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chopper-base · 7 months

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Plan 99

Day 5 of @tbb-appreciation-week (which yes, I know im very late to)

Summary: Tech finds himself alive but in the empires hands. Extremely injured and alone, he can only hope his brothers managed to escape as he fights to escape with the help of a brother long lost.

Warnings: mentions of torture and death, hurt/comfort, Crosshair needs a kriffin vacation.

Prompts: Crosshair, Whump, Hiding face in neck, "I'll keep you safe"

Chpt1 | Chpt2

Chapter 2

Crosshair awoke to a sharp ache, a pained groan slipping past his lips. He took a shaky breath, a migraine quickly forming. It was no surprise when he realized he couldn’t move, restraints tightly bound over his wrists and ankles. He knew it was only a matter of time before Hemlock or one of his assistants noticed he had regained consciousness. It was a hellish routine. Every second the sniper was awake, he was being probed and prodded, a rat for them to use however they pleased.

“Crosshair?” A small voice whispered his name and Crosshair hoped to the Maker he was hallucinating. “Crosshair, it’s Omega. Can you hear me?”

Maker, kriff it all…

He forced his eyes open a crack, looking out of the corners of his eyes to see two very young and tear filled eyes staring back at him. The young girl's hair was longer than he had last seen it, hanging down just above her shoulders. Small bruises littered her face and neck, a hint of blood staining the collar of her shirt. Crosshair couldn't stop the seething anger that came over him as his eyes scanned over every scrape and bruise on her skin.

He opened his mouth to speak, wincing at the pain it caused but he forced himself to look his little sister in the eye, "...Who did this to you?"

She forced a small smile onto her face, reaching up and setting her hand gently on his bicep. "I'm okay, Crosshair."

If he wasn't strapped to this damn table, Crosshair he was sure he was gonna murder whoever the unfortunate soul was that stepped into this room next. The sniper was never one for physical contact but he wanted nothing more than to hold the terrified child next to him. He looked around, surveying the room, noticing the two were strangely alone. "Where's the rest of the batch?" He asked, hating how his own voice scratched out of his throat.

Omega's face fell, tears beginning to collect in the corners of her eyes. "Hunter and Wrecker escaped but…" Her voice broke, the tears rolling down her bruised cheeks. "Tech… he…" the choked sob that escaped her lips was enough for the sniper to realize what she meant.

He desperately searched her face for some sort of lie. Tech couldn't be dead. They had survived so much. He couldn't…

"Omega." He said as calmly as he could muster. "What happened to Tech?"

She couldn't look him in the eye, holding his arm like a lifeline. "We got- we got your message. Tech convinced Hunter to… to look for you. He- we were stuck on a rail car and was just hanging. We tried to pull him up! But he- he shot the connector and- I'm sorry!" She sobbed, her grip on his arm tightening.

Plan 99… Tech had sacrificed himself to save his brothers. Crosshair squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep the tears at bay. He looked back at Omega, choked sobs racking her small frame.

"Omega." He said softly. "Do you know if anyone is outside this room?"

Omega finally met his gaze, shaking her head. "I don't think so. They locked the door and left me in here. Nala Se convinced them to let me see you."

Crosshair glanced down at his restrained body before looking back up at the girl. "You think you could get these restraints off?"

Omega scanned over his body before nodding, freeing his head first before moving down. Her face scrunched in concentration as she fiddled with the controls for the metal cuffs restraining his arms and legs. A small smile worked its way onto her face as the cuffs snapped open, freeing the sniper completely.

He lifted his arms slowly, rubbing his sore wrists before slowly sitting up. Omega put a supporting hand on his back as he swung his legs over the side of the table. He knew they didn't have much time but he took a precious second to pull the child into an embrace which she gladly accepted. He pulled away, lowering himself to the floor, grabbing the table to keep himself from falling as his legs shook under his weight. Omega held onto his hip, helping steady him, her eyes locked on his. He looked around the room again, looking for anything he could use as a makeshift weapon, his eyes landing on a shelf stocked with different tools. He recognized every one as Hemlock had used everyone on him at some point during his unfortunate stay in this hell hole. He slowly made his way over the shelf, grabbing the electrocution rod, flipping it on and watched the electricity dance along the end before switching it back off. He turned to Omega who was watching him intently. "The next person to walk through that door is going to have a very bad day." That got the small smile to return to her face.

The sound of the lock disengaging had the sniper quickly crossing the room, standing against the wall next to the door. The door hissed opened, and two TK troopers stepped in, their gaze fixed on Omega. The first one dropped with a grunt, the other barely able to turn to see the sniper before he too lay in a heap on the floor. Crosshair quickly picked up one of their blasters, turning the stun off before handing it to Omega and grabbing the other, doing the same. "Stay behind me and shoot when I tell you too." He instructed, peeking out of the room to see an empty hallway. Omega remained glued to him, peeking out from beside him with a death grip on the blaster in her hands. It was almost cute to see such a small child holding a blaster but he was reminded of that dreadful day when the batch first fled Kamino. When that same child expertly shot his firepuncher out of his hands. He knew she had no blaster training and yet she made that perfect shot. He knew there was something special about this kid, he just didn't quite know what it was yet.

He made his way down the hall, making sure Omega never left his side, listening closely for any footsteps or alarms but the hall remained silent. Too silent for the snipers taste.

Finally, those dreadful footsteps began to echo down that damned hallway, forcing Crosshair to pull Omega into the closest door. He had snaked his arm behind her back, lifting her up enough to press the child against his chest as he slammed the door controls. The door hissed shut, both clones holding their breath as they heard thundering footsteps echoing down the hall. They were alone in the room, the lights dimmed as far as they could go leaving the two in near darkness. The blaster was still gripped tightly in Omega's small hand, her other hand made its way around his neck. She made no move to get Crosshair to put her down, holding tightly to the sniper. The footsteps faded letting them both finally breathe. Omega turned slightly, her face burying into the side of his neck.

He could feel her begin to shake, her other arm wrapping around the other side of his neck. He lowered them both down, his knees landing on the cool metal floor. Her feet were still barely touching the ground as he held her tightly, unable to bring himself to let her go. "It's ok, ad'ika." He whispered into her ear. "I'll keep you safe. I promise."

She pulled back, her feet finally flat on the floor. Her gaze met his, tears brimming her brown eyes. A small smile decorated her face as she looked at her brother.

Crosshair forced himself to return the small gesture, trying to keep the child as calm as he could. He finally broke his gaze away, looking closer at the room they had taken refuge in. The room was basically empty. All that stood in there was a small control station and what looked to be three bacta tanks. Crosshair's breath caught in his throat as his gaze met the face of the man suspended in the first tank. Omega turned, searching for what the sniper had noticed and it was clear the moment she did.

"...Tech?"

Tag list!! (Let me know if you'd like to be added!!)

@rain-on-kamino @idoubleswearimawriter @staycalmandhugaclone @nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius @kalykat

#tbbaw2023 #crosshair #tbb crosshair #crosshair tbb #day 5 #fan fic #tbb fanfic #mentions of death #mentions of torture #past trauma #whump #hiding face in neck #i'll keep you safe #omega tbb #tech tbb #tbb tech #tbb omega #hemlock mentioned

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ashtronomyys · 10 days

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Our Future Days

Chapter 1 - *Pt.3*

SoapGhost TheLastofUs Au OFD Masterpost (Includes Further Tag Warnings) Chpt1 Masterpost

~1.5k Words

// Original Character

**********

"MacTavish, wake /uuuup/! Last warning before I dunk a bucket of water on you again..."

It takes a minute for the words to reach him through his comatose state, but when the words do finally process in the man's head, the threat of getting murky water from god knows where poured onto him quickly coaxes the Scotsman into moving. He jumps forward off the ground, almost bumping head first into the girl leaning over him.

"Alright, alright, I- /I'm up/," he yawns around his words, stretching his limbs out until an audible pop can be heard. “No need for the water theatrics again, ye little devil,” he mutters.

The teen next to him shakes her head, her eyes rolling as she tosses a wrapped up wad of parchment paper at him. "Here. You need to eat. Alex and my mom left you some scraps from this morning."

Johnny sits up on his knees and unwraps the package. Some sort of cooked game, likely rabbit, sits wrapped inside the paper. Johnny digs into the meat, gnawing at the cooked skin as he makes note of his surroundings.

They're sitting in the middle of a spacious foyer, a half-broken chandelier hanging over them, and their supplies lay strewn about the room. Old tables lined with gilded trimmings and loveseats adorned with lush fabrics are braced against the doors and windows, a film of dust collecting on them. A grand staircase wraps around the left side of the room, and late morning sunlight pours in through the glass doors out back past the kitchen.

"Shit, how late did you guys let me sleep in?" Johnny asks around a mouthful of rabbit.

The girl shrugs. "I dunno. Seemed like a few extra hours or so? Alex tried waking you up earlier, but you were not having it." She smirks at the man before continuing, "My mom offered to just go and scout with Alex instead, said you could use the rest."

Johnny groans fiercely at the news. "Goddammit Madison, you guys should've woken me up! Hell, kick me next time if you have to!" He waves his hand around as he talks, using it to swipe the irritation off of his creased brows. "That should have been my job. If they run into anything out there they can't handle, I'll-"

"Oh relax, Johnny!" she butts in. "For one, we did try kicking you, and it didn't work. And two, they can handle themselves out there just fine! They've done this sorta thing plenty of times before… Hell, they've dealt with just as much shit as you have."

"Ach! Language!" he reprimands, which earns him a very defiant tongue sticking out at him. Johnny responds by swatting at her leg, Madison, in kind, kicks away his hand with the point of her boot.

The two snicker at each other for a moment, their laughter bubbling over into a more solemn tone.

"Seriously though, they'll be fine. You trust them, right?"

"Och! Course I do… It’s just that this is the third time this week I’ve somehow managed to sleep through my patrol.”

“Well maybe if you didn’t work yourself to the bone like you’ve /been/ doing you wouldn’t be so tired.”

“‘M not ov’rworking m’self,” Johnny argues around a large bite of rabbit meat.

“You are!” Madison continues to reprimand him. “You don’t get enough sleep because you insist on keeping watch the whole night, you don’t eat enough because you keep rationing like we don’t have enough food or something-”

They don’t, really, this far into the journey, but that’s a little secret best kept between him and Alex.

“And what /really/ gets me is how you go out of your way to be the first one going through every doorway or around each corner. Seriously, it’s like you practically throw yourself at those things and it’s really starting to-”

“Oh Christ, Maddie, can you at least let me finish my breakfast before we start on this again?” Johnny begs. He knew the girl meant well and all, but after nearly three weeks, it was getting a little more than exhausting having the teenager scrutinize every other action he makes.

“No. I don’t mind, and I’m sure the rabbit doesn’t care either way,” she flips the better half of her auburn hair over her shoulder and crosses her arms.

Johnny had to admit, it honestly did amaze him that in the midst of of their harrowing, borderline-suicidal trek across open territory, she still managed to find the time to bestow upon him the imperious discontentment typical of a moody teenager.

“Look, I appreciate the concern Maddie… ‘Ay don’t give me that scoff, I mean it!” Johnny promptly moves past the jeer. “Now you’re not gonna like it, but I swear by it when I say that everything so far has been /categorically/ manageable in my books. Trust me, if you think this has been bad, you should’ve seen the last patrol our squadron got trapped on before me and Alex ditched the regiment. Did you know your skin turns all dark and purple if you’ve got a case of gangrene? Saw a guy with trench foot in our troop get it pretty bad.”

“Is this supposed to be reassuring somehow?”

“... Right, point being is that Alex and I, we’ve managed through plenty worse situations before. And I know it’s not much,” he reaches over and motions for Madison’s hand, she reluctantly holds it out for him to unwrap her balled up fist, twisting their pinky fingers together, “but what I can give you is a promise. I swear that if I feel that I’m pushing myself too far, I’ll let ye’s know, cross my heart and all. And in turn, you stop worrying that lil’ head of yours, that sounds like a fair deal to you?”

She seems to mull over his words, chewing on the inside of her cheek before eventually landing somewhere between dissatisfaction and despondence.

“I worry because I don’t want you getting hurt too, you know?”

Any lingering indignation Johnny felt at being lectured by the teenager melts away in an instant. He can’t hold any resentment towards the poor girl and her lectures, after all. He could see the lingering mournfulness in the way she fidgeted, the thought of her father surely flashing in her mind.

It’s been nearly a year now since the Kellers lost him. It still doesn’t make it any easier, he knows too well himself how the passage of time alone hardly makes the memories any less painful. Especially in a life like theirs, where no one’s afforded the luxury of a proper grievance, not when the next tragedy is waiting just around the corner.

Johnny gives her his best comforting smile. “Bah, you worry too much,” he says while bumping his fist against her shoulder. “Way too much for your age, I think you should trust that we’re all gonna turn out just fine. You know, I’ve got a good feeling on this one, a gut feeling that we’re gonna find something good at the end of all this, you’ve just gotta wait and see.”

“Mm, you sure that gut feeling isn’t the rabbit meat you just scarfed down?”

Johnny huffs a breath of laughter. “It’s not the fucking rabbit, Maddie.”

Madison’s expression morphs into a scornful, scrunched up expression. “Oh, so /you/ get to curse all you want to, but I can’t,” she scoffs.

“Well I’m not fifteen, Maddie,” he deadpans. “And I don’t have a mother as kind and considerate as yours. who’s only wanting the /best/ for you and who’s wishes you should respect-”

“Oh /brother/, now you sound like Alex,” if her eyes roll any farther back into her head, Johnny swears they might end up staying that way.

Ahh, and there it is again. That characteristically feisty temperament most teens are built with a natural disposition to.

If it’s a choice between the annoyed groans of displeasure, or the mournful sadness unbefitting any child not raised in as unjust a world as theirs, he’ll take the petulance any day of the week.

"I mean it. You’re not gonna lose me, or Alex, Mrs. K, or anybody else. I promise, alright?"

"Yeah… I know." She squeezes back his pinky, a sly grin growing on her face again. "Alright, but I’m not kidding when I say you better watch after yourself, or the next time I have to wake you up with a pail of water, I’m adding mud and worms to it."

Johnny pulls his hand back, putting on a show with his wide-eyed, shocked expression and his hand held tightly to his chest in mock offense. "Oh, you wouldn't /daaare!/ No, you’d never, you like me too much."

"Not as much as the worms will," she barks back, and his face contorts in hurt. He’s about to say another jab, but Madison pushes him over before he gets the chance.

She bounds towards the kitchen, yelling over her shoulder. "Alright, well I’ve had enough of all that, I’ll leave you to finish up your food. Oh, and start packing up your shit up so we can be ready before my mom and Alex get h-/eeere!/"

She narrowly dodges the rolled up parchment paper being launched at her head.

“Language!”

**********

The majority of Simon's body finally feels alive as he weaves his way through the hustle and bustle of the city streets…

*** To be continued in Pt.3***

#soapghost #ghostsoap #john soap mactavish x simon ghost riley #simon ghost riley x john soap mactavish #ghoap #fanfic #long fic #fic in progress #ofd #ash writings

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hsenvs3000w24 · 1 month

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Nature Interpretation for change

At its core, I believe that nature interpretation is all about the feelings you have toward nature, whether it's in that moment or in general. However, the more textbook definition is an educational activity that analyzes the meanings and relationships within nature, through use of original objects and first hand experience to communicate information (Beck et al, 2018. Chpt1). Nature interpretation can and should be done by anyone and anywhere.

What is my personal ethics as a nature interpreter? I feel as though everyone should have the right and access to nature interpretation. This means that as interpreters we need to make interpretation easily accessible to everyone, especially public areas (Beck et al, 2018. Chpt7). This means adding more ramps for wheelchairs in public parks, and making sure there are enough benches for people to sit at whenever they need. There needs to be trash cans and picnic tables for people to eat lunch, or use at their own leisure as some people may need to change their diabetes patch or throw out a diaper. We also need to make nature interpretation a safe space for people to share their own thoughts. Some reasons people, especially minority groups, might not want to get involved with nature interpretation is because of cultural barriers, communication barriers, and economic barriers (Beck et al, 2018. Chpt7).

I also believe that as interpreters we should encourage the future generation to become interpreters, and open this up to children as well. I think it is so important for children to understand the beauty of nature at a young age. Knowledge of the world and natural history breeds “fond familiarity” with people and nature experiences (Beck et al, 2018. Chpt21). It is so important for people to create these relationships with nature because it’s in ecological literacy that makes people understand the impact of climate change, pollution, and other environmental problems (Beck et al, 2018. Chpt21). I believe that the next generation needs to be more exposed to nature and being outside. With today's technology, the appeal of going outside and playing has faded and we need to bring it back. I think some new initiatives to enforce this can be through having more outdoor school trips in elementary schools, and trying to incorporate more outdoor classes into our schedule. There are even simple activities that we can try and get children into to deepen their love for nature. Some of these activities include nature portraits where you paint or draw everything around you, or pattern wandering where you pick a pattern and search an area for anything that has a similar pattern (Evergreen, 2023). All this is to say that I believe the next generation needs to develop their sense of place. This is the feeling you feel when you find a place where culture and history speak for itself. Finding your “A raison d’être” or a reason for existing is crucial for wanting to protect the environment (Beck et al, 2018. Chpt1). I think that our next step is to engage children in more nature interpretive activities.

I am very passionate about protecting the environment and I am always looking for new ways to become more eco-friendly and sustainable. As nature interpreters, it is our responsibility to look after the environment as it sustains everything that we need to survive. I think one way in doing this is researching and donating to researchers trying to find new ways to help in the climate crisis. One organization called rainforest alliance hopes to bring harmony to people and the environment by implementing scalable solutions to the climate crisis (rainforest, 2024). Rainforests are ecosystems under pressure from climate change, and organizations like this that put emphasis on protecting them are crucial. Another new initiative that is being researched is carbon sequestration. Everytime a farmer tills their soils, they release large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and this increases our greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists are trying to find ways to keep the carbon in the soil, and this is through practical farming techniques like reducing tillage, cover crops, precision fertilization and more. A scientific article called Shaky Grounds by Gabriel Popkins discusses all of the ways that carbon sequestration could show promise to the climate crisis (Popkin, 2023). Supporting research for this is one simple way that we can all become more sustainable and aid the climate crisis. Another very simple way is by adapting a more reusable lifestyle. Some ways of doing this are through not using disposable bottles, using reusable initiatives such as beeswax to preserve food instead of plastic wrap, and using reusable makeup wipes instead of disposable ones. I think it is our responsibility to adopt these small changes in our lives and in the lives of the people around us.

Everyone will be able to tackle these changes in their own unique and important way. However, the way that I believe I should tackle these issues is through social media. I think social media is the future whether you choose to admit it or not. It is so important to use social media as a tool to engage and teach people. Something I can see myself doing, and that I already partly do is posting and reposting climate change initiatives and ways to save the planet. I think that using social media as a platform to encourage change is amazing! I currently run a couple TikTok pages for different clubs and it is so exciting to see the way different people respond to what we post. Some TikToks also reach thousands of views in only a couple hours. This goes to show the power that social media has. The National Park Service Climate Change Response Program has slowly begun to emphasize the importance of climate change and ways to help the crisis. Some of the ways they are doing this is through using science to help manage parks, finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint, and through public awareness and communication (Beck et al, 2018. Chpt5). I think that climate change needs to become an active influential part of the interpretation of nature as these go hand and hand, and I believe that spreading awareness through social media is my way of doing this. I will be posting more photos of nature to encourage a deeper appreciation in others and repost articles that talk about ways that we can aid in the climate crisis.

So why is nature interpretation so important? It is absolutely essential to create heightened appreciation, make deeper understandings, and find new ways to view the world around us. It can be one of the solutions to the climate crisis, and it can help one's mental health (Beck et al, 2018. Chpt1). The environment is beautiful, and one way to appreciate it is through nature interpretation. I know that everything I have learned over the last couple of months will be put to good use going forward!

Here are some of my favourite nature moments

Beck, L. Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. (Chapter 1). SAGAMORE Publishing.

Beck, L. Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. (Chapter 5). SAGAMORE Publishing.

Beck, L. Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. (Chapter 7). SAGAMORE Publishing.

Beck, L. Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. (Chapter 21). SAGAMORE Publishing.

Evergreen. 10 fun and easy outdoor activities for Kids. (2023). https://www.evergreen.ca/stories/7-fun-and-easy-outdoor-activities/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-_mvBhDwARIsAA-Q0Q4Rj4rHzCu8PxRJ0ob-7Kpuq0TrABZKSyTIQgnCzAcIxronevCsfZAaAujcEALw_wcB

Popkin, G. (2023). Shaky ground. Science, 381(6656), 369–373. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adj9318

Rainforest Alliance. (2024). https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/

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fwtomura · 5 months

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Breathe Into Your Hungry Appetite.

(a simon riley x john mactavish fanfic ^_^)

CHAPTER ONE, CHAPTER THREE

cw: ghostsoap (simon riley x john mactavish), modern au, drug dealer au, mentions of weed, smut?, kinda transghost ngl, VERY BAD SPELLING!! that’s abt it.

haii guys i wrote chpt1 earlier and decided that it needs more added to it so here’s chpt2 :3

Simon’s morning started off just how it always did; kicking off the blankets, stretching out his back, and making that same awkward shuffle across the room towards the bathroom to brush his teeth and his hair. He still had that same old ache in his back and his joints as he slowly felt himself come back to the realm of the living. He didn’t bother with putting on a proper pair of pants before heading downstairs to the kitchen. It was a wednesday, he had the house to himself until much later in the evening.

He made himself his usual breakfast, hunching over the kitchen counter to eat as he scrolled through his phone. When he opened it, he realized that he’d forgotten to text Soap the night before. His phone opened up directly to Soap’s contact, which he’d noted down as ‘Johnny’ with a bar of soap emoji, but he hadn’t managed to send a message before he nodded off. Fuck. That’s awkward.

Simon💀: meant to text last just but got sidetracked, sorry

A half-assed apology was better than one, he decided. He didn’t include his name in the message, but judging by how quickly his phone vibrated against the counter, he didn’t necessarily need to add it.

Johnny🧼: all good, sweetheart

Johnny🧼: how’s ur morning going? did you sleep well?

Oddly charming. Not that he’d expected Soap to be turned off from texting him in the slightest. If anything, he was grateful for it to be just business as usual.

Simon💀: bit of a late start, but slept good.

Simon💀: eating breakfast now, how’s your day going?

He finished up his bowl of cereal, giving the bowl a half-asses rinse at the sink so that nothing would harden up before he gathered the willpower to properly load up the dishwasher. Maybe he’d get to it later this evening, maybe he wouldn’t. Wouldn’t seemed much more likely at the present moment.

Johnny🧼: nothin too crazy

Johnny🧼: It’s a slow day. fuckin boooooooooreeedddd >:(

Ghost nearly rolled his eyes as soon as he read the message. Of course he’d been bored. It seemed like that was always the case.

Simon💀: you poor thing, whatever will you do.

Ghost put his phone into his pocket briefly before heading upstairs, shutting the door to his room behind him out of reflex. He didn’t necessarily need to, but it wasn’t the worst habit to have. He opened his stash box and got out his pipe, he really did need to clean it.

As much of a pain in the ass as it was, he walked into the bathroom and got everything he needed. He’d leave the piece soaking overnight and would use a backup one for now. He checked his phone again as soon as he got the pipe settled into a plastic bag.

Johnny🧼: have u tried the new stuff yet?

He’d nearly forgotten about it, in fact. He looked over the baggie as he sat down onto the bean bag chair in his room. He could tell from the smell of the weed alone as he loaded up the grinder that it was potent . incredibly so.

Simon💀: not yet, loading up a bowl rn

Simon💀: smells strong as shit ngl.

The bud was nearly sticking to his fingers as he packed the bowl, the smell filling the room before he’d even sparked his lighter. It wasn’t that Soap always gave him shit weed, but he hadn’t expected this from a random strain that he’d given him to try. For free no less. And who the hell would Ghost be to turn down free weed that seemed to be at least halfway decent?

He flipped on the TV before settling down onto his beanbag chair and sparking up his bowl. The hit was sharp, almost immediately giving him that subtle, burning feeling at the back of his throat. The smoke still grunted slighting on the blowout, but there was a subtle almost citrusy flavour to it that say heavy on his tongue. Fuck. It felt good.

Simon kept taking slow, lazy hits from the pipe, leaning back and watching the smoke swirl and dance above him before it slowly dispersed throughout the room into nothing. The sunlight streaming in through the window made it look almost magical.

Simons phone had gotten tossed onto the bed at some point and he’d long since forgotten about it. He could feel the high slowly creeping in, his head filling with cotton and that euphoric loosening of his limps and muscles. Nothing else mattered in that moment… Aside from cracking a window; he’d finished smoking his bowl and the room was feeling rather stuffy. He opened the window quickly, swaying slighting from standing up too fast, and settled back down into the beanbag chair. He tapped the ash out of his pipe onto his rolling tray, stamping out the still smoldering bits with the bottom of his lighter, before leaning back and staring up at the ceiling. He wasn’t going to be moving from this spot for a minute. He could tell almost immediately. He could faintly hear the TV going in the background and that was the only thing keeping him grounded in the present. He hadn’t gotten a high like this in a minute.

For some reason, he felt durant to his acoustic guitar sitting over in the corner. The guitar was old, probably just as old as Simon was but he didn’t particularly care to do the math on that. He didn’t know the exact type of guitar he had, but it was a Suzuki SG-2S guitar and it was scuffed to hell and back. That guitar had seen him through three different moves that he knew about, the pick guard being coated in hundreds of overlapping scratch marks. The finish of the guitar was worn off in several spots, but Simon still found it beautiful. Tommy had called the color ‘Tobacco Sunburst’ but Simon thought the same was fucking stupid.

(If he remember right, they’d gotten into a spat over it. Tommy has insistent that it wa the proper name for the color, Simon didn’t care regardless. The name was stupid.)

He sat up briefly before slinging the guitar over his lap, not bothering to slide the strap over his shoulders. His fingers quickly slid to pick out from between the strings and the fretboard at the top of the guitar, the calluses on his fingertips lining up perfectly with the strings. He idly picked through a few different scales. Warming up on the guitar was practically second nature to him at this point. He’d been playing guitar for just about as long as he could remember. His mother had taught him as soon as he was big enough to hold a guitar and he’d fallen in love with the instrument as soon as he touched the strings. Some of his fondest memories growing up were of playing guitar with his mum, often accompanied by Tommy singing along to whatever song they were playing, his voice being incredibly loud and off-key.

The guitar belonged to his mother originally, and it had been a birthday gift from her. He’d part with it over his dead body. Though the guitar didn’t look the best, it was absolutely priceless to him. He hummed softly to himself as he slowly worked through different riff that had been giving him trouble. The guitar was tuned perfectly, and Simon felt himself getting lost in the sound of it. The soft squeaks of the strings against his fingers, the gentle thrums from the pick, nearly everything was enchanting.

Playing guitar was always an incredibly therapeutic thing for Simon. At the very least, it was a conversation starter for just something he could bring up for meaningless smalltalk. He’d been asked to play at a few of Gaz’s parties, but the idea of having that many people staring at him while he was playing made him want to gouge his throat out with a fork. He’d rather play alone in his room, and he had no problem with admitting that.

He hadn’t been to many of Gaz’s parties recently, but he appreciated that Gaz didn’t nag him too terribly for not showing up. He didn’t know everyone who was there and his idea of fun didn’t typically consist of sitting off in a corner awkwardly for a few hours before he deemed it acceptable to leave.

Funnily enough, Soap always seemed to be at Gaz’s parties whenever he’d have them. Soap would never outright approach Simon, but he’d always give him a wave and that same, charming smile he always seemed to have primed and ready. Did Soap know how to play guitar? Could he at least sing halfway decent? He’d have to ask next time he saw him.

Simon decided he was done playing guitar for now once he’d realized he’d been staring at the wall for the past ten minutes, not moving a single muscle. He placed it back onto its stand in the corner before immediately laying back down into bed. The soft breeze coming in through the window made his room cool, but still extremely pleasant for him to be in. He laid on his stomach with one leg lifted up as he started scrolling through his phone to keep his mind occupied.

Even while being on his phone, his mind couldn’t stop drifting towards thoughts of Johnny. Objectively he was mildly annoying, to put things lightly. He always seemed to gravitate towards Simon like a lost puppy just to make flirty comments towards him. (It had taken Simon an embarrassing amount of time to figure out that he was flirting and not just being nice.) Though he was annoying, Simon couldn’t deny that he was incredibly attractive despite his horrifically outdated mohawk, but it did suit him quite well.

Simon didn’t consider himself to be very much of a relationship person. Things had a tendency to not work out and he’d much rather save himself the grief than fling himself at anyone who showed him the smallest bit of attention. While this was true, he’d be lying if he said that he didn’t enjoy the attention that Johnny was always all too willing to give him. Johnny made him feel like he was the most important person in the room. He’d be stupid to not enjoy it.

He wanted to get closer to Johnny, nearly feeling shitty for how little he actually knew about him. He didn’t know much about his hobbies, only knowing his taste in music from their drives that they would go on together. Their respective tastes in music had a significant amount of overlap, which Simon greatly appreciated. He found himself always feeling drawn towards Johnny. He wanted to be closer to him, whether that was just as friends or otherwise.

Johnny was undeniably attractive; you could even argue that he was Simon’s type. He had a decent amount of muscle to him, a stunning smile, and those beautiful blue eyes that Simon could easily get lost in for hours. His patchwork tattoos that were more than likely done in someone’s kitchen or basement left something to be desired, but Simon couldn’t say much on the quality or overall design of his tattoos. (He didn’t have much ground to stand on with his overly edgy sleeve he’d gotten the week after he turned 18.) Johnny was cocky and oftentimes overly confident, but Simon liked it, oddly enough. He was charming and always seemed to know exactly what to say to get a laugh or any other reaction out of Simon. He liked Johnny much more than he’d initially expected to.

Simon wasn’t entirely picky with who he hooked up with, but it wasn’t something that he often sought out. With Johnny, however, he had half a mind to invite him over. The longer he’d thought about him, that low simmer of arousal pooling in his gut had roared into a rolling boil. Sleeping with Johnny wouldn’t be the worst idea he’d ever had. He’d stolen glances at his groin when he would wear gray sweatpants and Simon was more than just pleased with what he’d seen. At the very least, he’d have fun. That would be worth it. It had been a minute.

Simon💀: idk if it’s the strain or what

Simon💀: but i’m fucking horny

Simon💀: did that happen to you when you tried it?

Simon seemed to have an uncanny talent in sending risky text messages when he was stoned. It wasnt recommended at all, but he usually gained something pleasant out of it. He’d never sent a risky message to Johnny, mind, but he doubted anything bad would come from it.

He knew damn well how Johnny looked at him like he was something to be devoured. Any time he needed to lean down to pick something up, he could always be certain that he’d find Johnny’s eyes trained carefully on him. He was never shy about his intentions. Simon was practically waiting for Johnny to make a move, but he’d make it first if Johnny wouldn’t.

Despite Johnny’s track record of responding within five minutes whenever Simon would text him, nearly ten minutes had lapsed since Simon had messaged him. Disappointing. He tossed his phone onto the bed before opening the drawer on his bedside table. He tossed a bottle of lube and a dildo onto the bed near his phone before lying back down. It seemed like closing the door earlier had been a good idea after all.

He checked his phone one again, just to check, and was surprised to see ‘Read 1:23pm.’ He was very neatly thrilled to see the typing bubble pop up on screen. He needed to see this through, a pang of tension cutting through his arousal.

Johnny🧼: u kno..

Johnny🧼: as ur plug in responsible for ur high

Johnny🧼: i could come take care of u

Of course he’d say that. Simon had completely expected for Johnny to jump at the opportunity. Strangely enough, it was endearing.

Simon💀: mhm.

Simon💀: you can barely take care of yourself

Simon💀: I’d like to see you try.

Simon grinned as soon as he saw that Johnny was typing again rolling onto his stomach. He kept his phone held up in his left hand as his right hand slid down beneath himself. He didn’t let it slide fully into his boxers, idly playing with the waistband of his boxers.

Johnny🧼: I can come over n prove it, si’

Johnny🧼: I’d be more thn happy 2

As much as the idea seemed appealing, Simon wanted to guarantee that he’d have the house to himself. He couldn’t risk having Roach coming home in the middle of everything. He truly did want to tell Johnny to come over, particularly with how long it’s been, it wasn’t work the risk of getting interrupted.

Simon💀: maybe you could.

Simon💀: where would you start?

Though he couldn’t have Johnny over right away, playing with his food was always an entertaining pastime for Simon. Particularly with someone like Johnny. He always was incredibly upfront with his intentions. Whether he’d put his money where his mouth is was still up for debate.

Johnny🧼: do u have any idea how crazy uve been driving me??

Johnny🧼: every time i see u it drives me fuckin insane

Johnny🧼: can barely keep my hands to myself when i see u

Cute, but Simon already knew that. The art of subtlety was not something that Johnny was skilled or familiar with. He liked that about him. He couldn’t deny the thrill that rushed down his spine whenever he would turn around and catch Johnny staring at him. He always looked at him like he was starving, his eyes looking nearly dark with desire each time. It almost seemed as if he could call Johnny over to him with a simple tilt of his head and he’d drop to his knees in front of Simon like an obedient dog. He loved that feeling.

Simon 💀: cute…

Simon 💀: you can do better than that, can’t you?

Johnny🧼: u have no idea just how badly i want to ruin u

Simon had half a mind to drop the conversation there. He wasn’t in the mood to have to lead the conversation himself. If Johnny wasn’t going to hold his attention, he wasn’t going to keep playing along for the sake of Johnny’s ego. Interestingly enough, he responded before Simon could set his phone down fully.

Johnny 🧼: if you tell me to i’ll come over rn

Johnny 🧼: i’d push you up against the wall, kiss you breathless with my hand around your neck

Johnny 🧼: have you riding my thigh while i’m marking what’s mine

Marking what’s his?

Simon 💀: marking what’s yours? i’m not yours.

Johnny 🧼: not yet >_<!

Incredibly cocky, yet he didn’t hate it. Johnny was always incredibly forward with his intentions. The current moment was no exception to that. Simon would be lying if he didn’t find the idea of it appealing. He could almost perfectly envision it.

Johnny’s hand gripping almost uncomfortably tight onto his hips, no doubt leaving bruises where his fingertips had been. The delectably rough scrape of his stubble against his jaw and neck as biting kisses would be placed across his skin, the warm metal of the barbell in Johnny’s tongue tracing across each hickey left across his neck. He could almost hear how Johnny would chuckle against his skin as he pressed his leg up further between Simon’s thighs, the pressure against his cock as he would roll his hips down and be met with an approving hum from Johnny. He wanted to hear just how rushed and heated Johnny’s breaths would get, feel his cock hardening against his hip…

Johnny 🧼: i’d treat you so well if you’d let me

Johnny 🧼: i’ll make an absolute mess out of you just with my tongue and fingers

Johnny 🧼: i’d leave marks all over your body just to make you think of me each time you see them

He would be on his back, bullied up closer to the head of the bed with Johnny between his legs. He’d have his hand in Johnny’s hair, pulling on it just to see how Johnny would react. He could almost feel Johnny’s steely blue eyes watching each expression he’d make. Johnny’s eyes would never leave his face, even when he leans his head back against the pillows. The coil in his stomach winding tighter with each pass of Johnny’s tongue against his cock, his fingers curling up just right inside of him and making him squirm.

He knew Johnny would wrap his free arm around one of his thighs, pulling him closer and effectively locking him in place. He’d pull back just briefly, his chin nearly dripping wet with Simon’s arousal.

“Don’t run away from it, sweetheart.”

Johnny 🧼: can’t wait to hear all the pretty little sounds you’ll make

Simon 💀: hate to disappoint but i’m kind of quiet

Johnny 🧼: we’ll see about that when i get my hands on you

Simon couldn’t even find it in him to be annoyed by his confidence. Johnny was well aware of the effect that he had on Simon and to his credit, Simon couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this interested in texting someone like this.

He was on edge, his hand having creeped into his boxers long before Johnny started typing. He could feel his heartbeat racing as he watched the bubble continue, a low curse leaving his throat as he curled his fingers upwards inside of him.

Johnny 🧼: takin a while to respond, sweetheart

Johnny 🧼: what are you up to?

If he wanted to know so badly, Simon had no problems with showing him. He had a mirror at the foot of his bed for a reason. He sat up just slightly, leaning his weight on his left elbow and angling the camera so that his face wasn’t visible. He spread his legs open a little further for the picture. The damp spot on his boxers was just barely visible, but made more apparent by the flash of the camera.

The image was tasteful, but you could still clearly see that Simon had two fingers buried inside of his cunt. He ground the heel of his palm against his dick as he sent the picture over.

Simon 💀: i think you can guess…

Johnny didn’t immediately start typing and Simon couldn’t deny the slight puff that it gave to his ego. He was well aware of the fact that Johnny found him attractive, but seeing a visual demonstration of him not having an immediate quip back from a risque picture was amusing to him. It was, of course, short lived.

Johnny 🧼: got you that riled up from a few texts?

Simon 💀: don’t flatter urself

Simon 💀: i’m home alone. just gotta take care of it myself.

Johnny 🧼: i could change that

Simon 💀: maybe

The offer was incredibly tempting. Simon knew if he told Johnny to come over, he’d be at his house within the next twenty minutes, if not faster. Best case, the hookup would be pretty decent and he’d have a reason to invite Johnny over more often. Worst case, he’d have some mediocre sex and need to find a new drug dealer. That still didn’t account for running into Johnny at parties, or Roach coming home in the middle of everything. Maybe that wasn’t the best course of action…for now.

Johnny 🧼: can i save that pic?

Johnny 🧼: won’t show it to anyone. i just want that for me

If he’d been standing up, Simon knew that message would have made him dizzy. He could feel the slight rush of adrenaline down his spine at the suggestion. Just wanting to keep that picture for himself? Would he be looking at it later, touching himself thinking about Simon? Would that be the first time he’d done something similar? The mental image of that was all too appealing for Simon to say no.

Simon 💀: you better fucking not

Simon 💀: my face isn’t in it, go ahead

Johnny 🧼: perfect.

He slid a third finger inside of himself as he waited for Johnny to finish typing, gently chewing on his lower lip in anticipation. Would Johnny be touching himself looking at that picture?

His face dimly illuminated by the light of his phone, sitting up with the hem of his tank top tucked between his teeth. His eyes carefully scanning over the picture as his hand stroked over his cock, his thumb trailing over the head on each upstroke.

Johnny 🧼: just want to fucking ruin you

Johnny 🧼: i’d keep you up all night, fill you up until you can’t take any more

Simon 💀: doubt you have the stamina but you can try

Johnny 🧼: cute that you think that

Johnny 🧼: when’s the last time someone properly took care of you?

In all honesty, Simon could barely even remember the last time he’d hooked up with someone, let alone had a memorable and at least halfway decent hookup. He knew it had been more than a few months, but he didn’t exactly keep track of it either. He didn’t necessarily have people lining up to sleep with him, Johnny being the exception, and didn’t see the point in lying about it just to make him jealous…though it did sound appealing.

Simon 💀: it’s been a while

Johnny 🧼: poor thing

Johnny 🧼: i could take care of you

Johnny 🧼: have you start on your hands and knees, flip you on your back when you get too tired

Johnny 🧼: push your knees to your chest and watch how you fall apart for me

He’d be on his back, his knees held tight to his chest, Johnny no doubt deeper inside him than anyone had been in a long time. He could hear the slap of skin on skin, harsh pants and soft groans. He was certain he’d be able to see the sweat dripping down Johnny’s temples, messy trails down his neck. How his eyebrows would be knit together tightly, his eyes closed and focusing on the sensations of everything. Open mouthed panting, his muscles flexing and relaxing beneath his skin so perfectly, shoulders begging to be bitten into. He’d make such a pretty picture, wouldn’t he?

Johnny 🧼: show me what you’re up to, doll

He deserved to see a little more, didn’t he? Simon pushed himself up to be sitting fully, tucking his legs beneath him and getting into more of a straddle position. He kept the camera carefully angled to hide his face as he hit the record button. He kept slowly fingering himself as the video ran, being careful to not make much noise. He didn’t need to inflate Johnny’s ego any more than it already would be. He didn’t watch the video back before sending it off. It was only a few seconds long, but it was clear what he was doing.

His eyes lit up as soon as Johnny started typing again, not having the energy to feign disinterest any longer.

Johnny🧼: I can hardly even see what you’re doing, sweetheart

Simon💀: greedy.

Johnny🧼: you love it.

His next video started the same as the one he’d just sent, this time making more of an effort to grind against the palm of his hand as he worked himself open. This time, he lowered the camera from his face as he pulled his hand out of his boxers. He locked eyes with the camera in the mirror as he raised his hand towards his mouth, slowly trailing his tongue between his fingers and effectively cleaning off all evidence of his own arousal. He immediately sent off the video as soon as he stopped recording.

Simon💀: does this give you any clues?

He couldn’t deny the headrush he got as soon as Johnny didn’t reply for almost a minute, the read receipt being the only evidence he’d seen it. He was nearly giddy as he waited for Johnny to finish typing.

Johnny🧼: i think i’ve got an idea

Johnny🧼: i’d clean off your fingers just like that if i was there

Johnny🧼: dying to find out exactly how you taste

Simon💀: i bet you are

He’d been dancing around inviting Johnny over for too long, and he was starting to wonder if it’d be worth it to invite him over. Johnny hadn’t let up once in texting him. Simon wouldn’t mind the company. It could’ve just been the weed talking, but Simon felt he deserved at least the chance to prove himself. What did he have to lose?

He shifted up on his knees, turning so that his profile could be seen in the mirror. He pressed his chest down towards the bed, forcing his back to arch as his hips stayed high up in the air. He adjusted himself just slightly so that his body was in better view of the mirror to the camera. He sent off the picture as soon as he’d gotten a good shot.

Simon 💀: you gonna come get behind me or what?

Read 1:58pm.

For a few moments, Simon figured that Johnny was just in shock and didn’t know how to respond. Maybe he hadn’t expected Simon to send that and needed a moment to process. One minute passed, then two, then five, then ten. Simon couldn’t hold in the disappointed sigh as he tossed his phone to the side. He was disappointed, yes, but still not entirely surprised. He’d expected Soap to be all bark and no bite, but had hoped that wouldn’t be the case.

He rolled back onto his back, reaching for the dildo and lube he’d tossed onto the bed earlier before sliding his boxers off and tossing them onto the floor. He’d hoped for something different, but this would have to do for now.

an: sorry for cockblocking you guys i promise they fuck in the next chapter. but anyways. thank you for reading!!! i hope you enjoyed!! next chapter should be up relatively soonish!!

#FWTOMURA #call of duty #cod smut #cod mw2 #ghost cod #ghostsoap #simon riley x john mactavish #john soap mactavish #john mactavish #smut

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fireflieshq · 7 months

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MISSION BRIEF … ❮ three new members join division four. the division travel to sancheong bus terminal to repair an abandoned bus. ❯

SITUATION #01b. DESIGNATE: DIV4

ABANDONED METRO TUNNEL UNDERNEATH DAEHA division four has taken a vote, allowing the three survivors to join the division. the division continues by foot towards the vehicle seen by [BLACK SWAN] nearby sancheong bus terminal, in order to repair it and make up for the time that was lost while travelling underground. in preparation with the [SCAVENGERS], they also collect the needed parts for repair. the estimated journey length to sancheong bus terminal is one day. 0845 hrs, august 26, 2023

EXECUTION

CHAPTER 1b happy acceptance to our new characters! now that they’ve joined div4, the division is hoping to repair an abandoned bus, so they can meet up with gwangju qz’s division 2 in muju county.

in-character, div4 are travelling underground to reach the abandoned sancheong bus terminal. out-of-character, this is our introductory event for chpt1 skeletons, so all members may participate and start threads about this at any time.

some prompts to consider: how does your muse feel about the addition of these new characters? for the muses who have just joined, how do they feel about the mission? for muses who were voting, why did they do so and how is this reflected in their interactions with the new additions?

it’s not compulsory for muns to participate in this ooc, but this is also a canon event that will affect all div4 muses ic-wise! to note from this point on, div4 will include the three characters.

please tag all posts related to this event with frf:day7.

#frf:plotdrop #frf:day7 #origins:chpt1

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masterofmajora · 1 year

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Kingdom Come Chpt1 pt1

In the Beginning there was time. once flowing Time Begot Space. For without Space, Time had no structure. It would branch into dying existences with no way to control or know when, why, and what beholds of time. As Space and time continued, Twins of two different aspects were born. Light and Dark, Light was born as a beautiful Feminine figure. Her body is shaped round and plump for she would bring life to many and give birth to a new existence. "Solles'' was the name given to her by Time. Her twin brother would be a lanky and feeble man Shaped figure, almost skeletal. "For he was the beholder of Darkness. Calamity." Was uttered nervously by Space. "She will give life and prosper to her light but he will take life and be embarrassed in his darkness" Proclaimed by Space forewarning Time of what the two will bring to the new day and age. As Time and Space flowed and prospered into existence, Solles gave birth to the skies, Lands, and all elements accustomed to this world we know. After she gave birth to fire she laid in rest in the river to cool herself off, she rested her head upon a mountain and stayed in slumber for eons. Calamity admired his sister's creations. He always stood by her when she would give birth to comfort her in her time of need. During the creation of earth and wind. Earth got very jealous of Wind and tried attacking Wind while in Solles`s arms. The Phantasmic figure decided to build his powerful sister a weapon of protection.This Artifact would provide her with coverage during her child birth and creations so no one would attack her while bonding with her new child. The shield made out of the strongest metal shielding his twin from any attack. His sister admired his heart and thoughtfulness even though his body is of death and despair. The brother, keeping his heart for his sister strong in his sleeves, watched his bet her birth of the world as time passed on and on. Once the sister finally birthed the last element she asked her brother to teach her the skill of forgery, but didn’t tell him it was to make him a gift. Solles wanted to repay her grim brother for his protection and love. She proclaimed “I have birthed all things into existence. Alas brother, you have created the purpose for my creation. For it was the dark that created love.” Calamity smiles and takes the material out of his sister's hands and shows her the processes he has created with her new life. He shows her how to melt the material with fire. Maintain the fire with wind. Shape the material with the earth making molds in the ground. As well as using water to cool the molten material. The sister carefully studying under her brother patiently worked till she created a weapon of mass destruction. “My brother. Your soul weeps for your power is to bring life to its end. But please do not fall into despair about this fact. For you have given me the purpose of reanimation to continue the next age and era of the recreation of life. Take this. It is Scythe in a new direction. Its name is Soulbrand. For each soul you strike with this weapon comes back to me and allows me to reform and recleanse the soul making them anew. Go out my brother. And find those whose souls are at their end. Allow them a new opportunity in the next day and age.” The brother looked upon the Blackened blade with its long and coarse Snath made out of a pitch black wood strengthen by brimstone and darkness. “My dearest sister.” Muttered the Phantom “Your kind words. Your soft heart. I don’t deserve a sister as yourself. For as you see I have made you your shield to protect you but no weapon to aid you in your battles. I wanted to give you these gifts. I appreciate the gift you have given me and I wish to show my gratitude with this.”

#Kingdom Come #please dont let this flop #constructive critism welcome #don’t be mean #❤️#KingdomCome Chapter 1 #KingdomCome Chapter 1 part 1

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the-hilda-librarians-wife · 1 year

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Locus Amoenus - Chapter Two

Pairing: Sketchbook (Kaisa/Johanna)

Summary: Locus Amoenus: A literary topos and one of the five latim mottos of the arcadist, or neoclassical movement. Literally translates to "a pleasant place"

The events of Inutilia Truncat from Johanna's point of view, and their following study date

Notes: TW: Brief mention of pedophilia, not in the story but in a literary discussion. If you want to skip it altogether, quit the section just after Johanna arrived at the library, and come back after the "*" sign I put in there

Also I do not know the first thing about college housing for students in… whichever country I’m trying to represent here. Again, all my knowledge comes from Monster’s University. I am asking you to suspend your disbelief. I am asking you to put it into a cannon and shoot it into the sky. *waves a pocket watch in front of you* You are getting veeery sleepy. You are suspending the disbelief

Read it on ao3: (chpt1) (chpt2) (previous instalment in the verse

When Kaisa informed her mother and sister over dinner that she would be gone in the morning before they woke up the next day, she knew there would be an onslaught of questions. Even though she felt a need to keep this thing with Johanna private, like it might shatter if other people so much as looked at it, they were her family. She’d be disappointed if they didn’t question it, really.

“Really? What on earth for?” Frida asked as she helped herself to the pasta with pesto sauce that Tildy had cooked that night, handing the bowl to Kaisa right after.

“Studying.” Was her short answer, but no one on the table was convinced.

“But why are you leaving so early? And on a Saturday too!” Kaisa had been expecting this sort of comment from Tildy. The older woman very openly worried about her not getting enough time for sleep and leisure, certainly she wouldn’t let it drop that Kaisa would be leaving home before anyone was awake in that house of early risers. “If you want so badly to get an early start, why don’t you study at home?”

After setting the bowl with pasta down at the center of the table, Kaisa took a moment to sip her water before answering, doing her best to seem calm and controlled, and most certainly not nervous at the prospect of the slightest social interaction. “Well, because I actually made an appointment to meet up with a classmate at the library to study together.”

Both pairs of eyes stared into her with surprise.

“Is it really so unbelievable that I’m hanging out with someone?” She asked with more bitterness than intended when neither said anything, picking up balls of falafel from a silver tray and putting them on her plate.

“No!” Both of them assured at the same time, and Tildy hurried to put a hand to her older daughter’s forearm to get her attention.

“Sugar, we just hadn’t been expecting that since you prefer to study alone. But that’s wonderful! Shame that you’ll have to leave before breakfast, but you’ll be back for lunch, right?”

“Sure.” Kaisa shrugged. “I wouldn’t want to be late for us to leave for Frida’s scouts thing, anyway. I’ll just be away for the morning.”

From the opposite side of the table, Frida beamed at the reminder. The Raven Leader had proposed a bonding activity, for which each kid could bring an adult of their choice for a group trivia. Kaisa had secretly been ecstatic when Frida invited her to come along.

“And by the way.” Apparently Kaisa’s answers had been enough to satisfy her family for now, because Frida took the opportunity to take the conversation away from her weekend study plans. “I have English homework today. Will you study with me after dinner?”

“Only if you give me your desert, kid.”

In front of her, Frida rolled her eyes as Tildy let out a happy chuckle at the sight of her children. She hadn’t even needed to ask, really. Studying with her sister was one of Kaisa’s favourite things in the world, and she loved doing so whenever she was allowed to. Even when Frida didn’t want help studying, they still did it side by side when they were both home. It made Kaisa feel helpful. And loved, if she was being honest.

“You get half of it.”

“Only half? For helping you with English? That’s hardly fair. I deserve seventy five percent of it at least.”

“Fine. But only as a prize for having finally made a friend in class.”

Considering Tildy’s presence besides them, Kaisa didn’t kick Frida’s ankles under the table like she wanted to, but resigned herself to giving her a piercing stare that promised retribution.

Of course, when they cleared the table and Tildy brought the dessert, a pistachio mousse that she’d tried making for the first time, they had both forgotten about it and were already laughing and paying attention to the stories each one of the three had to tell about their day.

………

Edmund was staring at her weird.

Well, maybe she deserved it, because she was acting a little weirder than normal. It wasn’t every day that she ate breakfast glancing at the kitchen clock every twenty seconds, or asked for his advice on what to wear, or put on perfume and lipgloss to go to the library.

But it wasn’t every day she got to go to the library with her crush either.

“Well, how do I look?” She stood in front of her cousin, her arms spread by her sides for his evaluation. She had chosen a brown skirt that went just over her knees, a grey checked button down shirt with the sleeves rolled to her elbows, black oxfords and a thin leather belt to tie it all together. When she had last checked herself in the mirror, she thought she looked pretty good, but the look Edmund was giving her wasn’t one of approval. He looked like he was trying to put puzzle pieces together, running a hand over his dark brown stubble which had begun to grow back after he shaved it for the summer.

“So?” She prompted when he said nothing. “How do I look?”

“Not like you’re going to the library.” He said at last, and raised his eyebrows at her from his seat on their living room couch. “Who’s the lucky person?”

Johanna huffed, dropping her arms. “This isn’t a date!”

“You’re the one who’s saying anything about a date.”

“Oh, shut up, you implied it.”

He put his hands up in surrender. “I’m not saying it’s bad, Jo, just maybe a little overdressed to go study at the uni’s library.”

Johanna picked at her skirt half heartedly. “Do you think she’ll find me creepy if I show up like this?”

“Honestly, if this really isn’t a date and you two are just going to study, then I really hope that the girl will be more interested in the subject than in what you’re wearing.”

Despite having already known this, Johanna felt herself deflate a little. Even if she knew that Kaisa was only doing this because she was hoping to absorb some of Johanna’s luck in that discipline, some part of her (admittedly a large one) couldn’t help but hope she’d see something in Johanna along the way. To be reminded that Kaisa would probably be too absorbed in damned neoclassicism to even notice her was very disheartening.

“You’re right.” She said, a little annoyed to admit it. And then, knowing that she needed to tell someone and that she could trust her cousin, she continued without being asked. “Remember some weeks ago, in the beginning of the semester, when I went looking for a classmate’s social media everywhere, and couldn’t find her? I’m pretty sure I told you. The girl has no instagram, twitter, facebook, or tiktok. Literally the only traces of her I could find were on spotify and tumblr.”

Johanna had immediately started following Kaisa’s Spotify playlists that night, when she got home after the first seminar and decided to do a light stalking on her. There weren’t many public playlists to be found, but Johanna really liked opening the program on her computer to find that there were other people she knew also listening to music. It made her feel connected to them. Not her tumblr blog, though. Johanna had had the good sense to leave it alone when she dug that up. What happened on tumblr, stayed on tumblr, and Johanna could respect that, even if it looked like it was only a studyblr that was very seldom updated.

“Oh, is that the girl?” Edmund exclaimed, sitting up straighter out of a sudden. “In which case, marry her. You don’t see many people who haven’t sold their souls to tiktok anymore.”

Johanna rolled her eyes. Her cousin was only five years older than her, but he honestly sounded like a grumpy old man sometimes. Even if he wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Thank you for your sage advice. I’ll be going now, see you later.”

“See you later, Jo!” Picking up the entomology book he’d been reading before Johanna asked for his opinion, Edmund layed down on the couch again. “Good luck on your date!”

………

When she was ten steps away from the library’s front door, Johanna got a text.

Kaisa 🐈‍⬛🔮

Good morning. I’ve just arrived at the library, saved us a table on the right side at the back.

Seeing as she was so close, Johanna probably didn’t need to answer, but she felt bad about seeing the message and ignoring it, so she sent a quick “coming!” in reply.

Sure enough, when Johanna entered the building, gorgeous with its old wooden floor and ceiling high shelves, dating probably to the founding of the university, she spotted Kaisa sitting exactly where she’d said she’d be. The humanities library was essentially a long hall, rows of bookshelves intercalated with tables for the students to study at. Some were already there, even if it was morning on a weekend. For students who lived on campus, there were few better places to study than there. Luckily, Kaisa had indeed saved them a table, and when Johanna found it, between the two grammar bookshelves, she was looking out of the huge glass window on the wall, looking pensively and, quite honestly, like a romantic painting. But that might just be Johanna’s infatuation-addled mind. She was twisting a black ring around her right index finger with her thumb, most likely absent mindedly.

She noticed Johanna’s arrival before she had to greet her, and to Johanna’s surprise, smiled. It was shy and tentative, sure, but considering Johanna wasn’t even aware she could do that it felt almost blinding. It looked beautiful on her, Johanna thought. She would love to be the reason why Kaisa smiled more often.

“Good morning!” Johanna said, putting her backpack on the seat in front of where Kaisa had placed hers, so she could sit face to face with the woman herself. “How have you been?”

“Good morning. I’ve been well, thanks for asking. You?”

“Ditto.” Johanna unzipped her backpack and began wondering what she would even use to study. Truth be told, she’d been more concerned with… other things regarding this morning that hadn’t left much time for her to plan her study session properly. Which hadn’t probably been smart on her part, because now the pretty girl would be paying attention to what she did. Crap.

“Honestly, I was asking myself if you’d really show up.”

This made Johanna whip her head back to look at Kaisa, but she herself looked like she hadn’t a clue why she’d just said that. She looked like she wanted to gasp and put her hands over her mouth, but had decided that that was too loud for a library and chose to just go more pale instead. Something tugged at Johanna’s heart when she noticed that it wasn’t a joke, Kaisa had really been expecting her to give up on the idea, and was so relieved to be proven wrong that she hadn’t been able to filter her words.

Oh, Johanna was going to befriend this girl so hard.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” She answered, trying to lighten the mood. It seemed to work, and the colour came back to Kitty’s face with vengeance, giving her cheeks a lovely pinkish hue.

“Well.” Kaisa cleared her throat, opening the library textbook that Johanna had only just noticed was already on the table, along with her notebook from class, her laptop, a black (obviously) ball-point pen and a marker. Damn, that girl meant business. “Shall we get started?”

“Yeah! I’ll just… grab a textbook as well.”

Johanna got up and left to find the literature bookshelves, knowing damn well that the next couple of hours would be the least productive she’d have in her whole academic career.

………

Johanna had said her secret was enjoying, and apparently, she had meant it. When Golden arrived, looking absurdly pretty (Kaisa considered herself to be relatively stylish, but seeing Johanna that morning made her reconsider that statement. That girl was on a whole new level of looking good, though she had to admit that her clothes were only a small part of it), Kaisa had thought to herself ‘this is it, this is how I find out I’ve been making some stupid study mistake I should have known was wrong all along’. Instead, what happened was that while Kaisa tried to work on synthesising the main characteristics and metaphors in the texts that had been discussed during that week’s seminar, she kept getting distracted by the excited expressions Johanna made whenever she read a new fact in her textbook.

“Kaisa!” She whispered at one point. “Look at this! Tomaz Antonio Gonzaga was exhiled from his country for supporting one of the independence movements! Then he lived the rest of his life in Africa, and even married a woman there. After everything he wrote about his first sweetheart! Can you believe it?”

“Isn’t that the author of Marília de Dirceu?” Kaisa raised an eyebrow, and Johanna nodded. “Yeah, his sweetheart was sixteen. This dude’s a pedo, I’ll believe anything you tell me about him.”

Kaisa would have felt bad for putting it so bluntly, but the way Johanna contorted her brow in anger and glared at the book, like it was a friend that had just betrayed her, had been too entertaining to regret it.

In the end, it had been very nice to study with her, although not for any new techniques she’d discovered. Golden, as it turns out, was very enjoyable company. If Johanna was willing, Kaisa thought she would very much like to spend more time with her, including in other contexts where they didn’t have to keep their voices down.

Once the clock had hit midday, they were both famished and felt like their brains had turned into goo inside their skulls, having turned to other disciplines after they hit a two hour mark on neoclassicism. That’s how you knew the study session had been worth your while. They had put all of their stuff away in their backpacks and were heading to the circulation desk in order to drop off the library textbooks they had taken off the shelves when Johanna popped a question.

“I don’t know about you, but I could really use some lunch right now.” She began, hearing Kaisa mumble a ‘definitely’ beside her. “Want to go grab a bite at the cafeteria?”

Kaisa blinked, looking down at the floor to avoid glancing at Johanna, who was now looking at her expectantly. So she was willing to spend more time with her. Something about it made Kaisa feel a fluttering feeling in her stomach, but she attributed it to hunger.

“I’m afraid I can’t, today.” She said, trying to put as much sincerity in her tone. Kaisa really didn’t want her thinking that her invitation was the problem. “I already told my family I would be having lunch with them today, and honestly I’d feel kind of bad to ditch them with so little notice. My mother must have already cooked it by now.”

It wasn’t at all a lie, but it wasn’t a whole truth either. The thing was, as much as Kaisa really wanted to spend longer with Johanna, she hadn’t come mentally prepared for it. She was really terrible with sudden changes of plan, they made her cranky and on edge and that wasn’t a side of her she wanted Golden to see, at least not yet. Kaisa ran on schedules.

“No worries!” Johanna chirped, a little too quickly and cheerfully for it to be honest. Not that Kaisa noticed that.

“Maybe next time, though? We could have a fixed date each week, or when we’re both free, at least. If you're amenable.”

They had just placed their books on the circulation’s desk, but thankfully the librarian was nowhere around to witness the slightly baffled stare that Johanna gave Kaisa.

“Only if you want to, I mean.” Kaisa was quick to add once she noticed the odd look Johanna was giving her. She’d thought that the lunch invitation was a sign that Golden had enjoyed her company, but her current face probably meant that she was trying to think of an excuse to back out of the suggestion. Maybe she was just being polite when she mentioned lunch? Kaisa hated how complicated people were, sometimes. “I know you must be very busy, I totally understand it if you-“

“No!” Johanna was quick to cut through the chain of excuses that Kaisa was going ahead and making for her. “No, I’d love to make this a recurrent thing, actually. I’m just happy you suggested it. Hadn’t been expecting you to.”

Okay, Kaisa had probably deserved that one, she could admit that. But she was very grateful for Johanna’s directness, it made it infinitely easier to know they were on the same page. Sometimes it felt people her age communicated in hidden rules and complex signs; that was why she liked elders and children so much. They said what they meant and meant what they said. Interacting with them was much less tiring.

But Johanna… Johanna was nice, too. So far, she hadn’t at all felt drained with her. She was curious to see if that would remain the case if they interacted more often.

“I’d love to as well.” Kaisa smiled at her, and they finally stopped standing in front of the circulation desk to head towards the door. “What time is best for you?”

Johanna’s brow furrowed as she deliberated. She knew Kaisa didn’t live on campus; there’d be a lot more gossip going around about her if she did. Obviously, she had more free time on the weekends, but asking her to come here during days in which they didn’t have class probably meant her having to go out of her way to meet her.

“We could do this after our seminar on Tuesdays. Then we could come to the library or you could come to my house.”

“After you enjoy your sunset?” Kaisa teased, holding the front door open for Johanna and following right after her.

“Don’t worry about that, I can do it on other days. Besides, I'd rather spend time with you than with the sunset anyway.”

An obvious blush crept onto Kaisa’s cheeks, spreading all the way to her neck. Because of her skin colour, it was really very noticeable, but Johanna mercifully didn’t comment on it. At least she looked flustered rather than uncomfortable, so Johanna thought that probably meant it hadn’t been too much.

“How are you going home, anyway?” She asked once she realised that the path to her house was different from that of the building’s parking lot. They would likely need to say their goodbyes now, and a big part of Johanna truly wanted to postpone that as much as possible.

“Oh, I’ll just walk there.” Black Cat shrugged as if she thought nothing of it, but Johanna knew their university had been built detached from the town. There was now an avenue that connected the two, but the first houses only began appearing by its edges after around fifteen minutes of driving. If you didn’t dawdle, that was.

“Oh, really? How long does it take?”

“Around an hour, give or take.”

Johanna truly didn’t think that her gasp had been an overreaction. Sure, taking an one hour walk wasn’t something out of the ordinary, but doing it twice every day? And especially doing it now, when the sun was at its peak and she hadn’t eaten in hours?

“Nope. Not allowing that. Come on, I’m driving you there.”

She left space for no disagreement, beginning to march towards her house and noticing with amusement that Kaisa struggled to keep up after a second of being too taken aback by Johanna’s suddenness to walk.

“Wait, there’s no need! I really appreciate the offer, but I wouldn’t want to get in your way!”

“Kaisa, if you walk home now you will get in my way. Because I will run you over with my car. Repeatedly.”

“Oh, come on-“

“No, I’m serious! You said it would take you an hour to get there. If you let me drive you, I’ll be there and back in less than half! This is non-negotiable.”

Kaisa mumbled something grumpy sounding under her breath, but the smile tugging at her lips told a different story. Maybe she should have been more insistent, but Johanna really made her feel like she wasn’t imposing. Besides, the prospect of another fifteen minutes in her presence was a very welcome one.

They walked for a few minutes until they were closer to the STEMs buildings, much newer than the ones they frequented, and the conservation and breeding grounds. Most people walking nearby were veterinary or agronomy majors, now. Kaisa had a friend whose lab was around there. She wondered briefly if the woman was nearby, but the one beside her was taking a lot more space in her mind, currently.

Johanna’s car was a red beetle, old but clearly well kept. She kept it parked in front of the house, which was single floored and cosy looking. It was very different from the other student houses on campus, much more unassuming. The kind of place you’d come to for a quiet weekend, not for a frat party, and reminded Kaisa of her own house a bit.

Golden started the car, and Kaisa settled in by her side, noticing that the vehicle smelled like apple and cinnamon, similar to the scent that took over her kitchen when Tildy baked apple pie. She wondered if that was what she would scent if she got close enough to Johanna, but did her best to stop herself from going down that particular rabbit hole of thought.

“Do you live here on your own?”

“Oh, no.” Johanna fastened her seatbelt and gave her a pointed look to do the same. In her defence, she was already going to. “With my cousin, Edmund. It used to be a fraternity house, but then the boys graduated and left without being replaced, and only he stayed to do his Masters in Conservation Ecology. Then I came along and he invited me to live with him.”

“Neat.”

Biting her bottom lip to stop herself from chuckling, Johanna had to admit that Black Cat really had a tendency to go back to those one word replies. If that was simply the case, Johanna knew she’d learn to take it as just one of her characteristics, instead of a sign she didn’t want to talk to her.

“Oh, mind if I put on some music?” She asked, already reaching for her cellphone while they were still on campus grounds and there was no need to worry about other cars appearing out of the blue. At Kaisa’s ‘sure, go for it’, she plugged it in and turned on the radio.

Even though Kaisa looked like she preferred some edgier, indie music, or maybe something classic and instrumental, Johanna put on her playlist which she had specifically for when she had to play music she liked for other people, composed of mostly well known songs that even if you didn’t quite like them, you probably would hate them either.

The only change she made to it was adding a girl in red song to the queue right before they crossed the university’s gates and entered the avenue. When it came up, both of them started humming the lyrics to ‘we fell in love in october’, and exchanged shy smiles when they caught the other doing it.

Just as she had planned. The sapphic-to-sapphic communication never failed.

They spent the ride mostly like this, enjoying the songs and making some odd comments here and there when they remembered something interesting. Sooner than Johanna would have liked, Kaisa pointed at a smaller street that branched out of the highway and asked her to turn into it.

The street was only paved with cobblestone, which made them shake in the car, but Johanna didn’t have to drive much further down it. Kaisa’s house was one of the firsts, a lovely cottage which to Johanna looked like it could house a fairy. Or a really nice fairytale witch, those that were full of wisdom and helped you in your quest.

“Just here is lovely.” She said, looking out of the window for longer than she needed to. For some reason it felt really bad to say bye to Johanna. She had seriously considered inviting her in for lunch, but it wouldn’t be polite of her to invite someone her family didn’t even know without giving them any sort of forewarning. “Thank you so much, Johanna. For the ride and for the company.”

Golden Retriever beamed, because of course she did, and tucked a stray auburn curl behind her ear. Her hair looked so soft, it was ridiculous.

“The pleasure was all mine!” Kaisa wouldn’t be able to know how true that really was, but she said it anyway. “Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. See you Tuesday?”

“Thanks, you too.” She opened her door and stepped out, offering a shy smile of her own. “And yeah, definitely.”

“Great! Tell me how your sister’s scout thing was later. See you soon!”

“See you.” Her voice sounded a little absent minded when she said it as she closed the door, but she hadn’t been able to control it. She’d just been caught unprepared by Johanna remembering and asking about her other appointment that day. Not that it was too impressive, or anything, but outside of her family she couldn’t remember people ever caring enough to remember such small details about her.

Shaking her head, she headed towards her front door, with intricate carvings on the dark wood and a circular brass knob. When she opened it, she turned around to see that the car was still there, and gave it a little wave. Only when she was safely inside her home did she hear her driving away.

………

Later that day, Kaisa would text Johanna to thank her again for going out of her way to help her, and proudly tell her she’d won the Sparrow Scouts trivia with her little sister. Johanna would assure her once again that she had enjoyed doing it, congratulate them, and share that she had been a sparrow scout herself when younger.

Kaisa would answer that she had always been a bookworm, but had loved observing bugs as a child, and Johanna would suggest she talk to her cousin about this. They would joke and share stories from childhood and from their more recent years, and send each other pictures of the mess that had become their personal desks.

Tildy and Frida would look at each other with raised eyebrows when they caught Kaisa giggling at a notification on her cell phone during dinner, and the woman would clutch her heart when she saw her older daughter sit down to read on their couch and then spend a full hour texting away. She’d waited years to see her giving more value to the things that ought to be treasured, and she was surprised and proud to get the feeling that this was a start.

Kaisa knew that all that blue light so close to bedtime (and after a while of texting, way after bedtime as well) would make her cranky and unfocused in the morning, and she’d drink more coffee than she should and get all jittery. She didn’t care. Planning ahead was her nature, but living in the now turned out to be very enjoyable when she was doing it with the right people.

#if u couldn't figure out who Edmund is from the descriprion #*description #I wrote it in the ao3 notes so check that out :)#That's it for this week but not for this verse!#Next week we have some other verse stuff being posted #but hopefully after that I'll come back with the next installment :)#my fic #fic: locus amoenus #verse: carpe diem #sketchbook ship #sketchbook ship hilda #sketchbook ship fanfic #johanna hilda #kaisa hilda #sketchbook college au

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chytilovian-daisy · 1 year

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posts here in advance but I finished my translation attempt at chpt1 of Gachi koi nenchaku-jū! It can be read here

#brie rambles

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dilfian · 2 years

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exo for the ask game 🥰 hi btw!

hiii jackie!<3

exo

✦ my first bias - ksoo actually :-)

✦ my current bias(es) - um. zyx. except. well.

✦ my album and/or era ranking (or favorite of each) - you hate me for this lol but the war > dmumt > exology chpt1 > exodus > lotto > countdown > tpom > lmr > whatever else

✦ how i got into them - i think i just went down the kpop rabbit hole one day way back when. i really liked lucky one, and found it bc it was most recent, then went from there.

✦ which member would be my best friend - sehun has best friend material vibes. ksoo or minseok would be fun to chill with.

✦ something i associate with them (or with a bias/any member) - i'll never be over that one time they all harmonized with chanyeol's "uhhh". still think abt that sometimes.

send me a kpop group

#gardensquad!#ask games #i dont rly keep up with them anymore. theyll just hold a place in my heart. somewhere. lol.

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agency-unofficial · 2 years

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Sooo....Juniper....he kinna....😳

[NO STOP HIS EGO IS BIG ENOUGH ALREADY]

#ask blog #agencyunoffical #[chpt1; atadtd]#[agent phoenix]

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chopper-base · 8 months

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Plan 99

Day 7 of @tbb-appreciation-week

I will be posting the days I missed. I just need to get my shit together.

MAJOR SEASON 2 FINALE SPOILERS

Summary: Tech finds himself alive but in the empires hands. Extremely injured and alone, he can only hope his brothers managed to escape as he fights to escape with the help of a brother long lost.

Prompts: Fix-it, nightmare

Warnings: A lot of blood, body disfiguration, nightmare, graphic character death in nightmare, non-consensual body modification, trauma, major injury

(Pls let me know if there are other tags I need to add!!!)

Chpt1 | Chpt2

Chapter 1

"Plan 99."

Tech had calculated every possible outcome to his current situation, and in every one, his team, his brothers plummeted to their death. He knew there wasn't a scenario that he made it back up to the rail car. He knew one way or another, he was going to fall. He made his decision without a second thought; he wasn't going to let his family fall with him. The fear in Wrecker and Omega's voices was prominent, weighing heavily on him.

"Don'tchu do it, Tech,"

Tech knew under Wrecker's helmet, he was watching him, his eyes pleading. He knew the realization was setting in on his brother as Tech raised his blaster, "When have we ever followed orders?"

Everything seemed to slow as he pulled the trigger, the blast hitting its mark, severing the connection between the railcars. The line kept him tethered to the plummeting car, Tech now free falling, his eyes glued to his brother's armored form growing smaller and smaller as he disappeared into the fog below. Wrecker's devastated scream burned into his mind as the wind whistled past him, the reality of his situation finally fully hitting him. He reached up, turning off his com, not wanting to hear Omega's desperate cries.

Tech always knew death followed the batch everywhere they went. Always sitting in wait, ready to take them and yet, they always found a way back. They always found each other again and they never let the fear of death stop them from completing what they started. But as the ground below grew ever closer, Tech found himself fighting the fate he had accepted merely seconds ago.

The rail car above him was just waiting for the solid ground, waiting to crush the pilot under tons of metal and machinery. Tech reached down, disconnecting his line, trying to position himself away from the car. It was then that Tech finally looked towards the ground, the fog clearing enough for him to see the dense forest below him. Through the mess of branches, he noticed a river, flowing heavily between the thick canopy. He managed to change his trajectory enough to put the river below him but between him and the water was still a whole lot of tree.

He didn't have time to think of how to slow himself down before he hit the first branch, snapping harshly against his thigh. There wasn't time to regret not having armor on his thighs before he was hit by another branch crashing into his side. He never felt the third as his consciousness was ripped from him, leaving his limp body to crash through branch after branch.

Tech awoke seconds later to a burning in his throat, a freezing blanket seemingly wrapped tightly around him. He realized in fear that the burning was water, forcing its way down his throat, filling his aching lungs. The rushing river around him made it almost impossible to tell which was up. He began to kick, swim as hard as he could, hoping to reach the surface. Excruciating pain shot down his right leg the moment he tried to move it. Biting the inside of his cheek to keep from inhaling more water, he continued to kick through the pain. His hand broke the surface first, his head quickly following. He coughed, trying to force the water from his lungs and trying his best to keep more out as the rapids pushed his head below the waves once more. He fought to get his head above the water once more, spotting the edge of the river over the white water rapids that continued to beat down on his already aching body.

His foot brushed against what he assumed was the river bed, trying to use it to push himself towards the shore. The river's rapids began to calm, making it easier for the pilot to swim closer to the edge. He finally began to feel the solid dirt of the river bed as he half crawled half dragged his way out of the river, collapsing in a heap of drenched armor.

He pried his broken helmet off his head, unable to stop the agonizing scream at the burning in his eyes and the sharp pain shooting down his arms. His limited vision was swimming, white spots dancing across what he could see. He started to notice the lack of vision on his right side and it wasn't long before he realized he couldn't see anything out of that eye. He slowly reached up, his finger brushing over his goggles. He let out a pained hiss as his finger met the broken lense, finally realizing his problem. The lenses had shattered and had pierced into his eye.

He pulled the goggle strap over his head, carefully pulling the broken goggles away from his face. He let his arm fall, dropping the goggles falling beside him, trying to breathe through the burn in his chest.

"Well isn't this interesting," a voice called, bringing Tech to turn his head lightly to where it had come from. "Here I thought we were coming to collect a body. This is quite the surprise.”

The next few hours became an unintelligible blur as what Tech assumed to be TK troopers moved him from the river bank onto a transport. His chest burned with every shaky breath he stole of the ship's recycled air. He wasn't sure when it happened but eventually, a mask was placed over his face, breathing becoming ever so slightly easier. Every shaky breath left a painful rattle in his chest, his own wheezing echoing in his mind. There wasn't a single word spoken around him that made sense in his head. The voices sounded as if they were underwater, the slight rocking of the ship causing more nausea to set in. He couldn't bring himself to open his eyes, every movement causing blinding white pain to stab through his eyes. He opted to focus on his breathing, trying to steady the painful intake of oxygen to his burning lungs. He had long forgotten about the pain in his limbs, all his focus on trying to stay awake; to stay alive.

The noise around faded to almost nothing. The hum of the engine vibrating through the ship was the only thing that kept Tech from slipping into the darkness that called to him. Tech didn't know how long he lay there, unable to feel anything but the stinging in his lungs and the cool air that he forced in. Tech couldn't even flinch when a hand landed on his shoulder ever so briefly, his body refusing to respond to any command. The engine must have been shut off at that soothing vibration Tech had been holding onto so tightly vanished. The stretcher he was on began to move, and Tech wished so badly to know where. The air around him became colder, leaving the pilot to hold on to that chilly sensation as he fought to keep that sliver of consciousness. He wasn't sure if he was truly conscious. He couldn't hear a single thing, his eyes refused to open, his burning lungs were the only thing he knew to be true. That question was quickly answered as several hands appeared over his body, moving him. The stretcher beneath him disappeared only to be replaced with a hard surface. Something touched his neck, something he couldn't place. He felt as his last remaining sliver of consciousness began to be torn away from him. As much as he tried to fight it, the darkness enveloped him, swallowing him whole.

"Don'tchu do it, Tech."

Wrecker? Tech looking around him, greeted only by darkness.

"TECH!"

Omega? Her screamed echoed in his head. He turned again, searching for his sister but all he was met with was her terrified screams. He called out to her, his own voice all too loud. He turned one last time to be met with a sight that left him biting back the bike in his throat. Omega's small body lay before him, blood pooling beneath her, staining her blonde hair a dreadful shade of red. He ran towards her, only to realize he wasn't moving. No matter how fast he forced his legs to go, she never got closer. Her eyes were locked on his, terror written on her young features. He couldn't do a thing as he watched that bright light leave her eyes. He watched her body fade away as her name escape his lips in the form of a broken scream.

"Tech."

Another voice echoed around him. He whipped around only to be met with a pair of broken eyes. Crosshair stared at him, unmoving. Blood was streaked across his black imperial armor. A shattered helmet lay discarded at his face.

"I thought we never left our own behind?" Crosshair's voice cracked, broken as he stared at his younger brother. "...why? Why did I get left behind?"

Tech's voice caught in his throat, any hope of an explanation was left to the wind.

Crosshair stared at him, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, leaving it to dribble off his chin. "You abandoned me."

Tech couldn't even bring himself to cry, watching as his brother broke before him. Those once sharp eyes now held nothing but pain. He too began to fade, leaving Tech to reach out for him, his mouth open in a silent scream that never came.

The ground beneath him seemed to fade, leaving Tech to plummet down. A painted sky of red formed above him as he fell. Clouds of a sickly gray dotted the bloody sky, staring down at him as he fell. His back hit something solid, leaving him trying to scramble back to his feet. He froze as he noticed the scene that surrounded him. His squad, his brothers lay scattered around him. Their bodies bloodied, disfigured in all the worst ways. Their glazed eyes were all pointed at him, driving daggers into his soul.

He fell back to his knees, blood soaking through his blacks, staining his white armor red. His eyes fell on the small body between his brothers. Omega's limbs were bent in directions they should have never been able to, blood flowing freely out of her mouth. Her eyes. Those young innocent eyes stared right back at him. Her mouth was open in a terrified scream that never came. The scene around him began to vanish, leaving Tech to stare at where his Vod'ika once lay. He opened his mouth, a broken screaming echoing around him. He screamed until he couldn't, leaving him to curl in on himself, sobs wracking his body.

Why couldn't he have saved them? Why wasn't he able to save his family?!

Tech's eyes flew open only to be squeezed shut immediately at the pain that flared through his entire body. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, only that he felt too much all too quickly. His entire body seemed to spasm as pain ripple through his chest leaving him wanting to scream only to choke. Something had been shoved down his throat, forcing him to breathe. Tech was able to force his eyes open again just enough to see light. He was floating. Something was suspending him from above and it was then Tech recognized the cool liquid that was surrounding him. He forced his eyes open a little farther, recognizing the transparisteel of a bacta tank surrounding him. He stared at the blurry room before him, unable to place how he ended up here. His vision was limited, leaving Tech to focus on the confusion of his whereabouts. His vision on his right side seemed… wrong. Colors seemed to register differently on his right side which led to more confusion. He attempted to move his hand towards his face only to be met with pain rippling up his body in excruciating waves. His entire body felt as if liquid fire had been pumped through his veins. He choked around the tube in his throat, wanting nothing more in that moment than to be able to scream. His chin fell against his chest, his eyes screwed shut. He fell limp, letting that karking tube push and pull air from his burning lungs. He pried his eyes back only to wish he didn't. He had been stripped of his blacks, leaving him feeling exposed. But what had him forcing back the bile in his throat was his leg. His right leg was gone, leaving a metal prosthetic in its place. The skin around the prosthetic was red and swollen, the tortured nerve endings leaving him to stare in what could only be described as horror. He forced his gaze away, trying to assess the rest of his body. His entire body was littered with scars, some he recognized from previous missions, and some that clearly were still healing. The pain slowly subsided as did what consciousness he had. He only caught a glimpse of a person entering the room before he found himself fully enveloped in the darkness.

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ashtronomyys · 17 days

Text

Our Future Days

Chapter 1 - *Pt2*

SoapGhost TheLastofUsAu OFD Masterpost (Includes further Tag Warnings) Chpt1 Masterpost

~1.7k Words

**********

"NOO-!"

Simon's body jolts forward in the bed. He thrashes around in his sheets, his body fighting back against an unknown force until his mind begins to clear up. His cries of terror begin to die down as his bloodshot eyes start to register his surroundings. They take in the cracked, floral wallpaper peeling off the walls of the room, the tattered, linen bedsheets obscuring the moonlight outside, and the chipped, hardwood flooring of the bedroom.

Simon grinds his palms against his temple, falling back into the mattress and trying to rub away the throbbing pulsing in his head. His body is coated in a layer of sweat, and short blond tufts cling to his forehead. His throat feels rubbed raw from the screaming he did in his sleep, and it takes him a considerable amount of time to calm the labored heaving his chest keeps up.

Fucking hell. It’s gonna be another one of those days for him then, isn’t it?

There’s no sense in trying to fall back asleep now. Simon knows from experience that he'll be unable to close his eyes long enough to get any more rest. Not on a rough night like this. Not with the images of his friends and family falling victim to the surrounding horrors playing on a loop.

It's the cruelest form of torment, his head making him relive every bit of trauma, his mind making him think he's still stuck on that damn bridge, fighting day by day just to scrape by in the QZ, or worse still, those years living out in the open country. The worst of it is when visions of Tommy jump to the forefront, memories of hanging on by a thread until everything went up in flames causing him to feel a nauseating pang of guilt.

It’s like his mind fucking relishes on the mental abuse it puts him through, almost like it makes a game of it. He could see it now, set up like one of those old-time game shows, big flashing letters spelling out, "How much further can we push Simon Riley before he breaks today?”, his next form of torment coming from a big spinning wheel with all of his worst memories, crowd cheering with each bout of pain it can unearth.

Huh, it’s actually almost a little more humorous imagining it playing out that way…

Rather than going back to sleep, Simon spends the remainder of the night staring at the ceiling. His eyes rake over every bump and groove in the paint until he can see the soft rays of morning light seep through the curtains. Eventually, the faint sound of a rooster crowing far-off in the distance signals the start of another day.

It’s about time for Simon to finally sit up and shamble into the bathroom, letting the water heat up to a near scalding temperature before hopping in. A long shower helps wash away some of the tenseness in his body, but does nothing to help lighten his mood. He dons on his usual dark sweatshirt and jeans before he steps out into the street ahead, taking in a deep breath of the crisp morning air as he begins his trek into town.

The walk to the inner city takes him along the winding suburbs and houses with long-neglected lawns. Nature reclaims most of the area, with the tall summer grass overtaking pavements and roads. Vibrant flora blooms in large patches throughout the landscape, and rotted, derelict cars lay abandoned in driveways.

He leisurely strolls past the dozens of cul-de-sacs that rise and fall along the hills they are nestled onto. Slim, craftsman bungalows ranging from neutral whites and tans, to vibrant blues and yellows, the buildings themselves used to house hundreds of families in the area.

In the eerie quiet on mornings like this, Simon can almost picture the way things used to be; cars pulling out of the driveways and running their owners to work, children piling into the school buses in the morning, a dog or two barking at all the commotion. He can almost imagine what it must’ve been like, white picket fences, neatly trimmed gardens and all, the quaint, bunched together houses still teeming with some semblance of life.

Twenty years later, and it'd be a miracle if even a third of those same people are still among the living.

A strong breeze of brisk, cool air finds its way up Simon’s shirt, sending a chill up his spine. He sighs, shoving his hands into his jacket pocket in irritation, the thought of turning around and crawling back under the covers definitely crossing his mind.

He really ought to, he knows, especially after the rough night he’s had. Price, too, has been on his ass lately about going out when he’s not at his best, giving Simon his hundredth lecture about getting himself or somebody else killed on the job.

But fuck it, he’s managed just fine through plenty worse conditions before. And he’d much rather have something to occupy his day that doesn’t include rotting away in his little hovel.

Yeah, a bit of fresh air ought to do him a whole world of good better than that.

Besides, it’s not like his aim has gone to complete shit. He’s still the same man he was yesterday, only difference is he may have to put in the extra effort to not bite anyone's head off today. So not much change at all really.

Simon rounds another corner and comes up to the outer wall. The wall, a domineering presence that stands in stark contrast to the broken-down houses, consists of bolted sheets of metal, piled-up cars, shipping containers, and all kinds of scrap all rusted together. It runs along the remaining exterior walls of some of the structures nearby, and forms a barrier that rises nearly ten feet in the air.

Simon takes a detour into one of the houses on the right, passing through an open hole that exposes the kitchen to the elements outside. He brushes some of the bramble aside and pulls a steel ladder out from the growing ivy. Simon props it up against the wall, the ladder reaching just below the edge of a semi-truck nestled into the structure, and drops it onto the other side once he’s over, but not before taking a moment to watch the sun rise higher into the sky.

From here, beyond another mile or so of the district, he can see the fields of farmland spreading throughout the encampment. Fields of grains and produce sit atop what used to be parks, golf courses, and a few torn down shopping centers. Decaying buildings were stripped down for more material, and the grounds burned and uprooted to make the land fertile enough for crops to grow.

Further beyond that, the townhouses and bungalows start to become broken up by wider main streets; retail stores, supermarkets, corner stores, and condominiums dotting the landscape.

Simon spies the first other signs of life along these streets as lights start to flicker on in shops and residents make their way out towards the fields. He watches various groups start their rotations on the farm, some with the company of their little ones, who follow in their parents’ footsteps around the farm. One of them dons on a pair of oversized rain boots and a sun hat that threatens to fall off his head every two seconds. He’s taught how to hand out feed to the chickens under his mom's guidance, his beaten up overalls acquiring another layer of dirt to them.

Simon lets out a slow huff of air as he overlooks the growing community of survivors he's somehow found himself a part of.

A lot of people would say what they’ve been doing here is nothing short of a miracle, somehow creating some sort of semblance of the peace and normality of the old world.

To Simon, it’s been his own form of repentance, his own way of giving back to the world to make up for all the shit he’s done wrong. Maybe through that, doing his part to help even out the playing field for the people still left, he can in some way make amends with the universe.

He hopes, at least.

Either way, it does feel good to contribute towards something positive for a change. And it’s the least he could do to give back to the place that’s given him a little bit of solace.

Simon pulls the hood over his head and makes the descent onto the other side, just in time to see the cattle and sheep released from enclosures. A lamb hobbles its way over to the end of the fence, bellowing at the tall British bloke passing by the wooden barrier. Simon snorts at the petite little being shadowing him, the lamb bounding on uncoordinated legs behind him, trying to follow him all the way to his next destination if it can.

He turns in time to see a boy, the same one feeding the chickens earlier, corral the mischievous young sheep back to the rest of its herd. Simon’s steps falter for a moment, watching the child stomp around the field and raise his arms above his head, yelling and blowing raspberries at the animals. The hat hangs loosely off of his head, revealing a messy mop of mousy brown hair, about the same shade of muted color his mother and brother were graced with. And his boots, tattered bits of plastic at this point, the frog decal along the top trim still visible underneath all the mud.

Simon chuckles to himself. Seems no matter how much he tries to do better, the universe still has its way of reminding him that there is no making amends with this life for men like him.

He tugs the hoodie tighter over his scalp, eyes trailing back to the several stretches of roads he still has to walk past. Along the way, he passes by the remnants of a city limit sign, the faded and missing text adding a somber feeling to the once cheerful, welcoming message the sign used to convey.

“N-w Entering th- Bright Side -f the Bay!

Oakland, Calif-rn--

Pop-lation:" The rest is a scratched out mess of chipped wood, save for a 7 and a 3.

************

"MacTavish, wake uuup! Last warning before I dunk a bucket of water on you again..."

***To be continued in Pt.3***

#soapghost #ghostsoap #john soap mactavish x simon ghost riley #simon ghost riley x john soap mactavish #ghoap #fanfic #long fic #fic in progress #thelastofus #ofd #ash writings

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