#BRO what kind of military do you think you're in??????

[consumerofshorthomies]

bro, I actually kind of had to explain to my friend something similar to this. TANGENT TIME! so, I was talking to my friend, and I already had a vibe that he was prolly homophobic (cough cough, kept flirting with me in a pretty hetero way (maybe??), goes to catholic school and youth group, and he is in teen military which is a good indicator) and he kinda asked me "hey, do you have any advice for helping someone dealing with suicidal thoughts?" so I immediately LOCKED IN. I internally went "okay Adam, this is your moment, you're time to shine. you are mentally ill and ready to talk this man off the edge." so I asked him what was up, and he said his best friend's cousin has been expressing suicidal ideas, and that his best friend is really worried (I swear, this is relevant) So, I immediately go off, suggesting that she recommends her cousin go to therapy, hang out with friends, a good idea would be to make plans for the two to hang out as much as possible, and then he drops the bomb. the best friend and her cousin used to be close, until she (referring to the cousin) turned to the lgbt side, wanting to be a dude and thinking she's gay, which the best friend did not approve of (catholic) and was very open with the cousin about her beliefs. I go quiet for a minute, realising "oh, fuck, I'm friends with a transphobe" so I quickly say "aight, listen to me closely, your friend needs to not try to reach out to her cousin, if she tried to she would only make things worse for him" and I fucking EMPHASISED the him bit, and had to awkwardly be like "heh, uh, yeah, I'm kind chill with those queer rainbow people, k-kinda gotta be when you have a trans sister!" (not my gay ass trying to get it across that I will not put up with blatant homophobia) and the realisation on his face that "oh, shit, I just showed my bigotry to someone who isn't a bigot" was honestly so funny. I then proceeded to quite literally steal his heart (he brought an anatomically correct heart for some fucking reason)

[shitpostingkats]

We also have to talk about the uniform standards of the crownsguard. Yes black must be your PRIMARY color yes you MUST have a little skull and crossbones somewhere on your back yes you MUST wear black shoes with red soles yes you MUST have a little belt chain that you bought for 23 dollars at hot topic. Other than that? Go nuts.

[lesbianalanwake]

Severance S2E4. bro what the fuck:

–Kier Eagan’s fake-ass made-up twin brother……….

–flipping from claustrophobia to agoraphobia on a dime in a frozen doppelganger fever dream. you want to see the fallout from reintegration? well fuck you, it's a slow process, and you have wait for it. you want to see the outside world? well here it is. in the most disorienting way and place possible. a mirror to S2E1 - not letting the audience get any solid footing or sense of direction, experiencing the same disorientation that the innies do. a rat-in-a-maze bottle episode where you don't see the outside world, except they ARE outside, and yet they're not. Lumon trying to absorb and rewrite the narrative - you're outside but on our terms.

–once again obsessed with the pacing. a growing uncomfortable tension, Lumon trying to drive a wedge between MDR (intentionally AND unintentionally…. Helena…..), something that could have stretched out for several more episodes or even a season, but Irving said “nah” and ripped the band-aid clean off to clear the way. like Mark abruptly accelerating via reintegration at the end of the previous episode. has a metatextual feeling to it…. if Lumon is trying to tug the narrative in a certain direction, then MDR, inside and out, is grabbing it and YANKING it in another.

–Helena having sex with Mark…. fucked up, in many ways rape by deception using Helly’s identity, taking advantage of not one but TWO people, but the second person is the same person as Helena with the same brain and body, but also NOT the same, but yes the same, but-..… Helena perpetuating what is expected of her by her family/company, the Board saying to give Mark “what he wants, including Helly R” because Helena is another kind of cog in the machine to be taken advantage of as the company sees fit. cycles upon cycles, cruelty begetting cruelty. ethical violations in the workplace the likes of which have never been seen.

(and the quiet part getting real loud now, with the implication that the waffle party ends with sex.)

but also. deeply funny that they listened to a campfire horror story/morality tale about how sexual urges are bad, made fun of it, and went “anyway……” comedy/tragedy two sides of the same coin etc.

–Helena isn't happy! everything she says is double-edged - playing a role (for Lumon, for MDR) and yet completely sincere (she hated reciting the nine principles - sorry dad!, she doesn't like who she is on the outside, she thinks the Kier mythology is ridiculous, etc - expressing herself only through performance). she questions and doubts but has buried it so deep that it only comes out in Helly R, except now it's starting to come out in Helena too. I wonder if Irving trying to kill Helena is going to do 90% of the work in radicalizing her, because she's playacting at love and friendship, and the cracks in the Eagan conditioning are starting to show (lying and obfuscating and yet! sincere in her own demented way), but her little overtures into affection are still deeply off and wrong and causing strife (even when she doesn't mean to) and perpetuating what she knows - smiling violence and power struggle is the language she grew up with, and Irving is speaking that language to tell her that her methods aren't working, that she can't keep pretending to have the life she wants, that it's going to take more than that. and the fact that Helena and Irving Bailiff are the same, sending their innies down to the severed floor with a purpose, while “Helly” and Irving B are being cagey about what they saw on the outside….. doppelgangers and foils.

–WOE! I wonder if Irving B connecting the dots through a dream is more of Irving Bailiff leaking through, since he would know who Helena Eagan is. just like his automatic military response to being stranded in the wilderness - survival-focused, on the defensive, much more physical and violent. reintegration but a second secret kind (taking sleep deprivation to new heights).

–the doppelganger animatronic (?) of Helly had a crooked neck, calling back to her attempt to hang herself, but it was a message directed at Helena…. and we didn't see Irving's doppelganger pointing the way on its own, just as part of the group…. much to think about.

–Miss Huang’s little “pretty cool, right?” made me sad….. so childlike for a second, like she should be. girl we're getting you out of there.

–the fact that Mark and Dylan and Irving have never seen fire, and barely seen the sky (and Helly still hasn't seen any of it). let alone all of the other weird shit going on…. the behind the scenes bit talked about Lumon wanting to scare the hell out of MDR, and yeah…. yeah.

–the fact that we don't see the immediate aftermath of Mark reintegrating but do see Mark S having Mark Scout hair here and there, and one crazy flash to his other self. something to be said about how Mark S exists because Mark doesn't give a shit about himself, and he's never really thought of his severed self as someone separate (and they're not, really, except they are, and aren't, and are, and aren't, and-). and Mark S doing something for himself, not for his outie, something that distinguishes him from Mark Scout, but it turns out to be awful in the end…… oof ouch. MUCH to think about.

–I think I’ll need to see the follow-up before I decide how I feel about this episode. it did a LOT, and it needs the fallout to contextualize it. leaning pretty hard on making the story fit the idea to have the corporate retreat, but I can forgive that because it was gorgeous to look at, and I'm obsessed with the idea of a disorienting switch to an agoraphobic vista that nevertheless remains a claustrophobic trap, and team-building retreat that leaves the team in shambles is really good.

–"I'm on the ice," Gemma, "Chikhai Bardo" as an episode title, etc.... they're building up to some real undead and rebirth shit, and I'm starting to think Kier Eagan's frozen fucking Disney head isn't a joke.....

[theycalledhimastar]

I'm so sorry to the König girlies, but I have this thought and it needs to come out of my head right NOW. I need to say it, so Imma say it:

König is such a loser, sorry not sorry.

(Further elaboration below, König is kinda rude, definitely ooc, prolly nsft, minors DNI. Mostly afab reader)

☄. *.

König is the type to secretly be such a misogynist but his social anxiety keeps him from opening his damn mouth. Like if you're female and you work alongside him, he's just gonna kind of avoid you because wtf are you doing on the frontlines like that? Wouldn't it be better and safer if you just stayed home while some strong man did the hard manual labor? Your husband, perhaps? Oh you don't have one? Probably because you wear baggy military attire all the time.

Like bro isn't trying to set back a movement, he just doesn't get why the hell you're here. You have a free pass to stay home and just cook and clean like he thinks you should. Why wouldn't you take the opportunity, take the easy way out and just be a housewife?

Totally the type to stare anytime you're wearing remotely revealing clothes. I'm talking man would be the reason you can't show your shoulders in the workplace because the sight of you in a tank top gets him going. He cannot go to the gym if you're there simply because the sight of you all sweaty and flushed makes his pants painfully tight and he while he personally wouldn't care if you saw, he would be mortified if anyone else did. So he may or may not have learned your workout schedule so he could come in before you.

He may or may not time his workouts so the end of his and beginning of yours just barely overlap and he can get a glimpse of you in your workout attire. (Goes feral for leggings) Totally doesn't jerk off in the gym showers immediately following, no sir. How could you assume that of him?

If you show the slightest interest in another person, he's jealous beyond belief. Like, he's so much better than that person, his rank is better, his pay is better, he's taller, more muscular, what could you possibly see in them that he doesn't have?

He'll ask you that outright as well, you'll be cornered practically just because he's in his own little world and wouldn't stop to think about how this looks.

Bro is a "nice guy" and he doesn't even know it (Not that he would care, it really wouldn't stop him, he'd just be sneakier about it.)

God forbid this man actually ever catches you in an intentionally provocative state (like in a picture for example). He will lose himself on the spot and prolly make a mess of his pants. Like he has zero self control, he'll probably compliment you on whatever he liked in the picture. Alone, of course, he's not gonna tell you how he wished he could feel you up when you wore that cute little sundress in that picture, or how the sight of your cleavage made him cum in his pants like some sort of depraved teen, not in front of others. He may be a loser and a little awkward, but those words are for your ears only.

[theoutlawfaleena]

the king & the siren

könig x gender-neutral sniper!reader

warnings cod-typical violence, blood, probably military inaccuracy bc i have no idea what i'm talking about [cries]

tags unhinged könig, sniper reader, some mild tension, backstory leading into something more 👀, könig is unhinged but he's not rlly a red flag?, u just gotta read it to know what i'm talking abt bro, forced proximity but without the forced

i have nothing to say for myself. just have this as a peace offering

As an operator working under the private contractor known plainly as KorTac, your job is simple. You go where you're ordered to go, shoot whomever you're ordered to shoot, and then you pack up your things and wait for the next job. It's an uncomplicated existence, and it's all-consuming. It takes you by that invisible chain that anchors you to the earth and yanks you into the dirt, over and over until you learn to harden yourself, to spit the grit from your mouth and catch yourself before the fall ever comes.

The pull of the chain is something you have long since become familiar with. It comes with each body you drop, each bomb you set off, each grenade pin you pull off with your teeth where the metal bites into your tongue and fills your mouth with the taste of pennies. It turned you into the Siren, a sniper who grabs the attention of enemies with light hums and short whistles and embeds a bullet in their skull once their curiosity brings them close enough.

For a while, you did not think you could live without the pull of that chain; though harsh it may have been, it was a sole companion in a way of life that left no room for companionship.

Then, like some kind of cruel joke played at the hand of whatever force dealt you sour luck, that kid from Austria was recruited to the team.

He couldn't have been any older than twenty-five upon his arrival, standing at a mountainous six-feet-ten-inches with a body that swallowed up the space in doorframes, and it was not even his height that stood out as the most notable thing about him; rather, it was the dark sniper hood draped over his head to conceal his face, only cut to reveal wild eyes that looked anywhere but the eyes of others. It earned him plenty of barking shouts from your superiors, ordering him to look them in the eyes when he was being spoken to.

He went by König, meaning "king."

You did not give him long.

And much to your surprise, he lasted.

You learned that he had been a Jagdkommando with his native Austrian army, placed in the position of an insertion specialist. He was vying for a spot as a sniper, but those above him had quickly come to the conclusion that his hulking size and a rather problematic inability to sit still would not work in anyone's favor, and his aspirations had been rejected. His immense size and strength made him an ideal battering ram, however, and that was precisely what he was appointed to do.

Of course, such stories were only rumors that flew from the mouths of your teammates, for another thing you learned was that he did not speak; not to any of you, anyway. He spoke on the field, and that was that. You were not keen on prying information out of him yourself, for what business of it was yours?

As if the universe was crafted to laugh in your face when you needed it least, his business became yours when he was made one of your mission partners during an operation carried out in Berlin.

Al-Qatala fighters had a cell there, holed up with hostages they intended to traffic and force to do God-knows-what. Your mission was easy. Eliminate the fighters, free the hostages. You had seen it done countless times before. König and the others would be at your side, ordered to break through doors and gun down hostiles who stood in your way. You would open the mission with first contact, stationed just close enough to lure the enemy to your position and make the first kill. Your team would follow, and the holding cell would be breached. The rest was supposed to fall easily into place without a hitch. You'd done this time and time again; the chain pulls, and you stand fast.

Muffled voices moved in and out of the seized townhouse. Al-Qatala, no doubt. The air stunk of cigarette smoke and what was left of bombings to keep any hostiles at bay. Every now and then, a cry from a hostage would ring out, only to be followed by a shouting order or a sickening crack indicative of someone being fiercely struck with an open hand. That day, the entire city of Berlin held its breath, and so did you. It sat heavy within your chest, suspended at the base of your throat where you felt your heart thumping.

You waited for your team to gather into position. When the signal came through, the garbling through your earpiece, you finally swallowed. You readied your rifle, lifting your head and gazing through the scope at the shadows that moved across the windows.

You began to hum. Die Zauberflöte; the Queen of the Night's aria, a high-pitched staccato that came in short breaths. For one agonizing moment, the entire earth fell still.

A window broke; glass shattered. The air whistled as a bullet cut through it and flew past your head. On instinct, you flattened yourself to the ground immediately. The shot sounded moments later, ringing in your ears. A spray of warm liquid cast itself across your face. All hell broke loose at once as shouting and screaming arose from within the townhouse, along with the unmistakable sound of doors slammed open as a heavy body made quick work of them. Your team; you could hear your team joining the cacophony of noise. Gritting your teeth, you picked yourself back up and stared through the scope, eyes searching madly for their hidden gunman. The broken window offered a better view, enough that you could see a black-clad mass powering through the bodies inside. Your heart pounded in your ears. This position was doing nothing for you. You had to move.

Teeth grit, you vaulted down the nearest fire escape and broke into a sprint towards the townhouse. The door was left in shambles from the number that the Austrian had done on it, but you had no time to be impressed. Shrieks of horror and shouted commands drove you forward and you held your weapon out before you.

"Look alive!"

It was a call to your team, an indication that you were there. Leaving your station was not a common occurrence but you'd been left blind and of little help to them. The stench of blood was an immediate assault to your senses; it was a grisly scene, bodies of Al-Qatala fighters littering the floor riddled with bullets or with cut throats. Your team. You followed the screams of hostages, stepping over bodies that you didn't recognize as you sprinted downstairs, your rifle at the ready.

You anticipated that the bodies of your teammates would greet you, thrown to the wolves due to your inability to find the gunman. Blood pooled at the bottom of the stairs and you ran through it, turning the corner to find your team, seemingly safe, and yet stunned into a silence. Only the weeping of hostages could be heard. You opened your mouth to alert them of your presence, but stopped at the sight that awaited you.

Blood dripped from the hood of the Austrian. König. It soaked through the fabric and painted the exposed skin around his eyes a horrific shade of red. They were wide, and wild; he looked at you like a wolf poised to attack, and you imagined sharp teeth bared beneath the hood that sent a chill throughout your whole body.

He regarded you for only a moment, then turned his back on you to face the Urzik hostages, held within a cell crafted by the fighters. They cried out at the sight of him and drew closer to one another, even when the door creaked open and he allowed them an exit.

"Follow me," He said, and they flinched at the sound of his voice. At once, one of your teammates stepped forward, pulling his mask down to speak to them in a language they could understand. You didn't know it yourself, but you knew when the hostages reluctantly began to follow after König that something had been said to convince them he was there to help them despite his ghastly appearance. Falling in with the rest of your team, you gently guided hostages forward and out of the townhouse into the open air outside. Once the area was declared clear, emergency personnel on standby flooded the area with helicopters and cars to assess the damage and tend to the wounded and traumatized. The noise was a buzz in your ear, punctuated by a stinging pain that dominated the entire right side of your head from the ear to your jaw. Wincing, you raised your hand to your face, and it came away slick with blood.

You were acutely aware of the gaze bearing into you, but you did not acknowledge it until then. You lifted your head and met König's eyes. He stood an arm's-length away from you, a terrifying blood-soaked vision that studied you silently. You thought for a moment that he was looking directly at you, and it surprised you; however, you quickly realized he was trained on your ear.

"You're bleeding," He finally commented.

You bit back a laugh. It was funny, coming from someone who looked like he did in that moment. Hearing him acknowledge it worsened the pain, and you almost wished he hadn't pointed it out.

"Good eye," You replied.

If it amused him, he didn't show it. His eyes did not betray him for a second, but you had a feeling that yours did. Pain coursed through you like a red-hot blade pushing into your skin. König searched for something amidst his gear. When he closed the distance between you and himself, you had half a mind to back away, but when a bundle of gauze was placed to your ear, you instinctively reached out and grabbed his arm to steady yourself, sucking in air through your teeth.

You swayed lightly, but he stood like some kind of great oak, unmoving. His skin was hot to the touch, and it reduced the pain in your head to a dull throb. Swallowing, you reached out and held onto his arm with both hands.

"Where'd you get that?" You asked. Not that it mattered, but you certainly didn't have gauze in your gear at that moment. He paused, and you felt him shift against you.

"Borrowed it," He said. "From Sanitäter."

The way he said it suggested that "borrowed" may have been stretching the truth. Though it was painful, a smile pulled up at the corner of your mouth; you lifted your head to look at him and found that he was already looking at you. Blue. His eyes were blue, though the bloodstains around them made them seem starkly white.

You stumbled, and he steadied you. Quickly, you murmured an apology and dropped your head again, fixing your eyes on the ground.

König's eyes were blue.

You could not shake the way he looked at you, and you did not know why.

[sentientcave]

The Good Ol' Rugby Game

It's the middle of the so called "work week" and you know what that means:

IT'S WIP WEDNESDAY

I was thinking about Rugby AUs because have you seen the thighs on those lads? But I don't know anything about Rugby tbh this is just vibes and thots. Something somethin elaborate rituals. But it's also fun. Pardon my errors I wrote most of this on discord today

Reader is a trans man - No name but he's referred to as Ripper by Simon and Johnny because they think he's like a little terrier/ankle biter on the pitch (It's a pitch for rugby, right?). And he is.

Contains: Mentions of alcohol, mentions of rugby, takeout food, Johnny and Simon, bros being bros, you know how it is

You've won.

It takes a minute for the cheering to register, for you to realize that the whistle's been blown and the game is finished, and by the time you do realize, you're in the air, brawny arms hooked around your middle, flying until you hit the ground hard, Johnny on top of you. "Fuckin' beautiful!" He shouts, his voice hoarse. And then an even heavier weight drops down on the two of you, squeezing all your air out.

"Brilliant, lads," Simon growls, knocking his forehead against yours. "Fuckin' perfect play."

"Riley, you're going to break me if you don't get your fat arse up," you grouse. "You too, Tav. Fuckin' muppets."

"Aw, love you too, Ripper," Johnny lands a wet, sweaty kiss on the side of your head before he shoulders Simon off the two of you and pounces on the giant, kissing him on the mouth with zeal.

You get up with a groan, your whole body one big fucking bruise. "Shoulda picked football," you complain to no one in particular. "I'm going to feel this forever."

Johnny swats at you blindly as you limp off, somehow managing to connect, his hand a guided missile that's only capable of targeting asses.

It’s just an amateur league— You know that, everyone on both sides of the pitch know, but it feels like your neighbourhood never got the memo. As the seasons gone on, more and more people have been showing up, wearing green and white, and when you go out to the pub after games, you never have to buy your own pints. It’s almost like being a girl again, except now you feel at home in your own skin, and the only person that tries to grab your arse is Johnny.

You know it’s Johnny and Simon that everyone’s there for, and you don’t care— You’re proud of your huge friends. They joined the league a little after you did, newly retired from the military, both of them with too much energy and muscle and training to not play some kind of sport. And they rope you into training with them. Runs with Simon so early in the morning it’s still practically dark, running drills on free afternoons in the park, tagging along to the gym and watching Johnny lift insane amounts of weight. It’s more fun than you think you’ve ever had.

You’re definitely a third wheel, but they’re good about it, obviously together but obviously wanting you around, careful to include you.

And it feels good to be one of the boys.

You grab your bag from under the bench and head off the pitch, eager to go home and shower the grass stains and flecks of someone else’s blood off of you, maybe curl up with a pint of dark beer and a pint of chocolate ice cream. Everyone’s likely going out for drinks, but you’ve been jostled around plenty for the day, head still ringing a bit from an elbow you took to the side of the head during a scrum.

“Hey, Ripper,” Johnny yells after you. He has lungs, even after a game of shouting himself hoarse. “Ye comin’ to tha pub?”

“Nah, not tonight,” you shout back. “Can’t be arsed. Goin’ home to order a Chinese.”

He’s about halfway deflating, and perks back up at the mention of greasy take out. “Order for Si ‘n’ me too, aye? We’ll be round in an hour.”

“Alright!” you call back, because that’s easier than shouting across a crowd that you were really looking forward to cozying up in front of the tv and— Oh, right. “Bring beer!” That saves you a stop on your way home.

You get home and scramble to clean up a bit-- Johnny doesn't mind a bit of mess, but Simon will stare at clutter like it personally offends him (because it does), or worse, just start tidying up. He always tells you you're not as bad as Johnny, but it's not much of a consolation. Half the mess is your roommate's anyway, who is at her girlfriend's for the weekend, again. It likely won't be long till she moves out, and you'll have to leave your cozy little spot. But at least you now have large friends to help you move.

That done, you order takeaway and pop into the shower, tossing your sweaty uniform into your hamper, and you're just getting dressed again when someone knocks at your door. You nearly forget to tuck your packer into the pocket you've sewn into all your boxers, remembering only as you almost reach the door. If anyone on God's green earth will notice that you suddenly don't have anything in your pants where you usually do, its Johnny.

"Takin' ages," he complains when you finally do answer the door. Behind him, Simon is paying for the takeout, making the delivery man look so nervous it would be funny if you didn't feel bad.

"Didn't have pants on yet. And Si, you don't have to--" He shoves the paper bag at you, cutting you off. Okay. Fair enough.

Johnny kicks his boots off haphazardly at the door. Simon takes his off neatly and sets both pairs neatly to the side.

Johnny's already in the kitchen, stowing beers in the fridge, then banging cupboards open and shut looking for plates. You'd think he'd remember by now, but he never does.

"You guys didn't have to skip the pub, you know," you say, unpacking the bag of takeout on the coffee table. "Everyone'll want to congratulate you."

"S'no fun without our little Ripper," Johnny says, tossing you one of the few beers you did have in the fridge, grinning. "Wouldn't even bother with the league without you."

"Don't be ridiculous," you say, laughing. "You guys are good. Best we've got."

[brofightiscancelled]

ok kind of an insane ask so feel free to ignore but would you be able to translate "友達バリア" by deco*27? i can't find any translations online and i wanna see if i'm right about the song kind of fitting the matsus... it's also a banger imo

- vocamatsu anon

omg.... tbh i have a feeling deco will make a video for this one which means we'll get an official english translation of it, rendering this completely redundant, but i'm really cheesed to have been asked, so i gave it a shot for you anyways <3

Friend-zoned, love fire, sparks flying HIBANA We're ready, set to lock horns, love's ultimate showdown I'm outmatched- but it's not over yet! I won't let this end! With a dazzling, never-give-up attitude, I'll break through your defenses!

The despair of never getting anything more of this Your behavior, nor what's going on in your head- I can't read it at all! I can't help but envy the kindness you radiate Omnidirectional compatibility- it's just not for me

Carefully-picked down-played words The outcome: A bloody heart True feelings double-crossed by embarrassment; how frustrating, I'm changing sides But that won't fill up my heart What I want is nothing more than to be by your side If you've got something to say, then say it- 'til I defeat you, that is! 3, 2, 1!

Friend-zoned, love fire, sparks flying HIBANA We're ready, set to lock horns, love's ultimate showdown I'm outmatched- but it's not over yet! I won't let this end! With a dazzling, never-give-up attitude, I'll break through your defenses!

I want you to like me! I want you to like me! Friend-zoned, love fire, hey, say "I give up"! With a dazzling, never-give-up attitude, I'll break through your defenses!

Fun things, good feelings- without you, they have no taste at all Sadness, jealousy- if they're cuz of you, then I don't mind them Let's throw down, bro! Better to regret doing it, than not doing it at all! A feeling like I won't need any special moves, YEAH I'm sure everything will be OKAY With an endless supply of love, you're undefeated, AYE Play dead, BYE BYE I'll be the one to throw the first punch

Friend-zoned, love fire, sparks flying HIBANA We're ready, set to lock horns, love's ultimate showdown The lonely and timid me is already no more! With a dazzling, blazing flair, I'll burn through your defenses!

Do you like me yet? Do you like me yet? Friend-zoned, love fire, now, let's immerse ourselves in love! With a dazzling, blazing flair, a never-ending HAO sweetener battle!

Do you like me yet? Do you like me yet? Friend-zoned, love fire, now, let's immerse ourselves in love! With a dazzling, blazing flair, a never-ending HAO sweetener battle!

------

my notes:

my overall interpretation of this song is "I'm trying to break through the friend zone (friendship barrier) so that you like me instead of thinking of me as a friend", so any vagueness in translation went in that direction

The use of "lock horns" in the official translation snippet + the HAO motifs give me the mental image of like, a hand-to-hand kung fu battle, so I leaned towards that imagery whenever there was vagueness (as opposed to like, a military campaign, for example)

deco's official english translations tend to be very liberal, so i tried to keep my translation a little more literal

[werecat1234]

Revised Merging Timelines Chapter Twenty Three

Sans had decided he probably shouldn't have a knife on him when the humans arrived, so after quickly excusing himself, he went back to the battleground and hid the weapon by a boulder. Killer wasn't happy about it, but he also probably understood why it was a bad idea to have any kind of weapon on him for when the humans came. Sans teleported back to the group, and a few minutes later, watched five of the helicopters land in a clearing a bit away while the rest stayed hovering in the air, likely ready for hostility. Some humans got out of the vehicles, all wearing green camo uniforms, and they began heading towards them. There was two humans in the lead, and the rest followed closely behind them, and Sans kept a close eyelight on them as they got closer, standing by the pathway the soldiers were using to get closer to them. If Sans had to guess, they were human soldiers, and they were coming to inspect what had just happened, since they'd probably been keeping tabs on them for a while. 

'at least they don't seem too hostile.' Dust muttered, 'but then again, the human in my timeline was probably on another level of murderous and evil compared to most of them.'

'and the chare from my world was way more evil and twisted than yours.' Killer added.

'they might not do anything. from what i can tell, the only reason human's do anything is because they're scared. . . . so i should probably avoid taking control.' Horror said.

"probably a good idea." Sans mumbled.

"SANS?" Papyrus asked from behind him, and Sans looked back at him.

"yeah, bro?" Sans replied.

"WHAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA?" Papyrus questioned.

"horror just said he probably shouldn't take control around them." Sans answered. 

"I SEE..." Papyrus nodded, "WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN?"

"Yeah... they look m-military..." Alphys said, sounding a bit worried.

"hopefully they don't attack us." Sans sighed, "that's what i'm hoping for."

"If they do, we'll likely have to fight them for monsterkind's freedom." Asgore frowned, not seeming to like that option.

'hey, it goes south, i can deal with the humans. they fire a shot i can kill all of them in a single hit.' Killer spoke up.

'i know you can, and that's what'll just scare them more. they're probably as scared of us as monsters are of them.' Sans told him.

'you're not scared?' Dust asked.

'. . . i have you three in my head and i can defend myself.' Sans deadpanned.

'fair.' Killer said. 

'can't argue with that logic.' Horror shrugged, appearing in front of him, 'want one of us to keep an eye on them?'

'they'd probably feel like they were being watched; it would only put them more on edge. just... stay here for now. odds are they're only a few minutes away anyways.' Sans responded, looking back down at the approaching humans.

It took a few more minutes for the humans to arrive, them coming up through the path on the right side of the ledge. One of the main humans, the one on the left, was a older female, having long grayish brown hair, pale skin, and dark brown eyes. Her face was wrinkled, and she seemed very serious, looking over all of them; assessing them. The other was a younger male, with blonde spiky hair, tan skin, and light blue eyes. They had around two dozen soldiers with them, one dozen on each side of them.

"Hello, humans." Asgore spoke up first, nervous but trying to be friendly, "My name is Asgore, and I am king of monsterkind. Me and the other monsters mean you no harm, and I would like to discuss terms of a treaty. We have no ill will towards the human race, and only want freedom and to live among you peacefully."

"Hello sir. My name is Captain Aldergrave, and this is First Sergeant Raphael Stormvale. We are part of the USA Military, specifically a special division designed to investigate supernatural occurrences should there be any, and you and your species fall under that umbrella. You say you want peace?" Captain Aldergrave asked.

"Indeed. Me and my species have been trapped underground for hundreds of years, and we've just escaped. We harbor no ill will towards your species, as none of you alive were responsible for what happened, and I want there to be peace between us." Asgore answered.

"I'm the ambassador between humans and monsters. My name's Frisk, and I helped free them. I've seen how they act and befriended them. They all are compassionate and friendly, and he's telling the truth. He truly does want peace." Chara spoke up, catching Captain Aldergrave's attention.

"You can vouch for them, but I highly doubt you'll be recognized as ambassador. You're a child, and you have no idea how these things work." Captain Aldergrave told them.

"I have made them ambassador, and I recognize them as such." Asgore spoke up, "They are no ordinary child, and I trust them to help broker a peace between us."

". . . Very well." Captain Aldergrave sighed after a moment, "If you want peace, I can take you somewhere a treaty can be brokered between our species. If you are deemed as hostile or as enemies, you and your species will be detained or killed. Understand?"

"Then I have nothing to worry about." Asgore said.

". . . Follow me. Your companions can accompany you, and can wait while the treaty is discussed." Captain Aldergrave instructed.

"Would you all like that?" Asgore asked, receiving nods, and he told her, "We'll come with you. More of my species is within the mountain, can I give them instructions to wait until I return to get them?" 

"That's acceptable." Captain Aldergrave replied.

Alphys pulled out her phone, typing on it before saying, "I just sent a text to M-Mettaton. He'll keep e-everyone inside until the t-treaty is a-agreed on." 

"Thank you, Alphys." Asgore thanked her.

"Y-You're w-welcome." Alphys replied.

After that, Captain Aldergrave and Raphael turned around, the soldiers making a path for them, Asgore following right behind them. Undyne and Alphys were behind Asgore, Sans and Chara walking behind those two, Flowey still wrapped around their arm, and Toriel and Papyrus were at the back of the line. The soldiers walked on either side of them, and Sans didn't miss the glances they were giving them, looking for any hostility. There wouldn't be any, though, but the amount of soldiers had Sans a bit on edge, but not enough to attack. They were just scared of what they didn't understand, that was all. Sans had to ignore Chara's voice in his mind that had slowly gotten more audible, but with glances at the human he was walking next to, he knew it was just in his mind.

"Give them something to be afraid of, partner~ You can do it~"

'shut it, chara.' Killer muttered, him and the other three in Sans's subconscious.

Sans heard music start blasting in his mind, and Sans took a few deeps breaths, concentrating on things around him to avoid letting that voice draw him into that dissociative state again. Sans was concentrating on his surroundings so much that he flinched when Chara put a hand on his shoulder, his skull whipping towards them before some tension leaked out of him at the contact.

"Are you ok?" Chara whispered to him, and he nodded.

"yeah, thanks, ch- frisk." Sans replied quietly, but they didn't seem to believe him.

"So... you guys were down there for centuries, huh?" Raphael asked after a few moments, starting up a conversation to ease some tension.

"Yes, it's been centuries since I've seen the sun. My... ex-wife, Toriel, remembers it as well. The rest of my companions, other than Frisk, haven't seen it before other than pictures and gaps in the mountain." Asgore replied.

"Yeah, the sun's beautiful up here! It's so warm, but not to the point where it's scalding." Undyne chimed in.

"What was it like down there?" Raphael questioned..

"well, there was different areas. there was the ruins, which is near the top of the mountain where frisk here fell down, and toriel's been living there for a few decades from what i know. from there there's snowdin, where me and my brother papyrus live. after that there's waterfall where undyne lives, past that is hotland which is filled with magma and it's... well, it's hot. alphys lives there, and asgore lives at the castle in what we call 'new home'." Sans informed him.

"Snowdin? Is that a pun?" Raphael asked, turning around to smile at him.

". . ." oh heck yeah. This was the distraction Sans needed. "it's ice to meet a fellow pun lover."

"OH NO..." Papyrus sighed from behind Sans, and some of the other soldiers were laughing slightly.

"Yeah, it's snow good to meet another one. Captain Aldergrave isn't one for puns. It's a shame, honestly, they're such good icebreakers." Raphael snickered.

Sans chuckled, "my bro likes 'em too, sometimes." 

"BECAUSE THERE IS A TIME AND A PLACE FOR PUNS, SANS. YOU JUST CONTINUOUSLY SPEW THEM UNTIL THEY ARE NO LONGER FUNNY AND UNTIL THEY DRIVE ME CRAZY." Papyrus sighed.

"chill out, paps. there's snow harm in a few good puns." Sans grinned.

"A FEW IS NOT DOZENS, SANS!" Papyrus told him. 

"hey, my pun game is snow joke, it’s always snowing puns when i'm around." Sans replied, and Raphael laughed.

"SANS!" Papyrus scolded, and Sans chuckled.

"It’s un-brrr-lievable how many puns and jokes Sans knows." Toriel spoke up, and Sans laughed.

"OH NO, NOT YOU TOO!" Papyrus gasped in horror as Toriel giggled.

"Great, now Sans won't stop telling puns until we get to the damn helicopters!" Flowey sighed, leaves drooping as his head tilted down.

"there's snow way out for you or paps." Sans chuckled.

"I hate you, smiley trashbag..." Flowey muttered. 

"same to you, weed." Sans whispered back with a glare.

Chara sighed, before saying, "Sans, Flowey, take a chill pill." 

"HUMAN, NO!" Papyrus cried, and a grin spread across Sans's face.

"Good one, my child!" Toriel praised, patting them on the head fondly from behind.

"Thank you." Chara smiled.

"you know why i like snow puns so much? they're winter-changeable." Sans smirked, and Raphael snorted. 

"SANS THAT WAS THE WORST ONE YET!" Papyrus groaned.

"I don't know, that was pretty good. No need to get frost-rated." Raphael chuckled.

"I can't believe you're finding this funny." Captain Aldergrave sighed.

"You know I glove me some ice puns, Captain." Raphael smirked, and she groaned, most of the soldiers struggling not to laugh.

More puns ensued over the next few minutes, the walk not nearly as tense and quiet as it could've been, and it was honestly nice. They sun still felt nice, and there was a pleasant breeze as they walked, birds chirping from nearby lush trees, and flowers were blooming along the pathway. The surface was so damn beautiful, he'd never seen anything like it. They made it to the helicopters, some soldiers waiting near each of the flying vehicles.

"We're taking them back to the base, they want to discuss a treaty." Captain Aldergrave informed the soldiers, and she turned around, saying "Asgore, you and your friends will be riding in two separate helicopters, so figure out who you want to sit with."

"I would like to sit with Frisk. Tori, would you-" Asgore was cut off by Toriel.

"I'll sit in the other helicopter." Toriel said.

"Me and Alphys can sit with her!" Undyne volunteered.

"yeah, me and paps can stay with you, the kid and flowey." Sans said; he wanted to keep an eyelight on Flowey, still not trusting the weed.

Wanting to protect Chara had nothing to do with it.

"That sounds good to me." Asgore said.

"Alright, let's go. Just pick a helicopter to ride in." Captain Aldergrave said, making a signal with her hand after pointing her arm up, and the soldiers split off, half staying with them, and the other half going to other helicopters.

"Can I ride with Asgore, Captain?" Raphael asked.

". . . Fine." Captain Aldergrave sighed, heading to one of the other helicopters with some of the soldiers, along with Toriel, Undyne, and Alphys.

"she sure seems like the life of the party..." Sans muttered quietly after a moment.

"Yeah... she doesn't like monsters much. Otherwise I'd think someone pissed in her coffee." Raphael whispered back, and Sans laughed a bit.

"you're telling me." Sans chuckled as they headed to a helicopter.

"WHY DOESN'T SHE LIKE MONSTERS?" Papyrus asked after they were seated, soldiers on either side of them as they started to take off.

Asgore and Papyrus were sitting on one side of the helicopter, with Sans, Chara, and Flowey on the other, and Raphael sat all the way in the back on a foldout seat, a soldier sitting between Raphael and them on both sides, with another soldier on their other sides. They put on seatbelts, and Sans got comfortable in the seat, arms folded behind his skull casually, but he was still a bit tense.

"She never said." Raphael replied, "Just watch yourselves though, ok?" 

"we will." Sans told him, and they were given headphones so they could hear each other.

They put them on, adjusting them as necessary, and even Flowey was given a small pair so that he could communicate with them.

"PERHAPS WE CAN CHANGE HER MIND?" Papyrus said hopefully.

"Maybe..." Raphael said, and the helicopter took off, flying into the air with the others, more helicopters surrounding them and another helicopter, which must've had Toriel, Undyne, and Alphys inside of it.

"I think we can pull it off." Chara said, and Flowey looked off to the side, not looking convinced.

Sans was pretty sure Killer and Flowey would actually agree on this. Sans didn't know how to feel about that.

"hopefully we can, and hopefully there won't be too many humans who don't like us either." Sans said.

"IF THERE IS, I'LL CHANGE THEIR MINDS TOO! I'LL SHOW THEM HOW GREAT I AM AND HOW AWESOME MONSTERS ARE, AND THEY'LL ALL ACCEPT US IN NO TIME!" Papyrus grinned.

Raphael looked over at Sans with a look that could only be described as 'how is he so pure?', but Sans sighed, shrugging and smiling a little.

After around twenty minutes, they approached a large facility, the helicopters heading to several landing pads and lowering down from the sky, maintaining formation. Once they'd landed, they removed the headphones and unbuckled, the soldiers sitting closer to the pilots collecting the headphones and placing them up in the cockpit. They stood up, ready to get off the helicopter when the door opened. 

"We're here. King Asgore, you and Frisk will be taken inside to a conference room with several screens where multiple humans will discuss terms of the treaty with you. The rest of you will probably be transferred to a waiting room, and from there it's a waiting game. I don't know about the Captain, but I'll try making sure you guys have some entertainment and food provided to you. This... could take a while." Raphael said.

"THANK YOU, KIND HUMAN! I APPRECIATE IT!" Papyrus thanked him.

"You're welcome." Raphael replied, and the door opened, two soldiers exiting with Sans, Papyrus, Asgore, and Chara and Flowey right behind them, followed by the other two soldiers and Raphael. 

Once they were off the helicopter, Sans looked over and saw Toriel, Undyne, and Alphys, and they walked towards each other.

"hey, how was your flight?" Sans asked.

"It was quite enjoyable. There was a lovely view up there." Toriel replied.

"Yeah, it was sick!" Undyne agreed.

"i didn't look out the windows much, was mainly talking." Sans shrugged.

"I see." Toriel said. 

"Are you ready to get on with this?" Captain Aldergrave asked as she walked over to them, seeming irritated, but hiding it well.

"Yes, I am. Frisk, come with me, please." Asgore said, and Chara nodded.

Flowey uncoiled his vines from their arm, wrapping around Papyrus's, and Sans gave Flowey a warning look.

"Relax, I won't do anything to your damn brother." Flowey sighed.

"I DON'T BELIEVE HE WILL EITHER, BROTHER! IT IS OK!" Papyrus said.

"Raphael, lead King Asgore and the child to the conference room. I'll take the other monsters to the waiting room." Captain Aldergrave instructed. 

Sans did not like the idea of Chara where he couldn't see if they were in trouble or in danger, his soul doing an uncomfortable twist at the idea, but he knew it was for the best. If they were hurt he would make the humans regret it...

"Alright." Raphael nodded, heading into the facility with Asgore and Chara behind him.

"As for the rest of you, follow me." Captain Aldergrave said, heading in another direction, and they followed, Sans glancing back at Chara one more time along the way.

Toriel was walking behind Captain Aldergrave, Undyne and Alphys behind her, and Sans and Papyrus were in the back of the group. Flowey was still wrapped securely around Papyrus's arm, and while Papyrus seemed a bit on edge, he was noticeably trying to remain calm and seem unbothered. The revelation from before still had his mind spinning a bit, but he was glad he knew it now.

"soooo... how long do you think this'll take?" Sans asked, filling the silence that had been slowly making him more and more uncomfortable.

"I don't know. Treaties can be difficult things." Captain Aldergrave replied tersely, and Sans nodded a bit.

'you guys listening?' Sans questioned.

'yeah, we're listening, lucky.' Killer replied, 'we also have a plan for if everything goes south.'

'keep your guard up. something about this isn't right.' Dust advised.

'good looking guys, and i will. i'll let you guys know if i need you.' Sans said.

'i'm happy to help kick some human butt! i'm kinda a pro.' Sans could tell Killer was smirking.

'we're all pros, dumba-!!' Dust started to shout.

Sans could hear crashing in his mind, and he sighed quietly. Flowey wrapped his vines around Sans's arm, moving to use him for transportation as he whispered next to his skull, "Problems, smiley trashbag?~"

"they can't go an hour without breaking something." Sans muttered, and Flowey chuckled quietly.

"If they weren't versions of you, I might actually like them." Flowey snickered.

"i don't even know how the hell they're versions of me..." Sans sighed under his breath.

"You two aren't arguing, are you?" Toriel asked after a moment, and Sans looked up at her.

"nah, just talking." Sans replied, and she nodded after a moment.

After a few minutes of tense walking, they arrived at a door, and Captain Aldergrave opened the door. There was a TV, several couches, and a table with a phone and some food inside. The walls were a dark gray, and there was dark green carpet. Sans could see cameras in the room, but they were all powered off, and there was no windows or anything else. He could faintly see some seams in the walls, but he couldn't see what they were for. Something wasn't right.

"That TV is linked to the conference room so you can see what's going on. If you need anything, just use that phone." Captain Aldergrave told them, which relieved Sans a bit, and Killer appeared behind her, watching her carefully.

"Thank you, dear." Toriel thanked her, and she nodded, exiting the room once they entered, shutting it, Killer still on the outside. 

'killer, what are you doing?' Sans asked.

'watching her from this end. if there's a tether to you, i'm testing it.' Killer replied.

". . . smart." Sans muttered.

"Huh?" Undyne tilted her head.

"killer actually had a good idea." Sans replied.

"W-What's going on?" Alphys asked him.

"something isn't right about this." Sans whispered. 

Sans tried getting the TV to turn on to see what was going on with Chara and Asgore, but it wouldn't work. It was plugged in, it had power, but it wouldn't let him see what was going on, which put Sans even more on edge. What Killer said next, though, sent him over that edge.

'what the... ok, i found something weird. . . . hey sans, say you have to go to the bathroom.' Killer instructed, voice monotone, and Sans froze.

Killer just called him Sans... . . . Something was wrong; very wrong. Killer never called him 'Sans'. Ever. 

'killer, what'd you find?' Dust asked urgently.

'just do it!' Killer snapped.

"BROTHER, WHAT IS IT?" Papyrus questioned.

"it's... complicated..." Sans replied, and Dust appeared in the room, standing a few feet away from him. 

'killer's being weird.' Dust noted.

"no crap, dust." Sans muttered, and he went over to the phone, picking it up.

It had two buttons on it, being a green and a red button in the shapes of an old phone, with 'CALL FOR ASSISTANCE' written underneath it. The phone seemed new, though weirdly had no numbers on it, and was connected to a cord attached to the table it was sitting on. Sans pressed the green button, and he held the phone to his skull, hearing a dial tone before someone answered. At least it worked, unlike the damn TV.

"Hello?" A male voice answered.

"hi, yeah, i was just wondering if you have a bathroom?" Sans asked.

"Yes, we do. Someone will come to escort you to it." The male voice responded.

"thanks." Sans replied, hanging up once the human said "You're welcome."

"WHAT'S WRONG? MONSTERS DON'T NEED TO USE TOILETS." Papyrus was confused.

"killer found something, and he wants me to check it out." Sans replied quietly.

"Wait, hold on, he was snooping around? He can do that?" Undyne whispered, looking surprised.

Sans nodded, Flowey attaching his vines to Papyrus's arm again. A minute or so later, the door opened, revealing Captain Aldergrave.

"captain?" Sans asked, surprised; he figured it'd be a regular soldier.

She nodded, and asked, "You said you needed to go to the bathroom?"

"yeah. i figured escorting someone was...  i dunno, below your paygrade?" Sans shrugged.

"I want to keep tabs on your locations personally until the treaty is agreed on. I volunteered." Captain Aldergrave told him, and he nodded a bit.

"gotcha... also, the tv for the conference room isn't working. is it not hooked up, or...?" Sans trailed off.

"It bugs out sometimes. I'll let a technician know after I take you back here." Captain Aldergrave replied, and Sans nodded a bit.

"got it, thank you." Sans thanked her, and he exited the room, waiting for her to lead him to the bathroom.

She nodded, closing the door, and she started walking down the hall, Sans following her. 

'why'd you have Sans say he needed to go to the bathroom? he can't leave if she waits outside.' Horror asked.

'i can take control and teleport to what i saw while dust stays back and lets me know if she says anything.' Killer replied.

'. . . smart.' Horror admitted after a moment.

'thanks.' Killer replied.

"so, uhh....the weather usually this nice up here?" Sans questioned after a moment, trying to start a conversation with her.

"It depends." She replied shortly. 

"not much for small talk, huh?..." Sans asked.

"Not particularly. That's Raphael's thing." Captain Aldergrave answered. 

"what about big talk?" Sans smirked, and she gave him a deadpanned look.

Sans smiled a bit, and he heard the other three quietly snickering in his mind. She sighed, rolling her eyes and continuing down the hallway, heading to a door. Sans saw a pair of rooms with basic humans on it with 'Male' and 'Female' labeled under each of them, but they... walked past them?

"wasn't that them?" Sans asked her, pointing back at the doors with his thumb.

"Those were out of order. The other ones are this way." Captain Aldergrave told him.

'something isn't right about this...' Dust muttered, appearing in front of him before walking past him to the bathroom doors, before cursing, 'damnit! i can't get past doors!' 

'then open it?' Horror suggested.

Sans could practically hear crickets, and Horror chuckled quietly while Dust swore at him.

Sans and the Captain rounded another corner, heading to a slightly ajar metal door at the end, Killer standing by it. 

"you sure this is the bathroom?" Sans questioned.

Killer turned around and looked at him looking surprised he was there.

'lucky?'

'killer, what the hell did you find?' Dust asked, appearing next to him.

"Yes, it is." The Captain told Sans.

'look inside.' Killer instructed, and Dust did so, swearing loudly.

'sans, don't go in there, it's a trap!!' Dust turned around to yell, eyelights red and cyan.

Sans went to get out of the area, freezing in his tracks, but the Captain tightly grabbed his arm, not letting him go.

"look, i don't know what your plan is, but i would really reconsider it." Sans advised.

She said nothing, pulling him forward, throwing him into the room and slamming the door behind him before locking it from the outside. Dust appeared next to him, forcing him out of control with a harsh shove. Sans turned around to look up at him and demand an explanation, but the lights in the room turning red distracted him.

"PROTOCOL DUSTBATH ACTIVATED. OBJECTIVE: NEUTRALIZE ALL MONSTERS IN VICINITY." A monotone, robotic voice rang out through the room, several panels opening in the room to reveal several robots.

The robots had two legs and two arms with lasers on each one where the hands would be, and the heads looked like security cameras with glowing red screens on them, likely their way of seeing things. The robots were a combination of stainless steel and black metal, and were around two feet taller than Sans. They had some wires exposed around the joints, and were otherwise coated in thick, plated armor, especially around the chest.

'holy crap!' Sans yelled, and Dust ducked under a laser blast from that scorched the wall where his skull had been.

'like dust said, it's a trap!' Killer told him, appearing next to him.

Dust summoned multiple sharp bones, firing them at the robots, and they embedded deeply into them. Dust summoned several Gaster Blasters and fired them, vaporizing the machines.

"well, that works..." Dust muttered, dodging an incoming attack and firing several more Gaster Blasters as more robots emerged from the walls.

Dust jumped onto a wall, lunging off of it as a blast fired at him, landing on another robot's shoulders and stabbing into it's head with a sharp bone, breaking it. He teleported out of the way as a laser blast shot over his skull, running past the robots on the ground as they fired after him rapidly.

'dust, their heads are their weak spot! aim for them!' Horror told him.

'i know! just found that out! horror, find a way out of here, we need to get to the others if she tries doing this to them too!' Dust instructed.

Several laser guns rose from the floor, shooting at him and he cursed, teleporting behind another robot as a shield before teleporting again as another robot shot at him. The blast hit the robot he'd hidden behind, and Dust summoned multiple sharp bones and shot them down at the floor, stabbing into the floor and the guns. Dust dodged more blasts, but it was getting increasingly difficult as more and more robots kept coming. Dust cursed, teleporting to the ceiling, making a bone platform extend from a wall and surround himself in a wall of bones as he summoned a clockwise and a counterclockwise Gaster Blaster circle at the same time, destroying all of the robots in the room.

Sans stopped manifesting, seeing out of Dust's perspective, though everything was dark, the purple flame coming from Dust's eyelight being the only light source. Those things just wouldn't stop coming, there was practically hundreds of them... Some bones cracked under Dust's feet, Dust moving Sans's body away from the spot before reinforcing it, still keeping the attacks coming to try destroying all of the robots.

'any ways out?!' Dust asked, yelling in their subconscious so they could hear each other over the blasts.

'no! whole room's locked up tight! not even through those panels the robots are coming from!' Horror answered.

'damnit!' Dust swore, glaring at nothing, 'tell me when the bastards quit spawning!'

'can do!' Horror replied.

Dust kept spawning the Gaster Blasters for the next few minutes, and Sans could feel his exhaustion from the constant, rapid attacks. Dust had very high magic levels, but even this was almost too much, especially after the fight with Flowey earlier. Sans could feel Dust pulling on the magic he could spare to keep the bone shield around himself up, trying to keep himself protected instead of falling into the swarm below. 

'they stopped!' Horror shouted to him

Dust stopped summoning the Gaster Blasters instantly, letting the bones vanish as Sans's body dropped down to the floor in a crouch, his body's chest heaving for breath. The whole room was burnt to a crisp, robots laying smoldering and destroyed everywhere, covering the floor completely. Dust looked underneath himself, seeing that he'd landed on a destroyed robot's chest, and he looked around again for more attacked. Sans heard the door opening behind him, and before Dust could turn around, Sans felt a laser blast hit him on his back, and everything went black.

Killer forced himself to awareness, everything in their mind otherwise quiet as he focused on his senses. He heard footsteps approaching, and he paid close attention to them. He didn't take control, just lingering at the recesses of consciousness, waiting to strike.

"Not bad for a monster, I'll admit that..." Captain Aldergrave's voice muttered after a moment, and Killer felt a flicker of anger build in him. 

He heard her stopping next to him, and he heard her cocking a gun, the sound familiar to Killer after him and Chara had tried different weapons for killing. Nope, not happening. Killer took control over the body, teleporting out of the way just as a silenced shot rang out. He was on the other side of the room, glaring over at her, and she looked at him in surprise.

"The hell?..." She asked in confusion, before quickly recovering and shoot at him again.

Killer teleported out of the way a second time, running past her and bolting out of the door, trying to close it behind himself, but the door was held open by her hand, the door forced open. Killer narrowed his hollow eye sockets, wishing he had his knife on him as he summoned a sharp bone into his hand, stabbing into hers. She yelled out in pain, releasing the door, and Killer slammed it shut. He cursed under his breath, looking around the hallway for threats, but saw none.

'dust?! horror, lucky, you guys ok?!' Killer shouted in their mind, but they didn't respond, and nope, he definitely wasn't worried about them, absolutely not.

Killer took a chance, going into the subconscious for a moment, seeing the three of them passed out in the middle of it. He appeared next to them, trying to wake them up, but they had this... blue glow around them, and they remained asleep. Damnit, it must've been some kind of monster soul tranquilizer. That would explain how Killer was still awake; his soul wasn't a monster's anymore, after all.

Killer snapped himself back to awareness, looking around again, before bolting down the hallway. He saw the lights flaring red with sirens, and he cursed, rapidly nearing the door with Sans's friends, brother, and Flowey inside of it. He could've just teleported there, but he needed to make sure there was no more robots, and if there was, that he dealt with them. Besides, he didn't know what he could be teleporting into, it was safer to just run there and get a good idea on what he was getting into.

Killer heard explosions inside the room from a distance, and he kicked the door open after teleporting to it, seeing a bone and spear wall up, robots continuously shooting laser blasts at the wall, more attacks rapidly forming. At least he'd taught Papyrus how to do that, and Undyne was helping... Killer summoned sharp bones above the robots, shooting them straight down through their heads, deactivating them. He looked around for more to appear, and his shoulders sagged in mild disappointment that there was none. He didn't see any dust around the room, just a lot of robot parts, and he heard a projectile flying at him. His hand shot up automatically, catching the bone as it flew at him, looking over to see Papyrus lowering the bone wall slightly, before fully lowering it and running over to him once the spears vanished.

"BROTHER! MY APOLOGIES, I WASN'T AWARE IT WAS YOU!" Papyrus apologized, before asking, "ARE YOU OK?"

Killer saw the others looking at him, all in varying degrees of shock, surprise, and concern. Except for the stupid weed, who instead just looked surprised.

"not bad aim, papyrus. yeah, i'm ok. those lasers have monster soul tranqs in them i think, dunno how the hell they made 'em." Killer sighed. 

"H-How do you know?" Alphys asked him.

"because the other three are out cold and i can't wake them up, so that's fun. plus side dust is a paranoid genius, and he planned for if the humans wound up being unhinged, especially her. that plan being we find asgore and the kid, and get the hell out of here. also i'm pretty sure the captain was doing this on her own. raphael said she didn't like monsters on the helicopter ride, and the tv not working and the cameras being off lines up with that. besides, something about her is... familiar. i don't like it." Killer responded.

"So, you're on a rescue mission?" Undyne summed up.

"yep, pretty much." Killer replied.

"Sick!" Undyne grinned. 

"Child, do you think Frisk is ok?" Toriel asked him.

"pretty sure, yeah." Killer replied, "we just gotta get the hell out of here, but first thing's first, we need an armory or a kitchen, stat." 

"WHY?" Papyrus questioned.

"i need a damn knife."

Discord server: https://discord.gg/wQfvxyEuvj

[silverspleen]

Still gently bewildered by Hadir's motivations, like, obviously not when it comes to main plot beats, I totally understand his motivations with the lengths he'll go to to ensure his goals are met, but why specifically did he encourage Alex to be in the position he's in with Farah. He is so chummy with him!

I mean besides the fact that Alex + Gaz are the two MW19 PCs so like, they are legally obligated to be actively involved in the narrative to draw in the player and keep them informed via the avatar of two very pretty military boys, and the players needs to be in a position where Hadir "Alex we're brothers now" Karim betrays you to be like "GASP but we're bros."

But Hadir, sir, that man's job is not just "killing russians" it's also destabilizing small countries for the united states government it is only by the grace of him being a MASSIVE SIMP for your sister and her iron fucking will that he's stuck around for as long as he has. Hadir wasn't even there for Alex being like "lol I'm defecting" when Laswell tried to pull him out. He was gone! The betrayal had happened! Dude you were there for the "I don't decide where I go they just send me" rooftop conversation, Alex is a third party with very ulterior motives why are you playing so niceys with him!

This man's entire job is to be here on behalf of the us government hunting down chemical weapons and you, the man who has stolen the chemical weapons with plans to actively use them against your very bullheaded sister's wishes are like, making cute lil' guns for him and your sister like :) "Alex pls tell my sister when I betray her to not freak out and try to murder me, Alex do u promise? promise to explain?" like, dude this man's entire job in your country was to hunt you down???

"Alex why did you bring her here?" (Wolf's Den) Man, first of all you clearly know Farah is going to do what she wants and it should be obvious by this point that Alex will 100% support her. Second of all this is literally his mission.

Third of all you have known this man for exactly

(checks wiki)

THREE DAYS

anyway

I'm assuming it all has to logically come back to Farah and the fact that he's her older brother. Obviously culturally I'm not sure how the older+younger sibling dynamic goes when you spend your childhood in russian prison camp and your baby sister is your CO but like, he clearly still loves her so much despite their ideological differences. And it really seems like ideological differences are not a huge deal for him. There's the fact that later he is very much convinced (correctly) that Price will help him destroy the gas factory completely based on their shared history and relationship with Farah, so like, emotions are really driving his actions. He knew Farah would hate him and he wouldn't be able to be there for her and idk he's projecting something onto Alex a little methinks. Alex is helpful for like... three days and Hadir's brain gets to thinking. Probably reading into it too much but that's what I'm gonna stick to as some kind of character analysis.

It's all means to an end but idk it feels weirdly naive of him to be so lackadaisical with alliances??? which is both charming and deeply tragic in it's own right. Like, it worked out, it was a good idea to get Alex so involved considering I'm vaguely aware that by MW3 he is still Farah's second, but like, idk dude were there not any nice ULF guys you could have gotten to replace you when you defected to the faction Farah fucking hates???? No??? This fuckin'... All American CIA guy you've known for three days is your brother now and who you're going to entrust your sister to? ok then

[peachjagiya]

I remember the time when Jm said he will go to JK’s to eat ramen, and so fans went to the airport bringing ramen. 🤭 Jkkrs got so excited at the thought of JK cooking for Jm and Jm eating at Jk’s house (since this has been a tk thing in the solo era), but then on the next Jm live, he admitted that he in fact, has never gone to Jk’s nor has Jk cooked for him. But then the beyond the star came, and there we saw Jk coming over to Jm’s house to cook for him. Just a thought, most of their interactions are really just in front of the camera. They choose not to hangout or communicate if it’s not for work. Although there were instances in the solo era that they’ve met like during Jm’s practice, Yoongi’s concert, Suchwita, enlistment, etc. Even during this military enlistment, Jk chose the kitchen. I mean, they’re definitely friends/bros, but obviously they’re not the closest much less in a relationship.

I think it's really important to note how absolutely ok it is that they aren't the closest. It's not a stick to beat them with.

I'm not suggesting this is what you're doing, anon. I'm just saying because I kind of want to be a bit positive, you know? There is obvious and clear love between them and their "not the closest" is still closer than a lot of friendships because of the journey they've been on in bizarre circumstances since a young age. But they are not each others priority and the idea of romance between them is comedic at this point.

If AYS has taught me anything, it's that the company have a lot to answer for including a thorough waste of airport ramen.

Thanks anon 💜

[thewhumpcaretaker]

Hii! Is me again!

Santino taking John to art museum is canon to me 😭

I think John is trying to like it just because of him, and maybe eventually he starts to like it. But Santino is REALLY into it lmfaooo, he just drags John and shows him everything (bro is a nerd for art) and doesn't stop yapping.

John just nods and smiles and agrees even if he has no idea what Santino is talking about.

Ooh what if Santino is like "Am I annoying you?" And of course he doesn't, he's just overthinking, "No, no, you're not. Please continue, I'm listening. :)"

Hihihihi! Thank you so much, I ADORE art-related headcanons. Also John reassuring him that he's not annoying is 100% correct and true, awwwwww 🖤💙🖤💙

Okay I'm gonna make this one a list about John and Santino's artistic taste, as well as what they would do at the museum.

●・○・●・○・●

John doesn't have a particular taste in art, but Santino shows him everything so he can find out what John generally likes. After a while, they realize that he tends to like Impressionism, especially Monet. He likes paintings that look peaceful and contemplative. If he sees something and just feels calm, then he likes it. Especially if it has some romantic elements to it, like a couple walking together. Santino finds a new appreciation for those kinds of images because of John.

On the other hand, Santino's favorite type of art is Roman sculpture, followed closely by Greek sculpture. After that, he enjoys history paintings.

He's a nerd about the historical and mythological facts more than the art itself (it comes of being a writer). He will tell John the stories of various military leaders and Roman gods as they walk through the museum. Yes it IS extremely dry but John pays attention anyway because he loves Santino and wants to support all of his interests.

But beyond the history behind various works, he tends to choose pieces that are...um...very muscly. Let's be honest: he likes that the sculpture galleries have so many exposed abs.

He spends a lot of time comparing John to a marble statue while John blushes.

At some point, he definitely rents out the museum so they can slow dance in that dimly lit room where John hangs up on him in the movie. And then the slow dancing turns into ballet. And then they fuck on the velvet viewing bench surrounded by perfectly chiseled male forms on all sides!

[qedmirage]

Episode 10! This one took me a while. I got distracted by all sorts of things. The stage mechanic is a pain in the butt!! Even having had pre-prep with it from CC events, it is depressingly common for the artillery to switch targeting at the last minute because you missed one enemy in the pile of guys coming at you.

This little scrimblo is the face of evil. Cause of many leaks. If you're kind of sleepy or out of it or tired after a long day of work the Second Defense Artillery mechanic turns into a slot machine that sometimes just kills your clear for no apparent reason (you forgot that this character had 1 higher block than this other one) Story thoughts and unmarked spoilers after the cut!

I'm slow to get to Act 2 of the Arknights story. Over the time I've seen people in various fan communities talk about how they don't like it, how it feels slow to them, or how they think all the Sarkaz are irredeemable bastards. Well now with episode 10 I'm into it proper and while I see the complaints I like the story! I like reading academic works about military history and the history of genocides now and again, so, I'm definitely not the 'normal' audience. But the Kazdel Military Comission is very familiar and 'realistic'.

Theresis and his bros. There's not many...

First off it doesn't have the support of all, or even necessarily most Sarkaz. There's the Confessarius, a small secretive organization that's hung around the crown like ivy; the Sanguinarch of Vampires and the Nachzehrer king, two absolute freak monsters; the Damazti Cluster, who's just One Slime. Certainly Theresis has a lot of soldiers; but of the political leaders that make up Sarkaz politics, he essentially has the trust only of the most violently extreme half of things. Theresis's plan seems to be to simultaneously wage war on the nations of Terra, to restore Sarkaz glory or at least give teeth to their anger at constantly being persecuted. And man I don't think that's gonna work out very well for you! But the nature of the KMC and its job brutally occupying Londinium will drive away any moderates on its own. The KMC is radicalizing itself, from an attempt at governing Kazdel to what is functionally a murder cult, focused on just killing the highest number of non-sarkaz possible. It's not a happy story! And not one that, I think, is going to be 'fixed' by Amiya doing some cool sword magic. Victoria is on a fast track to becoming a failed state, and that's not going to be good for anyone around. Character thoughts! Blunted by having taken months and months to finish this. -Misery, it's cool to see another RI elite and this one's kinda, shifty? Behavior, is fun. Not a pillar of gung-ho courage, but he Gets The Job Done. -Mandragora, poor little meowmew. I do wonder if she'll turn out to have survived, I do feel some sympathy for her after the chapter was her getting kicked in the face repeatedly as everything goes wrong and her one friend dies -Manfred, this is the kinda guy who goes on trial at the Hague, but he's actually trying to like, run a country, so he ends up being one of the more reasonable KMC people. Yikes! -Damazti was very fun, their curiosity in meeting the Eartha crew is neat. Look forward to seeing more of the tricky slime. Closure is a great addition to this chapter, because you have the KMC and all the problems Sarkaz are causing and then RI sends in their Sarkaz and she looks like this:

How could anyone hate that face. Rita is another favorite from this chapter because she is just Not Having A Good Time, and it seems to only be getting worse. Is she coping healthily? Not really!

I think the Glasgow gang wasn't much of a draw. They're dancing around it, but it doesn't really seem like Vina wants to go kickstart the Victorian monarchy again, nor does the game seem to think that would fix things. So they end up kind of spinning their wheels, as the lion gets poked and prodded towards a thing she doesn't want to do.

[tarysu]

REQUEST TIME !! can i pls request a university tachi? what major would he be, what would his hobbies be, how does he meet reader? etc

THANK U SM FEEL FREE TO IGNORE AND REMEMBER TO DRINK LOTS OF WATER I HOPE U HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERY DAY

<Babi i love you smmsmmssm I WILL HYDRATE MYSELF TO THE POINT I DISSOLVE INTO WATER, I've been away and off from tumblr since I'm pretty crazy and rotting in bed (school holidays is getting to me really hard). BUT BUT LET ME WRITE YOU THIS SAHHAHDUAUSD. Small reminder that I'm NOT a university student myself, as you can see I'm pretty young a still a teen girl so I have no knowledge abt uni majors (I pre-prepared majors for my future so I think I have a thought or two on how tachi would work in Uni) ANWAYSYYY SRUMDELI YUM YUM YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!> 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐀 !! | 𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 (𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒)

✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦ ✦ Michizou would most likely be doing criminology (I can vision him studying crime, courses like psychology and law) OR a stem major (his ability could be proven useful, Mechanical Engineering would suit him a lot!!! I mean this guy would be establishing some cool machineries). ✦ I'd say Michi would be a well organised university student, given how he can balance his military identity between his Mafia persona. I'd say he'd cope with his schedule (rip all the other students dying of no sleep.) ✦ Tachihara doesn't get regular sleep (not that he gets less sleep just...not a regular sleeping schedule), but I'm 100% sure he's alright. He'd sometimes nap randomly, bro would nap at the most random time anyways LOL. ✦ What extra curriculums he'd do in Uni? BRO WHEN I TELL YOU HE DOES SPORTS FOR SURE!! Basketball in particular. He'd be the star of the show, with his good build and pretty feisty look. Girls on the basketball stadiums would be head over heels. What can I say? He's a popular fucker amongst his peers. I'm positive he is someones hallway crush on the first year of Uni. (definitely the readers.) ✦ He's talkative, always blabbering about dumb shit or shitty jokes. He laughs before he could say the joke, he starts getting an aneurysm on the spot for laughing so hard. ✦ What does he do in his extra time? Hangout with his mates or fuck around a lot in game lobbies. He would be spending hours and hours grinding for a fortnite skin or honestly just pay 2 win (bro bought the whole jjk skins on fortinite). ✦ Michizou takes studying pretty fucking seriously, he failed countless times in his junior years during highschool. He only took his grades seriously once life was hitting a little TOO hard. ✦ Tachihara wasn't interested in any romantic relationships, not until he gets a stable job and house in future. He just wasn't ready for that kind of commitment and he stuck to that style until he met you. ✦ He's friends with all kinds of people and would honestly vibe with all of them, his social battery can get drained pretty easily. ✦ You were doing a medical course and hardly had any rest (I mean any medical majors in my opinion are pretty hard from my perspective). You and Tachi tend to study together, though both of you have different courses. ✦ You two actually knew each other back in highschool. Though you've never TALKED until a certain event in uni. (a small disaster I'll write a fan fic abt it) ✦ You two go on dates once in a blue moon, given how passionate you are about being a doctor (or nurse, you're a pretty tired person.). ✦ Sometimes Michizou would find you cheering the loudest amongst the girls when he plays on the basketball field. (You're definitely the number 1 cheer girl) ✦ After winning the game, he'd run over to you. Cool sweat trickling down his face. He'd hug you and give you multiple of kisses, you'd also give that in return. ✦ EXTRA : Tachihara would always let you stay the night (or two) over in his dorm whenever you have fights with your parents. You live with your parents but sometimes they could really get on her nerves. You'd usually come over frustrated with tears, but hey!! he'd pamper you, coop you up on the couch and just kiss those silly tears away

[eyfey]

08 MS Team Episode 2!!!

Master Chief is here!!! from Halo!!!!!

it's the them!!!

correct.

here comes a special boy!!!!

the Big Hair + Cravat combo is Something

currently 50/50 on whether he's rival girl's Brother or Fiance

wh.... are you doing sneak tactics with a gundam???

there's no WAY that thing can move quietly on the ground, plus it's enormous and you didn't even like... camouflage it????? anyone you're sneaking at is gonna see AND hear you coming a mile away????

how is this guy a commander? like? going off on his own doin his own thing taking risks in a location he hasn't familiarized himself with not even used to non-space combat barely giving out ANY instructions just out there endangering his whole squad

what are his qualifications? what training did he receive??? who approved his position??? does the federation even have like an organized military or do they just give giant robots to whoever????????

fucking LOL

get LEECH'd

buddy you do NOT get to complain!!!! pot calling the kettle black type fool!!!

asking for dysentery-ass idiot

but ah! he is Learning The Beauty Of Nature

hey wait where did the flowers go

oh. i see.

this is gonna be a tits out kind of anime huh

(not sure if I'm allowed to post anime boobs on tumblr)

*fun fact: I was gonna do ep1+2 together in the same post, but I hit the image limit at this part of the episode so I had to go allllll the way back through ep2 and re-screenshot everything before this!!!!!!! rude!!!!

bro sees literally any stranger: Is this a woman?

oh hey the flowers are back.

also what.... what are you supposed to do if you find yourself in this sort of situation? do you try to sneak away? do you call out and be like "oh hey sorry didn't mean to intrude"?

either way I'm p sure sitting and watching and saying "She's pretty" is NOT it.

The arm on shoulder had me leaning fiance but then BAM: Confirmed for Brother.

his lumps

LOL GET OWNED

I'm just now realizing.... he.... he just left his mech unattended in the middle of the jungle??? even though there are CONFIRMED enemies in the area??? like sir???? your billion dollar military weapon of mass destruction????????

OH WAIT was Sanders the pilot the MC saved in the first episode?? Somehow I did not connect those dots even though the worlds thickest line was already drawn between them???

I'm really good at paying attention :^)

you are SO lucky no one stole or exploded your suit.

LOL about to be axed by a one armed gundam in the jungle

buddy... i think maybe this is not the proud moment you think it is....

wonder if we're ever gonna meet B.B. She's def the girl in those photos yea?

wait???? The gundams can just walk themselves????? Autopilot??? you can just take a nap and let em stomp?????????????????

look at that gundam walkin away from the sunset all cool like

-

So far it seems Master Chief Karen Joshua is the only competent person in this series.

I'm curious if we're gonna see the MC actually face any consequences for his actions, or he's just gonna fumble his way through the whole series...

and I'm REALLY curious if we'll ever learn how he got his position. Like is it just because he produced good results in space combat? Or does he have some connections with the higher ups? or is it intentional sabotage from someone who wants the 08 MS Team to get wiped out???????

either way! excited to see more of these chars!

[nightfal1n]

[Ranting? About certain reactions after Kn8 Ep10 below]

[Paragraphs look horrible guess I'll tuck them under a cut]

[Also, zero tolerance for any form of hate toward Mina. I won't elaborate]

By holding Kafka at gun point is to show everyone(and leave a recorded evidence) that he's willing to comply. Imagine if everyone just play along and let Kafka slip. 3rd division is made of the most awesome folks you can find in military so they are all good person..it'll leave a chance of them to doubt his action. Just one person voicing their doubt to the outsider things will get ugly real fast. Can Mina be more friendly while doing so? "Thanks for saving us but it's our job to put you under arrest and we'll try our best to get you out" while everyone is watching? Then it can be seen as he just complied because he knows everyong has got his back. That's a whole room for a seed doubt to grow in.

As stressful as the 'you're under arrest' moment was, I don't quite understand why ppl will think Mina should do anything else(I can imagine having a different life experience or lackof affected ppl view on this but I won't pretend to understand here). The whole division, including drone camera, a whole operation control room, and that explosion should be visible from several kilometres away and it won't take even a minute for someone to start freaking out somewhere. And the last thing you want is for anyone to doubt that the one in command have no ability to control the situation.

By putting offensive stance, to tell Kafka that he's identified as Kaiju no.8 and now under arrest, to show all parties that he's willing to get arrested on the top of all that not only prove his humanity, but also his selflessness. It's rough on the surface, but a certain kindness is definitely there.

(note: I'm avoiding mention the higher-up because it's in the next arc as well as the outside influcences bc we don't see much of them (aside their wholesomeness and being good people in general. like cleaning crews. The future beyond the current cataclysm arc scares me tho....)

("he should let them die" is probably the most hillarious consider what we already know about the jakdf afterward (3rd division are your true friends bro...)

[mikrrokosmos]

Hi! This is going to sound kind of random, but I am writing a paper about the translation of Korean honorifics in subtitles, and I just saw your post from like a year ago mentioning how "hyung" is translated as "bro" in subtitles. So first off THANK YOU because I have been looking for a good example of that for a while now and I've finally found one thanks to you. Secondly, is there any more you can tell me about how "hyung" is translated as "bro" in "Bloodhounds" (or any other drama)? And, just to clarify, are the characters in "Bloodhounds" related or not related?

Anyway, thanks again, and sorry for the long ask about a show you probably haven't watched in a year.

Hi! Of course I don’t mind talking about it! I’m actually super excited that you asked me about this, as I love linguistics and translations and always find it a fascinating topic.

I feel like I should make a disclaimer that I am not Korean and don’t speak Korean, so everything I know about the language and culture is just from what I’ve observed from watching kdramas and listening to kpop for years. I am open to correction if I get something wrong, and I would suggest checking out the blog @consigliere-vincenzo, as I believe she is/knows Korean and provides translations for dramas! (She’s also just, a really cool blog <3)

(Also, since I don’t know the Hangul alphabet, I will be using the romanized spelling for the translations. Romanized spellings can also differ, and there's no 'correct' spelling for each word!)

Korean, like many other languages like Dutch and Japanese, is a language structured around respect to those around you, largely dependant on age, and is shown with the usage of honorifics. Honorifics like agasshi (refers to a young woman, though you're unsure of her age) and ajusshi (in reference to an older man, usually middle-aged; and ajumma, which is the female equivalent) all showcase respect; and to not use any honorific would come across as rude. (In formal language, suffixes such as -ssi and -nim are used, as well as different words all together, but I won't be touching on those since I don't speak Korean and they are harder to pinpoint!)

Honorifics like oppa, unni, and hyung are a bit different, since they're more affectionate in nature. Oppa is mostly by a woman for their older brother, but can also be used for a boyfriend. Unni would be what a woman would call her older sister, or a sister-like figure/friend. Hyung would be the male equivalent of this; what a man would call his older brother, a close male friend.

To answer your question, the main duo in Bloodhounds (Gunwoo and Woojin) are not related by blood!

In the scene where they are talking in a restaurant and find out each others ages (Netflix won't let me screenshot, but starts approx. 22:10 in ep1, and this is the only gifset I can find) is probably the best scene to illustrate the use of hyung in their dynamic. Before this, we can assume that the characters think they are the same age (in Korea, it is normal for two people who are born in the same year to become friends, since no honorifics based upon age are needed, so a sense of familiarity is immediate). When Gunwoo finds out that Woojin is in fact two years older than him, he apologizes (for not using formal language). Woojin then finds out that Gunwoo's role in the military (when they each did their service, as every able-bodied Korean male is required by law to do) was a higher station than his, he also uses formal language, calling him hyung-nim (if I am hearing correctly, since Netflix is HORRENDOUS for translating honorifics properly). Gunwoo wishes to use 'casual' tone with Woojin and just call him hyung, but Woojin's also using honorifics creates a humorous dynamic, since older men are not required to use such honorifics with those younger than them. This conversation is a great showcase of their characters, and how their different personalities play into how they act around each other (Gunwoo's more reserved and polite persona, and Woojin's more loose and free-willed personality).

It is near impossible to understand this underhanded joke with just the subtitles, as so much gets lost in translation, especially since English is not an honorific-centred language. Unni *does* technically directly translate to 'sister,' and hyung to 'brother,' but it comes across as janky sometimes, since English-speaking people don't casually call each other that (you know that complaint about how it's bad for siblings in books/movies to be like 'hey sis'/'hey bro' since no one talks like that? Yeah.) Shortening the term to 'bro' doesn't really help matters, since I haven't heard anyone use the word 'bro' unironically . . . ever? So what is originally a natural and affectionate word and can carry great meaning depending on context (like if a character was dying, and used hyung in his last moments when he has never referred to a character like that before) easily becomes cheapened with translation. They can also try to subsitute some honorifics with 'sir' (like they do in Bloodhounds), but it kinda carries the same effect.

The usage of the term hyung, or any honorific, can be found in any kdrama ever. A great example I can think of is in The Eighth Sense, which is a BL (BoysLove, which is just a genre of Asian dramas that are queer love stories).

In a scene of The Eighth Sense (at 34:47 in ep2 on Rakuten Viki) Jihyun accidentally calls Jaewon hyung, and not sunbaenim, as he was told to do. Since Jaewon is Jihyun's elder in the club they are both in, it would be more appropriate to be called sunbaenim, which is an honorific for those in an academic or work setting. Using hyung is more intimate, and insinuates a stronger bond of closeness rather than the polite sunbaenim.

I hope I answered your question and was able to elaborate on this properly! I am so sorry I didn't answer this right away, I hope this was helpful! If you have any further questions feel free to ask, and I will do my best to answer as correctly as I can.