codcoward

[codcoward]

This!!

I have absolutely no interest in seeing what they do with Ghost after MW3.

If they keep writing him with dry humor and bantering with the others, his character will feel too callous, like Soap's death didn't affect him at all. Or like he got over it very fast for someone who cared so much during the Alone mission and during the funeral.

If they write him as a broken soldier who never jokes or opens up for anyone anymore... That's just not interesting. Part of the fun of his character was him pretending not to care(or telling himself he didn't care) about this spitfire he'd taken under his wing, and grudgingly warming up to him. Take that away, and he's dehumanized, and not in any engaging way.

Like you said OP, their best bet is probably just to kill him off. But seeing how terribly Soap's death was handled, I don't want to know how they could butcher Ghost's. I know it'll be predictable, though!

It's extremely frustrating how badly thought out this death was.

MW3 SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT

MW3 analysis and opinions: A cheap, half done sellout and the worst game to come out of the franchise.

AGAIN, there are spoilers from here on out.

Okay, so if you're reading this you are aware of the events of MW3. i'm sure we all have our own opinions but as someone who is an avid writer and story teller I have a very strong opinion on the writing/story telling of the game.

Below, I will be going into depth to why it is so poorly written from a writer and consumer prospective.

| Sergeant Johnny "Soap" MacTavish's death/KIA scene |

I don't even know where to start with this tbh. I have so much to say but Jesus Christ did they absolutely butcher this scene to the fullest extent. I have never seen such a horrible, emotionless, boring and straight up unentertaining major character death in my life, let alone from one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world.

Soap is one of the most loved characters in the franchise, his been around for years and as a result fans/the audience have built a strong emotional connection to him.

When you have a character such as Soap, as a writer, you have a responsibility to give the character justice, even if you plan to kill said character off.

Sledgehammer however decided that they didn't feel like doing that, so they popped Soap between the eyes and called it a day.

There is so much wrong with this scene, so I'm going to walk you through it step by step.

One of my biggest problems with not just this scene but he entire game is the lack of emotion portrayed by the other characters. This is not the actors fault, rather a result of bad writing, editing and shortcuts.

Soap is a major character, his death NEEDS to be a big deal. it NEEDS to be dramatic, frantic, emotional and devastating. The characters around him need to at least ACT like it has some major effect on the story, but as we are all aware, there was a severe lack of that in the game.

Soaps death was quick, literally a few seconds and moved so fast you as the player didn't even get time to mourn him or react to the death itself. It was anticlimactic, lacked emotion and boring. I sat there and said to myself aloud "was that it?" Because I was so underwhelmed by the entire scene.

On top of that, Price, Gaz and Ghosts emotional responses were so bad I thought I was watching a shitty low budget sit-com. Paired with the horrible editing that threw me off so much I actually paused the game and thought it lagged because it just made no sense.

Once Soap dies, Price doesn't move from his position. He stands completely still, doesn't run to him and overall hardly reacts to his death.

If we compare his reaction to Soaps death in the original MW3, well, there is no comparison because they're so far removed. How does Price go from vigorously shaking Soap's body screaming "NO, NO, SOAP, NO, NO, NO, SOAP, SOAP, SOAP" to having basically no emotion at all? It feels disingenuous and fake, its like Soap had no relationship with Price at all and the death was insignificant to him.

Yes, there was a cut scene were he announced over the coms that Soap was KIA but its like, okay??? His death was boring, Prices response leading up to him announcing Soaps KIA lacked any emotional depth. the audience doesn't care.

The editing within the scene was horrible as well. Like, where the hell did Ghost and Gaz come from? they appeared out of nowhere, did the teleport? were they there the whole time? They just appeared, like, hello?

Gaz's reaction was nonexistent and i'm not joking, like he actually didn't have one at all. Dude did not give a FUCK that his teammate just died. he didn't yell for Soap, didn't rush over to him, wasn't shaken by the experience or worried for his friend at all.

He walked up to his team mates dead body, had a look and was like "damn that sucks" and moved on. How do you expect the audience to care if the characters don't? Is Gaz a psychopath? did they forget to write in Gaz's reaction? did they accidentally use the wrong cut? I'm confused. like, I don't know what else to say about Gaz, he was so so so bad in this scene its actually concerning and making me reconsider if he even knew who Soap was to begin with because who the fuck reacts like that when a close friend dies right in front of them?

I'm not saying he should have broken down in tears and dropped to the floor but can we get SOMETHING? ANYTHING? like yassss girl give us nothing, woohoo

Ghosts reaction was underwhelming as well. In MW2 (2022) when Graves and Shepherd betray Ghost, Soap and Alejandro. Ghost is frantically yelling for Soap to "get out of there" and "go". it's very, very clear that they have a tight friendship, they care about each other. So why is Ghosts reaction, again, so nonchalant and boring. It's a known fact that they are REALLY GOOD FRIENDS. Soap is a MASSIVE part of Ghosts character development in MW2 (2022) so why is it no big deal that his best friend just died? why is it like any other day for him.

No disappointment, no sadness or shock. His just like "yeah, okay, that's to bad, here's a pat on the stomach mate rip I guess lol"

And before people jump in and say Ghost doesn't show emotion, I'll reference back to the betrayal scene in MW2 (2022), dude was stressing, his eyes were blown and there was a lot of emotion in his voice, its not a character decision, its shit writing and a tacky job.

I wanted to see Ghost react to what just happened, not just look around and bend down next to Soaps body. I'm not asking him to burst into tears and curl up into the fetal position, but I am asking for an appropriate reaction from his character that helps me as the player understand the weight of Soaps passing and erupts some kind of emotion from me, not whatever that was.

| Soaps Unnecessary Death/Wasted Character Potential |

The first thing I ask myself when I write a death in a story is "does killing this character serve a purpose? Does it develop the plot? and is it necessary?"

Killing a character has to service a purpose to your story, if it doesn't, you're taking shortcuts and being a lousy writer.

Soaps death held no purpose, it didn't contribute to the storyline, his teammates didn't develop or grow from it. They simply did it because they had nothing else to do, the campaign was shitty, it only ran for 3 hours and because they lack so much in the creative department they did the one thing writers do when they can't be arsed to write a good story, they kill off a character in hopes it will make it interesting.

The thing that annoys me the most about Soaps death is the story telling potential he had.

Neils rendition of Soap was so unbelievably different and unique compared to our past Soaps. They could have done SO MUCH with him. Like, how did Soap go from a charming, charismatic, friendly guy to a rough, cold Captain with a scar across his eye? What happened? What finally pushed this young guy over the edge to become a cold distant leader?

There was SO MUCH THERE and they threw it away for what? they shot themselves in the foot and binned a character that could of grown and developed over many more games.

It was unnecessary, stupid and just cheap? It felt so rushed, so emotionless and just disappointing. I'm more upset about losing a potentially really cool character development story then I am Soap being dead in cannon.

Part of the reasons Soaps death hit so hard in the original MW3 is because we got 3 games to grow with him. In the reboot, we only got 2. If they wanted to kill off Soap again, that's fine, but you have to build up the story and make it make sense

Sledgehammer has rinsed and repeated the same story line for years and it's just kinda upsetting to see good stories and characters go to waste. I would much rather of waited 2-3 years and got a fleshed out plot and a reason behind Soaps death rather then a 3 hour campaign and a rushed storyline with loose ends

| Ghosts Ruined Character Development - Why Did They Even Bother Developing His Character If They Knew This Was Going To Be The Ending? |

It feels like Ghost character has taken 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. Before MW2 (2022) we never saw Ghost form any friendships like he did with Johnny. He had always been closed off and the game never opened him up his more vulnerable side.

In MW2 (2022) we see Ghost wait back in the chapel for Soap, coaching him through back alleys and abandon buildings so they could leave to safety together. When they arrive at Alejandro's safe house Rudy insinuates Ghost would always wait for Soap before leaving to safety, Soap butts in saying he wouldn't but Ghost makes a point THAT HE WOULD. This is massive for Ghosts character.

We also see Ghost franticly yelling for Soap to "get out" and "go" when Graves and Shepherd betray them as well as referring to him as "Johnny". We have never seen this side of Ghost and I was SO EXCITED to see how he would develop as a character with the help of Soap. Johnny was a major part of Ghost character development.

It now begs the question, why did they even bother developing Ghosts character if they knew it wasn't going anywhere? Soaps death didn't impact Ghost in any way, he didn't grow from it, if anything his probably back to were he was at the start of MW2 (2022).

I really feel as if they have backed Ghosts character into a corner and I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up killing him off later on down the line because any character development he did have has been completely thrown out the window.

Ghost is never going to open himself up again after loosing Soap and there won't be anymore banter or dry humour thrown around, if anything, he will just become more reserved, closed off and basically a shell of the person he used to be.

The writers developed Ghost and opened his character up just to completely strip him of any and all character growth. How is that a story?

I have more to say so I'll probably write a part 2, right now im just seething because I feel like we lost such an amazing story due to laziness.

[codcoward]

Practicing my first Samuel Roukin lookin’ Ghost <3

[codcoward]

Reasons why that creative project has been sitting at 95% completed for months or years on end:

What remains to be done is all editing and revision, and you resent the fact that your work can’t just be perfect on the first try  

You remember that there was something you wanted to change, but you didn’t write it down and now can’t recall what it was, and you can’t proceed until you figure it out  

You’re stuck in a loop of “there’s this one problem that I know I can’t resolve without external feedback, but I don’t want to show it to anyone else until after that problem has been resolved”  

It’s really the process that you enjoy, and you’ve learned that you can indefinitely postpone the emotional letdown of a completed project if you simply refuse to acknowledge that there’s nothing further to be done  

The unhinged perfectionist part of your brain is convinced that calling a project finished is tantamount to admitting that you couldn’t have done it better  

You got absorbed in a second project and genuinely forgot that the first one existed  

Aliens

[codcoward]

haunting the ghost 💭

[codcoward]

Simon 'Ghost' Riley x John 'Soap' MacTavish Butcher shop AU Words: 1090

@horsebra You have poisoned my brain with the butcher shop AU. You know how flower shop AUs use floriography (flower language)? I'm going to make a meat language and no one can stop me. I am so sorry if the cuts of meat are different/named differently in the UK. This fic burst out of my brain too quickly for research.

Simon hears a bell endlessly ringing at the counter. Someone is tapping it like a child and he just knows it’s Johnny. He hates that he knows that. He’s only stopped by a couple of times, but he’s wormed his way into Simon’s skull.

Like knowing the way he constantly taps the bloody bell on the counter.

Simon sighs and puts his boning knife down. The slab of the cow isn’t going anywhere and it has more patience than Johnny. He adjust his gaiter as he steps out of the cooler without taking his apron off. Low and behold, Johnny is there. His face lights up when he sees the double doors open. He waves to Simon. The mechanic dragged in dirt and whatever else you can find on the floor of a garage. He’s leaning against the counter wearing clothes stained with motor oil and Christ knows what else.

“How’s it going, Simon?”

“Quite alright, I’d say,” he answers. “You?”

“Can’t complain,” Johnny replies. He leans down to look at the display cool like a kid at a candy store. The last few times he was here, he just bought some sausage. Today he’s browsing very dramatically. “Whit dae ye cry thon yin?” He points into the display.

“English, Johnny.”

He rolls his eyes and speaks slowly. “What do you call that one?”

“Hanger steak.”

“Is it nice?” 

Simon’s eye twitches. He loathes that question. “Everything here is ‘nice.’ Are you looking for something specific?”

“Aye, I’ve got someone to impress. Gonnae make them dinner.”

His fingers twitches. A date? 

“Filets are the most sought after.” He points to the long, well-trimmed tenderloin. “Cut it from tenderloin; it’s a very underutilized muscle, so it’s always the most tender.”

“Aren’t those a wee small? My guest has an appetite.”

Simon is trying to not read into his statements. He’s probably this friendly with everyone. He could be having family over.

“How many people?”

“What?”

“How many are you feeding?”

“Oh, just two.” He holds up two fingers. “Two people, but big appetites.” He still doesn't clarify if it's a date or something friendly.

“Go with ribeye.”

“Why’s that?”

“With good marbling it’s quite tender. Thick cut means it’s a large portion and you’re less likely to over cook it. It’s the same part of the cow as prime rib, but if you’re just cooking for two you don’t need a whole roast."

"Quite the salesman, you are," remarks the other man.

"It's easy when you only sell great things."

“Well, Simon, you’ve got a sale!" He has a beaming smile on his face. He’s been enjoying this little lesson. “I’ll take those two.”

Simon puts on gloves and pulls out the two pieces Johnny points to out of the display case. Johnny walks over to the register while Simon drops the cuts on butcher paper. The mechanic watches him wrap up the meat and place it on the scale. A few button presses later a label gets printed. 

“What are you going to serve with these?” Normally he wouldn’t ask a customer something like that. Small talk isn’t one of his strengths.

“Figure I can’t go wrong with potatoes and veg.”

“That you can’t,” Simon remarks. Johnny leans forward on the counter again. Simon is trying to ignore that he needs to mop the floor and wipe down every surface Johnny has leaned on or touched. “When's this dinner?” Simon asks. He can't help himself from prying when he really shouldn't be.

“Tomorrow,” he answers.

“You should take the steaks out of the paper, sprinkle them with salt with a heavy hand and let them rest uncovered overnight,” he says as he rings up the order. He's just giving good advice to a customer, this isn't out of the ordinary. Johnny happily hands him money and Simon hands him the bag.

“Oh uh, how do I know when they’re done? I've never cooked steaks before and I really don’t want to mess up something this nice.” Of course he’s going to wing this, like everything he seems to do. Normally Simon wouldn’t care, but he abhors wasted food. Especially when it's from his store. He’s feeling generous and is willing to give a little lesson.

“Give me your hand,” Simon orders. Johnny cautiously holds it up and Simon pressed his palm flat and rotates it so its facing up.

“Press here. This is what the steak feels like raw.” Simon presses his thumb against the base of Johnny's thumb near his wrist. Johnny does what he’s told. “Now touch your thumb and your pinky together.”

He does and Simon presses against that same spot on his palm. Johnny copies that action.

“This is what the steak will feel like when it’s well-done.” Simon squeezes Johnny’s wrist a bit threateningly. “If you cook these well-done you’re never allowed back in my shop.”

“Hear you loud and clear,” he replies with a smile. Simon leads him down the rest of the hand.

“Thumb and ring finger feels like medium. Middle finger is medium-rare. Pointer finger is rare.”

Johnny keeps switching the finger that touches the thumb and keeps testing what the differences are. Simon still hasn’t let go of his wrist, he's probably been holding on a bit too long. Johnny looks up at him expectantly and Simon quickly lets go. He can't help himself he gently grabs the other man’s pointer and ring finger.

“Aim for rare or medium-rare. If your da—guest wants anything higher than tell ‘em to get lost.” Simon lets go of his fingers. but Johnny doesn't move. He keeps switching the fingers touching his thumb and pressing against his palm with the other hand. He's looking very studious as he tries to internalize the lesson despite how basic it is. Simon has never seen that man focus on anything as intently as this.

“Thanks for the tip, mate. Never would have thought of that.” He doesn’t look up when he grabs the bag off the counter. He's still pressing his thumb against his other palm when he turns to head out of the shop.

“Oh uh, Simon,” he says before opening the door. He’s rubbing the back of his neck with a smile on his face like he’s up to no good.

“Yeah?” Simon was about to walk back into the cooler.

“You free for dinner tomorrow?” He holds up the bag of steaks. If Simon was holding anything in his hands right now, he would have dropped it.

[codcoward]

I can’t be the only one to notice an uptick of people posting ‘placeholder’ stuff on ao3 , right?

I was going through the homestuck tag and saw like 5 relatively new fics (like posted in the past month) that where just a title, description, and tags and the work was just “this is a place holder rn :) I’m still writing the fic.”

Please stop doing this , it’s so annoying and I don’t even get the point.

You don’t need a placeholder! You don’t need to reserve a spot for your fic before hand this isn’t a fancy restaurant.

[codcoward]

TF-141 CREW

this strted just as a warmup doodle cuz i wanted to set down on my own ghost face hc and ended up drawing the whole 141 cuz i love them dearly

[codcoward]

[codcoward]

PITCH-HIT A GIFT FOR THE GHOSTSOAP SERVER GIFT EXCHANGE 💪never done '09 soapghost so I hope I did them justice <3

Also haven't done a comic in fuckin forever but shshshshhhh

[codcoward]

It's true, Ghost himself told me c: . My commissions are open <3 | Support me? Ko.fi / Patreon .

[codcoward]

I know that Soap isn't really small, he is just shorter in comparison to the rest of the guys. But it doesn't take away the image of him climbing on the kitchen counters to reach the highest shelf.

Ghost and Gaz don't let him live it down when they see it.

[codcoward]

Shooting practice

[codcoward]

KISSIES :3c

[codcoward]

the “bullet hitting the vest” quote is actually during the close air mission, when you’re playing as the shadow company tv operator. ghost, soap, and alejandro are approaching the compound when they start taking fire from cartel members near the water tower, so they tell you to level it. please don’t ask how many times i’ve played the mw2 reboot campaign to know this right off the bat <3

Mystery solved! You're a saint <3

[codcoward]

Since AO3 is back online, can finally crosslink my SoapGhost fics! Only many months late... oof. I'll be keeping them anonymous on there so people looking at my account for other things don't get jumpscared, but I'll link any more I post here

Bear Teeth - Explicit, A/B/O, Alpha/Alpha --Dubious Consent(though written to be pretty much consensual!)

Debark - Whump, Hurt/Comfort

Work, and Doing It - Explicit, Fingering, Coming Untouched --Undernegotiated Kink

And Power, his Kingdom - Konig/Soap/Ghost, Explicit, Consensual Non-Consent, Size Kink --Consensual with Implied Negotiation, but still possibly triggering. Warned for Rape/Non-Con just in case.

Of Inversion - Explicit, A/B/O, Role Reversal