#Answer all the points in the company expectations doc

[th3-c0ll3ct3r]

I was given an assignment 6 weeks ago and I've been doing the allocated time plan for the last 6 weeks.

Turns out you actually need 2 whole months to do the assignment as stated by the exam board and my college just decided that, "Fuck it they can do it"

It's now 12:42am and I've typing for last 5 hours.

It's due tomorrow. AND WHAT EVEN WORSE IS THAT 5 HOURS AGO WHEN I WAS GOOGLE THIS INFORMATION I FOUND OUT IT'S ONLY WORTH 17% OF THE FRICKING GRADE!

What is this? Some sadistic educational torture? This is my first 5 min break in an hour and 30 minutes. And I've still gotta write the evaluation and test plan. I'm so I've this.

UPDATE: 2am and done.

[sweaterkittensahoy]

I want you to know that I am someone who absolutely loves my job. It's everything I ever wanted, and it's interesting and fun and I get to learn shit all the time, and it's everything you want from a job.

But also. I have worked at some shit ass places while doing my job. Well, okay, 1 shit ass place. But, if you were playing shit ass job bingo, I'd blackout the fucking card.

Undermined because I was a woman? Yup. Men talking to my tits? Yup. Being dismissed from having an opinion even thought I WROTE THE FUCKING MANUAL? Yes. Expected to always be able to fix the printer if the receptionist wasn't there? Yes. Expected to answer the front door if the receptionist wasn't there? Yes. Punished in one way or another for pointing out it is also not my job to do those things all the time? Yes.

Met the vice-president of the company several times, including once when I'd just closed a 600k payment by flying to meet the client over petty bullshit with 72 hours notice, and the VP still thought I was the one to talk to about ordering lunch for everyone in the conference room? Yup.

Did all the work I needed to do to keep my job intact while suffering from severe chronic pain and then needing to take off for surgery and nearly got soft-fired (not quite blatant enough to sue them for wrongful termination) and managed to pull a solution out of my ass? You fucking bet.

And I'm telling you this to tell you this: The number one thing that made getting up every day in the worst pain of my life and dragging myself into that shit ass situation to sit there and make money because I was the breadwinner and Sean was finishing his degree worth it was this: I did actually like my job.

And on the very worst days of that shit ass job, I learned to take a deep breath, take a five-minute walk, and come back and do my job. Not because I needed the paycheck (I did). Not because I needed the experience to find something better (I did). But because I went into a field that genuinely made me excited about the work and I enjoyed the process of my work. And it didn't improve the workplace. It didn't create any fucking positive emotions between me or my co-workers or any shit like that. But it did lead me to focus on what I COULD control in that shitty situation: And what I could control was being good at my job because I really enjoyed the work of my job.

When I finally got out of that place, it took me 18 months to find steady work again. That fucking sucked. But also, Sean and I scraped by so that I could refuse to work at a place like that again, should an offer come. I want to do the work, not put up with several layers of sexist bullshit and clearly unfair HR practices. I ended up at a place with a great culture but, sadly, some cashflow issues that led to no one getting a raise for 2 years and management cutting their own salaries by 10-20% to keep the doors open.

I burned out at that job because I loved the work AND my co-workers, and when the company went, "We don't want team leads!" I went, "I don't know what this hippie shit is, but someone has to run the meeting," and so I did. Which meant I was also the one who had to put up with one of the few rotten apples in the bushel when we got a shitty client, and he thought they'd be less shitty if we kept giving them stuff while they continued NOT to pay us.

And so I took a month off (No joke, I went to my doc for a check-up, and she found out I'd just wrapped that project, and when I said, "I think I need medical leave," she said, "You start tomorrow, and that's not a suggestion."), and I did look at a few job listings, but I also didn't want to push myself.

On week three, the phone rang. A recruiter had seen my resume. Would I want to interview for a growing company who needed their first tech writer? Sure, I said. And then I got hired. And then they went, "Oh, we need a team lead," and I went, "You sure do. Won't be me, but I'll keep you going while you look for one, and I'll stay on after and happily keep working on all this new and cool stuff I didn't know before."

It took nearly a year to find the team lead. And the first time I realized I no longer had to sit in the upper management meeting, I literally cackled with relief.

What kept me moving through everything to end up where I am now is this: I like my fucking work. I like it in spite of shitty work places. I like it even when I'm fuming at customers. I like it when no one answers my fucking emails, and I like it when I'm in a tight deadline situation.

Before, after, and during, I like my work. And that makes a huge difference on days where I can control nothing else about the situation. Even on my worst days, I like my fucking work.

Like the work first. It'll get you through some shitty experiences, and when you finally find the right combination of team, culture, and (most importantly) paycheck, you'll get to keep doing something you like and get money for it. In a culture that makes it easier to like the things associated with the work.

[sasster]

Comfort

Here’s a continuation of the lover’s quarrel going on over here.

[Docs] —

All of the air leaves the room when Benjin storms out in his rage, leaving Mallum to throw himself on the couch, deflated. The minute exchange of looks between Veylin and Zurven tells him which quad he will be responsible for looking after.

Veylin follows on the heels of her moirail.

Silence quickly settles between the two that remain in the living room, a silence that Zurven very quickly decides that he does not like. It would be his first time experiencing this sort of heavy silence while in the company of this particular partner.

He prefers his useful boisterous demeanor.

It isn’t as though his own anger for the situation doesn’t weigh heavily on his chest, as if he didn’t have half a mind to swallow back all of the trust he’d poured into him and hole himself in the room until Ben and Vey get back. It’s second nature to run from problems, and ridiculously easy.

But that wouldn’t be fair.

He sighs and sits on the couch next to Mallum, now sitting with his own head in his hands.

“Mal,” Zurven says softly, softer than he expected.

Now worried that he might lose the nerve to talk about it, he fixes his attention on the wall across from them instead. When Mallum doesn’t answer, he sighs again.

“I was… I am so vulnerable with you. I haven’t kept anything from you in a long time.” Suddenly realizing his own hands are too idle, he begins to tap them rhymically on his thighs. “I wish you would do the same.”

There is more silence and Zurven finds the fear that they’ve already lost Mallum constricting around his throat, burning his lungs.  This can’t be what kills the trust, that idea tightens and becomes a ball in his stomach.

No way.

“I don’t like getting my news the way that Orfuse did.” He chokes out the second the thought enters his mind. The vision left a bad taste in his mouth, Zerkev’s wrath burned through him white hot. He flexes his fingers as the memory of the trident lingers between them.

At least it wasn’t Harlan. The smug satisfaction might have been enough to kill him.

Zurven blinks the dredges of the vision out of his mind and turns his head to finally look at Mallum again.

Mallum sits there, staring at his own hands, with tears spilling out of his eyes. The seadweller makes no sound, the cry is a silent one.

“It isn’t like that,” he whispers in a voice smaller than he’d ever been. “It isn’t about being vulnerable,” and it almost sounds like he is trying to convince himself of that more than Zurven.

There is silence again, but Zurven cannot stand to let it settle and instead turns to take Mallum’s hand in his. He leans his head on his tear-eyed partner’s shoulder.

“You’ve been good to us, Mal. And Lopard used to tell me that something like that can’t be one way,” he squeezes his hand. “Even if we need it at different times, or if it’s very different things, it doesn’t work if it’s one way. Will you let us be good to you?”

Mallum says nothing, then hesitates before turning to grasp desperately at Zurven’s arm and folding himself into the smaller troll as much as he can. Zurven wastes no time in wrapping his arms around him and holding him so tightly that anyone would be forgiven if they assumed that the position was the only thing keeping the pair from falling apart.

Mallum chokes out a sob that sounds nearly like an apology, Zurven shakes his head and moves to smooth out his hair.

“When he let us go we didn’t have anything. I had, uhm, I had the least of us all. No life to return to…” He hesitates as he speaks, letting his hand drift over and around Mallums fins in order to ground himself. Vulnerability about this point in his life never comes easy. “Even when Harlan took me, I didn’t care if I died because everything at that point was just… People were good to me, but it wasn’t mine.”

Now it is Mallum’s turn to squeeze, but he still says nothing.

“If I can’t be good to you guys, if you think I can’t hold your bad news for you, then what’s the point?”

Mallum’s shoulders shake in time with his sbos, but beyond that another silence falls over them. This time, Zurven gives him the time to collect himself before speaking again.

He is satisfied with the knowledge that Mallum knows what his safety and comfort means to him, that he understands it was no less important than his own, Vey, or Bens.

He kisses the top of Mallum’s head and mumbles into his hair, “I love you. Can you say something? About anything. You’ve never been this quiet before.”

A second passes before he responds.

“I’ve ruined you, you can’t live without me now.” He says with a small laugh, muffled into Zurven’s shoulder.

Then he pauses and reaches to lace their fingers together and very softly whispers, “I love you too.”

[mayimkjs]

Mikoto's Notable T2 Timeline Convos (EN Ver)

Taken from the FOOL's MATE research doc

T1 EN

T1 JP

T2 EN

T2 JP

1) 2022/10/06, Mikoto's birthday

Sakurai Haruka Mikoto-san. Um, are you ok……? Kayano Mikoto Ah, Haru-kun. It’s been a while since we last talked, huh. Yeah, I’m fine. Are you doing ok……? Sakurai Haruka Ah, I’m fine. I’ve been enjoying myself, a lot. Um, I’m sorry, for avoiding you.  I was a bit scared. Of you, honestly…… Kayano Mikoto Ahhh, yeah. I’ve been lashing out whenever I go to sleep, right? ……it’s fine. Even I think you’re right to be scared. You know, I kinda just hate that I don’t even know what’s going on myself…… haha. Kayano Mikoto Ah, but despite all that you still came and talked to me because it’s my birthday, right? Thank you, you’ve grown into a good man.

Mikoto has cast himself away.

His relationship with Haruka is completely different as he's now scared of Mikoto.

Mikoto is understanding of his fear and thinks Haruka is in the right.

He has no idea what's been going on and thanks Haruka for the birthday wishes.

2) 2022/12/15, Kotoko's birthday

Kayano Mikoto Ah, Koto-chan. It's been a while. We were isolated for some time but, how are you doing? Lots of things happened, but for now let's get along. Here, it's your birthday right? I figured that no one would come celebrate it for you, so I came to wish you a happy birthday. Yuzuriha Kotoko ...What a carefree person you are.  Someone as atrocious as you won't be forgiven next time too, surely.  When that time comes, it'll be your last. Next time, I'll kill you. Kayano John Haah? Why don't you try it then, you lunatic.  I'll crush anyone who tries to harm me....  I'll make sure to thoroughly beat you at your own game...!! Yuzuriha Kotoko Hmph. The boundaries have gotten more blurred, it seems.  Your existence itself is a crime. I will give you your punishment.  This is MILGRAM's, Es', and also my own decision.

Mikoto and Kotoko were separated for some time. He still wants to get along with everyone and wishes her a happy birthday.

Kotoko then threatens Mikoto

John fronts and threatens her back.

3) 2023/10/06, Mikoto's birthday

Kayano Mikoto Is it true… There’s really another me? These tattered clothes, and scaring everyone, it’s all because of him.  They say I'm a murderer... Isn't it unreasonable to expect me to believe that? Kayano Mikoto Can you hear me talking like this?  If you can hear me, then answer me.  Why are you doing such horrible things? Hey. It's your fault things have become like this. ……Answer me!! Kayano John Ah, ahhh!! Because, I did it for your sake...!  Because you would break apart!! Kayano Mikoto - - What am I doing...?  There's no way you'll conveniently give me an answer. I should just stop thinking about everything already...I'm tired......

Mikoto has completely isolated himself at this point.

He’s trying to communicate with John but is unsuccessful. Even though John responds, Mikoto can’t hear him.

4) 2024/08/05, Kazui's Birthday

Kayano Mikoto Well, you know... I appreciate your feelings, but... I don't know what I might do, even I'm not sure myself. So I think it's best if we're not together for a while. Besides... haha, aren't you scared, Kazu-san? Mukuhara Kazui Hmm, due to my job, I'm used to dealing with troubles youth. You must have your reasons. I don't feel like prying. Well, come over if you feel like it. Staying alone all the time will make you feel down. I can keep you company if you need to relieve some stress. Kayano Mikoto Yeah... I'm not really used to relying on others, you know. How should I put it, I feel like I'm being a bother. I can't bear that feeling of being pathetic... I guess I'm being very Japanese about this, haha... Mukuhara Kazui Hmm... well, that's fine. If that's easier for you, I won't force you. But you know, people in their 20s are still kids. It's admirable that you're hard on yourself, but I think it's okay to cause a bit of trouble for others. After all, I'm nearly 40 and I'm still a kid at heart.

He’s starting to confide in others more.

He still thinks he’s a monster and that other’s shouldn’t be near him. 

Kazui is offering to help Mikoto out by listening to him when he needs it.

He’s admitting that he has a problem about bothering others.

[alica-tech]

a guide on behavioral interviews💼

ok i've got a behavioral interview coming up so decided to make this quick guide on how i prepare for these if it helps anyone else trying to land internships or full-time jobs in the tech industry!

the process

1. ⭐ Introduction (10-15 min)

The interviewer wants to know more about you, your career goals, skills, and how you align w/ the company's mission.

Like a compelling essay, you want a strong hook or opening statement. The first question asked is often "Tell me about yourself" and this should be a brief elevator pitch (30 seconds) that highlights your current status (student, major, study area), your relevant experience, why you're interested in the company/why you're a good fit for the company, and what you're looking for (in a job). Practice this in front of a mirror if you have to!

Doing company research is really important for the whole interview! You want to look informed and interested. You can use sites such as:

Twitter Linkedin Glassdoor company website (blogs/news/about/careers page) any press releases/news articles to find info about what the company is focused on or what they care about most.

Find things that are genuinely interesting to *you* and write it down on a separate notepad to remember it

Review the job posting you applied to and review where you meet their expectations (your strengths) and be aware of your weaknesses (be ready to answer like "I'm working on improving my..." or "I hope this company can give me more experience in..")

Top questions: Tell me about yourself, why do you want to work for us, what are your strengths? Why should we hire you?

2. ⭐ Situational Questions (15-30 min)

This is where you use the STAR method to craft your responses to questions about your communication, work ethic, and collaboration style

STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result

Here's a guide + sample questions that you can encounter in any type of interview!

Also, prepare 5-6 solid situations that you can use to anchor your STAR responses. These can come from your resume, where each project can be something you can tie back to another soft/technical skill the company is looking for.

For example, for my hackathon experiences, i can relate it to any collaboration / communication / time crunch / meeting deadlines question. for my research experience, i can relate it to analytical skills / experimental / problem-solving questions.

For me, I put all my projects/experiences on a google doc, and then I write additional bullet points on things I did, problems I solved, challenges, skills I gained, etc. It's kind of like a super expanded resume. It's a great reference at a glance! Reflecting on your experiences/projects is very important as well, whether large or small.

3. ⭐ Closing (5 - 10 min)

This is your opportunity to end on a strong note, re-iterating what makes you a good fit for the company and asking questions that show you've done your research on the role/company!

What are good questions? Questions that aren't easily answerable on the company site, questions that will help YOU make a decision if you want to work for them

Here's some good ones: What is your current work from home / hybrid / in-person policies? What are the most exciting challenges facing your company in the next 6 months? What's the next step in the interview process / when can I expect follow-up? Is there support for junior / entry-level developers (such as mentorship)? How does the company support work-life balance? Can you share any recent projects / initiatives the company has taken on that you're excited about?

Here's some to AVOID: Avoid asking about salary / benefits unless you absolutely need this information before moving forward, Avoid asking questions you can google easily or know by reading the job description, avoid questions that are clearly outside of your interviewers area of expertise

phew, maybe i shouldve broken this into multiple posts, for now this is a quick overview, hope this helps!

----

additional (free) resources:

interviewbit - variety of questions listed for behaviorals

tech interview handbook - more details on preparing for STAR and example responses

handshake blog post - list of questions you can ask at the end of any interview

exponent's blog post - FAANG interviewing, focusing on company values, finding peer-to-peer mock interviews

pramp.com - practice mock interviews with peers

[featherlumina]

8, 12 and 17 for the ask game 😁

Thank you so much @duttfisch! Apologies for the Genesis spam below, haha. XD

8. Common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about.

GENESIS BEING INCLUDED IN THE NIBELHEIM INCIDENT. People treat this like some unholy retcon, the greatest narrative sin Square Enix could've committed via the Compilation. And I for one think that's a complete over-reaction.

Seriously. Sure, Sephiroth's definitely not in a good mental headspace by now, but having Genesis water the freshly planted seeds in Seph's mind in the reactor only serves to drive him further down in a really believable way. I always found it a little odd how quickly Seph seemed to spiral in the OG (admittedly Rebirth handled it better), so I think the addition of Genesis makes the scene more fleshed out and raises even more questions for Sephiroth to investigate in the manor.

And a fun one for good measure that's been disproven by Nomura himself - the fact that everyone is like 'hurr durr Genesis can't come back cause Gackt says no / Square won't pay for his likeness'. Admittedly less people are using this as a 'ew no Genesis is icky he can't come back' now, but it was SUPER annoying for like a decade up till this point.

12. The unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them.

Feel like I should be putting my clown makeup on at this point because yep, my answer's Genesis! Again! XD Between the rest of the awesome peeps / moots on Tumblr who've argued for why Gen actually is or has the potential to be really interesting, I think it's fairly obvious why, but I'll summarise my view.

Basically, Genesis suffered from poor writing. Between that and the intense LOVELESS quoting making up the majority of his dialogue, I can see why it frustrated people. But if you look beyond that you'll discover some really neat stuff:

Having Genesis (and by extension, Angeal) as prototypes to Sephiroth actually makes boatloads of sense scientifically. You can't expect ShinRa to pop out Sephiroth on the first try, can you?

Genesis can basically go toe-to-toe with Sephiroth for an extended period of time, which is just... insane, when you think about it. Cloud and Zack have both reached similar heights but Sephiroth is just on a whole other level, so the fact there are a select few who can last against him is just really neat.

Bro had his world shattered and understandably lashed out at the company that shaped and controlled his entire existence. We're on Zack's side for Crisis Core, but it's pretty clear the real world-destroyers are ShinRa, and I think Crisis Core could've done a better job at helping us see Gen's perspective a bit more.

His aesthetic is just gorgeous, let's be honest here. That red coat is iconic and I want it. Superb character design (bless you Gackt for choosing red over black or white.)

Canonically he was well-liked and respected by the majority of SOLDIER, given that he convinced so many SOLDIERs to leave with him. People don't just follow you to the ends of the earth willy-nilly. Also, despite being an 'introvert' and averse to large people groups, he displayed kindness and gentleness with his younger comrades. Gillian called him 'such a good boy' for a reason, damn it!

...and I probably have more, but my hands are tired. XD

17. There should be more of this type of fic/art.

Honestly, I'm a sucker for hurt/injured/degrading Genesis and him both going through trauma and then being comforted and cared for by his loved ones. It's a major part of why I started Thing With Feathers after all. XD

I also love seeing how people explore Genesis' relationship with his changing body/his wing. I could read stuff about that for days.

Also would love to see more written redemption arcs for Genesis, whether it's through 'what-if' AUs or post DoC.

Lastly, I'm not hugely into overly sexual stuff, so any of the above fics without anything explicit is just *chef's kiss*. Of course I understand that many folks love the spicy stuff on its own or mixed into a plot, and that's okay! Just not my cup of tea is all.

[necronatural]

Project Moon Discourse part 3: DCInside meeting

There's a lot of misinfo about the DCInsiders who went to the office; they did not "storm" the place or "break in". They self-reported as being very polite and cordial, which explains why, when they were allowed a meeting, they were pissed off that PM didn't treat them politely. They repeatedly act like making them wait was an affront. Dude, you showed up at their offices to demand an impromptu meeting with the CEO. Did you expect a red carpet?

And yet, they were still allowed a meeting. A twitter user has, to the best of their ability, translated the transcript.

Here is the doc.

Things to note:

As some have pointed out, DCInside believes male gamers are being listened to less than female players, so they actually spend a lot of time talking about the bungled numbers in the game meta.

They leverage their status as fans to pressure PM.

pizzo-ass "If you don't give us a concrete statement on feminism, some people might interpret it to mean you're feminist".

They repeatedly use this manipulation tactic and it is easily defeated by "we can't make an official statement in an unofficial meeting [this interaction is equal to you emailing support IRL]" every single time to the point they start getting pissed off. pretty funny

Project Moon was already composing their statement on firing Vellmori before these guys showed up. It is not that they caved to pressure a mere 4 hours after the arrival of DCInside users, but that they were already almost done their statement at the time.

Important to note The Project Moon Twitter announcement was a 2-part thread, with a majority of the update being about the screwed data with nerfs/buffs. It was also very rushed and Korean-only. Based on the transcript, we can assume they put it all together in order to answer all of DCInside's complaints and appear attentive to their feelings, without thinking about, say, the misogynistic social climate that is extreme by the standards of the remainder of your playerbase.

Not in the doc but they did in fact go in full cosplay.

In summary.

Also notable is that they came to the office with a manifesto. You can see the Yi Sang image they ended up going with for "proof" that the artist is affiliated with radfem group Megalia (the 🤏 being the logo of this community that shut down a year before the retweets. lol)

Imagine bringing this to a company office.

[footprintsinthesxnd]

Lucky Strikes

Pairings: George Luz x Carwood Lipton(platonic) Warnings: description of war, injury, shell shock, ptsd, cold weather.

So I actually wrote this a little while ago and completely forgot to post it but this fic all stemmed from a conversation @georgieluz and I were having and the idea was born. This fic links to the moodboard it made for Band of Brothers Appreciation week so if you’ve seen it before that it why. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy.

George Luz would often be referred to as the clown of Easy Company, he was the comic relief, the joyful sidekick to the main character of the story. He was witty, insightful and had the heart of a young boy, pure and full of nothing but kindness. In fact, George could probably count on his hands the number of times he’d been rendered speechless, on D-Day when he’d seen a young paratrooper strung up in a tree, when he’d discovered a family hiding in amongst the rubble in Carentan and now standing in front of his friends as he watched their blood seep into the crisp snow, deep crimson dying the pure white carpet.

The scene rendered him speechless, words forming on his lips fell silent in his throat, his mouth dry, chest heaving with each breath as if he’d been crushed by a Sherman. He’d seen the horrors of war plenty of times before but nothing compared to this.

George stood frozen as he watched Doc Roe working on his friends, watched Bill crack jokes about getting home to the States, watched as his friends were carried off by fellow paratroopers. He couldn’t bring himself to utter a single word. He could hear Lipton talking to him, face hazy and his voice muffled by George’s mind. George found himself pointing towards Buck, surprising himself that he’d heard and understood Lipton despite his obvious lack of consciousness.

He watched, his heart heavy, as Lip walked cautiously towards Buck, kneeling beside the shaking man. To see Buck Compton now, shoulders shaking as he sobbed into Lip’s shoulder was more than George could bear. He turned away, his body stiff, joints moving like an abandoned rusted machine as he plodded through the snow, head hanging low, shoulders slumped. His foxhole wasn’t too far from the scene and he slowly sank onto the icy floor, no longer concerned by the snow that has piled into the hole and the tree branches and debris that lay across one end, that would be tomorrow's problem.

George had always felt like he needed to bring people joy, it was his meaning in life but sat shivering and lonely as he mourned the loss of his friends all George wanted to do was cry, to let out all the pain and heartache but he couldn’t bring himself to let the tears flow, couldn’t bring himself to break. “If I break then they’ll be no one to make anyone laugh,” he’d told himself time and time again, it felt like a burden really, being the light in the darkness and despite everything someone expected you to crack a joke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lipton’s warm breath fans across his face against the icy wind as he searched the foxholes, checking on each man but specifically seeking out one. George Luz. Lip recalled the horror and agony in his usually energetic brown eyes as he’d fled the scene, too consumed with grief to help Roe and Malarky. Lipton asked around for George but no one seemed to know, each giving another vague answer. It wasn’t until Lipton journeyed back to his own foxhole that he found him, tucked up beneath Lipton’s blanket, his knuckles pure white as his fingers desperately gripped the scratchy army-issued blanket. Lipton spoke softly to him, crouching down and watching as George’s eyes flickered wildly, moving but unseeing.

“George?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having been too consumed in his sorrow he hadn’t heard Lipton approaching, calling his name or even the large warm weight appearing beside him. It wasn’t until Lipton lay a hand on his shoulder that George jumped abruptly. His brown eyes followed the arm up, meeting the sympathetic face of none other than Carwood Lipton.

He gave George a small crooked smile before nestling down further beside him, his hand still on George’s shoulder. George couldn’t bring himself to meet Lip’s eyes, turning his head away and burying it deeper into his scarf.

“George? Are you alright?” Lip asked, his voice laced with worry, he brushed George’s long brown locks off his forehead revealing the face of a small frightened boy. George shuddered, shaking his head silently. Lipton watched in horror as George’s face morphed into an agonising silent sob, tears began to trickle down his dirty cheeks, leaving silver trails highlighted in the moonlight, illuminating the dark shadows of his face.

Lipton lurched forward, cradling the boy against his chest, whispering to him as he let out all the anger, the pain, the frustration that had been building since D-Day. Lipton had held many a man while they cried, comforted them as they died in his arms, and cooled them down when their anger erupted but not George. Not George. He’d never once seen him exploded with anger, cry after an artillery barrage, he’d not even seen him pray before a jump. Lipton could feel the boy's chest rising and falling in uneven, shaky breaths, knuckles fisting the front of his uniform and his legs wrapping around Lipton’s outstretched ones. He resembled a baby Lemur that Lipton had once seen in a National Geographic book, clinging onto its mother.

“George?” Lipton asked, pulling back from him slightly to watch his eyes silently begging him to stay. Lipton only nodded, giving George a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

With shaking hands George pulled the packet of Lucky Strikes from his breast pocket, lighting one and inhaling slowly before lip plucking the cigarette from his mouth taking a long drag and exhaling deeply. Both men watched as the small clouds of smoke drifted up silently into the dark sky, their eyes aglow from the stars above them.

“Thank you,” George whispered, titling his head upwards to glance at the Sergeant. Lipton nodded and without uttering a word they both knew what hadn’t been said was understood by the other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tags: @georgieluz @iceman-kazansky @yeahcurrahhe-e @lieutenant-speirs @sharpshootershifty @liberteuniteegalite @msmercury84 @shadowsintheknight @callsign-phoenix @desert-fern @mayhem24-7forever @not-havingthetimeofmylife @floralfloyd @dustyjumpwjngs @theflyingfin @jump-wings

[etheirysnoir]

contacts wanted — yiuno.

[ lore / writing / answers / gpose / aesthetics ] — Updated 2024.09.14

An adventurer by day, and an assassin by night—Yiuno Reine is an enigmatic Viera who walks along the blurred line of light and darkness. From the politically righteous Grand Companies to the unknown depths of the Eorzean underworld, Yiuno will work for anyone for the right price, especially if the job aligns with his personal agendas. However, the dangerous secrets that have slept within him for so long will become the key to the fate of the world… once more.

Shrouded in deep mystery with a rich backstory, there are plenty in store for you to develop and forge a bond with him. His complex characterization does not deter my freedom to play him in a wide array of settings; rather, the possibilities are almost endless, and meeting new people is a part and parcel of his long life.

LFRP STATUS: CLOSED.

For a limited time, I am open to only 1-2 players interested in creating intricate stories with Yiuno.

I am no longer seeking roleplay contacts; all my partner slots are currently full. However, you are still free to send me writing prompts or approach me to chat about your blorbos. I love reading about everyone’s characters and learning something new about them.

before you jump onto the bandwagon…

Please read this section very carefully as it contains important things you should know before you approach me to RP with my character(s).

18+ ONLY, NO MINORS.

Yiuno’s lore contains very dark and mature themes, and these are crucial in his characterization and development as a person. On the same note, I’m not keen to work with adults who are sensitive to various triggers, to err on the side of safety. I’m a very busy person, and my empathy for others is fairly limited after a long and stressful work day.

NO IN-GAME RP.

I have a demanding full-time job and I live in the JST (GMT+9) timezone. Aside from schedule restrictions, I mainly play on Japan DCs due to latency issues. It’s difficult for me to arrange in-game meetups, and I’m too busy with real life to manage alts on other data centers. I’m also uncomfortable with many aspects of in-game roleplaying, which I find them too stressful and not fun to deal with.

NOVEL-STYLE WRITING.

Google Docs is most preferred. Also open to other long-form writing platforms suggestions and I’m happy to give them a try. That being said…

I don’t expect my partners to be a bookworm as much as I am, but please have the basic courtesy to provide enough content in your IC replies to keep the story moving. Neither Yiuno nor I can read minds; metagaming is frowned upon in roleplays, and I’m sure we both want the collaboration to be a fun and fruitful experience.

PATIENCE IS A MUST.

I am unable to respond immediately due to timezone differences. Your active time is my working or sleeping hours, and vice versa. Real-life commitments take priority over a shared hobby, which is a rule I will respect you for and expect the same in return. I’d need some time to come up with quality replies, too.

DO NOT MIX IC & OOC.

While I’m willing to impart bits and pieces of Yiuno’s backstory for the purpose of planning ahead in OOC discussions, it should be universally understood that you should never mix OOC knowledge with IC development without my explicit permission. Always keep communication channels open—not only to make sure everyone is on the same page with the RP, but also to build good rapport along the way.

possible starting points.

I’m mainly looking for serious, long-term roleplays with a good dose of plot and character development. If none of the hooks below can tickle your fancy, we can discuss further in OOC to brainstorm more ideas.

SHARLAYAN.

Krile Baldesion. One of Yiuno’s regular clients, who often calls upon his expertise as a treasure hunter and curse breaker both, to handle jobs deem too dangerous for any gleaners to tackle. In exchange for his assistance, Yiuno exploits Krile’s position as an esteemed Sharlayan scholar to gain access to the Noumenon, where he can conduct his own research for the information he seeks. The question is: what is he looking for amongst the dusty, ancient grimoires of forgotten past?

ARCANE HUNTER.

Yayake Yake. Though a dutiful receptionist who works at the Thaumaturges’ Guild, this seemingly polite Dunesfolk has a sharp sense for those with great potential for arcane arts. She has tried and failed to recruit Yiuno to join the guild on countless occasions, with only requests in reclaiming artifacts of the black to seduce the unwilling man back to Ul’dah each time. While this seems like an inconspicuous relationship, there is definitely more than meets the eye. Why does Yayake single out Yiuno from amongst the promising candidates of black magic? Why does she have such high regards for his talent and skill? What else does she know about this brooding Viera—and what is she hiding about him?

ANCIENT CITIES.

Remnants of the Great Flood. Though Yiuno would often introduce himself as a mere treasure hunter when prompted on his martial prowess, if one is observant enough to pick up the signs, they would notice that some things just don’t add up. Majority of Yiuno’s regular clients have affiliations with guilds of the arcane arts. He’s usually tasked to find and reclaim ancient artifacts from fallen civilizations known for their knowledge in magic. He has a curious familiarity with the three factions in the Magi War: the Floating City of Nym, the Weeping City of Mhach, and the Lost City of Amdapor. Just what kind of connections did Yiuno have with the Sixth Umbral Calamity?

DUALITY.

An enigma of many faces. Many adventurers would’ve dipped a toe or two into the Eozean underworld during their long journeys; those enticed by the promise to fulfill their desires would exchange their virtues for riches, sinking themselves into the violent hellscape beneath the façade of peace and prosperity. Toxic masculinity ruled this chaotic world with brute strength, while they exploit femininity to charge their own libido. However, not all women are willing to bow down to such prejudiced savagery—Yiune Rei is an assassin who seduces her male targets with her beauty before she seals their fate in the silence of the night (or so the rumors say). Very few would live to learn about the shocking truth of this graceful lady of death… for “she” is actually a man under the glamorous mask. What compels him to exact his own brand of justice in such an unorthodox way? Is there more to this curious killing spree under the bleeding moon of Etheirys?

looking for…

To reiterate on the importance of OOC discussions: both parties should have basic respect for all characters in the roleplay. Pre-established connections or no, I expect the player(s) to keep communication channels open—talk things out and come to an agreement first before throwing any drastic plot twist in each other’s face, especially one that can drastically change the course of the RP development for both sides.

TRAVELING COMPANIONS.

A wanderer at heart, Yiuno often flits around Eorzea and beyond, never staying in one spot for long. Sometimes due to work calls, other times purely on a whim—while he is fairly knowledgeable on the geography of Etheirys, he doesn’t seem to have a place he’d call home. Deep down, Yiuno knows that he doesn’t belong anywhere: his immortality forces him to constantly move from town to town, keeping a low profile lest someone finds out the secrets to his eternal youth.

Do you share his plight of not having a place to feel home? Or are you seeking for the thrill of leaving your home and explore the uncharted waters beyond your comfort zone? Yiuno’s experience with traveling might just be what you need for the long journey ahead.

FRIENDS & ALLIES.

Regardless of Yiuno’s hermit lifestyle, even he understands that people are generally social beings who thrive on interactions with anything and everything around them. Yiuno knows that he can’t stay incognito forever—he’s getting weary of all the running, hiding, and lying. He wants a shoulder to lean on when the world comes crashing down upon him, or to be in a group of his caliber that can bring out his real talents.

Are you looking for a veteran to join your team and perform great heists like the one in the TV series, Leverage? Or are you the same as Yiuno, seeking a partner with great chemistry to make the world tremble under your unstoppable efficiency? Yiuno might just be that unlikely friend you need to make your ambitions come true.

REGULAR CLIENTS.

Perhaps your only goal is to hire someone for the job, and you’re content to keep the relationship professional. Or you’re already taken and eternally bound by oath, preferring to employ someone who will respect your boundaries. Yiuno has been in this job for a very long time, and he knows where to draw the clear line to get the work done.

However, having a personal network of contacts does have its own merits—the gil and rewards grow with the trust and reputation built from the result of every completion. Of course, the danger and tension will come along with the riches, and perhaps this is the thrill you seek beyond the façade of your seemingly peaceful life.

RIVALS OR ENEMIES.

Perhaps he’s an infinite darkness you want to reach and conquer. Or maybe you hate him just because. Whatever your reasons are, you’ll never see eye to eye with him: you communicate with fists and blades, and every meeting is a fight to kill.

Whether Yiuno is an assassin you aim to erase from the world, or his very existence threatens yours, how will this rivalry or enmity end…? Or a different kind of dynamics might be born from the final clash?

WHAT ABOUT SHIPS?

I’m selective towards romantic relationships with other player characters. Slow-burn is most preferred to create a meaningful development between our characters, and also reveal the truth behind Yiuno’s complex characterization in the most organic way, layer by layer. Though he’s no stranger to one-night stands due to the nature of his job, Yiuno’s a demiromantic asexual in the RP verse—mere physical pleasures with randoms aren’t enough to win him over, and instead more than likely to send you into Death’s sweet embrace.

getting in touch.

Did I manage to pique your interest? Tumblr DM is open to curious souls who wants to learn more about this mysterious Viera, to unravel the dark secrets this man is hiding… and more. Discord handler will be shared only with those who have shown genuine interest to take the risk and step into Yiuno’s world of lies and deception.

If you need more information to get a better feel of Yiuno’s character, feel free to check out the following tags:

noir; database. — lore notes and meta.

noir; chronicle. — writing; ex. canons, au.

noir; faq. — ask answers.

noir; gallery. — gposes.

noir; academia. — aesthetics; ex. quotes, moodboards.

[milesonthenet]

Wish (The things it did wrong, and the things it did right)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Welcome back to the House of Milesverse, our place for comic book and fiction talk. Today we are taking a slight detour to Disney's animated catalog.

2023 was an explosion of Disney hype and joy, due to celebrating 100 years since the company's inception. It was a year full of laughs, and shared memories. On top of this, a short film was produced to commemorate the franchise's anniverary.

Today we will be talking about Wish, an animated film that released in November of that year. The movie focused on a young girl wanting to set loose the wishes of her kingdom, kept captive by an evil king. She's joined by her plucky goat, and a hyperactive star that can grant wishes.

Wish was written off by many people, and considered an animation blunder by Disney fans. It failed to live up to the hype of people that expected differently than Disney's usual service. Some people however have found the film to be a fun, but far more average, experience.

Today we will go over the things Wish did right, and the things Wish did wrong.

The things it did right:

Right from the start, there's some key points to address in what Wish did right. Of the two opinions I mentioned, I agree with the latter choice. Wish is not a terrible film, but it is just a mildly okay one. What it has is genuinely good material that hits well.

Star plays well as a typical mascot:

The bright and speedy Star is our mascot (or one of two) for the film. He arrives in a blur to answer Asha's troubles. His arrival, however, is what kickstarts much of the film's conflict. The main antagonist, King Magnifico, wants Star for his power.

He's your typical Disney mascot character whose built for the audience to like him. Think Olaf from Frozen, a cute snowman whose made many a fan. Star plays into that exact demographic with his adorable, bright design.

I find Star's appearance to be infectious because of this. I could not help but laugh at some of his actions throughout the film. Plus he's an expert at granting wishes. Think of him like the silly Genie from Aladdin, but without Robin Williams' sheer charisma.

Asha dreams of adventure:

Our main protagonist is the kind and wishful (pun intended) Asha, voiced by Ariana DeBose. At first, Asha desires for the king to grant her grandfather's wish for his 100th birthday. However after it is declined, Asha's new goal becomes setting the captive wishes free.

I like Asha's motivations, because of how they are rooted in the idea of wishes. She just wants the best for everyone, and for them to experience it on their own. Asha fits into the Disney heroine mold, due to her compassion, bravery, and the driving force behind her goals.

It was a common misconception before release that Asha should have been the villain. People believed that her goals made her evil, or just plain irresponsible. She wanted to set all the wishes free, even including the 'dangerous' ones. Luckily, the film skips over these ideas completely, and for good reason, too.

The Teens are a reference that works well:

Moving on from our starry-eyed protagonist is her large cast of friends. Collectively known as the 'Seven Teens', they get up to funny shenanigans. Their antics and personalities never feel dry during the movie's run.

Beyond comedy relief, the seven teens are all distinct are distinct in a way. They are one of the few references from Disney media that I think actually work. The teens are, obviously, all based off of one of the Seven Dwarves. This callback from Disney's first real 'princess' film to its current one acts as a solid reference.

In addition, the teens also have a stake in the plot and offer tension to the story. They help their friend out, even when she's been ratted out as a traitor. Their personalities all shine through during the final act of the film.

Overall, the Seven Teens each have a counterpart in one of the Dwarves. These include:

Dahlia (Doc)

Simon (Sleepy)

Hal (Happy)

Gabo (Grumpy)

Bazeema (Bashful)

Dario (Dopey)

The things it did wrong:

Magnifico falls short as a villain:

Brought to life by Chris Pine, King Magnifico is the main antagonist of the film. As mentioned before, he is the tyrannical ruler of Rosas, who harbors the wishes of its people for his own power. Magnifico is a narcissist who is only willing to grant wishes if he can benefit from it.

Magnifico's entire concept was meant to play toward the 'old' Disney villains. People have long enjoyed villains like Jafar from Aladdin, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, Scar from the Lion King, and more. Magnifico's personality, his lust for power, and even his green magic all call to mind traits associated with old Disney villains.

However, our untrustworthy king falls short in many ways. As a villain, Magnifico's transition to evil can come off as rushed. Much less time is spent on who he was before gaining his position. He spends a good deal of the plot hounding Star for its cosmic power.

You can say this for other villains in the franchise as well. However, I find that Magnifico suffers the most from this. He already has an interesting background set up in the story, but nothing is done with it.

In the past, Magnifico came from a loving family. He lived in peaceful lands until greedy thieves attacked. They killed his family and traumatized him. He wanted to learn magic so that he could use it to defend himself, and others.

Magnifico's worst qualities are always seen upfront throughout the movie. There is no lie that he's the 'bad guy' of the series. There's also nothing wrong with him being the main antagonist. However, Magnifico could benefit from gaining more sympathetic traits to better round out his character.

This is not me asking that he be a fully 'sympathetic villain' who was never evil to begin with. Instead, I believe that Disney had the option to still make him more complex. More than that, it would also make his transition to evil less jarring for some viewers.

Asha is another victim of the 'adorkable' trope:

Over the years we have seen heroines from Disney evolve. Starting with Rapunzel in 2013, most of them were much quirkier. This is what many refer to as the 'adorkable' trope. Characters who are socially awkward or unappealing but in a cute way.

Rapunzel, Mirabel, Moana, and Anna are all characters who use this idea in one way or another. They are put in awkward or quirky situations which also leads to easy laughs. I think it's worth noting that all of them use it well, at least.

With Rapunzel, she had never seen the outside world since she was a child. Mirabel's awkwardness came from her own feelings relating to her family. Both Moana and Anna are adorkable in their own ways, but neither of them is overwhelmed by the trope.

Asha feels like she is always on the verge of it. She's clumsy, nervous, and also awkward at times. I think this is a scenario where Asha didn't need these 'traits'. As adorkable as she can be, she already has a great narrative. Asha is compassionate, and you can feel how much she cares for her people.

The story hinges too much on the past:

This is my own personal issue with Wish itself. Wish is a good story on its own, but it also relies on references from the past. The story is full of references to Disney media.

Some references worked in the story, however. The Seven Teens for example, were integrated well into the world. Asha's basic 'cloak' is a reference to the Fairy Godmother's garb, and it blends so well into her design. Magnifico's magic is green, calling to mind past Disney sorcerors and villains.

These are references that feel natural to the story because of how they are positioned. Everything else just feels like it's for the sake of being there. The references are there to feed you, meal after meal. However, like any person eating the same meal, you eventually just get tired of it.

The Music:

Wish's music is my favorite part of the film. Every sequence in the movie is loaded with loving tunes. I just can't help but smile whenever I hear the opening of "This Wish" or "This is The Thanks I Get?".

The songs partway carry the film for me because of how bombastic they are. The visuals help hammer in the Disney magic that you are used to. Each tune is filled with so many amazing sequences that you just won't get tired of seeing it.

The credit for this lies in musician Julia Michaels, and Benjamin Rice. Joined by JP Saxe, they helped create Asha's powerful anthem. The score of the movie was meanwhile composed by Disney's notable orchestrator, David Metzger. Metzger had also done work on other films such as Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph, Moana, and Tarzan.

Overall consensus: Wish is a movie that tried. And failed. But maybe that's okay?

Wish is a film that tries to do too much, and that only hinders it. It's a movie that tries to be a large, huge spectacle. It is Disney's celebration of the fans with all these easter eggs and hidden catches. That aspect is where Disney loses its magic, and it is what hurts the film.

Wish is so caught up in being the ultimate milestone celebration that it forgets to be a movie. Everything about Wish, when it is focused on its own story, adds charm and substance. The concept of how Wishes work, as aspects of real people, is brilliant.

The nature of the film alone created a lot of hype for fans. People were expecting a much bigger ordeal than what they got from the film. Because of this, it was guaranteed to create dismayed reactions from those same fans.

This is not to say the film is terrible or that it has no purpose. Wish is a beautiful-looking film that is just alright. That on its own, is what makes the film entertaining to me.

Wish is a flawed film, but one that I enjoyed nonetheless. It is a movie carried by its bright cast. I would recommend that you see the movie for yourself, instead of listening to other people. That way, you can form your own opinion on the movie.

[telomeke]

ID text–

The first post by Tumblr user @‌reasonandempathy starts with a series of images comprising a Twitter thread posted by Sayed Tabatabai, MD @‌TheRealDoctorT at 5:01PM UTC 16 September 2020:

“Why do you want to be a doctor?” I answer without hesitation, “I want to help people.” “There are many ways to help people.” “I want to save lives.” “There are many ways to do that too. So I’ll ask you again, why do you want to be a doctor?” “Because I believe in it.” I think about that exchange now and then, some times more than others. Why do we do the things we do? What do we really believe in? My next clinic patient is one I’ve known for many years. He is visiting me today via Zoom. I always look forward to talking to him. As soon as the visit begins, I notice that his camera is angled off-center so I can’t get a clear look at his face. I ask if he can adjust it, but he says he’s having technical issues. No problem. I can adapt. It isn’t just the camera though. Something feels off today. Almost immediately I can tell that he sounds subdued. He isn’t cracking his usual jokes. I’m comfortable with silence, even in the heart of a busy clinic day. Silence is often where the healing happens. After asking how he’s doing, I let the silence between us grow. The question, when he asks it, is one I don’t expect. “Doc, which kills you faster? Blood pressure you don’t control, or blood sugar you don’t control?” The surprise on my face must register, because he explains further. “I just can’t afford all these medications anymore.” He continues. “The way I see it, doc, I only need to stick around 4 or 5 more years. That’s how long my pet dog has left, then I ain’t got no more family and it’s me all on my own. So I figure maybe take the diabetes ones and skip the blood pressure? Or every other day?” As I review his meds and start discussing our options with him, he adds one last remark. “And I’m real sorry doc. I know we go back a ways, but I can’t afford my co-pay. I’ll pay you later. Promise.” And just like that, I understand why his camera is angled. And just like that, I’m again struck by the cruel illusion of what I do. The system I’m part of. This patient did everything right; got insurance, paid his taxes. And he still has to barter years of his life. And he can’t bring himself to look me in the eyes as he does so. Our healthcare system is too often unethical, immoral, unsustainable. The insurance paradigm is focused on revenue generation. It strips the basic human dignity from patients, to the point where they can’t even make eye contact anymore. I know that I’m part of this system. He’s old enough to be my father. Some part of me imagines that he is my father. Tears threaten my vision, as a hot anger floods me. Now I wish I could angle my camera away. I ask him if I can write about him. Because people need to know. His response lingers with me. “Sure you can doc. But people already know. Lots of people deal with this. It ain’t that people don’t know. It’s just that nobody cares. Nobody gives enough of a damn to change anything. Nobody… cares.” The visit ends. My Zoom window closes. His window closes too. I feel it. There’s something insidious here. A casual cruelty we’re all complicit in. “I can’t go to rehab, insurance won’t cover it.” “Insurance won’t pay for that medication.” “I can’t afford any of this.” “I’m uninsured.” This isn’t right. None of this is right. Twenty years ago, I gave a medical school interview. I wore my best suit. I sat up straight. I said I believed in medicine. I meant it. Some part of me once burned brightly, but that fire is down to flickering embers. Our lives mean more than this. More than this.

This is followed by a screenshot of a tweet by Albert Lee @‌AlbertLee2020:

In America, you and your doctor can both agree that you need a surgery but you have to get permission from a third-party for-profit insurance company or it can't be paid for. It's called freedom.

Tumblr user @‌reasonandempathy's post was then reblogged by Tumblr user @‌nateconnolly, who added a link to the donor page of recommended charity RIP Medical Debt (a charity that buys medical debt and forgives it), as well as a screenshot rating its trustworthiness as a organization to be supported with donations:

Rating Information Great This charity's score is 100%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence. This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores, weighted as follows: 32% Accountability & Finance, 50% Impact & Results, 7% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.

Our system is broken.  It is cruel.  It is dehumanizing, degrading, and it’s vile nature is so, so unnecessary.

We need universal healthcare today in America.  We needed it 40 years ago.  It’s cheaper, it’s simpler, it’s more efficient, it’s more effective and it is so, so, so much less cruel than what we have.

Additional sources/references:

Universal Healthcare Cost in America would be cheaper by trillions of dollars

The US has worse life expectancies than socialized healthcare countries

We have worse generalized healthcare results

We have the most expensive care

Our system is so cruel and unique that doctors from other countries literally can’t believe what happens here

I can’t tell you where or how to activate to help solve this.  There are politicians, groups, and activists pushing for this in so many ways.  I can tell you when, though.

Now.

[rookerystories]

Star Trails and Ash Rails: Bad Memories Part 2

“Hey Rei,” the voice came through before the picture and the voice sounded as tired as Rei felt.

“How you doing, Commander?” Rei asked, leaning back and looking at her old… friend may be pushing it, but they’d shared some of the worst times of their lives together.

“About as well as it looks like you are.” Herder answered with a wry smile accentuating the dark circles under her eyes. “Dex still with you?”

“Yeah, he’s around here somewhere. Probably doing the same thing I am.” Rei took a long slug and ignored the burning in her throat.

“That shit’s gonna kill you one day,” Herder responded, taking a drink of her own beverage.

“Gods willing.”

“You ever think it’ll stop?”

“Do you?”

“Not really.” Herder snorted. “You know, I spaced that medal almost as soon as I got it. Found out recently that’s a crime.”

“Let them come and try to arrest you. They’ve got nothing on you.”

“Twenty years and a few good nights’ sleep.” Herder laughed.

“Experience and paranoia are good for you,” Rei said dryly.

There was silence between them for a while.

“You still get the-” Herder started.

“Yup. Less, except now. You?”

“Oh yeah. It’s always the swamps too. And the city. Nothing else.”

“Not surprised. Gods, what a shit hole.” Rei stared at her whiskey and sighed, spinning the Cap back onto it. “It’s not gonna work, is it?”

“The booze? Has it ever?”

“No.”

Silence filled the space again. It was almost companionable.

“Talked to my doc,” Herder started.

“Anything useful to say?”

“Yeah, actually. He wants me to go back. To see that it’s not all the same. That things have changed. Thinks it’ll help to put the current in place of the past.”

Rei stared at her for a while. “You gonna do it?”

“I’m thinking about it. I’m kind of at ends at the moment. Trinach brass doesn’t have much for me to do, so the crew and I have been finding ways to occupy ourselves. Thinking about retiring. Might be good to get Nuremtae—” Rei winced at the name— “behind me before I do.”

“You, retire? You wouldn’t get bored?”

“I’m sure I can find a beach with some interesting seashells to keep me busy,” Herder laughed. “Besides Rei, I feel old. Hell, I am old at this point. I just looked through the dossiers for new spec ops grads. You know they’re already 15, 20 years younger than me?”

“And you can still kick their asses.”

“Maybe. On a good day,” Herder smiled. “I dunno Rei, I’m ready to be done. Done fighting. Done running. Done wearing a uniform. I’ve seen more friends die than days on shore at this point.”

“You’ve certainly earned it. I’m just surprised. You’re kinda… Well, I never expected you to stop, I guess. Knew you would, one day. But that day was just sort of a… hypothetical.”

“You and everyone at Trinach command,” Herder laughed. “What about you, Rei, gonna tool around space till you die?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Don’t want to settle onto a nice beach somewhere?”

Rei took a moment to try to put words to her feeling. “No, I don’t. Space is… peaceful. Full of potential. And hope. I like that. A lot more than I’d like getting rickety planetside. All the shit I’ve seen, and I still find comfort out here.”

“I’m glad,” Herder said with a smile. “I’m sorry Rei, I’ve gotta get back to doing fuck all for command before they decide to bust my ass for wasting resources. Because one ship doing nothing will really put a dent in their budget.”

“Sure thing Commander, thanks for the talk. And Herder? Lemme know when you’re heading to—” she paused then forced the word out of her mouth. It was harder than it should have been, “Nuremtae. I don’t know if I’ll come, but I’d like the company if I do.”

“You got it Rei.” Herder signed off with another smile, leaving Rei to stare at the black screen and wonder if she should get back to drinking. Instead, she pulled out an old, tattered folder.

It was full of print outs. A duty roster. A group of friends, once, separated by time, space, and tragedy. She paged through the files, remembering the faces, the jokes. Some of them had died. Some had died at Nuremtae, some after. But some were still alive. Most had drifted away, until only Dex stayed from the old squadron. Rei thought of reaching out every now and then, but always decided against it. Their lives were theirs to chart the course of. If they wanted to talk, she was there. Until then, she’d content herself with memories. Good bad or indifferent, she still had those.

If you enjoyed this story, considering supporting me on Ko-fi! Thanks for reading!

[advancetoclassesandmaterials]

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[mochie85]

Man of The Month part 3: February & March

Series Masterlist My Masterlist @muddyorbsblr Masterlist

Summary: You continue to work on the calendar and corral the expectations of the 'models' you would be shooting. Pairing: Loki x Reader (eventually) Word Count: 2.1k Warnings: Fluff

You woke up later than usual. The sun greeted you through the slip of your curtains, and you languidly lay in bed, stretching with a worried gaze on your face.

You couldn’t help but fuss when you’re thinking of this game you found yourself a player in. You could just imagine Tony setting everything up like a deranged gamemaster. Placing all the pieces where they needed to be, and letting them play their positions. Laughing maniacally as we all make a fool of ourselves in front of one another. No one more than you.

You wondered who would show their hand. There were only twelve of them. And if what Tony said about Clint, Rhodey, and Bruce were true, then that left eight other men vying for your attention.

That couldn’t be right.  

You hung out with these guys. Fought with them. Ate and laughed with them. You’ve never gotten that feeling of attraction from anyone of them. Especially Loki. He was always so cavalier and posh that he’d never bat an eyelash in your direction.  

You took your time dressing and getting ready knowing full well that you weren’t needed to do anything but work on this promiscuous publication.

You grabbed a banana in the kitchen and filled your favorite travel mug with rich coffee. Walking down the stairs, you sipped on your coffee enjoying the warm glow surrounding you in a halo of comfort. Your thoughts cycling through the remaining eight men who supposedly wanted to keep you company.

That bubble shattered with loud murmurs of eleven men surrounding the front entrance to your studio.

“What the hell is going on?” You yelled over all of them. You stopped just before you reached the bottom step. Your heightened position making everyone look up at you.

“What does ‘Heckers and Salutations’ mean?” Thor asked tilting his head as he read your mug.

“Hell and Hello.” You answered giving him a narrow look. “What are you all doing here?” You asked looking into each of their eyes.

“Morning babes, some of us wanted to see if we could do our shoots with you today.” Bucky offered with a smile on his face. Loki took an intake of breath to try and stifle the growl that came out when he heard Barnes call you, babes.

“Oh. I thought we all agreed to go in order by month. At least that’s what I thought,” you said to yourself.

“See!” Sam yelled. “Y’all thought you could jump the line?! Now get yo’ asses back upstairs!” he laughed and pointed, trying to usher disappointed soldiers and gods alike.

“I just wanna get this over with,” Rhodey said scratching his head.

“Ya, me too.” Bruce concurred.

“Ok, but we really do need a set schedule, Scopes. What if we go on a mission or something?” Strange asked.

“Good point as always, Doc.” You smiled in his direction making him beam. Oh, Stephen too? How had I not noticed before? “Um…” you sounded, lost in thought.

Loki felt uncomfortable watching your interactions. Jealous of the fact that the vain doctor could make you lose your words with a simple smile. Is Strange the one that you fancy? Is he the one you think of at night, holding you in bed the way I think of you?

Loki only accompanied these buffoons to make sure no one got the upper hand on him. If someone were to extend their time with you, it would be no one but himself.

He couldn’t stand it any longer. He needed to get away from it. He strode past you on the steps and growled in his frustration, “Just ask for me when you want me.”

His irritation was palpable. You could feel it sink into your heart causing you to step back. Of all the smiles you received this morning, you wanted Loki’s the most.

Thor saw your eyes soften, for a fraction of a second then return to the task at hand. His answering smile at your little altercation goading him to continue with his matchmaking plan.

“Okay. I can handle one, maybe two, a day – with all the shots and editing. Since I shot Tony yesterday, I’ll go in order and have February today and March on standby. That’s you, Agent Barton, and Rhodey.” You announced to the eager eyes watching you. “I’ll shoot April tomorrow.” You said smiling at Shaun as he crossed his arms and smiled back. “And I’ll give everyone else a heads up the day before when they’ll be shooting so you guys can prepare. How’s that?”

“Sounds fair,” Steve said smiling. “I look forward to my shoot.” As Steve sauntered back up the stairs, he smiled that glittering smile that’ll make anyone weak in the knees. Everyone started marching up behind the captain, leaving you to continue your day.

“I told them you were going to go in order, Tweets,” Sam said.

“Ya, ya. I bet you loved this chaos, don’t you? You’re just as bad as Laufeyson sometimes.” You joked at him.

“Hey, it gets so boring here when we’re not on a mission. I need something to do.”

“So whatever I’m comfortable with?” Clint asked with his eyebrows raised.

“That’s right Agent Barton.” You reassured him.

“Y/N, we’ve been working together for years now. I think you can just call me Clint.”

“OK, Agent…Clint.”

“God, you’re worse than Kate.” He mumbled under his breath. You chuckled.

You’d never hung out with Clint alone before. It was always a group outing. Whenever you were out in the field, you addressed each other by your alter egos. Besides death and taxes, trust that one of these evil whack jobs will find information about your personal life and make it a living hell. So ‘Hawkeye’ and ‘Scopes’ it was out on the field.

“This is a weird enough situation, Clint. I didn’t know how to address you. We’d never really hung out before and now I’m about to shoot ‘tasteful nudes’ of you.” You declared as you set up your angles.

“No! Not nudes. My wife would kill me.” Clint said taking off his jacket. “Plus, I don’t want my kids to die of embarrassment that their dad posed naked in the Avengers Calendar.” You both laughed.

“Like I said, whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Clint looked around your setup. There were different backdrops set in one corner of the massive studio. A makeshift kitchen and workout area, as well as a bed. Clint did not want to know what ideas you might have for the other men.

He found a guitar and sat by the wall. He strummed it a few times waiting for you to finish whatever you needed to prep.

Unbeknownst to him, you had already finished prepping and were just waiting for him to feel comfortable. You took a few candids of Clint playing the guitar. When he finally realized what you were doing, he blushed and stopped.

“Awe. Come on, Clint. I was just getting the good stuff.” You proceeded to take a few more shots. He started feeling uncomfortable, knowing that the camera was on him. His body became stiff and his movements became jerky and robotic.

“Ok, how ‘bout this? Go ahead and play the guitar one more time. And I’ll try to be discreet about it. Pretend like I’m not even here. Okay?” you tried to calm Clint.

“Ya, sure. Okay.” Clint instantly felt relief once he picked up the guitar again. Maybe it was having the familiar feeling of plucking a string. Or just having something occupy his hands in general.

“Man, I’m glad Tony didn’t greenlight that reality show project. I would hate for cameras to follow me around everywhere.”

“Seriously.” You agreed. “Those things are mostly scripted anyway. You never get the ‘reality’ of it.”

“Living here would be more like Survivor than The Real World.” He joked.

“It’s starting to feel more like The Bachelorette, to tell you the truth.”

“Who’d you give your rose to, Scopes?” he probed, getting more comfortable with the topic at hand.

“Spoilers, Clint. Spoilers.” You deflected.

The two of you started talking about your favorite TV shows, putting Clint at ease. You both found a common love for suspense and comedy.

You took a few more shots of him sitting down and some standing up before you said, “Okay finished. I think I got enough. Do you wanna see?”

You led him to your workstation and plugged in your camera. The page was filled with close-ups and body shots in a matter of seconds.

“Do you have a particular favorite?” you asked him, scrolling down. He picked a couple of shots where he was leaning by the wall. His muscular arms showing off his tattoo. “I like that one too,” you said to him.

“Hey, these are great, Scopes. If you ever quit the hero business, you should definitely consider doing this full-time.”

“Thanks, Clint. That means a lot actually.”

“Hey…uh, can you send me some of these. You know, for Laura.” He asked lowering his voice.

“Sure,” you smiled as you made a copy of all the pictures on a memory card and handed it to him.

“Thanks, Scopes,” he said mussing your hair.

“Anytime, Clint,” you laughed. “Do you think you could send Rhodey down for his shoot?”

“Sure thing.”

Rhodey was sitting on the sofa in the common room awaiting his turn with you. You had told him to be on standby and he hated waiting, not knowing when he would get called down. Clint could take up the whole day, he thought. He had a very important off-world call coming up soon and he didn’t want to miss it.

It was always like this with Tony. His whims were always met. No matter what other people had to sacrifice. And for Rhodey, that would mean sacrificing his only time to get to see his Captain. Clint interrupted his thoughts by walking up the stairs to the team hollering and whooping.

“Ya, ya. Shut your traps.” Clint said to everyone around him.

“So, tell us everything. Did you take off your shirt?” Nat asked.

“Did you go full frontal?” Wanda snickered.

“Did you un-quiver your special arrow?” Tony added in on the fun. Loki sat quietly observing the interrogation. It made him ponder what he would do when his opportunity came up. In truth, he had no qualms about being bare and exposed. Asgard’s societal norms when it came to sexuality and nudity weren’t as repressed as it is here in Midgard.

“No. No. And definitely NO. Laura would kill me.” Clint said pointing to each of them in turn. “It’s your turn, Rhodes. She asked me to send you down when you were ready.” Clint said to Rhodey.

“Finally” Rhodey muttered under his breath. He quickly took off his shirt, exposing his taut muscles underneath. Aside from the two Asgardians and Tony, the team took a collective gasp. Shock ran through them. Not that they were surprised by his peak physical fitness. But by his cavalier attitude of just disrobing in front of the team and committing to the scheme at hand.

“I better not miss this call, Stank. You know we don’t get to talk very often.” Rhodey said annoyed. As if he conjured it from midair, he procured a Stetson that was placed on the sofa next to him and posited it on his head.

A catcall whistle came out from Natasha and asked, “Did anyone know that that’s what the colonel looked like underneath?” she giggled as they all watched Rhodey descend the stairs into your studio.

“I did!” Tony said. “Go get’em, tiger!” He yelled to Rhodey and he answered back by giving him the middle finger.

“Since when did he have a tattoo?” Clint wondered.

“Where did he get the hat?” Thor asked amused.

“Well, gentlemen. The stakes have been raised.” Tony announced to everyone in the room.

Rhodey came in with a flurry, ready to start. And ready to finish. “Hey, Colonel– daamn Rhodes…” You stopped midway through your greeting shocked to find Rhodey in position and set with an impressive Stetson on his head.

“Scopes.” He nodded in greeting. “Look, I’ve had to deal with Tony’s cockamamie schemes for over thirty years. I’ve learned to just be ready to do anything. So that I can continue with the rest of my life. So, with all due respect, just take the dang pictures.”

“Yes, Colonel.”

“Call me Rhodey!” he commanded as he got into different modeling positions. You must’ve taken a dozen more pictures compared to Clint. Unlike Barton, Rhodey was comfortable in front of the camera, making it easier for you to get certain shots you wanted to try.

“Ok, I think I have enough to start with. Would you like to see?” you asked leading him to your computer. “If you don’t like any of the shots, we can try again. With different backdrops perhaps?” you placated.

Rhodey’s phone rang in his back pocket. He quickly took it out to see that it was Danvers.

“I gotta get this call. I like this one.” He said pointing to a picture with his finger suggestively in his mouth. “Run it! Print it! I gotta go.” And with that Rhodey left you pondering what hidden sexual prowess you had just witnessed.

“Ok. See ya later Rhodey,” you yelled out. He waved at you without looking back toward you, eager to get somewhere private. “Say hi to Carol for me!”

Loki watched the Colonel leave your studio, passing by him as he spoke with his beloved. A fantasy forming in his mind of how he wanted his shoot to go with you.

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[quinloki]

A Light Touch

Fem Reader x Eustass Kid

CW: language, assault, violence, sexual themes and situations, implications of non-con, loss of limbs, blood. 18+ Only.

Chapter 1 - Table of Consent -

Chapter 25: Heavy Hand

"Where's Kid?" You ask, walking away as Decken lays in the mud behind you. Law looks at you as he walks by and heads over to Decken. To look after him or bury him you're not sure, and you're too distracted at this point to care.

"Good," Killer says over the comms as a flare goes into the air. "Just stuck. He barricaded himself and then got buried by the mud and plaster. His earpiece works, but his mic overloaded cause of his devil fruit. He's banging on the metal to communicate with us."

"I'm on my way."

"Hey... is he?" Killer prompts.

You look over your shoulder and see Law keeping your sword away from Decken. "He's alive despite his wishes. The doc's keeping him company for now."

"You really gonna keep him like that?"

"Handless and alive? Yeah. Well, I mean, I can't stop him from deciding to bite his tongue off or something, but I don't think he should get what he wants." You admit. You can feel apathy and exhaustion sinking into your body. "Killer... is there something wrong with me?"

"Huh?"

"... I should feel bad, shouldn't I?" You're trudging closer to the others as you speak, but it's slow going, and some of that is the fear that everyone will look at you like an abomination.

"Who's to say?" Killer answers. "How you feel is how you feel, and what's more important than that is how you cope with it going forward. I – we – can all sit here and tell you it's okay, but you're going to have to sort that out on your own for yourself."

"Yeah... that makes sense." You admit dragging yourself the rest of the way over to them in silence.

It wasn't long after you reached the others that they managed to find the beginnings of Eustass' metal barrier. Killer kicked the metal hard enough to dent it, and after a couple heavy kicks it split enough to allow light from Hip's phone to give Kid some light. Once he knew where the safe place was to shift things the mound of mud and plaster shifted as the shell opened enough for him to get out.

Aside from a few scrapes, bruises and some mud, Kid was unharmed.

He took off the communication collar and earpiece as he walked over to you. He just stood in front of you looking at you for a minute before you removed your comms and earpiece as well.

"How're you feeling, Mouse?" He asks. There's something in his expression that twists your heart, and it's the first thing you've felt since you walked away from Decken.

Your hot rage is gone, it stomped Decken into the mud while you screamed. There's no cold anger, it held your stomach in place as you removed his hands. There's no fear left in you, the hands that clawed at your nightmares are decomposing in the mud. There's no compassion left in you, it healed a man you never wanted to touch again.

There was no relief left in you, Eustass was alive and unharmed. Everything was okay. You survived, and he survived, and the crew survived, and no one died because of your problem. No one died. Everything was okay. You're okay. You have to be okay, it's over, everyone's safe, you're okay.

You just need to say it.

"I..." Hot biting tears sting your eyes and constrict your throat. You look at your hands as though you expect them to be covered in blood, or bugs, or something revolting. How could you reach out to him like this? "I..." You can't force the words out, you're not even sure what words there are to speak, but the red hot tears cut deep lines in your face.

Deeper lines in your heart.

Eustass kneels in the mud, and you want to tell him to stop or he'll get dirty too, and you can't say the words fast enough before one strong, trembling, warm arm wraps around you and pulls you close. The gesture makes you choke on the heavy tears, but the soft voice in your ear causes you to cling to him and wail into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

. . . . . .

You were sitting in Eustass' workshop, cross-legged in an oversized chair and sipping some tea while you watched him work.

You'd cried yourself voiceless at the end of the raid, and the whole time Kid just held you. He didn't try and calm your tears, he didn't say or do anything else for the long moments you bawled into his shoulder. He just held you with his right arm quietly, and eventually carried you off the hilltop while everyone else did whatever else they were supposed to do.

At some point you must've fallen asleep, and when you woke up you found yourself bundled up in blankets and set on pillows. You were like a little bird in a nest curled up in the oversized chair you were now sitting in. You had been cleaned up and dressed in fresh clothes, a set of unisex scrubs from the clean room process.

Eustass had been working on stuff when you woke up, just as he was now. He had stopped long enough to help you get comfortable sitting upright, and had handed you a breakfast bar and the cup of tea before he ruffled your hair and turned back to what he had been working on. His expression had been fairly neutral, but he didn't look angry or irritated.

If anything, it looked like he was trying to give you space without leaving you alone.

After a few more moments, you set the teacup down and got out of the oversized chair. You're surprised to realize that your bare feet are touching the concrete floor, and looking around a little you realize the shop is even cleaner than usual. You don't see your shoes anywhere nearby, and so you continued over to Eustass. You climbed onto the bench seat, putting your arms on the work table and resting your head on your arms. The whole set up was customized for Kid, so it was a bit big for you, but you weren't uncomfortable.

"Hey." You say softly, looking up at him.

Eustass' head turns toward you. His eyes and smile are gentle, and his voice is almost as soft as yours. "Hey."

"Whatcha doin'?" You ask as he turns back to what he's working on.

"Woodworking." He answers, moving in a way that keeps your view blocked from what he's working on.

"Super secret project?" You question, a small smile playing at the edges of your lips.

"Super secret." He replies with a small grin.

"You can tell me, I won't tell Killer you're making him a gift." You say as your hand reaches for him. You stop short of touching him, but he notices the motion.

Kid shuffles some stuff around and you realize he's tucking things away on the work bench. After he's done he slouches on the bench a little and reaches his right hand out to you, twisting at his waist enough to reach where your hand had been a moment earlier.

You look at his hands, rough fingers covered in bits of wood, tips red from what he was working on. Light freckles dappled his pale skin, they were almost invisible from any other distance. Fine, fire red hairs, so close to the color of flames that it was almost impossible to see them, danced up his arm. Small details, but important ones – beautiful ones.

You ran your fingers over his arm, watching the barely-there fiery hairs shift beneath your finger tips as you moved toward his hand, your head still resting on your left arm. You started to move your fingers away, but after a moment's hesitation, you stretched your fingers out and ran your fingers over his knuckles softly.

The warmth from the light touch was almost too much. You didn't realize how cold you felt until then.

Eustass looks at his hand and yours, and then looks to your eyes until your gaze shifts up to meet his.

"Feel better?"

You nod, letting the weight of your hand rest on his, tangling your fingers through his. Tears start to well up in your eyes again, but you shake your head and wipe them away.

"Little cold, honestly."

"Gonna let me warm you up?" He asks, dipping his head down a little to catch your gaze again. There's that soft expression, a little bit of a worry, an unsure smile, and a lot of love a little further back.

"I'm... I mean..." You bite your bottom lip and swallow back the emotions. "Can I – can I still say that I love you?"

"Do you still?" He asks, and you nod, even though you're struggling to look at him. "Then you can say it. Much as you need to, Mouse."

A laugh slips from your lips, but it's hardly happy. "Am I still? I mean... what I did..."

Eustass turns toward you more, "C'mere." He says softly, pulling you into his lap and cradling you against his chest. "You can't stain me, Mouse." He says softly, running his fingers through your hair. "You can't get me dirty, or bloody. If people stayed dirty for the hard decisions they've made I would've choked on my own choices and died before I met you."

"You didn't want me to go."

"I didn't."

"Be-because-."

"I didn't want you to know, Mouse." He says, cutting you off and holding you almost desperately. "I didn't want you to see yourself that way. I didn't want you to think about what was on your hands and then wonder what was on mine."

He leans you back enough to catch your gaze. "I ain't so nice as to let someone live with their poor choices, hands or no."

"... What I did was nice?" You ask, obviously confused.

"Nah. Nice, kind, none of that matters. You did what you felt you had to." He says, leaning down and kissing your forehead. "Right or wrong, honorable or not, those're just pretty words for pretty people who can't look at their own ugly choices and own 'em. You gave what you got. This world and its Justice didn't do you any favors. You cleaned up your own problem."

"I'm sorry."

Kid flinches and groans before looking back down at you. "What're sorry for?"

"During the raid, I scared you. I'm sorry."

Kid's eyes go wide for a moment. "... That." He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. "Fuckin' hells. That's what you're apologizing for?"

You nod. "I misunderstood you and ran out into things too soon. You sounded-."

"Fine, I sounded perfectly fine." Eustass growls, and you can see his face turning pink even as he grits his teeth at you with a strained grin.

You can't stop the smile, and from there you giggle. The look on Kid's face breaks the giggle and you manage a full laugh before you're apologizing. "S-sorry. Ye-yes you sound fine - sounded fine." You manage with a crooked grin. "Look fine too."

"Startin' to feel better, I see." Kid grumbles, looking away as his ears go red.

"I... I think it's going to take me some time to feel better, but... I mean." You felt heat rising in your face and you weren't sure how else to say what you were thinking. "I want to stay."

"... Did you think we were gonna kick you out?"

"Decken's – I mean, I don't know!" You admit, hiding your face entirely behind your hands. "Look I was afraid to touch you earlier 'cause I thought I had done some kind of unforgivable twisted thing and that I should've just killed him and that that would've been less than what I did and that you'd say I was some kind of little rage freak and kick me to the curb and I don't even know if I have a job and I certainly don't have the one that pink fucker had offered waiting for me, and I don't want to leave not just because I don't want to leave you, but I like it here and I want to stay, so I PANICKED."

By the end of your rant you had grabbed his collar and were shaking him a little before the end of it. Realization starts to dawn on you as Kid's trying desperately to not laugh at you.

"I just..." You let go of his collar and start to scramble out of his lap when he grabs you. "Oh-my-gods-no lemme go Eustass!" You plead, squirming even as you're lifted fully off the ground.

"Nope."

"I need to go die somewhere in peace." You're mock crying, but your face hurts from how red it is.

"Denied."

"Please." You bury your face in his chest, at this point you couldn't get away if you wanted to. "I am horrified."

"You're cute."

"... That does not disclude being horrified."

"Don't you mean exclude?"

"I said what I said." You pout.

Even as you huff you relax into his chest and let your head lean against him. He's warm.

"You're warm." You say softly. "I've thought so since you helped me down from Beast for breakfast that one day. The world is cold, but you're warm. Hmph."

"What was that for?"

"The first time I thought that, I was thinking almost literally. Like, temperatures." You explain. "But now... I mean it's embarrassing to say... but you're warm."

You nuzzle into him a little more aggressively and you're sure he can feel the heat radiating off your face.

"So it doesn't matter what the world is."

"You can't stay there for forever." He says, even as his arms were holding you in place.

"... Things are going to get even more dangerous, aren't they?"

"Yeah. Not right away, we'll have time to train you up and let you work through this." He says reassuringly. "Ready to hear about how last night went?"

"Eh? I... I know, right?" You lean back to look up at him. "I was there... right?"

"More happened after we left."

"... I..."

"You don't have to hear it right now, Mouse." Kid says. "Hell, you don't have to hear it at all if you don't want to."

"N-no, you – I mean, I can hear it now. I," you snuggle back into his chest, "would like to hear it while I am right here."

You can feel Eustass chuckle a little before he starts talking. "With some help from that freak doctor, the crew got the hilltop back in order. Killer says it's almost impossible to tell there was a fight there, and certainly not one that was as crazy as things had gotten. The only surveillance that was set up was closed-circuit, so Boogie and Hip have erased all the tapes."

All of this was good news. It was a matter of time before news of you and your ability – your full ability – got out into the wider world, but the more it could be delayed the more time you had to be ready for it. Kid and the crew still wanted to fly under the radar for a little while longer as well, so it was good news all around.

"Trafalgar took Decken."

"Huh? But... why?"

Kid shrugs. "Killer said he said something about making sure your wishes were honored, and not to worry about it having a cost or anything, and then vanished like the little creepy emo freak he is."

"That's uh..."

"Yeah," Kid grunts. "Creepy. C'mon Mouse, it's almost time to eat, and you need a proper rest after."

You start to slide out of Kid's lap when he lifts you up and puts you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Uh?"

"You don't have any shoes, Mouse."

"I – that's not my fault."

"Regardless, you're not walking around my shop in your bare feet."

"But, earlier -."

"That was that, this is this."

"... That's a little mean, don'tcha think?"

"You complaining about your Captain's decision, Mouse?"

You laugh and squirm around, trying to at least shift down enough to kiss his cheek, but Eustass' grip was too strong. "Let me kiss you, dammit!"

"Awful demanding for a little mouse," Kid teases, shifting you into the big hydraulic arm.

"Hafta be," you grin. "I'm your mouse, after all." You say as you grab his face and kiss him forcefully. You feel Kid's entire body tense, and even the heavy prosthetic arm jerks as your tongue pushes into his mouth.

His warm hand is against your back as your hands slip past his ears and twirl through his hair. There's a pleased hum that rumbles in his chest and practically purrs against your body. You break the kiss to catch your breath, and enjoy Kid's flushed face and half-lidded eyes for a moment before you smile and kiss the tip of his nose.

He walks the two of you out of the workshop and to the main house, and you let your mind wander over all the things that had led to this.

In a quarter of a year your entire life had changed. Some of it had been from a light touch, some of it from a heavy hand. No matter the reason, things wouldn't ever be quite the same.

~ Fin ~

A Light Touch: Emperors is Coming Soon!

[atherix]

Characters who have had a background role in Midnight. 😶 for Scott, Impulse, Keralis, Doc, Gem

😶 A random headcanon for Scott!

Hmmmm how not to give away Big Plot Point.... um, so Scott is a background character, but he also has a pretty massive role in not too long from now. So I'll go with the careful and safe answer; Scott is married to Jimmy and the two of them own a bakery and have a little upstairs apartment that they rent out to people who need it. They're delightful members of society and Scott comes from a well known family that has resided in Boatem for many many generations; Mumbo has known several Smajor ancestors, and Scott is not nearly as oblivious to what is going on as many Boatem citizens are. Also there might be something up with Jimmy, huh? :)

😶 A random headcanon for Impulse!

impulse owns and operates a restaurant, but his true passion- of course- is redstone! It's a dying art (science, really) and he is self-taught, and actually reads a lot of materials from Mumbo's companies' past inventions and how they worked to get a feel for it. He is working on a way to bring redstone back into relevance in modern society, and may I just say that he and Mumbo would make a formidable team on that front.

😶 A random headcanon for Keralis!

Keralis. Is not human. No one knows what Keralis is. NO ONE. I don't even know if Keralis knows what he is. But he is definitely not human. He Knows things that he shouldn't know, and not in the way that Grian and Gem Know things. But even so, despite whatever it is he might be, he is an absolute sweetheart who wouldn't hurt a fly. And when he meets Xisuma, certainly his simple life as the Boatem Innkeeper will come to a quick end. Not in a threatening way of course- who even knows if Keralis can even die? Haha :)

😶 A random headcanon for Doc!

Doc has been captive for a long time. Like Mumbo, there are gaps in his memory from the early days of being a Vampire, but unlike Mumbo he was never able to fight back. The few times he did he was viciously punished, and now that he's away from the Coven that kept him captive he is on his way to true recovery- and now he might be able to replace some old and outdated prosthetics of his. He is a cyborg- I can't remember if I mentioned that in Midnight Folly, and if I didn't I apologize deeply but yes, Doc still has a robotic eye, arm and legs. Doc is a creeper hybrid in Midnight, and when he was born he was actually closer to looking like a Mob than a humanoid, and... some things did happen to try and make him look more human, regarding the number of legs Creepers have that Doc happened to have as well. Yeahh. Fuck society. But despite the natural hardships of being a Mob Hybrid, especially a Creeper Hybrid, he led a very good life before becoming a Vampire- he was a doctor who dabbled in redstone. Now that he is free, he can explore redstone to his heart's content... and maybe learn a little about what it means to be a Creeper Hybrid <3

😶 A random headcanon for Gem!

Pay close attention to the things she says. She knows things and is cryptic, and out of every Sorcerer that Cleo or Scar have ever met... she is the most powerful. Scar's father has nothing on her- she can do things that don't even make sense for someone with inherent magic to do. She has been around for A Long Time, and even so much longer than you know, and it is no coincidence that she showed a child Scar glyphs that day... She is not all there and yet is there more than anyone else, and through everything she is present even when she is absent. There is nothing that can be hidden from her, but whether she knows it in the right order... hm, well, keeping things in the right place in her mind- maybe a little harder than she expected........