#noneedtoamputate

[mercurygray]

#76 broken pieces for whatever two characters you would like, please.

I have a brainwave that these two needed to share a scene - so here they are.

This was the third date this month.

It felt funny, saying that, that Molly was going on a date, but Billie wasn't sure she had any other word for when a fellow dropped by in a nice suit, picked up a girl in a nice dress, and the two of them went out to dinner.

A date. Could you even imagine? It was Berlin and the war was over and they were going on dates again, real dates, where you spent time cleaning yourself up first and the fellow actually had a front door to show up at. Not like they'd done during the war, where a date could be meeting a guy for dinner in the next foxhole, or sharing a blanket, or watching a fire. Any spare five minutes alone.

But here he was, on the front mat, shoes shined and hair combed. She wondered what they were paying him - his suit looked too nice for Berlin. Everything here was shabby after six years of war, and he looked out of place in the hallway. "Mr. Rosenthal." She opened the door and let him inside before returning to her seat at the table.

"Sergeant Mitchell."

"She's almost ready - she found a run in her stocking and had to change."

He shrugged. "We're not in any hurry."

Billie nodded, and returned cagily to her magazine, glancing up to follow his eyes around the room, taking in the small bits of art on the walls, some of it stuck up with tape, the calendar in the kitchen, the dishes in the drainer by the sink.

George Stout wasn't ever one for running a really military outfit, and the fact that they were Army without the Army meant private billeting rather than barracks. It was just the two of them in the apartment, though there were several other officers in the building, which was run by an absolutely ancient little old lady who knew very little English. (Molly was trying to learn German, just to get by a little with her, but the Army phrasebook wasn't getting them very far.)

He looked a picture, standing there in the front room - you could say that much. He would have looked even more handsome in class As, with that dark dark brown bringing his eyes out in full force and the mustache that made him look like Tyrone Power. An easy charmer, one of the gang would have said. But she'd known easy charmers before. What do you know about him, Mol? Like, really know? Apart from the blue eyes and the curly hair and the manners and the smile and the fact that he can't sing? He's been coming here for a month and what is he? A hotshot pilot and a lawyer and what else? What's he hiding? Where's the catch?

Because there's always a catch, isn't there? With a boy like that. He's too good.

Billie rose from her chair and moved to put her now-cold cup of coffee in the sink. "I don't think she ever told me where you're from, Mr. Rosenthal."

"Brooklyn - Flatbush."

Billie had a sudden desire to call up Ruth and ask her what she knew about flyerboys from Flatbush. "And you still have family there? Parents, siblings? Girlfriend?"

He nodded. "My mother, and my sister." He smiled a little. "And no girlfriend."

Notice I didn't ask about a wife. "You still close with them?"

His smile never wavered for a moment. "My mother writes me nearly every week. Sister less often, but she'll put a word in Mom's."

"And your firm, are they - are they taking you back, when this is over?"

"I'm sure they will be." He moved closer to the kitchen and looked her in the eye. "You know, I could provide personal references, if that would take less time, Sergeant. Former commanding officers, friends - my rabbi." He smiled at her surprise. "I'm a lawyer. I know what an interrogation looks like."

Billie squared up, her eyes meeting his with no hint now of gentle prying. If you thought the rabbi was going to trip me up, I'll tell you now I don't care. "I like having all the facts." And the fact is that I don't know you, Robert Rosenthal, and I don't like that.

"And the fact that I like Molly an awful lot?"

See, you say that and I believe you, and I hate that I do. "Lots of guys can say they like a girl, Mr. Rosenthal. Maybe even use the word love. Doesn't mean a thing later. I'm trying to establish intention and motive." There's been a war on. People say things they don't mean all the time. Isn't that why you have a job?

He was watching her with a kind of respect in his eyes, smile tugging at his mouth. "Have you ever considered becoming a lawyer, Sergeant?"

Billie felt off balance at the compliment. "The bar wouldn't have me."

He laughed at her casual brutalism, and glanced down at his shoes, considering his next words very carefully. "When you fly a bomber, the only guys you trust are the other nine in the plane with you. Imagine it's the same in a foxhole."

"After they've given you a reason to, sure."

"Guess I'll just have to work on that, then."

It was then, of course, when they were nose to nose and eye to eye that Molly walked in, beautiful in her dress uniform. "Billie Mitchell, are you interrogating him?"

Rosie stepped back, supremely unconcerned by all of it. "It's all right, Mol. We were just talking. It never hurt to have friends who care."

He calls her Mol. And he calls me Sergeant, because he knows we're not friends yet. That's what Ron did, too.

Billie met Molly's eye with a clenched jaw, almost afraid of what she'd find there. It's what you did for me, isn't it, care? And I never listened. But you're smarter and better than me, and you deserve better, too, better than broken promises and broken pieces of a heart. And if he is what he says, you deserve him, Molly. You deserve the world. And if he's not then I'll bury him.

"No," Molly said, softening a little, realizing what they were saying. "No, it never did." She sniffed and checked the fastening on her purse, fiddled with a button. "Will you wait up?"

Billie shook her head. "You'd better take the key. I'm not going out."

Molly nodded, grabbing the key and its chain from where it hung near the door and closing the door behind her as she and Rosie left. He would ask her, at dinner, what that had all been about, and perhaps Molly would tell him - or not. She fell in love with a guy she thought she knew. It ended like you think it did.

#asked and answered #noneedtoamputate #i have written a thing #mercurygraypresents #tds cinematic universe #masters of the air OC #masters of the air x oc #molly mahoney #molly x rosie #billie mitchell

[shoshiwrites]

For the touch prompt, #24, please.

Thank you so much Jess! <3 I couldn't get our coffee-talk out of my head🥺☕

24. "whispering in their ear, lips touching the skin"

“Now,” he says, with the tinny clatter of the dishes plunked down next to her, without a splash, “I didn’t add too much sugar— because, well, we ain’t got any, and also because I know you don’t like when it sticks at the bottom.” She laughs, the warm timbre growing in her chest. “Thank you." She doesn’t say anything when he sits next to her, not across, their elbows barely touching.  He sips at his own cup, black, the way you drink it when you need it like a tonic. She lets her hands warm around the enamel mug, watches the coppery color of the coffee inside, the lightest touch of milk. Not like his hair, a chocolatey brown. Maybe if they all got a little bit more sun. It was some stupid detail, the sugar. She must have mentioned it in the course of a conversation weeks ago, surrounded by talk of memories and home. Powdered coffee crystals on rushed assignments, the corner automat and Sunday mornings. Like they ever had enough sugar for her to have specifications about it. She wonders if he ever takes his differently. Before the war, she means. She wonders if he even likes it. He’s not grimacing, just sitting here with her.  “How is it?”  It’s not a lie when she says, “delicious.” He smiles. “Just what I needed.” A beat, and she knows the answer here, asks it anyway. Yours?” The grin on his face tightens by a centimeter, fades under the lightbulbs. “Gets the job done.” She looks back down at her mug, the faint print of her lipstick, out the window to the gray afternoon, across her shoulder to him. “A girl might get used to this kind of treatment.” “Hope she does.” Now don’t go saying things like that. Her stomach twists, somewhere deep in the pit, and suddenly what she’s most afraid of is someone walking in. She makes to stand, hastily sipping the coffee as she does.  “Where you off to?” She leans down on impulse, pressing her lips to the top of his ear. Like they do this all the time. Like it’s a habit. “Got a story to file.” “Right. Well, let me know if there’s any trouble.” “Thank you,” she says, suddenly a whisper. Presses a kiss under the lobe. He lolls his head slightly, leaning into her touch. “For the coffee.” Maybe she imagines it, the smallest exhale in his voice. “Anytime.”

#just edited the last filled prompt to include the actual prompt oops #noneedtoamputate #jo's tag #motaverse #shoshi writes #thank you so much!!

[shoshimakesstuff]

He knew she would turn around and walk out the door again. But instead, she stuck her right hand out to him. “Ellen Thompson.” “Chuck Grant.”

Every Beautiful Thing by @noneedtoamputate

#noneedtoamputate #this is the loveliest fic guys please go read it #so sweet in a really measured thoughtful way #i'm enjoying it so much #and joe's cameos....my fave #the easy rapport #ellen is caring and a caretaker but she's not one-note #oc: ellen thompson #work: every beautiful thing

[freyafrida]

1, 19, and 29 for the writer ask questions, please. (I think you come up with great fic titles and chapter titles.)

hi, thank you! <3

1. the last sentence you wrote

Laura Vickers enters the room, which suddenly feels smaller.

19. the most interesting topic you’ve researched for a fic

this is my fault for asking you this question, bc it actually really stumped me! 😭 there are so many things; i can waste plenty of time researching things instead of, like...actually writing.

anydoodle, i feel like i find everything i research interesting? lol. idk i really love trying to recreate the world that the characters might live in, and i can go down a rabbit hole looking up pretty much anything from WWI battles to like, trying to read old train timetables and see which one a character might take. to pick something specific i looked up recently: got very into googling 1910s-20s college admissions and bulletins (for an as-of-yet unpublished AOGG fic). really fascinating to look through the admission requirements (and actually v. helpful) and course catalogs!

29. how easy is it for you to come up with titles?

i actually feel like it's somewhat easy now? i belong to the school of "lowercase titles taken from a song i like" and over time, it's gotten easier to pick ones that i like and think fit with the story. i'm glad to hear they're working 😅 there are def. some older fics/chapters where i'm like "okay you really just slapped on a random lyric right before uploading it", but nowadays i usually figure out what i want the title to be at least halfway through the writing process.

i still have trouble coming up with original titles though -- i'm not sure i've ever really come up with an original title? it's often just like, a really mangled version of a phrase/lyric i've heard somewhere else, sooo…yeah, haha. still working on that one.

#ask #ask meme #noneedtoamputate #fic ramblings

[jump-wings]

I designed it by inspiration of Every Beautiful Thing by @noneedtoamputate. It is a wonderful Band of Brothers fanfic. I recommend you to read it.

#band of brothers #fanfic #easy company #@noneedtoamputate #to find

[footprintsinthesxnd]

do you have any tumblr “crushes”? or tumblrs you love to see around? if so tag them please!

I wouldn’t say tumblr crushes unless you count @georgieluz being the tumblr friend love of my life 😂 he’s just the best. 💕

But for people I love to see pop on my blog or whenever they post etc there’s a long list 😂

@iceman-kazansky @yeahcurrahhe-e @msmercury84 @desert-fern @blvestxr @dustyjumpwjngs @theflyingfin @jump-wings @kafka-ohdear @mads-weasley @liptonsbabe @merriell-allesandro-shelton @sweetxvanixlla @hesbuckcompton-baby @ronsparky @mutantmanifesto @malarkgirlypop @liptonwashere @thewayisset @panzershrike-pretz @coco-bean-1218 @basilone @whollyjoly @noneedtoamputate @next-autopsy @land-sh @auxiliarydetective @heystovepipeboys @softly-writes @softguarnere @mercurygray @cody-helix02 @holdingforgeneralhugs @onlyyouexisthere and I’m sure there’s loads of others too 💕

#blog recommendations #mainly band of brothers

[blind-dates-fest]

2024 Blind Dates Fest Submissions

Anne Julia Randall | Outlander | @aloveforjaneausten

Anthony "Tonk-Tonk" Roberts | Foyle's War | @darkhorse-javert

Cressida Dorrance-Jones | Masters of the Air | @basilone

Eliana "Ana" Holloway | Masters of the Air | @jump-wings

Freda "Fred" Torvaldsen | Masters of the Air | @mercurygray

Florence "Flo" Godfrey | Masters of the Air | @wexhappyxfew

Genevieve Laurent | Masters of the Air | @latibvles

Lavinia Fennimore | Masters of the Air | @loveduringthewar

Lisbeth Hahn | Masters of the Air | @fidelias

Lucy Jones | Masters of the Air | @basilone

Magdalena "Maggie" Zielinski | Masters of the Air | @trenchenjoyer

Marion Brennan | Masters of the Air | @mercurygray

Patsy Harangody | The Pacific | @noneedtoamputate

Paulette Schafer | Band of Brothers | @shoshiwrites

Samantha "Mandy" Majors | The Pacific | @softguarnere

Simon "Sim" Stewart | Foyle's War | @darkhorse-javert

Winifred "Winnie" Harris | SAS: Rogue Heroes | @ladyyennefer

We did this for fun, to try something new, to try a new fandom, to get back into writing, to challenge ourselves, to keep it short and simple, to get an idea that wouldn't leave us alone out of our heads, and I love this for all of us.

A huge round of applause to everyone who participated this year as a writer, reader, or general-hanger-on.

#fest submission 2024 #annual masterlist

[shoshiwrites]

Can I be basic and ask for #34 moon for Jo/Joe?

You 100% can be and I appreciate it very much:) Gif by the lovely @rebeccapearson ♡

Bill's a noisy fucker when he sleeps.

It makes sense, Joe concedes. Won't shut up when he's awake. Won't shut up when he's asleep. Bill snores like he's got water in his engine. Mumbles too. The first time he started talking, Joe almost jumped out of his skin.

Guess it's good we only sleep one at a time. 

The moon is half-obscured by clouds, and still painfully bright. It smells like rain.

Joe doesn't let Bill forget it, the snoring. Or the mumbling. The way he says Frannie like he's trying to sound like Bing Fucking Crosby on the radio. 

Joe Toye, tryin' to tell me shit about singing, Bill says, looking only the slightest bit murderous. Joe doesn't mention everything he hears. Henry. His ma. 

Joe figures a muddy foxhole in Ville-sur-wherever-the-fuck isn't a worse place to see the moon than anywhere else. He never had a car for the drive-in theater, anyway. Moonlight meant the next shift wasn't far behind, meant dinner and passing out on the floor, face to a scrap-bin towel. Weekends meant beers or dates or both, cold autumn air and his jacket over a flowered dress, small shoulders. Wandering hands. Perfume.

He wonders if he'll go back to it, after the war. The mine. Somehow, something tells him he won't. 

Bill stirs next to him. Joe's elbow inches toward his friend's ribcage, as he squints into the patchy dark. There are things he'd rather hear than Bill, to put it politely. If he thinks about them too long he knows he'll be in trouble.

A bed, for starters. That damn moonlight. Her. 

When did he turn into a goddamn love song? 

Something rustles in the leaves above them, and he straightens up. Probably a bat. His eyes go back to the horizon, the Germans camped across the field. He can't see them, but they're there. Sometimes they sing. Bill tells him they're only a little worse than he is.

It's almost his turn to sleep. 

He tries to remember it, the sharp green smell of her perfume. Clean hair. How warm she is. Not like he is now, jaw tight in the rain and sweat. The way she'd sighed, all soft and quiet, when he kissed her. 

He prays he won't talk like Bill. Would be a hell of a time to start. He won't have to wonder; Bill would tell him. 

"Hey," he says, more than a little forcefully, and Bill startles awake. He can worry about the moonlight tomorrow, if they get that far. 

[100 Random Prompts]

#noneedtoamputate #this kind of went in a slightly different direction. and i think i owe bill an apology. but. #shoshi writes #jo's tag #kinda sorta #wip: when the war came #shoshi's prompt tag #thank you amber for making such gorgeous gifs #this one is my header and you know what. why not add it to a prompt. it's the weekend. #laughing at the jump from little note to the first line. i am sorry #tbh i should have used the gif of the two of them in normandy. which is also beautiful. but i love this one too much. and his face here

[basilone]

Hi! I am new to the Band of Brothers fandom. Do you have any recommendation for fanfics or fanfic writers?

(Sorry for my English)

Helloooooo and welcome to the fandom! 😊 I hope you'll enjoy hanging out with all of us.

It took me a bit to compile this one. I read a lot of these fics some years ago (and have shamefully realized I owe a great many authors a proper review, ahem) but they're some of what I consider to be the best this fandom's got to offer. I'm certain I've missed a few good works, too, but I'd say this list is a pretty good place to start.

Basically, the way I've constructed my recs is as follows: I give you a short description of what you can expect in the fic, I crack a bad joke here and there, and then I pay some serious compliments to the authors in question.

Sooooo, without further ado, let me present a Google Doc with all my recs (click on the fic titles to go to the fic):

basilone's (in)complete BoB fic rec list!

(featuring, but not limited to, works by @mercurygray, @shoshiwrites, @floydmtalbert, @junojelli, @wexhappyxfew, @softspeirs, @upontherisers, @latibvles, @noneedtoamputate, @sergeant-spoons, @loveduringthewar)

#band of brothers #fic rec list

[liptonwashere]

nine people you'd like to know better

thank you for the tag @im-chinese-believe-it-or-not!

Last song: The Sharpest Lives by My Chemical Romance.

Last show/movie: The Bear/The Last Voyage of the Demeter.

Currently watching: No matter when you ask me this question, the answer will always be Band of Brothers.

Currently reading: With the Old Bread by Eugene Sledge.

Current obsession: Speirs' eyelashes, editing BoB, Carwood's smile in ep04<3 LOOK AT HIM!!!

tagging (no pressure, only if you want to do it!): @blvestxr @noneedtoamputate @kafka-ohdear @mads-weasley @iceman-kazansky @sonne-liebgott @midgetlover6 @teabights @multifandomfanfic

#tag game #mutuals

[arrthurpendragon]

I’d like to send some love this Sunday to: 

@shoshiwrites​, @basilone​, and @junojelli​, who all helped in a big way to get my equally big story to the place where it’s at. Thank you all, so much, from the bottom of my heart. Words are not enough.

@emilykaldwen​, @selfproclaimedunicorn​, and @zae5​, who showed up for some new characters in a fandom I don’t have a lot of friends or cheerleaders in. Your kind words meant a lot to me this year.

@trenchenjoyer​, @hes-buck-compton-baby, and @noneedtoamputate​, who all went out on a limb and made a new OC for a new-to-them fandom this year!

@vintagelavenderskies​ and @wexhappyxfew​, who took time to take care of themselves this year rather than working too hard on stories. I’m proud of both of you for doing that.

#submission #show some love #send some love sunday #show some love sunday #oc fanfic #oc fic #oc fic rec #ocappreciation

[footprintsinthesxnd]

Doomsday

So despite what the name of this post says this is actually a little surprise and a thank you to everyone from the discord group and tumblr who supported me recently. It’s inspired by the song ‘Doomsday’ by Lizzy McAlpine and is supposed to be a happy little thank you but the song says differently 😂 I’ve included all the characters that I know my mutuals love and ones people have chosen with the discord group. I just want to say a massive thank you to you all and I love every single one of you so much. So as a thank you please head on down below for your little surprise 🩵

Tags: @georgieluz @iceman-kazansky @mads-weasley @liptonsbabe @historyisfullofwars @sweetxvanixlla @ronsparky @mutantmanifesto @malarkgirlypop @bucky32557038ww2 @panzershrike-pretz @xxluckystrike @whollyjoly @land-sh @onlyyouexisthere @liptonwashere @samwinchesterslostshoe @coco-bean-1218 @next-autopsy @holdingforgeneralhugs @kafka-ohdear @wexhappyxfew @noneedtoamputate @lostloveletters @bloodstainedsaint @currahee @liptonsbabe

#thank you mutuals #band of brothers #doomsday #dick winters #Lewis Nixon #Harry Welsh #carwood Lipton #Ronald Spiers #eugene roe #joseph liebgott #David Webster #Joe toye #Edward tipper #Alton more #skip muck #donald malarkey #frank perconte #pat christenson #George Luz #shifty powers #floyd talbert #chuck grant