far from camp by pretending he is sick or hungry and thirsty on the side of well traveled paths and getting close enough to strangers to swipe something. It’s subtle enough to not draw attention to camp, yet effective enough to be worth it in the long run.

5+6) I agree on imposter syndrome! One hc I have is that Kieran was raised an only child while traveling westward to California with his parents meaning he had no consistent kids his age to be with. Even in the military (where he SHOULD be surrounded by his peers) he never really connected in a genuine way. Being roughened up by being an outlaw after that just made it harder to emotionally connect since so much required not breaking down if a group member dies. It’s odd; Kieran is unwilling to be vulnerable, but he isn’t this stoic wall. Instead he has this decoy vulnerability?… he’d rather people see him as a weak guy if it gets him out of a physical hurt yet he won’t be vulnerable if it means running the risk of being emotionally hurt.

7) I know very little about 1800’s military (and my cursory research has been shallow thus far) but I imagine it was better than being homeless and orphaned! Food, shelter and routine, like you said. I imagine Kieran was an obedient and hard working kid; helped his family with horses, fishing and hunting. Pre-outlaw Kieran felt conflicted about killing people. I mean… he joined the army so he isn’t clueless that he had to kill, but killing on paper vs actually killing is very different, plus he was a puny teen without a fully developed brain when he enlisted.

Once Kieran became an outlaw, he had to make some sort of peace / find some silver lining to killing. You have to have morally dubious ways of coping with being an outlaw or else you go mad. One way was him (guiltily or not) finding some thrill in gunfights or knife fights. Made him feel good for once about being an easy to underestimate guy. He got to taunt, shout, and watch his enemies faces contort in pain and horror.

8) the facial hair stuff!! I agree that Kieran likely looks like an exhausted young adult under all the scruff. I imagine Kieran has put value into his unkempt looks. He does care for hygiene (source: he says it in cut audio) but he can’t bring himself to trim his facial or head hair because he feels it is the only thing making him a man. Like you said, imposter syndrome, he doesn’t feel like he’s an actual adult who has his life together. I’m sure Kieran has some out-dated ideas of what makes a man (out-dated by modern day standards). Stuff like being strong, a provider, hairy, deep voiced, etc. Kieran isn’t many of those things. Having a snaggly beard is his tiny grasp on meeting what he wishes he could be. I also think he hasn’t cut his hair that much because of a lack of salons while being an outlaw.

9) I honestly forget most of the characters in RDR2 smoke… but I agree! Growing up with a smoker as a parent who tried to quite cold turkey a few times, I know how hellish withdrawal is on a person. While in Colter, tied up, Kieran was the most bellicose because of withdrawals peaking (upon other things). I feel like some point between his parent’s dying and him joining the outlaws was when he took up smoking.

10+11) Kieran was DEFINITELY lying about how involved he was with the O’Drisc, agreed. I see him as being with them for likely 6 months to a year. Maaayyybe more but I feel like Kieran ran with his prior gang for most of his adult life. To me, Kieran is fibbing a half truth when he says he wasn’t close with Colm and he was merely a stable boy. He WAS that, but with being an obedient, hardworking chore boy, he was kept around long enough to make it up little by little till he was on missions out of camp collecting supplies or defending territory/camp. Kieran was always a pawn, never someone Colm actually cared for. Kieran was just the least-annoying gang goon Colm could bring into the mountains to watch the horses in the cold stables. The fact Kieran was even spotted by the VDL gang was bad luck.

I don’t know why he is riding out of the camp solo before Arthur catches him ;-; my best guess would be Kieran was going to meet up with other members but when a fight with the O’Drisc vs VDL broke out in camp, Kieran took it as his chance to get the fuck out of there.

On the topic of getting the fuck out, Kieran didn’t fight as much as he could when Arthur got him, I agree. When his life depends on it, he will fight like a cornered animal, all knife slashing and wild-eyed. Whether Kieran fights or goes limp and pleads pathetically depends on the situation. When Kieran fled from the O’Drisc camp firefight, he knew he wouldn’t last out there unless he got off the mountain. Being snatched and dragged to an enemy camp was better than dying of exposure. I mean… everything in his life sucks. Kieran gets no easy options. Sometimes he just has to go limp and be tied up and see where life brings him.

His relationship with Colm is interesting. I don’t think Colm cares very much about Kieran (keep in mind I don’t actually know Colm’s character well since I haven’t finished the game). From what Kieran describes of him, I feel it was all things Kieran observed or eavesdropped on while doing chores or sitting around the camp. Who knows tho! I am open to the idea that Kieran was of higher rank and indeed had more reasons to talk with Colm directly. I don’t know much about the O’Driscoll gang inner workings.

Ah!! Once again, thank you so much :) I love all your headcanons and it was a blast brainstorming about your ideas.

#meeks rambles #asks #meek’s headcanons #rdr text post #rdr2 kieran #rdr2 headcanons #red dead redemption fandom #red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption two #kieran duffy #rdr2 spoilers #rdr2 fandom #rdr2 community #rdr2 arthur #rdr2 #ask

[fluorescentbalaclava]

training season's over (double chapter)

Chapter 7: Gleaming & Chapter 8: FISH n' CHIPS

Summary:

Gleaming

To describe something as good, desirable or brilliant. A particular favourite of the Guards Division. If something is ‘gleaming’ you’re probably onto a good thing.

FISH n' CHIPS acronyms, Fighting In Someone's House and Causing Havoc In People's Streets.

TF141/female reader, König/female reader

spy reader, forced bonding, slow burn, slow build, military inaccuracies, suggestive language, language, canon typical violence, second chance, domestic fluff, enemies to friends, becoming buddies, referenced torture, hurt/comfort, hugs, bar fights, alcohol, cuddles

previous: chapter six "contact"

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Chapter 7

How to tell a guy has a crush on you?

You immediately groan to yourself for googling this at your grown age. There was a time when you dated, you even had a boyfriend before all of this. Still, it feels like a lifetime ago, those thoughts were pushed to the back of your head for a while, but after your encounter with König you need answers. 

God, at what point I got so disconnected with emotions?

Ah, the good old WikiHow.

 1 - He talks to you—a lot.

Uhm...maybe?

2 - He makes eye contact.

Definitely, it’s kinda unsettling sometimes.

3 - He gives you his full attention.

Uh... I mean, yes. But isn't this like the bare minimum?

4 - He laughs at your jokes.

This is ridiculous.

5 - He tries to impress you.

Eh, perhaps.

7 - He lowers his voice when he speaks to you.

The fuck?

You cringe at yourself, before closing your computer and placing it next to you. I mean, maybe it’s not romantically? He clearly cares about you, after all, you don't just go through that for anyone, at least you wouldn't. Or would you? Fuck, this is hard.

König was---is your friend. You began to remember the first time you met him; you fresh joined KorTac, lined up in a row with other new recruits. Upcoming missions required weeks long deployments, and you were informed that some of you were needed for them as there was a shortage of staff in the base, due to the many operations KorTac was contracted to carry out, and that the commanding officers would pick a few rookies to fill the spots.

The first two officers went past you, not even giving you a second glance, just picking the biggest people in the row and calling it a day. The third of them, an American, just looked down at you and with a sarcastic tone said.

"I think you're in the wrong place, doll."

Cunt.

The sight of the fourth one immediately made everyone on the row stand straight. You heard someone beside you whisper "colonel". He was intimidating, tall as fuck, with a black sniper hood over his face and clear paint smeared on the fabric under the holes of his eyes, looking straight out of a Friday the 13th film.

He walked in silence, taking the time to examine each one of the remaining recruits in line. Opposite to the other officers, or at least the ones he talked to, he liked rookies. They were fresh meat, easy to mould to his liking. You saw him looking at you, slightly tilting his head like a curious dog, and you made yourself hold his gaze.

That might have caught his attention, because next thing you knew, he was in front of you. Looking down, probably standing too close on purpose only to make you look up even more, putting your neck in an uncomfortable position. God, it was humiliating.

"Name?" He asked, surprising you as his voice was not as deep as you expected.

"Sage, sir"

"SAS?" He asked, pointing at the Union Jack on your chest.

"No, sir. I was hired before I could try for selection. Corporal, British Army." You explained, and you saw him narrowing his eyes while looking at your face.

"You're coming with me, Maus." He said before simply turning around and walking away. Leaving you a little dumbfounded, as well as your fellow comrades, but soon you followed after.

And that was it, just like that you were under his command until you had the requirements to try and become a sergeant. You never asked him why he exactly did it, you didn’t want him to feel like you were questioning him. He was your superior, after all. Google just told you that "Maus" was a common term of endearment in German.

Those thoughts brought back to that day in Uzlovoye, Russia. Everything felt calm enough— just a rural town, you thought. You really don't remember much; you remember getting into what seemed like an abandoned building and having to collect a computer with vital information inside a bunker. You remember hands behind you, König's voice asking for updates through the comm, the growing anxiety in his voice at the lack of response, the hands squeezing your neck, and then everything went black. The next thing you remember was lifting your head, trying to move to no avail, something hard behind you, the feeling of restraints all around your body, and the disgusting smell of rust and humidity.

A knock on your door distracts you.

“Who is it?”

“Me,” Soap voice says from outside the door.

“Come in.”

He opened the door, finding you resting on your bed already in your pyjamas. One with bunnies this time. Looking around, he quickly realises you have already made yourself quite at home. The room is fully decorated now, except for some boxes piling up in the corner. He could even bet you would have painted the walls as well, if given the chance. You can tell he’s also ready for bed with a shirt from some band you don’t even know and tartan pyjama bottoms.

“Came for a tour?” You said it with a teasing tone from bed, looking up at him.

“Oh, sorry” He answered clearing his throat.

“I'm here to formally invite ye to our monthly film night” Soap said with a playful, elegant tone.

"Monthly? How come I'm first learning about this? I've been here for four months already" Seeing Soap standing on the doorway with a cocky grin.

"Sure, ye can get mad at us for not inviting ye...or ye can be over the moon we are doing it now" He said teasingly.

"Fine...just give me a minute."

And now you were there, in the usual sitting position, with Gaz in the middle, you on one side and Soap on the other. Ghost and Price are sitting on individual sofa at each end of the couch. All of them looked more casual, in their pyjamas as well. Maybe next time you could convince them to do a face mask and turn this into a proper sleepover, like the ones you held with your girlfriends back in high school. You brought a blanket with you to snuggle as well as a cardigan, the base felt like a freezer in the winter.

They did a rock, paper, scissors competition to see who picked the film. Something in you got suspicious when everyone groaned when Price won, even Ghost, but you gave his taste in movies the benefit of the doubt.

Fucking hell...

He picked Gangs of New York, and about half an hour later, the only thing keeping you awake was the feeling of your head bobbling every time you were close to falling asleep.

The only thing keeping Kyle entertained was seeing how hard you were trying to stay awake. From what Johnny told him, you apparently had trouble sleeping, often waking at night to sneak to the kitchen. So, to try and help you, at some point he shifted his shoulder a bit, so when you fell asleep, your head fell against it.

He felt how your breath slowly became even and calm, and you soon were sleeping like a baby. At least she can spare herself from this. As much as he tried to keep focused on the screen, trying to at least follow the storyline, you kept leaning more of your weight against him, seeking his warmth, to which he felt his cheeks warming up.

He took a look around, Ghost was watching the screen, Soap was asleep as well, and Price was watching the picture attentively.

His hand was awkwardly behind you, not sure what to do with it, as your body was pressed on his side. After a few minutes of consideration, he decided that to be comfortable, or so he told himself, to delicately put his arm around your waist, careful to be respectful and gentle. You shifted slightly, and he almost pulled away, but you just snuggled more against him, making him confident enough to cuddle you some more.

He leaned back on the couch, relaxing. It was surprisingly pleasant to rest like that. He could feel the warmth of your body underneath your clothes and how your body gently moved with each breath.

The light of the television illuminated your sleeping face, your muscles relaxed and a peaceful expression, quite the opposite of what he normally sees in you. You looked like a powerhouse when you trained, running through the o course like it was nothing, doing series after series at the gym, and relentlessly hitting whatever thing you had in front of you to train: the bag, mannequins, or Soap. 

In your sleeping thoughts, the heat coming from an unknown source was soothing, the aroma of cologne appearing in your dreams and the softness of the cotton of his shirt against your cheek.

He tried to remember the last time he ever was with someone like this. Probably before he joined the 141. Since he met Price, his life has been dedicated to the task force, his country, and saving the world. He almost forgot how nice this was.

The thoughts started to drift even more.

He imagined coming back to someone after work, lying like that while relaxing after a hard day of work, ordering takeout, watching the telly, and then heading to the bedroom. He didn’t realise until now that he craved that, the intimacy of a partner and the closeness of someone outside his friends. So focused on his job he almost forgot the feeling of a warm body pressed against him, the softness of the fabric of your shirt under his hand, your steady breath...he felt slightly flustered at the thoughts crossing his head, but he allowed himself to enjoy in silence. Just two co-workers resting on an evening—it wasn't a big deal. You looked adorable, he had to admit. And he enjoyed the moments he spent with you off-duty; going for the groceries, watching reality TV, or going for runs in the morning. All the stuff he dreaded or felt like chores of civilian life was now enjoyable. They almost made him forget he was a soldier, that he was in a base, and that you are there because you are a criminal. Of course, he would never tell you any of that.

"Kyle" You whispered groggily, snapping him out of his thoughts, and he looked down at you. You couldn’t even open your eyes, the sight bringing a soft smile to his face.

"How long until it ends?" You added it, making him chuckle silently.

"It's almost three hours long, and we're only one hour in, luv" He whispered back, amused.

"For fuck's sake" You muttered in an annoyed groggy tone, curling up on yourself even more while pulling the blanket up, wrapping yourself as you were still leaning against him, going back to sleep.

He could get used to this.

Chapter 8

With a unanimous vote, or so they told you, they decided to take you to the Battleship, a small bar close to the base opened by a retired SAS member mostly for other soldiers to hang out in.

You decided on putting on a long-sleeve shirt with some open buttons on the front that let it hang open enough for your tank top to peek out. As well as just some normal jeans, your tactic boots, and a jacket. You also decided to leave your hair down with clips to prevent it from falling all over your face. And just the tiniest bit of makeup—you were actually excited to see yourself a bit more dolled up than usual. Still casual enough, you think.

When Price sees you, a realization quickly strikes him. Yes, you were a merc, a spy, and you murder people—all crimes he was already too familiar with, and by the looks of it, so were you. But you were only a girl. When you arrived with a soft smile to meet them in the car park, it was like you didn't belong there with them. In other circumstances, you probably would have finished college by now; you would be getting ready to go out with your girlfriends for a drink after a normal day of work and chatter about your lives; you'd have a flat (a new one); and probably a partner. But instead, whatever life choices you made brought you here, going out on a Saturday night with four war criminals, older than you, to a shitty bar on the side of the road. He almost feels pity for you.

Pity he's quickly snapped out of when, apparently, once you got in the Jeep and you were getting comfortable, Soap got in behind you, accidentally pulling your hair with his arm against the seat, to which you winced and almost instinctively threw a very hard push against his shoulder, making him loudly groan but back out.

"Get off my hair," you said, glaring at him, picking up your hair and putting it over one of your shoulders, brushing it together again.

"I'm trying, but it's fuckin' everywhere. Can't ye put on a ponytail or something? Jesus Christ, no need to dislocate my shoulder." He said it with a small wince of pain, rubbing his shoulder.

"Muppets, behave," Price said with a sigh before getting into the driver seat.

It's probably going to be a long night.

He had yet to ask you for what fucked-up reason you ended up enlisting in the first place. But he saw you were uncomfortable enough when he tried to make you call your parents more frequently, and he didn't want to push any further.

He saw on the rearview mirror that Soap and you had made peace, and he was now telling you about how terrible the new recruits were and how they couldn't even handle a few runs around the base, and he was surprised when he heard a “I give them two more weeks” from Ghost, who was sitting next to you.

You seem well enough, considering your situation. He was glad when Kyle came to him, asking for permission to take you along with Soap to the town on a small shopping spree by the sounds of it.

Soap very much enjoyed the little getaway, even if it was for mundane things such as going to the supermarket, the bakery, and a small shop to get your mug. They made you wait in another aisle while Gaz and him debated between getting you the “I’m not short, I’m just more down to earth than most people!” one or the "Don't be a cuntcake" one that had a little drawing of a cupcake. Ultimately, their decision was the right one when you opened the box and cringed at the mug about your height. He really enjoyed getting to taste the macarons you bought. They were a bit overpriced for his liking, but they were tasty, so it was worth it.

"So... thoughts?" Gaz said, walking beside you as you entered the bar.

"It's...not bad," you say slowly, looking around.

It's clearly not your style or your idea of a bar. The decorations look like they were clearly chosen by a retired soldier (in a bad way), and it reeks of cigarettes; you could be smoking two cigars yourself by the amount of smoke you're breathing. Needless to say, it is quite busy, and Ghost and Price walk in front of you, with Soap behind as they go to the bar. Gaz just chuckled, probably sensing that this wasn't really your cup of tea.

"After a drink, it'll grow in you," he says as you start walking to the counter as well.

"Price! It's been a while, mate, what you've been up to?" The man at the counter asked cheerfully, already grabbing a bottle of whisky.

"Very busy months, Arthur. We are catching a break while we can," the captain answered while leaning on the counter.

"He is the owner," Gaz whispered to you.

You glanced at the man, looking him up and down. Checkered shirt, long beard, curly hair, missing a leg. Probably the reason why he retired in the first place.

"Oh, and who's this? Your daughter?" He said it with the same cheerful attitude, noticing you were looking at him and extending his hand to you. You chuckled as you shook his hand, and Gaz and Soap snickered at the comment as well.

"How old do you think I am? No, she's a new recruit," Price said in a mock-offended tone.

"Sa---...eh, Wire" Old habits die hard.

"Sorry, John. And it’s a pleasure to meet you, sweetheart.” He said it with a friendly tone, letting you go and putting a small bowl of peanuts in front of you.

“What can I do for you today?"

"Water, I have to drive."

"Whisky"

"Bourbon"

"Guinness, please"

"Do you have absinthe?"

"I actually do! It's been a while since someone ordered, but we serve it the classic way. Give me a moment." The man behind the counter, seemingly excited by the request, left to search for the necessary tools on the back.

When you looked next to you, your teammates were looking at you as if you had a second head.

"What?" Your tone was already defensive.

"Are you an alcoholic, bonnie?" Soap answered with his own question.

"I like the taste! It’s like liquorice."

"That doesn't help your case, luv," Gaz said teasingly, winning a playful scoff from you.

"Fuck off, it's just to warm up."

After Arthur came back, he made a small show of serving your absinthe, ice-cold water, absinthe spoon, and sugar cube, and you were surprised to even see a Pontarlier reservoir glass. After that, he went to serve the rest of the drinks less excitedly.

Once the first round was finished and Soap gagged after asking to try your drink, the five of you left the counter in favour of an empty table next to the pool, dividing into two teams: Soap and Ghost against Gaz and you. Price opted to be a spectator while smoking a cigar. After Ghost broke the aligned balls, their team had the solid ones, while you were left with stripes.

Alcohol must have really warmed you up because you were laughing more than usual at playful banter and at Soap's stupid dick jokes directed at Ghost regarding balls and pool cues.

Simon grumbled, but deep down, he didn't mind. For a change, it was nice to hear your laugh and to see your cheeks flush as you got hot from laughing and the heat of the place. He could see the men from the other tables ogling you, and although he knew you were perfectly capable of handling them yourself, he couldn't help but shoot glares in their direction when you weren't looking, making them immediately turn around at the sight of a man like Ghost catching them red-handed. A strange feeling of protectiveness was brewing in his chest—something about someone like you in a place like this and surrounded by rough men. It was foolish to think; he was well aware, and he felt almost embarrassed to even entretain the idea. Three months ago, he hated you and everything about you, and he let Price know multiple times that it was a terrible idea to have a criminal on the team.

But now...he had to look away when you bent over the table on your turn; suddenly, the inside of his mask was too warm.

"I need a drink," you announced, bubbly, stretching your back before handing Gaz your pool cue.

"No more absinthe, bonnie, won't hold yer hair while you throw up." Soap said, teasing, making you chuckle.

"I'm getting a coke; don't worry, mom."

"And I'm going to the bathroom," Price announced from the nearby table.

"Does anyone want anything?" You asked as you began to walk away.

"No thanks, luv," Gaz said, as Soap and Ghost only shook their heads as they were studying the table, seeing the best way to proceed as they were losing.

You walked away to the counter, which was across the bar, allowing the three men to keep sight of you.

Soap lowered his upper body over the table, hitting a red ball but missing the pocket, making him curse under his breath. Gaz chuckled at this, and they had a small break while you got back since it was your turn. He saw you waiting for Arthur to be done with another customer when a man he didn't recognize but saw on a nearby table approached you, shamelessly putting his hand around your waist as he stood beside you. The men on his table were watching the scene with a smirk on their faces.

This made him annoyed, and apparently, he wasn't the only one.

"Fucking dogs." Soap said, standing next to Ghost.

"Should we go for her?" Gaz asked, trying his best not to sound too eager. He saw you turn around with a scowl, clearly not happy.

"Lass can take care of herself," Ghost bluntly answered. Although his eyes were betraying him, he was still glued to the scene.

When he turned to look back at you, you were saying something to the man while glaring at him. The men chuckled and said something back, and you rolled your eyes. Your face went back to face the front. Maybe you didn't mind?

Then he saw how the man's hand slithered down your back, and he felt his blood boiling. But before his hand could reach its destination, a quick blow from your elbow harshly met its own destination, connecting with the man's nose. Not only making him pull his hand away but making him fall back with a whine of pain, and now everyone’s eyes were on the scene.

"You fucking whore!" The man said loudly before he got up, clearly aggressive. But you weren't backing up, either.

"Fuck," Gaz said before he quickly hurried up to the scene, followed by Soap.

As they arrived, Gaz got in between the man and you, and Soap quickly held you from behind, wrapping his arms around your waist. The man's friends are also holding him back, muttering stuff along the lines of “it’s not worth it” or “it’s just a chick.”

"Put your fucking bitch on a leash," he said angrily, blood pouring from his nose. Ah, a yank.

"Haud yer wheesht," Soap barked at him from behind you, still holding you as you tried to break free from his arms.

"I’ll chop your hands off." Not even you knew you had so much pent-up anger inside you, probably looking for the right situation to explode. Johnny was struggling more than he would like behind you, feeling like he was trying to hold back a bull. Bloody hell, maybe I should do more weightlifting.

"The fuck is your problem, mate?" Gaz through gritted teeth, but before the man could scream back, you were approached by Ghost. The man's eyes widened, and he stayed quiet, all the blood draining from his face.

"L-Lieutenant." He said this while standing straight, trying to sloppily clean the blood off his face with his hand.

"You are?" Ghost asked.

"Shadow Company, sir." You heard Soap muttering 'of course' under his breath, still holding you back.

"T-This girl broke my nose!" He said, pointing at you, making your efforts to break free from Soap's grip increased.

"Yer awfy crabbit, mo leannan," Soap whispered to you, not letting you go, trying to get you to calm down.

"Only because you tried to touch her ass like a fucking mutt in heat," Ghost answered bitterly, looking down at the man who looked as if he wanted the earth to swallow him.

"What’s the problem here?" Price approached the situation, fresh from the bathroom. At the sight of the captain, the man looked like he wanted to throw up.

"Graves men were getting handsy with the lass," Gaz explained, and he heard you groan in annoyance behind him.

"I can take care of him myself." You said through gritted teeth.

The same alcohol that made you giggle like a teenager is now making you thirsty for blood, as well as annoyed that they felt the need to handle the situation themselves, like you weren't an adult and a trained killing machine, just like them. All the frustration, sadness, and anger that you obediently swallowed in the first months of your new life, not wanting to worsen your already poor situation, is now coming back to bite you in the ass. You wanted to unleash every little one of your frustrations on the man in front of you.

"Mo chridhe, calm down," Soap said again. Gentle but struggling, you were using all your force to get out of his embrace.

"LT, help." He said in a strained voice as he kept trying to lock you in his arms, to which Simon rolled his eyes, but he eventually approached you. With ease, he wrapped his arm around your waist and threw you over his shoulder.

"Fucking hell, Simon," you said, now with a view of the 'Lieutenant Riley' written on his back.

"Some fresh air will do you good, flower." He said as he walked out of the bar carrying you.

This was a rather embarrassing situation, everyone was watching curiously. It was not the first time you were carried out of the bar, and certainly not your first fight. Probably not the last, either. You deep down knew that the gossip of the new girl getting into a fight and being carried away by her lieutenant was going to spread like wildfire on the base.

But, your head felt slightly woozy making you accept your fate as fresh air was starting to sound very nice.

"Sorry, Arthur," Price said with an apologetic look, looking at the bartender.

"Don't worry, John; good to see the new recruits still have some fire on them." He was hinting at the direction in which you disappeared.

"And you," Price said, turning around to the other men again. The main culprit is now holding a napkin against his nose, sitting down like a wet dog. John had a severe look on his face, making the men look more miserable. "Name. Now."

You sat in the Jeep with the door open. Ghost was standing in front of you, his mask lifted as he smoked a cigarette. You notice the blonde stubble; the concept of someone as big and intimidating as him being a blonde named Simon was quite funny, but right now you tried to focus on deep breaths, trying to calm your own anger down.

After a few minutes, you saw the Shadow Company men being pushed out of the bar by Gaz and Soap, followed by Price, who seemed to be on the phone. Your anger, far from diffusing, spikes again. You began to stand up again.

"Let them handle it." He says it in a calm tone, putting his free hand on your shoulder and making you sit again.

"I can handle it myself. My ass is the one involved, not yours," you answer, glaring up at him.

"I know you can, and as much as I would enjoy seeing you beat the shit out of them, you don't have to." He says, voice husky but surprisingly gently, looking down at you. You arched your brow at his words, and he decided to elaborate some more.

"Price is most likely calling Graves; they'll probably get a written reprimand, extra shit to do, and they will be banned from our sector on the base."

"I don't need Price to rat them out for me; I can take care of it."

"My point is that you don't have to. Listen: Despite everything, you are still on thin ice, flower. That thing is not a bracelet." He was gesturing to your ankle monitor.

"We don't give a shit if you kill them; in other circumstances, I would have gladly help you. Shadows are cunts, and they all act like mutts after a bone. But getting into a fight with people who are guests in our base is not a good view for the higher-ups, and Laswell and the Captain can only do so much in your defence." You listened attentively, his words making sense, but you still couldn't help but feel annoyed as you saw the man and his friends being escorted to their car, Price still on his call.

"Besides, you don't have to do it all yourself, you know?" He said that, and you directed your glance back to him.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't have to take care of yourself alone. We are a team; we take care of each other." You can't help but show a hint of surprise on your face.

"Are we?"

"Yes."

After almost four months...the bastard.

A smile slipped from your lips, and he kept looking down at you. In another context, he would be pissed at giving in, but he let you savour your victory, you deserved it.

The moment was broken as Price approached.

"Back to base, muppets," he said, opening the driver door, not before watching the car of the members of the Shadow Company leave the car park.

Soap came behind him to ruffle your hair, making you groan playfully.

"You okay, bonnie?" He asked warmly.

Gaz also arrived behind him, handing you your forgotten jacket and a can of Coke he bought you.

"Thanks, Kyle...yeah, I'm fine. Fuck... I’m sorry." A hint of embarrassment got to you as you rubbed your temples.

“None of that, bonnie. Anyone would have done the same. Not me, though; I would have kicked his balls.” Soap said, shrugging, making you chuckle.

“Not for punching him. For ruining the night.”

“Sweetheart, everything is fine. I talked to Shepherd; he’ll chew Graves ear off. For now, they’ll enjoy cleaning the showers with a toothbrush, and they’re banned from the mess hall and the gym, so you won’t see them.” You listened to Price, and you looked back at Ghost, who was giving you an ‘I told you so’ glance.

“Arthur said that you'd get a free drink next time.” Gaz said, also trying to lighten your mood.

“Thank you,” you mumbled, trying to avoid their gazes. You felt vulnerable, accepting help; it felt both terrible and surprisingly heart-warming.

The way back was actually nice, with Price telling a story from when he was a private and they had a few drinks while camping. One of them got so drunk that they made him believe there were lions in that zone, and he was scared shitless until he sober up enough to realise, they were in the German countryside.

The stories were a bit silly, but the way they were telling them was both endearing and entertaining. There was a fuzzy feeling in your stomach, and your cheeks hurt a bit because you were not accustomed to laughing and smiling this much.

next chapter: coming soon!

Thank you to the lovely people following this! <3: @no-lessthan3 , @blush-haze , @eustassh , @valkyrieunknown

if you like it leave me some kudos or suggestions on ao3! <3

#call of duty modern warfare #call of duty #cod modern warfare #cod mw2 #cod #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley #simon riley #ghost cod #gaz cod #kyle gaz garrick #kyle gaz x reader #john price x reader #john price #soap mw2 #soap x reader #soap cod #john soap mactavish #johnny mactavish #konig cod #konig x reader

[isroji]

Different ideas | Attuma

Attuma x reader

﹃﹄

Summary: Attuma and you get involved in an argument over your opposite ideas.

Warnings: Angst, Wakanda Forever spoilers.

A/N: Hey! This is my first time posting some of my writing here in Tumblr :) I never thought I'd do it, but this king here deserves content. I apologize for my English, it's not my first language and I know there be some things written wrong. I still hope you can enjoy it c: Btw, sorry for the gif's bad quality, it was the only that I could found.

thanks for reading!

﹃﹄

You were never Namor's biggest fan. You understood perfectly the reasons of the king of Talokan and above all, you understood his way of thinking, because you shared it. You also believed faithfully in protecting Talokan above all things, you also thought that the city and its people were the most important thing... But you could not, under any circumstances, support Namor's actions.

Declare war on the surface? If history had taught you anything, it was that in wars everyone dies. The good ones, the bad ones and the innocents. It was neither ethical or moral to go and start a war on beings who did not even know of your existence. You refused to put innocent people at risk on the surface lands and you refused even more to put the people of Talokan, your people, at risk. To your family, to your friends, to Attuma...

Oh, Attuma.

If there was one reason for you to remain in Namor's ranks, it was Attuma. That cold-hearted general you'd put your hands on fire for without even thinking about it. You joined Talokan's army in search of the ideals you grew up with, but your only current motive was him; the one who could not see beyond the orders of a blind leader and nonexistent dangers.

The one who at that precise moment was looking at you with great annoyance in his eyes.

"How can you even think of betraying Talokan in this way?" He asked, bitterly and even with a little contempt in his raspy voice.

Your stability faltered. You used to easily forget how incredibly imposing Attuma was. His whole body tensed as a sign of rejection and that look that would break anyone. If you were not so sure of your position, you would have already abandoned the stance and given up.

"It's not a betrayal to Talokan," you managed to find your voice and, surprisingly, make it heard. "You know me, you've known me since I was your student and you know I would never do anything like that. My life is Talokan and that's precisely why I tell you that everything Namor plans is crazy. A madness that puts this city at risk."

He looked at you with even more contempt than before. There was a surprise lodged in those dark irises, like confusion and pain. It seemed that what he heard sounded like craziness, technically desertion and betrayal. It was not a surprise, Namor could be very convincing and you saw firsthand how Attuma absorbed his ideas.

There, in the depth of the sea, between the marine stones and the immense blue, Attuma managed to look even more bigger than the sea itself. He came minimally close to you, keeping the distance that such a conversation required, transmitting perhaps more than you would have liked.

"Talokan is hidden, not to mention that it has the best warriors. You know it because you are part of those warriors." he argued, making clear his displeasure.

He seemed it like it would never understand you.

"They're smart, Attuma! They have resources, they have people who could, if they wanted to, find our city. I remind you that we are not the only ones who know how to fight, and no matter how well we do it, the people on the surface also have an army." You explained.

He still didn't understand you.

"Namor wouldn't do something that would put us in danger, he will ask Wakanda for help-" He tried to talk, but you didn't let him continue.

"Namor is blinded!" You raised your voice "And you too. You are a fool if you think that something good will come out of a war."

That seemed to offend him in the extreme.

"Watch your mouth, kid." He pointed his finger at you.

You bit your tongue. In spite of everything, he was still your general. Older than you, with more rank than you and above all, more important -in every way- than you.

Attuma turned his head, watching Talokan shine. He looked angry, very angry. It took him several seconds to look back at you, and when he did, you found in his look a painful disappointment towards you that hurt more than any possible war.

"In the end you're just that, a kid. A kid who does not understand anything and above all, does not have no loyalty."

Those words hurt. They hurt deeply. They reached the depths of your heart and stabbed you. And maybe hurt more because you knew he said it coming from his blinded posture. It hurt because before choosing to listen to you, he preferred to follow orders.

"You want to support a war, a war where people who don't have any kind of bad intentions will die. You want to endanger Talokan and yourself, but am I the one who doesn't understand anything?" You claimed, letting all absolute pain be heard in your voice.

He, for a second, seemed to empathize with you. He wasn't averse to your pain, He never had been entirely.

"We will not endanger Talokan..." For the second time in that whole conversation, Attuma was interrupted by you.

"Yes, you all will! You will! You will endanger yourself, you will expose yourself to fighting an enemy we don't know" Your voice threatened to break "It is that you do not understand Attuma... how do I make you understand that if something happens to you-

You couldn't go on, you weren't able to say the rest. You had struggled for days not to have that image in your head, but the mention of it in front of him made it so real and palpable that it was terrifying. You knew those superheroes on the surface, now you also knew the Wakandians, imagining Attuma's blood on one of those hands hurt you to levels he would never understand.

A senseless war was not worth the death of the man in front of you.

You ended up hiding, refusing to show how much hurt the mental image that you couldn't get out of your mind now.

Finally, your general understood everything. Or at least the most part. And that only made him look, in his own perspective, like a real jerk.

He may not showed it, but whatever feelings you had for him, they were reciprocated. He was not a person who could afford such personal things as love, in the end, love was a danger and a weakness. However, if something as pure as love could lead to exist in a man like him, it was certain that you were the owner and responsible. Only you.

Insecure, he approached you, the little mess of emotions you were. Hidden in the palm of your hands, squatting. Attuma came down to your height, holding your hands and revealing the face that he allowed to admire in the solitude of his thoughts.

Your eyes met, both pairs sharing similar feelings.

"Do you disapprove of Namor's ideas for fear that something will happen to me?" He asked, unable to avoid being direct.

You avoided looking at him, turning your face. That was the answer to his question.

He let go of your hands and brought his to your face, forcing you to look at him. His hands, big and rough, but strangely comfortable. His eyes, dark, but full of devotion.

That personal contact managed to penetrate deeply into you.

"My little girl... My precious little girl"

He didn't dare to say anything more, because his posture had not changed. In fact, nothing beyond the growing empathy in him had changed. Still, his last words were charged with emotions you never thought he could convey.

He kissed you, kissed you as the only way to communicate without continuing to fight over your different ideas. A kiss that started soft, reflecting his desire to take care of you, but progressed with the passion that you both desired so deeply. Years of getting to know each other, of keeping feelings that came out so easily after fighting over things that didn't even seem so relevant now that you could only think about how good his lips felt over yours.

You two would never agree. He, stubborn and loyal to Namor. You, true to your ideals and to yourself. You only had that kiss left, nothing else.

#attuma #attumaxreader #attumafic #alex livinalli #Alex livinalli x reader #wakanda #talokan #wakanda forever #black panther #black panther 2 #tenoch huerta namor #namor #tenoch huerta #fic #ucm #attuma x reader #attuma fic

[compacflt]

If you want, and only if you want to, could you explain about making Logistics a big part of Ice's career path? Not only did fit so well with your Ice's characterization, it was just so neat I've made it my HC for Ice's career path.

yes!

I got REALLy deep into the defense policy weeds in this post so I’m putting a cut to save people’s dashboards

1. when i was rewriting chapters 8 &9 last winter i did literally the bare minimum of research about the current set of high-level officers. the commander of the pacific fleet at the time had previously been the director of pacific fleet logistics ordnance & supply. So that was easy to yoink. a proven chain of succession.

2. but also: it fit ice’s (or his alter ego admiral Kazansky’s) neat, orderly, effective, collected, strategic characterization. And as professional tactics go, there would be no better promotion for a high-level officer looking to take over the fleet than DFLOS. understand the fleet by the numbers, you comprehensively understand the fleet.

3. In terms of secret-keeping logistics, ice is supposed to be kind of the best. like, because of his logistical thinking, he & maverick get away with it. Or that’s how I would’ve written it if I were a little smarter. Obviously in practice a bunch of people find out so it’s not great. but the navy AS A WHOLE doesn’t find out.

4. The field of military logistics is rigorously bureaucratic, boring, soulsucking, selfdefeating, notoriously corrupt, and yet entirely necessary for the military to succeed at any level (in the very first draft of WWGATTAI i included a famous US marine corps maxim that most people have heard at some point: “amateurs talk tactics. professionals talk logistics.” but that was literally the only good thing about the original chapter 6 which got entirely rewritten a month after i published it). So logistics as a field of specialization fit in perfectly with my secondary character thesis that rising through the boring bureaucratic ranks of the Navy sucked all the humanity & will to live out of ice one day at a time.

a couple related interesting things that I’ve never talked about on this blog & might never get the chance to again:

a) ice canonically joins the navy as a fighter pilot & ends his career as a glorified bureaucrat. that sucks. obviously the struggle to rise in the ranks is a notoriously cutthroat, political, sleazy business (you do not get to the top of the United States Navy by being nice to people), but i would also not be the first person to say that—for exemplary officers—leadership is an EXPECTATION that can counterbalance someone’s natural drive to excel, if that makes sense. You get promoted because you’re good at something (flying), but you get promoted away from the thing you were good at. There is an extent to which you have to fight for a promotion—but there is also an extent to which commanders above you pick you for the job, suck you up along the pipeline. Loss of agency—a major major component of joining the military—does still apply to upper-level officers.

B) to that end, i am reminded of one quote from Todd Schmidt’s 2023 book “Silent Coup of the Guardians: US Military Elite Influence on National Security.” This is an Army training & doctrine commander speaking: “the military has a lot of two- and three-star senior leaders that were confident, charismatic commanders at the O-6 level. But that’s the end of the story. One in fifty, maybe one in a hundred, truly have what it takes to operate successfully at the strategic level and make a real difference for their service. The problem is that they all tend to think that, since they have stars on their shoulders, they’re the one.” —I’ve been writing ice as “The Chosen One,” the officer unicorn, for two reasons: one, it provides him cover for his illegal relationship (and also asks an interesting chicken-egg question: does he get away with his rlnship because he’s so good, or is he so good JUST to get away with his relationship?); and two, he’s “the chosen one” in canon, i.e. he already has four stars in canon: canonically he is not a mediocre officer. But most officers (cough cough maverick) are not cut out for high-level leadership.

C.) in Thomas E. Ricks’ book “The Generals,” Ricks argues that (at least in the Army) mediocrity in the general/flag officer ranks is unfortunately by design. In WWII, if you were a mediocre officer, you got relieved! You got fired! It’s part of why we won: merciless culling of the general officer ranks! But between WWII and Korea, officer relief began to be associated with shame & wasted resources. Mediocre officers got promoted anyways. The military elite pipeline sucks mediocrity up the chain of command. Ricks blames this issue for (at least the Army’s) shit leadership in every post-WWII war, including but most especially Iraq and Afghanistan. There’s no penalty for mediocrity. That in turn reflects on military strategy (mediocre strategists at the helm) & the outcome of every military foray (mediocre outcomes).

D) additionally. There’s a whole neverending debate in the field of civil-military relations (an extremely interesting field of study btw) about the corporatization of the military—lots of high-level talk over the years of “running the military like a business.” If you get kinda into defense policy like me (am i still antimilitary? Idk! but i CAN easily tell you i am against the navy’s littoral combat ship program! It sucks!) then you will know that the navy is struggling right now on a lot of different fronts (procurement [shipbuilding esp. is a disaster—ford-class carriers are under budget though 👍🏽], recruitment, theatre prioritization, general preparedness, readiness against major adversaries [China in particular]). Simply, the navy is pretty mediocre at the minute. I talk a big game about ice being COMPACFLT & SECNAV, but if those are true, & if he “exists” in our current timeline, or even canon timeline (COMPACFLT in 2020), then he’s complicit in a lot of why the navy is sucking ass right now. He didn’t do his job very well. LOL. So, because I love (especially my version of) ice too much to see his legacy suffer, I am stating for the record that my timeline is a different timeline where ice saves the navy from itself and fixes all its issues & solves all its problems & makes it the pride of the armed forces & the tip of the spear of American defense :) because I said so

E.) unrelated but important. It sounds obvious but it must be said. Ice dies on the job in TGM canon. To the extent that in earlier drafts of the script, not-his-sister-Sarah even points out to maverick that ice is still active duty, in the same breath as she tells him ice is sick again. (A wise move to remove that line.) ice does not resign his commission. Ice does not retire to spend time with his family at the end of his life. Ice dies as commander of the pacific fleet. He dies on the job; he dies FOR the job, bureaucratic as it is. If you were wondering why I wrote ice so dormantly suicidal, it’s because canon (i argue) has made it clear that—since the second ice signed up to be a fighter pilot during the Cold War to the second he died active duty—ice has ALWAYS been ready and willing to die for his honorable Navy career.

#so imagine what would have happened had he been publicly dishonored 😶 #It’s also why i interrupted his SECNAV tenure with his cancer #to pay respects to compacflt Ice having the same thing happen to him #my Ice is built different tho. it doesn’t kill him #he retires to spend time with his family ☺️ #unlike selfish asshole canon ice ‼️🤬 #/s #this post gets DEEP into it but i find this stuff sooo interesting #got really into defense policy & missing the forest for the trees #i will admit that #military bad? yes but. #but defense policy so interesting anyway. #tom iceman kazansky #top gun #top gun maverick #icemav #edts notes #asks #last post of the night

[dampfur]

I finally finished designing all the voices for my Redlico Slay The Princess AU so here they all are ✨

This was all pretty fun to make and figure out for Licorice

Maybe I’ll at some point do legitimate interpretations of the voices in canon but no promises

Under the cut I’ll be explaining the design process of these guys and I’m sure the inspiration for most of them are pretty obvious

The Hero: Since he’s basically the default or standard voice you have in the game due to being the first voice and the voice that’s always with you, his design is based on the standard look of the licorice servants as well as a bit of Licorice himself with the cloak and eye color. (the gold lining comes from my own design of Lico that has those bits on his robe) He also gets the privilege of carrying the pristine blade

The Smitten: He’s the most flashy of the voices so the ZZSkull costume/minion design is what I went with since the red fits with the theme of love and with the whole K-Pop band thing going on with this costume I’m sure you could sweep the Prince off his feet with a musical performance~ 🎶

The Cold: I mostly chose the Pale Reaper costume/minion design for the color palette as it’s well- cold. But I did look at the costume description and it describes the Pale Reaper minions as “a ruthless army of obedient servants knowing no fear or pain.” Which did remind me of the Cold with the whole lack of feeling.

The Stubborn: Based on the bomber minion Licorice has in his OB ability. It’s an angry little guy and what better way to win a fight than to literally just explode I guess.

The Cheated: Based on the Parfaedia school uniform. Even tho it’s not confirmed Licorice went to that school it’s a good enough placeholder for what the Cheated represents for him. A time in his life where he studied magic and got no recognition out of it. Much like the name, he felt cheated out of success.

The Contrarian: His Grumpy Shroom Fairy costume felt a bit difficult to place on any of the voices but ultimately I went with this one. I basically chose this costume because Licorice dislikes it. And the Contrarian is certainly known for pushing peoples buttons and wanting to make choices that usually oppose what most of the characters want and more usually at the Narrators expense. So he wears this costume in opposition to how Licorice generally feels about it as it doesn’t paint him in any intimidating light. It’s a silly goofy outfit for a silly goofy voice

The Paranoid: Based on the Licorice Oozlings. Licorice himself expresses disgust over having to see the Licorice Sea again and the citizens of the Dark Cacao Kingdom have stated how much effort they put into making sure the monsters never get past the wall. The Oozlings make a great representation of the sense of fear and paranoia the cookies from there have felt over having to deal with them and Licorice probably felt a similar way when he had once lived there. And of course Licorice did use them as minions within the chapter 13 story so there’s another heavy association he with them.

The Opportunist: Based on the Aberrant Conjurer costume. Aside from the clear upgrade in outfit, this costume seems also like an upgrade in power. Licorice himself is much like the Opportunist always wanting to come out on top. In this costume it definitely feels like he’s gotten what he wanted. Although he can never outshine the powerful Dark Enchantress Cookie who he continues to be devoted and loyal to, and certainly would be to his benefit to be loyal so he can continue getting stronger with his magic and to not get caught in the crossfire of DE and her spreading of darkness and destruction. I’m basically comparing the Opportunist and the Wraith Princess to Licorice and DE since Licorice joining her is highly beneficial to him in his pursuit of power (of course in his case he’s doing it out of actual willingness not survival but the point still stands given how being on her bad side would be very dangerous)

The Hunted: This is the only voice not based on anything related to Licorice aside from the bones. He leans more into the animal appearance with the bird look and being the only voice to have pointy hands. There’s a few reasons for the bird motif specifically. One, the Hunted acts like prey always trying to run, hide and survive hence looking like an animal that can be easy prey. Two it’s a reference to the Long Quite being a bird so might as well stick that in here. And three, my personal Licorice design has bird skulls instead of human(?) skulls so it really was just preference.

The Broken: Based on the potion minion Licorice has in his OB ability. This minion I thought just had a sad looking face so I thought that’d fit him. This potion minion of course carries a potion around and it has a heart inside it. I thought to incorporate that into the design with the cracked heart as a sign of his broken spirit.

The Skeptic: The most difficult and bizarre design choice out of everyone as he’s based on Rocky, the rock that Licorice finds in Last Cookie Standing. I initially thought of this as a joke cuz I ran out of ideas and was just like “I’ll put Rocky here and call it a day” but I actually ended up making this make sense. Rocky comes a series that’s a Survival/Total Drama Island parody. Which of course is filled with characters using their wits and other skills to get through the challenges. Part of the appeal is watching the contestants build and destroy trust with one another. It is important you choose your allies wisely and think things through if you wanna win. So ya Rocky’s association with Last Cookie Standing made my decision with the Skeptic make sense.

#I really put all this effort to essentially expose the CR fandom to a cool horror game #this is also kinda just an elaborate way for me to infodump about Licorice Cookie while also advertising a whole other game #my art #cookie run #cookierun au #licorice cookie #Cookierun STP

[dracocheesecake]

Hi hii thats me again reflexing on your Kai headcanons yayy

How do you think could Kai have identity crisis at some point due to him being a 'halfbreed'? Yeah I understand that kfp is a world of anthropomorphic animals and nations don't really work in our sense but still xd I mean, (back to one of your writings) in childhood he used to be not treated well because of his mongolian roots. Later I think he could have struggled a little if the side he choose to fight (on?by?with? -m not native srry) is the right one. His ancestors from both sides have been historical enemies for generations, Kai probably had a lot to think about

I have a lot of headcanons and thoughts about this specific topic, so I'll try to summarize it as best as I can: to answer it straight: yes and no- it depended on context.

Warning: racism, some foul language

In my headcanons Kai joined up with the Immortal Army (what the Qin state army called themselves), at one point trying to put an emperor Candidate named Lord Bohai into power.

They fought against not only enemy mongolian tribes, but also the huns and the other Chinese states with their armies and emperor candidates, as well as various warlords attempting to seize power at this tumultuous period in history.

Khaltmaa's herd wasn't apart of the coalition of clans that attacked China- they were just traders, a family of nomads moving place to place- they actually left Mongolia to escape the fighting that was going on at the time, and came to the Qin state because it's immense military strength made it relatively stable; however, because they were Mongolian, they were treated only a little better than the enemy clans- “painted with the same brush”, you know how ignorant people are.

Kai received a lot of discrimination and abuse in the army because of this, and they actually blamed his bloodlust and sadism on his mongolian blood, which filled Kai with shame, knowing his mother and her family were peaceful, kind, civilized people from a rich culture; but Kai rose up the ranks quickly to escape the abuse, and flaunted his heritage as an act of defiance. He and Oogway bonded over their foreign backgrounds, because Oogway also suffered similarly, especially from General Jiahao, who never missed an opportunity to make remarks:

To Kai: “Your father must have either been desperate or a sick kind of pervert, to mix good Chinese blood with that of a savage whore; and look what such an ill-fated mating created.” 

And for Oogway:

"What islander dribble are you speaking, now? You came all the way over the seas from your speck of dirt in the ocean, and you can't learn how to speak our language properly? Are all the tortoises where you come from slow in mind as well?"

It didn't help matters when they actually went to fight those mongolian clans. There was talk of Kai joining in with his "breathren", or feeling guilt for cutting down his "cousins" in battle; Kai had no relations in these clans, but it wouldn’t help to explain it. Of course, once Kai and Oogway became warlords, they never heard such talk again.

#ask #thank you for the ask! #again obviously kfp history isn't the same as ours #general kai #kung fu panda #kfp3 #master oogway #kai #kai the collector #headcanons #kai's parents headcanons #I don't think this is very accurate but I did try with what little resources I had #don't think I answered the question either??? fog brain today

[supershot73199]

Ok so I've seen a lot of dcxdp crossovers where Danny goes feral on someone (mostly superman) who mistreated a clone. But you know another media that has clones who could use a feral Danny fighting for their rights? Star wars that's who.

Ok so the idea I had is that Danny ends up going into a portal in the ghost zone. Maybe after a reveal gone bad or even just cause clockwork said so. But he comes out in the star wars universe sometime during the clone wars near some random jedi. I personally like the idea of it being the arc where they are trying to get supplies through a separatist blockade over ryloth.

So Danny is on this weird new planet when he sees some aliens and decides to follow them while invisible. He sees how they are hungry hurt and tired and sees this different alien and these dudes in white armor protecting these people including what's obviously kids. Now while I think the obsession thing can be interesting if done well.... I don't think it fits this au at least not a protection obsession (plus I love the idea that Danny chose to sacrifice everything he did as a conscious decision and I feel like a protective obsession takes some of the gravity out of that choice.)

So Danny is following them maybe Master Ima-Gun-Di senses him but can't tell where he is and assumes he is a force sensitive twilek. So the time comes where he and his men make their last stand and Danny sees them in real danger and steps in because these alien dudes were clearly protecting people from these creepy droids. Master Gun-Di is clearly surprised by this teen with weird non force based powers (maybe since the force is basically life itself ecto energy is the flip side of the force not dark but part of the universes balance.) Anyway Danny saves these dudes only for them to realize he doesn't speak the language and sends him to the jedi temple.

I like the idea of him spending time with obi-wan (he does not join the Jedi because he doesn't have the force.) I just think they would like snarking at people together. Anyway time passes he gets close to Obi-Wan Anakin and Ahsoka as well as all of the clones. Now this is important Danny did not know they were clones he assumed they were volunteers from a humanoid race that did not have much in the way of physical diversity and hey how's he to know how alien biology works.

So he's with the group and one of the clones mentions that they are disposable or something. Danny give a pep talk about how all the people they have saved are alive and safe because of him and the others volunteering thinking that he just was having a moment from trauma. No the clone meant it literally and explains that they were a clone army bred solely for war. Danny is livid that this is basically an army of slave and demands to know who signed of on this. He gets told it's Palpatine who Danny already does not like (he gets serious fruit loop vibes) so Danny decides he's gonna get these babies rights. (He learned they were aged at an accelerated pace)

Que Danny haunting the senate he harassed everyone who mistreated the clones. Fox and Padmé love this feral bastard. Eventually when it was just the two of them Palpatine who had not realized that Danny was live streaming his latest prank goes full sith lord trying to kill or control Danny who just bodies this wrinkly old man the moment he starts trying to shoot lightning.

Danny saves the Galaxy by being a feral rat boy who exposes the secret shadow ruler who leads both sides of the war. Danny traps Palpatine who gets a official trial. The clones get rights and maybe they wear Dannys logo somewhere on their armor as thanks. And Danny gets to explore the Galaxy and learn about all these wonderful new cultures. (Until he learns that there are slaves in the galaxy which causes the return of the feral boy)

#danny phantom #danny fenton #star wars #the clone wars #feral danny #clones get rights #Danny adopts several million clone children #no it does not matter that they are physically older than him #dp au #star wars crossover

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Hello. I hope I am not disturbing you. Can I request matchmaking if requests are still open? It can be romantic or platonic.

(X men/Hobbit/Lotr/Dc/Marvel/Harry Potter/Disney/ I hope it's not too much.) I'm 1.75 tall, chubby, white skinned girl. I am 23 years old. I have curly brown hair that reaches my shoulders and brown eyes. I'm a Gemini. I'm from the Infp.Ravenclaw building. Most of the time I am heterosexual but occasionally I think I am homosexual. I love writing stories, reading, digital drawing, watching movies and listening to music. I am interested in witchcraft, parapsychology, herbs and crystals. I love animals. (Except for those I'm afraid of.) I have an understanding, kind and caring nature. I'm not a brawler. But there are times when my patience runs out. I'm a very loyal person and I can't say no. Sometimes I feel like people don't really understand or don't want to understand me. I'm emotional. I am willing to help everyone,

Hi! You are not disturbing me, don't worry :) Matchups were open when you sent this in! Thank you for requesting one! I hope you like it, I'm so sorry for the long wait <33333

---

Romantic

---

X-Men -

Logan Howlett:

🏍 You met Logan when he visited the X-Mansion - having the mutation to speak to all animals, you were instantly intrigued by the man who had the same name as a Wolverine; Logan was also intrigued by you as well, finding you incredibly kind

🏍 After a couple of months, Logan was actually the one to confess to you, whilst the both of you were on a mission together

🏍 For some odd reason, Logan feels immensely calm around you - he liked to joke that it was because of your mutation and his almost animalistic characteristics; it just brings the both of you closer together

🏍 Logan was actually very interested in your interests - he had never met anyone who was interested in witchcraft - he'd often watch and follow as you went out into forests for herbs and go out to shop for crystals

🏍 You both compliment each other perfectly, both being very loyal to those that you care about, and feeling that others don't understand you; overall, you and Logan are a perfect match

---

The Hobbit -

Tauriel:

🍂 You were actually a part of the Company when you first met Tauriel; she actually saved you from a giant spider before she, Legolas, and the other Elven guards captured you

🍂 Despite herself, Tauriel visited you a couple of times during the time of your capture; seeing as you weren't a Dwarf or Hobbit - she wanted to know why you had joined them on their journey

🍂 She actually felt sad that you would have to be locked up away until your stubborn King Thorin said otherwise to Thranduil - she knew that it was not your fault that Dwarves and Elves fought; she was chestfallen when you, the Dwarves, and Hobbit escaped

🍂 She was able to catch up with you, joining you at Bard's home; there you and Tauriel spoke about your interests, there she found out that you were a witch and healer

🍂 After the battle of the five armies - you and Tauriel fighting alongside each other - she convinced you to live in Mirkwood with her, and really, how could you say no?

---

Lord Of The Rings -

Faramir:

⭐ You were actually childhood friends with Faramir - and Boromir but he isn't a man of quality... Anyway, you and Faramir had a very special connection

⭐ You both are very interesting in reading and writing - writing to each other if either were away (doing whatever Faramir/you do)

⭐ Though, when you do find yourselves in each other's presence - which is very often - you spend most of your time sitting comfortably reading together

⭐ When he could, Faramir likes to follow you around and learn more about witchcraft, listening intently as you explained spells, herbs, and so on - in which, later, Faramir gifted you a crystal that you had been wanting - (he really is a man of quality)

⭐ You and Faramir feel very comfortable with each other, feeling seen, and heard - Faramir believes that you are the most beautiful person in all of Middle Earth, your beautiful mind marveling above most - he plans to court you - if you wish to do so - in the future

---

DC -

Clark Kent;

📰 You met Clark when you accidently bumped into him on your way to work, you coffee crashing and drenching yours and Clark's shirt - you were both very apologetic, and Clark offered to buy you a new coffee (cliche, I know); you got his number in the end (win-win)

📰 What was quite funny at the time, you bumped into Clark again! I know, life is crazy... But, you and Clark bumped into each other - thankfully on both of your days off - and the both of you decided to take a walk around a park together

📰 A couple of months later, you and Clark had become a couple - and then... You met Superman - and you instantly knew he was Clark (despite the spell his glasses held) you knew, witchcraffttttt

📰 You knowing, though worrying Clark that you might become a target, (you could take care of yourself); overall, it did bring the two of you closer together - power couple

📰 Clark loves how much you cared for the people you loved/cared about; he loves how much you help others, and he loves how loyal you are - and he loves how interested you are in parapsychology, he finds your interests very... Well, interesting

---

Marvel -

Natasha Romanoff:

🌹 You met Nat when you joined the Avengers - you are quite powerful - having the power to talk to animals and many forms of witchcraft

🌹 She really first started spending time with you after a particularly tough mission between the both of you - she had that 'awe crap, i'm in love moment' when you got shot - though you quickly healed yourself with your craft

🌹 From then on, you and Nat were attached to the hip, spending most of your time together - snacking, baking, reading, training, missions, and even drawing together on rare occasions

🌹 You even had your first kiss at one of Tony's parties, dancing together during a slow song; it was very romantic, the world just fading away around the both of you

🌹 You and Natasha are truly amazing together - amazing fighters, amazing minds, and amazing hearts

---

Harry Potter -

Fleur:

💌 You met Fleur during the tournament, as she walked down the rows of tables in the Great Hall, you were in love; as simple as that (and it wasn't just because she was half Veela)

💌 Fleur had felt quite the same, as she walked down the rows of tables, her eyes met yours, and there was just this amazing connection - a zing if you will - and from then on, you and Fleur met up as much as you could during the tournament

💌 When you could spend time together - though few in between - you would meet up in the library and read together, share your favorite books, and often softly read to each other

💌 After the tournament, you both swapped addresses, so the both of you could keep in touch; when possible, you both met up during the summer

💌 When you both spent time together during the summer, you and Fleur would often take walks, spending time in forests and wildflower fields, often braiding each other's hair; life was peaceful and perfect

---

Disney -

Ella:

🕊 You met Ella at the ball of all places, dressed in your finest attire, you spotted Ella when she was dancing with the Prince; you found her incredibly beautiful and oh-so wished that you could be dancing with her

🕊 After the ball, you had heard that the Prince was having another ball, for he still needed to find a woman to marry - you guessed that he and Ella didn't have the connection everyone thought they had

🕊 The next time you saw Ella, you were in the market, getting herbs, when you ran into her - you felt a instant connection, there was just something about her smile, her eyes, that you - and Ella - felt something between the both of you

🕊 You often met up to talk when shopping in the market, which you both usually just ended up talking more than shopping; you both spoke about your interests, drawing, reading, and so on

🕊 It wasn't until later that you heard about her living situation; it was then your wish to take her out of that environment - you had a plan to help her

🕊 And you did, when the time was right, you asked Ella to move in with you - you had more than enough room, and she said yes; and from then on, the both of you lived happily ever after

---

#cute #fluff #request #anon request #matchup #matchups #xmen #the hobbit #lord of the rings #lotr #dc #marvel #mcu #harry potter #disney #logan howlett x reader #faramir x reader #clark kent x reader #cruella #natasha romanoff x reader #fleur delacour x reader #tauriel x reader #ella x reader #cinderella x reader #cinderella 2015

[moonlightazriel]

Son of the Darkness VII /// Azriel X F!Reader

Summary: Hidden for so long The court of shadows thrived, and things were great until the high lord's death, now the next in line should assume the crown of high lord of shadows, will he accept his duties?

Warnings: Mentions of war and fighting.

Word Count: 2,1K

Notes: Finally feeling like my normal self and with the courage to go back to writing, thank you for the kind words and the endless support, I love you all. ❤️❤️❤️

Son of the darkness masterlist

Main Masterlist

Azriel had so much to learn and a short amount of time, in one month he learned about ancient traditions like the good fortune one, where the members of the council bless and wish good things to the High Lord, exactly like they did in the day he was crowned. He hosted dinners, met people, and learned as much of the court’s history he could. His family was only able to stay for two more weeks, since Rhysand and Feyre had to prepare their armies and the other high lords for the eminent war.

Y/N was like a silent ghost by his side, lost in her internal pain and grief as she tried her best to recompose herself and help him out. Some days were harder than others, but as the days passed she was getting better at controlling her emotions, the pain making room for the boiling anger inside of her, of how unfair it was that she was left alone again, she was so awful as a person that she didn’t deserve a family? To be loved? Those questions would haunt her, creeping in the back of her head, ready to strike when she was making progress, right when she was walking in the direction of healing.

Azriel wanted to help her but he didn’t know how, after all she had way more time with his grandfather than him, what could he say to make her feel better? He had spent countless nights thinking about it, he missed having her smart mouth and powerful presence around him, even his shadows would reach for her, dancing around her fingers to try to cheer her up.

She liked them, always interacting with them, never seeming to be afraid of them, this would caught Azriel off guard sometimes, when a part of the shadows seemed like it was missing, whenever he followed it, he would find it at her feet, like a loyal puppy wanting the attention of its owner. She would let it curl around her wrist or she would spin it in her hand like a little tornado, whenever he tried to call it back, that little part of him wouldn’t come, like it couldn’t leave her side because it belonged to her.

Today was one of her good days, they were getting ready to visit the war camps, she was excited to come back and see how her troops were doing, Azriel felt a little uneasy, whenever he had to visit a war camp people wouldn’t take him seriously and while he knew that things would be different now, he couldn’t let these bad memories out of his head. The camps were not like he was expecting, Y/N had explained that it was just one camp and those who wanted to join the army had to move there, unlike the Illyrian Steppes where each camp was located in one place, it was easier to guarantee the quality of the warriors that way, she had told him.

The camps were filled with cabins, 10 soldiers per cabin, he noticed the females and males training side by side and sharing the tasks, he saw some males cleaning the cafeteria while some females cooked, he smiled proudly at that, this was everything they ever wanted for the war camps at the night court. Every single warrior and those with higher positions in the army bowed to him, most would just say hi to Y/N like they were old friends and he also liked that kind of treatment, less formal and more respectful. She seemed happier here, introducing him to everyone during the dinner that was being held to celebrate him, talking about battles and the glory of the army, she smiled openly at everyone who approached them, the other commanders reported to her, talking about supplies and little things they had to control.

On the next day, they were up early, watching the training going on, Azriel missed the training in the House of Wind, his body jumping, begging to join, his eyes darted around, looking at how good the soldiers were. Y/N caught sight of Azriel in the third time his body jumped, almost like he was the one dodging a sword, she only saw a little of what he was capable to do, she was eager to see what the High Lord were made of, she slowly walked to the sword support, grabbing two long swords, she walked back to his side, poking his arm with the sharp end of the sword.

“Something told me that you might want to train a little!” She twisted the blade on her hand, offering it to him, he smirked at her, grabbing the handle, somehow, she had picked the right blade for him, the weight comfortable enough in his scarred hands.

They both prepared for the duel, the sound of metal against metal stopping as the warriors noticed the pair getting ready to fight, Azriel positioned his feet, supporting his body and angled towards her, his free hand instinctively protecting his abdomen while he held the sword high, she also adjusted her instance, the sword above her head and a hand jokingly calling him, challenging him to attack her, and he did.

He launched towards her, his feet moving quickly as he downed his sword in her direction, she defended herself, spinning the blade and clashing it against his own, as he remembered correctly, she moved really quickly, like she was dancing around him, even if she was trying to hit him, she still looked graceful, like an angel, the morning sunshine casting a beautiful glow on her perfect features, her brown eyes shining brightly, the prettiest female he has ever seen.

“You can hit me, don’t be afraid.” She teased as he, once again, missed her by a few inches, the sound of his sword cutting through the wind and the slightly gasps from the crowd were the only sound in the open field, everyone so focused on the battle that no one dared to say a thing, afraid to burst the bubble surrounding them. Y/N and Azriel attacked at the same time, the swords once more clashing against each other and then Azriel flickered his hand, making Y/N’s sword fly from her hand, Az smiled proudly and she kicked his sword from his hand, they both thinking the same at the same time, Azriel grabbed truth teller and Y/N reached for her own dagger, they ended up pressed against each other, the gold dagger tightly pressed against his neck and truth teller poking her side, on the right place that if he slid it any further would collapse her lungs and lead to her death.

The crowd bursted clapping and whistling, amazed at the abilities they both had. Azriel panted, a thin layer of sweat covered his body, he smirked at her, they hadn’t moved yet, still close, he saw how her cheeks got even more red as she looked at him, her eyes slowly drifting to his lips as she stepped back.

“Finally an opponent that can be a challenge.” He said and she rolled her eyes, telling everyone to go back to what they were doing. She marched back to the cabin, ignoring him, the proximity making her a little distraught, she didn’t want to admit not even to herself that she thought about kissing him, his characteristic scent mixed with sweat making her crazy, wanting to clung to his neck and smell it forever.

She turned the cold water on, the much needed shower to cool her down, her muscles relieved as she washed her body, the lavender scented soap making her feel more calm, her thoughts still on him, how beautiful his hazel eyes were, like they carried a tint of gold in them, her onyx hair, falling slightly in his forehead, and specially his hands, marred clearly by fire, she didn’t knew what happened to him, but something inside her felt angry at whoever dared hurt him, something primal inside her making her blood boil in rage, no one should go through something like this, but even if he sometimes tried to hide it, they were beautiful, just like the rest of him.

Y/N walked out of the shower, getting ready for the rest of the day, she had meetings to attend and she shouldn’t waste time thinking about her High Lord. She arrived at the meeting room, the commanders and Azriel waiting for her, the greeted her and she sat down.

“It’s so weird having the High Lord with us, but I’m glad you’re here.” Someone said and Azriel smiled.

“Loralen didn't came here?” He inquired and Y/N looked at him.

“He was more into books than weapons, so he barely came here, he trusted us to take care of everything for him.”

“While I do trust your judgement, I was raised in a war camp, I would like to be more present than my grandfather was.” He was expecting them to be angry, to not want him around, but relief filled his chest as he noticed the chilled expressions.

“It will be an honor to have you with us High Lord, you’re more than welcome.” Someone said from the left side of the table and the others started to slam their hands in the wood.

“Long live the High Lord.” They chanted 3 times, Azriel felt his chest fill with raw proud, he only felt like he was seen and was important to his family, but at this moment, he felt like he mattered, like he was important to these people, he smiled at them, he barely knew them and yet they treated him better than anyone back at the night court, it was like they didn’t even feared him, he liked that feeling.

“Alright then.” Y/N stopped them, snapping her fingers, goblets of wine appearing for them. “What happened while I was away?”

They told her that they have been dealing with some thieves, but they were already locked up, they also kept with new training strategies and kept renewing their arsenal, getting ready for the battle.

“I will be talking to Rune Sephiran, she should be able to come here to protect our shields in no time.” The commanders agreed.

“What do you mean?” Azriel asked, wanting to learn more.

“The witches have a strong magic, they always cast a spell on our weaponry, to increase their strength so they won’t break, the spell also make our shields impenetrable.” Y/N proudly said and he nodded. “I’ll sent them a letter tonight.”

They drank more and chatted, Azriel liked how chilled they all seemed, like friends talking, and as people started to go to bed, Y/N and him were the ones left in the meeting room.

“They really respect you.” He said and she looked at him, her eyelids a little heavy as she did so, the alcohol weighting on her body.

“I’m glad, I worked hard to earn their trust, they thought that i was in my position because of who my mother was.” She played with her goblet. “But I guess this was my fate, even if my mother wasn’t the previous general.”

“Your fate?” He inquired.

“Yes, I was always drawn to the camps, I carried a sword before I could even stand properly.” She giggled. “I really like to think I was born for the battle, the thrilling, the sensation in the pit of my stomach, the adrenaline, this is what I like to do.”

“That is a gift, knowing what you wanted to do from such a young age.” He sipped on his wine. “Not everyone is that lucky. My father and my brothers harmed me, in more ways than I can remember, the only thing I wanted to do was to get away from them.” He sounded sad and Y/N leaned forward, her hand resting comfortably on top of his own.

“And you did, you got away from them and you can’t give them the power to keep haunting you.” She smiled and he nodded.

“Maybe you’re right, after all my future is more worth it than my past.” He blinked at her and she blushed. “Do you really believe in fate?”

“If my mother wasn’t the general, she wouldn’t be close to Loralen, and he wouldn’t raise me after her death, if he hadn’t raised me he wouldn’t trust me enough to go after his grandson and we wouldn’t be here now, maybe it was meant to be.” She said and he looked at her surprised, maybe she was right and this has always been his fate, maybe being in this court would be everything he needed to find the happiness he longed for.

⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆

Taglist: @allison-rosewood-maximoff @devilsfoodcake22 @fieldofdaisiies @valeridarkness @brekkershadowsinger

#acotar #azriel shadowsinger #azriel #azriel x reader #sarahjmaas #shadowsinger #azriel x y/n #night court #velaris #moonlightazriel #son of the darkness #a court of silver flames #a court of mist and fury #acomf