#sociopath simon riley

[constantcrisis19]

Bleeding Out - Part 1

Simon "Ghost" Riley x GN S/O

AN: I personally headcanon that Ghost has sociopathic traits, which is why he's a bit not good in this fic and I kinda see the dynamic between him and the reader being a "I hate everyone except you" type of deal. If that's your cup of tea (pun intended) then enjoy!

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Warnings: War, violence, bombs, blood and injury, very heavily implied suicidal intent.

Ghost carefully picked his way through the blackened rubble, avoiding the broken glass and tall flames that swayed in the warm breeze as he jogged by, steadily making his way back to where they’d set up base camp. 

The private that he had secured across his shoulders in a fireman's carry remained quiet despite how dizzy Ghost’s every step had to make him feel. The younger man was clearly concussed, the deep gash on his forehead dripping blood into his eyes and leaving a subtle trail behind them as Ghost walked. 

From what Ghost could put together from the private’s garbled attempt to explain what had happened, a chunk of concrete had been thrown by the explosion and had hit him directly in the middle of his forehead, knocking him out, which had probably saved his life. 

There were fairly blatant signs that other people had recently been in the area, as evidenced by the copious boot prints covering the fractured ground, so it was obvious that the enemy had assumed that he was dead during their initial sweep through the destruction for any survivors and had left him alone.

Others hadn’t been so lucky.

Ghost’s breaths were slow and even as his eyes scanned over the substantial damage around him, paying particular attention to the more sizable chunks of debris that were big enough for someone to hide behind.

The bomb that had gone off not twenty minutes ago had leveled almost the entire town, leaving behind only carnage. His gloves creaked as his hands tightened on his rifle, a feeling of dread sinking in his gut as he walked through what was essentially a graveyard.

They’d had two teams in the immediate blast range, one having accidentally come across the bomb, the leader only getting a short warning out over comms before a deafening explosion rocked the city. It wasn’t long after that that the gunfire had started, a frantic voice coming over the radio to warn the rest of the teams about the ambush.

Ghost recognized the voice as Bravo team’s leader, the very same group that you’d been assigned to.

Ghost felt something in his chest tighten when -after one last flurry of gunfire- everything had gone eerily quiet, the sound of static the only answer when he tried to get a hold of someone on Bravo team for a sitrep, the dead silence putting him more on edge than any gunshot or explosion ever could. 

"Bravo team, this is Karma in the blind, how copy?" Your voice suddenly broke through the white noise that had taken over the channel, weary and labored. “I repeat, this is Karma, does anyone copy?”

"I read you Karma, what’s your sitrep." Ghost spoke into the radio, pausing his determined march to let the private he had a hold of rest for a few precious minutes. Ghost didn’t feel relief at hearing your voice, that feeling of foreboding he had becoming stronger at how shaky you sounded.

"I got separated from the rest of Bravo team during the ambush and I'm running low on ammo. What's your position, maybe we could link up?" You asked, your breaths coming out heavy in between bouts of talking. It was abundantly clear that you were running on fumes and Ghost nearly shattered the plastic casing on his radio when his grip tightened.

He couldn’t abandon the injured private that he was carrying, no matter how badly he wanted to come to your aid, it was against protocol and wouldn’t be fair to the private.

“Negative.” He barked into the speaker, his helpless frustration making his tone sharp and angry. “I've got a private with me, WIA.” Ghost replied, and you both knew full well what that meant. 

He was heading out of the town in order to reach base camp, which meant that Ghost was traveling in the opposite direction of your position and wouldn’t be able to come back until the private was secured.

"Shit. How bad? Are they gonna make it?" You cursed over the line, but you didn’t sound angry or accusing, you just sounded worried. But not for yourself, all that concern in your voice being solely reserved for the random soldier that Ghost was hauling around, the very one that kept him from running to your side.

And that was just like you, wasn’t it? Painfully altruistic, even at your own expense.

He felt the inane urge to laugh -an angry, bitter sound- but he swallowed the horrible noise down because he knew that it wouldn’t make the shitty situation suddenly change to something a little more palatable. 

The sound of you loading a new mag into your gun sounded over the line, drawing Ghost’s attention back to you, before you spoke. “Ghost? You still with me?”

“Always.” Ghost replied as he began moving again, being careful not to jostle the private as he went, as if his extra caution could possibly make up for his overwhelming desire to just drop him to the ground and leave him for dead. 

If you were suspicious of Ghost for withholding the exact nature of the private’s injuries, you didn’t say, the only sound on comms for a moment being the subtle shift of clothing as you adjusted your position.

"I'll try to hold out as long as I can. Until then, stay frosty, Lt." You finally sighed through the radio, breaking the loaded silence that had descended over the two of you. 

"I'll keep the radio on me. Don't let your guard down." Ghost ordered grimly before the radio clicked off, allowing him to turn his focus back to his surroundings and the person he was carrying as he picked up his pace, returning to the light jog he was at before you’d contacted him. 

He was about ten minutes out from his intended destination when the familiar sound of distant gunfire rang out, the echoing crack of gunshots continuing on for a few minutes before abruptly cutting out, that knot in his chest seizing until he felt his breathing became labored. 

The image of your bleeding, broken body flitted through his mind's eye, taking inspiration from the various gorey scenes from all of Ghost’s missions that he had filed away in the back of his mind, making each new image his memory conjured up worse than the one before.

He could just begin to make out the perimeter of camp when Ghost's radio came to life, white noise filling the oppressive quiet, the soft static somehow more ominous than the previous silence.

Ghost freed one of his hands and snatched up the radio on his shoulder all without once breaking his stride. “This is Ghost, how copy.” 

"Fuck, Ghost. It’s not looking good.” You breathed shakily over the line and Ghost immediately picked up on your distress, cataloging every tiny scrap of information he could glean from just your voice as he ran across the last few meters separating him from the medical tent.

He wondered if you were aware of the small, almost inaudible sounds of pain you were making with every careful breath.

“Head wound, severe concussion.” Ghost barked at the medic that tried to protest against him depositing his cargo onto one of the first empty cots he came across while aggressively pointing at the barely conscious private, watching as the medic took a step away from him at his curt tone, eyes wide as they warily watched him.

He turned his back on the medic and the private he’d hauled to safety, stalking back out of medical. He ignored the painful-looking double takes that the soldiers milling about shot his way as they scrambled out of his warpath. 

He didn’t care about the looks he was getting or that he was making people nervous; his skin felt too tight -like an ill fitting suit- and it made him feel unstable… inhuman.

“Sitrep, now.” Ghost growled at you as he stalked over to the tent where they had set up a supply cache, loading up on grenades, ammo, knives and anything else that he thought would be useful in case he got cornered at any point during his journey. 

“I got pinned down by enemy fire and had to shoot my way out. A lucky bullet took a fucking chunk out of my thigh. I can’t move and I'm pretty sure our little confrontation signaled my position to everything unfriendly within a five mile radius." There was a moment of silence before you continued with a rueful laugh. “And I've only got eight bullets left. What a fucking shit show." You muttered the last bit to yourself, snapping your mag back into place.

"What other weapons do you have?" Ghost asked, already mentally running through several different strategies and contingencies for every plan he came up with as he double checked his gear before marching back out of the tent. 

"A couple knives and two grenades. Though I was saving the explosives for if I was surrounded with no way out. I figured that I could at least take a number of the enemy with me if push comes to shove." There was a tense pause before you audibly swallowed. “I’m not going to let them take me.” You added with a grim determination, more than prepared to use the grenades to keep that exact thing from happening.

"Give me your location." Ghost demanded, his voice low and dangerous as he passed one of the pairs who were assigned with patrolling the perimeter of camp, neither woman daring to stop him.

“Negative, sir.” You responded without hesitation, your bold refusal to comply with a direct order bringing him up short, his dark eyes narrowing as he glowered into the middle distance, watching the plumes of dark smoke from the destroyed town rise up into the sky.

“Private-” Ghost began, his voice holding a thinly veiled threat, but his warning was cut short when you spoke again.

“I'm in the middle of enemy territory. This place is crawling with hostiles, there’s no way-” 

“That changes nothing.” Ghost shouted to be heard over your useless protests, his chest heaving as the radio in his hand creaked threateningly in his fierce grip. 

“It changes everything, Simon! Coming after me at this point is suicide!” You raised your own voice as much as you dared in response to his outburst, still aware of the danger posed by potential enemies in the area, and the uncontrollable anger wound tighter in his chest at the mere implication that he should leave you, his closest friend -someone he couldn’t bare the thought of losing- behind to die.

“The way I see it, you can either give me your location now or I can wander around the warzone until I find you.” Ghost was forced to stop and focus on his ragged breathing in order to rein in his fury when the darkness roiling just beneath his skin bled into his voice. And, once he felt more in control, he continued, his voice ice cold. “Though I feel inclined to warn you that, if you refuse me again, I’m going to make you regret not following a direct order and, mark my words, I will find you.”

There was a long moment that seemed to stretch on for hours, though it had to have been only a few minutes, where all Ghost heard was your breathing. He closed his eyes for a couple, calming seconds and focused on the rhythmic sound as he stared out at the wreckage, using it to ground him as he waited for your reply. 

Though, it honestly didn’t matter what you decided in the end because he was coming after you either way, a location would just make his trek to you that much faster.

"I'm holed up in what I'm pretty sure used to be a gas station on the south side of the town." You begrudgingly replied, every syllable that dripped from your lips laced with fury at Ghost basically forcing your hand. 

“Copy, hold your position” Ghost ordered, his eyes snapping back open before he impatiently input the coordinates you followed up with into his GPS device, letting it load the map before he spoke into the radio. “I’m twenty mikes out.” He gave you a moment to process the information, standing there until he realized that he was wasting the already very little time he still had to get you to.

"And if anything- if I don’t-" Ghost cut himself off as he began to make his way back into the rubble, various scenarios playing out in his head. You bleeding out all alone or -even worse- being found by the enemy and promptly executed, your precious, beautiful mind splattered all over the uneven ground as you stared sightlessly up at the smog-filled sky.

If he let himself think about it for too long, he began to quickly unravel, so he bottled up every emotion except for the ones that would be useful to him as he gave his rifle and gear one last through check.

"Use your grenades if I don't make it.” He finally settled on, his tone grim.

"Affirmative, sir."

#call of duty #call of duty modern warfare 2 #cod mw2 #cod mw 2022 #sociopath simon riley #morally grey simon riley #simon ghost riley #ghost #simon riley x reader #ghost x reader #reader is in the 141 #reader is Ghosts bff #friends to lovers #slow burn #pining #getting together #he may be in the middle of a warzone but he's not gonna let that stop him from finding love #lol #fair warning #it's gonna get worse before it gets better #ongoing series

[angel-of-the-moons]

The Ghost and The Relic

Merc!Ghost x Fem!Soul Survivor!Reader

TW/CW: Chem usage, raiders, slavers, murder, executions, child death.

MINORS DNI I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT YOU CONSUME

A/N: Depending on how much I like this or how many people like this I might continue this but god I need to get this out of my head lmao.

☢️💀☢️💀☢️💀☢️💀☢️💀

It'd been four years since he took up this kind of work. Three since he'd joined up with the old man.

It was his idea, really, to form their little "Task Force" and roam the Wasteland, performing jobs here or there for settlements, providing temporary security and escort details for caravans...

But Simon "Ghost" Riley had a thought. Several, actually. But they all muddled together after a while, especially around his "team".

Their whole team, a rag-tag group of "soldiers" from all the way in the Mojave to managing, by sheer dumb luck to come ashore with their families from another goddamn country.

Ghost's family was one such case; they'd apparently immigrated 75 years after the Great War from someplace called London. He didn't care much about it, or his family, given how shit a hand he'd been dealt.

His father, the abusive sadistic bastard that he was, had fucked up his younger brother so badly that he himself turned to chems and booze, almost killing himself in the process.

Ghost had rejected that path, convinced his mother to leave his father, and they took his recovering brother and moved into a new shack he and a few of the other residents of their small farming settlement had built and they settled in there. Ghost took up a job in the local militia, defending their homes and settlements; and he became a terrifyingly good shot.

His little brother got clean, stayed sober, and married the girl from a neighboring farm. She was a good match for him and they both loved each other immensely. And it was to their small unit's great joy when they mentioned they were going to have a baby.

A baby boy. Joseph. Their mother was thrilled.

But it all came crashing down, eventually.

Thanks to the old rat bastard.

Raiders slipped right through their defenses during the changing of the watch, in the dead of night when the farmers were all tucked inside their homes.

They'd taken Ghost's farm first, nabbed him on the way down the dirt path to their shack and drug him to their camp, locked him in an old shipping crate.

He didn't know how long he'd been there, or how long he had been tortured... all he knew was that when he finally got free, their settlement was almost razed to the ground, the majority of the militia dead, women taken for sport.

And his family?

Dead. Well. His mother, brother, and sister-in-law anyways. There was still hope for little Joseph.

When he'd gotten to the meeting hall (or what was left of it) he found his father bound and beaten by the settlers, so tweaked out on jet and psycho he didn't even feel any of the pain.

He'd ratted them all out for some fucking chems, like the narcissistic, sociopathic junkie he was.

Ghost had suited up in the best scrap armor they had, bagged provisions, packed loaded weapons and plenty of homemade throwing knives, and set off to find Joseph and the others that had been taken as slaves.

He didn't even look back when he heard the gunshot from inside the hall.

He tracked them for days, maybe longer. He wasn't sure. All he felt was an all-consuming drive to get his nephew back, to save his former neighbors.

But he was too late. He found Joseph's crumpled little body beneath that of a partially nude woman, one he faintly recognized from the settlement, but not enough to recall her name as the haze settled in over his skin.

All he saw was red. Red, like the blood covering that poor, tiny, fragile body.

He moved in the dead of night, creeping like a spectre as he executed every raider and slaver he came across. He shot some, stabbed or slit the throats of others. One he left with his voice box slashed, another with their liver hanging out, both still alive as they bled to death in their dingy tents.

It took him less than an hour. A bunch of jet-addicted starved fools was nothing against Simon Riley and the black rage that swallowed him up.

He'd killed them all.

He led the surviving captives back to their settlement, along with the dead they could recognize, and then burned the camp.

Ghost cradled Joseph against him, swaddled tight in a ratty, blood-stained blanket.

The whole trek home, all his mind would think about was how tiny Joseph was. How he'd carried him like this multiple times back to his own bed after he'd curled up at their fireplace with their pet dog. How he carried him as a baby, and a toddler...

And now, he had to bury him alongside his parents and grandmother, and their beloved pet.

Simon Riley wasn't... he wasn't dead. But he wasn't alive either.

He was like a walking corpse.

A Ghost.

And his name became apt when he'd assumed that moniker (mostly due in part to the skull balaclavas he'd wear. The most intimidating one being the one with the actual skull attached to it...).

He moved like a Ghost, wandering aimlessly, performing jobs.

Then, he met the old man.

John Price, former NCR ranger, before he decided to retire early and leave. Well, more like he went AWOL.

Price was convincing in bringing Ghost into his makeshift military outfit.

There was Alex Keller, a former Great Khan that Price had picked up after his splinter tribe had been killed by his own former allies, the New California Republic.

Then there was Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, a Brotherhood of Steel scribe who became a soldier over a mission that went FUBAR, and left his chapter to travel with Price and his growing "unit".

Johnny "Soap" MacTavish, a rather peculiar man with a fondness for explosives who somehow managed to get close enough to Ghost to actually be considered a friend. He had been a Gunner, but left them shortly after he realized that he wanted to do good, not just work for caps.

And finally, there was Kate Laswell. Part of a small surviving group of something called the "Enclave" Price had explained what their group was at some point, but none of them particularly cared.

For the first time in what felt like a lifetime Ghost was... Content. He had a purpose, no longer wandering aimlessly, part of a unit. A task force. "Task Force 141" Price named it. Apparently it was a nod to the unit he originally was assigned to as a young recruit for the NCR.

Very few of them focused on their past lives, they'd lost so much in their travels, in the shit order they'd been born in. There was no reason to think about all that, now.

After all, past is the past, is it not?

Not entirely, as Ghost came to find out.

Once they'd gotten through the remains of what used to be "New York City" back before the Great War (now it's simply called New Necropolis, given it's dessicated state, and it was strung tight with "death zones".

It wasn't until they moved a bit East that Ghost suggested they set up a permanent base of ops.

He suggested Boston, Massachusetts. It seemed like a good idea, supposedly riddled with Vaults they could repurpose, military checkpoints they could loot for scavenged gear...

Price surprisingly agreed to send him alone, like he asked. Ghost didn't want to risk the other members of his "family" on a possibility he may be wrong.

But... Ghost was rarely wrong these days.

Especially about the past staying in the past...

☢️💀☢️💀☢️💀☢️💀☢️💀

He'd managed to trek to a ruined neighborhood surrounded by creeks and a river, by the looks of it, emptying out into a large lake with several other tributaries connecting.

Sanctuary Hills, the old, overgrown sign told him it was. Yeah, maybe 200 years ago, it was a sanctuary. But then again, maybe it could be again. A lot of the houses were still intact. Plenty of scrap metal, wood, etcetera.

Put up some reinforcements on the remaining structures by cannibalizing parts from the ruined structures, build some fences, plant a few crops for provisions, stockpile weapons in the cellar behind that one house...

What he hadn't anticipated on was a Pre-War Mr Handy, still futilely standing watch over his previous owner's house.

He took offense when Ghost set up his sleeping bag in the yellow house across from his master's, citing that it was "impolite" to assume the house was uninhabited.

Judging by the dusty skeletons lying in the back bedroom, yeah. It was uninhabited, save for the radroaches and bloatflies that took a liking to the "idyllic" neighborhood.

That damned robot harped non-stop, although the water it purified for him was something he was grateful for, his yammering certainly got on his nerves.

"Oh, you should have met Sir, he was a soldier too, you know! A rather polite chap, loved the Missus and their baby boy! Oh, how I miss them." The robot sighed, sounding almost wistful.

Could robots feel emotions? He'd yet to meet one that did.

But then again how long had this robot been alone, exactly?

Apparently, he remembered when the bombs were dropped. So, a very very long time. Ghost tried telling him his masters were probably dead by now, even in the safety of their "Vault" he couldn't get into. It's been 200 years.

"Look, bot..." Ghost sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose through his mask, setting his hammer down on the table.

He'd been trying to fix up the yellow house for a few weeks. He'd managed some work, namely the roof and larger holes, obviously. Codsworth had even been kind enough to help with the cutting and the welding, just glad to be of service to someone who didn't shoot at him.

"I'm a little busy, here. So if you want to get nostalgic, save it for when I--"

His eyes went wide and he went deathly silent when he heard some kind of alarm blaring across the hills. Very faint, but it was a completely alien sound from the ones he memorized from the area.

He'd grabbed his pistol, and immediately started for the trail leading to Vault 111.

Which... is where he met you.

Dressed only in your blue vault suit, with a Pip-Boy secured to your wrist, you stumbled down, blinded by the sunlight and delirious from being down there for... well.

You'd collapsed against him and Ghost grunted, deciding to carry you over his shoulders back down to Sanctuary.

He noticed a glare in the distance, like the glint from a pair of binoculars, but he paid it no mind.

The moment Codsworth had laid eyes on you, the robot would not. Shut. Up.

He kept chattering on, almost blubbering, actually.

"Oh! Oh, it's the Missus!" He'd declared, obviously confusing you for his owner, long dead...

"Oh, but where is Sir and young Shaun! Oh, why is she alone! Where are the others?" Codsworth lamented dramatically.

Ghost waved him off, checking your vitals and looking at you for any injuries.

You had none. In fact, you were perfect. Your skin was clean, spotless and pristine, unmarred by radiation or scars.

He'd been silently looking over you when you awoke in the dead of night, Codsworth busy purifying excess amounts of water, apparently finding an intact bathtub to fill, so you could have one when you awoke. Or for cooking, or drinking... he didn't really care.

He was so lost in his curiosity of the one thing he'd never seen before: you. A Vault-Dweller, that he didn't register your eyes opening, long, clean lashes fluttering as you blinked, adjusting to the dimly lit room, only illuminated by a single oil lamp.

He'd set up his spare sleeping bag for you to use, while you were unconscious.

He was honestly taken by surprise when you screamed at him; scrambling back in the opposite direction.

Oh. Right.

The mask.

Yeah, it made sense why you were freaked out. Not a lot of Vault-Dwellers were probably rocking skull masks as the latest fall fashion craze...

"Listen." He'd growled out, fixing you with a soft, yet stern glare. Ghost was not without his mercy, and he understood that this new world must have been terrifying for you.

"My name's Ghost. Not gonna hurt ya. What's your name?" He said, sticking his hands up in a non-threatening manner.

When you'd uttered your name, his eyes widened visibly. It was the same name that Codsworth had said. Could be a coincidence.

That is... Until you told him about being frozen. For 200 years.

"I... I woke up, when..." You said, your voice breaking apart to cough, your mouth unreasonably dry.

Ghost had moved to kneel in front of you, handing you his old, dented canteen to drink down in a few gulps before wiping your face with the back of your hand.

"Oh god." You cried softly. "They killed him! They took my baby!"

Ghost's ears instantly perked up, and his own past flashed in the back of his mind before he pushed it aside.

"Who did?" He pressed.

"I don't know. Some... Some guy. A guy with a scar, and a gun, he... There was a woman in a radiation suit, then the man... Nate, he..." Your voice broke off in a choked sob.

He felt pity and sympathy for you after you'd given him bits of information.

And when Codsworth came doddering in to investigate your screams, Ghost knew you were legit.

You were his owner.

And you'd been frozen for 200 years inside an ice box; your family ripped away from you by some cruel force.

After a tearful reunion and the viewing of a highly emotional holotape, Ghost watched as you silently walked back into what used to be your home.

He gave you your privacy to acclimate (kind of) into your new "life", until he decided that some things needed to be said. You couldn't be emotional in the wasteland, that got people killed.

It could get you killed.

So Ghost decided to follow after you, where he found you on your knees in front of your baby son, Shaun's, crib, clinging to a slightly rotted rocketship that was once connected to the mobile that dangled above.

You clutched it to your heart as you sobbed quietly at the horror of it all.

What had the world become? How could you, a former lawyer, survive this?

Ghost cleared his throat and straightened his posture in the doorway, looking at you in the dark. The moon was full, casting dim cool shadows through the holes in the structure.

"I know this 's hard for you." His gravelly voice dragged out with each slow, deliberate step he took towards you.

He had to take it slow, like you were a wounded animal.

'Hnh. Not that far off, actually.' He thought.

"But you got'ta understand. You need to learn how to survive here, now. If you don't, you're as good as dead."

"What's the point?!" You snap, standing to your feet and tossing the plastic rocket at him.

It bounced harmlessly off his barreled chest and clattered to the floor.

"I don't have my son, I don't have my husband, I don't have my family!" You said through fresh, hot tears as your anger and grief rose to the surface.

And just like that, the flames died, and you flickered out, deflating into more quiet cries as you stood, defeated.

"I have nothing."

"Not true." Ghost said, shaking his head. He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "You got a bot out there that's been making water for you for bloody hours, now just so you can take a bath. He's still here, and he's been waiting for you all this time."

You looked at him, eyes glassy and oh-so hurt, but you let him continue.

"And you have your little boy. Somebody stole him." His eyes flashed in the darkness of the room, a glint only illuminated by the moon's light, taking more steps to you until he was face-to-face with you, looking down at you.

God, this man was terrifying.

"And you're going to get him back."

"What...? But--but how? I'm just... me! I was a lawyer, for God's sake!" You blathered.

"First thing's first: you learn to survive." Ghost told you bluntly. "Then..."

He reached into the holster on his chest and slapped a pistol into your hands, the weight almost as hefty as the one you felt settle onto your shoulders, and into your heart.

"You learn to defend yourself. You need to learn to shoot."

He turned to walk away, gesturing for you to follow with a jerk of his head.

"C'mon, then. Let's get to it." He grunted.

"Right now?" You stumbled as you followed him out into the ruined street. "It's past midnight!"

"No time like the present."

You couldn't tell, but you were certain this man was smirking at you behind his mask.

"Hey... what's your name?" You asked him as he began to line up old cans and bottles against a rusted car.

"Name's Ghost, like I said. Now, lift the gun and aim down sights. Don't pull the trigger. Squeeze it."

"What does that even mean?" You asked, taking aim as he stood beside you, still as a statue.

'Still as death.' You thought sardonically.

He grunted again, his voice coming out an annoyed growl:

"If you want to survive, you'll learn what it means. Now, keep both eyes open..."

#cod mw2 ghost #cod ghost #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley #simon ghost x reader #simon ghost riley x you #fallout4 #fallout #fallout crossover #ghost modern warfare #modern warfare x fallout crossover #fallout 4

[popcaki]

what do you think of the people that make up headcanons about ghost not being able to love and calling him "a broken man"? as a person with trauma this absolutely shatters me bc even if i repress my feelings,by the end of the day im still craving that type of human connection.they literally call him a psychopath/sociopath and going as far as to call him heartless...

Trigger warning: Discussion of trauma,

just a disclaimer to people seeing this, people can write whatever they want and we all have unique views on a character and so on,

but in my personal opinion, yeah I don’t understand why people make him into a psychopath and straight-up abusive. It’s true some people can become like this but it really puts trauma victims in a bad light. Not to mention people who have trouble expressing their emotions making people think you’re emotionless when in fact you are feeling a looot of different kinds of emotions. Lots of autistic people for example. I do think he has a bit of a twisted mind, he is a morally grey character and can be a bad person, but it is clear as day that he does care about his teammates and that Infinity Ward is showing more of his good sides,

examples of Ghost not being a emotionless/abusive/psychopath:

the ”No one fights alone” I mean do I need to say more?

him sounding actually sorta terrified when Graves betrays them and he calls out to Soap,

does this look like a face of a emotionless guy?

in the original MW2 he literally screams ”NO” and is about to shoot shepard when they get betrayed. He sounds absolutely devastated when his team mate dies

Ghost going ”Why?” in a panicked way when Graves stated he cannot disarm the missile, there is clear stress and concern.

If I remember correctly Ghost has canonly anger issues, anger is an emotion lmao.

He literally makes dad jokes with soap and clearly thinks they are funny, the guy has a dry sense of humor.

He’s making sure to keep Soap talking and alive as best as he can in the Alone mission. Even if it’s all practical and needing a team mate alive for that reason I don’t think Ghost would want Soap dying in general.

If I remember correctly he literally holds his mothers skull smiling, seeking comfort, in a very disturbing and stressful moment for him

Him literally going ''that's for my mates!'' in multiplayer when you get the enemy team back

Distracting the creep of a terrorist from interacting with the child

He thinks war crimes is ''Tyranny, it won't stand.''

He clearly bottles things up and has multiple times shown he indeed has emotions. I think Ghost would want a normal life and connections, I truly believe that. He is just most likely terrified (another emotion) of forming them due to fear of betrayal or loved ones dying.

He is broken but not in the way of being an emotionless abusive psychopath, he really does need support and help, therapy, support from friends etc. It’s not something someone/another character can fix. He’s the one who needs to be comfortable enough to want to seek help in the first place.

I don’t think he’d take things out on people close to him or innocents either.

But yeah it puts trauma victims and people who express themsleves in a way that isnt the norm in a weird light, imo. I still find it weird with all the trauma erasing/ignoring for him too, you can still write about it and have em work things through and get the help the character needs. A character can still love and want human connection despite trauma.

I’m wondering if what’s going on is that people only see Ghost and not Simon Riley? he’s wearing a mask which hides most of his facial expressions, but if you look at his eyes he displays lots of emotions. As if the masking he’s put on figuratively and literally to try to push people away and think of him as something else is working on people in real life?

anyway I hope this answers your question!

edit: I just now properly read the comics (I skimmed through before because it was a bit tough to read), and this post including my post about his SA trauma still stands... He only hurts people who seem to deserve it, and he's feeling a bunch of emotions. I highly recommend reading the Ghost comics about his backstory, it's very triggering tho so be warned, contains all sorts of messed up shit. But this makes me even realise more how many fics and headcanons contain things that would trigger Simon massively and how many portray him as an abusive person, it's a bit unsettling to see. if you don't wanna go through with reading the comics I can list things that happened that will definitely be a trigger for him,

His dad was abusive, absolutely horrible. I don't think calling Simon ''Daddy'' would be something he enjoys.

Christmas times, his family got slaughtered on Christmas, I don't think you'll really move on from that.

He got SA both by women and men, and he feels terrible about it.

He was held captive for months, tortured (this includes SA and physical violence) and they tried to brainwash him, to change him.

Concerts.

He's not a terrible person, he's morally grey. He's gone through a lot of bad shit. He himself is the one who's going to need to want help or seek out things like human connection, Him trusting Soap, and the rest of the team is a step in that direction. I think he can and will open up more and hopefully get the help he needs, but it would take a long time of working on himself. No one can ''fix'' him but himself.

He isn't an emotionless abusive person, I don't understand where people get that from lmao. I mean look at him,

#Simon Ghost Riley #Call of Duty #Simon Riley #Modern Warfare 2 #MW2 #simon ghost riley x reader #Call of Duty Ghost #Simon Riley headcanons #John Soap Mactavish

[zahri-melitor]

Okay so I'm now 4 volumes into Gail Simone's Batgirl, and hmmmm, I really want to talk about issues #17-26.

Now look this is still quite depressing Barbara. I'm still frustrated at some of the changes, but I think Simone finally managed to pull the strings together more coherently here?

Like, I do not care about James Gordon Jr. Wow do I not find him a compelling villain. I also, just quietly, think he loses something in the potential depths of his character by the "everyone is one biological family" Gordon retcon for New 52, because I think there's a compelling additional layer available in the baby sociopath being the biological child of Jim and Barbara Eileen, while Barbara is the adopted daughter/niece, and the levels of awareness of different family members over how James Jr reacted to Barbara's arrival and his jealousy of her, that I think actually did get teased out somewhat in The Black Mirror and are now are no longer here.

Barbara Eileen here also continues to have almost no personality or motivations, but that's par for course for Barbara Eileen. Always a cipher.

I do find the contrasts set up by this third version of Ventriloquist and her brother with Barbara and James Jnr to be interesting, with the mirroring of which sibling is jealous of the other, and in their sociopath way has turned their sibling into a puppet of their desires. I actually find it more interesting in terms of the fact Ventriloquist is used for this, because the second Ventriloquist, Peyton Riley, sort of achieves the same reflection on the surrounding narrative in Dini's 'Tec run, only in that one Peyton is reflected in Dini's exploration of the upper echelons of Gotham society and its mob connections. It's just interesting to see a character type used twice in fairly close succession simply as a mirror like this.

The story however, and particularly certain elements of it, made me smile quite a bit, as Simone was reaching back into both the classic Bat storytelling set ups and themes she's used before, so I was enjoying the narrative echoes to preboot she had sprinkled through this.

I actually ended up enjoying the Barbara/Ricky Gutierrez storyline, even if it was set up for pathos. It felt like a rerun of Helena/Josh from Birds of Prey, in that Barbara started the dates because she felt sorry for Ricky, but it was interesting in that Babs did indeed reflect on both of their disabilities through the relationship, and I thought they were cute together. Completely set Jim up for the angst moments though.

Then there's the cowl revelations. I'm still very unsure if I like Barbara just outright telling Barbara Eileen about being Batgirl, while having such a harder time telling Jim. Jim's totally repressing and lying to himself over the whole situation (which is classic Jim Gordon re costumes) but it's weird having the two of them back in 'absolutely don't know' land rather than it being an unspoken secret that Jim's fully aware of. I did like that Simone pulled the "Barbara removes her cowl as Jim turns his back" move though. Babs is the primary character after Bruce who should be allowed that motif (plus maybe Dick), because it's about the layers of trust and belief.

Bruce reaching out to Jim about losing a son was also..huuurgh. Amazingly timed as Jim was newly aware of the loss, and it was interesting to see this framed via Damian's death for once, rather than Jason's. The Requiem issue was really well tied into actual plot around James fucking Jr, and Jim calling Barbara to tell her, and the way that blurs the lines, and then Babs calling Dick and Dick not wanting to talk, followed by Dick calling Babs after James Jr falls and Babs not wanting to talk... it reminded me very much of their simultaneous "I'm sorry for the breakup" phonecalls from preboot.

Also Jim taking Babs down to the gun range at GCPD and making sure she could still shoot, and Babs' trauma around that, and the way it's couched so neither of them are quite sure what the other knows, and exactly why Jim feels he needs to know Barbara can defend herself...

Anyway. It's all still very dark and angsty, but in a chewy way, the villains were less groanworthy than Knightfall was, and I finally feel like Simone's hit her stride in this new universe, and in how to layer in storytelling that's referential back to older comics while those references not being needed to understand what's going on.

#z canon read throughs #barbara gordon #oh new 52

[exsanguinated-doves]

Tell Us More Tuesday: Original Characters edition!

For @onlycodcanjudgeme 's prompt for the day.

The Characters present in Ghost's family [In the project I am in the process of making, a game revolving Ghost's backstory :)c ]

Matthew Victor Thorne: Father, former Captain for the 22nd Special Air Service. Not right in the head, part of the eccentric bastards that the SAS seems to attract, with a dark sense of humor and has a twisted view of reality. An unhinged man with sociopathic tendencies and definitely needs help. Between his troubled mind and plethora of issues as a byproduct of his past, he did his best to be a good father to Simon. Got roped into an unforgiving marriage with Regina, who he does care for, but it's really not working.

Regina Francine Vetr: Mother, former undercover agent for the MI6. Underneath her snarky demeanor, she just wants to live a good life. She's an adrenaline seeker and extremely sadistic. Experiences random bouts of auditory hallucinations sometimes.

Simon Dominique Riley: last name was changed due to his mother's insistence to further protect him. The Ghost.

Benjamin Andromeda Lockheart: Everyone calls them either Benji or Bonnie. The sweet, cheery, confused about their gender sibling.

Thomas Rosenheim: youngest brother, the one who gets into a relationship with Bethany Harrison and gets therapy. aka: the good ending

#ghost posting on the second account #devlog

[joeygoeshollywood]

My 25 Favorite Films of 2018

It’s hard to believe that 2018 is already coming to a close. Here’s my 25 favorite films from the year!

25. Black Panther

Roughly twenty films into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the franchise certainly needed a pallet cleanser. Black Panther was certainly the antidote. Not only did we get a standalone film from a superhero we didn’t know much about, it took us on adventure in the fictional high-tech nation of Wakanda. Chadwick Boseman brings a freshness and a unique charm to the Avengers table and he’s accompanied by a very talented cast including Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Dana Gurira, and Michael B Jordan, who was easily one of Marvel’s best villains to date. Writer/Director Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station) has established himself as a filmmaker on the rise and his career will not be stopping anytime soon. 

24. Boy Erased

Based on a true story, Boy Erased follows the son of a Baptist preacher and his unsettling experience at a gay conversion program. Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea, Ladybird) continues to prove he’s one of the greatest actors from the millennial generation as a young man who struggles with his sexual identity. Joel Edgerton, who wrote, directed, and starred in the film, strikes a balance between intensity and raw emotion. And Nicole Kidman also gives one of her strongest performances in recent memory as the religious mother who goes on her own journey in embracing her son for who he really is. 

23. Sorry to Bother You

Sorry to Bother You cannot be defined by one genre. Part comedy, part fantasy, part sci-fi, and even part horror, this film from newcomer Boots Riley is an imaginative satire that tackles race, class, and capitalism. This marks the biggest and best role from Lakeith Standfield (Atlanta, Get Out) who stars as a telemarketer who quickly climbs the ranks only to find out that the company he works for has nefarious ambitions. There are a lot of WTF moments in this film that cannot be unseen, but it’s all worth it. 

22. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

What ended up being the best animated film of the year and of the best Spider-Man movies ever, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse reimagines the origin story of this classic Marvel superhero with a new cinematic web-slinger Miles Morales, who teams up with other Spider-Men from other dimensions in order to stop the threat to all of their realities. Between the unique forms of animation, a fun script, and a solid voice cast, Into the Spider-Verse rises above in a year filled with superhero flicks.  

21. The Cloverfield Paradox

When the latest chapter in the Cloverfield franchise dropped on the night of the Super Bowl, everyone rushed to Netflix for the surprise release. And while the critics weren’t exactly kind, The Cloverfield Paradox was still a wild, captivating installment. A group of scientists in space must solve the energy crisis that is causing chaos among nations on Earth, but while doing so find themselves entangled in alternative realities. Gugu Mbathu-Raw, Daniel Brühl, Chris Dowd, David Oyelowo, John Ortiz, Ziyi Zhang, Aksel Hennie and Elizabeth Debicki round out this strong, diverse ensemble. 

20. Mission: Impossible - Fallout

At 56 years old, Tom Cruise continues to defy all odds as he keeps his now 20-year-old franchise alive. Ethan Hunt’s latest mission was fitting enough to be his last as his efforts to once again save the world also has him grappling with questions about his own mortality and the loved ones in his life. One of the best action films of the year, Fallout is a ton of fun and filled with well-choreographed sequences and stunts from Cruise himself. 

19. Bad Times at the El Royale

What is fascinating about Bad Times at the El Royale is how much it felt like a puzzle. With its non-linear editing, every scene felt like an individual puzzle piece that once they come together give you a complete picture. Drew Goddard, the mastermind behind the modern cult classic The Cabin in the Woods, returns with a 60s-era crime thriller with a superb soundtrack, awesome production design, and a stellar cast that features Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Cynthia Erivo, and Chris Hemsworth. 

18. Support the Girls

Support the Girls is a small indie comedy from Andrew Bujalski about a general manager of a sports bar and grill who reaches a boiling point with her life. Regina Hall, best known for her role in the Scary Movie franchise and more recently in Girls Trip, gives the best performance of her career as the heartwarming and heartbreaking Lisa, who while hating her job puts her young waiting staff first. Support the Girls is one of the few films that’s grounded in reality and is a comedic display of ordinary life and the struggles that come with it. 

17. A Simple Favor

What was easily the most Hitchcockian film of the year, A Simple Favor marks a sharp tonal turn from director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Spy). Anna Kendrick stars a single mother who investigates the strange disappearance of her new friend (played by a terrific Blake Lively). Filled with unexpected turns and a few good laughs, A Simple Favor is a sexy thriller that expanded Feig’s talents.                                                                        

16. Thoroughbreds 

Part psychological thriller, part teenage dark comedy, Thoroughbreds resembles a contemporary Heathers. Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Split) stars as a girl who relies her sociopathic friend (Olivia Cooke) to plot the murder of her awful stepfather. Newcomer Cory Finley makes an outstanding feature debut and is able to strike a balance between the tragedy and humor of this unlikely friendship. 

15. A Quiet Place

John Krasinski wrote, produced, directed, and starred in his second and best feature to date, A Quiet Place. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, a family adapts to living in complete silence in order to keep themselves out of harms way from these deadly creatures who hunt their prey by the sounds they make. Despite the script with barely a page of dialogue, A Quiet Place speaks volumes with high intensity and terrifying performances from Krasinski’s wife Emily Blunt as well as from child actors Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe.  

14. The Death of Stalin

Veep creator Armando Iannucci knows a thing or two about satire. This time, he takes his talents to the big screen with his political comedy The Death of Stalin. As the title explains, the film follows the death of Russian dictator Joseph Stalin and the tug of war over power among his Council of Ministers. The intellectual humor in the screenplay combined with the comical performances of an ensemble cast which includes Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Rupert Friend, Andrea Riseborough, and Jason Isaacs marks one of the best comedies of the year. 

13. Hereditary 

Like a modern day Rosemary’s Baby, Hereditary is an unsettling horror film that surrounds the supernatural occurrences of a grieving family after the passing of its estranged matriarch. Writer/Director Ari Aster masterfully crafts a remarkable yet unexplainable thriller with the help of a career-best performance from Toni Collette. 

12. Three Identical Strangers

Sometimes life is stranger than fiction and there is not a better example of that than Three Identical Strangers, a documentary that tells the real-life story about triplets who were separated at birth who discover each other’s existence in college and their journey to discover the grim circumstances that pulled them apart in the first place. What really felt more like a suspense thriller, Three Identical Strangers is an unpredictable, fascinating film about family and the bonds that hold us together. 

11. Widows

Widows is a grade-a heist film from 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen and Gone Girl screenwriter Gillian Flynn. Viola Davis stars as a widow who settles one final score that was all set by her dead husband (Liam Neeson). Suspenseful and emotional from beginning to end, Widows is a female-dominated drama that features one of the best ensembles of the year, including Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, and Robert Duvall. 

10. Game Night

There was not a more laugh-out-loud funny comedy this year than Game Night. It surrounds a group of friends whose game night takes a wrong turn when what’s supposed to be a fun murder mystery becomes very real. Not only does the plot have plenty of twists and turns, the abundance of self-awareness in this wacky film elevates it from the rest. Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman do their best comedic work in years and they’re accompanied by a hilarious ensemble cast. 

9. Overlord

You don’t often hear of WWII horror films, but Overlord certainly delivers. The J.J. Abrams-produced flick follows a troop of soldiers who stumble upon a gruesome scientific lab where humans are the unfortunate subjects. Overlord is truly an adrenaline rush and the most badass movie of the year. After all, when it comes to Americans kicking some Nazi butt, the gorier the better. 

8. Annihilation 

Annihilation is one of those remarkable films that is so hard to describe. Natalie Portman stars as a biologist who joins a pack of armed explorers in a territory of land where mysteriously the laws of nature are nonexistent. Thought-provoking, captivating, and extremely intense, this female-led sci-fi drama felt like an out-of-body experience. 

7. Crazy Rich Asians

Easily the most enjoyable film of the year, Crazy Rich Asians offers plenty of sights, laughs, and heart. Based off the best-selling novel by Kevin Kwan, this romantic comedy follows NYU professor Rachel (Fresh Off the Boat’s Constance Wu) and her struggle to win over her fiancé’s very judgmental, very crazy, and yes, very rich family. Crazy Rich Asians features eye candy visuals, a fun soundtrack, and a talented ensemble cast. 

6. Roma

Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Children of Men) makes his return with his most personal film yet, Roma. Set in Mexico City in the early 1970s, the Spanish-language film chronicles the life of a middle-class family a maid named Cleo (played by newcomer Yalitza Aparicio). Shot in black and white and with incredible cinematography Roma is timeless story about family, class, and the human spirit. It is easily Netflix’s best original film to date. 

5. If Beale Street Could Talk

Oscar-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) makes a strong return with a tragic love story about a pregnant young woman who struggles to get her fiancé out of jail after he was wrongfully accused of a crime. Based off the book of the same name, If Beale Street Could Talk felt more like watching a play. Along with the gorgeous cinematography and a moving score, this romance is carried by its two leads Kiki Layne and Stephen James as well as Regina King, who gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Layne’s mother. 

4. Eighth Grade

Middle school is the worst and no film has captured the experience better than Bo Burnham’s debut film Eighth Grade. Despite the ever-changing times, this indie comedy manages to connect adult audiences with eighth grader Kayla Day, who struggles to navigate through her adolescence all while attempting to build her presence on social media. Young actress, Elsie Fisher gives a grounded, comical, and sometimes painful performance and Josh Hamilton gives a strong supporting performance as her single father who tries to lift her spirits. 

3. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

If you grew up on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, then this film will certainly hit home. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? showcases the life of a Presbyterian minister who developed of the most iconic, impactful children’s shows in television history and the struggles he faced along the way. The documentary features interviews of his family, the crew, and cast members, all who give insight of the genius that is Fred Rogers. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is an emotional film that, if you’re lucky, will restore your faith in humanity. And be warned; there was not a dry eye in that theater. 

2. American Animals

Director Bart Layton has an incredible gift of making hybrid films. His underrated 2012 documentary The Imposter felt more like a mystery thriller. And with American Animals, since it’s based on a true story, he injects documentary elements into what normally would be a heist film. The story surrounds these four college kids who plan to steal an extremely valuable book from the campus library. The four leads do outstanding work, but Evan Peters (of American Horror Story fame) particularly gives the best performance of his career as one of the irresponsible thieves. With great editing and strong source material, American Animals is the best film of the year that virtually no one saw.  

1. The Favourite

It’s no surprise that The Favourite is the favorite film of the year. Yorgos Lanthimos, the previously unsung filmmaker behind The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, brings the real-life 18th Century story of Queen Anne to the 21st Century and injects his twisted sense of humor. Olivia Colman stars as the neurotic, but hilarious ruler and Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz compete for her affection. Beautifully shot and superbly written, The Favourite is a remarkable, flawless cinematic masterpiece. 

#The Favourite #Emma Stone #Black Panther #spider-man into the spider-verse #American Animals #If Beale Street Could Talk #Roma #Evan Peters #A Simple Favor #Anna Kendrick #Blake Lively #Crazy Rich Asians #Eighth Grade #Game Night #Rachel McAdams #Emily Blunt #A Quiet Place #John Krasinski #Hereditary #The Death of Stalin #Support The Girls #Chris Hemsworth #Sorry to Bother You #lakeith stanfield #Tessa Thompson #Natalie Portman #Annihilation #Boy Erased #Marvel #Netflix

[silkclient90-blog]

The 25 Best Ships Ever on Freeform

Here at TV Guide, we love love more than just about anything. Half the reason we watch TV is to stare at two beautiful idiots as they gaze adoringly into each other's eyes, and the other half is to get the cathartic release of second-hand heartbreak when they break up because the course of true love never did run smooth.

Maybe that's why we're so obsessed with Freeform and its many millennial-targeted TV shows. When it comes to shipping and romance, Freeform has the best of the best, whether it's a forbidden romance between a Shadowhunter and a Downworlder or the sex-positive romance between two journalists trying to make it in New York City.

With so many amazing ships to chose from, it's hard to know which one is best, but TV Guide editors Megan Vick and Lindsay MacDonald put their heads together to come up with a definitive ranking of the best 25 Freeform ships! Can you guess who took the number one spot?

Discover Your New Favorite Show: Watch This Now!

25. Daphne & Wilke (Switched at Birth)

Daphne (Katie LeClerc) had a variety of love interests over the course of Switched at Birth, but the one that made our hearts flutter the most for her was Wilke (Austin Butler). It was a typical case of getting the do-gooder to loosen up a little and make the reckless prankster realize he didn't need to write himself off the way that everyone else had. These two had really great potential, but Wilke pushed it just a little too far and got himself sent off to military school instead of proving that he and Daphne had a teen love for the ages.

24. Maddie & Wes (Recovery Road)

It is inadvisable to start a relationship when you are in rehab, but if you're going to do it, pick a hottie like Wes (Sebastian De Souza)! Recovery Road lasted just one season, so Maddie (Jessica Sula) and Wes didn't get to reach their full potential, but the time they did spend together was electric, complicated and heartbreaking — the stuff all the best ships are made of.

23. Ryn, Maddie & Ben (Siren)

Bear with us on this one. Love triangles are great fun, but honestly, they're getting a little tired. As a siren, Ryn's (Eline Powell) sexuality is very fluid (sorry, couldn't resist that pun), and she seems to have developed a deep love for both Maddie (Fola Evans-Akingbola) and Ben (Alex Rowe) during her time on land. In fact, she's even kissed them both! It's easy to understand how that might cause tension in Maddie and Ben's relationship, but wouldn't it just be so much better for everyone if they all just decided to be together? Fans are already shipping this polyamorous relationship, and so are we!

22. Paige & Rainer (Famous in Love)

For Paige ( Bella Thorne), the well-intentioned (and slightly naive) ingenue, there was really no better love interest than Rainer (Carter Jenkins), the emotionally vulnerable bad boy with big eyes and bigger hair. Sure, they didn't quite manage to make it across the "happily ever after" finish line before the show was canceled, but given that Season 2 ended with a Rage studio lot kiss, we're going to pretend they just road that bike straight off into the sunset together afterward.

21. Riley & Danny (Baby Daddy)

We know there are Riley (Chelsea Kane) and Ben (Jean-Luc Bilodeau) shippers out there — and that their chemistry was undeniable — but Riley and Danny (Derek Theler) were meant to be together. And Danny was the one who ended up putting a ring on it. He was always the one who Riley made her way back to, and they made a beautiful family together.

20. Callie & Aaron (The Fosters)

The Fosters was no stranger to breaking ground, and Callie (Maia Mitchell) and Aaron's (Elliot Fletcher) relationship was no different. They had the first sex scene between a cis-gendered female lead and a trans man on television. But more than breaking representation boundaries, Callie and Aaron are on this list because they challenged each other in the best ways. Aaron did his best to try and stop Callie from getting into trouble, like when she would ride in cars with murderers or accidentally become a prostitute for a minute. He showed her there were better, smarter ways to fight for what you believe in. He's a large part of the reason why Callie ended up becoming a lawyer and thus their relationship will always hold a special place in our hearts.

What That Good TroubleCliffhanger Means for Callie's Romantic Future

19. Cameron & Kirsten (Stitchers)

When you grow up believing you are essentially allergic to feelings and then get a job where you start taking on the last emotions of the dead, it's only natural that your new potential for empathy would lead to a workplace affair! That sentence probably made no sense, but Stitchers was an out there kind of show. The moral of the story is that Kirsten (Emma Ishta) didn't know how to feel for anyone, but working with Cameron (Kyle Harris) in the Stitchers program helped her to become a better person. Once she got the hang of the whole feelings thing, they developed quite the compelling workplace romance, which often meant invading other people's minds to save each other. Yeah, it's still a weird show.

18. Zoey & Luca (grown-ish)

Zoey (Yara Shahidi) had three suitors at the end of Season 1, but she inevitably chose the guy who never wanted her to be anything but herself. Yeah, Luca (Luka Sabbat) is the epitome of chill, but it's obvious that Zoey brings out a spark in him that only art can. He keeps her grounded when she starts spinning out of control, and let's face it, you are never going to see another couple this straight-up beautiful together.

17. Jane & Pinstripe (The Bold Type)

Ah, the ever-changing, ever-frustrating love/hate relationship that is Janestripe. These two crazy kids can't ever seem to get on the same page with each other, but their chemistry is so electric that it sometimes barely matters. As a young writer in need of a mentor, it's obvious why Jane (Katie Stevens) fell for Pinstripe's (Dan Jeannotte) worldly, witty ways. Now if they can just manage to spend some quality time together without drama blowing up their lives, they could totally be endgame

16. Simon & Maia (Shadowhunters)

Though there is a special place reserved in our hearts for Sizzy, there's no denying that Maia (Alisha Wainwright) and Simon (Alberto Rosende) are good for each other in very important ways. As a young adult who already went through the whole "I got turned into a supernatural monster, what now?" thing, Maia was a great, stabilizing influence on Simon, and Simon obviously helped Maia heal from some old (and still very open) wounds from her relationship with Jordan. Though we don't think this is a romance for the ages, there's something to be said for loves that come around just at the right time.

Shadowhunters: What Is The Praetor?

15. Gabby & Josh (Young and Hungry)

As unlikely a duo as Gabby ( Emily Osment) and Josh (Jonathan Sadowski) were, they somehow managed to eke out a happy ending that was both hilarious and touching. What made this dysfunctional couple so entertaining to watch is that even though they were both so crazy (and both so prone to making a mess of their own lives), his crazy somehow managed to fit perfectly together with her crazy. It was a modern-day love story for the accident-prone and socially awkward!

14. Tyrone and Tandy (Marvel's Cloak & Dagger)

Tyrone (Aubrey Joseph) and Tandy (Olivia Holt) haven't gotten romantic yet on Marvel's Cloak & Dagger, but they're called the Divine Pairing for a reason, and that's because the fates want them to be together as much as we do. They come from different worlds, but they understand each other on a level that no one else they know can touch. The chemistry is undeniable, and it's only a matter of time before saving the world by uniting their powers is going to cause them to unite in other ways. When it happens we know it's going to be just as explosive as light and dark coming together.

13. Jesus & Emma (The Fosters)

When it comes to making progress in a relationship, there are few ships on this list that can compete with Jesus and Emma. They were very young when they first fell in love, but they still developed a bond that saw them through wrestling fights, traumatic brain injuries and long-distance relationships during college. Jesus (Noah Centineo) showed Emma (Amanda Leighton) how to have a good time and that not everything had to be about school and grades. Meanwhile, Emma helped Jesus see the potential in himself that might have gone undiscovered if they hadn't fallen for each other. After six years together through their adolescence, they broke up to have adult relationships with other people. It was a good, level-headed decision, but there's still a strong hope they'll find their way back to each other — maybe on Good Trouble?

12. Sutton & Richard (The Bold Type)

Dating an older guy is always complicated, but dating an older guy who also happens to be on the board of the magazine where you work? That's a sticky situation if ever there was one. Richard (Sam Page) and Sutton (Meghann Fahy) have had their ups and downs, but ultimately their relationship is too strong to be cowed by judgy interns or age gaps. Just you wait, they'll be New York City's most lovable power couple in no time!

The Bold Type Cast Is Totally Down for a Musical Episode

11. Spencer & Toby (Pretty Little Liars)

This one is for the nerd lovers out there. Spencer (Troian Bellisario) and Toby (Keegan Allen) were probably the most stable of the Pretty Little Liar couples — as stable as you can be when you're being stalked by a manipulative sociopath — and their couple hobbies included reading and playing Scrabble. And you know, trying to one-up the aforementioned sociopath. Even with the insanity, it was easy to see these two sharing coffee and doing the New York Times crossword puzzle together on a Sunday afternoon.

10. Callie & Brandon (The Fosters)

Listen, we know they were adopted brother and sisters, but that wasn't always the case! You knew at the beginning of The Fosters that Brandon (David Lambert) and Callie were meant to be together. That belief was so strong that a Brallie reunion was even teased in the show's series finale, but ultimately Callie's need for a family was greater than her need for Brandon as a boyfriend. Still, he was one of the first people to show her that she could trust others and made her feel like she belonged in the Adams-Foster household. Who knows if Callie would have stayed at the house and become the well-adjusted adult she became if Brandon wasn't her first love. For that reason, we can (mostly) overlook the overlap of their relationship with the adoption proceedings.

9. Aria & Ezra (Pretty Little Liars)

Ezria gets points for being the OG ship of Pretty Little Liars, but they also lose points for being problematic AF. Sorry, there's no way to slice this to make it OK for an adult English teacher to sleep with a 16-year-old student. Knowing he purposefully seduced her in order to write a book about her best friend's disappearance only makes things worse. However, when Aria did become of age, the chemistry between the two was undeniable. They were ride-or-die until the end of the show, which is all we can ask for from a best ship, even with a bit of scandal on the side.

8. Simon & Izzy (Shadowhunters)

Izzy (Emeraude Toubia) and Simon have both had other romances since Shadowhunters premiered, but that doesn't mean Sizzy hasn't always been in the back of our minds. Even as a vampire and a Shadowhunter, Simon and Izzy have built a beautiful friendship on a foundation of trust, and they've pretty much become each others' rock at this point. If we're all very good and hold our breaths at the exact same time, romance might just be on the horizon for these two as we head into the final run of Shadowhunters. They've got to be endgame, right?

Shadowhunters Cast Reacts to #SaveShadowhunters Campaign

7. Hanna & Caleb (Pretty Little Liars)

Hanna (Ashley Benson) and Caleb (Tyler Blackburn) were the epitome of opposites attract. She was the aspiring fashionista who yearned to belong and he was the hacker outsider who hated fitting in. It made no sense that they should want to be together, but once sparks flew between the two, you knew they couldn't be with anyone else. They tried a few times, of course, but at the end of the day Hanna and Caleb were like two magnets that couldn't be kept apart. It's for the best because who else was going to put up with their wiseass comments but the other one?

6. Emily & Allison (Pretty Little Liars)

Pretty Little Liars took its sweet time giving its most dedicated fans the ship they yearned for the most, but at the end of the day, Emily (Shay Mitchell) and Alison (Sasha Pieterse) found their way back to one another and started a family! That's the most normal kind of happy ending anyone on this show could hope for. While Emily was prone for falling for any wayward lesbian who made their way through Rosewood, her heart was always drawn to Alison. And it was only when Alison was able to come to grips with her own feelings for Emily that we felt like we could truly trust her.

5. Clary & Jace (Shadowhunters)

Clary (Katherine McNamara) and Jace (Dominic Sherwood) have been on a bit of a whirlwind, haven't they? Their immediate connection and chemistry was put on hold for a while during the brief period they thought they were actually brother and sister (we're still having nightmares about that, BTW), but eventually they found out it was OK for them to bang. And it's a good thing too, because it's hard not to want two people so perfect for one another and so deeply in love to be together. If Clace isn't endgame, we'll cry ourselves to sleep every night for the rest of the year.

4. Kat & Adena (The Bold Type)

Kat ( Aisha Dee) and Adena (Nikohl Boosheri) have had their issues on The Bold Type, but that's part of what makes their love story so wonderful to watch. Kat is still learning about her sexuality and Adena selflessly gave her the freedom and the trust to do that, knowing how important that journey is for a young woman. In return, Kat recognized that though their relationship was good for Adena romantically, it may not be so great for her artistically. It takes a lot for a person to realize that your partner's happiness and passions have to come first sometimes, even if it could put your relationship in jeopardy. Even if this ultimately leads to a breakup, it's so nice to see two hot, badass women having the emotional maturity to put their partner first, no matter what. *SOBS*

3. Stef & Lena (The Fosters)

Oh yeah, there are parents on a list of Freeform ships, and we stand by this couple wholeheartedly. The love between Stef (Teri Polo) and Lena (Sherri Saum) on The Fosters was the heart of the show. It feels weird to say that when the show premiered it was shocking to see an interracial lesbian couple raising a family on TV because over the course of five seasons the two women showed us just how powerful love can be. They had their ups and downs, from Lena's flirtation with her boss to Stef's breast cancer scare, but at the end of the day they proved that love can conquer all. Out of everyone on this list, they are the epitome of relationship goals for their bravery, vulnerability and compassion. Plus, even with five kids making them want to tear their hair out, they still found ways to keep the spice alive, and we respect that so much.

The Fosters Says Goodbye (For Now) With a Tearful Wedding and a New Chapter

2. Bay & Emmett (Switched at Birth)

Disclaimer: Bay (Vanessa Marano) and Emmett (Sean Berdy) were not together during the final season of Switched at Birth, which was the only season to actually air on the network known as Freeform. But we curated at this list, and since Switched is still technically a Freeform show, we're not ignoring its best and heartwarming ship. Bay and Emmett started out as complete opposites, but their love not only brought them together but also helped bridged the hearing and deaf communities in the show. Their romance had all the angst of a first love, but it was also emblematic of what made the show as a whole so special. The show was canceled with only enough time for the writers to write a series finale rather than a full final season arc, so while Bay and Travis (Ryan Lane) were good together, deep in our hearts we have to believe that Bay and Emmett were the true endgame.

1. Magnus & Alec (Shadowhunters)

Is it any wonder Malec tops this list as the best Freeform ship of all time? Their love story turned Shadowhunters from a binge-worthy show into a viral sensation that makes even the most diehard fandoms seem like underachievers. The electric chemistry between Magnus (Harry Shum Jr.) and Alec (Matthew Daddario) is only the tip of the iceberg here; under the surface there's a deeply devoted, unbreakable connection between two people who should have been enemies but turned into soulmates. There's simply no ship on Freeform (or possibly on TV at all) that can hold a candle to Malec, and we'll ship them until the day we die.

Source: https://www.tvguide.com/news/25-best-freeform-ships-ranked/?rss=breakingnews

[aion-rsa]

Secrets of Rebirth’s First Suicide Squad Revealed

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for “Suicide Squad” #9, on sale now.

“Suicide Squad” #9 takes one of the core concepts of the “Justice League vs. Suicide Squad” miniseries — the idea that there was an earlier Suicide Squad several years earlier that Maxwell Lord has since freed — and uses it to the title’s advantage to let us see that Squad’s original mission. Rob Williams, Si Spurrier, and Riley Rossmo’s story not only gives us one more member of the initial Squad that we’d never seen, but in the process we learn a little bit more about several of the Squad characters.

A FISTFUL OF LOBOS

Ever since the New 52 debuted in 2011, there’s been an internal, creative struggle on just what a modern day Lobo would look like. In the new continuity, Lobo first debuted in the pages of “Deathstroke,” written and drawn very similarly to the take on the character that readers saw in the “Lobo” mini-series by Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, and Simon Bisley that propelled the character from a supporting character in “L.E.G.I.O.N. ‘XX” to a super-star position. With big hair and a bulky body, this Lobo looked to be straight out of an intergalactic biker gang (which is exactly what the trio had aimed for). By contrast, a second Lobo appeared in the New 52 comics in 2013, with a slim-lined, groomed appearance. This Lobo was less the obvious fear-inducing burly guy glaring at you from across the way, and physically much more the quiet sociopath that would quietly charm his victims before disemboweling them. The second Lobo’s introduction had him refer to the previous incarnation as an imposter, with a showdown surely imminent.

RELATED: EXCL: [SPOILER] Joins Max Lord’s Team in Justice League vs. Suicide Squad

The problem with having two differing versions of Lobo was theoretically solved in “Lobo” #1 back in 2014, when Cullen Bunn, Reilly Brown and Nelson DeCastro had the two Lobos meet. The second, new rendition of the character referred to the first (original flavor) Lobo as an imposter, and in the blink of an eye, killed the original. The new Lobo proceeded to have a series that ran a little over a year, before drawing to a close in December 2015. And until this week, it was theoretically possible that the Lobo in “Justice League vs. Suicide Squad” was that second Lobo, but one who had gained some muscle and bulk and let his hair grow out.

However, “Suicide Squad” #9 makes it crystal clear that the first and only mission of this earlier Suicide Squad took place several years ago, and that at the end of that mission the entire team was immediately imprisoned. None of these Squad members were at large between their failed mission and Maxwell Lord freeing the five. Does this mean that there is a third Lobo now running around the DC Universe? Or has Dr. Manhattan and the DC Rebirth event resulted in those other Lobos being quietly excised from continuity altogether?

CYCLOTRON VS. RUSTAM

Up until now, we had been told that there was one more member of the original Squad, though their identity remained secret. A last-second addition, Cyclotron is a gold, brown, and red humanoid whose abilities remain a mystery for most of the issue. It’s worth noting that the other members of the Squad are equally befuddled by Cyclotron’s presence on the team, to the point that they’re having their new teammate hang back during the fighting as they attempt to destroy a foreign power’s technology known as the God-Engine that can create god-like beings. That ultimately proves to be a misstep, though, when Cyclotron proposes to the criminals on the team — Emerald Empress, Lobo, Dr. Polaris, and Johnny Sorrow — that they seize the God-Engine and use its powers to their advantage.

As the Squad prepares to enact Cyclotron’s scheme, we learn several things about Rustam, Cyclotron and even Amanda Waller. First, Rustam’s role as the leader of this Squad — think of him as the one in the Rick Flag position, there to keep the criminals in control — is firmly defined. Waller refers to America as Rustam’s “adopted country” but unlike the pre-New 52 Rustam, this rendition is at the very least a U.S. resident if not citizen, and was a good guy up until Waller’s imprisoning of the character. If nothing else, it opens the pathway for redemption on Rustam’s part; he’s not the one serving time or being blackmailed, but rather someone who clearly believed in Waller’s goals.

This is also where we learn that Rustam knew Cyclotron’s purpose on the team, and what Waller’s original method of controlling her Squad entailed. Cyclotron’s namesake is a particle accelerator, and this character’s abilities are definitely in line with that. Rustam refers to Cyclotron as a bomb used to keep the Squad in line, admittedly one with a very destructive method of doing so. When Lobo takes out Cyclotron on Waller’s orders (or rather, an offer for more money), the end result detonates the hapless living bomb, destroying everything but (ironically) the Squad who were saved by Dr. Polaris’s abilities. The team, out cold, was easily scooped up by Waller’s troops and imprisoned until the present day.

So, what now? “Justice League vs. Suicide Squad” had originally appeared to merely propel Killer Frost onto the new “Justice League of America” title, but more and more it’s positioning all of its characters for bigger things in the near future. With the original Lobo back and a strong possibility of seeing much more Rustam in the future, this appears to be just the tip of the iceberg. Definitely don’t count out any of these characters. Amanda Waller clearly did, and just look at the trouble she’s in now. “Squad Zero,” it seems, is here to stay.

The post Secrets of Rebirth’s First Suicide Squad Revealed appeared first on CBR.com.

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#Aion_Rsa

[constantcrisis19]

Bleeding Out - Part 3

Simon "Ghost" Riley x GN S/O

Main Page

Warnings: Blood and injury, Needles, Violent thoughts, References to Ghost's backstory.

Ghost grit his teeth when you went limp against his back, his desperate grip on your thighs tightening in a way that would have been painful for you if you weren't currently conscious. He pushed into the medical tent like a man on a mission, ignoring the various moans and cries of suffering soldiers and shoving past anyone who didn’t get out of his way fast enough.

He gently lowered you down onto one of the open beds, your sweaty hair falling into your face as your head lolled to the side, Ghost reaching out in a brief moment of weakness to brush the limp lock of hair out of your face before turning his attention to the wound on your thigh.

The neck gaiter that he had tied in place over the injury was stained a deep red, the cloying scent of iron so thick that Ghost could practically taste it even through the thick fabric of his balaclava as he peeled the sticky soaked cloth away from the wound in order to get a look at the damage. 

He felt grateful for his mask since he couldn’t help how his face twisted up into a snarl at the frankly obscene amount of blood that had oozed into your clothing, soaking your right side all the way down your pant leg to your boots, staining the material a deep crimson.

One of Ghost’s hands released his hold that he had on the cloth that he’d wrapped around your thigh in favor of grabbing the wrist of the person that had made the mistake of touching his arm, his grip so tight that he could feel the bones grind together under his fingers.

“Uh… sir? I’m here to help, what’s the situation?” A soft voice abruptly broke through the rush of blood ringing in Ghost’s ears and he was unceremoniously dragged from whatever haze he’d fallen into, causing him to violently snap back into focus.

He managed to pry his dark gaze away from your sallow figure, bringing his attention to the person who had been brave enough to approach him, the wide green eyes of a medic warily watching him as if he were a feral animal.

Ghost let go of the medic’s wrist as if the touch had burned him and he curled his fingers into a fist in order to hide the way that they wanted to tremble and, in an attempt to distract himself from the panic he could feel lingering on the edge of his awareness, he turned his attention back to the saturated fabric that was plastered to your leg.

“Deep laceration on upper left thigh from a bullet. They were conscious and verbal about two minutes ago before they began showing signs of hypovolemic shock and became unresponsive.” Ghost replied in rapid fire as he pressed down on the wound, continuing to apply steady pressure and trying to ignore how your unnatural lack of reaction to the painful contact made him want to hit something.

“Okay. Elevate their legs and keep applying direct pressure to the wound. We have a category one! I need a suture kit and an IV, stat!” The second half of the medic’s commands were directed to the rest of the staff that were bustling about the packed tent, more medics hurrying over with the necessary supplies, and it took every ounce of self control Ghost had to keep from taking a swing every time someone accidentally brushed up against him in their rush.

“Blood pressure is dropping, start them on two liters of LR.” The green eyed medic warned as someone set up an intravenous drip, pushing the needle into the tender skin of your right arm before taping the tube down to keep it in place. 

More people joined the fray and Ghost viciously repressed the urge to bury one of his knives deep into the eye socket of the medic that bullied him out of the way since he knew that it wouldn’t do him any good in the long run, so he stepped away and allowed the other man to take over, the medic cutting your pant leg away from your thigh and pulling the unsalvageable neck gaiter away, letting it hit the floor with a wet sound before replacing it with a sterile pad of gauze.

Ghost just stood there and watched in complete silence as the medical team surrounding the cot all frantically tried to keep you alive, all their voices blurring together into a cacophony of indecipherable noise as the feeling of something wet dripping down his side distantly registered. 

He looked down at himself and swallowed back bile at the sight that greeted him. The majority of Ghost's right side and thigh had been stained by your blood due to the fact that he’d carried you for so long, the thick red liquid marring his already filthy fatigues. 

He numbly tracked a drop of crimson with his eyes as it slowly oozed down from his hip to his thigh before being soaked up by the fabric near his knee, the sensation of blood creeping down his leg making his skin crawl.

Ghost’s gaze snapped up from his soiled fatigues when someone came up next to him, his eyes darting over to the medic that had been brave enough to approach him, their hand hovering over his shoulder for a moment before thinking better of touching him and dropping their limb back to their side. 

“We have the situation under control now, but we’re already running low on space so we need you to wait outside the tent, sir.” The medic spoke softly, the woman hovering in a way that spelled out her desire to usher him out of the medical tent, but he didn't move. Ghost’s feet were rooted to the spot, medics and patients alike all moving around his still figure as if he were a shark in the water. 

“No.” Ghost declared bluntly as he turned his attention back to the crowd swarming the cot that you were laying on, noticing how the medic shot him a startled look out his peripheral vision, but he didn’t care. Let her judge him, let her question his intentions. Let her think what she wanted, but he wasn’t going to move until he got confirmation of either your recovery or your death.

And the poor soul who drew the short straw and was tasked to give Ghost the news better pray to whatever God that they believed in that it was the former.

“I’m sorry?” The medic asked, their incredulousness battling with their self-preservation in the face of Ghost’s blatant refusal to be separated from you. Ghost turned his head just enough to make eye contact with the medic standing next to him, the rest of his body eerily still in a way he knew other people found off-putting as he leveled the medic with his signature cold stare.

“I’m not leaving until they're either stable or dead.” Ghost declared, his tone leaving no room for argument, but the medic he was talking to was either an idiot or was unaware of Ghost’s reputation because she stubbornly persisted. 

“But-” She began to say before Ghost unceremoniously cut her off.

“How’s their condition?" He asked, his voice low and rough. He could feel the cooling, sticky blood oozing between his gloved fingers as his hands clenched and released reflexively, his fingertips tingling as he wished for the familiar weight of his rifle.

“Uh, it's still too early to tell…” The medic began hesitantly before sighing, seeming to reluctantly accept the fact that Ghost wasn’t going to be leaving anytime soon. "But we're doing everything in our power to help." She told Ghost with a worried frown, her concerned gaze like a physical weight, her unwelcome sympathy causing Ghost to glance away before he did something that would make Price give him that disappointed look in order to wipe that fucking annoying look off the young woman’s face. "Do you know them? Are the two of you close?" 

The question caught him off guard and helped clear some of the red from his vision, Ghost’s dark eyes shifting back over to the cot he had deposited you on as if magnetized, his gaze visibly softening from his usual blank stare when he caught a glimpse of your familiar figure in a gap between the medics swarming you. 

Ghost watched as personnel read off stats from the various machines that you were hooked up to, each announcement so bogged down with medical jargon that Ghost could only pick up on a few terms here and there as they worked to keep the area around the wound clean as it was meticulously stitched shut.

"...yes." He admitted quietly and, while Ghost wasn't exactly thrilled with telling some random medic about his attachment to you -in fact, he would rather go through several hours of torture over voluntarily being emotionally vulnerable- it was a necessary risk he had to take if he wanted to appeal to the women's sentimental side and gain more leniency when it came to being kept in the loop about you during your stay in medical. “Are they…? Will they pull through?”

The medic opened her mouth to reply but was unceremoniously cut off when the people that were crowding around your cot burst into a flurry of movement, the medics shouting to each other as they all scrambled for medical supplies. And while it may have looked chaotic, it was clear that there was in fact a method to the madness.

"We have a shortage of A+ and O- reserves. We’re going to need to perform a direct donor-to-patient transfusion if we have a chance of bringing them out of critical condition." A random voice that Ghost didn’t recognize called out just loud enough to carry over to where he was standing, and Ghost's blood ran cold.

"What blood type are you?" The medic next to him suddenly asked, sounding equal parts frantic and determined, her tone pulling his dull eyes away from the medics crowding around the cot that you were laying on to her. Her eyes were wide as she stared expectantly up at him, Ghost eyes widening as he caught onto what she was implying.

"I’m A+." Ghost replied immediately, already rolling up his sleeves to reveal his pale skin, his body moving before his mind even caught up with what he was doing, his feet taking him toward you and subsequently all the medical personnel that were currently treating you.

"We have a compatible donor!" The medic trailing behind Ghost yelled to be heard over the commotion as she followed him, easily keeping up with the rapid pace he’d set. It didn’t take long for him to be surrounded, Ghost ignoring how each unsolicited touch reminded him of the smell of petrichor and rot, the telltale squirming of maggots against his skin, and instead stubbornly kept his gaze locked onto your sallow face now that he was close enough to see you.

"We're doing an emergency transfusion." A male said as he rushed over to the pair, giving the female medic at Ghost’s side a needle and a tube while another medic simultaneously rolled up his left sleeve and wrapped a tourniquet around his bicep before tapping his inner elbow with two fingers in order to find a vein.

“Sir, have you had any unprotected sex in the last six months? Or have any blood-transmitted diseases we need to know about?" The male asked as he wiped down a patch of skin before pushing the hollow needle into Ghost's vein, almost as if he already knew that Ghost was clean and was just asking because it was protocol… so it seemed that his reputation proceeded him.

"No. None." He replied, holding eerily still and watching with keen eyes as medics prepped the major arteries in your arm, connecting you up to Ghost on the other side of the tubing.

Ghost felt an odd tugging sensation in his arms as the transfusion began, glancing away from you for the first time since he’d walked over and down at the tubing just in time to see blood so dark that it almost looked black being pulled out of his veins and down the tube, lazily making its way towards your own arm.

"Here, take a seat." The female medic from earlier said as she reached for his arm, Ghost jerking away from the threat of her touch and causing her to pull her hand away, the woman intelligently choosing to instead gesture to the unoccupied chair at your bedside that someone had dragged over. "Let us know if you start to get dizzy or feel nauseous, alright?" She asked as he obediently sat down, her kind eyes a stark contrast to the usual distant and clinical gazes he'd get from most medical personnel who worked for the military.

Ghost gave her a single, succinct nod in lieu of a verbal reply and turned his attention back to the blood that was traveling through the tubing, his free hand loosely wrapping around the arm of the plastic chair that he’d claimed. 

“The blood is dark.” He said suddenly as she began to step away, halting her in her tracks before she once again turned to face him, what was originally meant to be a question coming out more like a statement because of the cold numbness that was spreading from his chest and Ghost fingers subconsciously tightened on the unforgiving arm of the chair, his grip now more of an attempt at grounding himself than anything else.

When Ghost managed to pry his gaze away from you, he noted that the medic looked surprised, the shock only lasting a few seconds before she seemed to some conclusion or another and her features softened into sympathy and understanding. She clasped her hands in front of her and gave him a soft, reassuring smile as she patiently explained the phenomenon to him.

"Oh. It's perfectly safe. What you're most likely used to seeing is the bright red blood, yes?" She asked and Ghost was begrudgingly impressed with her ability to maintain steady eye contact with him when there were even some higher ups that he’d had the displeasure of meeting who couldn’t say the same. 

He didn’t look away as he nodded, confirming what she’d already suspected and she shot him another gentle smile before continuing. "It's just a chemical reaction with the oxygen in the air that makes it that color but, while it's in your veins, it's actually much darker."

Ghost is the one to break eye contact first, unable to keep looking at her kindhearted expression without wanting to scream at the woman that he doesn’t want her compassion, that she shouldn't waste such a useless emotion on someone like him, who didn't want or need it.

He nodded to make sure that she knew that he’d been paying attention and turned his attention back to you, his hands clenching as he resisted the urge to reach out and take your limp wrist into his own, to measure each sluggish beat of your heart from the source despite the slow beep of the machine next to him.

“Give it to me straight. I want to know if they’ll live.” Ghost said suddenly into the silence that had descended over the two of them and the medic took a deep breath, her lips thinning into a thin line.

"Well, due to your help, they’re odds have just gone up exponentially. They'll probably need a few transfusions though, and you'll need breaks between every one in order to eat, drink and replenish your strength. It's not going to be pleasant for you, but it's doable." She stated softly, her hands unclasping as she paused for a moment in order to seemingly think something over before voicing her thoughts. "Though, you're free to stop giving blood anytime you'd like, I'm just saying there's a better chance that they'll pull through if you do multiple sessions."

“I’ll give whatever it takes.” He admitted quietly, his tone determined and reverent in equal measure as he gave in to the impulse to reach out and lightly brush his calloused fingers over the thin, sensitive skin of your wrist, sliding up your arm to the joint of your elbow where the tubing was taped down before just resting there.

He could never tell the medic the truth about how far he was willing to go for you no matter how nice she seemed because the level of devotion he held for you was something that would scare off any normal person. 

He would most likely be stripped of his rank, discharged, and locked up in a padded room with white walls before being drugged up to his eyeballs if he ever confessed to how deep his obsession with you runs.

He would do anything to make sure that you would stay with him. He would destroy cities, tear down governments, kill anyone who got in his way without a second's hesitation. 

He would go to the ends of the world to bring you back, so giving you his blood, that he’d already spilled several pints of over the years -enough for him to be dead ten times over- for a violent cause that wasn’t even his, was nothing compared to the atrocities that he’d be willing to commit for you.

#tw: blood and injury #tw: Ghost's backstory #call of duty #call of duty modern warfare 2 #cod mw2 #cod mw 2022 #sociopath simon riley #morally grey simon riley #manipulative ghost #simon ghost riley #simon riley #ghost #simon ghost riley x reader #simon riley x reader #ghost x reader #reader is in the 141 #reader is ghosts bff #friends to lovers #slow burn #pining #getting together #ongoing series

[constantcrisis19]

Bleeding Out - Part 2

Simon "Ghost" Riley x GN S/O

AN: I’m so stoked that the first part got so much positive attention and I can’t thank you guys enough for all the support! Hope you enjoy the fic!

Main Page

Warnings: Blood and injury

Ghost kept his breathing even and his footsteps light as he kept a lookout for the gas station since the last thing he wanted was to attract any attention to himself and alert nearby enemies to his presence, though his focus shifted gears from his stealth mission when his radio clicked, familiar static coming through the line.

"Ghost? Stay frosty, I hear voices nearby." You cautioned, whispering quietly into the radio in order to avoid gaining any unwanted attention.

“Copy.” Ghost replied curtly before thinking better of his tone since the last thing that you needed in an already shitty situation was additional stress, so when he continued, he tried to soften his voice as much as he was able to. “I’m closing in on your position now.” 

His grip on his rifle flexed restlessly, hoping that the statement portrayed everything that he couldn’t make himself say out loud. I’m on my way, just hold on a little bit longer.

There was a moment of absolute silence where Ghost could pick up on the sound of muted voices that you had warned him about over the crackle of fire before gunfire began to ring out from close by, the sound akin to the relentless tick of a doomsday clock, every shot reminding Ghost that you both were running out of time.

He stayed on the lookout for any noises or movement, his finger resting against the trigger as he came up on a building that had been messily blown in half, the substantial amount of damage exposing the interior to the elements. 

Ghost’s tac gear scraped against the rough brick when he pressed his back up against one of the remaining exterior walls of the house and he paused at the corner, leaning forward in order to peer out around the edge.

His eyes immediately locked onto a bright red, oval sign that was upside down and half-buried in the rubble, the bold white lettering that was visible cuing Ghost into the fact that it was for a gas station. He forced himself to remain neutral as he scanned over his surroundings until he spotted a structure that had a huge gap running right down the middle of it and red accents that were in the same shade as the sign.

He checked the coordinates that you’d given him one last time, confirming what he had already suspected, before turning his attention back to the building that you were hiding out in. He cautiously looked around to make sure that there were no hostiles lying in wait, he wanted to be ready just in case you were being used as bait for a trap.

“I have eyes on the gas station.” Ghost’s voice was quiet and low, his grip tightening on his rifle while his finger moved to hover over the trigger in preparation of a firefight. The whole time his gaze darted from the station to his surroundings and back again almost obsessively, making sure he didn’t miss anything,

"Shit. I don't see you. I think that you're a little too good at blending into the environment. Can you confirm your exact position somehow? I’m injured and can’t afford to waste time trying to find you.” You were quick to reply at the prospect of being close to getting out of the mess that you’d found yourself in.

"Copy." Ghost replied and then thought for a short moment before an idea came to mind, he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his throwing knives. “Look for a bright reflection.” He instructed before angling the polished blade so that the golden evening sun reflected off of the shiny metal, creating a bright flash that you could easily locate.

There was the sound of shifting fabric and a low hiss from over the line before you went quiet, the silence drawing on for long enough that Ghost to begin to feel a growing sense of dread, his mind conjuring up the image of Death’s icy fingers drawing closer to you, reaching for the back of your neck-

Ghost used his free hand to activate his radio, his voice deceptively steady as he spoke. “Do you see the signal, Karma? Or should I try another method?” 

He felt like he was about to vibrate out of his skin. He wanted to be stupid, he wanted to forget all of his years of intense training and careful planning. He wanted to be selfish, he wanted to throw caution into the wind and rush in. He wanted to kill every person who had ever had even an inkling of ill intent towards you.

You made him want things he had no desire for previous to meeting you.

And, over the entire duration of his military career, the only person who ever managed to garner this loss of control from him was you. His grip absentmindedly flexed around the blade he was holding, but he wouldn’t allow his hands to shake, waiting with as much patience as he could muster for your response.

Though, even if you didn’t -or couldn’t- respond, Ghost would just have to come to you.

"Yeah, no, you're good. I see you now." You finally replied, your pained yet determined voice like balm to Ghost’s frayed nerves. He sheathed his throwing knife, listening intently as you stubbornly pushed to your feet with a muted groan.

It didn’t take him long to find you stumbling among the rubble, Ghost doing one last scan of the area before leaving cover in order to meet you halfway. His steady jog sped up into a full sprint when he saw you lose your footing and collapse against what remained of a charred gas pump, reaching you just in time to keep you from falling when your leg gave out.

Your hands were stained crimson where they were pressed up against the severe gash in your left thigh, blood leaking through your fingers and leaving a trail of red behind you. 

Ghost let his rifle hang from the strap thrown over his shoulder once you were upright, wasting no time dropping to his knees before you. He yanked his beige neck gaiter off, ripping a sizable patch off and pulling your hands away from the nasty wound before pressing the folded cloth against the raw, bloody mess.

Your reaction was instant, your shoulder hunching up around your ears as you lurched forward, curling up above Ghost’s head as you dug your teeth into the meat of one of your gloved hands in order to muffle the scream that was forced out by the firm pressure. 

Your other hand darted down to Ghost’s shoulder, your leg jerking in an instinctual attempt to get away from what was causing the pain, digging your nails in and holding on so hard that there was no doubt in Ghost’s mind that your nails left vivid bruises on his pale skin.

Ghost waited -keeping a careful eye on his surroundings all the while- until your breathing had evened back out and your jaw unclenched before tying the remainder of his neck gaiter around your thigh in order to keep the scrap of clothing that he was using as makeshift gauze in place.

He then turned around so that you were facing his back before reaching out behind him in order to grab onto your forearm and your uninjured thigh, maneuvering you onto his back. He made absolutely certain that you were settled and wouldn’t be slipping off of him if you lost consciousness along the way before taking his rifle in hand.

If he accidentally jostled your injury in the process, you gave no sign of any discomfort, the quick bandage on top of the blood loss most likely draining what little energy you had left.

“How’s the pain?” Ghost asked as he began the arduous journey back to base camp, where you would receive more advanced treatment for your numerous wounds, readjusting his grip on your left thigh when his hand began to slip.

"Nothing I can't handle, Lieutenant." You reassured weakly as you leaned heavily against his back, your entire body trembling from a combination of the adrenaline crash and the intense pain as your forehead dropped down to rest against the juncture of Ghost’s shoulder and neck, your breaths a little too even to be natural as they fanned out across his shoulder blade.  

“That’s good.” He replied as gently as he could even though he highly doubted that your pain level was as manageable as you were making it out to be, but he also knew that you were a stubborn son of a bitch and always went into every mission like you had something to prove, so it wasn’t really surprising that you were reluctant about being truthful when it came to your injuries.

As if you were worried that Ghost would be disappointed.

As if Ghost could ever feel disappointed in you.

You were his closest friend and it wasn’t a title he gave to just anyone. He trusted you, he trusted you enough to hand you a knife and turn away, knowing that you wouldn’t stick it into his vulnerable back. He trusted you with his story, his scars, his pain. He trusted you even when half-dead on his feet from several days of being on the run with little to no sleep. 

He trusted you to know what to do when he felt less human and more like a incorporeal phantom, invisible and unmoored, surrounded by the thick scent of petrichor and rot in a wooden prison.

So no. Ghost could never feel anything other than pride and warmth when he looked at you.

“Is your vision foggy at all?” He asked, shaking himself out of his thoughts when his hold on your thigh slipped again. “Any nausea, dizziness, confusion?” He added before you could answer, giving you the opportunity to be open about how you were feeling.

"My vision is still good enough for me to shoot if needs must, but I'll let you know if that changes." You replied softly after a moment of loaded silence, one of your hands coming up to squeeze his unoccupied shoulder for a few seconds before letting go. 

Though, the only thing Ghost could focus on through the entire interaction was the fact that you’d stopped shaking, and there was no way that he could convince himself that the development was a good thing.

Ghost just gave a noncommittal hum for lack of anything to say, his gaze darting around as he moved toward the edge of the city where it was quieter. Ghost mentally calculated the distance and figured that the camp wasn’t too far away now, though it would still be another seven or so minutes until he reached it.

The next couple of minutes were spent in a tense silence, only being broken by your soft voice, just loud enough for Ghost to hear you. "Thank you." 

And in that moment, he had never hated hearing those words more. It sounded like giving up. 

It sounded like goodbye.

“Hang on. We’re close.” Ghost forced out through gritted teeth, pushing his burning legs to go faster despite the fatigue he could feel weighing down his limbs. 

He revisited his initial image of Death standing before you and saw himself stepping between you and its cold, spindly hand. He imagined staring into the black void of its eyes and denying it the satisfaction of taking you.

You were not dying today.

"Good… tha's good." You said sleepily, your words slurring together as you began to lose focus. Ghost wondered if you feel the wound on your thigh anymore because, as nice as you not having to be in constant pain was, he knew from experience that the numbness was much worse.

“Stay awake.” Ghost demanded, his voice coming out angrier than he’d meant it too. “That’s an order, Karma. Keep your eyes open.” 

"But I'm tired." You complained, your voice dropping into a soft whisper, and Ghost felt something in his chest tighten at how exhausted you sounded. He was horribly tempted to tell you to close your eyes and let go, if only to give you a moment of respite, but he knew that he would lose you if he did.

"You can rest once we get to the med tent." He promised, his own voice just as quiet as yours. "Just a little bit further, just hold on. Please." Ghost repeated quietly, breaking out into a sprint as the edge of the camp’s perimeter came into view, the motion sensors going off as he passed them, racing toward the med tent.

There was no response from you as you went completely limp in his hold, arms dangling over his shoulders like dead weight.

---

@sselinaa, @frazie99, @mildlyhopeless, @dotcie, @lost-xim

#call of duty #call of duty modern warfare 2 #cod mw2 #cod mw 2022 #sociopath simon riley #morally grey simon riley #simon ghost riley #ghost #simon ghost riley x reader #ghost x reader #reader is in the 141 #reader is Ghost's bff #friends to lovers #slow burn #pining #getting together #ongoing series

[constantcrisis19]

Bleeding Out Masterlist

Simon "Ghost" Riley x GN S/O

Warnings: War, violence, bombs, blood and injury, very heavily implied suicidal intent.

Ongoing Series!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

#call of duty #call of duty modern warfare 2 #cod mw2 #cod mw 2022 #reader insert #sociopath simon riley #morally grey simon riley #simon ghost riley #ghost #simon riley #simon ghost riley x reader #ghost x reader #simon riley x reader #reader is in the 141 #reader is ghosts bff #friends to lovers #slow burn #pining #getting together #tw: blood and injury #tw: violence #tw: war and death #tw: sui ideation #tw: ghost's backstory