#/ they also serve as a military but that's a post for another time

[batboyblog]

What Joe Biden has Done for LGBTQ+ People

I wanted to list out everything The Biden Administration has done for Queer people in the last 3 and a half years, but according to GLAAD it'd been 337 moves (and I noticed they missed a few things...) there was just no way to list every ground breaking first Queer person ever nominated to fill this or that job, every ally with a historic LGBT rights record nominated for a top job, every beautiful statement of support, every time he tried to get Congress to pass the Equality Act (support it!) So I've gone through and done my best to pick the ones I think were the most important, but everyone should check out the full list!

Day 1: Signs executive orders banning discrimination and ordering a full review of all federal agencies policies to better include and support LGBT people

Pete Buttigieg becomes the first openly gay person nominated and confirmed for a cabinet level post as Secretary of Transportation

Revokes Trump’s 2018 ban on transgender military personnel

Department of Housing and Urban Development implements LGBTQ protections in housing, becoming first federal agency to implement Pres. Biden’s executive order

First President to recognize and proclaim Trans Day of Visibility

Department of Justice Civil Rights Division issues an official memo that the Supreme Court's Bostock decision against LGBT workplace discrimination also applies to education through Title IX

HUD withdraws a Trump Administration proposed rule change, and reaffirms trans people's rights to seek shelters matching their gender identity

HHS announces the withdrawal of Trump Administration rules that allowed discrimination by healthcare organizations against LGBT people.

The State Department and later Homeland Security announce babies born to Queer couples overseas will be American citizens if one parent is American, in the past the child only qualified if they were genetically related to the American citizen parent.

The Justice Department files against a West Virginia law banning trans students from school athletics

Department of Veterans Affairs announces it will offer gender confirming surgery for transgender veterans. There are an estimated 134,000 transgender veterans in the U.S. and another 15,000 transgender people serving in the armed forces.

President Biden Signs a law making the Pulse Night Club a national memorial

The State Department creates an X gender marker for passports and other documents, allowing gender affirming identification for non-binary and intersex people for the first time.

The Census Bureau for the first time issues a Survey with questions about sexual orientation and gender identity

On the 10th anniversary of the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, Veterans Administration announces that soldiers discharged for homosexual conduct, gender identity or HIV status qualify for veterans' benefits

Dr. Rachel Levine becomes the first trans person confirmed by the US Senate when she was nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Health, she also became the first trans flag rank officer when she was sworn in as a 4 star Admiral for her job as head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, his makes her the highest ranked trans person in government

Holds the first ever vigil in the White House for Transgender Day of Remembrance

HHS announces rule change to reinstate and expand protections against discrimination in the Affordable Care Act, including denying coverage for gender-affirming care.

Social Security Administration reverses a Trump Administration policy and allows benefits claims by surviving partners in same-sex relationships, whose partner died before marriage equality was legal

President Biden signs the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (a bill he helped originally craft in the Senate) which for the first time has grant programs dedicated to expanding and developing initiatives specifically for LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence

The TSA announces new technology and policy shifts to improve the customer experience of transgender travelers who have previously been required to undergo additional screening due to alarms in sensitive areas.

The Social Security Administration allows people to edit their gender and name on records for the first time without legal and medical documentation

The US Air Force announces it'll offer medical and legal aid to any personnel families affected by state level anti-trans youth bills.

Karine Jean-Pierre becomes the first Lesbian to serve as White House Press Secretary

on 50th anniversary of Title IX The Department of Ed strengthens protections for Students against sexual harassment and discrimination

Veterans Affairs announces survivor benefits now extended to partners from relationships before marriage equality was legalized in 2015

President Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act into law enshrining protections for marriage equality for same-sex and interracial couples

The Department of Ed announces new rules around athletic eligibility under Title IX, declaring blanket bans on trans students violate the law and setting up strike standards for schools

The White House announced a suit of new protections for LGBTQ people, including a new job at the Department of Ed to combat book bans, a joint DoJ Homeland Security effort to combat violence and threats and HHS evidence-based guidance to mental health providers for care of transgender kids

President Biden signs an Executive Order directing HHS to protect LGBTQI+ youth in the foster care system, a rule they later passed requiring Queer foster children to be placed in affirming homes

The Biden administration joins families of transgender youth in Tennessee and Kentucky in petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review and reverse a circuit court ruling allowing a ban on mainstream health care to be enforced

President Biden Signs a EO expanding on past EO on equality and helping underserved communities

The Department of Education's Civil Rights office opens an investigation into the death of Nex Benedict. President Biden in his statement said: "Every young person deserves to have the fundamental right and freedom to be who they are, and feel safe and supported at school and in their communities. Nex Benedict, a kid who just wanted to be accepted, should still be here with us today. Nonbinary and transgender people are some of the bravest Americans I know. But nobody should have to be brave just to be themselves. In memory of Nex, we must all recommit to our work to end discrimination and address the suicide crisis impacting too many nonbinary and transgender children.”

[thedevilsoftruth]

Gorgeous and cinnamon

B. Barnes x f reader!

Sum: A cute date with the hotie you met online turns into a night of him fucking your brains out after you open up to him about a certain " fella " who did you wrong.

Smut tags/warnings: smutty asf, mentioms of alcohol, first date, reader is kinda implied to be chubby/plus sized, cunnilingus, Bucky's filthy mouth, like a lot of dirty talk... like a lot, flirty/smart ass Bucky, multiple orgasms, biting/clit biting, piv sex, spit, Not beta read!!! By far the most indulgent fic I've ever made.

A/N: The result of Bullet ( me ) listening too way too much Type O Negative for her own good, and also rediscovering Bestkeptsecret and binge listening their audios. This is definitely NOT inspired by them and also Be My Druidess by Type O Negative. ( please listen to that song while reading this. )

[ my marvel request box is currently open. Please see my pinned post for additional information regarding my request rules. ]

Minors DNI! I am not responsible for what you find on the internet!!!

There was this guy you had met on a dating website. His name was James, but he said that his close friends called him Bucky. He was a very polite and well spoken man, but had a tendency to get very sassy. Not only that but he was insanely attractive. He had brown hair that looked a bit outgrown, he had a light beard, beautiful blue eyes, and--strangely enough, had a metal prosthetic arm. He said he had served in the military for a certain amount of time before he was discharged for losing his arm out in battle, which is why he had the prosthetic.

But nonetheless, your date with him had been overall cute and a little bit awkward, but a very good date regardless. You had both had a couple drinks that night, and now, were both in his apartment, sitting on his couch as you talked more about what your lives were like. And this Bucky guy? He was very interesting to learn about.

The apartment was almost completely dark, the only light source being the lamp on the accent table next to the couch and the many candles lit around the room. It was a comfy sort of vibe. The lights casted the room in a faint golden glow, the burning incense giving the apartment a warm, cinnamon-y scent.

As you sat on his bizarrely comfortable white sofa with a glass of white wine in your hands, your past serious conversation about his injury in battle steering into a light-hearted conversation about your past dates.

" Did you ever date when you were in the military? " You asked him with a grin, sipping down on the alcohol in your hands. You imagined it would be hard with how women never trained with men. He chuckled at the question.

" I dated a lot, actually. " He answered, following you by taking a sip of his drink. " I used to be a dog, but now that I'm old, things are a bit different. " He added after he swallowed down the alcohol, smiling at his own joke. You smiled when he smiled, resting your elbow against the headrest of the sofa.

" How old are you, again? " You asked him, unsure if you had even asked him in the past. His brows furrowed and his eyes drifted off yours. He was really hoping that he could avoid that question. For a moment, his mind was sent into a panic before he quickly said, " 37. "

You quirked a brow at him skeptically and took another sip of your wine, smiling.

" You sound unsure. " You teased him, taking another sip before you set your drink down. He shook his head with a laugh.

" No--I--sorry, I just... " He stammered, trying to find the right words without seeming absolutely ridiculous. You were holding back a laugh. " I just turned 37, so I'm still kind of used to saying im 36. " He lied, making gestures with his left hand as his right heald his drink. His finger was lightly tapping against the glass anxiously. He gulped hard before he parted his lips to speak again.

" You're 36, right? " He asked. You snorted.

" Oh god, do I really look that old? " You laughed, leaning forward a bit as you did so. Bucky blinked a few times, tilting his head to the side, afraid that he had just offended you. You noticed the freaked out expression in his face, and you took a sip of your wine and cleared your throat.

" I'm 34. " You told him, this time without all the laughter. He shrugged, feeling slightly better about himself.

" I wasn't that far off. " He smirked before downing the rest of his drink. You let out a tiny laugh at that, running your finger around the rim of your glass. He set his glass down on the table and popped his fingers with a sigh.

" So, what about you? Do you do a lot of dating? " He asked you, looking you up and down. You almost laughed at that too, but really the question was a lot sadder than it needed to be.

" No. " You responded, your eyes drifting off onto the wall. " Fella done did me wrong. " You lightly joked, your fingers curling around the skirt of your blue wrap dress. The smile on Bucky's face faded. Your eyes flicked back onto his, and he didn't really know how to comfort you. So, he reached out for your hand and he ran his thumb up and down your knuckles softly.

" I guess I just got over being alone for so long and decided I needed a new partner. "You told him, blushing as you looked down at your knees. His thumb lightly ghosted over your skin, almost barely there as he gave you a sympathetic smile.

" Not uh... Not a lot of guys would want to go out with a girl who looks like me. " You said quietly, your knuckles turning white as your fingers curled into the fabric of your dress tightly. " Last fella I had broke up with me tellin me he only liked me for my boobs in the first place. "

Bucky felt a slight sting in his chest as you spoke to him. You were scoffing at the thought of it, but he was just left there feeling utterly terrible for you.

" Well that man's a fuckin' idiot. " His hand squeezed yours as he spoke, his eyes looking into yours intensely. His words made you feel something warm inside, and you couldn't help yourself from blushing. " He doesn't know what he's missing out on. "

You looked up at him, your bottom lip pulled between your teeth anxiously. Your eyes locked, and the air around you thickened with tension.

" I think you're beautiful. " He said, blue eyes raking up and down your body before stopping back at your eyes. You gulped hard at the compliment. The both of you were unsure of what was going to happen next, but all Bucky knew was that he was just going to take whatever you gave him and run with it.

" I mean seriously. " He looked you up and down again, his breath nearly catching in his throat as he admired you. " You are the most stunning woman I've ever laid my eyes on. And I've dated a lot of women in my day. "

The second compliment hit you like a freight train, and you found yourself almost wanting to curl yourself in a ball and hide from him out of embarrassed. Not in a negative way, but in a positive way. Not because it was forced or anything but because it felt so real and genuine.

" Thank you. " You responded, bowing your head with a wife smile you tried to hide by biting your lip. Your cheeks felt so hot, and you felt like a fool for getting so worked up over on tiny compliment. But then, you felt his fingers hooking under your chin, forcing your gaze back onto his, and that--that gave you a reason to be so worked up.

" Can I kiss you, gorgeous? " He asked, his voice barley a whisper as he looked down on you with a faint smile. The words, including the pet name--especially the pet name, sent a warm sensation to pool beneath your abdomen. You blinked a few times, a bit reluctant and unsure at first, but you eventually gave in with the nod of your head.

He smiled, and pulled you closer to him, lowering his hand to the side of your neck as he leaned in to kiss you. It was gentle and slow at first. His lips felt so soft and warm against yours that you swore you could melt into him. His thumb slowly began tracing the collum of your throat as his lips pecked yours, pulling at them gently. And then, he titled his head to kiss you deeper, his kisses getting a bit sloppier and wetter by the second. You moaned into his mouth as his tongue darted out to swipe your lips. You eagerly let him in, and the moment his tongue touched yours, a shiver ran down your spine.

Your hand went down to his chest, feeling his heart besting fast against your palm as his tongue moved against yours.

Bucky's metal arm fell down to your hip, gripping it gently as his lips drifted from your mouth, to your cheeks, down to your jaw. You moaned softly as his lips drifted to the crook of your neck. He opened his mouth, grazing his teeth against your pulse point lightly before he began kissing on it.

You gripped his shirt tightly, another little moan leaving your mouth as he nibbled and sucked on your skin. Your moans and the growing arousal in his jeans both told him not to stop, but he couldn't continue on the way he wanted to on the first date. So, he pulled away--rather suddenly.

" I'm so sorry. " He apologized, clearing his throat. " I got carried away. I shouldn't-- " you cut him off.

" Is this what you want? " You asked him, immediately silencing him. He blinked for a minute, confused.

" Is this what you want? " He repeated with emphasis on the word you.

" Yes. Yes, it is. "You responded with the nod of your head.

The second he got that confirmation from you, his lips were back on yours, this time mercilessly kissing you hard. Bucky's metal hand trailed up your plump stomach, caressing your skin lightly before coming up to cup your breast. You moaned loudly into his mouth, your arousal becoming evident in your panties.

" Come here, gorgeous. " He growled into your mouth, picking you up by your thighs and standing up with you in his arms. His strength was unmatched, and the fact that he was able to carry you so swiftly without breaking a sweat honestly freaked you out a bit.

But you wrapped your arms around his neck as he continued to pepper your face with kisses as he carried you off to his room. He opened his bedroom door and kicked it back shut behind him as he walked in. The room was dark, but there was a little led lamp on his bedside table that shun the color blue.

He gently laid you down on the edge of his queen sized bed and kneeled on the ground between your legs. You propped yourself on his bed by your arms, your hands almost slipping on the silky red sheets over his bed. Bucky pushed the skirt of your dress up to your waist, revealing more of your skin to him. His large, rough hands glided down to your thighs.

His eyes flicked up to yours from his spot between your thighs and he gave you a wandering expression as his fingers tugged on your biker shorts.

" Can I take these off, sweetheart?" He asked you in his deep, smooth, sexy voice, his voice sweet enough to persuade you to do anything. You eagerly nodded your head, anticipating the moment you were able to feel his tongue against you.

His fingers swiftly hooked onto your shorts and slid them down your legs.

He could not believe how gorgeous you were. Seriously, he was salivating at his mouth just looking at you.

The moment he looked up and saw the lacy black panties you were wearing, his smile only grew.

" Oh baby, " he nearly growled, parting your plump thighs to get a better look at the clothed pussy he was sure was going to eternally his. " Did you wear these for me? " He cooed, his voice low and deep, almost whisper-like as he ran his flesh hand down your pelvic bone, feeling the lace under his palm.

You looked down, only to have your eyes be stolen by his heated gaze.

Bucky pressed a kiss to your inner thigh sweetly as his fingers slipped down your center, his two middle fingers gliding smoothly between your pussy lips.

Then, his head went back down between your plump thighs like a pretty little sunset, and he planted a soft kiss to your pussy through your panties.

" Mm.. fuck, " he moaned, giving your clothed core another kiss. " Bet this pretty little pussy has been aching for me since you walked in through the front door. " He purred, lightly grazing his teeth against the spot on your panties where your clit would be. You nearly jolted at the sudden contact. Butterflies filled your stomach an you could practically feel yourself getting wetter.

You didn't even have your panties off yet, and he was still able to get you equally as riled up you would be without them by just pressing a kiss to your clit through your panties. His thumb worked beneath his lips, the tip of his thumb gently pushing in and out of you, though not too far with the barrier of your panties. He leaned back, removing his lips from you momentarily while he moved his thumb back up and down your slit.

" Geez, " he chuckled, roughly rubbing your clit in tiny circles, making a tiny moan slip out of you. " You're so wet. " He comments with amazement, tilting his head to the side, looking down at your pretty pussy in awe. " Can't even imagine what she looks like without these on. "

He smirks to himself smugly as he settles his head back between your thighs, like he was proud of what he had just said to you. His lips brushed against your slit, his thumb prodding in and out of you slowly. He pulled his head back for a seconds and then, without warning, spat onto your pretty laced underwear. You were a bit caught off guard by it, since it was also not really something you had guys do to you before. But did you love It? Fuck yes.

He rubbed it in with his thumb, the contact of his thumb moving more liquid around your already soaked folds making you ache. His eyes flick up to meet yours. He can tell you're a bit surprised.

" Did you like that? " He asked, his thumb flicking up and down your clit. Your breath nearly caught in your throat.

" Oh yes. " You responded breathlessly with the nod of your head, your plump thighs squeezing his arm. He smiled.

" Good. " His fingers hooked onto the waistband of your panties, and, without a second thought, ripped them off your legs, leaving you completely bare in front of him.

Once his attention was directed back onto you, his eyes traveled all the way down to your pretty little pussy which was glistening with juices that he couldn't wait to suck off of you.

" Fuck, sugar... " He rasped, running his thumb down your dripping folds. You whimpered softly at the contact, biting your finger, anticipating the moment where he stuck his fingers inside you.

" You're wetter than I imagined. " He chuckled breathlessly, leaning back down between your thighs to lick a long strip down your slit. Your hips shuddered at the touch, nearly jolting at the contact and how good it felt.

For a moment, he stopped speaking, just so that he could really put his focus and attention into you. He was so gentle and slow with you at first, but as he really got into it, he got messier and louder.

He had two thick middle fingers filling your cunt completely as his lips worked on your clit. His fingers kept brushing and flicking against a particularly spot inside of you that made a loud, wet clicking noise as he moved against you. It felt so obscene for you, yet so dangerously good at the same time.

" Hear that, sweetie? " He asked, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he looked up at you. He was totally grinning at you, even if you could barley see him. " So juicy and sweet, baby. " He purrs, flicking his tongue up and down your aching pearl.

" And so wet. Fuck. " He drawled out that last part slowly, the low vibrations from his deep voice sending waves of pleasure through your body. His fingers curled into you deeper, prodding against a spot inside of you that made cute little squelching noises around his fingers. The small detail made you blush deeply and made your little pussy flutter each time he touched you.

And just when you thought things couldn't get better, his lips closed around your tiny bud, sucking at it gently and eliciting a loud moan out of you. You bit on one of your fingers, sending your free hand to slide in the man's hair, tugging at it gently.

" Oh fuck, Bucky, " you moaned gutteraly, your thighs clenching around his face. " Feels so--ah--good. " You were completely breathless beneath him, your words broken up by your desperate, loud moans. He chuckled darkly before he began bobbing his head up and down your pelvic bone, sucking down greedily on your cunt.

You bit your lip, your back arching off the bed, hips bucking towards his face, begging for more. And did he give you more? Oh, yes he did.

His face was completely twisted in pure and utter concentration as he tried to search for your sweet spot, removing his mouth from you for a second so he could focus on your pretty cunt.

His long fingers shifted and moved a little bit further inside of you, and they began lightly making scissoring motions inside you. You mewled loudly, your hands tugging at his hair as his fingers moved inside you. He pulled his fingers back a bit and slowly began flicking his fingers up and down your wet walls, hitting your most sensitive spot perfectly. You let out a surprised gasp, your thighs clenching around his arm as he repeatedly began moving his fingers against your sweet spot.

" Heh. Found it. " He grinned proudly, settling his face back between your legs, licking a long strip down your sensitive folds before flicking up your clit. Your hips began stuttering against his head as he sucked down on your aching bud, his fingers working with his tongue to drive you off the edge.

He stilled his fingers for a moment, keeping them right where he needed but unmoving, before his lips wrapped all around your tiny pussy, and he shook his head side to side. You moaned loudly, your back arching off the bed as he sucked your flesh into his mouth, his fingers beginning to move against you again.

" You like that? " He asked you from between your legs, his eyes flicking up to meet yours through his brows. You panted heavily, your chest heaving up and down with your legs trembling around his face.

You could feel a familiar, warm sensation pool in your lower abdomen, and it became apparent to you in that moment that you were getting close to orgasm. Bucky would sense it too. Given the way your sex was started to contract and pull into his fingers tightly, he could tell that you were almost there.

" Come on, gorgeous. " He encouraged, pushing your legs further apart so he could explore new angles with his tongue. His fingers tried a faster, rougher pace on you, the tip of his tongue flicking up and down your clit. You bit down on the side of your hand to prevent the loud moans that were threatening to escape your mouth.

" Gimme that, " he growled, hitting that sweet spot in you harder. " Come on, pretty girl. Wanna feel you cummin' all over my face. "

And you didn't need further encouragement. Because just like that, within the snap of a finger, you were coming down on him hard, your orgasm hitting you like a car doing 90 miles per hour.

Bucky withdrew his fingers from you and lapped up every little dribble of cum you had to offer to him like it was the best thing he'd ever had tasted. His tongue rolled up your soaked, cum-covered folds, licking up drop in long lines across your slit. You moaned softly as he did so, your hands relaxing against his scalp as your body began to relax.

When he rose back up from your shaking thighs, his chin and nose where glistening with your essence. It was dropping off the little strands of facial hair he had, and he chuckled at the feeling of it as he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his white dress shirt.

" God, that pussy had some things to tell me. " He joked with a soft laugh, standing from his spot on the floor. He leaned over you on the bed, bending down to capture your lips in a heated kiss. You could taste yourself on his lips, and the both of you moaned into each other's mouth.

Bucky stood back up and bit his lip as his hands went to his belt buckle. His eyes wandered from the dripping mess between your thighs to the reddened mess that was your face.

" Are you alright with getting fully undressed? " He asked you, taking his leather belt fully out from the belt loops of his pants. You thought about the question for a moment, honored that he was even giving you an option.

" Yes. " You responded, nodding your head along.

" Great. " He said, undoing his black tie by taking it out of it's knot. He tossed the tie somewhere off onto the floor, and his fingers quickly moved to undo the first four buttons of his shirt.

" Stand up and turn around. " He instructed, stepping back to give you some space while he worked on the rest of his shirt. You happily did as told, though rather shakingly and weakly from how he had just treated your pussy.

Bucky's hands coming into contact with your back was not what you were expecting, but you let it happen. His fingers moved down to untie the little bow you had made with the belt of your wrap dress. Looking it it strangely made him happy and he felt bad that he had to undo it. He gripping the puffy sleeves of your dress and gently began rolling your dress off your body until it pooled to your feet

He ran his hands down the sides of your body, his lips hovering just above your shoulder, his breath warm on your neck as he touched you.

Bucky's fingers went to the black laced bra you were wearing, and gently unhooked it, freeing it from your body. His lips latched onto your neck, kissing you gently while he rolled the straps of your bra off your arms. Once off you completely, he let it drop to the floor before he spun you around to face him. He pecked your lips, his metal hand resting on your thigh for a split second, making you shiver under his palm.

" Lay back down on the bed, gorgeous. " He instructed, looking down at you with a smug smile as he unbuttoned the rest of his shirt. You gulped hard, climbing back into his bed, looking at him looking at you. He couldn't keep his eyes off you and how absolutely gorgeous you were, and the same thing went with you towards him.

When he took off his shirt you had noticed a few things. One, he was Incredibly fit--which wasn't surprising considering he used to serve the military, two, he wore what you believed to be his dog tags around his next, and three, he had some really sexy chest hair. He noticed you staring at him; he wanted you to stare.

" Enjoying the view, pretty? " He asked you with a cocky tone, nodding at you with a quirked brow and a complacent smirk. You bit your lip and you looked back up at him.

" I'm enjoying everything you're offering me. " You told him, spreading your legs for him a bit as he unzipped his black dress pants. A deep, amused chuckle rumbled from his chest, filling your ears like honey and gravel.

" Oh, look at you. " He said slowly, his eyes falling down to your pussy and he pushed his pants off. " Being so obedient like the good girl I know you to be. "

Bucky stripped himself of his boxers, kicking his clothes to the side afterwards for more room. Your eyes immediately made contact with his hard, thick cock, beaded with a little white droplet of pre-cum. You could feel yourself salivating at the look of it, and when he began crawling up your body on his bed, you could only feel that hunger for him increasing.

He captured your lips in another harsh kiss, settling himself comfortably between your thighs. You reached your hand out for his cock and gave him a couple of slow pumps. He moaned into your mouth, pleased at the contact. You lifted your hips off the bed, and you let go of him so he could deal with the rest on his own. However, Bucky was a very independent man. He could figure out pretty much anything without even trying that hard.

He slowly inched his cock into you, careful not to hurt you as he stretched you. He sunk deeper into you until he had gotten to a point where he felt like you were comfortable and that he could actually fuck you knowing you were comfortable.

You moaned quietly as he leisurely, slowly rolled his hips against yours, taking all the time he needed. You grunted at places your hands on his broad shoulders, your legs wrapping around his waist, welcoming him deeper into you. The both of you moaned, closing your eyes and giving yourselves to the moment completely.

Your pussy felt so utterly good and perfect wrapped around Bucky's cock. The way you squeezed him so tightly let the both of you know that he was gonna be inside you for a very long time, and he was.

" Oh sugar, that feels so good. " He moaned, sinking his cock further into you, fucking you at a new-found, faster pace. You whimpered softly, your nails digging into the skin of his shoulders.

" Fuckin' perfect pussy, right here, that's for sure. " He chuckled, moving his flesh hand between your thighs to toy with your clit a bit. You gasped out loud, your back immediately arching off the bed at the sudden sensation. Loud and wet clicking sounds were heard from your soaked cunt as he increased the pace ay which he fucked you at.

" See? " He panted. " Pussy' tryna tell me something. "

He only got faster.

His cock pushed and pulled out of you, dragging across every single inch of you. Each time he slammed back into you, your moans would only grow. But for a moment, and only for that one night, he hushed you. He put his index finger against your puffy lips, dragging his cock so incredibly close to your sweet spot.

" Shh, baby. Lemme get a listen on her. " He told you before removing his finger from your lips. Once you had reluctantly closed your mouth, he wasted no time than to go further and faster. You bit back a very loud moan, your toes curling in the air as he fucked you hard and deep, just want you needed.

Bucky let his head fall back, his mouth gaping open as he let the sounds of your aching, wet pussy squelching around his cock fill his ears.

" Oh yeah, gorgeous. " He rasped, a wicked laying on his lips. " Fuck, so good for me. " He then praised, leaning down to kiss you, letting himself get loose a bit more and absolutely ruin you. He put his metal hand down on your tummy, keeping it there for a moment while his cock when absolute mayhem on you.

His cockhead kissed and embraced every single spot inside you and filled you oh so sweetly. He was not kind with the sys he moved, either. So when he picked up his pace yet again and slammed into you, he did it hard and it did it fast with little thought put into it.

" You're taking me so well, gorgeous. "He whispered to you, kissing your neck softly while fucking you hard. Your back was arching off the bed, and you couldn't do anything but just lay there, take him and moan nice and pretty. But, at this point, you were ugly moaning. You were choking on your moans, grilling his shoulders, crying out, almost on the verge of tears.

And then, that little warm feeling started to pool at your abdomen, and Bucky was feeling it too.

" You gonna cum soon, pretty girl? " He asked, nibbling at your ear, making you shiver and giving your pussy butterflies. Your nails dug into your back as his cockhead began repeatedly hitting your sweet spot. Eventually you nodded against his shoulder, and that was all he needed.

He took your tiny, trembling hands in his, pinning them down onto the bed next to your head, allowing him deeper penetration. The both of you moaned, and Bucky leaned his head back for a moment, savoring the last few minutes he had inside you.

" Let's try to come together. " He suggests, reaching between your legs to give you an extra push by rubbing your clit in harsh circles.

" Fuck, " you whimpered, your face contorted in pure pleasure, hips stuttering against his. " I'm gonna... Ah, so close. " You barley made out a sentence, but Bucky knew what you were trying to say even through your weak word salad.

" I know. " He rasped. " Me too, baby. "

And soon enough, a little thick, milky white ring came up to form around his cock. Bucky could help but chuckle at it as you came down on him for the last time that night, your own orgasm inspiring his. Once he felt it was time, he pulled out of you and let it all come out on your thick thighs. The both of you laughed and chuckled breathlessly for a moment, trying to process what what just happened between the both of you. And when you had caught your breaths, he caught your gaze and grinned.

" That was amazing. " He told you, leaning in to kiss you deeply. His sweaty, warm palm came up to caress your cheek.

" I want you to do something for me. " He told you, moving his lips next to your ear and nibbling your earlobe. You hummed in response, moving your hair back to give him more access.

" From the day forward, " he began, sucking down on your racing pulse point. " Everytime you touch yourself... I want you to think about me. " Bucky's hand slipped back down between your legs as he continued, picking up your slick on his thick fingers. " And how good it felt to have me between your legs. "

He whispered that last part, his fingers stopping dead at your clit, unmoving.

" Do you understand? "

[staying-elive]

You know, the MCU had so many great opportunities to really highlight Sam's pararescue background and flesh out his origin story on-screen.

I'll forever be sad we haven't gotten any flashbacks to him rescueing people in his EXO 7 wings.

Was he still serving when Tony was captured by the Ten Rings people? Could he have been frustrated at potentially getting pulled from his unit so that he and Riley could try to extract some billionaire weapons manufacturer.

Could've shown the times he butted up against authority, where he felt that following the orders given were the wrong move and wasn't right. (Something that tied into "Well, the number of people around here giving orders is down to zero, so yeah.")

Also, if Sam's EXO program was around before Iron Man 1, then the air force already possessed that kind of flight technology. Was the EXO 7 also Stark tech back then? Or was it developed by the Air Force itself? Did Rhodey know about it? Was he involved in its development as head of the weapons R&D sector? (I headcanon yes, cos I'd like history between Sam and Rhodey.)

Were the wings developed as a weapon/offensive measure first before they were then used for rescue purposes? (the military cynic in me says yes) Could this have been another interesting ethical dilemma Sam thought about.

Or maybe it could've been revealed that after field testing the EXOs in rescue ops, the air force was getting reckless with them and started sending Sam and Riley out on more dangerous offensive missions, and that's when Riley was killed (routine op was just the cover story).

Could've really hammered home the theme of Sam distrusting the government and that they will always end up using any weapon (or symbol) that's given to them. And he didn't want to be used again.

Anyway, this post got really away from me! This started as me thinking 'Gee I wish Marvel showed more of his backstory...the emblem of the 58th rescue squadron is LITERALLY an angel with its arms holding the weight of the world and shielding it with its wings. And if that ain't our angel Sam then...'

[atlaculture]

Favorite Foods: Toph

This is the toughest food post I've done yet.

Before Toph began sneaking out of her parents' home, I don't think she enjoyed eating very much. Meals in the Beifong household were a stuffy affair, dictated by innumerable rules of etiquette that Toph found tedious and exhausting. However, I do think she liked having teatime and snacks with her mom, who wasn't as insistent on policing her daughter's manners as Lao was. Other than that, I think most of Toph's positive food memories come from sampling street food in the area around the Earth Rumble arena. Each dish is linked to a recipe, by the way.

Ròu jiā mó (肉夹馍) literally meaning "meat wedged between bread", is basically a Tang Dynasty hamburger. It's composed of chopped, seasoned meat sandwiched between two slices of flatbread called bái jí mó (白吉馍). The servants in Toph's home would make these burgers for themselves from the leftover bread and cuts of meat that the Beifongs didn't eat. Being cheap and greasy commoner's food, Lao (Toph's father) didn't allow her to have it. Of course, it didn't stop her from having a servant sneak one to her. After joining up with the Gaang, she makes a habit of always buying one whenever she smells a stall selling them.

Tang guozi (唐果子) are no-bake cakes meant to be served with tea. They're typically made of bean paste and shaped to resemble flowers and fruits. Poppy and Toph would make these cakes together as a bonding activity. Poppy would would prepare the bean paste and then hand it off to Toph to mold into whatever she pleased... They weren't always cutest creations. Still, from sculpting to eating, the two were always able to enjoy every step of the process.

Poached fruits and boiled nuts were another popular tea snack during the Tang Dynasty. Aside from bringing back warm tea-time memories, Toph also appreciates how simple they are to prepare. It's one of the few dishes Toph can make on her own. Her favorite combination is boiled chestnuts and pears poached with brown sugar.

Gu louzi (古楼子) was a decadent meat pastry popular among the wealthy, particularly high-ranking military officials, during the Tang Dynasty. Gu louzi was made up of rich layers of lamb meat, cheese, and flatbread. The meat was typically served very rare, both for for its tenderness and to add moisture to the dry flatbread layers. Toph's father would often serve this dish when entertaining generals and other military elites. However, he refused to allow Toph to eat it, believing the heavy ingredients and under cooked meat would upset his "delicate" daughter's stomach. Naturally, Toph would always blow her Earth Rumble prize money on gu louzi every chance she got.

& 6. Youtiao (油条) and tanghulu (糖葫蘆). Youtiao are Chinese crullers and tanghulu are candied fruits served on sticks. Both these foods were commonly sold at the Earth Rumble arena and quickly became Toph's go-to snacks after a match. Since Toph's household primarily served Tang Dynasty cuisine, the Song Dynasty snacks of youtiao and tanghulu were quite new and exciting to young Toph.

Fun fact: If you want an idea of what Tang Dynasty food tasted like, I would recommend finding a Chinese restaurant that serves Xi'an cuisine. Xi'an was the capital of the Tang Dynasty, when it was known as Chang'an.

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

[unsolicited-opinions]

I don't get what you mean about Western anti-Israel sentiment seeming empty. The two people I know who are most anti-Israel are Israeli citizens, both served in the IDF. Neither live in Israel any more. One left voluntarily, the other was forced to leave after he was fired from his university job in response to criticism of what the IDF was doing in Gaza recently. He now lives in the UK.

The next most intense criticism of Israel I hear are from people like me with friends and/or family who have also served in the IDF, or other close ties, such my friend who became more radically anti-Israel after his rabbi heard from someone he knew personally, who was forced into hiding after people started threatening his family, in response to him publicly criticizing the IDF for actions in Gaza.

I don't know a single person who is anti-Israel, who does not have at least one close connection to such a person, so at most two degrees of separation to people with direct experience over there, including voting, serving in the IDF, and potentially being vulnerable to antisemitic terrorism in daily life.

Maybe there are such people out there, but I do not come into contact with them in real life. And when I see a bad take online, I don't know that they're real, and not just planted there to discredit a particular perspective.

To me, it almost seems like these takes that depict criticism of Israel as shallow or out-of-touch are attempts by the hardliners who support Netanyahu's authoritarian regime, to deflect criticism and paint all such criticism as antisemitism. They are attempts to enforce an orthodoxy. They are part of the same trend of censorship and enforced silence, why people like us are all unwelcome at Hillel. Why Hillel is barred from even co-sponsoring events with student organizations that have, at one point or another, criticized Israel.

So yeah, that's my perspective. Take it with a grain of salt. I'm not even Jewish, I know, since it's my dad's side of the family that my Jewish heritage is from. But your post reached me, and your characterization of Western criticism of Israel struck me as very off-base given my life experiences. And I wanted to challenge that.

If you've read this far, thank you for your time.

No, thank you for yours, Anon.

Thank you for this thoughtful, civil pushback which is clearly from real lived experience of someone who cares about the topic. I'm grateful that you took the time to share your perspective.

I think you're making six points here, and I want to address each one.

I also need to note that I'm not Israeli. I'm an interested American. I do not and cannot speak for a single Israeli.

I would love for Israelis to reply here and share any thoughts they have.

1. The most anti-Israel people I know are Israelis who served in the IDF.

That may well be true for your circle, but it's a mistake to extrapolate from that into a general rule. The overwhelming majority of Jewish Israelis are Zionists, meaning they believe Israel should exist as a Jewish and democratic state. That's not an opinion, there's evidence:

In a Pew survey, 91% of Jewish Israelis said they believe in the continued existence of Israel as a Jewish state. Among those who disapprove of the current government, only a tiny minority support international delegitimization efforts like BDS.

Israelis are often critical of their government - sometimes brutally so. That’s democracy, and Israel's democracy is pretty polarized right now on a number of matters, but broad (and valid, imho) criticism of Netanyahu’s policies is not the same thing as opposing the country's right to exist.

It's precisely because Israelis have lived through wars, terror attacks, and compulsory military service that most of them are committed to Israel's survival and are not interested in dismantling it.

Regarding the IDF, the 2023 Israeli Democracy Index from the Israel Democracy Institute shows that Jewish Israelis trust the IDF more than any other government institution, at about 86%.

For contrast, only about 60% of Americans trust the US military.

Even in late 2023, please note, faith in Bibi and his government was pretty bad. It's gotten worse since. The most recent poll from Pew shows about 54% unfavorable views of Netanyahu and the Israeli political observers who I read believe public opinion on Bibi is far worse than this data shows. (Personally, I have loathed him with increasing intensity for about 20 years.)

So yes, you may know two dissidents. But the data (or talking with Israelis) will demonstrate they're the exception, not the rule.

(This is what's called an Anecdotal Fallacy. You have two self-selected data points, not a data set.)

2. Everyone I know with anti-Israel views has close personal ties to Israel or Jews.

This might be true in your social universe, but again, it doesn’t scale.

On social media and campus protests, many of the loudest voices have zero firsthand knowledge of Israel, no connections to Jewish life, and often can't find Gaza on a map. They’re not debating policy; they’re chanting slogans and treating Israel as a symbolic villain in a Western morality play. But it'd be fair to tell me that's an anecdotal fallacy too- so let's look at polling data.

A 2021 Pew study found that only 27% of Americans under 30 know someone who is Jewish - and that 27% includes American Jews.

American Jews overwhelmingly support the continued existence of Israel while simultaneously being consistently critical of its government.

(At the same time, most Jews worldwide remain flabbergasted that only one nation on earth routinely has the legitimacy of its existence - it's right to exist - questioned.)

Pew indicates that only about 1 in 10 American Jews support BDS.

So when you say you don't know a single anti-Israel person without strong ties to Jews or Israelis, I believe you - but that would make your circle a statistical aberration, not the norm.

This logical fallacy is called an Argument from Ignorance.

Just because you personally haven't met shallow, performative critics doesn't mean they don't exist, right? It just means you haven’t encountered them.

That's like someone in Maine saying, "I don’t believe in cacti because I’ve never seen one myself, ayup."

Meanwhile, the rest of us are watching protests full of people with no connection to Israel, chanting about "global intifada," while livestreaming from their iPhones. They’re not drawing from deep experience - they’re mimicking a subculture.

Here's one of the ways we know that:

Western "pro-palestine" demonstrators largely seem to believe that "intifada" means "uprising" and that "globalize the intifada" merely calls for global political protesting.

Israelis and Jews, on the other hand, hear that as a call for violence against Jews everywhere, and with good reason.

The Second Intifada (2000 - 2005) was quite violent, and included (but was not limited to) about 145 suicide bombings which killed more than 11,000 Israelis. Because these attacks targeted civilians, 78% of these deaths were civilians. "Globalizing the intifada," to Jews, is what happened to a young couple leaving the Jewish museum in DC when a man shouting "Free Palestine" emptied his gun into them. Jews feel that when 12 Jews who were marching (not for Israel but) for awareness of the hostages in Gaza were attacked with Molotov cocktails in Boulder on Sunday. One of them was a holocaust survivor. Two are still in the hospital.

To Jews, this is globalizing the intifada. It's people who claim to be antizionist-not-antisemitic...attacking Jews in the name of "freeing Palestine."

Yes, there are people with deep connections who criticize Israel, but they're not the ones shaping the dominant online narrative. Most of that comes from activists with no firsthand knowledge - just hashtags, vibes, and a deeply edited version of history. Their lack of knowledge is immediately clear to anyone who has been following this conflict, as all Israelis and most US Jews have been doing for decades.

But don't take my word for it about their ignorance and motives. Ask Gazans Hamza Howidy and Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, neither of whom are fans of Israel.

3. Bad takes online might not be real; they could be planted to discredit critics.

This is an understandable emotional reaction in today's information chaos - but it is awfully problematic.

When confronted with bad arguments on your side, instead of addressing them, you're saying: maybe they're fake.

That’s not engaging with evidence - that’s sidestepping it. It's a way to protect your belief by treating contrary examples as inauthentic.

It’s an epistemic trap: if every bad take is fake, and every criticism of your views is a psy-op, then no disagreement is ever legitimate.

Accusing them of being plants is a bit like plugging your ears and yelling "propaganda!" (Which, by the way, I see a lot of.)

If you want to reject bad arguments, engage them - but dismissing them as false flags just shuts the door on things like dialogue, evidence, and intellectual honesty.

Even if some trolls exist to make the anti-Israel side look bad (and I think they do exist because I've seen people clumsily and transparently pretend to be Jews in just that way), that wouldn't mean all or even a significant number of bad takes are planted.

Some people just don’t know what they’re talking about. When a cause gains cultural currency - as antizionism has - plenty of people will jump on board for identity reasons, aesthetic reasons, or social validation. That's not a psy-op. That's human behavior. That's most of what I've been writing about.

If you'd like to see videos of anti-Israel protestors demonstrating their utter ignorance (like not knowing what river and what sea or not being able to find Gaza on a map), there's quite a lot of that online.

4. Your post struck me as an attempt to enforce orthodoxy and deflect criticism.

I think I can maybe understand why. Some defenders of Israel absolutely do conflate all criticism of Israel with antisemitism - and that’s neither helpful nor honest. Fuck that.

I think fact-based criticisms of Israel which hold Israel to the same standards as other nations and don't play on antisemitic tropes are not just valid, but necessary.

My concern wasn't with criticism - it was with a specific genre of shallow, selective, performative, uninformed criticism that circulates online, mostly divorced from any actual knowledge of the region.

You’ve probably seen the people I’m talking about: They can’t pronounce "Yitzhak," they confuse the IDF with Shin Bet, and genuinely believe British Mandate Palestine was a utopia of pluralism until 1948. They’re not arguing for Palestinian liberation so much as LARPing as revolutionaries, casting themselves in a resistance cosplay.

Also, by preemptively framing critiques of your position as "enforcing orthodoxy," you're setting up a rhetorical trap in which anyone who disagrees with you can be dismissed as part of the authoritarian thought police.

But disagreement is not censorship and criticism is not suppression.

Questioning anti-Zionism - especially when it veers into demonization, double standards, or delegitimization - isn't an attempt to enforce orthodoxy. It's an attempt to draw distinctions between genuine moral concern and something much more toxic.

I hope you'll respond and let me know specifically where you think I did that - and I hope you'll feel that right now, I'm engaging with the substance of your criticisms - and not misrepresenting you, silencing you, or censoring you.

5. Hillel bans co-sponsoring events with anti-Israel student groups. That’s censorship and proves hardline control.

Your wording:

...Hillel is barred from even co-sponsoring events with student organizations that have, at one point or another, criticized Israel.

I'm certain that someone told you that and you're repeating it as you understood it, but that's false.

Hillel International's standards prohibit co-sponsorship with groups that deny Israel’s right to exist, call for boycotts, or associate with antisemitic rhetoric - not merely "groups that criticize Israel."

Saying "Netanyahu is awful" is criticism (a very common one among Jews).

Saying "Israel is a settler-colonial apartheid state that must be dismantled" is a political eliminationist position. Those are not the same, and to pretend they are would be dishonest.

Would you expect Black Lives Matter to co-host an event with an organization called "University White Pride" which describes the Civil Rights Movement as a disaster?

Imagine a group called "Friends of Turkey" which favors the abolition of the nation of Greece demands to co-sponsor an event with the Greek Student Association. Would you require the Greek Student Association to work with them?

6. I’m not Jewish - I only have Jewish heritage through my dad.

That doesn’t disqualify you from caring, from engaging, or from feeling a connection.

Jewish identity is complex, and belonging is about more than halakhic status.

I'm glad my post reached you, I'm glad you read it, and I'm glad you wrote.

I want conversations. I want to reach across some difficult lines with integrity, honesty, and sincerity - and I really hope you can feel that.

Final thought:

You read my post as a blanket dismissal of all Western criticism of Israel. That wasn’t my intention and I don't think the post says that.

What I was criticizing is the growing genre of Western anti-Israel performance that often relies on ignorance, moral absolutism, and aesthetic radicalism instead of real knowledge or constructive goals.

I dislike it because it flattens complexity, ignores context, and turns one of the most nuanced and complex conflicts on Earth into a cartoon of oppressor vs. oppressed...which is demeaning to both Israelis and Palestinians.

You, clearly, are not part of that crowd, and your Ask is proof of that.

So again: thank you for your civility, your honesty, and your perspective. We may not agree, but if more people engaged with disagreement the way you did, the discourse would be a lot less toxic and a lot more meaningful.

We can do better, and your Ask proves it.

Thanks again for reading and for writing - please do so again any time!

[teddiesworldd]

muffled moans and whiskey kisses.

is it morally okay to fuck a customer? (2.4k words)

a\n: thank you for all the love on my first posts! i hope you love this one just as much! also, if it wasn't made clear, ghost is wearing a mask with a cut-out for his mouth. enjoy!

pairing: ghost x female waitress!reader

tags/warnings: nsfw mdni!!, just a regular ol' bathroom hookup with the biggest guy you've ever seen, porn with plot, hickeys, a little choking if you squint

it was one of those shifts where the hours just dragged on and on. the day felt like it was never going to end as you wiped down another table and laid out the silverware neatly on top of a napkin. your mind wandered off somewhere else, but you snapped back to reality when you saw 4 huge guys walk through the pub doors and stroll over to the bar. one looked a little older than the others with a thick blonde moustache and cream bucket hat. two of them were a little shorter, a scruffy mohawk on one and the other with tanned skin covered by a blue jacket. however, it was the fella trailing behind them who made your hairs stand on end. he was absolutely giant. he was wearing a tight black t-shirt that showed off the thick, red scars which ran down his massive arms. and just to add to it, his whole face, except for his eyes and mouth, was covered by a worn-out skull mask. you realised you were staring when his dark eyes met yours and you shifted your glance back down to the table you were tending to. you could feel his eyes burning onto you as he walked past.

it was only when all 4 men were seated that you realised your colleague was still out the back and you'd have to go over and make their drinks for them yourself.

no biggie.

you make drinks for people all the time.

you desperately tried to calm your own nerves as you walked over to the bar, suddenly aware of how tight your clothes felt. the sweat on your palms. the loose hairs that had fallen from your ponytail and were now tickling your neck.

not people like this.

you were a confident person most of the time, but this skull-face guy was intimidating as hell. and the way he looked at you like a piece of meat earlier, like he wanted to eat you up. yikes. you pushed the little door open and walked behind the bar, smoothing down your waitressing apron and putting on your best customer-service smile.

"what can i get for you?"

the first three were relatively nice. the older chap was quite charming, really, making polite small talk and asking about your day. the guy with the mohawk tried cracking a few jokes which made you cringe a little but it was sweet regardless. and you noticed the military badge on the blue jacket of the third man, which made a lot of sense as the bar was right next to the military base. you had soldiers and the likes come in often, trying to drink away the stress of their day. but these guys were different. high-ranking, probably. after you had served the three, you moved down towards the fourth and asked the same question. it was only now that you realised how dark his eyes actually were. they were like dark pools of chocolate. like an empty street at night. and his pretty blonde lashes were like the stars. how could someone so big and scarred be pretty? you wondered.

"a whiskey, please."

his voice was so deep, and he had a bit of a manchester twang to his words. something about him, though frightening, was sort of attractive. the way the corners of his mouth turned up when he spoke to you. the way his huge hands rested on the bar, twiddling and fidgeting with his thick fingers and rings like he was nervous. the way he looked at you said otherwise. you wondered what those hands would feel like on you. in you. he didn't break eye contact with you the whole time he ordered, licking his lips with a sparkle in his eye. you poured the drink, then turned back to him and placed it in front of him. he thanked you and sipped it slowly.

the men stayed for a while, chatting about their recent missions and such, laughing and ordering more drinks. but the masked guy kept looking at you, sometimes at your face, sometimes at where your flesh spilled out over the buttons of your white shirt. he wasn't exactly trying to hide it either, the perv. you couldn't help but look at him too, shamelessly. he even caught you a few times looking at the way his muscles moved as he brought the glass up to his lips.

when he excused himself and walked over to the bathrooms, you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding, the tension between the two of you was almost suffocating. however, this was the complete opposite of a break from him.

he stood in front of the door like, well, like a ghost. his finger beckoning you to follow him. you questioned your life up to this point and scanned around the pub, it was pretty late on a weekday so it was completely empty except for the group at the bar. you put down the glass you were polishing, took off your apron and excused yourself to the three men who remained in front of you. luckily, none of them payed much attention, going straight back to their conversation.

you know what he wanted from you, of course, it wasn't like he was bringing you into the bathroom for a conversation. but still, a part of you just couldn't believe what was about to happen. he was probably a whole foot taller than you, and twice as wide.

he must be absolutely packing. he'd probably spilt me open.

you tried not to think about it.

you pushed the door quietly, your manicured nails tapping gently when they made contact. you barely even pushed the thing open before he was pulling you by the wrist into the nearest cubical, and locking the door behind him. he didn't say a word. he just pressed his lips to yours. the kiss got heated pretty quickly. you could taste the whiskey on his tongue. the way your mouths fitted together - it was like you were made for each other. it felt so perfect. so addictive.

he pulled away and moved his head into the crook of your neck, kissing and sucking and leaving dark red marks across your collarbone. you couldn't help the moan that left your lips, earning a quiet "shhhh, lovie" between kisses. his voice was gorgeous. he soon reached your cleavage, planting bites and kisses all over. there was something so refreshing about him. most guys you'd been with didn't care about any of this stuff, they just wanted to be done as quickly as possible. not him, he took his time marking you, like you were something rare and precious. like you were something special. he moved his hand up to undo the buttons of your shirt, looking up at you with lust filled eyes.

"do you want this? hm? do you want me?" he growled.

you couldn't believe he was teasing you already. of course you did. "mhmm" you nodded frantically, trying to speed him up by undoing your buttons yourself, but he stopped you at the first one.

"ah ah, no. be patient, doll. tell me. tell me you want me." he asked nicely this time, waiting for your response.

"please," you whined out, a little more desperately as you intended, trying to retain a little bit of your dignity. you were still fully clothed, you didn't want to seem too needy. yet.

after hearing your response, he placed another kiss to your chest and started undoing the buttons. so slowly. it was like torture. you placed you small hand onto the back of his head, guiding him down, which he must of liked because it made him look up at you with the most devilish glint in his eye. oh, this man was about to ruin you. he hooked his fingers into the waist of your skirt, pulling it all the way off and stuffing it into the pocket of his jeans. what a gentleman, he didn't want your clothes getting all dirty on the floor of the men's bathroom. gross. after spending a second admiring your pretty lace panties and matching bra, he asked you, "you always wear underwear like this, love? what a little slut you are." something about the way he spoke to you made you absolutely wet. he looked gorgeous at this angle, knelt down in front of you, shoulders broad, inches away from your heat. part of you wanted to just pull his face into you, but he was definitely much stronger than you, so unfortunately you'd just have to wait it out.

he kissed the inside of your thighs, then over your clothed clit, making you beg for him again. then he pulled your underwear to the side, finally pressing his mouth to your soaked pussy. he felt amazing. he must be pretty experienced because he knew exactly how, when and where to make you whine and pant at every movement. the way his tongue swirled in little circles around your clit made your head spin. and the way he looked at you, never breaking eye contact, he was intoxicating. you knew if you made too much noise then his friends would definitely hear you - the walls were pretty thin. but it was so hard when he was sending you towards the edge so quickly. and when he pushed two of his thick fingers inside of you, you had to cover your mouth to keep yourself quiet. he curled it just right to hit the perfect spot inside you over and over. just his hand was stretching you out, and hitting spots that had never been hit by your own fingers. you knew you weren't going to last much longer at the brutal pace he was moving inside of you. you hooked your leg over his huge shoulder, and when he started sucking you could feel the knot in your stomach twisting. he knew this too and when you clenched around his fingers he pulled away, leaving you a panting, sweaty mess and depriving you of your orgasm.

"don't worry, doll. i'm not done with you yet," he said, standing up and turning you around so your chest was against the wall with your back to him. "want you to come on my cock, not on my fingers."

you could hear him undoing his belt and his cargo pants dropping to the floor behind you. he grabbed your hips and pulled your ass back towards him, lining you up nicely. you just knew it was going to be the biggest you'd ever taken. his tip prodded at your entrance, and he pushed slowly into you. he was huge. you hissed as he pushed inside, and he immediately stopped, checking if you're okay before carrying on, splitting you open. once you had adjusted, he started moving at a more regular pace, fucking you deep and slow. your tight pussy gripping his dick like a vice. he managed to find that spongey spot inside of you pretty quickly, hitting it over and over and causing you to let out a pornographic moan. he brought his hand over your mouth in response, muffling your slutty noises.

"is that good, lovie? yeah? you like it when i fuck you like that?" he groaned into your ear, bending over to kiss your neck and bare shoulder.

your eyes rolled back in response, bouncing back into him, which he didn't appreciate very much. with a deep grunt, the hand that remained on your hip tightened its grip, keeping you in place as he pounded into you. your head fell back into his chest in pure ecstasy, the pleasure being almost overwhelming. you could feel like knot building inside you again, getting close to your orgasm once more. his hand moved from his hip down between your legs, rubbing your clit just right, causing you to shriek into his hand. your legs began to shake as you were hurtling towards your climax. when you finally came, he had to move his hand from your clit to under your waist, holding you upright as your orgasm rocked through you. you cried out into his palm, tears forming in the corners of your eyes from the overwhelming pleasure.

when you finally fell back down to earth, he brought you to your knees and pushed his huge cock into your mouth to chase his own orgasm. it was the first time you'd managed to get a proper look at it. it was the perfect shade of baby pink, your own juices gleaming on his tip. a thick vein ran down the shaft all the way to his firm, full balls. he had a decent amount of blonde hair that trailed upwards towards his bellybutton and disappeared under his t-shirt. you happily took him into you mouth, taking him as far as you could and stroking the rest with your hand. his hand found its way around your neck and squeezed gently, feeling so small in his massive hand. you looked up at him and noticed how he was biting his lip, trying to keep himself quiet. the way his eyes rolled back when you chocked on the sheer size of his dick was so hot that it almost made you want to turn back around and ask for round two. but before you knew it, he was holding your ponytail in his fist and thick ropes of cum were filling your cheeks and running down your throat. his grip on your neck and hair tightened as he let out a grunt, which was loud enough for the boys at the bar to hear for sure, but you didn't care anymore. this man was truly something else.

he helped you get up, dressed and clean afterwards, returning your skirt and carefully wiping your mouth with his thumb. he smiled at you as he did this, telling you how pretty you were and how he just had to fuck you. you went back into the pub one after the other, as to not raise suspicion. but your makeup was all ruined and he had sort of a pornstar sweat-glow to him, so it was pretty obvious regardless. he finished the last mouthful of his whiskey and left with his boys.

it was only when you'd cleaned up their glasses and locked up the pub that you realised you didn't ask for his number. or even his name, for god's sake.

but you were sure that this wouldn't be the last time that giant of a man would stumble in for a drink on a wednesday afternoon.

˚✧. thank you for reading!

˚✧. please reblog to support me <3

˚✧. dividers by @ saradika-graphics and @ si-eunnis

✎ masterlist

💌 send a request

[mockerycrow]

are you good at character analysis? I wanna know what your analysis would be for Gaz, I’m trying to figure out his story since he’s my favorite out of TF 141

KYLE GAZ GARRICK

BASIC OVERVIEW — BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Kyle “Gaz” Garrick is a British Black man who enlisted into the British Army around 2008 or 2014 (unfortunately, the developers have inconsistencies). His operator biography states 2008 while the official activision website in a blog post about MW2019 states 2014, however it does make sense for him to enlist in 2008. He would have been at least sixteen years old which is the minimum age requirement to enlist. I would like to quickly throw in that Gaz is indeed older than Soap, as this is a misconception that I surprisingly see a lot! Gaz’s blood type is B- and he currently ranks as sergeant (which according to the official British Army website, it typically takes at least twelve years in the service, however it implies it also depends on the person’s abilities).

Gaz spent four years in the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment. During these four years going through a multitude of tests and challenges before passing selection for Special Air Service (SAS). The activision blog says during MW2019, it’s his sixth year serving as a sergeant. However, as Gaz had been selected for TF141, I believe their ranks have paused in time. Gaz has mostly spent his time in anti-terrorism in his military career. He’s an expert in demolitions, VIP escorting, weapons tactics, covert surveillance, and target elimination. He’s been awarded multiple medals, and earned his Parachute Wings whilst spending time at Camp Lejeune in the U.S. whilst collaborating with Navy SEALs. Kyle is a master of evasion and deception, being the only candidate in his entire class to escape capture from the facility and evade detection during resistance training. 

When Gaz first meets Cpt. Price, Gaz is currently assigned to an SAS specific counter-terrorism program in the UK who collaborate with the police, which is another misconception that Gaz was a police sergeant at one point (he was not! I believe some people think this because at E3, Gaz was wearing a police baseball cap).

CHARACTER OVERVIEW

Like true to the original Gaz, he is Price’s protege, being his student. Gaz is overall a serious and hardworking man, loyal and unbreaking. He knows when to joke and he knows when to reload. However, Gaz is not perfect and he does lose his cool (we see subtle development with this later down the road). While being loyal, Gaz does not hesitate to question Price’s choices and actions. We see this multiple times during the series, the most prime example being in MW2019 when Price and Gaz are interrogating The Butcher with Yegor. The Butcher taunts Gaz, causing Gaz to lunge and Price to send him off to fetch.. “The package”. The package being, The Butcher’s family. The reboot games, you have choices, so I’ll give the very basic run down. 

You have the option to opt into the interrogation or to opt out of it. If you opt out, Price bursts out of the room with the information (if you go near the door, you hear The Butcher’s family sobbing). If you opt in, you have so many options. At the end of the day, Gaz is mostly silent and follows orders from Price. In the police cruiser scene, Gaz questions Price in the car—he did not expect to be using women and children as bargaining chips and he makes that clear, and this is a big teaching moment between Gaz and Price. We have to remember that Gaz is young and considering everything, inexperienced to an extent. Price makes up for that inexperience, teaching him along the way. During the interrogation scene, Price makes a remark: “We’ve taken the gloves off.” This is because Gaz lashed out. Later in the car, Price says “When you take the gloves off, you get blood on your hands, Kyle. That’s how it works.” after Gaz questions him.

CONCLUSION

Overall, Gaz is a very complex character and I enjoyed watching his development during these games. I’ve seen people claim Gaz is boring or plain, but I genuinely do not believe that to be the case. Gaz, in my opinion, is also the most relatable character. He’s young, ambitious, and determined. He’s charismatic and efficient. I don’t believe a character has to be extremely traumatized, or look very very unique to be a well-crafted character and Gaz is a great example for this. 

Gaz is just a man who enlisted; someone who is smart and well-rounded (as much as an SAS member can be), he’s quick on his feet and he molds into group work fantastically. He’s extremely versatile and is a quick learner—and wants to learn. He has his flaws that make him human. Gaz develops great self control, is level-minded and is able to think for himself. A great student questions their mentor in everything and you see this with Gaz. 

You see Gaz struggle with morality in the series in a sea of characters who kill and do things without a second thought. We see him question things, we see his emotions and his extreme reluctance. We definitely see some development down the road as Gaz becomes more ruthless, but he never quite forgets his humanity in a way, compared to Price where he can easily disconnect humanity (ex. Calling The Butcher’s wife and son “the package/leverage”). 

Along with this, we see him struggle with the rules in place. I also think this is why Gaz and Price’s dynamic is great. There are rules for a reason, and both Price and Gaz know when to break them—but Gaz learns that breaking some rules doesn’t always happen for the most heroic of actions (again, Price’s quote about bloodying your hands after taking the gloves off). Gaz wants to save people and keep the peace, we see this in Piccadilly during the terrorist attacks and the aftermath scene with Price where Gaz lets the Captain know that he and his unit had actionable intel on the terrorist cell who committed the act. Of course, we see later down the road that taking the gloves off removes all limits, not just some of them. We also see a glimpse of Gaz’s conflicting feelings when 141, Farah & Alex, as well as Laswell learn about Hadir and his plans, as well as when Farah’s forces are deemed a terrorist organization.

I think I rambled on a lot about him, hopefully this is understandable! 

Sources: price & gaz activision blog intros (2019), inconsistency in enlistment date, cod fandom wiki, gaz scenes mwi & mwii, official british army website.

[motherfuckinglanguages]

Truco in The Eternaut

I made a post about the dialogue about the storm in the first episode

I don't presume I'm going to explain truco here, but I think there's something beautiful here.

Truco is a card game where you bluff and attempt to make others believe and raise their stakes, just like in poker. These four men are playing in pairs here.

The man in the blue shirt is Lucas. He's playing with Favalli (el Tano, sitting opposite him), against Juan and Polsky (el Ruso), the other pair.

Finding this frame I thought it was interesting that Omar, the man in the red t-shirt, is there with them but is not part of the game, for now.

Each part of the pair is sitting across one another (if it was six people, the aim is that the companions are never sitting next to one another).

Like in poker, you may or may not have the cards to win, and the idea is to make the other believe your bluff.

In truco, there's two instances: the envido and the truco. You play in rounds, but you can rely on your companion across the table, except you don't know what cards they have. WHICH IS WHY YOU CAN SIGNAL.

There are a set of signals you can use when you have to play with strangers. The joke is signalling to your partner, without the others catching it. Of course there are partners who have their own secret code. These four men have known one another for decades. Only Omar (in the red shirt) is a stranger.

In this scene they play, Juan is rather rude to Omar who chips in the conversation asking if they are playing with Flor (flower, if you wish, is another instance of this game, played before envido, which you may choose not to include). Juan answers with a phrase about how he's an outsider and he should not speak at all.

They have the whole convo about the storm, and the power goes out, and the adventure starts.

Fast forward to the next time they are sitting at a table playing truco.

Spoilers below:

It's episode six. These men have been through A LOT.

Polsky is dead. Omar has been estranged from the group, and has been welcomed back. Lucas was missing for a while after getting drunk, and met the group again on their way to join the military in Campo de Mayo. They are now together killing time before going back after succeeding to send a radio message, and finding a lot of fucking weird stuff about this situation.

What we are about to find out, is that Lucas is not himself anymore. And he's been managing it quite sucessfully until now-

We don't see the beginning of the game. Omar is not where Polsky used to be. Omar is smiling in the middle of the game, and Lucas loses his temper. Juan congratulates his team mate over a good start.

The losing pair are upset. Lucas is about to serve the next round and Favalli asks him to show him what cards Lucas had in the lost game.

And this happens.

"You're not being a good team player," says Favalli. "I get mad, you know me"

Juan tries to remind them that they are there trying to take their minds off other problems, and this is not worth fighting over.

And Lucas goes

This means he had a good hand, he HAD to call envido. And he goes into detail. This is..... something's off here. Favalli is angry that Lucas is playing alone, Lucas is annoyed.

Omar, the only one who's there for the first time, asks are they always like this. Juan explains that he doesn't know what's happeneing, because these two have always been each other's soul mates.

The game goes on with Lucas pushing it, while Favalli looks on annoyed as fuck.

I'd say he's also seeing something that he doesn't quite get.

Omar has 28 points, and Lucas asks Favalli how much he has. Favalli hasn't got anything. Lucas goes, you made the signal.

And the argument explodes. Lucas wants Juan to say Favalli made the signal. Juan of course doesn't say a word. Favalli is upset. Omar laughs because he doesn't see that Lucas is acting very much out of character. By all means, they are still strangers.

Favalli, still talking about the game, pushes Lucas until Lucas snaps and declares he's not playing anymore.

And the moment Omar approaches him, Lucas stabbs Omar with a letter opener.

What happens after this is Lucas runs out of the apartment, Juan runs after him. He finds him on the roof, Favalli joins them, they see some more weird shit in the distance, and Lucas speaks some seemingly nonsense and jumps.

Next thing we find out is apparently the enemy has been taking over some people's minds and will. The suspicion is that Lucas was taken over when he went missing at the mall. And he's been playing along effectively until he was required to use a very intimate code. Since he was not himself anymore, he failed. And that made him snap and stab Omar, and ultimately commit suicide.

I think there's something beautiful here regarding The Eternaut's message that there's no salvation on our own, and that the only salvation is a collective one, that relies on the true bond between individuals.

GO WATCH THE ETERNAUT. It's on Netflix. GO!

[vitevii]

Stobotnik Role Swap AU Part 2

Here’s some more stuff about my Stobot Swap AU! Featuring: A potential excerpt from the fic I plan to write, more thoughts about Stone and Robotnik’s relationship prior to Sonic’s arrival, and another idea for a potential fic scene!

[AU: Stone and Robotnik are still an agent and a brilliant scientist respectively, but the hierarchy of their relationship is flipped with Stone being the ‘boss’ and Robotnik as the ‘henchman’.]

If you want to see the first post I made on this, it’s here: link (and it's also my current pinned post)

-

From the day he met Ivo, Stone was fascinated by the doctor... especially during the 2 minute rant the doctor blasted at him from point-blank (literally and figuratively). From the first day he saw Ivo at work, gliding and spinning between workstations like a dancer, Stone was enthralled by the doctor. From the first day he saw Ivo- glistening with sweat and grinning maniacally- complete one of his incredible inventions, Stone was captivated by the doctor. All of those days occurred in the same week. Stone had fallen very rapidly head-over-heels for the doctor, though he would not have used such terminology at the time, and he wouldn’t admit the fact to himself yet.

Regardless of the terms and conditions, Agent Stone had decided.

He would have the doctor for himself.

-

When Dr. Robotnik is first promoted to serve directly under Agent Stone, he tries to dial back his retorts and tirades against more ‘simpleminded’ agents as he fears that Stone may send him back to the lower levels of shadow ops or that he may get Stone into trouble in such a way that they’re both demoted. But after a while under Stone’s command, Robotnik gets a taste of Stone’s power, and he begins testing the waters on just how far Stone and Stone’s reputation can protect him. He drops formalities/titles for other agents and only addresses Stone properly (Mr. Stone/Sir/Agent Stone). He addresses anyone of lower rank with weird little nicknames and insults, and they can’t do anything about it. Ivo is very smug about this. He gets more and more accustomed to his new freedom and to being himself- as long as Stone is around.

He starts making sure he’s always around Stone.

Military personnel who’ve had the misfortune honor of working with the Agent+Scientist duo start referring to Robotnik as ‘Stone’s lap dog’ and ‘Stone’s lab rat’ when Robotnik and Stone aren’t around.

Random agent to Robotnik after being insulted: you disrespectful little freak I swear I’m gonna tear you ap-… ah..Agent Stone, Sir!

Stone, walking into the room with death in his eyes: Ah, Agent C, so sorry to interrupt. Did you have something important to say to Dr. Robotnik?

Random agent: Uh n-no it’s nothing important, Sir.

Stone: Well then if you’re done wasting the good doctor’s time, he and I will be on our way.

Stone turns to exit the room again, Robotnik starts walking backwards, grinning and then flipping off Agent C (who is fuming again)

-

The first time Dr. Robotnik lashes out physically against Agent Stone, Ivo freezes up, his fist still clenched around Stone’s tie, realizing that he could very easily lose his position at Stone’s side for this.

Stone is staring at him, seemingly unbothered, with eyebrows raised, clearly intrigued but not revealing much else. Ivo lets go and backs up. “Sorry, Sir,” He manages to mutter through gritted teeth. It’s been a long time since he’s apologized to anyone for anything. “That won’t happen again.”

-

[Scene below would take place after they’ve known each other for a while. Stone is fully in love with Robotnik but hasn’t confessed, Robotnik still thinks that Stone only keeps him around for his inventions and expertise.]

When Stone gets seriously injured, Robotnik puts him under general anesthesia and puts him in restraints before operating because Stone has a habit of reflexively lashing out when dazed. When Stone comes to after the surgery, the first thing his hazy vision lands on is Ivo's face, very close to his, and then he registers that his wrists are strapped down. His eyelids flutter.

Stone murmurs dreamily “Oh, doctor.. what do you have planned for me?”. And then he fades away into unconsciousness again.

Robotnik blushes deeply and feels things he doesn’t understand. He never mentions this to anyone. The next few days, he’s strangely quiet, his brow furrowed, focused only on monitoring the agent’s vitals and recovery. Stone, when he’s regained his senses properly, is concerned about the change in demeanor and asks, “Doctor.. is something bothering you? Did I hurt you when I…?”

Ivo scoffs. “Do you take me for a blithering idiot? I know to take the proper precautions. Shut up and let me focus.”

Stone nods and rests his head back down, smiling. “Of course, Doctor. I trust you.”

[sisternightroad]

Lady Oscar's flaws and weaknesses

In case someone is interested, I've written in an italian blog a small analysis of Oscar from Rose of Versailles, so I've translated it to post it here too.

Thank you for the dive into the past. To give some context, I primarily base myself on the manga because it is the original medium and, as almost always, the most complete. The original Oscar is very different from that of the anime, because the latter makes different narrative choices from the beginning. Among other things, since Oscar is not born as a protagonist but as a sidekick to Marie Antoinette, her character is initially less deep and set up differently.

Moreover, the anime has a predominantly dark and dramatic tone, but the contents have been overall very softened, especially in the edition with Italian dubbing, while the manga alternates comic moments with moments of great tragedy and violence, even very brutal for a shojo of the time. But let’s cut to the chase:

From the beginning, Oscar is characterized as a tomboy, which serves as a recurring comic element in the story. Even at the time of her birth, her father mistakes her for a boy because she screams and thrashes about like a little boy.

[Oscar’s birth in volume 1 and a comic callback in volume 6]

Despite her refined and elegant appearance, she often behaves in a decidedly rude manner, spits and swears. In her character profile, the author emphasizes that she always behaves like a man and loves weapons, alcohol, occasionally going to drink in the commoners bars and that her flaw is that she is ready to start a fight.

[A snippet of Oscar’s profile and a brawl from volume 3]

Another thing went a bit lost among the transpositions is that Oscar is a huge troll. She often behaves in a brazen and insolent way to mock scandals, pettiness and gossip of court life. The funniest example is when her father wants her to organize a ball to find a husband, in the anime criminally reduced to an innocent scene. General Jarjayes asks her to commission a dress from the best tailor in Paris and Oscar shows up at the ball with a flashy dress uniform complete with bell-bottom pants in '70s style. To complete the work, she spends the evening dancing and flirting with her throng of admirers, even kissing two and threatening to duel a guy she stole the girlfriend from. Priceless.

[Lady Oscar happily trolling her father and her suitor Girodelle who, along with the other contenders, despair in the background in volume 6]

Moving on to more serious matters, in both versions Oscar is notoriously cool and detached, but in the manga she is less fickle, impulsive and reckless. She tends to be a risk-taker, but most of the time the risks she takes are calculated or at least justified. One of the first big examples is when she threatens Madame du Barry with her sword for trying to frame Oscar’s mother for the poisoning of a maid. In this case, she draws her sword in defense of her mother to scare du Barry, because she knows even the countess may not want it to be known what happened.

[Oscar threatens Countess du Barry with her sword in volume 2]

In addition, beneath her cold exterior, she often shows herself to be emotional and quick-tempered, characteristics that come out especially during the most dramatic moments, such as the killing of the child by the Duke of Guémené, when the black knight injures André’s eye or the soldiers of the French guard want to push her to punish them.

[Oscar getting furious about the extravagances orchestrated by the Duchess de Polignac in volume 4]

In the manga, Oscar does not live her military career as an imposition, but rather as a source of pride. Also for this reason, she shows from a very young age to be competitive, ambitious and even a bit arrogant. In fact, she is the one who personally requests the assignments of the capture of Jeanne de Valois or the arrest of the black knight, thanks to which she reaches the rank of brigadier general and, if she had not let the latter escape, she would have advanced at least one more rank. Moreover, in the comic she decides to join the French guard not to get away from Fersen, but to prove that she can make it even outside the privileged environment of the royal guard.

[An adorable little Oscar who already thinks big in volume 1]

Since Oscar, like all nobles, has always lived a privileged and protected existence, especially at the beginning she is naive and ignorant about the conditions of the world and the people around her. It is also for this reason that she is sometimes excessively indulgent towards Marie Antoinette and tends not to take into account André’s feelings for her, even though she knows he loves her.

[A moment of tragic realization on Oscar’s part in volume 5]

Finally, Oscar has an ambivalent relationship towards her femininity. While this does not represent a flaw in itself, it remains one of her major weaknesses that makes her suffer and rends her very vulnerable. While she is in every way a woman, she occupies a place that in a very rigid and hierarchical society is traditionally reserved for men and she wants to be treated like a man. For this reason, she often shows to consider feelings as something exclusively feminine to reject. This side of her identity cracks when Oscar’s expectations and desires as a woman and those as a soldier clash with each other, such as when she falls in love with Fersen and for the first time in her life she dresses as a woman for him or when her father wants to push her to retire from the army and marry Girodelle. This would force her in each case to give up an important part of her life and identity. Only at the end does she understand, after André dies and she stays by his side instead of returning immediately to the battlefield, in the scene that I find the most touching in the manga, that her feelings do not make her a “woman”, but human.

[Oscar crying over André’s death in volume 8, much better than that crap of episode 39]

I want to close by saying that this is a manga and a character that I love very much also and especially for its shortcomings and very human imperfections. It is these gaps that push her to mature beyond the boundaries of her golden cage and to break down the social and personal barriers that prevent her from living her life not simply as a man or a woman but as herself.

It is by navigating her complex and difficult feelings, touching firsthand the despair of ordinary people and gaining the respect of her rebellious subordinates that she understands that she is only a small cog in the great wheel of History and thus comes to choose which side of it she really wants to be on.

[typewritingyip]

Arcturus Art! Sorta.

So, last week I posted the patch design for the Arcturus Missions, and briefly said I was thinking about doing more. Well, since there is no chapter today, here is more!

So! Context!

Yes, these are the government names of our beloved Arcturus One crew, Left to right, then bottom left to right is Sunny, Sides, Hound, and Breakdown.

Now, their name tags. Typically, all NASA name tags have blue backgrounds unless you served in the Marines but I changed it slightly with further context. If you served in the Army, it’s grey and blue (Hound) along with the military star above the wings. Civilians can basically choose whatever they want, so in this case I had them select something not blue for the background just to be a differentiator between our military guys and them. In actuality, they’d also have a blue background but could select whatever thread color they wanted. Then for Breakdown, it is meant to represent that he was military for another country (USSR/Russia/Ukraine) but the last time we had a Ukrainian astronaut in the space program was during the shuttle years and his circle was filled with a small shuttle design so for Breakdown I put the A used in the Arcturus patch along with the typical star design so it wouldn’t look so bear.

Then I threw the whole thing over NASA orange.

I’ve been loving all the smaller bits of world building I’ve been able to do with this story and learning new things, such as the designs of NASA name tags for astronauts. It’s been fun and I intend to keep having fun once I’ve taken the LSAT. I might drop small things in the next two weeks but for now my priority is studying for my exam.

Also, @aghostsnail thanks for loving my initial patch design and inspiring me to make these.

[bleedingcoffee42]

Happy Birthday Chuck Grant!!!

Charles Ensworth Grant was born March 1, 1922 in Pittsburgh, Pa. He was the son of Francis Bingham Grant and Katharine Willis Grant Francis was a veteran who served in the cavalry and sold furniture. Katharine's family traces back to New England and her family moved west to California around the same time the Grants did. In the 40s Chuck would have her sister, his Aunt Elizabeth Willis Knapp and her family across the street from him as well as Grandma Willis who would move in with his parents later on. Katharine's brother Edward would live close by in West LA as well.

Chuck may have graduated from University High School in 1940 but he didn't take his senior picture so it's difficult to verify. He worked as a gas station attendant before taking a job with Vega Aircraft. He also listed his address on his draft card as that of a friend's father, a friend who's wedding he would be in as part of the wedding party. Later another member of that party would accompany him to Las Vegas as witness for his own wedding in 1946.

He fought every campaign with Easy company, from Toccoa to Austria. He is described by his fellow soldiers:

-"Loved life. Loved women. Sharp as a tack" -Babe (also memories.)

-"Sunny, quiet, golden-haired boy from CA"- Webster

-"Sinewy physique, excellent combat record..easy going but all man. "- Christenson (memories)

Chuck was promoted to Corporal at the same time Ranney, Petty and Harris were demoted to privates in 1943. Chuck received a Purple Heart for being wounded in Holland (shot in the ass) and was awarded the Bronze Star. He more than likely had more.

On May 27, 1945 he is shot by Floyd Craver of Item Company. Speirs, Foley and Roe loaded him up and took him to Battalion HQ where a sloppily dressed Captain said he couldn't do anything for him, so they loaded him back up and took him to Saalbach where they knew there was a hospital. Jack Foley kept his affairs in order while he was in the hospital in Austria and wrote his parents, as did Don Malarkey. Chuck's parents wrote him back and thanked him. After the war he is discharged from Hammond General Hospital in Modesto, California on November 3, 1945.

On November 2, 1946 Chuck Grant married Norma Jean Darland(She gets her own post), a marine, in Las Vegas with his friends Keith and Doris Morgan to witness. He and Norma move to San Diego where she is a cashier at the Naval Training station and he does get some veteran assistance. He fills vending machines 5 hrs a week. They have two children, Dan Edward Grant and Charles E Grant, Jr. In Sept 1954, Norma commits suicide by overdose and Chuck finds her in their bedroom. He takes the kids to a friends and comes back to call the cops. He never remarries. By 1960 he is back in Los Angeles area where he stays until his death in his home on Bracken Street Arleta, CA on October 12, 1982.

Chuck was an active member and officer of the Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart and a co-founder of a chapter of the 101st Airborne Association in his area. He was present at most of the reunions. He visited members of Easy who were ill like C.T. Smith and went to Arlington for the dedication. He was voted to be the 506 representative in the 101st in 1980 and it was well deserved.

There is no evidence Chuck lived in San Francisco and he would have had to do it between 1956-1960 where he falls off the radar in my research. He is a disabled widower with two little boys, the common sense move is to go back to LA where he has family. The gentleman who owned Grant's Smoke Shop in San Francisco was Edward L. Grant who's parents were English immigrants and no relation to Chuck.(separate post).

Chuck struggled with partial paralysis but still was extremely dedicated to veterans, and Easy Company, and served years with vet organizations in the LA area. He appears to have never remarried, had one DUI, his stereo stolen twice.

Chuck appears in several photos besides Skip Muck (above), is included in the Niland story, and Hack Hansen was closest to him. He's not only the victim of what appears to be being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but not having a best friend who wanted to keep his memories alive and make sure he wasn't forgotten. He is way more than the guy who was shot in the head, but nobody was around to tell those stories to Ambrose.

Happy Birthday Chuck! And special thanks to my partner in research @noneedtoamputate who has been on this journey with me as we try to find out WHO was Chuck Grant besides 'the guy shot in the head'.

(under the cut- Dog Tags in possession of GMH. David Lowry's coveralls with Hack Hansen and Chuck Grant stenciled on them. Chuck from Easy Company photo at Fort Bragg. Chuck at a reunion which may be 1981 San Diego- from Winter's files. Also the write up from Christenson which seems to be were the tobacco and SF thing came from. 101st Airborne article and Bronze Start article).

[jeonscatalyst]

https://www.tumblr.com/jeonscatalyst/774011165218144256/us-jikook-signed-up-as-buddies-they-will-be?source=share

I know many will say I'm being anti or wtv but i still haven't fully believed they sleep in the same room not because i don't want to or anything but it's just that we don't have any idea about the internal room arrangements and i have seen some (jk solos) posting ss from that website where soldiers talk about their experiences and i have seen different soldiers have different experiences. Even companions saying they weren't in the same unit as their companion etc. i mean that's what i have have read from those ss and since I'm not korean and I don't have anyone personally telling me how it goes in sk military I'm always 50/50 witj all the information that comes unless it's confirmed solidly.

Jimin said "conversation with jungkook before going to bed" now this can mean that they both sleep in the same room or they don't is also an interpretation because he could be talking with jungkook u know like hangout a little (like jk said they both go away from other soldiers to sing out loud) and then go separate ways to their respective rooms. I mean that's also an option so idk how much they're sleeping together side by side but what we 100% know is that they both see each other daily, talk to each other about their future about armys, they go away from others to have their little time together to sing to talk etc and that's sooo beautiful.

Hi anon,

With all due respect, no one gives a tiny rats ass what you believe. There comes a point when people like you need to step out of your imaginations and accept reality for what it is. The fact that you are citing what JJKs say or post as your source already tells me all I need to know because no single person who cares about Jimin and Jungkook together takes what any of their solos says about them as a pair seriously. So you just exposed yourself as an anti by telling me that your source of information is the same people who hate Jimin more than they love Jungkook and would do and say anything to prove that they hate each other.

When we first learned that Jungkook was assigned as a cook, what happened? People like you immediately spun baseless narratives, claiming that cooks sleep in separate areas, follow different schedules, and wake up or go to bed at different times…therefore insisting that Jikook couldn’t be together.

Before that, you were certain that Jimin and Jungkook would be separated after basic training, yet they themselves debunked that claim. Jungkook further disproved your theories about cooks being in separate sleeping quarters and following different routines when he shared that he sings with Jimin in the shower. If he truly had a different schedule…waking up or going to bed earlier than Jimin, how would they be showering at the same time? If cooks were actually separated from the rest, how would they even have the opportunity to do that?

Then, you once again claimed that Jimin and Jungkook don’t sleep in the same dorm, only for Jimin to talk about the conversations they have before going to bed. Hell they even talked on AYS about sleeping next to each other and stuff….yet here you are again, pushing another illogical narrative.

If you insist on engaging in mental gymnastics, let me ask you this: What would be the point of the buddy system if buddies who enlisted together to rely on each other and make military life easier for each other only ended up being separated? What purpose would that serve? I’ve told you before…forget everything you think you know about the Korean military and stop applying those assumptions to Jimin and Jungkook. They enlisted under the buddy program, which changes things for them. Maybe in general, other recruits sleep separately. Maybe other cooks really do follow different schedules. But none of that applies to Jimin and Jungkook because they are enlisted as buddies and there would be no purpose to them going through that process which landed them in the front lines of they only ended up getting separated which defeats the purpose.

Why is it so important for you to insist that they don’t share a dorm? Why go to such great lengths to prove otherwise? I understand that having Jimin and Jungkook themselves debunk the falsehoods you’ve clung to is difficult for you to accept. That must be painful. If I were in your position, I’d probably feel the same. But, darling, it’s time to accept reality. It’s not just anyone contradicting your claims…it’s Jimin and Jungkook themselves. They are the ones actually experiencing military life, not you. You don’t get to dictate their actions or interpret their words based on your personal preferences.

They’ve told you plainly: they are together. They shower together, sing together, and have discussions before bed. You can either accept that truth or continue raising your blood pressure trying to deny it. The choice is entirely yours.

[sy-on-boy]

My 2 cents on the plot / thematic relevance of Ch 95

This is not about advancing Plot B or showing Anya's school life (which is still true but has been discussed), but rather the overall theme of education and war. There was an excellent post about how Eden is at the frontline of the cold war and it is subtly shown through the innocent lens of the first graders (I can't find it now, would link it if I could). And I think that perfectly applies to Ch 95.

Quick recap on some references about education/students/war throughout the series (that I remember at the moment):

Sylvia gravely condemning the Berlint University Student Terrorists during the Doggy Crisis arc (Ch 20) and saying "did you learn nothing about war at your university?"

Henderson talking about his experience as a history teacher (Ch 27.5, Short Mission 4) and quote: "Yes, well, I have always maintained that there is nothing to be learned from the memorization of time lines. From the grand efforts with which our forefathers crafted society to the foolish notions that sent them racing to war, to not study the human element at history's root is to not understand history at all"

Note that Damian's best subject has been established to be history, and his family (father) has been involved in war, at least Donovan was PM during most of the war (established by Melinda in Ch 91). Donovan is also a graduated Imperial Scholar (Ch 64).

The Red Circus group started out as a peaceful student demonstration "advocating for peace and quality" (Ch 72) and "speaking out to protect the weakest members of our society". And Billy Squire said, "We were a respectable movement that fought for our cause with respectable means. It was the state that turned violent against us. So I'm not taking criticism from a member of the establishment (referring to Henderson, an educator). I'm gonna see to it that they reap what they've sown." Billy's daughter Biddy was killed by the state at a protest.

Less of a point, but Becky is the daughter of the CEO of a major military manufacturer. Despite their very likely involvement in military conflicts because they sell arms, the Blackbell cohort has been depicted positively so far: Becky being a kind, wonderful friend to Anya, Becky's father doting on her, and Martha again being kind and dignified (and also being an ex-soldier and acquainted with Henderson).

Eden Academy is a major setting for SxF and the themes of politics, education, and war are embedded in it. The students involved in protests/groups are older (the university students, Billy's daughter), but the political implications remain even among the youngest of the students— the first graders.

Hence, Ch 95. When mere first graders are shown to fight to gain connections, which can be political as pointed out by Henderson: "In the world of politics, dances serve as major social events". But of course, they are kids, so they see it more playfully and innocently, especially Becky with her shipper lens on.

Of course, there is also the aspect of getting to know other people better out of interest (the boys asking Anya and Becky to dance because they were impressed after the bus hijacking). But as people have mentioned, nobody mentions this to Damian despite him being equally involved in saving the class (all three of them got a star). The girls aren't interested in Damian as a person, they're interested in him as an asset because of his family and their power.

And I can see the teachers trying to diffuse the tension and create camaraderie with their friendly competition. To me, this reads as the teachers fully realizing "the battlefield of political maneuvering", and they want to remind the kids to have fun, to show good sportsmanship, to unite the kids, to operate as a class and be friendly with one another, and overall make it more lighthearted. It's nice to see the classes work together and get excited / win as a unit, especially compared to the more "individual" bits of fighting for a dance partner later.

We get a bit of comparison between Bill and Damian, with Bill showing good sportsmanship while Damian scoffs at him. But Damian ends up becoming ultra competitive and telling his classmates to not screw it up.

Like the Dodgeball chapter, Damian is clumsily attempting to lead the class by doing good in his quiz, while getting stressed and yelling at his peers when they don't succeed like he did. So he's not really a good leader. Like how him being good at history does not necessarily mean he is good at being peaceful (Short Mission 4 ends with Henderson staring in exasperation at Damian + Anya bickering with each other). But obviously, he is merely a child, and he is naturally immature.

At first Loid is all for advancing Plan B and analysed Anya's suitors in a rational (reductionist?) way by ranking them in terms of gaining intelligence, but he remembers this is just a dance, Anya is a kid, and she should do whatever she wants. Loid (and the adults) are very aware of the political side of the gala, but ultimately they want the kids to have fun and not worry / worry less about politics.

Because they're kids! They'll grow up and learn more and be politically active later, but right now, they're just kids. Kids who don't know much about the world but are eager to make the world a better place.

In the end, we get a panel of Anya and Loid "teaming up" to win Damian's hand for Plan B / world peace. The Damian-Anya dynamic is cushioned with the silly crushy feelings, but underneath it, Operation Strix continues to be a core motivation.

I find it interesting that Endo chooses to focus on the first graders and their innocent view of the world / politics. It's embedded everywhere and especially in a prominent school like Eden, but the kids don't really realise it / realise the severity of it. Heirs and heiresses are educated at Eden and grow up to have incredible influence and the power to shape the world. Our protagonist's best friend comes from a family that manufactures arms. Henderson mentions the importance of learning history to avoid making the same mistakes (ie. war).

So Ch 95 is a cute prom chapter. But I think it also helps to show the themes underneath the fun, bubbly interactions.

[tranceinnumerabletabs]

When Jonny Comes Back pt.2

A/N: Thank you all so much for your likes!!! WOO 100 notes in like 2 days?! I'm so honored!! =D

I know this one is short but that's because of the change in tone of part three. Which will be made soon after this is posted

Edit: I added more to the story

Click me! I'm part one!

Ugh!

You checked the mail again

Nothing!

Why nothing? Was it the contents? Was it the postage?

You’re upset at this, more than you’d like to be. You sigh and growl. Fine! you’ll go home, write another stupid letter to that stupid handsome bastard. You stomp home and sit at your desk. You pull out a piece of paper, upset, antsy and confused.

Why hasn’t Johnny written back?

Should you write him another or ask him about it when Johnny comes back?

You sigh, you miss him.

When will your precious Scotsman come home? You’re really looking forward to watch some movies with him!

Sigh….maybe the package was cancelled after they caught the scotch. Yeah…yeah that makes sense. It’s not his fault. No he’s just sitting there awaiting a word from you!

You pull out a piece of paper and start writing to him again, this time your tone is a bit softer, asking him how are things, how is he? Is he okay?

You finish it up and make it a proper letter.

And for added bonus, you send a picture of the cat Simon and yourself in his clothes on the couch you two watch movies on, with the words “Simon can’t wait for you to come back :)” written on the back.

And….well…you’re not wearing any lipstick but….for good luck, you kiss the picture. You feel stupid now but you have a feeling you’ll be a lot more okay with it when Johnny comes back.

-----

A letter came in! No hold on. Two letters came in! Good! Serves him right to write two letters after you wrote two. You hurry to your living room and eagerly read it.

Reading the letter was worse than waiting for it somehow. You rolled your eyes at his words till they were sore, it sounded just like him with all the flourishing to match, the handwriting shows he’s someone forced to be neat and legible but it paradoxes his doodles. He even drew little hearts.

You chuckle, forgetting he’s even in the military. No way the same people that wake up at 5 AM to exercise to defeat regimes contain the guy who just told you the shampoo was shit and made his base think he smuggled alcohol -_-

But you can believe it’s the same people who contain the guy who asked you to send your underwear next time -_- Being surrounded by men probably just does that to you.

But…strangely enough…the letter just…..cuts off? Like it doesn’t seem like he finished writing it? The letter wasn’t even full and he never signed off as “Your brave babygirl, Johnny” Maybe the second letter explains it? You look down at it and it’s addressed to you but……that’s…that’s not Johnny’s handwriting? The pen seems to dig in the page a lot more and without a heart doodle in sight. You open it and….it’s not written by Johnny. It’s by his Lieutenant.

“This is Sergeant Soap’s Lieutenant talking about the situation on his behalf”

Oh shit. Are you in trouble? Is Johnny in trouble? You frantically read it.

Hey at least it starts off well with “I know who you are."

Good? You mean no harm.

"You must be the barnacle that he can’t shake off right?”

Nvm it starts off awful.

“And also the cat’s mom, he showed us the picture of his so called son.”

Oh god Johnny is talking about you. Was it seriously not enough to embarrass you in front of your friends?! Now he’s gotta tell the world that, what? Your the president of his fan club? If his ego gets any bigger it’ll be nicknamed Tsar Johnny or Soap-o-Nova.

“Sergeant Soap didn’t continue his letter so I’m sending the draft.”

Why couldn’t he finish it?

“This isn’t an official statement but he’d want me to tell you” …..this…doesn’t look good

“Unfortunately-“

oh oh

Don't Click me! I'm part 3!

[innerchorus]

are there differences between shapul and esfan? theyre the same character to me.

It took me a while to figure out how I wanted to respond to this mainly because it sounds like something my partner would say to antagonise me but let me give it my best shot.

I do think there are some differences between them (and I will of course mention those in this post) but I think it's more interesting to answer this question by looking at why these two characters are so alike, and specifically why the fact that they are so alike doesn't mean they are merely cardboard cutouts of each other and is vital to understanding them as characters.

First, while Shapur created a strong impression and is an important character to myself and many others, it's worth noting that he appears in relatively few scenes in the manga. That's enough to glean some info about what he's like as a character, but we don't get to spend as much time with him as we do with the main cast. Maybe that's part of why you feel this way.

We do, however, get to see a bit more of his younger brother, Isfan.

When you say that Shapur and Isfan are so alike they seem the same to you, my first response is pretty much "well, what did you expect, given the circumstances?". It's clear from the outset that Isfan wishes to follow in his brother's footsteps.

Here he is in Chapter 59, freshly arrived in Peshawar.

Straight away we learn he wants to avenge his brother's death and offer his service to Prince Arslan in his brother's stead.

From Chapter 64, right before his fight with Gieve.

Here we learn that not only did Shapur save Isfan, he actually taught him. The novels even mention that 'while his brother served as a military general in the royal capital, Isfan became an agent of the royal capital and stayed in his hometown to guard it,' so even before we meet him in the manga, Isfan was stepping into a role that had previously been occupied by his brother, a role that Shapur had trained him for.

It's very clear that Isfan looks up to his brother, idealises him and aspires to be the kind of person he was, not just in a military sense but also sharing his morals, viewing loyalty to one's country and protecting the weak as far more important than riches (as stated in Book 12 of the novels, this is something Shapur said that Isfan adheres to as well). Is it such a surprise that after being so closely taught by Shapur and clearly modelling himself on him, Isfan seems so like his older brother?

That's really why I think saying they're 'the same character' feels reductive, because the reasons why they are so similar tell you so much about them.

And despite Shapur appearing in only a few scenes before his death, the same thing works in reverse. When we meet Isfan, we also learn more about Shapur. I don't think there's any need to list it all as that's not really what your question was aimed at, but I hope you understand my point.

The two brothers do seem to share character traits (they can be hotheaded/rash, as seen with Isfan's fight against Gieve, him rushing hastily to attack Chassum Fortress, and in Shapur throwing down his helmet at Atropatene after learning the king had fled, and particularly in his rescue of Isfan where he rushed alone into the snowy mountains to save him) but again, they're related, sharing the same father. So it's not really a surprise. This does, however, also highlight a difference between them, one that comes down to age and experience.

When we meet Shapur, he's in his mid 30s, and a Marzban, one of the highest military positions possible in Pars.

When we meet Isfan, he's around 20, and although he's clearly got some combat experience he's not at his brother's level just yet. And while they share some traits like I outlined above, while Shapur likely had the age and experience to moderate his reactions a little bit (see how he backtracks after his initial outburst at Atropatene, and defers his conflict with Kubard for another day which never comes), Isfan doesn't, and on certain occasions (like rushing ahead at Chassum) his inexperience shows.

I also want to cover character design, because I think it's a deliberate choice by Arakawa to have there be some resemblance between the two but not have them appear totally identical. One, it highlights that Isfan has a different mother (the manga appears to give him her lighter hair colour), and two, I think it indicates that Isfan isn't just Shapur v2, he's not meant to be just a carbon copy of his brother. Maybe that's also why we haven't seen Isfan wield a spear, Shapur's weapon of choice.

That those visual differences highlight the difference in their birth circumstances feels important. Shapur was born into high status as his family's heir. Isfan was born to a enslaved mother and if not for Shapur's actions his father would have allowed him to die simply to pacify his wife. While Isfan now occupies the same privileged position that his brother grew up in, it could easily have been different.

Those circumstances (Isfan and his mother's abandonment in the mountains) also lead to a distinct difference between the two, which is fighting style. Okay, we don't see much of Shapur in combat but he's clearly a classically trained Parsian warrior. This is likely the nature of the training he gave Isfan, too. But Isfan has an element that is unique to him, something that wasn't influenced by his brother but relates to wolves.

In his fight with Gieve, Tanaka describes Isfan's movements as 'wolf-like' and in both the novel scene and Arakawa's manga adaptation, Gieve is surprised by Isfan's movements (specifically the kick seen below) which depart from orthodox swordsmanship with the unpredictability of the wild.

I don't think we would've seen Shapur pull a move like that!

Yes, I know it makes no sense for Isfan to have these wolf-like traits when the actual contact he had with them was very limited, but I'll forgive Tanaka this conceit because it's fucking cool okay?

Anyway I hope this satisfactorily answers the question. I'm aware I am very (very) into these two characters and not everyone will be as interested in them as I am, but I hope some of the the points in this post were of interest. Hopefully I didn't forget anything, I didn't get a chance to proofread!