#joshua virtue

[defjux]

100 of my favorite Hip Hop Albums of 2022 Might be excessive but there was simply just a ton of music this year that I enjoyed and found myself going back to, and I believe each of them is worth checking out.  Each of the album titles here also links to either a bandcamp page or stream where you can listen to the project. Hopefully you’ll at least find one new album that you enjoy here, and as always feel free to reply with what you enjoyed and connected with the most this year. I’d love to know, and any other recommendations are definitely appreciated. This was an incredible year for new releases, not just for hip hop but for music in general which is why i’ll be posting another top 100 list for all of the non hip hop stuff I enjoyed from this year, hopefully in the next few days.  Peace. Chart w/ titles included 2022 Hip Hop Spotify Playlist 1. Billy Woods & Preservation - Aethiopes 2. Avantdale Bowling Club - TREES 3. Cities Aviv - Working Title For The Album Secret Waters 4. MIKE - Beware of the Monkey 5. ELUCID - I Told Bessie 6. AKAI SOLO - Spirit Roaming 7. Teddy Faley - Teddy Brown Brown 8. Defcee & BoatHouse - For All Debts Public and Private [IMPORT EDITION] 9. Ka - Woeful Studies / Languish Arts 10. J.I.D - The Forever Story 11. Open Mike Eagle - Component System with the Auto Reverse 12. billy woods x Messiah Musik - Church 13. Danger Mouse & Black Thought - Cheat Codes 14. ShrapKnel - Metal Lung 15. SolarFive & Iceberg Theory - Momento Mori 16. Moor Mother - Jazz Codes 17. Serengeti & Child Actor - Ajai 2 18. Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals - King Cobra 19. Joshua Virtue - RAMA 20. Zilla Rocca & andrew - Don't Wait For Me to Leave 21. Fly Anakin - Frank 22. Cities Aviv - MAN PLAYS THE HORN 23. KILLVONGARD - I Think I've Lost It. 24. R.A.P. Ferreira - 5 to the Eye with Stars 25. Illogic - The Transition 26. Quelle Chris - DEATHFAME 27. Bloodmoney Perez - Curses 28. Fatboi Sharif & Noface - Preaching In Havana 29. Ockham's Blazer - Ockham's Blazer 30. Little Simz - NO THANK YOU 31. Theravada - Strange Voice 32. amani & robalu - I'll Be Right Black 33. Jam Baxter – Fetch The Poison 34. OKnice - Have You Tried Being Happy? 35. Davis & Foule Monk - Plum Whisky

36. Noveliss - Vagabond 37. SHIRT & Jack Splash - I Turned Myself Into Myself 38. Moses Rockwell - Until You Run out of Cake 39. Ja'king the Divine - 手术: BLACK SUN TZU 40. Archibald SLIM - Worldly Ways 41. NNAMDÏ - Please Have A Seat 42. YUNGMORPHEUS & Theravada - Up Against the Wall; a Degree of Lunacy 43. Roc Marciano & The Alchemist - The Elephant Man's Bones 44. Nas - King's Disease III 45. Lord Kayso - MOOR CHORES 46. Ace Cannons & MIGHTYHEALTHY - Mightycannons 47. Rich Jones & Iceberg Theory - Smoke Detector 48. Lukah - Raw Extractions 49. Nicholas Craven & Boldy James - Fair Exchange No Robbery 50. Ghais Guevara - There Will Be No Super-Slave 51. Lupe Fiasco - DRILL MUSIC IN ZION 52. Milc & Televangel - Neutral Milc Motel 53. ILL Conscious x Mute Won - Acres of Diamonds 54. L'Orange & Solemn Brigham - Marlowe 3 55. $ilkMoney - I Don't Give a Fuck About This Rap Shit 56. Teller Bank$ & Ed Glorious - The I & I 57. Wiki & Subjxct 5 - Cold Cuts 58. Love, Ulysses - 61​,​265​,​147 59. Vic Spencer & August Fanon - Psychological Cheat Sheet 3 60. Stik Figa x August Fanon - Heresy 61. Raz Fresco & Nicholas Craven - Boulangerie 62. QThree - U Be Ight 63. Wrecking Crew - Sedale Threat 64. eLZhi & Georgia Anne Muldrow - Zhigeist 65. Apollo Brown & Philmore Greene - Cost of Living 66. miles cooke - i used to feel things 67. Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire - I Love Y.O.U cuz Y.O.U Ugly Vol.1 68. demahjiae - Angels Wear Black 69. AJ Suede & Televangel - Metatron's Cube 70. Sacco & Vanzetti - It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You 71. Mavi - Laughing so Hard, it Hurts 72. Rhys Langston - Grapefruit Radio 73. Steel Tipped Dove & Aloe Vera - Days Pass Strange 74. PENPALS - Dimensions of Dialogue 75. Malachi. Whitman - Happy Place 76. Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future (Extended) 77. Lungs/LoneSword, Phiik & Cise Greeny - Where Are The Bugs!? 78. Pink Siifu & Real Bad Man - Real Bad Flights 79. Andrew - The Rain Knows What It's Doing 80. Mattic & Parental - Down In The Rabbit Hole 81. Boldy James & Futurewave - Mr. Ten08 82. Ransom & V Don - Chaos Is My Ladder 83. Torito & Small Professor - Soiled 84. Jermiside & The Expert - The Overview Effect 85. big kahuna og & graymatter - METAL GEAR SOLID 86. Duncecap & Hajino - Go Climb A Tree 87. Earl Sweatshirt - Sick! 88. Deca - Smoking Gun 89. Freddie Gibbs - Soul Sold Separately 90. Mickey Diamond & Big Ghost Ltd - Gucci Ghost 91. Rome Streetz - KISS THE RING 92. Redveil - learn 2 swim 93. Daniel Son - The Bush Doctor 94. Dälek - Precipice 95. Jesse the Tree - Pigeon Man 96. Jason Griff - Fireside Chats 2 97. Benny the Butcher - Tana Talk 4 98. Killah Priest - Mother 99. Lord jaH-Monte Ogbon & Sadhugold - The Black Möbius 100. Kipp Stone - Room 109

#music recommendations #favorite albums of 2022 #2022 hip hop #billy woods #avantdale bowling club #joshua virtue #AKAI SOLO #ELUCID #cities aviv #JID #teddy faley #defcee #shrapknel #black thought

[beatsforbrothels]

UDABABY - Gas.

#udababy #gas. #joshua virtue #davis #udababy lp

[dispactke]

(damn, cuz.)

"True North (But Fake)" - Joshua Virtue

#joshua virtue #true north but fake

[greenchlorine]

Just Joshua gushing about Dion on The Crystal Road, on his way to meet him.

#joshua rosfield #dion lesage #phoenixflare #he’s really out there coughing blood #and extolling Dion’s virtues #in the softest fondest voice possible too #you go Josh I’m rooting for you #ff16 #ff16 spoilers #final fantasy XVI #final fantasy 16 #FFXVI

[thesaturnianmars]

Five Bible verses to remind you that you are THAT GIRL. ♥️

Proverbs 3:15

"She is more precious than rubies: and nothing you can wish for compares with her "

Psalms 46:5

"God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when the morning dawns"

Proverbs 31:25

"She is clothed in strength and dignity. Her position is strong and secure. She smiles at the future"

Joshua 1:5

"No man will be able to stand before you (to oppose you) as long as you live. As he was with Moses, he will be with you”

Psalms 34:5

"They that look to him are radiant, their faces will never blush in shame or confusion"

#proverbs #psalms #joshua #bible verse #self love #selfworth #woman of value #woman of virtue #i’m that girl

[asscoups17]

Some of my Favorite Seventeen Fics

s- smut a- angst f- fluff

One shots ~

Anteric ~ s a f @smileysuh (Mingyu & Wonwoo x afab!Reader) (wc: 16.6k)

Always Only You ~ a s f @honeyhotteoks (brothers bestfriend! Cheol) (wc: 14.2k) (FAVORITE)

Good Luck, Fermata Tower ~ s a f @beefboyandbabygirl (fire-lookout!seungcheol x female!fire-lookout!reader) (wc: 13.9k)

Clowns ~ s a f @smileysuh (S.coups & Jeonghan & Joshua & Wonwoo & Mingyu x afab!Reader) (wc: 13.3k) (FAVORITE)

Creep ~ s a f @smileysuh (Mingyu x afab!Reader) (wc: 9.1k) (FAVORITE)

it’s all fun and games ~ s a f @dontflailmenow (Mingyu x fem!Reader) (wc: 8.9k)

Dare You ~ s f @dontflailmenow (bf!Mingyu x fem!Reader) (wc: 6k)

Fuck, Marry, Kill ~ s @bitchlessdino (fem!reader x ex!mingyu x shitstirrer!seungcheol x innocentbystander!wonwoo) (wc: 5.6k) (FAVORITE)

Vices and Virtues ~ s a f @lovelyhan (bodyguard!mingyu x fem!reader) (wc: 5.4k)

Do I Want to Hit You or Do I Just Want You? ~ s a f @dontflailmenow (Mingyu x fem!Reader) (wc: 3.9k)

The cake in the back! ~ s @toruro (dilf! Cheol) (wc: 3.8k)

Baby Fever ~ s @cheolhub (pussy-drunk-bitch-in-heat cheol) (wc: 3.4k)

Control Me ~ s @duhnova (gamerbf! Wonwo) (wc: 3k) (FAVORITE)

rules! “do i make you horny, baby?” ~ s @teeskz (gamer!seungcheol x fem!reader) (wc: 2.7k)

Practice Makes Perfect ~ s f @wongyuseokie (c.s.cxf!reader, j.w.wxf!reader, k.m.gxf!reader) (wc: 2.6k)

In The Dark Corners ~ s @sanakiras (fem!reader x ex!mingyu x bf!seungcheol) (wc: 2.2k)

gamers do it better ~ s @sluttyminghao (c.s.cxf!reader, j.w.wxf!reader) (wc: 2k)

On My Worst Behavior ~ s @sluttywoozi (rough Vernon) (wc: 0.6k)

Series ~

Challenge Me ~ s a @seokgyuu (Pairing: OT13 x afab!Reader) (All Separate) (Total wc: 94k) (10000/10) (FAVORITE) (Messy to say the least)

ice cold, cabin fever ~ s a f @smileysuh (Seungcheol & Mingyu x afab!Reader) (wc: 25.9k) (FAVORITE) (Part 2)

Hits Different (…’cause it’s you) ~ s a f @gyuswhore (brothers bestfriend! Mingyu x Fem!reader) (wc: 20.2k) (FAVORITE) (Emotional to say the least)

Bloodily Safe ~ s a @starlightxsvt (psychopath!wonwoo x fem!Reader) (wc: 18.5k) (Game On! pt2 : 6k)

Push It Down ~ s a f @dontflailmenow (ex bf’s bestfriend! Cheol) (pt 5(last part) (wc: 16.6k)

Getting Closer ~ s a f @milfgyuu (Wonwoo x Fem!reader x Mingyu) (pt 1: 10.8k)

Cat & Mouse ~ s f @wonusite (bad boy au; Wonwoo) (pt 2: 5.6k)

After Class ~ s f @rubyreduji (professor! Cheol) (pt 1: 1.6k) (4 parts in all)

Still adding to this list!

Last Update: 4/12/24

#wonwoo x reader x mingyu #wonwoo smut #seungcheol smut #mingyu smut #seventeen #seventeen smut #mingyu #wonwoo #scoups #jeonghan #woozi #moon junhui #dokyeom #svt dino #seungkwan #vernon #the8 #joshua #hoshi #female #hhu smut #hoshi smut #jihoon smut #joshua smut #jun smut #the8 smut #minghao #dokyeom smut #vernon smut #dino smut

[fantasyescapes17]

This is War (the Soldier I)

Lieutenant Colonel Lee Jihoon isn't sure exactly why he's fighting this war or if he's even on the right side. He only knows two things: one, his brother Joshua's death was not an accident; and two, the Empire has no shortage of dark secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Genre: dystopian!AU, war!AU

Warnings: Violence, war, general death and devastation, strong language, character deaths, sexual themes (no explicit smut, only implication), dark themes overall, slow burn and plot-heavy. There's nothing you wouldn't find in a typical dystopian YA novel, but its still not for the light-hearted.

Word Count: 10.7k+ [Won't lie, this is 10k words of pure plot and world build-up. The reader and half the important characters haven't even appeared yet, and the romance hasn't started. Buckle up, we're in for a long ride.]

Prologue + Masterlist

Marcet Sine Adversario Virtus.

The ancient Latin phrase was engraved on an imposing metal plaque underneath a large statue of the Empire's emblem. 

A delicate golden rose with thorns.

Lieutenant Colonel Lee Jihoon sat at his desk directly in front of that rose statue. The statue was a permanent fixture in the cabins of all high-ranking military personnel stationed at Military Base 1. The golden rose and metal plaque served as a reminder to the cabin's visitors that they were not merely addressing Lieutenant Colonel Lee, but an esteemed officer of the Empire. 

Military Base 1 was a staggering edifice. The walls and buildings were made of dark bullet-proof glass that soared into the skies, looming far above the crumbling tenements that formed the rest of the city. It was located in the heart of the Empire. An impenetrable fortress behind which the Empire’s loyal military officers strategized ways to protect their dwindling population.

Military Base 1 was the bedrock of the Empire. The harsh thorns which protected the delicate rose within. 

“Sir? May I come in?”

Lieutenant Colonel Lee Jihoon looked up to find Captain Kwon standing hesitantly in the doorway of the cabin. The young Captain’s eyes lingered uncomfortably on the golden rose, before he briskly saluted his commanding officer. 

Jihoon nodded. 

“Come in, Captain Kwon. At ease.”

Captain Kwon Soonyoung entered. The cabin's walls were covered with military insignia and medals reflecting Lieutenant Colonel Lee’s numerous achievements. He had obtained many colourful laurels during his short but successful military career. While impressive, the laurels could not fully distract Soonyoung from the gaudy golden rose that glimmered threateningly behind Lee Jihoon’s unsmiling face. 

“Here to report, sir.”

Jihoon nodded and stood. He had been sitting at his desk all morning, and his legs were beginning to feel stiff. There was no space to move around with that infernal rose statue taking up half of his cabin. 

He leaned against the desk and looked at Captain Kwon. 

“I heard there was some commotion in the barracks earlier. Any cause for concern?”

Captain Kwon bit his lip. “Not at all, sir. It was a minor tussle between some of the newer recruits. They, uh, snuck an illegally recorded copy of Vesta’s new film into the barracks. I had to confiscate it from them.”

Jihoon raised an eyebrow. “And where is the film now?”

Captain Kwon blushed. “Sir?”

“I hope you didn’t keep it.”

“I-sir-”

“Dispose of it immediately,” Lieutenant Colonel Lee ordered. His handsome face was unsmiling. “You may cancel training for today and let the men have the evening off. The Brigadier-General is hosting an unveiling party for the new unmanned combat vehicles- all the high-ranked officers will be occupied anyway.”

Captain Kwon smiled brightly. An evening off sounded excellent.  

“Ah-yes, sir.”

“I don’t want to see you or the men putting themselves at risk for trifles. If they want to watch Vesta’s new film, tell them to pay money and watch it honestly in the theatre.”

“Of course, sir. Thank you, sir.”

The corner of Lieutenant Colonel Lee’s lips curved upward in a hint of a smile. 

“What are you thanking me for?”

Captain Kwon cleared his throat awkwardly. 

“I’d be lying if I said that Vesta’s films don’t go a long way to boost morale among the men, sir. She’s captured many hearts in the barracks. They would give up their lives for her, just as soon as they’d give up their lives for the Empire. Beautiful women are every man’s weakness.”

“Hopefully not every man,” Lieutenant Colonel Lee muttered. 

Captain Kwon hesitated, worried that he had offended his commanding officer. It was difficult to predict how Lieutenant Colonel Lee would respond to any given statement. Jihoon was famously impulsive. 

“Of course not, sir. I only meant to say-”

“You’re dismissed, Captain Kwon. Have a nice evening.”

“T-thank you, sir. You too, sir.”

Lieutenant Colonel Lee Jihoon leaned against his desk as he watched his subordinate leave. Then he closed  his files and straightened his military uniform. He would have to meet the Brigadier-General for another night of drinking and raunchy entertainment, under the facade of unveiling newly designed unmanned combat vehicles. 

What a criminal waste of time, Jihoon thought to himself, when there are so many more sinister things taking place in this very Military Base.

As Jihoon walked out of the cabin, he glanced back once more at the enormous thorned rose and the ancient Latin phrase. The symbols of the Empire. 

Marcet Sine Adversario Virtus. 

Or, in the modern tongue, valour withers without an adversary. 

He smiled wryly at the foolishness of the Empire’s ancient motto. Evidently, the people in charge had been in a hurry to justify the war they were starting and had not considered one crucial possibility. 

What if the Empire’s biggest adversary was not outside its walls? 

What if it was hiding deep within? 

—----------------------------------------------

Research Division 3 (or RD-3, as it was often abbreviated) was the military’s golden child. 

Every few months, the scientists up at RD-3 designed a glamorous new weapon of warfare, which was unveiled and paraded around at a special display for high-ranking officers. Each new weapon brought the Empire a step closer to winning the war against the Invaders, so celebration was deemed appropriate. 

In truth, the displays were simply an excuse for the commanding officers of Military Base 1 to gamble, drink and cavort with women. 

Deep down, humans were all the same. 

“Lieutenant Colonel Lee! You’re late, as always!” the Brigadier-General called out in his booming voice. The large older man was extremely drunk. His gray beard was stained from spilled wine, and he wrapped an arm around Jihoon in a friendly manner. The Brigadier-General had never had much regard for personal space. “How is it that you’re always the first to arrive at the military briefings, but you can never turn up to a party in time, eh?”

Jihoon forced his lips into a tight smile. “I apologise, sir. I had to finish my reports for the day.”

“Surely an unfiled report has never hurt anybody!”

“I’d rather not find out, sir.”

Lee Jihoon had acquired a reputation as a passionate and loyal young officer of the Empire. The Brigadier-General may have been a drunkard, but he was no idiot. The older man knew that Jihoon was destined for great things. It would not hurt to keep the promising young officer close as he climbed the ranks. 

“Excellent work, Lieutenant Colonel Lee. Officers like you keep the Empire safe.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I know you don’t enjoy these unveiling parties but we must let RD-3 show off their little toys, eh? It’s the least we can do. But I know what will cheer you up! We have a special guest today, and she’s an absolute beauty. Come and have a look at her.”

Jihoon accepted the glass of wine offered to him and followed the Brigadier-General into the crowd of people. 

The unveiling party was held in the ballroom of Military Base 1’s recreation wing. The enormous hall buzzed with high-ranking military officials, their wives and other entertainers. A group of scantily-clad dancers occupied the stage. A lady in red crooned into the microphone. 

“Now, where did that pretty little thing go?” the Brigadier-General wondered. 

Jihoon’s hawk eyes took three seconds to scan the room and spot what his superior officer was looking for. Near the back of the ballroom, a group of male officers were crowded around a beautiful young woman. She had a stunning smile, and batted her eyelashes prettily at the eager men surrounding her. 

Jihoon sighed. He was unimpressed. “Sir, do you mean-”

“There she is!”

The Brigadier-General made a bee-line for the beautiful actress. Jihoon struggled to keep up. Some of the younger officers scattered at the sight of the Brigadier-General, but Vesta’s pretty eyes sparkled. 

She gave the older man a sultry smile. 

“Oh, Brigadier-General! I was beginning to wonder if you’d left me alone,” Vesta cooed. It was evident that she was not alone. There were half a dozen men around her, but the actress was an expert at flattering officers of rank.

The Brigadier-General grinned foolishly. “Never, my dear, never. I only stepped away to welcome Lieutenant Colonel Lee to the party. He’s a bit uptight, you see, and he needs some company at these gatherings. Lieutenant Colonel Lee, this is Vesta. Of course you recognize the most beautiful woman in the Empire.”

Jihoon barely glanced at the actress and nodded. “I am familiar with your work.”

Vesta giggled inspidly. “Oh, he’s so stiff!”

“Yes, Jihoon can be rather serious, but he’s a good man. Never mind him, darling. Tell us that lovely story about filming The Last Commander,” the Brigadier- General insisted. 

Vesta began retelling an anecdote about how she had been moved to cry real tears in the climactic scene where her character’s husband was revealed to have died on the battlefield. The men listened, riveted. 

Jihoon watched the actress disinterestedly for a few moments, before finishing his glass of wine and looking around in hopes of a refill. 

He needed air. 

There had been a time when Lieutenant Colonel Lee enjoyed gatherings like these. Early in his budding military career, he had felt it was an honour to be invited to a weapons unveiling. Now, Jihoon only wished there existed some alcohol or drug strong enough to make him forget the entirety of these events.

He sauntered outside.  

Adjoining the ballroom was an outdoor platform that served as an enormous balcony and helipad. Men and women in white lab coats scurried around the sparkly new unmanned combat vehicle and prepared it for the display. The ‘vehicle’, with the words Aeris VII labelled on the side was actually a drone the size of a small helicopter, made entirely of bulletproof fibreglass. 

Jihoon sighed. It looked exactly like all the other aerial combat vehicles the military already possessed. 

“What’s so special about this one?” he asked a passing dark-haired scientist in a white coat who didn't appear busy.

The scientist blinked at Jihoon, his expression suddenly changing as he eyed Jihoon's military uniform and the pin on his shoulder signifying his rank. 

“Sorry, sir?” the man asked. 

“What is so special about this one? Didn’t RD-3 release an unmanned aerial combat vehicle three months ago? What does this one do better than the last?” Jihoon asked. 

The scientist looked  nervous. Jihoon suddenly realised that even though he was wearing a white coat, there was no patch on the scientist's chest signifying that he was an employee of RD-3. All the other white coats bore patches of either RD-2 or RD-3. 

“Uh, I’m not-I’m not part of the design team for this. I was just observing,” explained the scientist carefully. 

“What team are you a part of?”

The scientist’s eyes darted back and forth nervously. He seemed uncomfortable under Jihoon’s curious gaze. “I’m under Research Division 1, my apologies. The weapons are handled by RD-3…”

Something struck Jihoon as odd. He had never met anyone from Research Division 1 before. To be perfectly honest, he wasn’t even entirely sure what Research Division 1 did. Was the work highly confidential? It wasn't talked about as much as RD-3’s warfare weapons, or RD-2’s agricultural research. He suddenly remembered hearing about it long ago, from a familiar voice...

“What does Research Division 1-”

“Excuse me, I need to leave.”

The scientist hurried back inside the crowded ballroom and Jihoon stared after him, a sour taste in his mouth. Something was wrong about the way that scientist had been looking at him. Did he know Jihoon? Did he have reason to keep something from him? Jihoon wasn’t sure, but his interest had been piqued. 

What did Research Division 1 do? 

Where had Jihoon heard about it and why did the dark-haired scientist look familiar? 

“Sir, can I help you?” another of the white-coated scientists asked. This woman had a large smile on her face and a patch on her chest that read RD-3. She looked far more welcoming than the previous man. “Are you curious about the new design for the unmanned aerial combat vehicle? We’d love to give you a briefing!”

Jihoon blinked and nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

“The upgraded vehicle is more aerodynamic. It’s lighter, it can carry heavier missiles and it moves faster. We’ve also fixed some failures in the defensive capability of the bulletproof fibreglass. This one can withstand open fire for longer than the older models…”

Jihoon had lost interest. 

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

At exactly 11 pm, the senior military officials gathered in the balcony of the ballroom to watch the new unmanned aerial combat vehicle soar spectacularly into the sky for the first time. Jihoon, uninterested in the theatrics of the display, quietly slipped out of the back of the building and into the dimly lit streets of Military Base 1.

A sleek black car with dark windows was parked at the end of the street. Opening the passenger side door swiftly, Jihoon slid into the back. There was a clicking noise behind him once he closed it. 

The car doors had been locked. 

“Cigarette?” Vesta offered. Her fingernails were painted a bold red, which contrasted with the plain white of the cigarette wrapper. A half-empty pack was lying on the seat between them. The car reeked of smoke. 

This was clearly not her first cigarette of the evening. 

Jihoon shook his head. “No, thank you. I’m trying to quit.”

Vesta raised an eyebrow. The pretty, innocent, simpering young lady from the party had disappeared. The actress now slouched carelessly against the leather seats. Her bare feet were crossed and planted on the backrest of the passenger seat in front of her. 

She placed the cigarette between her painted lips.

“Mind if I smoke?” she asked, moving to light it before Jihoon could speak. 

“Joshua didn’t like you smoking.”

“Joshua’s dead,” Vesta replied harshly as she dropped the lighter and took a long, shaky drag.

“He was worried about your health-”

“There are more disgusting substances entering my body on a daily basis than tobacco, for fuck’s sake. Cut me some slack,” Vesta snapped. She took another long drag before her face relaxed and she chuckled. “Great job pretending not to know me back there. I’m familiar with your work? You could have at least pretended to be a fan.”

Jihoon frowned. It was all he could think to say on such short notice. He hadn’t expected to see Vesta at the unveiling party, and there was no reason for him to be acquainted with a successful actress like her. At least, no reason that could be spoken about openly under the watchful eye of the Empire. They needed to appear to be perfect strangers in public.  

Which wasn’t difficult because in truth, they were strangers. 

Jihoon didn’t know Vesta's likes and dislikes, or  what sort of a person she was. He knew nothing about her past or present life. All Jihoon knew was that they shared one simple thing. 

Love, for a man who was now dead. 

“How is it going?” Vesta asked. The dark tinted car windows were shut so the smoke she exhaled remained inside the car. It was suffocating. Jihoon glanced longingly at the cigarettes and closed his eyes.He had not had a cigarette since Joshua’s death. It had been four months and he wasn’t about to give in now. 

“How is what going?” Jihoon wondered. 

Vesta chuckled. “Your attempts to be transferred to the Border Forces. Is anyone taking you seriously or are they telling you to be a good little boy and wait? You can tell me. I have plenty of experience being patronised.”

“It’s not easy.”

“Nothing is easy in this place.”

Jihoon folded his arms across his chest and frowned. “It took two years before Joshua’s application to be transferred to the Border Forces was accepted by high command. I doubt they’ll accept mine anytime soon. I’m not as friendly with the high-ranking officers as Joshua was.”

“You’re not as friendly as Joshua was, period.”

Jihoon gave her a frustrated look. He was tired of her sharp words and unconcerned attitude. Vesta seemed to be treating Joshua’s death with a sense of carelessness that infuriated him. Couldn’t she at least pretend to care? 

“Yes, thank you. I’m trying to find out the secret behind the death of a man that meant the world to me. I assumed from the fact that he sent you a similar letter that he meant something to you. Maybe I was wrong.”

Vesta lowered her eyes. “You’re not wrong.”

“So what is your problem?”

“My problem? My problem is that I’m tired of being in love with a man who’s dead, Jihoon. They don’t award you medals for that sort of loyalty. I’m in this shit alone because Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Hong thought it was a good idea to go chasing after something that he should have kept his fucking nose out of,” Vesta snapped. 

Her eyes were red as she lifted the cigarette to her lips once more. 

“Joshua really wouldn’t want you to keep smoking that-”

“Fuck you,” Vesta replied. She reached down and aggressively stubbed the half-finished cigarette into her ashtray, putting it out. “I don’t even want it anymore. Are you happy that you’ve taken away the one thing that actually makes me happy in this world, Lee Jihoon?”

Jihoon rolled his eyes. 

“I didn’t take anything away. You put it out yourself.”

Vesta stared at him in disbelief. She felt a burning anger flow through her as she met Jihoon’s calm and judgemental eyes. Was this what Joshua had left her? After all his tall promises and romantic words he had gotten himself killed, leaving behind a dark secret and his insufferable younger half-brother to babysit?

“What are we doing, Jihoon?” she demanded. 

“We’re trying to find out why Joshua had to die.”

“And then what? Even if Joshua was right, if there is some dark secret in Military Base 1 and he was killed because he knew too much… what next? We don’t have a plan. We don’t have support. How do you intend to exact revenge against whoever is responsible by yourself, Jihoon? You, and whose army?”

Jihoon bristled. “I have a battalion.”

Vesta laughed scornfully. “No. You don’t have a battalion. The Empire has a battalion that they put you in charge of, and they can take it away from you anytime they please.”

“Then we’ll build a new army. We’ll find someone with whom our interests align. There’s a whole world outside of Military Base 1. Rebel organisations, an enormous organised resistance underground. I’ve seen glimpses of it during peacekeeping missions. I know it exists. We could be a part of it,” Jihoon insisted heatedly. 

“Why, though?”

��What?”

“Why would you join a resistance? What has the Empire ever done to you that you would rebel against it?” Vesta demanded.

“There’s definitely something happening. Joshua died less than a week after he left for the Border Forces-” Jihoon insisted. 

“He died in the course of duty.”

“That’s what they say.”

“You have nothing that proves otherwise, Jihoon. Nothing. None of the high-ranking commanders of the Border Forces will speak to you. You don’t know what Joshua was investigating. All you have is a vaguely worded letter from a man who died after being transferred to the most dangerous division of the military. The Empire even awarded him a posthumous medal for bravery. I’m tired.  I don’t know how much longer we should keep doing this.”

Jihoon clenched his fists. “I know this is difficult-”

“It’s impossible. Do you understand how helpless you are in this world? How helpless and alone we both are?”

“I have leads. Just trust me for a little longer. I need to find out why Joshua had to die, I know I can. I can find the people responsible and I need your help.”

Vesta and Jihoon stared at each other for a long moment. It was difficult to read the young woman; she was an actress, after all, and her words and expressions often changed so swiftly and erratically that it was hard to tell just where the actress ended and the real woman began. Jihoon had a feeling that he hadn’t even scratched the surface of whatever Vesta really was. Jihoon didn’t have the time, energy or inclination to dig below her abrasive personality. 

But Joshua had trusted her. 

So Jihoon had decided that he would trust her too. 

“Fine,” Vesta replied, finally. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

“Do you know anything about Research Division 1? What sort of work do they do?” Jihoon wondered. “I remember Joshua mentioning it once, but I can’t remember what he said.”

“Research Division 1? Does that even exist?”

“If 2 and 3 exist then isn’t it logical to assume that RD-1 exists too? Is there anyone you can ask to learn something about that?” Jihoon asked. There were a lot of questions that would arouse suspicion coming from an officer of the military, but might sound harmless coming from a seemingly air-headed actress. 

“I’m meeting Major-General Jung in his apartment tomorrow, I can ask him. Why do you want to know?”

“Just a hunch. See if he’ll say anything about the Border Forces too-”

“I’ve tried that before. The Major-General never talks about the Border Forces, even when he’s drunk. He sobers up as soon as I mention it and it’s unpleasant because things are a lot easier for me when he’s not sober,” Vesta replied firmly. 

Jihoon groaned. “He knows something.”

“It’s no use to us if he won’t talk about it. Just because he's reluctant to reveal confidential military information doesn’t mean it’s anything to do with Joshua's death.”

“Can you search his personal office?”

“Do you want me to die?” Vesta snapped. “Because if your aim is to unite me with Joshua in heaven then that would be the perfect way to go about it. The Major-General’s home is filled with security officers at all times. He keeps himself well protected. The rebels would love to take a crack at the commander of the Internal Peacekeeping Forces.”

Jihoon sighed. “Never mind.”

“I’ll get in touch with you if I have anything to tell you, okay?”

“Fine, I get it.”

“Go back before they notice you’re missing from the weapons unveiling,” Vesta suggested. Jihoon nodded. He unlocked the car door and then glanced back at the actress. He cleared his throat. 

“Take-uh, take care.”

Vesta smiled emotionlessly. “Sure. As soon as I find something worth taking care of.”

—---------------------------------------------

Once upon a time, the Empire had been a peaceful place. 

Jihoon had grown up during those times but he could barely remember them. He had vague memories of his mother’s flower garden and the smell of her home-cooked pies. He had once gone to school. He had family and neighbours and friends. What had happened to them all? Jihoon wasn’t sure. He hadn’t seen any of them since the first Air Strikes. 

Air Strike Zero was the starting of the War. 

Jihoon remembered huddling in the basement of their small house with his mother and his half-brother Joshua, terrified and not understanding what was happening as the ground shook and explosives fell from the sky.

It was only three days later, when they emerged from their basement, cold and hungry, that they learned the truth. 

The War had begun. 

Joshua had never been one to sit still. Long before the military had declared mandatory conscription for all able-bodied men, Joshua signed up to fight. We have to protect ourselves, Joshua had said the night before he left. We are at War. 

Jihoon had stayed home with his mother until he turned 18. But she had always been of fragile health, and a world at war was no place for her. The older woman's heart gave out and Jihoon had to bury her two weeks before his 18th birthday. Then he enlisted for the army and joined his brother in the ranks. Theirs was not the only family that had been torn apart by the War. 

The War either killed you, or made a soldier out of you. 

Jihoon chose to be a soldier. 

—-------------------------------------------

Captain Kwon’s face was white. 

“Sir, we seem to… um, we seem to be missing some items from the weapons storage, sir.”

Lieutenant Colonel Lee Jihoon snapped his head up to look at the trembling man in front of him. 

His dark eyes narrowed dangerously. 

“What?”

“Lieutenant Smith did inventory this morning and we’re missing some firearms from Storage Unit 7B,” Captain Kwon repeated. His heartbeat thudded wildly. Kwon Soonyoung dreaded delivering news to the Lieutenant Colonel. Having to deliver bad news to him was simply dreadful. 

"And? Where are they?"

Captain Kwon swallowed. “We’re investigating to find out how we could have lost them. There’s no sign of breaking or entering in the storage unit so it might have been somebody who knew the passcode or had access-”

“Captain Kwon.”

“Y-yes, sir?”

Jihoon stood up and slapped his palms on the desk, hard. His voice was enraged. “Do you think I give a flying fuck who it might have been? I want to know who it was!” 

Captain Kwon swallowed. “Yes, sir. Of course, sir. We’re working on that right now, sir.”

Jihoon pressed his fingertips to his temples. “How many weapons are we missing? What kind? Give me an estimate.”

“Primarily firearms. Lieutenant Smith has found 10 assault rifles, 12 semi-automatic rifles, 3 grenade launchers and a couple of pistols unaccounted for. We’re also doing an emergency inventory check of all the other Storage Units under our control to make sure this is the only storage unit that was targeted,” Captain Kwon rambled on. Perhaps if he kept talking rapidly, then Jihoon wouldn’t have time to yell at him. “There aren’t many soldiers with access to Storage Unit 7B in particular so it must have been someone who was on security duty at some point-”

Jihoon lifted a hand in the air and cut him off. “How many is a couple of pistols?”

Captain Kwon swallowed. “Thirty-five, sir.”

“Thirty-five?” Jihoon demanded. That amounted to a total of 60 deadly firearms. Sixty firearms was no small theft. It was enough to keep a small army going. A small army which was evidently not affiliated to the Empire, or they could have obtained the weapons without committing military treason.

Captain Kwon looked devastated. “Yes, sir.”

“You have two hours to find out who did this before I come down into the barracks and investigate the matter myself. This is likely the work of some rebel organization. That means we have traitors of the Empire here. Traitors. In my battalion. Do you understand the seriousness of this situation, Captain Kwon?”

“Yes sir, I do, sir.”

“Good.”

Captain Kwon shifted on his feet and then cleared his throat. If he was about to be put to death following a court martial then he really wanted to know sooner rather than later. 

“Sir, are you… are you going to be reporting this matter to high command?”

Jihoon folded his arms across his chest. He had no intention of putting his own neck on the line this early. The Empire would not take high-grade weapons being stolen directly from Military Base 1 lightly. 

There would be hell to pay if the culprit was not found. 

“Let’s try to find who did this first. In the absence of anyone else to punish, Captain Kwon, high command may just decide that you and I will be held responsible. I would rather it didn’t come to that.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Find me the traitor. Now. Dismissed.”

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

Lieutenant Colonel Lee Jihoon carried his brother’s final letter tucked in the pocket of his military uniform at all times. The folded paper was worn out from having been read so often over the last four months, and every single word was precious to him.  

Jihoon,

I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye before I left. My request to transfer to the Border Forces was accepted on extremely short notice. I leave tonight.

There is something I’ve been investigating. I’ve had my suspicions about the Empire for a long time, but I think I’ve finally found some evidence. I need to go to the Border to confirm my suspicions. When I return I’ll explain everything. If I’m right, then everything we know about our lives could be a lie. 

I’m scared. 

I hope I’m wrong. I really hope I’m wrong.  

If I don’t return, that means the Major-General knows what I’ve found. Don’t trust anyone in the military, Jihoon. Especially not the high command. They don’t care about our lives. All they care about is themselves. They’ve done horrible things in the name of research and war and they’ll stop at nothing to protect their positions. 

Tell Vesta I’m sorry. I wanted to help her but I think I ended up making her life worse. You would probably laugh, Jihoon. I wish I could see the incredulous look on your face when I tell you I fell in love with her. I’m sorry I couldn’t introduce her to you. Maybe, when I return, you can meet her and you’ll see how wonderful she is. 

I want to make you both proud. I hope I can. 

I love you. Stay safe

-Joshua. 

Sometimes Jihoon wondered if his brother had intended to leave him in a state of complete agony. Could a more vague and incomprehensible letter exist? Why couldn’t Joshua have stopped to explain exactly what he was investigating? Life would have been easier even if Joshua had just gone to the Border without leaving a letter at all. 

At least then, Jihoon could have believed that his brother had died bravely in the line of duty, as the Empire claimed. 

Peace of mind can be more valuable than the truth. 

Jihoon possessed neither. 

“Sir? Your written communications have just come in,” a young officer on administrative duty entered the cabin and saluted Lieutenant Colonel Lee before placing a pile of envelopes on the desk. Jihoon quickly tucked the letter into his inner coat pocket and sat up. 

“Thank you, Private. Dismissed.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jihoon looked at the envelopes. All of them were stamped and sealed with the Empire’s emblem; the golden rose with thorns. Most were non-urgent. Field reports, requests for leave and other routine mundane tasks relevant to the maintenance of his forces. There were a handful of invitations to social events being held by high-ranking officers. 

Then Jihoon saw it. 

The only envelope where the rose was hand-drawn instead of stamped with the official Empire stamp. The difference was slight and difficult to notice for an untrained eye, but Jihoon and Vesta had been communicating in this manner for long enough that he instantly knew the envelope was from her. 

He tore it open. 

Asked about RD-1. It's old- it existed even before the Air Strikes, but was shut down shortly after the War began for ethical reasons. Something about human experimentation. Major-General wouldn't elaborate. RD-1 hasn’t been operational for about a decade, so I don’t think it has anything to do with Joshua. 

He also wouldn’t talk about the Border Forces. He never does. 

I heard that the Major General is looking for some new personal security. He’s not allowed to take on-duty soldiers for his personal use, so he hires whoever he can find men from the disciplinary barracks- ones undergoing punishment for frivolous things. Do you have any men we can trust? If you could get them into the disciplinary barracks by tomorrow, then it’s likely they’ll be chosen. Make sure whoever you pick looks a little naive. The man doesn’t like his guards to be smarter than him. 

Lots of concerns about rebel uprisings on the coast. Civilians aren’t complying with the food rationing laws and are hoarding their own farming and fishing produce.

I’ll be at the Brigadier-General’s wedding anniversary party this weekend. See you there. 

Jihoon tore up the letter and reached into his drawer for a lighter. He no longer smoked, but the lighter was still useful for other things. Jihoon watched the sheet of paper curl into ashes on his desk while he tried to process the information. 

How was it possible that RD-1 didn’t exist anymore? If it had been shut down and ceased operations years ago, who was the man in the white coat from the weapons unveiling party? He had clearly stated that she was with RD-1. Jihoon pressed his fingers against his temples and frowned. It seemed like the Empire had more secrets than anyone could have anticipated. Everywhere Jihoon looked, he found inconsistencies and strange rumours. 

But never any solid evidence. Why? 

The door to Jihoon’s cabin opened with a bang. 

“Sir? Permission to enter, sir?” Captain Kwon demanded, lifting his arm in a salute. His eyes were shining and there was a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. 

“Yes, Captain Kwon?”

“We’ve identified the man who stole the weapons, sir. The problem is… he’s already absconded.”

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

The men stood stiffly to attention. 

“Our culprit is Private Lee Chan of the 7th Squad, sir,” Captain Kwon explained, while Jihoon paced up and down the cramped barracks. The soldiers froze in terror at the sight of the Lieutenant Colonel in their humble sleeping quarters. 

One bed was conspicuously messy and unmade. 

“How did he escape?” Jihoon demanded. 

“He loaded all the firearms into a military transport vehicle and drove it out of Military Base 1 at 6 am this morning. The security personnel suspected nothing because Private Chan often drove military vehicles in his line of duty, sir. We’ve told the gate security forces to keep an eye out if he comes back and hand him over to military police immediately-”

“He’s not coming back.”

Captain Kwon bit his lip. “Sir?”

Jihoon glared at his subordinate officer, making no effort to hide his irritation. “He’s not coming back, Captain Kwon. A Private made off with military-grade firearms that he plans to deliver straight to the rebels in an act of treason and you think he’s going to come back? Why? To face a court-martial and public execution? Don’t be foolish. He'll have gone underground by now.”

Captain Kwon swallowed. “Sorry, sir.” 

"And I suppose none of you noticed the blood leaking out of those blankets?"

There was a dark red stain seeping out of the crumpled blankets on Private Lee Chan's bed. Jihoon stepped forward and tugged at it. A bundle of rags absolutely drenched in blood fell onto the floor along with a solid object. It was a small, metal device the size of Jihoon's fingernail. 

"He cut his identification tag out of his arm and left it right here," Jihoon hissed. "This took you all morning?"

Captain Kwon only trembled.

Lieutenant Colonel Lee Jihoon took a deep breath and then frowned at the other soldiers standing in the barracks. They were all members of the 7th Squad. Men who had been forced to enlist because of the Empire’s ongoing war. Men who would much rather be anywhere but here. They were young and wet behind the ears, Jihoon observed. 

But Private Chan could never have managed something so brave and reckless alone. 

There were more. 

Jihoon intended to find them. 

“How many of you were close to Private Chan?” Jihoon demanded. He looked around at all of the men, but their heads were lowered. They were avoiding eye contact with him. Was it fear? Or defiance? Lieutenant Colonel Lee tried to scan their faces but it was hard to tell the difference. 

“Are you going to answer me or do you all want to be handed over to the military police?”

One of the men spoke up. “He-he was friendly with all of us, sir.”

Jihoon narrowed his eyes at the soldier who had spoken. He was of average height but his rounded face and soft features revealed that he was just a boy. 

“Your name?”

The boy saluted. “Private Boo Seungkwan, sir.”

“Private Boo. I saw your name on the duty roster. Weren’t you in charge of locking up Storage Unit 7B after firing practice yesterday evening? That means you were the last person to see the stolen firearms before Private Chan got his hands on them.”

Private Boo Seungkwan hesitated. He seemed to regret having spoken. “Y-yes sir. But Private Chan was on security duty at the Storage Units from 11pm to 5 am, sir. I clocked out at 10:59 pm after Private Chan came to relieve me from my post. I haven’t seen him since then, sir.”

“And what did you do afterwards, Private Boo?”

Seungkwan’s steady gaze faltered. “Sir?”

“What did you do after Private Chan relieved you from duty at the Storage Units? Did you come straight back to the barracks for a good night’s rest?” Jihoon asked calmly. He watched as Seungkwan nervously exchanged glances with some of the other soldiers. They seemed to be frowning at him. 

“Uh, no sir.”

“You didn’t return to the barracks? What did you do, then?”

“I-I went to watch a film, sir. I returned to the barracks quite late,” Seungkwan admitted. 

“And what film was this?”

Boo Seungkwan’s ears turned pink. “Vesta’s new film, sir. The Last Commander. I-I’m a fan of hers.” 

“So if I understand the situation,” Lieutenant Colonel Lee Jihoon said slowly and dangerously, “you were the last person to see the firearms intact other than the culprit himself. You were also the only soldier who didn’t return to the barracks in time last night because you went to watch a film.”

Seungkwan swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

“Are you aware that enlisted soldiers aren’t allowed to leave official duty for personal reasons or entertainment, unless granted permission by a Commissioned Officer? Did you have permission to go watch this film last night, Private Boo?”

“No, sir.”

Jihoon had heard enough. He turned to Captain Kwon, who was watching the exchange nervously. 

“Well then. We’re done here. The abscondee, Private Chan, is a traitor to the Empire and we have sufficient evidence in the form of his bloody identification tag that somehow nobody here noticed. Captain Kwon, please report the criminal to the military police immediately and have him declared an enemy of the state. They will send out an investigation team to locate him as well as the firearms, so the matter is out of our hands now.”

Captain Kwon nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“As for Private Boo…” Jihoon glanced at the younger soldier. Seungkwan was standing with his fists clenched and sweat beaded on his forehead despite his attempts to look relaxed. “Private Boo will face six months locked up in the disciplinary barracks for taking leave to watch a film without permission.”

Boo Seungkwan blinked. “Sir?”

“Captain Kwon, come see me in my cabin in an hour. The rest of you are dismissed. Go back to training.” 

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

Captain Kwon had always been punctual, so Jihoon was pleased to hear the young Captain's voice outside his cabin in exactly an hour. 

“Sir. Captain Kwon here on your command, sir.”

Lieutenant Colonel Lee looked up calmly. His dark eyes focused on the young man who was saluting him from the doorway of his cabin. For a brief moment, Jihoon doubted himself. One wrong move could jeopardise everything. If Kwon Soonyoung was loyal to the Empire, then Jihoon’s entire career could be at risk. 

But Lee Jihoon had reached his position in life and rank in the military by trusting his instincts. 

He would simply have to trust them again. 

“Enter, Captain Kwon.”

Soonyoung entered the cabin. Despite being a frequent visitor, he was once again momentarily flustered by the enormous statue of the Empire’s emblem. The golden rose was conspicuous. It took Soonyoung a few moments to refocus his soft eyes on the Lieutenant Colonel sitting at the desk in front of it. 

“Sir.”

“Before we get down to business, Captain Kwon, do you have anything to say to me about the events of this morning?" Jihoon asked. 

Soonyoung paused. The question was loaded. The Lieutenant Colonel did not make small talk; there was almost certainly a right and a wrong answer to this question. 

"I should have supervised the Storage Units more closely, sir."

Jihoon did not blink. "Hmm. Anything else?"

“I request you to reconsider the severity of Private Boo's punishment,” Captain Kwon added. He tried to speak confidently, but Jihoon's sharp and piercing gaze was terrifying. “Sir, I think it’s rather excessive. None of the other privates have been sentenced to six months imprisonment in the disciplinary barracks just for watching a film while they were off-duty.”

“Close the door, Captain.”

Soonyoung's lower lip trembled. “Sir?”

“Close the door and take a seat.”

Kwon Soonyoung obeyed. His hands were trembling so he clasped them together tightly in his lap. Jihoon’s dark gaze and unsmiling face did not help his racing heartbeat. 

“Do you really think,” Jihoon began slowly and carefully, “that I sentenced Private Boo  because he went to watch a film?”

Soonyoung was silent. 

“I sentenced him because we both know that he didn’t watch a film last night. He helped Private Chan load sixty firearms from Storage Unit 7B into a military transport vehicle and then aided his escape from Military Base 1 while you watched. You're many things, Captain Kwon, but you're not incompetent. I don't believe that a lowly Private managed to hoodwink you. The only explanation is that they did this with your help."

Soonyoung's face was turning red. "Sir, with all due respect-"

Jihoon cut him off sharply. "You and Private Boo are not the only members from a rebel organisation in my battalion. I know there are others. I’ve been waiting for one of you fools to out yourselves for a while now.”

Captain Kwon's fists clenched. To Jihoon’s satisfaction, the young man did not look scared anymore. A look of steely determination had crossed his childlike face. Kwon Soonyoung was not as innocent as he tried to appear.  

“With all due respect, Lieutenant Colonel Lee, you can’t prove any part of what you just said,” Soonyoung said stiffly. 

“I have no interest in proving it. Even the suspicion of being affiliated to a rebel organisation is enough to have you court-martialed and executed. But I don’t want to do that, Captain Kwon. You’re not much use to me dead. I have something far more interesting for you to do.”

Soonyoung was silent. 

“I see you’re afraid to open your mouth in case you incriminate yourself. That’s all right. I’m not going to interrogate you about your organization. Frankly, I don’t give a flying fuck what the rebels get up to. What I need is someone to spy on Major General Jung. He’s the commander of the Internal Peacekeeping Forces and the second most powerful man in the Empire. I’m sure your people have their eyes on him. Tell me. How much would information about the Major General’s private dealings and conversations be worth to your organisation?”

Soonyoung was silent but his eyes glimmered. 

“I’m going to help you and Private Boo get into Major General Jung’s house,” Jihoon continued. “I can also help you communicate whatever information you manage to find to your rebel organization. I only need one thing. Everything you find will be reported to me first.”

Kwon Soonyoung’s hands were shaking. His soft eyes wavered in indecision before he suddenly looked boldly up at the Lieutenant Colonel. 

“What’s in it for you?” he demanded. 

Jihoon raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Why do you want us to do this? Clearly there’s some information that you want from Major General Jung. I need to know what your motivation is.”

“That is irrelevant.”

“I think it’s very relevant. You’re asking me to spy on the commanding officer of the Internal Peacekeeping Forces. If Private Boo and I get caught, then we die. Don’t we deserve to know why we’re putting ourselves at such a huge risk for you? What if you use this against me and my loved ones?”

Jihoon had assumed that Captain Kwon would be naive and easy to manipulate. Evidently that was not the case. The young officer was also brave. Jihoon leaned back in his chair, impressed. Soonyoung could handle entering the lion’s den. Jihoon had stumbled upon the right person for the task. 

“Captain Kwon. I’m sure you’re familiar with the Empire’s emblem. The golden rose with thorns. What do you think it means?”

Soonyoung’s eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

“What do you think the emblem with a golden rose and thorns symbolises?” 

“Uh…” Soonyoung looked at the enormous statue of the emblem behind the Lieutenant Colonel’s head. It was beautiful but there was no mistaking the thorns that lay underneath it. Soonyoung had never stopped to think about its meaning. “Um. I suppose it means that you should stop and think before you pluck the rose because the thorns will prick you?” he guessed doubtfully. 

Jihoon nodded. “Interesting.”

“What does it mean?”

“I don’t know either,” Jihoon admitted. He sighed. “Let me put it this way, Captain Kwon. I’ve lost someone close to me. I need to know whether the Empire’s thorns merely failed to protect him, or whether they pricked him themselves.”

Soonyoung hesitated. He could see the pain behind Lieutenant Colonel Lee’s dark eyes. He had never imagined that such a high-ranking officer whom everyone feared could also be a victim of the Empire. 

Then again, perhaps everyone was a victim of the Empire in some way. 

Soonyoung took a deep breath. “I’ve lost people to the Empire too. My family back home struggled because of the new laws and all our land was taken away from us-”

Jihoon cut him off quickly. “I don’t care.”

Soonyoung blinked. “Oh.”

“I have no intention of exchanging childhood stories with you, Captain Kwon. I don’t want to be friends. I want information. Let’s talk about how you’re going to get it for me.”

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

A vast majority of the Empire's power resided in the hands of two men. 

The military took pride in claiming that the Empire wasn’t an autocratic state like the destructive military dictatorships of the past. Instead, it had quickly created the concept of a high command. A pair of men who controlled the military, and as a result, the rest of the Empire. 

Major-General Jung, commander of the Internal Peacekeeping Forces. 

And Major-General Yang, commander of the Border Forces.  

Together, these two men commanded the two primary functional divisions of the army. First, the Internal Peacekeeping Forces were tasked with ensuring the common folk obeyed the Empire's laws, while suppressing occasional violent rebel uprisings and keeping peace within the walls of the Empire.

Second, the Border Forces defended the Borders where the constant looming threat from the Invaders needed to be taken care of. The Borders was where the newly designed weapons and the bravest of soldiers were sent. Fighting at the Borders was no joke.  

Every few weeks, fresh bodies were brought back from the Borders in caskets. 

“I don’t understand your obsession with the Border Forces, Jihoon,” the Brigadier-General complained as he swallowed a large glass of wine. It was his anniversary party, and he hated talking about official business during celebrations. He wished Jihoon would relax and leave him alone. “Can’t we discuss this on Monday? It’s so dull to be talking about applications and transfers when one should be in a festive mood!”

Jihoon bowed his head. “I apologize, sir-”

“Have a glass of wine, eh? Here!”

“Yes-thank you, sir. I don’t mean to bother you. It’s just... I’ve heard rumours that the Borders are in need of more officers since the threat from the Invaders is steadily rising. The most recent exchange of hostilities at the Border four months ago left our forces crippled-”

The Brigadier-General's grey beard twitched in sympathy. “Ah, yes. Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Hong was one of the brave victims of that devastating attack. Your half-brother, correct? You’ve mentioned him before. My condolences.”

Jihoon clutched his wine. “Thank you, sir.”

“But you should know better than anyone how dangerous it is!” the Brigadier-General cried. “The Borders are treacherous and few return alive. The death toll increases with each passing month. There’s a reason the Empire limits the number of commanding officers we send there. One efficient attack by the Invaders is enough to wipe out entire battalions, and we can’t afford to lose too many at once.”

“I understand, sir, but-”

“We need brave officers like you here and alive, Jihoon. Internal peace and harmony is crucial for the efficiency of this war. The Internal Peacekeeping Forces are doing important work. Wars cannot be won unless the nation is unified from within.”

Jihoon pressed harder. “I’d rather fight at the Borders, sir. I don’t believe the Internal Peacekeeping Forces need me. Rebel uprisings will stop naturally once we can terminate the threat of the Invaders, and return the Empire to its former prosperity and glory.”

The Brigadier-General’s mouth twisted downward. “Do you believe that’s possible?”

“Isn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” the older man admitted grimly. He finished his entire glass of wine in one gulp and then patted Jihoon on the back in a friendly manner. His eyes were slightly unfocused due to the alcohol. “You have a lot of potential, Lieutenant Colonel. You’re a smart young man and I don’t want you to die yet. I’ll submit your application to go to the Borders, but you know the final authority on these matters is Major General Yang. All I can do is send your application onward.”

Jihoon nodded gratefully. At least it was a step in the right direction. 

“Thank you, sir.”

“Now, are you done hounding me at my wedding anniversary party? Go get another drink, and find a pretty young lady to dance with! I can introduce you to a few if you’d like…”

Jihoon politely declined. He found a quiet corner to enjoy his glass of wine while the Brigadier-General left to greet his more important guests. The private anniversary party was smaller and humbler than some of the official military galas, but there were still a significant number of high-ranking officers and research officials present. Jihoon wished he was sociable enough to interact with them the way Joshua used to. But that had never been his style. He didn’t have many friends. 

Jihoon wondered whether he should stay at the party until Vesta arrived, or leave since he had sufficiently interacted with the host. Jihoon didn’t have anything to say to Vesta. To be frank, he didn’t even enjoy her company. But there was a small and inexplicable comfort in talking to someone who missed Joshua just as much as he did, even if she had her own abrasive ways of handling her grief. 

Perhaps it was too risky to keep meeting her. 

Jihoon squeezed past the throng of guests and wondered how many more infernal parties and events like this he would have to attend before he found out the truth behind Joshua’s death. What dark secret was concealed in the midst of these studded military coats and sparkling wine glasses? What was so consequential that Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Hong had requested a transfer to the most dangerous, deadly division of the military in order to investigate it? 

Jihoon had no idea how to find these answers. 

He didn't even know where to look anymore. 

Was this the end? 

Would he never find out what had taken Joshua from him? Even if Jihoon’s application to transfer to the Border Forces was miraculously accepted, what would he do once he went there? He didn’t know what Joshua had been looking for, and it seemed that the man had confided his secrets in no one. 

Yet, it seemed so surreal. 

What had Joshua been trying to investigate by himself? Was it even possible that he had single-handedly unearthed some enormous conspiracy? With no outside help? Joshua had been secretive on occasion, yes, but Jihoon still couldn’t believe it. Perhaps Joshua had not told his lover because she had enough worries of her own. And perhaps he had even kept it a secret from his little brother to avoid putting him at risk. But surely he had confided in someone? 

Someone? 

Out of the corner of his eye, Jihoon saw the flash of a white coat. 

It was him again; the same young scientist from the weapons unveiling party. His dark eyes had been watching Jihoon but he averted them the moment he realized he had been caught. Jihoon’s stomach clenched. 

He had seen this scientist before. He had seen him multiple times, as a matter of fact, at almost every official celebration that took place in Military Base 1. 

Why was this scientist always lingering around him? 

The man turned to leave the room and Jihoon made an impulsive decision to follow him. He exited the Brigadier-General’s front hall and followed the man out of the penthouse apartment, and down multiple flights of stairs. The man kept glancing back at Jihoon but he wasn’t trying to get away. 

In fact, he seemed to be leading Jihoon somewhere. 

Jihoon followed the scientist onto the deserted street. He kept walking until he reached a small, cramped alleyway between two apartment buildings. Jihoon expected him to stop, but he kept going, kept walking and Jihoon began to doubt himself. 

What was he doing? Why was he following a strange scientist into places that he didn’t know? There was a service pistol tucked into Jihoon's belt but he doubted that would be of much use if this man was leading him into some kind of a trap. 

Finally, the man stopped and turned to face him. 

“Lieutenant Colonel Lee Jihoon,” the scientist greeted calmly. His hands were clenched by his sides, and Jihoon could see his fists trembling. 

“Who are you?” Jihoon demanded. 

“My name is Junhui,” the man explained softly. “I used to be a researcher at Research Division 1. But that’s not important to you. The truth is…. I knew Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Hong. I was the last person to see him alive before he left for the Border.”

Jihoon felt numb. 

—------------------------------------------

There was very little in the world that surprised Vesta. 

It was late when she arrived at the Brigadier-General’s party, and even later by the time the infuriating old man would allow her to leave. She spent the entire evening smiling until her cheeks hurt and enduring the hungry gazes and wandering hands of the Brigadier-General’s friends. 

When she returned to her car and saw Lee Jihoon sitting in the passenger seat, she did not blink an eye. 

“I didn’t see you at the party,” she drawled, while lighting her cigarette. Jihoon looked pale. He had always been a handsome young man, but the haunted look Jihoon gave Vesta sent a chill down her spine for completely different reasons. 

"Joshua was intercepting confidential documents from Major General Jung's personal office," Jihoon mumbled quietly. 

Vesta blinked. It took her a few moments to process exactly what Jihoon was saying. Joshua? Stealing documents from the Major General? But Joshua had always seemed to like the Major General Jung. He had always been eager to gain the commander's admiration and even shared drinks with the older man multiple times after duty. Joshua had always been the one in charge of hauling the Major General's enormous drunken ass back home after parties…

Oh. 

Oh.

So it had all been an act. 

Vesta had occasionally wondered why Joshua was so eager to please the Major General, and why he hung around his superior officer despite the older man having the personality of a stinky wet rag… 

Maybe she'd assumed that he did it in order to see her. 

"What-what documents?" she asked hesitantly. "Did you find any of them? Where were they?"

Jihoon shook his head. "No. Someone told me."

"Someone?"

"This… this man came up to me. Junhui. A research scientist. He said he knew Joshua and that he was the last person to see him alive before he left for the Border," Jihoon explained. 

"I've never heard of this name before. Junhui?" she demanded. 

Jihoon bit his lip. "Yeah."

"Do you know who he is?"

"I'd never heard his name before today either," Jihoon admitted. His hands were clasped tightly in his lap. "But I had my suspicions, since he's been following me and trying to approach me for a while. He says that Joshua used to have drinks with the Major General and intercept his communications while the man was lying drunk in his office. He says… he says that Joshua made copies and hid some of the communications."

Vesta shook her head. "Hold on. Just stop for a moment. Who is this Junhui and how does he know so much about what Joshua was doing? Has Joshua ever mentioned him to you?"

Jihoon swallowed. "No."

"Joshua told me about you. And you said that he often talked about me. That's how you and I can trust each other. But he never told either of us about this Junhui. How can you trust him? Who the hell is he even?" Vesta demanded. 

"He says Joshua saved his life."

Vesta blinked. "What?"

"When high command shut down Research Division 1 a decade ago because their human experimentation failed, they ordered for the subjects and the researchers to be killed. Junhui says Joshua was the military official on duty and saved Junhui's life by helping him escape and hide. He's been lurking around Military Base 1 in hiding and helping Joshua investigate the Empire ever since."

"Why would Joshua do that?"

Jihoon shrugged. "Because he's a good person?'

"It doesn't sound like something that can be explained away that simply. Are you telling me that this man is a fugitive?" Vesta demanded. Her eyes had gone wide in disbelief. "Are you telling me that the entire time we knew Joshua, he was harbouring a fugitive of the Empire? This man can't be sane. Why would Joshua risk everything to help some researcher hide?"

Jihoon's lower lip trembled. "But he knows so much about him."

"Like what?"

"Like everything," Jihoon replied. He took a deep and shaky breath. "Look. I'm confused too. I don't know what Joshua has been up to all these years-"

"Yeah, no shit-"

"But if there's even a hint of truth in what Junhui says, then we might find something. Listen. He says that Joshua used to steal confidential documents from Major General Jung's office. That means Joshua either took those documents or made copies."

"So? You didn't find anything in Joshua's belongings. And you searched his cabin yourself before they cleaned it out."

"Of course. Joshua would never risk getting caught with confidential documents in his possession. There's strict security outside the Major General's office. They check your uniform when you enter and again when you leave the office of any officer in high command. I know, because I went to Major General Jung's office many times to receive medals. They even check the linings of your coat."

"So how did Joshua get the documents out?"

"That's what I've been wondering. What if he didn't? What if he hid them right there in the Major General's office?"

Vesta stared at him. 

"That's…"

"Something Joshua would do, right?"

"Yes," Vesta admitted hesitantly. Joshua had been clever at sneaking around and evading suspicion. Despite his seemingly trustworthy appearance, Joshua had been extremely cunning. The number of times he had managed to sneak Vesta into his personal quarters at the dead of night was evidence of his clever thinking. He would constantly come up with new and innovative ways to get her in without anybody noticing. 

"We need to find those documents."

"How?"

"How else?" Jihoon asked grimly. There was no choice. "Through the only person on our side who has access to Major General Jung's office. Captain Kwon Soonyoung."

Vesta raised an eyebrow. "The Major-General's new personal security? I've seen him; I wondered if you planted him there. Is he loyal to you?"

Jihoon hesitated. "Not exactly. But he's not loyal to the Empire either. He's an undercover rebel."

Vesta leaned back and laughed. "Well, fuck. You do seem to find these strange people, Jihoon. Do you trust this Captain?"

"I have to. Will you help him?"

Vesta reached into her purse for some cigarettes and fumbled with the lighter before taking a deep breath and nodding. 

"You're going to get me killed someday, Lee Jihoon."

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

Lieutenant Colonel Lee Jihoon paced the long corridor anxiously. 

The Brigadier-General had sent for Jihoon to report to his cabin at once. Considering that the old man preferred to discuss even critically important military matters over alcohol and music, being summoned to the Brigadier-General's office in the middle of the day was highly unusual. 

Jihoon wished he could be sure that it was good news. 

The door to the office opened. 

"Jihoon! Come in!"

Jihoon entered and promptly saluted the Brigadier-General. The senior officer had a much more luxurious and spacious cabin than Jihoon, but even the Brigadier-General could not be rid of the permanent fixture that was the Empire's conspicuous golden rose statue. 

It glimmered brightly behind the Brigadier-General's wrinkled face. 

"Sir, you called for me."

"I have some news for you, Lieutenant Colonel. It's about your transfer application to the Border Forces," the Brigadier-General began. He pulled out a pair of spindly glasses and squinted at the document on his desk. 

Jihoon's heart leapt. 

"Yes, sir?"

"It's been denied."

The disappointment on Jihoon's face was unconcealable. The Brigadier-General sighed and lowered his glasses with a frown. 

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel. You should have been a prime candidate. Perhaps that incident with the stolen firearms influenced Major General Yang's decision. You can always re-apply in six months."

A sense of despair was beginning to take over Jihoon, and he didn’t know how to stop it from consuming him. 

Was this it? Was this the end of the road?

He had been hoping that he would receive some information from Captain Kwon or Vesta, but they had nothing to report from their espionage of Major General Jung except news about the increasing rebel activity near the coasts. It appeared that either Major-General Jung had nothing to hide, or he was simply too good at hiding it. 

And now the Border Forces were shut to him for another six months. 

The Brigadier-General seemed sympathetic. 

"Never mind the Border Forces, Jihoon. I have a much more important task that I need you to do for me. If you can pull it off, it will certainly erase any black mark on your record from that unfortunate firearms robbery."

Jihoon nodded, although he had lost interest. 

"Of course, Brigadier-General."

"What do you know about the rebel uprisings near the coast?"

Jihoon knew plenty; but none of it was from official sources so he had to feign innocence. The coastal regions were the only fertile agricultural lands in the Empire. Combined with the abundance of seafood, they were a primary geographical source of food for the rest of the Empire. If the worst of the rebel uprisings infiltrated the coast, the Empire could be faced with a devastating famine that would impact even Military Base 1. 

"Not much, sir."

"The coastal folk have been uncooperative for a while, but the situation is worsening. These are not soldiers; they're farmers and fishermen and they can be controlled. But we have reason to believe they might join forces with some of the more dangerous rebels."

Jihoon nodded. "I suppose the rebels could use the farmers and fishermen as an opportunity to incite some violence."

"I need you to go on a peacekeeping mission to the coastal region."

Jihoon visibly flinched. The last thing he wanted to do was go thousands of miles away from the heart of the military that his half-brother had died investigating, to shush some poor farmers. 

"Brigadier-General, I am sure you don't need someone like me to control some farmers and fishermen. I'd really like to re-apply to the Border Forces-"

"You need to wait six months to reapply."

"But surely-"

The Brigadier-General had already turned away from him. 

"You leave tomorrow."

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

#seventeen scenarios #woozi scenarios #seventeen angst #woozi x reader #seventeen x reader #woozi angst #seventeen fanfiction #seventeen imagines #dystopian!au

[zepuckinghockey]

It's NHL wedding season! I'm aware of 10 NHLers who got married over the July 7-8, 2023 weekend as well as two related weddings. As best as I can, I've listed them out including as many verified player guests as I could find. Shoutout to the server for helping me ID a lot of generic looking faces. I've got some teams listed for context.

Feel free to let me know of people I've missed! This list has been edited on September 9th. I'm pretty sure wedding season is over, but feel free to message me with someone I missed.

June 16th, 2023 Weddings:

Kyle Clague - Sabres Notable Guests: Nolan Patrick

July 4th, 2023 Weddings:

Colin Blackwell - Hawks Notable Guests: Alex Kerfoot

July 6th, 2023 Weddings:

Tyler Bertuzzi - Red Wings Notable Guests: Michael Rasumussen, Zach Nastasiuk

July 7th, 2023 Weddings:

Alex Nedeljkovic - currently Penguins (previously Canes, Red Wings) Notable Attendees: Scott Wedgewood

Jordan Binnington - Blues Notable Attendees: Jordan Kyrou, Marco Scandella, Sammy Blais, Faulk, Perron, Logan Brown, Joshua Leivo, Vince Dunn, Robby Fabbri, Joel Edmundson, Robert Thomas, Oskar Sundqvist, Colton Parayko, Jake Walman

July 8th, 2023 Weddings:

Tyson Barrie - currently on the Preds (previously: Oilers, Leafs, Avs) Notable Attendees: everyone. Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Mitch Marner, Zach Hyman, Connor McDavid, Alex Kerfoot, John Tavares, Jack Campbell, Justin Holl, Evander Kane, Darnell Nurse, Mike Smith, Bayne Pettinger, Tyler Ennis, Colin Wilson, Michael Hutchinson, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Cody Ceci, Evan Bouchard, Luke Schenn, Devin Shore, Gabe Landeskog

Vinni Lettieri - currently on the Wild (previously Ducks) Notable Attendees: Trevor Zegras, Jake Bischoff, Tony DeAngelo, Jimmy Vesey, Kevin Hayes, Brady Skjei, Kevin Shattenkirk, John Gibson, Zach Bogosian, Sam Carrick, Jake Gardiner, James van Riemsdyk

Sam Reinhart - currently on the Panthers (previously Sabres) Notable Attendees: Mason Marchment, Brandon Montour, Owen Tippett

Chandler Stephenson - currently on the Knights (previously Caps) Notable Attendees: Will Carrier, Reilley Smith, Mark Stone, Cody Eakin, Jack Eichel, Alex Tuch

Sam Girard - currently on the Avs (previously Preds) Notable Attendees: Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Ryan Graves

Dylan Gambrell - currently on the Leafs (previously Sharks, Sens) Notable Attendees: Mathieu Joseph, Austin Watson (thanks anon!)

Gustav Forsling - currently on the Panthers Notable Attendees: Alex Wennberg, Marcus Hogberg, Patric Hornquist, Lucas Carlsson, Erik Gustafsson

Tyler Motte - (Rangers, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, Senators, Canucks) Notable Attendees: Brock Boesser

Brett Richie - (Yotes, Flames)

Emerance Maschmeyer & Genevieve Lacasse - WoHo Olympic gold medalists Notable Attendees: Sarah Nurse, Erin Ambrose, Laura Stacey, Marie-Philip Poulin, Haley Irwin, just like all the big woho names

Dominik Tiffels - German hockey player Notable Attendees: Leon Draisaitl

Frankie Borrelli - Barstool Sports and Fore Play Golf Notable Attendees: Brock Nelson, Matt Martin, Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield, Josh Bailey - info thanks to @barzyblogbabe

Morgan Reilly - Leafs Notable Attendees: his wife Tessa Virtue

July 13th, 2023 Weddings:

Dryden Hunt - Rangers Notable Guests: Kyle Burroughs

July 15th, 2023 Weddings:

Tyler Seguin - Stars (Bruins) Notable Guests: Jamie Benn, John Klingberg, Scott Wedgewood, Jesse Blacker, Mason Marchment, Ty Dellandrea, Justin Dowling

Luke Kunin - (Sharks, Wild) Notable Attendees: Colton Sissons, Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, (Taryn Tkachuk)

AJ Greer - Bruins (Avs, Devils) Notable Attendees: Scott Kosmachuk

Andy Andreoff - (Kings, Flyers, Islanders) Notable Attendees: Sean Couturier, Scott Laughton, Shayne Gostibehere, Erik Gudbranson, Milan Lucic

Juuso Valimaki - Coyotes

July 16, 2023 Weddings:

Kevin Hayes - Blues (Flyers, Rangers, Jets) Notable Attendees: Johnny Gaudreau, Tony DeAngelo, Brady Skjei, Jimmy Vesey

July 20th, 2023 Weddings:

Lawson Crouse - Coyotes Notable Attendees: Phil Kessel, Shayne Gostibehere, Liam O'Brien, Nick Schmaltz, Darcy Kuemper, Taylor Hall, Jacob Bryson, Travis Konecny

July 21st, 2023 Weddings:

Nicolas Aube-Kubel - Caps (Avs) Notable Attendees: Anthony Mantha, Julien Gauthier

Brady Tkachuk - Sens Notable Attendees: Matthew Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Thomas Chabot, Mark Stone, Mathieu Joseph, Luke Kunin, Christian Fischer, Ryan Donato, Robert Thomas, Alex Debrincat, Cam Talbot, Nick Holden, Quinn Hughes, Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes, Jake Sanderson, Shane Pinto, Dylan Gambrell, Colin White, Jacob Chychrun, Kevin Hayes

Juuse Saros - Predators Notable Attendees: Eeli Tolvanen, Kevin Lankinen

Tanner Jeannot - Lightning Notable Attendees: Brett Howden, Noah Gregor, Jayden Halbgewachs, Jeremy Lauzon, Alex Carrier

July 22nd, 2023 Weddings:

Alex Kerfoot - Coyotes (Maple Leafs) Notable Attendees: Justin Holl, Colin Blackwell, John Tavares, Morgan Reilly, Michael Bunting, Mitch Marner, Jake Muzzin

Nick Paul - Lightning (Senators) Notable Attendees: Chris Driedger, Drake Batherson, Thomas Chabot, Anthony Cirelli, Alex Killorn

Keith Kinkaid - (Devils, Canadiens, Rangers, Bruins, Avs)

July 24th, 2023 Weddings:

Anthony Mantha - Capitals Notable Guests: Nicholas Aube-Kubel, Julien Gauthier, Nick Jensen, Jonathan Benier

July 27th, 2023 Weddings:

Pavel Zacha - Bruins (Devils) Notable Attendees: Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt

July 28th, 2023 Weddings:

Karson Kuhlman - Islanders (Kraken, Jets) Notable Guests: Kasimir Kaskiskuo

July 29th, 2023 Weddings:

Connor Murphy - Blackhawks (Coyotes) Notable Attendees: Sean Kuraly, Anthony Duclair, Dylan Strome, Jonathan Toews, Alex Debrincat, Taylor Raddysh, Mackenzie Entwistle, Brandon Hagel

Mitch Marner - Leafs Notable Attendees: Best Boy Zeus 🐶, Matt Martin, James Van Riemsdyk, Jake Gardiner, Tyler Bozak, Connor Brown, Justin Holl, Nazem Kadri, Willy Nylander, Zach Bogosian, Kyle Clifford, Jake Muzzin, Auston Matthews, Alex Kerfoot, Michael Bunting, Freddie Anderson, Rasmus Sandin, Morgan Reilly, Tyson Barrie, Connor Carrick, Joe Thorton, Patrick Marleau, Zach Hyman, Jack Campbell, TJ Brodie, Tyler Ennis, John Tavares, Timothy Liljegren

Ethan Bear - Canucks (Oilers, Hurricanes) Notable Attendees: Mat Barzal, Caleb Jones, Jujhar Khaira, Riley Stillman, Thatcher Demko, Austin Strand

Boone Jenner - Blue Jackets Notable Attendees: Zach Werenski, Seth Jones, Nick Blankenburg, Cole Sillinger, David Savard, Andrew Peeke, Scott Laughton, Elvis Merzlikins, Erik Gubranson

July 30th, 2023 Weddings:

Ryan Donato - Blackhawks (Kraken, Bruins) Notable Attendees: Jared McCann, Yanni Gourde, Matty Beniers, Adam Fox

August 3rd, 2023 Weddings:

Kevin Lankinen - Predators Notable Guests: Eeli Tolvanen

August 4th, 2023 Weddings:

Taylor Raddysh - Blackhawks (Lightning) Notable Guests: Dylan Strome, Connor Murphy, Anthony Cirelli

Kevin Hayes (2.0) - still Blues (Flyers, Rangers, Jets) Notable Guests: Keith Yandle, Scott Laughton, Shayne Gostibhere, Travis Sanheim, James van Riemsdyk, Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau, JT Miller, Zach Sanford, Tony DeAngelo, Brian Dumoulin, Brady Skjei, Paul Carey

August 5th, 2023 Weddings:

Conor Garland - Canucks (Coyotes) Notable Guests: Ryan Donato, Jakob Chychrun, Clayton Keller

Brendan Dillon - Jets (Capitals) Notable Guests: Tom Wilson, TJ Oshie, Jordie Benn, Jamie Benn, Trevor van Riemsdyke, Nic Dowd, Nick Jensen

Charlie McAvoy - Bruins Notable Guests: Hampus Lindholm, AJ Greer, Connor Clifton, Noel Acciari, Taylor Hall, Conor Sheary, Brad Marchand, Jake Debrusk, Matt Gryzeleyk, Derek Forbort, Brandon Carlo, David Krejci, Tuukka Rask, Jeremy Swayman, Charlie Coyle, Krug Torey, Matthew Tkachuk, Casey Fitzgerald, Colin White, Patrice Bergeron

Austin Watson - Senators Notable Guests: Cam Talbot, Anton Forsberg, Jarred Tinordi, Nick Paul, DJ Smith, Dylan Gambrell, Nick Holden, Thomas Chabot

Gage Quinney - Knights Notable Guests: Zach Whitecloud, Nicolas Roy, Jake Bischoff

Micke Rosell - player agent Notable Guests: William Nylander, Alex Nylander, Sam Ersson, Marcus Bjork

Joonas Johansson - Avs

August 6th, 2023 Weddings:

Dylan Larkin - Red Wings Notable Guests: Sam Gagner, Tyler Bertuzzi, Trevor Zegras, Kyle Connor, Troy Stecher, Marc Staal, Jeff Petry, Darren Helm, Zach Werenski, Mitchell Stephens, Riley Sheahan, Cole Caufield, Jack Hughes

August 11th, 2023 Weddings:

Shea Theodore - Knights Notable Guests: Ryan Reaves, Marc-Andre Fleury, Nick Holden, Mark Stone, Chandler Stephenson, Alex Tuch, Dylan Strome, Erik Haula, Jaycob Megna, Will Carrier, Jack Eichel, Alex Pietrangelo

Ryan Hartman - Wild Notable Guests: Matt Dumba, Marcus Foligno, Jared Spurgeon, Cam Talbot, Kirill Kaprizov, Jordan Greenway, Jon Merrill, Alex Goligoski, Jake Middleton, Mason Shaw, Calen Addison, Nick Schmalt, Matthew Boldy, Brandon Duhaime, Connor Dewar, Luke Kunin

August 12th, 2023 Weddings:

Chris Kreider - Rangers Notable Guests: Mika Zibanejad

#tyson barrie #sidney crosby #connor mcdavid #chandler stephenson #leon draisaitl #mitch marner #trevor zegras #mark stone #brandon montour #sam reinhart #and so many more #text #wedding #jordan binnington #tony deangelo #evander kane

[svt-yexi]

Glimpse: How the members handle Yexi doing a sexy concept

Seungcheol - He doesn't. The first time the company pushed for sexier clothing everyone thought he'd have an aneurism. He will forever see her as the little girl he helped raise. She also likes to tease him about it just a little.

Jeonghan - He likes to cause chaos. Every time it happens he'll point it out to Cheol, Jun, Chan, and Mingyu. He thrives in the chaos and Yexi wants to hit him for causing them to be even more overprotective.

Joshua - he's not happy about it. He doesn't really say much but he grumbles about it with Cheol. The first time the company did it he died a little inside. Their Yexi was all grown.

Jun - this boy will try to make her wear jackets and things to cover up any time there is a chance of some guy seeing her all decked out and not on stage.

Hoshi - He supports it. He can see that she's gotten more confident and when she's pulling it off and looks gorgeous he is her #1 fan. He'll whistle and (respectively) cat call making the older members want to choke him.

Wonwoo - He supports her when it happens but if it's at a photo shoot and he sees someone looking a little too much he's glaring. If she's sitting he's already grabbing a blanket or jacket.

Woozi - that's basically his little sister and he doesn't wanna see it. He acknowledges that she can pull it off and she looks good and if it's a solo stage he is excited for her but he doesn't wanna see it. He wants to believe that she's still innocent.

Minghao - He gets excited. He will make sure that she has the confidence to wear it and if she doesn't he manages to make her feel that way by the end of it. That's his best friend and he supports her wearing whatever she wants. As long as her ass is covered and her tits are secure, he doesn't want any possibility of a wardrobe malfunction.

DK - He showers her with compliments. He knows the other members will sometimes be a tiny bit overbearing so he tries to make it a good experience for her. He's all about making sure she is comfortable in her own skin.

Mingyu - Nope. Nope. Nope. If there is a male in the general vicinity he tossing jackets on jackets at her. He must protect her 'virtue' even though he is very aware that she is a woman now. He whines to the stylist Noona's that men will objectify her and he's not in a line of work that will allow him to 'handle' it. Poor bub.

Seungkwan - He wants her to work it if she's feeling confident in it. He will be her cheerleader and make sure she's working it at shoots. He also kinda enjoys watching Cheol's veins about to rupture. He's all about it and will forever make sure she is appreciated.

Vernon - if it's too sexy the boy is uncomfortable. That's his Noona and in his mind she should be covered. He will tell her she looks pretty but after the initial look he doesn't want to acknowledge it again.

Chan - if a guys look lingers too long he's ready to square up. That is his Noona and she should be looked at respectfully. He will sometimes whine about it and comment that he hates it when guys stare but other than that she's free to wear what she wants. She should be allowed to wear things and not be objectified.

Taglist: @multiplums @giverosespls @sunflower-0180 @smoooore @kimhyejin3108 @enhacolor @wcsterias @kimhyejin3108 @allthings-fandoms @cixrosie

#seventeen #14th member of seventeen #seventeen 14th member #Kpop oc #14th member #fake seventeen member #seventeen extra member #seventeen additional member #Scoups #Jeonghan #Joshua #Jun #Hoshi #Wonwoo #Woozi #The8 #DK #Mingyu #Seungkwan #Vernon #Dino #Junhui #Soonyoung #Jisoo #Jihoon #Minghao #Seokmin #Hansol #Chan #Glimpse

[kenobicoffee]

Lavender Haze (by @kenobicoffee) a josh x reader fic (18+ MDNI)

A/N: It’s taken forever, but it’s here! Yay! Lemme know what I can do to get better, and leave a comment if you liked it!

Word Count: 3k, ~20 min read

Outline: You and Josh are getting high and watching music videos when you both get a little bit too turned on. Passionate making out leads to Josh asking very politely to eat you out while sitting on the couch as he jerks himself off to completion.

Trigger Tags: cussing, drug use (weed), period sex, oral - f receiving, masturbation, praise kink, sub Josh if you squint

Vibe Tags: romantic, eye contact, the FLUFFiest of smut, goofy ahh shenanigans, heavy musician vibes, lots of foreplay (patience is a virtue) theatrekid!Josh, poetry💕

————

“This is officially worse than the blankets,” you said as the soft Tennessee rain pattered away while the last track of an LP faded with a click. Josh sat up from his reclined position on the couch next to you, the warm glow of a lamp forming a halo around his sepia curls.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” he retorted, his buzz accentuating the midwestern drawl. He took another lazy drag of the joint you two had been sharing for the evening, and you shifted to look at him. Your gaze fell on the curve of his profile, and as he exhaled, you wondered for the millionth time what angelic painting he’d fallen out of to bring him here. Just seeing him lie there in the light of the evening made that pit in your stomach travel lower and lower, and you had to look away before your mind wandered too far where it shouldn’t go.

“Oh nothing,” you teased, arms crossed, “Just that I’m always cold at two a.m. when I wake up to find Puck has stolen all my blankets.”

It was this kind of banter that made him feel like home to you, like all of human history and art encapsulated his smile.

“How dare you besmirch the name of Mr. Goodfellow?” His voice had a regal air that might have sounded Shakespearian had his eyes not been half shut. “In this house? Blasphemy!”

“Joshua Michael, you are hogging that joint, and you know it.”

You stretched out your hand as he took one last dramatic pull, making sure to look extra innocent as he exhaled.

“I’m sorry mama,” he grinned, murmuring apologetically. “I’ll be good now, I promise. You want me to put another record on?”

“Absolutely not,” you said, “You’ll scratch it like you did the Bon Iver EP.”

He shrugged amiably and reached for the tv remote, “Guess we’ll do it the old fashioned way then.”

After several slow-motion clicks, he managed to open the Youtube app and a lyric visualizer for a psychedelic pop group began to play. You closed your eyes and breathed in deep, your nervous system beginning to level out for the first time in a week. With a heavy exhale, you started to melt into the cushions.

An arm pushed behind your back and around your midsection, and before you could register, Josh had nestled himself under your arm with his head on your chest. Instinctually you played with his curls, running your nails up the nape of his neck to just below his t-shirt collar. He hummed in approval of your light touch.

Soon, a down-tempo r&b tune was playing, and you felt him pick his head up slightly to look at the screen, “Oh shit, I forgot how incredible this music video is.” Your eyes fluttered open, nearly bothered by the interruption of your meditative state.

Colors and bodies flashed in and out of frame, and the characters leaned closer and closer till they were nearly on top of each other. They swayed and clung to each other's waists while a breathy vocalist sang of a need for touch, a desire to be felt. It was the kind of softcore thing you couldn’t quite pull away from, and you could see he was watching intently too.

“I love your algorithms–they don’t make any fucking sense,” you chimed in, hoping your nonchalant tone would hide how much you secretly enjoyed the mood shift.

Without breaking his focus from the screen, he began to run his fingers on your stomach, mirroring your scratches to his head and neck. “I can’t be defined, babydoll,” he responded, his delivery maddeningly vague. “You know the same production team worked on the video for…”

You lent an ear while he spiraled off on a tangent, seemingly unaware of the amount of lust that was building in you simply from hearing him speak. He was intoxicating, and even as blurry as you were, you couldn’t deny how welcome his touch felt. With every pass of his palm further up your torso, you hoped he’d overreach and graze your breast. And why not? You thought to yourself, What’s so different about tonight?

You surreptitiously shifted your body lower beneath him, the devil on your shoulders’ voice becoming almost unbearable. By the third or fourth song your pulse had quickened not insignificantly, and thoughts of him running his hand underneath your shirt to find your hardening nipples there had replaced all fuzzy exhaustion.

You tried to recall why a nagging feeling in the back of your mind kept steering you away, but it was all turning up blank in the thick cloud of dopamine. Still, you knew it couldn’t be nothing, and decided on compromise: One little kiss, that’s all. He’s not even paying attention. And so you brushed the curls away from his forehand and laid a deep kiss there. He was so warm against your lips it felt nearly impossible to break away, but as you did he quickly lifted his gaze to meet yours.

His lips parted softly as if to say something, then all at once they were on yours, moving with grace and hunger as you tugged gently on each other. He sat up straighter, lips never leaving yours as he balanced his weight on top of you. Your hands pressed firmly into his lower back, willing his pelvis to roll against yours, and you felt that same heat starting to build beneath his boxer briefs too.

You wanted to feel him, to hold his slight waist close to yours and run your fingers down his back till his whole body was covered in chills and desire. He broke temporarily from your lips and sighed as you ran your fingers from the nape of his neck all the way down to his tailbone. His chest pressed against yours and anchored you to the moment—two souls sharing a singular fluttering heartbeat.

His solid hands held your back and you reached to hang your arms around his neck. The movement forced him to burrow his nose into the crook of his neck, and he wasted no time peppering the delicate skin there with the same hungry kisses. You could feel the pressure leaving red welts that you’d have to attend to in the morning. Tonight though, they only served as proof of the affection he felt for you too.

He could’ve stayed content to hold you like that forever, but the building heat between you two was so saccharine, you felt you owed it to whatever hedonistic god to indulge yourself. Without hesitating, you slipped the neck of his t-shirt up over his curls and discarded it to the side.

The smile that met you was nothing short of a sunbeam. You could tell he hadn’t been sure what tonight held either, but every time you took initiative like this he knew it gave him permission to worship you like the goddess he always claimed you were.

He pulled himself to a seated position on the ground in front of you. You followed him forward while he settled on his knees, hands running up and down your body. They found the hem of your t-shirt and slipped seamlessly beneath to find your breasts. He held you steady as he rubbed your nipples in small, gentle circles.

You felt your back start to arch slightly at the pressure, and just as your kisses were gaining speed he reached a hand up to your chin and held you there, the other continuing its rhythm on your breast.

“God, you’re perfect in this light,” his words were breathy and sincere, and you wished with everything in you to swallow them whole and feel the light rush out through your pores. He set his lips to your jaw, inching further down your throat till he was nearly below your neckline.

“Help me out?” he breathed between quick kisses, never one to let clothing keep him at bay. You acquiesced immediately, pulling the edge of your t-shirt up over your head and out of mind.

Goosebumps covered your naked form, and you shivered. Noticing them, he paused his procession to run his palms up and down your arms. You grinned at him, jaw trembling slightly, “Sssee? Always making me cold.���

“You’re like poetry.” His voice was deeper now, deeper than you’d heard it in a while. His hazy eyes followed an invisible trail he mapped along your sternum, and the goosebumps multiplied. You saw the notch in his brow furrow as he began searching for something to say.

“I would not paint — a picture —

I'd rather be the One

It's bright impossibility

To dwell — delicious — on —”

Fuck.

“And wonder how the fingers feel

Whose rare — celestial — stir —

Evokes so sweet a torment —

Such sumptuous — Despair —”

“Oh Joshua,” was all you could breathe out in response, your chin jutting forward, crease on your forehead betraying how desperately you needed him. Your cheeks burned as he crashed back into you for a full and hungry kiss, his tongue reaching for more. Feeling your reaction, his hand traveled back down to your waistband.

Finally, like a ghost in the mirror, you recalled why you’d been so hesitant earlier. A millisecond to spare, you shot your hand down and caught his wrist. You could see a dart of panic in his eyes–he was afraid he’d upset you.

“Is this ok?”

“Yeah, yes, It’s just—” more color returned to your cheeks, and the words started to bubble over, “If you take off my pants it’ll get messy: it’s like, day four of my cycle. I totally spaced, baby, I’m sorry.” Your words were exasperated as you mentally kicked yourself for letting your brain fog this badly.

He pulled back to look you in the eye, faux sternness furrowing his brow, “Hey love?” You raised an eyebrow in answer to his sudden shift, “Full transparency: I couldn’t care less if you’re on your period, let alone what day.”

“Are you… are you sure?” Now your own brow was knit, skeptical of his sincerity. It wasn’t that you doubted him, simply that you needed confirmation. Your pulse quickened slightly and you focused your waning attention into his velvet brown eyes, searching for any apprehension he might have hidden for your sake. To your great surprise and relief, you could find none.

“I mean, god knows I’ve come face to face with a bodily fluid or two,” he flashed a devilish grin that spanned his entire face.

You quirked a small grin back, trying to feign indifference even while your heart was beating out of your chest, “Well, sure. I mean… really?”

“Really,” he continued, batting his eyelashes,“Maroon makes my eyes pop.”

“You’re a mess,” you said with a giggle.

“I will be.” He gave your waist a reassuring squeeze as he shifted his weight off his knees. “I’ll wear it like a badge of honor, '' he promised solemnly.

You thought about protesting once more just to check, but before you had a chance, his palms had slipped behind your lower back and he was pulling you towards himself. Your body shifted till you hung just barely off the edge of the couch, his hands effortlessly tugging your sweats and underwear off in a single tug.

“Theeeeere she is,” he exclaimed softly, a low hum building in his tone. With the shift in your weight came an equal one in mentality, and you felt your anxieties start to lift. It had been a while since you’d let him take full control, and the pure indulgence of it all was bringing a fire to your core the likes of which you hadn’t felt in months.

Slow and methodical, he parted your knees, gracing them with the backs of his fingers first, then tenderly running his hands along your thighs as he hummed softly, mostly to himself.

“Mmmm, it's like–what’s the new Hozier song?” He searched his hazy brain for the lyrics while he continued to run his hands along your skin, seemingly unaware of the tizzy he’d put you in. “I’d tell them put me back in, coach! Yeah, that’s the one…”

He tittered on as if speaking from an entirely different point of view, his words seemingly unaware of his thumb which was rubbing itself up and down your inner thigh. He swooped ever closer to your clit until he graciously pressed there in gentle circles.

“Take me to church!” He crooned, a lopsided grin washing over his face before bending to land soft kisses on each thigh. With a final glance up at you and the ghost of smirk that suggested he might be more coherent than he was letting on, his lips graciously smoothed over your sensitive clit. His tongue licked up your vulva to encompass all of you in smooth, wet pleasure.

“Oh god,'' you tried not to shout, although the work he’d done up to this point made you feel nearly ready to burst in record-time.

“Mhmm” he murmured into you. You could feel his lips smiling: he loved talking you through your pleasure. The rumblings always went straight through your center like electricity and gave you the deepest orgasms, which in turn fueled his.

He continued his sucking and tonguing, sometimes soft and light, then all at once more firm and deliberate. His lips were like waves crashing again and again to a steady unheard beat. As you found a common tempo your breath deepened with every exhale, and you released a sigh of your own. The melody, though quiet at first, shortly matched his in pitch and intensity.

He’d hum and you’d moan an echo to him, signaling your bliss in an ebb and flow of sounds shared between you; a language only you two could understand. His murmuring became groans and gasps as he came up for air, the temperature difference shocking your soaking cunt and exciting you even more. With each wave you ran your fingers through his curls, guiding his nose to press into you at the perfect angle, eliciting delicious moans which spurred the two of you on even more.

He clung to your hips as you began to roll yours into him, and he pressed his tongue greedily inside you, sending you dangerously close to the edge. “Baby, you’re doing so, so good, it might be soon,” you warned as you cupped his cheek in one hand, the other still pressing behind his neck to hold him in place.

He groaned and broke away with a smack, eyes half shut with the pleasureful haze filling both of your minds. “Hold on mama, I’ll get you there, I promise. Just gotta get these off,” he said, running his right palm down your calf to his boxer briefs. He hooked his thumb under the band at his waist while the other hand stayed anchored firmly on your knee.

The brief pause had pulled your mind temporarily out of the clouds, and you looked down to see that the arc of his cock was indeed reaching a fever pitch too strong to be ignored any longer.

“Oh god, baby I- I’m sorry I wasn’t even thinking, let m–” but as you went to sit forward the hand planted on your knee jumped up to your abdomen, pressing you back into the couch with a soft thud.

“Why are you saying sorry?” He stared directly into your eyes and continued pulling his boxer briefs off slow and deliberately. The question was as much a command to relax as it was an invitation to watch.

“If I needed your help, believe me baby, I’d ask.” His hand was on his cock now, already wet with so much precum, and the stare he was attempting faltered slightly as his fingers graced the tip.

“I’m not above begging–you know that,” he said, his voice gruff, erring a half step lower every time he reached the base of his cock. You felt your breath hitch, eyes flitting between his beautiful stare and his hand that continued stroking up and down.

“I bet you’d like that a lot, wouldn’t you?” His tone was darker, fueled by the eye contact, when suddenly—“Sicko!” he cried, his character voice nearly making you choke. You both erupted into bubbling laughter, and you shook your head slightly, brushing a rogue curl out of his eyes–He lets the intrusive thoughts win every time.

“Oh my god. Babe, you’re literally eating me out on my period,” you responded, dropping your hand firmly on the scruff of his neck again. He jumped slightly with the force of your grasp, and you could see his cock twitch the slightest bit more. You leaned in to match his energy, and with the darkest voice you could muster, confessed, “the sicko is you, darling.”

“Oh, right,” he said, a hazy smile floating back onto his face. His eyes closed as he lowered back down, “Right… fair point.”

His lips returned to your cunt, the promise of sweet release spurring him on to the finale. His movement was steady but desperate, and the smooth and consistent wake of your hips was shortly replaced by a more sporadic, forceful tide that pushed into him with vigor. He took it in stride, moaning as his own wake of pleasure began building in him.

You could tell he was moving his own hips at a quicken pace, as if imagining his cock was pushing deep inside you while he lapped at your drenched center. He spread his knees further apart, arching his back in order to bring himself closer to orgasm. His body was practically writhing underneath you, just the taste of you bringing him closer and closer.

The image of him completely at your mercy made every neuron in your brain fire simultaneously, and you moaned with a finality that let him know it was time.

Without warning his lips moved to encircle only your clit, and the focused sucking there sent you so dangerously close you nearly sobbed as you cried out, “Baby, come with me–on me, please.”

With a final cry you felt him oblige you, and he let out a long moan as you found yourself crashing into your orgasm. The release sent fireworks to your psyche, and he let you take over with your fingers the way you liked in the midst of it. He stood and watched you writhing with all the pleasure he’d given you, and with a final groan he joined you in ecstasy.

His head thrown back, he pumped himself onto your pussy, his mess joining your own and adding to the pleasure you were currently riding yourself through. Placing his free hand to your side, he knelt down closer and rubbed the sensitive head of his dripping cock in the folds of your vulva, spreading around his cum till both your sensitivities had become nearly too much to handle. Even then, he continued rubbing the shaft of his cock on your throbbing cunt till you gasped slightly from over stimulation.

His forehead met yours wordlessly, and you stayed there for a moment, breathing heavy from exertion. He sighed as he let his body flop down next to you, temples still touching. You ran your fingers up and down his arms, body still stuttering in the afterglow. The exhaustion was setting in, and you had to force yourself to open your eyelids to look at him–you needed to kiss him one more time before you fell asleep. He too had his eyes closed, a bleary smile playing across his face as if he were replaying pictures of you in his mind. You kissed him softly on his nose, still slightly wet and rosy, and his eyes fluttered open. As your pulses returned to their normal pace, he grabbed a blanket to clean you both up.

“We can wash it,” he said reassuringly, noticing your slightly reluctant side eye. Blanket in tow, he cupped his hand gently around your pussy and worked softly to make you feel as clean as possible. Once he was satisfied with his work, he tossed the blanket away to pull you in closer.

“You are entirely too good to me,” you whispered, the siren song of sleep finally taking its toll.

“You are entirely too good, momma,” he whispered back, and you both slipped away as the rain sang you into the deep blue.

#gvf fics #gvf fan fiction #josh x reader #greta van fleet #josh kiszka #gvf #greta van fluff #greta van smut #greta van fic #greta van fleet fan fiction #my first fic #my first smut

[gentle-giant-swag]

HELLO EVERYONE! I SHALL NOW REVEAL THE BRAKCETS

First up

Wait

MOST FUCKABLE GENTLE GIANT

The A bracket (finished)

Battle 1-16

(most submissions in form 1 and most submissions in form b)

Starts Friday the 9th of June. 5pm CET. The brackets will be posted between the 9-10th of June.

Side A, 9th of June. 5pm to 8pm cet

Raphael Hamato (rise of the TMNT) vs Totoro (my neighbor Totoro)

Heavy (team fortress 2) vs Big Friendly Giant (BFG)

King Dedede (Kirby) vs Scorpia (She-ra)

Bismuth (Steven universe) vs Susan Murphy (monsters vs aliens)

Fezzik (the princess bride) vs Dick Gumshoe (ace attorney)

Master Chief (halo) vs Bumblebee (bumblebee)

Big Macintosh (my little pony: friendship is magic) vs Massimo Marcovaldo (Luca)

The titan (the owl house) vs Tyson (Percy Jackson)

Side B, 10th of June, 5pm to 8pm CET

Ivan Bruel (miraculous ladybug) vs Asahi Azumane (haikyuu)

Takeo Goda (ore monogatari) vs Caduceus Clay (critical role)

Milly Thompson (tri-gun) vs Sandy (Lego monkie kid)

Jaguar D. Saul vs Jean Bart (one piece)

Komamura (bleach) vs William Ellis (identity v)

Beelzebub (obey me) vs Kazanari Genjuurou (symphogear)

Senri (plus anima) vs Murakumo (rune factory 5)

Holly (super lesbian animal rpg) vs Brutus Feels (Kane and feels)

The B bracket (finished)

Battles 17-32

Characters who have returned from the spring bracket and from fandoms I’ve personally interacted with. So the spring bracket but we blacklisted big man

Date: Tuesday 13/6 to Wednesday 14/6, between 5pm to 8pm CET

Side A (Tuesday)

The iron giant vs Baymax (big hero 6)

Gonta gokuhara (danganronpa) vs Jonathan Joestar (JoJo’s bizarre adventure)

Dj (total drama) vs Yasutora “Chad” Sado (bleach

Muriel (the arcana) vs Jasmine (total drama)

Subject Delta (bioshock) vs aaarrrgghh (trollhunters)

Klaus Von Reinherz (kekkai sensen) vs Asterios (fate grand order)

Hunk (Voltron) vs Gooliope Jellington (monster high)

Dragonite (Pokémon) vs Asgore Dreemurr (undertale)

Side B (Wednesday)

Alphonse Elric vs Major Lewis Armstrong (full metal alchemist)

Urbosa (legend of Zelda) vs Glamrock Freddy (five nights at Freddy’s)

Milla Vodello vs Helmut Fullbear (psychonauts)

Dedue Molinaro vs Raphael Kirsten (fire emblem: three houses)

Winston vs B.O.B (overwatch)

Kanji Tatsumi (persona) vs Common Wubbox (my singing monsters)

Mordecai vs Muarim (fire emblem: gay rights path of radiance/radiant dawn)

Minsc & Boo (baldur’s gate) vs Big the cat (sonic the hedgehog)

C BRACKET (ongoing)

Battles 33-48

Those who fell in between the A and the D bracket. So this one has some pretty chaotic matchups

Date: Sunday the 18th to Monday the 19th, 5pm to 8pm cet

A bracket: Sunday

Nicholas St North (rise of the guardians) vs Grear Danes (irl)

Falkor the good luck dragon (the never ending story) vs Susan Strong (adventure time)

Grandpa Max (Ben 10) vs Cerberus (Greek mythology)

Kiryu Kazuma (yakuza) vs Dr Joshua Strongbear Sweet (Atlantis)

Fatgum (my hero academia) vs Takashi Morinozuka (ouran highschool host club)

Will Powers (ace attorney) vs Luther (Detroit: become human)

The Tick (the tick 1994) vs Evan Buck Buckley (911 on fox)

Riki Nendou (saiki k) vs Hearts Boxcars (homestuck)

Side B (Monday)

Shirahoshi vs Tony Tony Chopper (one piece)

Jetfire/skyfire (transformers) vs Indus Tarbella (epithet erased)

Sisyphus (hades) Vs Grog Strongjaw (critical role)

Hugo the abominable snowman (looney tunes) vs Aone Takanobu (Haikyuu)

Android 16 (dragon ball) vs Tiny (ever after high)

Wrecker (Star Wars: the bad batch) vs K (virtues last reward)

Goldlewis Dickinson vs Potemkin (guilty gear)

Yasha Nydoorin (critical role) vs Lily Bowen (fall out)

D BRACKET

Battles 49-64

Aka the one where the contestants sadly got the least amount of votes)

Date: Thursday 22/6th to Friday 23/6th 5pm to 8pm CET

Side A: Thursday

lain chu (dragon hunters) vs Panda (tekken)

Isaroth (genshin impact) vs Bizarro (DC red hood and the outlaws)

Jienji (Inuyasha) vs Jackie Wells (cyberpunk 2077)

Looks to the moon (rain world) vs Jogu (naruto)

Bane Perez (identify V) vs Zinnia (super lesbian animal rpg)

Vulkanon (rune factory 4) vs Argus (Greek mythology)

Mountain (ark knights) vs Taiga Saejima (yakuza)

Abbi (Omori) vs Gorem (bakugan)

SIDE B: Friday

Junko (storm hawks) vs Hajin (monstress)

Gylph (super lesbian animal RPG) vs Bongchun (Bongchun bride)

Fitz Fellow (detective grimoire) vs Bubbles (questionable content)

Dubo (omega strikers) vs Bob the titan (Percy Jackson)

Otto the giant water dog (wondla) vs Kurita Ryoukan (Eyeshield 21)

Mele the Horizons Roar (ishura) vs Gentle Bear (dog island)

The Selfish Giant vs Banjo Lilywhile (the hogfather)

Livio the double fang (trigun) vs Hank McCoy (x-men)

I will make propaganda master posts and if you want to add, just use the ask box or dm me with propaganda for one of the characters who’s going to participate. But that’s all!

May the best gentle giant WIN!

SECOND CHANCE BATTLES FOR ROUND 1

27/6, apricot bracket

Battle 1

Battle 2

Battle 3

Battle 4

29/2, shavedown of the apricot bracket

The battle

1/7, blueberry bracket

Battle 1

Battle 2

Battle 3

Battle 4

3/7, shavedown

The battle

4/7, citron bracket

Battle 1

Battle 2

Battle 3

Battle 4

5/7, shavedown

7/7, durian bracket

Battle 1

Battle 2

Battle 3

Battle 4

8/7, shavedown

The (un)official GGSmod messed up someone’s name post

The crime list

Ask game

#gentle giant swag #tumblr tournament #fandom tournament #tumblr bracket #fandom bracket #my neighbor totoro #bioshock #Kirby #jjba #ace attorney #trigun #total drama #danganronpa #the arcana #the iron giant

[defjux]

I was tagged by @yunganhel to post 5 tracks currently on rotation for me. I hardly get to do anything like these on here anymore so fuck it, here's doing 25 instead. Most of these are from this year as well. I added all of these tracks to a spotify playlist if you want to hear them, or you can click the titles. I wouldn't go through the trouble if I didn't think all of the songs were worth a listen. Spotify Playlist Joshua Virtue - Moses (ft. Skech185 & Lyn Rye) AKAI SOLO - What's A Win Defcee & BoatHouse - Different Sports RAP Ferreira - Boot Knife Noveliss - Infinite Paint Alvvays - Pressed Zilla Rocca & Andrew - Karate Culture (ft. Wally Clark) Teddy Faley - An Incomplete List NNAMDI - Anxious Eater U.S. Girls - Rosebud Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals - Don't Let The Smooth Taste Fool You Theravada - Saturday Night Fever S.Maharba - Golden Love MIKE - nuthin i can do is wrng Archibald Slim - Worldly Ways Weyes Blood - God Turned Me Into a Flower Joel Ross - PRAYER Open Mike Eagle - For DOOM Cities Aviv - Aktion Brutus - Dust Avantdale Bowling Club - Going Through It SHIRT - Dave Chappelle Is Wrong (Beef With God) illogic - A Small Piece Cloud Rat - Corset Bloodmoney Perez - Cycles of Wind [prod. Iceberg Theory] I'm getting old and forgetful so i'll just tag the same people as the last time I did one of these. Anyone seeing this feel free to post yours and tag me though, I want to know what y'all have been listening to. Peace, hope everyone is doing well. @moorrockin @newkindofcozy @hidden-forbidden-holy-ground @freshwoner @suitthehellhounds @nonsensejunkie @lostintheunicornland @warrenbritt @maldoror-est-mort @mingusdewofficial @satins-finest @oddiology @lexvillain @theforestofuncertainty @stylesthatfadeaway @outmymind–justintime @newplaces2drown @unkanny @brownyuio @komplikacije @kimmyvondoom @oddtonehenri @flyloseed

#music recommendations #rap ferreira #noveliss #AKAI SOLO #joshua virtue #defcee #open mike eagle #avantdale bowling club #zilla rocca #alvvays #cloud rat #joel ross #illogic #nnamdi #cities aviv

[beatsforbrothels]

Joshua Virtue - Insecure!

#joshua virtue #insecure! #rama

[dispactke]

Joshua Virtue - “Please, Let the Light”

RAMA by this dude Joshua Virtue rocked my shit '22. Joint is outstanding (and I don't say it just 'cause be my little Chi-town cousin). Beats killer, ethereal soundscapes, twisty wordplay supérieur. Dreamy, groovy Malcolm-Little-Trayvon line-age: "why you down there set some trends make some friends loosen up a couple of ends fire and earth body and will breath come and go but the body stay sealed"

I 'done dug new Black Star via Madlib, Earl, Little Simz, that JID Earthgang joint, Lupe, and the perennially underappreciated Vince Staples, but this RAMA shit really got me going as any of 'em in '22. rock it like Herbie, G.

#joshua virtue #rama #hip hop #chicago #why? records

[read-alert]

Another crosspost from my Instagram! This time for the Trans Day of Visibility!

Full titles under the cut

Poetry

Bluff by Danez Smith

Even This Page is White by Vivek Shraya

[Insert Boy] by Danez Smith

Maiden, Mother, Crone: Fantastical Trans Femmes ed by Gwen Benaway

Giving Birth to Yourself: Poems for Combat by Kai Cheng Thom

Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom

Fantasy

Lead Me Astray by Sondi Warner

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Out of the Blue by Jason June

Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas

Historical

Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by AM McLemore

Most Ardently: A Pride and Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa

The Companion by EE Ottoman

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Horror

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Romance

I Think of You Often by Sienna Eggler

Their Troublesome Crush by Xan West

Drag Me Up by RM Virtues

Nonfiction

Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity by Julia Serano

Self Organizing Men: Conscious Masculinities in Time and Space by Eli Clare and Jay Sennet

A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt

Miss Major Speaks: The Life and Times of a Black Trans Revolution by Miss Major Griffin-Gracy and Toshio Meronek

Indigiqueerness: A Conversation About Storytelling by Joshua Whitehead and Angie Abdou

The Appendix by Liam Konemann

Captive Gender: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex by Nat Smith, Eric A Stanley, and CeCe McDonald

Making Love With the Land by Joshua Whitehead

Graphic novels

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier

Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti

Lumberjanes: Up All Night by ND Stevenson, Grace Ellis, and Shannon Watters

Trans authors but (to my knowledge) no trans characters

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

All the Dead Things by Bear Lee

Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi

Miscellaneous

The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor

Catnip by Vyria Durav

#queer books #trans books #queer reads #trans reads #queer lit #trans lit #bookblr

[postnuclear-problems]

I think Ulysses (Fallout: New Vegas - Lonesome Road) is a really good villain but a lot of people don't seem to accept that he's THE VILLAIN.

Yes, he has a good reason to be mad. A very good reason. But his anger is misplaced. The courier isn't responsible for the contents of their package. And even if they were, Ulysses' plan is... Slaughter thousands of innocent people out of spite.

YES you can talk him down, make him see reason, the same way you can make Joshua Graham see reason. Graham doesn't have to slaughter the Whitelegs, Ulysses doesn't have to nuke the Mojave.

And yet ... From what I've seen, a lot of people think Joshua Graham is a senseless biblethumping bastard man and Ulysses is a paragon of virtue who wants you to confront your actions.

And don't forget, both were members of the legion, both were complicit if not guilty in the unspeakable acts committed by Caesar and his followers.

These men are both complex characters, who are capable of atrocities and capable of redemption. I'm not gonna take away anyone's right to a Problematic Fav (I was a Homestuck, I was a Vriska Stan, I get it) but there's a certain point where you need to recognize that you're rewriting the character to redeem them.

#fallout #fallout new vegas #new Vegas #fnv #caesar fnv #caesar's legion #lonesome road #honest Hearts #joshua graham #Ulysses #character analysis #thoughts