#Continuity of Operations Plans writer

[sharksnshakes]

Night Out - Tim Drake

image source: batboyblog on tumblr

When out at a dive bar with your friends, you step outside for a breath of fresh air and run into the Red Robin. For some reason, he seems... familiar?

AN; writers block is brutal and disgusting and horrible. also. i am suffering from batfamily brainrot so expect more of this (part two can be found here!)

Wordcount; 787

TW; some cursing, mentions of drinking

It's a damp spring night when you meet the Red Robin. You're out with your friends at some college dive bar on the East Side. The area's a far cry from Gotham U's campus, but with free entry and cheap drinks, it's worth the elevated risk of mugging.

"Besides," one of your friends had declared on the way to the bar, "It just means we're more likely to see Nightwing's hot ass."

You're pretty sure the dark-haired vigilante operates exclusively in Bludhaven these days, but you're not a party pooper.

The music was good, the crowd was fun, but a small room of drunk co-eds had a way of heating up quicker than Firefly's flamethrower, and so you'd retreated out the side door for a breath of fresh air. You weren't stupid; you'd taken your small can of mace with you. This was Gotham, after all.

The alleyway was blissfully empty, save for a dumpster--quite the relief, seeing as the last time you'd been here, you'd stumbled upon a couple deep in the throes of a heated make out session. Taking a breath, you leaned up against the cool bricks in the alleyway and let yourself decompress.

"There's definitely better places to hang out around here than dark alleys," a voice says from somewhere behind you.

Living in the city has taught you many things. Most importantly, how to turn off potential predators by acting downright crazier than they do.

You spin on your heel and hold the mace like it's a pistol, coming face-to-face with none other than--

"Holy shit, you're Robin," you gasp, eyes widening.

Thank god you didn't actually mace him.

"That I am," he says, warily eyeing the can in your hand.

"Like... the Red Robin," you continue. You're blinking at him, openly gaping, and it occurs to you that you should probably stop pointing the can at his eyes. You stow the makeshift weapon in your back pocket. "I'm so sorry! I thought you were a mugger or something!"

"Hey, it's fine," he chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. "If it's any consolation, you definitely would've scared the shit out of a mugger."

You laugh, but it's mostly in disbelief. Red Robin is standing mere feet away from you, domino mask and yellow cloak and green pants and all, and you're suddenly very thankful you'd gotten dressed up to go out tonight. For a split second, you swear you see him give you a quick once over. But no, there's no way Robin's checking you out.

He glances around the alleyway for a moment, almost awkwardly, before speaking again. "...Any reason you're out here?"

"I'm out with my friends," you say, motioning to the building behind you, where the bar's logo is printed in peeling white vinyl. "Needed some air. Somehow, smoke and asthma don't make a good combination," you joke.

"Can't imagine why," he grins, and holy shit Red Robin thinks you're funny.

"You got any fun, exciting plans tonight?"

He hesitates.

"Wait, you don't have to answer. I know, top secret Batman stuff--"

"Nah, not that secret." It's dark in the alleyway so maybe you're not seeing things right, but you swear you can see a hint of color rising to his cheeks. "Just patrolling. Y'know. Keeping an eye out for muggers and mace-wielding asthmatics."

You laugh. "Sounds boring."

"Definitely could use a drink." He glances at the side door with an unreadable expression.

"Rough start to the night?"

"You could say that."

A brief silence stretches between the two of you. Traffic and the faint pounding of the bar's music fill the space, and for some reason, despite never having met Robin and likely never meeting him again, it feels... almost familiar.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one stuck at work tonight. One of my best friends, Tim, had to bail last minute since he's got an exam to study for. So, like, you're not suffering alone!" you add, thinking back to the guy you've kind of been maybe having romantic feelings for lately.

Robin chokes.

"Shit, you okay? Need me to, like, slap you on the back or something?"

"Nope," he says, voice raspy.

"You're sure?"

"Positive." He gives you an awkward thumbs-up.

"I should probably let you get back to work, then," you sigh, turning back to the side door and grasping the handle. "And I should get back in there. Don't need my friends worried about me."

When you turn back around, it's just you and the dumpster.

"Fuckin' impressive," you mutter to nobody but yourself. "See ya, Robin."

You step back inside. The door closes behind you and... fuck.

You forgot to ask for a picture.

[jo-harrington]

Longevity (Eddie Munson x Store Manager!Reader)

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Summary: Longevity (noun) - continuance; durability; permanence

Previous Part: Standard Operating Procedures 1.06

Warnings/Themes: AU where the Upside Down doesn't terrorize Hawkins. Reader works at the Claire's at StarCourt. Eddie works at TapeWorld. (For now.) Fluff, a little angst, discussions of the future, vignettes/time jumps, smut, HEA.

Note: Alright here it is, and it is a HONKING CHAPTER. But how could I break it up into pieces when it's The End? I'm tucking my little babies into the dollhouse and closing it up so they can live on the rest of their lives. To Eddie and Store Manager, I love you both dearly and you were the thing that brought me back to writing and into a wonderful community of writers and readers. To everyone reading, thank you so much for your endless support. You will never know how much it's appreciated.

You can find my masterlist here for more featuring our resident Store Manager and all of my other writing. Seriously, go read it.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

---

April 1986

"Ope, if it isn't the man of the hour, Mr. Edward G. Robinson himself. We were just talking about you."

That was the greeting that found Eddie as he walked into Claire's after school on a lovely Thursday afternoon, ready to share some good news before his closing shift.

Great news, actually, if he was being honest. Life-changing news that he was sure would earn him a ton of kisses that he'd been craving after a long week of assignments and standardized tests.

Imagine his surprise then, that instead of finding you and Mindy behind the counter, chatting after a supposed "big visit" you'd told him that you had today, you still had company.

He skidded to a halt at the sight. Your guest smiled up at him with her hands on her hips.

Short in stature, blonde hair in pristine victory rolls, bold makeup that consisted of layers of glittery eyeshadow, and wrists adorned with stacks of multicolored scrunchies.

"It's nice to see you again Jen," he greeted your old Store Manager.

He'd only met her in person once, but had heard countless fond and semi-unbelievable stories about her from you--and apparently she'd heard the same about him, having greeted him with a bone-crushing hug the first time they met—so there was a familiarity and fondness there that they both indulged.

"What are you doing here?" he asked casually and crossed the distance to throw an arm over your shoulder and press a kiss to your temple. "I thought you said that you wouldn't be caught dead in Indiana."

You, Mindy, and Jen all broke out in a fit of giggles and Eddie felt a sudden sense of instinctual dread.

"Well then get ready to start planning my funeral kid," Jen announced. "Because you're about to start seeing a lot more of me."

"Jen just got promoted," you interjected finally.

"Oh yeah?"

"To District Manager. So she's gonna be my boss. Again."

"Oh, shi--shoot," Eddie felt like he'd been doused with cold water at the revelation. He peeled his arm from around your shoulder and took a wide step to put distance between the two of you. "That's...wow. Congratulations."

He'd been through a handful of DM visits at TapeWorld, never on his own, always under Kyle's cool guidance; however, he'd come to realize that the stiff authority figure of his District Manager Jeff was something to be feared.

So even though he was excited for Jen--your friend--on her promotion, the sudden realization that Jen--your boss--was standing here watching him make an idiot out of himself and possibly put your job at risk...

"Oh my god," Jen broke down in a fit of laughter. "Look at him, he's about to shit himself. Take a chill pill Ed, Jesus. I’m not gonna be a hardass until next week. If that.”

Once everyone had their fill of laughter, and Jen promised that she wasn't going to hold your relationship over your head--

"So long as you're not in here interfering with the business or making out on the sales floor or something."

--Eddie pulled you to the side and finally revealed his big news.

"So," he began excitedly. "It, uh, looks like I'm on the road to graduation. Like really graduating. Not just 'if I don't fuck it up in the home stretch' this time. I'm actually gonna graduate."

"Oh my god," you grabbed him by his jacket and shook him as joy bubbled in his chest from your reaction. "Eddie that's amazing!"

You asked him a few questions and your eyes sparkled proudly as he recounted his talk with his guidance counselor, and he couldn't help the smile that stayed on his face the entire time. Especially when you let out a shriek of joy and jumped around.

"We need to go and celebrate!" you insisted.

"I mean," he suddenly got bashful. "I haven't graduated yet."

"Still, it's big. You worked so hard." You looked back over at Jen and Mindy who were talking at the cash wrap. "I know you're closing tonight but I'm taking Jen out for drinks a little later. When you get out of work, meet us at the Hideaway. I'll get you the Wayne and a beer. And then afterwards, uh...if you wanna come back to my place? Like...actually celebrate?”

He grinned and nodded eagerly; you'd taken the words right out of his mouth.

---

His shift had gone by quickly and he’d joined you and Jen at the Hideaway with Kyle in tow. Kyle who was not only proud of Eddie and wanted to treat him to a beer for his efforts, but also intrigued at the possibility of schmoozing a pretty new face in town.

“Sometimes,” he announced with a flourish when he returned to StarCourt right before store close, dressed in the nicest clothes Eddie had ever seen him wear. “You need to take a chance. How many times did I tell you that kid? You miss all the chances you don’t take. That’s why it took you so long to get a girlfriend.”

Jen, unfortunately, laughed right in Kyle’s face when he kissed her hand upon introduction.

“I’m engaged, Romeo,” she informed him. “Sorry.”

“I don’t see a ring. You can let me down Jenny. Tell me the truth, I won’t be hurt.”

“You’re sweet. But it’s the truth. I just don’t wear the ring to work.”

“Alright, alright,” He sighed, then got a sly look. “Any chance you have a sister? Or a brother? I’m an equal opportunity man looking for true love.”

The night was filled with hearty food, rounds of beer, fantastical stories of retail hell and 4th Quarters past, and accomplishments on everyone’s part.

Kyle bragged about a new car he had just put a down payment on.

Your store had hit some Diamond Earring milestone that only you and Jen seemed to understand but the excitement was contagious.

Eddie got a round of applause from the table when you urged him to announce his big news to everyone.

Honestly he couldn’t care about Kyle or Jen’s reaction, it was seeing you look at him with all the pride and affection in the world that he basked in. He couldn’t wait for the actual graduation ceremony, for you to be front and center with Wayne and Rick and all of his friends. There to witness his hard work come to fruition…and for him to flip Principal Higgins off.

And then Jen stood up and announced her own accomplishment right before last call.

“So,” she cleared her throat and held up her glass and pulled something out of her coat. “I know I already celebrated back home and I don’t really know either of you, Kyle and Ed, but I know my little protégée here would be happy for me.

”Alongside my wonderful and well-earned promotion to DM, I also received my Longevity pin.”

She opened a little velvet jewelry box and showed off a tiny glittering purple pin with a tiny little diamond chip in place of the dot of the “I” in Claire’s.

“Ten long years,” Jen announced after a swig of her beer, “with the Purple Glitter Factory. And all I have to show for it is a pin, a little more money, and a lot more responsibility. God. Growing up sucks. But I’m very proud. And you’re next kid.”

She laid a hand on your head and you waved her off with visible embarrassment then disappeared to go and close out your tabs.

Later that night as you and Eddie settled into bed to sleep after some celebratory activities, Eddie laid awake and stared at the ceiling. Thinking.

“What are your plans for the future?” He asked after a beat.

“Uh,” you shifted your head on his shoulder so you could look at him. “Is this because of all of Jen’s talk of careers and stuff?”

“Yeah. And graduation. And all of that stuff. So? What do you wanna do…where do you wanna be…when you’re older?”

“God, I dunno. I got my associates in business because I was hoping it would help me get my own store. And I did. It also was so boring, I don’t want to go back to school. I guess the next thing is…actually take a vacation day now that I’m earning them. What about you?”

“Music legend,” he answered immediately.

“Uh huh.”

“Guess that’s gonna take some work though, huh?”

“No shit.” You rolled your eyes and then sighed as you settled against him once again. “There’s a reason you asked, Ed. What’s going on in that big head of yours?”

He ran his tongue along the seam of his lips repeatedly as he considered…everything that was laid out in front of him.

Corroded Coffin.

Tape World.

What about Hellfire? Damn, he knew Dustin and Will were the future of the club but…a few years down the line. What about next year? He was gonna have to pass the torch to Gare or Dave after he left. They weren’t ready yet.

And what was he gonna do after school was over? Could he see himself taking a class at TCCC? Maybe. Jeff had been showing him the Catalog at lunch the other day. There was a Creative Writing course that looked cool.

10 years.

That was half his life away. Impossible to imagine. Would there be flying cars by then? Space travel? He could enlist in Starfleet, meet Captain Kirk. Ok maybe that last one was stupid.

"10 years,” Eddie whispered into the top of your head as he rid himself of the fantastical thoughts. “That’s an awful long time.”

“Well it’s a good thing we have all that time to figure it out.”

We…

“Yeah. Yeah we do.”

He could only hope you’d still be there with him. One way or another.

---

July 1987

The spot lights were blinding and the air thick with humidity; his throat was dry and his fingers ached from how hard he was on the fretboard.

But the crowd was cheering and that’s all that mattered right?

No, what really mattered was the music.

And the band.

That's why he was up here with his friends, demolishing the bridge of The Sentinel, laughing and jumping and barely giving a shit when he missed a note or Jeff’s fingers fumbled or Gareth lost the beat for a second. He didn't even mind that the County Clerk had them censor out the "cuss words" of the songs they'd chosen.

It was exhilarating just to be able to play on an actual stage.

It had taken 2 years but they were finally playing at the Roane County 4th of July Festival. An actual gig. And not the first one they'd played, but certainly the biggest so far. Big enough and successful enough that Eddie expected it to be a standing gig for the foreseeable future.

The Polka Band from Kenosha hadn't gotten nearly half as many people and they were, by far, the most successful act of the night before Corroded Coffin.

There was a sea of friends, neighbors, families, and out-of-towners just below the stage, snacks and drinks in-hand, as they danced and jumped and headbanged to song after song. Rick and Wayne were out at Benny's getting all set up for the next stop on Corroded Coffin's "Independence Day Tour" but you were out there in the crowd with Mindy and her family, singing along and cheering louder than everyone whenever a song ended.

Which was why Eddie didn't hesitate to dedicate the final song of the set to you.

"This next one isn't our usual sound," he spoke into the microphone, words a little muffled as his lips brushed against it. "It's a little slow. Something you can dance to, so gentlemen please grab your ladies, tell them how much you love them. But before we begin...did you all know...it's almost Back to School time."

There was a series of boo's from the crowd.

"Now now, maybe yet not for you all, but definitely for a special someone out there," he shushed them and traded Sweetheart for his mom's old acoustic guitar. He plucked a few notes and then continued. "A special someone...who leaves me all alone every once in a while. Late nights. Lonely nights while I wait by the phone, as she and her team make magic happen and she forgets all about me. See I'm saying all of this because she's about to leave me high and dry this coming Sunday night, so I have to guilt her a little otherwise she won't let me surprise her with hash browns and coffee when she gets out of work.

"Queen of Glitter Kingdom," Eddie squinted and looked around the crowd until he found you standing there holding your hand over Mindy's mouth as she looked like she was about to cry. He pointed right at you. "My life, my world, my cheeseburger. This one's for you."

He and Jeff then began to harmonize their guitars for the opening of Beth.

---

"You're a shithead, you know that."

"Mmm...but I'm your shithead, sweetheart."

It was late. Wayne, Rick, and the guys had all left. You and Eddie were sitting across from each other in a booth at Benny's, as the last few fair-goers trickled in for a late night snack. Your own dinner sat half-eaten on the table between you--patty melts and an apple pie shake to share--as you talked and laughed and played footsie.

He and the boys needed to rush across town after their set was over so they made it in time for Ben's advertised happy hour, so he hadn't gotten the chance to get an earful or a kiss from you after his little spectacle.

Fortunately, you were giving him hell for it now, and although he was wiped, he gladly accepted your teasing wrath.

"Is Wayne still around?" You turned in your seat and looked at the sparse group of customers. "I'd like to make a return."

"Mmm...well I moved out in January so I think it's after the 90-day return policy," he said matter-of-factly.

"God damn it," you laughed and snapped your fingers. "And I think I lost the receipt too."

"Stuck with me forever," he teased in a sing-song. There was a beat and he straightened up in his seat and drummed a rhythm on the table with his knuckles. "So...I think it went well."

"I think so too," you agreed brightly.

"You know, Jeff found some...Septemberfest thing out in Jasper..."

Your eyes sparkled at Eddie's words, and he felt the flutter of butterflies deep inside of him that always kicked up when you gave him your excitement and encouragement.

“It’s not a competition or anything but there’s a prize for most popular act of the weekend. Audience ballot and everything. I think it would be cool.”

"That's great!" you grinned. "You should go for it."

"But it's Labor Day weekend."

"So?"

"Paulie's going for a promotion," he shrugged. "Kyle's gonna want us all there in case Jeff comes for a visit."

"And? I didn't know Paulie was planning on opening for Corroded Coffin. What's he playing? The kazoo?" you joked.

"Well no," Eddie shook his head. "But if he leaves...I mean, I'm the best bet for FTASM. I don't want to lose out on that for the future. That'd be...the money would be nice. Can do some repairs on the van. Maybe I'd get my own store someday too."

Your face crumpled--brows furrowed and lips pursed--and you didn't hesitate to shuffle out from your side of the booth and kneel beside him on his. You placed a hand on his forehead for a moment and then tilted his head back and forth.

"Uh, sweetheart," he placed a hand on your waist to steady you as you shuffled closer to pull the back the neck of his t-shirt to look for something. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to see if my Rockstar Eddie Munson action figure is broken," you explained.

"Uhhh."

"Or at least if I accidentally left him at the fair and picked up a Corporate Shill Eddie action figure instead?"

"What?" he laughed.

"How about Suburban Dad Eddie?" you asked. You straightened your posture, pulled on non-existent suspenders, and lowered your voice comedically. "Gotta prepare for tax season. Cut the grass. Do some repairs on the van."

"Stop," he pulled you down to sit beside him in the booth. "I just...don't wanna take the chance on that when I know the full time position is a sure thing."

"Ed," you shook your head at him. "I know you like Tape World but...promotions always come around, music is your dream."

"I know."

"Why did you tell me about this Septemberfest thing if you were not gonna go through with it anyway?"

"I dunno," he turned away from you and went to grab the shake. "I guess I just wanted to pick the thing...that you'd be most proud of."

"Listen here mister," you grabbed him by the chin and made him look at you, Apple Pie Shake be damned. "I'm always gonna be proud of you and support you in whatever path you want."

He nodded for a second and then stole a kiss from you with a soft "I know, thank you." You let yourself get lost in the feeling for a second, but Eddie knew that you weren't gonna let him distract you from the discussion at hand.

You put a hand on his chest and pushed him away, then stared him directly in the eye.

"So?" you asked. "What kind of future do you want?"

His eyes darted between yours--your gaze hard and challenging but nonetheless filled with hope and affection--and he had his answer.

---

May 1989

You could feel Eddie fidget in the seat beside you.

"Calm down," you muttered to him.

"Can't help it," he whispered back; you could tell he straightened out his posture, but his knee still bounced. "Too excited."

A name was called over the loudspeaker, then another, then another.

"Eddie seriously," Gareth was the one to give it a shot this time, leaning across you to put a hand on Eddie's knee and get him to stop fidgeting. "You're gonna shit yourself if you don't stop."

"Shit, sorry, this is only like..." he shook his head. "The most important thing I've ever done in my life."

You, Gareth, Jeff, and Dave all shot him skeptical and unamused looks.

"I don't have time to argue right now," he scoffed at the rest of you. "Shut up, here it comes."

"Peter Halliwell...Dustin Henderson..."

All five of you jumped to your feet and cheered and clapped, along with another group a few rows up that consisted of Dustin's mom, Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, and their respective partners.

It was a repeat occurrence several times over that afternoon, as you witnessed the Hawkins High Class of '89 cross the stage and receive their diplomas.

"That's my kid," Eddie wiped a fake tear as each of his former Freshman Sheepies were called on stage, but he was especially emotional with Dustin. And when the newest DM of Hellfire flipped Higgins off before running off stage? Eddie stood on his chair and whooped and whistled. “That’s my boy!”

“Sit down Munson,” Higgins spoke into the microphone, over an audience that had become uproarious with laughter.

“It’s tradition now, Higgy,” Eddie shouted, words amplified by the hands he’d cupped around his mouth; still, he jumped down and took his seat so the rest of the ceremony could continue.

“You’re unbelievable,” you giggled at his antics. “You do know that right?”

“I’m unbelievably loveable,” he replied, quickly accompanied by the scoffs and mocking fart noises of his friends. He leaned closer and whispered in your ear. “Unbelievably in love with you.”

“Uh huh.” His tongue snaked out and he licked into your ear obnoxiously. “Fuck off!” You pushed him away from you with a shrieking laugh.

It wasn’t long before that the real reason you were in attendance at the graduation walked across the stage. Because yes, the kids were your friends but you wouldn’t miss this for the world.

“Jane Hopper,” came the announcement and you, once again, got to your feet with a cheer, along with her family and friends in the next aisle of seats. Chief Hopper had his camcorder out and his shoulders visibly shook as he sobbed for his daughter, and you couldn’t help but feel your heartstrings pull.

If Dustin and the boys were Eddie’s little sheepies, you supposed Janey was one of yours. From a shy girl whose ears you’d pierced for the first time in your early days at StarCourt, to one of your die hard regulars who looked up to you over the years trying to emulate your style, to one of your associates when she came in for her first summer job at 16; you’d watched Jane grow and gain confidence and really come into her own.

That was the high point of your career as a Store Manager, and something you happily shared with Eddie: seeing the kids you took under your wing flourish.

“All the birds have flown the coop Mom,” Eddie teased as you sat down and actually wiped a tear from your cheek.

“I think you guys can cut the Mom and Dad bit now,” Jeff said matter-of-factly. “Until you guys have your own kids someday.”

That was something you and Eddie happily shared too.

The two of you looked at each other for a moment…before making the most exaggerated vomiting and gagging noises, unfortunately getting looks from the people around you.

“Pass,” you and Eddie announced in tandem.

---

After the ceremony was over, Chief Hopper invited everyone to the shared Hopper-Byers abode for a barbecue. And by everyone, it seemed like he literally invited the entire town to the lakeside cabin the family called home.

All of the kids and their friends and families, Benny was somehow there—had he closed the diner for the day? Good, he deserved a day off—a handful of Hop’s coworkers and friends, including Wayne and Rick.

There were hamburgers and beers, conversation and music overlapping one another.

Eddie was in his element though, and it warmed your heart to see him talk and spiel and be accepted by such a big group when, not so long ago, it seemed like he’d been shunned by them. Even now, you could see some hesitation as he stiffly talked with douchebag Callahan and Mike’s asshole dad, but he wasn’t sweating bullets or falling back on the pricklier parts of his personality. He even cracked a smile once or twice.

What would his life had been like if he’d had this all along?

It was silly to think about after you’d been dating for years but…would he have asked you out sooner? Would you even still be together now? You thought about the ways that the kids had grown into their own…but it wasn’t hard to also appreciate how much the two of you had grown side by side as well.

Especially when you considered the next step you were about to embark on together...

“You’re thinking too loud,” Eddie startled you as he snuck up behind you and dangled a fresh beer in your face. You shot him a scathing look but he easily recovered, back into your good graces, as he swooped an arm around your shoulder and pecked a kiss to your temple. “What’s got you all sour?”

“Not sour,” you shrugged and picked at the label on the beer bottle. “Just…I don’t know. Thinking."

"Always a bad idea."

"Reflecting.”

“Well you look like you’re about to tell someone to get fucked so…”

"Maybe I am," you grinned at him cheekily.

"As long as it isn't me." He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "But you know it gets me going either way."

You slapped the back of your hand against his chest just as a gaggle of voices called your names.

Jane was the first one to run your way from across the yard, with Dustin and Lucas hot on her heels. They were all talking over one another, and Jane especially looked like she was about to burst into tears.

Eddie was the one to try to make sense of them, and he yelled a bellowing "shut up" that got them to stop their barrage.

"You're leaving?" Jane asked, looking directly at you. "Leaving Hawkins?"

"Uh," you paused and looked at Eddie, who held his hands up innocently.

"Gareth's got a big mouth," he reasoned.

"Of course he does," you rolled your eyes and then turned back to the kids. "Uh...yeah we are. At the end of the summer. I’m opening a new store. Again."

"What about you?" Dustin demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at Eddie.

"Where my lady goes, I must follow," he stood tall and held a hand over his heart for a second, chivalrous as ever, before he took a sip of his beer and slumped back into his usual posture. "Besides, Corroded Coffin has a better chance in a bigger city. We're big fish in a small tank in Hawkins. Gonna pack up the van; give Chicago a chance to chew us up and spit us out."

Eddie and the boys bickered back and forth--gathering a small crowd of onlookers the longer it went--about the trip and the plans about where you'd all live and work while you stood there with Jane.

"How could you just leave?" she asked.

"Oh, honey, that's just...how it is," you reassured her. "I get a new assignment, Mindy takes over. And I'll be back to visit. Maybe you and Max will take a drive up for a weekend in the city."

"That'd be fun."

"It isn't goodbye."

"I know," she nodded somberly.

"Besides, you're going off to school in the fall," you reminded her. "You weren't meant to stay at StarCourt Mall forever, and I wouldn't want you too. You have a bright future ahead of you. I know it's scary, but it's all gonna work out. One way or another."

They were the same words that Jen had said to you before you embarked on your big adventure to Hawkins, and you were happy to pass the sentiment along to Jane.

"What about you?" she asked after a minute. "Your future? Are you afraid?"

That was the question, wasn't it? A new adventure, maybe in a more familiar setting but...a new challenge nonetheless. But you looked over at Eddie, who had both Dustin and Gareth in headlocks; his head was thrown back in obnoxious laughter and he gave you a shrug that said "how could I help myself" when he noticed you looking at him.

He was an idiot. But he was your idiot. And he'd be by your side for this next adventure, just like he promised he would be.

"No," you told her honestly. "I'm not afraid at all."

---

September 1990

"Alright, here's a question?"

"Shoot."

"When…is our anniversary?"

"Uhh...Ed..." You let the question hang awkwardly in the air, unasked, but Eddie could read your mind.

The two of you were symbiotic at this point; still, he was happy that you had no idea what he had in mind for the day.

"No hear me out," he took a few steps ahead and turned to walk backwards so he could look at you. "Because I really put some thought into it. If we're going by first dates, it's in January—”

“Like it has been for the past 4 years.”

“—but, if we're going by first kiss..."

"If we're going by first kiss, that was last week," you laughed and rolled your eyes. "So you’re late."

“Yeah,” he agreed wickedly wistfully. “I guess I am.”

Of course you remembered.

The two of you were walking. Exploring, actually, around the cemetery where your Papa enjoyed his eternal rest.

5 years and it was a lot easier now.

You still cried sometimes but the initial guilt was gone and you found enjoyment in spending the day traversing about the sprawling cemetery grounds, visiting this great uncle and that distant cousin, just like you did with Papa when he was still alive.

“Did he make sure he bought flowers for everyone he ever met?” Eddie had asked as you piled bunches and bunches of flowers into his arms at the florist that first visit after Papa passed, when you told Eddie of the tradition. “Aren’t they just gonna die?”

“This is why I don’t like flowers,” you explained. “They die. At least when they die here, the dead can still enjoy them.”

“Well shit, that’s a pretty metal thought baby,” he cooed softly and shuffled the bunches to hold them with some more care. “Can I put that in a song? I’ll dedicate it to you.”

He had and you’d cried when he first sang you the haunting ballad in the privacy of your living room.

Today, though…well you’d already made the rounds today. Only one stop left; the most important stop. Eddie had suggested taking the long way through the mausoleum—down hallways lined with plush red carpet and dated sofas and marble walls filled with the dead—partially for his own curiosity, and partially so he could build up the courage.

You were doing quite a good job distracting him from his nerves as you conversed easily—whatever thoughts popped up in either of your heads—and explained the differences between this Saint and that one as you passed their statues and depictions in stained glass. They all looked at him with serene eyes and he thought that meant this journey would be a successful one.

There would be no crying, if he could help it.

Maybe tears of joy? He could settle for that.

“So what has you thinking of anniversaries?” you finally asked as you sat on the tufted velvet ottoman in front of your grandparents' epitaph.

Eddie shrugged and looked around, absorbing the names and dates inscribed on the marble walls that surrounded him.

“Been a lot of milestones lately. It’s been a couple years since graduation, 5 years since your grandpa passed…” He trailed off for a moment. “Been a year since we moved…since we’ve both been at new stores.”

You gasped and he felt his heart stop in his chest.

“Is…are you thinking of quitting?” You asked with big eyes.

“What?”

“That new Hot Topical store they’re opening? Or whatever it's called? I saw you chatting with that District Manager in the food court the other day. Are you leaving TapeWorld? Eddie, that’s so exciting. You should…”

“No I’m not quitting,” he announced with finality, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“…nevermind then. Then what’s going on? You thinking of breaking up with me or something?”

“No.”

“Well I know you’re not proposing; you literally just wrote a song called Marriage is a Death Sentence.”

Your laughter echoed through the mausoleum but you stopped abruptly when Eddie didn’t join you.

He watched your expression change as you processed the thought. And when you looked back at him again he smiled nervously.

“Eddie…” you said hoarsely and then cleared your throat. “Eddie, you just wrote a song called Marriage is a Death Sentence.”

“About my parents,” he explained. “And how they did everything wrong.”

“Yeah,” you nodded frantically. “A lot of people get it wrong. Marriage is a Death Sentence. Those are literally the lyrics. You’ve been singing it when you wash the dishes.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s catchy.”

“It is, isn’t it? But...while I was working on it...it got me thinking that…I mean…just because they got it wrong, and a lot of other people do, doesn’t mean we will.”

You said his name almost desperately now.

"A-and," he continued. "W-we don't have to get married but...I don't know. Spending the rest of my life with you sounds pretty great."

He pulled one hand out of his pocket casually and with it came a small ring box. He shook it a few times and held it out to you.

There were a bevy of emotions cycling your face, all of them undecipherable, until you settled on shock.

Good shock...hopefully.

“You’re supposed to get down on one knee I think,” you whispered again.

Yeah...good shock.

He let out a sigh of relief.

“Yeah but what if it isn’t a ring? What if this is all just a red herring? What if I had to get one of my teeth pulled and it's in here?”

You let out a shocked laugh and your brows hitched together in question.

"Did you put a tooth in there?"

"I don't know...seems as likely as any other potential surprise."

“Is it another cootie catcher?” you guessed.

“Only one way to find out.”

He shook the box again.

You slowly took it from him, fingers deliberately brushing against his which caused his heart to race.

He felt lightheaded when you opened the lid.

You smiled so brightly, he swore you rivaled the sun.

“Oh…Eddie…”

---

December 1992

"So what'd you do?"

"What makes you think I did something?"

"I love you son," Wayne sighed and leant against the counter. "But you always do something."

It was Christmas. The worst time of year for both you and Eddie. Long shifts, angry customers, restless coworkers...but a standing promise to make it back to Hawkins for the holiday had been the light at the end of the tunnel. Especially since Wayne and Rick had come out to see you for the past few years.

It was tough but you and Eddie made it work; hit the road right after your Christmas Eve shifts had ended, fallen into bed as soon as you'd arrived at Rick's close to midnight.

And you didn't need to be back to work until the 27th.

It was a perfect little getaway.

Except it hadn't been perfect.

Because you hadn't been talking to each other past the standard "good mornings" and "see you tonights" all week. The drive had been made in silence. And you chose to sit as far as you could from him during Christmas dinner, opting to sit beside Wayne and chat all night, instead of right next to him like you always did.

And unfortunately, yeah...it'd been Eddie's fault.

Eddie knew that, and usually he could admit it easily. Fights between the two of you were few and far between, and you had a good track record for recovering from them. For some reason though, this time was different, and it was hard for him to admit how badly he'd fucked up.

Wayne could see right through the two of you, though. Especially through his nephew. No matter how good you thought you were at hiding it.

"There was this...big opportunity we could have had," Eddie began his explanation calmly. "But it wasn't a sure thing."

"Oh yeah?" Wayne hummed. "How big?"

"Big. Like...a once-in-a-lifetime thing. An underground show a buddy of mine heard about it through the grapevine. Said they were looking for an opening act. Wanted to throw me a bone." He hit the counter with his fist gently. "But...he got his wires crossed. Told me it was tonight. So it meant we'd need to miss Christmas. But it's really next week."

"Hmmm..." Wayne nodded sagely and kept listening.

Eddie suddenly felt uncomfortable at the tone though, and became desperate for his uncle to understand.

Understand that he hadn't meant to hurt you.

"Work's been hard this season Wayne," Eddie continued with an edge to his voice. "Made me realize that I don't wanna do this forever. I wanna make music. You know that. It's been my dream forever."

"I know it has."

"Me and the guys. Our dream."

"What'd you say to her?" Wayne asked suddenly, as he lifted the mug of eggnog to his lips.

His knowing gaze made Eddie fidget and harsh words echo through his memory.

"Why can't you understand? This is huge for us. How can we say no?"

"I didn't say you had to pass it up, I just said it was a shame that we'll miss Christmas."

"You don't have to miss Christmas, you can just go to your aunt's if you don't want to go to the show."

"You know what I mean. You know Wayne and Rick look forward to seeing--"

"Wayne and Rick would understand how big this is. Why can't you? Why the fuck do you care anyways? It's not like they're your family!"

Wayne swallowed a mouthful of eggnog and then his lips pressed together tightly with a long exhale. Eddie turned to watch you and Rick chatter while you organized the gifts into neat little piles; even though you were avoiding each other, seeing your smile made him feel a lot better than his uncle's intense stare.

"I fucked up," he croaked. "I know."

"How're you gonna fix it?" Wayne asked.

"That I don't know."

Wayne sighed and clapped a hand on Eddie's shoulder.

"I would suggest," he leant in close and his voice rumbled, the same way it always did when Eddie would get in trouble growing up. The few times Wayne needed to intervene at all. "I would suggest you start with I'm sorry."

---

Eddie stared up at the glow in the dark stars that were stuck to the ceiling of the old guest bedroom that used to be his designated room at Rick's once upon a time.

It was quiet. Too quiet.

He couldn't sleep.

He might have spent most of his life in Hawkins but a few years in and around Chicago and he'd gotten used to the sounds of traffic and trains and people walking around late at night.

And it might've been easier if you were closer to him than you were, if the sounds of your sleep-deepened breathing and the soft snores you always denied were in his ear. Instead you were lying on your side at the edge of the full bed, as far from him as you could get, equally as awake as he was if your near-silent breaths were any indicator.

He turned his head and watched you for a moment before he took a breath of courage.

"Sweetheart," he whispered. When there was no response, he said your name, a little louder this time. "You awake?"

There was silence...heavy silence...and then you responded.

"Mmmhmm." You shifted to look halfway over your shoulder at him. "It's too quiet."

"I was just thinking that."

"Hmmm."

"I've got...a lot on my mind too."

"Yeah?" you turned fully now, lying on your back just like him; your shoulders touched but you refused to look at him. "What about?"

"I was thinking..."

What was he thinking? A lot of things. How to start an apology, how to fix this. How to make tomorrow better so your Christmas wasn't ruined.

"...that at least when we fight fight, we still talk to each other afterwards."

You scoffed and he closed his eyes, cursing himself and his big mouth.

"That...wasn't the right thing to say."

"No it wasn't," you sassed him immediately.

"It wasn't what I wanted to say either," he quickly added. "I wanted to say...that I'm sorry."

"I know."

"You do?"

"Aside from the fact that I know you too well," you began. "Rick was trying to get me to forgive you all night."

"Why did he think I did something?" Eddie asked incredulously.

"Because you always do something."

"God damn it, did Rick say that? Wayne said the same thing."

The two of you laughed together for the first time in days, and as you settled down, Eddie reached over and took your hand in his. He threaded your fingers together and rubbed his thumb back and forth to soothe you.

"I'm sorry that I...that I was a thick-headed, stubborn, big-mouthed idiot who hurt your feelings," he apologized. "I know that we've both been under pressure but there's no excuse. I could've been more level-headed, but I wasn't and I hurt you."

"Yeah well," you squeezed his hand tightly as you responded, "I guess I'm not innocent here either. I could have...been more excited for you, supportive. Instead of trying to make it about Christmas. I was thinking about how desperate I was to get away from work, excited to be back here. And it's no excuse. I'm sorry too."

"Yeah but I told you Wayne and Rick weren't your family."

"Well I told you--"

"Are we gonna fight again?" Eddie stopped you before you could get ahead of yourself. You huffed a soft "no" and melted into the bed, all tension in your body gone. "Did you like your Christmas gift?"

"Jesus." He could hear you rolling your eyes.

"Well did you?"

"Duh," you deadpanned. "Did you like yours?"

"Uh, duh," he parroted, a little more exaggeratedly. "You didn't give me a kiss though."

"Well you didn't give me a kiss either," you retorted, but you were already rolling over so you could close the distance and seal your lips against his.

The two of you showered one another with more whispered apologies and words of devotion before you got ahead of yourselves.

Clothes were shed, soft caresses shared, and lips lavished over the most sensitive parts of you.

You still liked it when you dragged your teeth along the shaft of his cock a little and got him to beg, and then Eddie returned the favor when he sucked a bruising hickey to your nipple that made you squeal and call him a god.

The two of you had lived on your own for so long that it was good fun trying to keep your voices down, or make sure the bed didn't slide across the hardwood floors with your passionate fucking.

And all slights were soothed when you reached the height of pleasure together, and whispered sweet words of affection and forgiveness as you descended back to earth.

Come morning, Wayne obnoxiously asked when the two of you were planning to hit the road back to Chicago.

"It's been a good while since I lost sleep thanks to your spirited activities," he noted, embarrassing the two of you in front of Rick. "No more fighting when you come back to visit in the future alright? I miss you dearly, but I can't say I miss that at all.”

---

April 1993

"It took you guys long enough," Dustin announced as he threw open the door.

“You know what, you try sitting in a rusty old shitbox with a bunch of musicians that still act like they're teenagers for 10 hours," you deadpanned and then pushed past the guys as they protested to pull Dustin into a hug. "Happy housewarming, congratulations."

It was Spring Break.

Well for the kids it was--although, they weren't really kids anymore were they--but for you and the guys, it was more like a long weekend. You'd scheduled yourself off for a few days, Eddie'd requested the whole week off, Jeff and Dave had traded shifts with coworkers, and Gareth simply quit his job.

"I'll find a new one," he reassured everyone, including his girlfriend, on St. Patrick's Day when he announced his departure before he and the guys had gotten on stage to play for a crowded pub in the suburbs.

It had been a headache and a half to get everything in order and everyone in the right place at the right time, but you were all here for one thing and one thing only.

Dustin's first apartment.

A Hellfire Club Reunion.

And a special one-shot that Dustin and Eddie had spent hours on the phone planning for the past few months.

Months.

You didn't think you'd been invited at first, but when Dustin told Eddie the full guest list, Eddie volunteered your attendance immediately.

Your forays into Dungeons and Dragons were few and far between; never a big campaign, only the one-shots that Eddie had put together here and there for the guys or a few coworkers who were interested. And this would be the first time that you played with such a big group. Or such an experienced group.

You were nervous.

"You'll do great," Eddie reassured you as he plucked snack cakes and sodas off the gas station shelves for snacks on the road. "I know the roleplaying is not your strongest suit, but it's just Henderson and the gang."

Now you were here and your nerves melted as you slipped further into mother hen mode the longer you looked around at what was obviously the apartment of college students. It was a familiar sight; you, Eddie, and the guys had all crammed into a duplex when you'd moved to Chicago and you'd had your fair share of pizza boxes stacked in the corners before garbage day and underwear of questionable origin and cleanliness tucked into the cracks of the sofa.

But that was a time long since passed and seeing it now made your fingers itch.

And your ears ring.

"...be here soon and I figured that you'd be here first to help me set u--Mom you ok?" Dustin stopped his chattering when he noticed you were frozen in the door of the living room. He glanced around the space that would soon host all of his friends. "Oh...yeah I should probably clean up a little more. To be fair, most of this isn't my mess."

You felt your eye twitch at his dismissive laugh.

"Jesus Henderson, didn't you just move in January?" Jeff asked when he saw the sorry state.

The boys all started giving Dustin shit, and Eddie had the foresight to put a hand on your shoulder and steer you back towards the door.

"We're gonna go take a quick smoke break; why don't you four nerds try to get this place looking a little more Hellfire appropriate in the mean time, m'kay?" he ordered them with faux sincerity. "We brought those props you asked for Dustin."

You heard the faint, sorry Mom, come from the boys as Eddie got you outside.

---

Eddie was extremely attentive and was quick to take charge of the ragtag group, running back and forth between the little stoop where you'd essentially set up camp right outside of the building, and back up to Dustin's apartment to make sure the cleaning and setup were underway.

"Hey listen, you boss enough people around at work," he reassured you when you insisted that you'd be alright to go back in. "You don't need to do it on your day off too."

You proved to be useful enough as the other started to arrive, little by little.

Max and Lucas had flown in from California and arrived via cab.

"It kind of sucks when the place you live is the place everyone else goes on vacation," Lucas laughed good-naturedly.

His younger sister Erica, who you remember from her days of buying scrunchies and glitter makeup, was now grown up and toted an entire kit filled with binders and notebooks and dice.

"It's my first ever Spring Break," she sniffed. "I could have been in Miami with my friends. But...I wouldn't miss this for the world, so it better be worth it."

Mike and Will drove up in the Wheeler's old station wagon, their siblings in tow in the backseat; Nancy and Jonathan had apparently been broken up for some time now.

It apparently had been an awkward drive for all of them.

Jane unexpectedly arrived with a new love interest friend and was beyond ecstatic to see you, barely letting you get a question in as she told you about everything she'd been up to.

Robin was unfortunately absent, but sent her regards along with the last person to arrive. Someone who you honestly didn't expect to see at all, but who had pulled up in a shiny new car, sporting a wedding band and a mustache: Steve Harrington.

"Look what the cat dragged in," you greeted with a smile. You pointed at the wedding band. "Seems like you don't need my relationship advice anymore."

"Same relationship," he chuckled and shrugged, suddenly bashful.

"No shit," you laughed. "Congratulations."

"Congrats to you too," he pointed to the ring on your own finger but you waved him off dismissively.

"Marriage is a Death Sentence. This is just...symbolic more than anything. We both know we're not going anywhere."

"Get more of a deduction on your tax return if you guys do tie the knot."

"Alright Ned Flanders," you rolled your eyes. "Taxes are a death sentence too. I'll ask Ed to write that song and dedicate it to you."

"By all means, I'm actually an accountant now. Maybe it'll get me some more clients."

You cackled.

You and Steve made some casual chit chat as you walked up to join the others now that everyone had arrived.

The apartment looked worlds different, especially with the abundance of candles that surrounded the table you all crowded around.

Dustin was taking the lead with this one, his DM screens in ominous abundance as he sat at the head of the table and filed through stacks of papers.

You looked around at all of your friends...really all of Eddie's friends who had become your friends, your family. It was nice to see them all in one place again.

Then you looked at Eddie himself, who looked right at home surrounded by them all. Laughing and spieling and picking on them with bright, glowing fondness that radiated off of him. You didn't think you could feel any more love for him, but suddenly in that moment, your cup overflowed.

He deserved this; deserved all of this...all of the love you all had to give and share with him because he loved you all so hard in return.

You took your seat beside him and grinned and patted your knee encouragingly.

"Perfect timing, sweetheart," he announced. "Hope you're ready to get absolutely obliterated."

Dustin hit a button on the stereo he'd set up beside him and everyone started to cheer as music and sounds created the ambiance of the adventure you were about to embark on.

"Welcome friends as we revisit a grand adventure of old tonight," Dustin began. "As we venture deep into Greyhawk and come face to face a great evil once defeated. Timelines have shifted, and what you might remember from the past is no longer what it seems; it will take great courage and strength to overcome challenges that you'd previously faced with ease. Are you up for the challenge?"

Everyone cheered again."

"Good," he said with a guttural groan, eyes rolling back in his head dramatically. "Then let us begin on our quest to face...The Cult of Vecna."

---

May 1995

It was like deja vu.

Maybe because he'd done this a thousand times, just not recently. It'd been years since he'd worked at the Mall, after all, and the muscle memory might have been a little out of practice, but it was still there.

He ran up the stalled escalator, long legs skipping every other step, until he reached the top, out of breath.

"Fuck," he bent over with his hands on his knees, panting. "Fuck. This is why I gotta quit smoking."

He'd taken the day off to surprise you; he and the guys were supposed to be recording today--their first album; it'd taken long enough--but this was bigger and he wanted to be there for you.

Needed to be there.

It wasn't every day that his best friend and beloved--the love of his life--his dear Store Manager...wasn't going to be a Store Manager anymore.

You'd both broken the news to each other on the same day. For weeks you'd only mentioned small developments in passing, never letting your hopes get too high just in case of a let down.

"We're getting signed," he announced as you'd collided into one another outside of your apartment building. "It's happening we're getting signed and we're gonna make a whole fucking album sweetheart!"

"Oh my god!" you shrieked. "Holy shit Ed!"

"No more weird touring schedules for fests, no more begging to get a song on the radio during the 3am broadcast, it's happening!" He cupped your cheeks and peppered kisses around your face.

"It's happening for me too," you laughed and tried to shake him away. "I got the job."

"What?!" he squished your cheeks harder until you jabbed him lightly in the stomach to get him to let you go.

"I got the job," you laughed, head tilted back as you announced it to the world. "Eddie, baby...you're looking at the new associate manager of Visual Development."

You'd spent the night indulging on a deep dish pizza, fucking making love, and talking about the future.

Maybe you could buy a house...maybe you could get a puppy...take an actual vacation someplace and not just a weekend trip to the Dells or wherever Corroded could find a gig...the possibilities were endless...

But from that moment on, it was a whirlwind.

The band had gotten started right away, signing contracts and working with the small label that had seen their potential and believed in them.

And now, a few weeks later, it was here. Your big day. Your last day as a Store Manager at Claire's, before you went off to their home offices to tell people what color scrunchie was gonna be big for the season.

There were a bunch of purple and pink balloons tied to the sandwich board outside of your store, and as Eddie got closer, he could hear snippets of conversation as your associates asked you about your new position.

"Have you seen your office yet?"

"Yeah, I have," you laughed.

"Is the desk pink?"

"No but the walls are."

"Do you get your own cell phone?"

"Probably not. I'm not the CEO guys. I'm just a manager."

"Are you gonna have to wear business suits?"

"No," Eddie answered for you as he quickly snuck up behind you. You jumped as his arms wrapped around your waist, but you quickly melted into the embrace. "But she's not gonna have to wear clothes from Seventeen Magazine anymore either."

"Yeah," you sighed. "It really sucks to wear clothes from the juniors department once you're past 30. They're just not made the same way."

"Gotta take your word for it sweetheart, I'm not 30 for another few months," he blew a raspberry against the side of your neck and squeezed you tightly in his embrace.

Your associates all sighed dreamily at the sight of the two of you canoodling—power couple who?—and Eddie was thankful for this once-in-a-lifetime chance that you wouldn't just swat him away for PDA while you were on the salesfloor.

"I'm sorry this is coming from the man who still dresses the same as he did when he was 17," you laughed and reached back to pluck at his battle vest that had only accumulated more pins and patches over the years.

"I'm very sorry that I'm not trendy, sweetheart." He kissed your cheek. "But I'm what you would call timeless."

"I'd like a divorce." You pulled his left hand away from your torso so you could attempt to pull the band off his ring finger. "Effective immediately."

"We're not married," he murmured teasingly in your ear. "Or did you forget?"

"You finally gonna seal the deal Munson?" you whispered back. "It's only been 10 years."

"Just so you can file for divorce? I don't think so."

"What if I trade you my longevity pin? I think it would look nice on your vest."

"How about...I take you to lunch first?" he asked, voice back to its normal volume. "And we negotiate the terms and conditions? She's got her big corporate lady pants on, trying to get me to sign a contract."

"I guess I could pencil you in," you feigned annoyance and then looked to your assistant manager. "Let me ask my secretary."

Both you and Eddie stared at them expectantly.

"Get out of here," they laughed at your antics. "Before I kick you out; so sweet, you guys make me gag sometimes."

---

The rest of your final shift was eventful, and Eddie sat in the chair of the Ear Piercing station while you chatted with your regular customers and received one visitor after another.

Old employees and coworkers, your mom who made you take a picture with the whole team, and then a very cheesy one with Eddie who dipped you for a kiss at the very last second.

Jen had come around close to 5 to bring even more balloons and a cake, and had made jokes that she was gonna have to haunt the corporate offices even more now.

"So we can talk shit, obviously," she joked.

Eddie had called Kyle up, who was now managing a store in Milwaukee, to tell him both bits of good news and Kyle had made the drive down to bring a sentimental gift to both of you on your last day.

A picture frame with a collage of polaroids from your years at StarCourt. There was a filmstrip from one of the photo-booths that depicted a younger you and Eddie, making funny faces and staring longingly at one another.

"You left this in the stock room once upon a time," he told Eddie as he pointed it out specifically. "That was before you were dating too. I squirreled it away and forgot about it but was gonna keep it in case you never got the courage to ask her out. And look at the two of you now."

"Yeah, Eddie watched you as you caressed the glass. "Look at us now."

"I still think I should have won the bet," Kyle sniffed bitterly.

You had scheduled yourself to close, and you were expertly restocking the scrunchie wall as the last few customers shopped.

Eddie kept snaking his arms around you and switching this scrunchie here for that one there, and you'd whine and complain about him messing up the color flow. Still, you never made any effort to stop him, and each time you stomped your foot petulantly, he would drop a smooch right on your cheek to "earn" your forgiveness.

"You know, this is what I was doing when we first met," you recalled after a few kisses. "Officially met."

"What?" Eddie asked.

"Restocking scrunchies."

"You sure?" he frowned and tried to think back. He vaguely recalled...bracelets of some sort...or had he just been looking at the jewelry. He'd been so nervous to ask you out back then...it was all a blur.

And he hadn't really even asked you out at that time either. Jesus Christ, what a loser he'd been.

Where would the two of you be now if only he hadn't fumbled on that first not-date? Right where you were now? Maybe broken up? A lot of the growing the two of you had done had been done with the soft buffer of friendship first...it almost caused his heart to ache to think that they might have caused an end to a relationship if things had been different.

Because now he couldn't imagine what his life would be like without you.

"You still haven't let me pierce your ears," you leaned in close to him, nose brushing against his, and teased him.

Eddie froze and then backed away.

"Well," he licked over his bottom lip pensively. "It is your last day...the last hour of your shift too...I think I could be persuaded."

You squealed and ran to get the forms ready. You didn't even let him fill them out, you just pushed him back into the seat he'd been occupying all day as you got it all ready.

"No more being afraid of needles babe," you cackled, the kind of cackle he'd only ever heard when you were being especially devious or evil.

"I have tattoos," he argued, trying to stand from the chair in protest, but you pressed your hand to his chest to get him to sit back down. "I have a ton of tattoos; if I was afraid of needles I wouldn't. Your logic is flawed."

"Yeah ok Spock," you dismissed his reasoning. "This one takes a chunk out of you though, so it's different."

"What argument are you trying to win here baby? Are you trying to get me to get my ears pierced or are you trying to get me to admit I'm afraid."

"Dealers Choice."

"You're lucky I love you," he grumbled.

You were silent for a while as you marked his ears, as you snapped on your gloves, and readied the piercing gun.

Was he afraid? No. He trusted you. But damn if the anticipation wasn't making him sweat a little.

Eddie closed his eyes as he prepared himself for the next step, but you paused and made one quick run across the store before returning.

"Alright I have one last important question to ask you," you began, and he peeped an eye open to see you standing there with your hands behind your back. "It's the age old question and I don't think we ever got a solid answer."

You revealed your plunder and then stared at him expectantly.

"Take your pick: broken hearts or gummy bears."

Eddie went soft as he stared at the two sets of studs backed by purple carding: little black broken hearts and the neon green gummy bears.

It was the age old question wasn't it? The first question he asked you before he even asked you out.

"See, if it was still 1985," he tilted his head back and forth, "I think this would be a hard one to figure out."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. But uh," he reached out and pointed to his choice. "Now it's a no brainer."

"Seriously?" you laughed.

"Seriously."

"And why are you, Eddie Munson, lead singer of Corroded Coffin, the most metal band on Earth, picking the Gummy Bears?"

"Sweetheart," he singsonged, pausing for dramatic effect. "I think you know."

"I don't think I do," you parroted.

"Ugh," he scoffed and turned his head. "I guess I am the more romantic of the two of us."

"Answer the question, Cassanova."

"Sweetheart," he turned back to you, hand over his heart. "It has to be the gummy bears."

"Has to be?"

"Must be."

"Because..."

"Because I can confidently say that my heart is never gonna be broken if I have you around."

Your challenging gaze softened and Eddie swore that he saw tears at the corners of your eyes. For a moment he didn't know if you were gonna kiss him or start crying.

"Shut the fuck up," your associate shouted from across the store, ruining the sweet moment. "That was so adorable. Oh my god."

"Language Chels!" you scolded her good-naturedly.

And then, in those last few minutes of your career as a store manager, you kissed Eddie softly on his forehead...on his lips...and then punched holes right through both of his earlobes in rapid succession.

"Fuck!" He screamed. "Fuck!"

"I love you," you chuckled at him.

"Yeah. Love you too..." he grimaced. "Fuck! I love you."

---

Thank you for reading The Store Manager Verse.

[echos-gal]

ok i'm rapidly losing hope that Tech is still alive, and this sucks because it was basically the top thing i desperately wanted from this season. i wanted to see him survive. so here's my exhaustive and embarrassingly long list of reasons why he SHOULD still be alive, and if he isn't, why it was a missed opportunity. obviously no hate to the writers or anything, i love them dearly for creating this show!!!

(if you're a "Tech should stay dead for the stakes/so someone in SW stays dead for once/i hate delusional Tech stans" person, kindly keep scrolling, this ain't for you)

SEASON 2:

right from the start, Romar connects with Tech and calls himself "a survivor." HELLO???

in this same arc, Tech breaks his leg in a fall which he survives. he continues to walk on it, fighting off troopers to save Echo & Omega, showcasing his persistence and grit.

one of Phee's first lines is "better late than dead," and we know she shares a connection with Tech. she flirts with him later in this scene. it would be a shame not to reuse this line, i'm just saying....

Cid still owes Tech for racing for her in Faster. we see Cid looking miserable as she betrays the batch in Plan 99, so her playing a part in his rescue/comeback would be a nice way to show her growth. (i'm afraid there isn't enough time for this, though- as much as i thought a Cid redemption was on the horizon!)

Phee and Tech's departure is awkward, and although we have some context from season 3 (they talked more than we realized), the scene would do best if reconciled in person imo. it felt like it was setting up for something, and feels weird to leave hanging.

"don't go running off with any pirates or smugglers" could not have just been a throw away line. it set up for him to do exactly that. how fitting would it be if pirates or smugglers actually did manage to pick him up before the empire made it to the railcar crash site?

Hemlock's retrieval of the goggles shows that he sent a team to look through the wreckage. he thought there was a chance Tech survived, and may have him.

i won't go into the logistics, but big falls ARE survivable. in star wars especially. we have no idea what was below the layer of clouds/mist Tech fell through.

SEASON 3:

this is mostly CX-2 centric. their armor is very similar: the jaw/mouth shape, the hexagons over the ears, the rectangles on the chest, and the pouches/pockets.

"domicile." that is all.

CX-2 uses technology more than the other operatives we've seen, and he gets past the encryption on Phee's ship with ease.

"who are you?" was enunciated in the exact same way Tech says it to Trace and Rafa, which i definitely think was intentional.

CX-2 stops to use his rifle scope in the exact same spot where Tech and Phee stood to let down the ladders in the sea surge on Pabu.

he survives a waterfall plunge on Teth, which appears to have fooled Rex's group into thinking he'd died. the writers could have killed him off there and sent a new operative, but they chose to stick with CX-2 pursuing them to Pabu.

it's worth noting that while this CX is designated as "2," Tech's CT number is CT-9902. he is associated with the number even on a visual level: he's a dual-wielder, he wears goggles, he salutes with two fingers.

FROM A STORY PERSPECTIVE:

firstly, i am sorry and i LOVE the writers, but if you want people to accept a character's death, you've got to show his family and friends' grief. we saw no reaction from Crosshair or Phee, no tears from Hunter or Echo. it feels like fans were sadder about Tech's death than the characters in the story.

Tech seems to have been mentioned more in the second half of season 3 than the first half, which works if they want to bring him back in the finale.

the finale is called "The Cavalry Has Arrived." i really don't think you can have the cavalry (aka the bad batch) arrive without every member present. i also don't think it would feel right to play their theme without Tech there. idk, that feels incomplete!

we saw no body, and Hunter received Tech's goggles not from a trusted ally or friend, but from Hemlock. this calls into question the legitimacy of his claim that the goggles were "all he could salvage."

Tech alive and being held on Tantiss would provide a nice parallel to Echo in the first mission where we meet the batch, in TCW. and [ep 14 SPOILERS] we see that Echo is currently looking more like his TCW self, with his earpiece removed.

feels kinda sour that a character who a lot of people related to as neurodivergent representation would die just a few episodes after having a deep conversation with his sister about it.

likewise (and as a white woman i can't speak for WOC), from what i have seen, Black women are rarely the main love interest of a series! Phee is the ONLY love interest in this whole show, and it would suck to just cut off that romance before it could really become something. a lot of people wanted to see TechPhee become canon.

CX-2 is the one who destroys the marauder. it works well storywise for its pilot to have been the one to do that- the person who worked so hard modifying it, flying it, and teaching his sister to fly it. i'll be lowkey pissed if it turns out some random dude blew it up.

it's also CX-2 who invades and sets fire to Pabu. this is emotionally gripping on its own, but if he is Tech, it's even more so.

we have no idea what the operatives go through. Crosshair isn't telling, but it clearly put him in a really bad place. if Tech underwent this conditioning in his post-fall injured state, there's a chance he could come back from it. Emerie is probably the key to this, if they take the CX-2 route.

this show is all about a family trying to stay together as the Empire desperately tries to rip them apart. seeing the whole family together again - even if not everyone survives - in the finale is the satisfaction that the show ideally would go for. the last time they were all together was the season 1 finale. that was about 2 years ago in the show's timeline.

leaving Crosshair and Tech's final interactions be where they parted on the Kamino platform also feels off. Tech was the one who really vocalized the need to rescue Crosshair in season 2's finale. Crosshair, in the meantime, has changed significantly as a person. Tech's comment about Crosshair being "severe and unyielding," and unable to change this facet of his nature, is incorrect. leaving Tech dead would mean that he never gets to see this change in Crosshair, which makes me feel like a deflated balloon.

FROM MY SELFISH PERSPECTIVE!!!

give me Tech with cool scars and slightly disheveled longer hair. this is such a good opportunity for the creators to give him a sweet new look!

we never got to see Tech without his goggles on, despite Phee constantly referring to his eyes. he definitely doesn't have them right now (they're in the Archium), so we could get Mister Big Brown Eyes if he's alive. it's another missed opportunity if not, imo!

the goggles being placed in the Archium was a beautiful scene that makes me tear up whenever i think about it. it's symbolic, it's bittersweet, and it's exactly where the goggles belong. but was it closure for me? not really.

Tech is a character who became a LOT of people's favorite in season 2, including my own. why kill off a fan-favorite with an entire season to go?

yes, i desperately want a Rex and Echo series. yes, i want the batch to cameo in it, and yes... that includes Tech. making up for lost season 3 Tech content 😎

the finale will feature the zillo beast, and Tech loves the zillo beast. FREE HER! REUNITE THEM! he would love to witness her rampage.

FROM A "SURPRISE!!!!!" PERSPECTIVE

it seems like most people think Tech is either CX-2 or dead. it would be a great finale twist if we DID get CX-2's identity, it's NOT Tech, the audience loses hope, and then he shows up. i think this is actually plausible given the other assassin schematics Hemlock was looking at in Point of No Return. Tech might be in Hemlock's grasp, but not an active operative. having an enhanced clone to toy with is something Hemlock would want to keep under wraps. we see him step out of the assassin chamber at the start of that episode - if Tech is anywhere on Tantiss, i think it's here.

i think the writers have expected us to have all lost hope by now, so his finale reappearance would ideally come as a shock. the finale is almost guaranteed to be a very long episode, so we really might have quite a bit of time to explore his return, if it happens.

secret 16th episode: i know, i'm putting my clown makeup on as i type this. but the previous 2 seasons each had 16 episodes, with a two-parter finale. season 3 is just 15, with a single episode finale. TBB formally ends may 1st, so what if we get a may 4th surprise episode detailing how Tech survived? (that or an epilogue leading into a new series, which i think is more likely actually!)

[plushienanami]

Hello hello! Could I request headcannons for yandere chamber, sova, Omen, and Brimstone with a gn s/o who knows about their antics and Are you trying to escape them? I say, as if I'm trying to get out of protocol (Thank you so much for reading this and sorry for the mistakes, English is not my first language )

Hi everyone! I know it’s been awhile and I’ve been gone so long. I took writers block to a whole new level. This last year sm has happened but to be honest I want to write again and use this as a creative outlet! I hope you enjoy, love you all 🤍

You knew that staying in Protocol was a gamble, never knowing if you were going to come back in one piece or even alive at all. It didn’t help when one particular agent made your time in the special covert operations organization an almost living hell. Even if the fate of the world was on Protocols backs, it was time to leave while you could…or at least that is what you thought.

CHAMBER: 

Before you even began thinking of leaving Protocol, he already knew what was going to happen. It totally wasn’t how uncomfortable he made you when he would constantly flirt with you on missions <3

He wouldn’t talk to you about the matter, actually doesn’t address it all only with small quips and remarks that make you question whether he knows your plan or not. 

Chamber isn’t Brimstone, he doesn’t have the power and control that the head leader holds. Although that doesn’t mean he is totally powerless, this man has money and status that he most certainly utilizes.

He is a shady man, a con man if you really want to put a label on it considering what he did to Fracture, manipulating and lying to get what he wants. Under protocol he doesn’t have control over you, so he would definitely let you have your “temper tantrum” before he would take any immediate reaction.

He wants you to feel as if you have the upper hand, as if you won. 

Now with you being out of Protocol and not under constant surveillance leaving in the base, he can do as he pleases. 

Opening the door to your flat, you are greeted with the familiar darkness you see everytime you return from your work shifts. Taking off your outer coat you hang it on the coat rack beside the door, taking the time to sleep off your shoes about to turn on the lights. You never consider yourself paranoid, yet the eerie feeling of not being alone began to send a chill down your spine. The room was still dark, silence filled the air as you listened for any noise that would indicate that something was there. Slowly your hand made its way to the light switch, flipping the small white knub up as the lights blasted on. To your horror the last person you wanted to see sat there in the burgundy velvet wingback chair in the living room. The slick back hair, chunky yet expensive glasses frames, that blue silky waistcoat that cost more than the rent you paid, Chamber. Vincent Fabron. “Bonsoir mon chéri. What a nice residence you have…quite old fashioned for my taste, non?” He finally spoke, his signature card in hand as he toyed around with it. “You left so suddenly, not even a goodbye? How inconsiderate considering how close we were.” He rose from his seated position in the chair, stalking forward towards your frozen stature. His eyes remained focused on yours, an unreadable emotion as he continued forth before stopping in front of you. The coy grin he wore on his face as he gazed at your fearful expression with delight. With a small snap the card disappeared from his hands, the golden tattoos lighting up as the object retreated. He stood posed, staring down at you as a wolf to a sheep. “Your little game is over chéri…let us be off.” SOVA:

He always had been doting, trying to accommodate you and make sure that your time at Protocol is pleasant considering what all you have to go through to keep global peace.

He would start to see the hesitance in your eyes, the inner turmoil and battle you had with yourself when things would go awry (totally not around him).

As you resign filling out paperwork to Brimstone who was sad to see you go yet understood where you were coming from, Sova would come across you and Brim. He saw you walk into his office, and concerned he followed. It didn’t take him long to notice the paperwork that laid in front of you, pen in hand. 

Sova, who is always a calm and collected person doesn’t say much yet stands there with that composed expression on his face. Yet if you looked hard enough you could see the way his artificial eye glowed brighter as his jaw clenched.

He would ask to speak to you, nodding his head at Brim who didn’t expect a thing considering how highly regarded Sova is and how much of a good ally he was to him. He would have to settle this himself. 

An unsettling feeling made its way to your gut as you stood up and followed Sova out. The further you walked away from Brim and closer to the door, the more you could feel your freedom slipping from your grasps. The mechanical door slid open allowing you to make your way to Sova who stood down the hallway, a hardened look on his face. He never was this scary, kind and clingy…not like this. Standing in front of him, you looked and finally realized how much bigger he was than you. “Why are you leaving?” He asked, plain and simple. “I-...uh…” You stammered, the words you wanted to say were gone and now incomprehensible. “You do realize that if you leave, you would be in so much danger.” He spoke in a concerned manner, although at this moment you didn’t know it was a mask to cover up his ulterior motives. “If you leave, who knows what could happen to you. You wouldn’t be protected…who knows what your other self could do when omega earth realizes you are no longer with us anymore?” Desperation filled his voice as it wavered in worry. The longer you stared into his eyes, the more guilt you felt. He cares about you, worries about you and this is what you do in return? All he’s ever done was insure your safety and that’s what you’re worried about? “You’re right…I don’t know what I was thinking, thank you Sova.” 

OMEN:

Even though he is the sweetest ever, he is still eery in his own way. Ominous. He isn’t much of a talker and if so he says stuff you can never wrap your mind around. 

He lingers around you, whichever room you're in he somehow is there, cutting his bonsai tree or knitting to remain calm. His presence is one you can’t shake yet it still is uncomfortable when you two are hardly friends.

Deciding to leave Protocol is a hassle itself, one that you most likely won’t even have the chance to do. Omen has some attachment to you and everyone seems to know that even Brim.

Most likely due to his perceptive he is, he knew of your little plan of trying to leave. He would talk with Brimstone trying to talk him into a deal or some type of way to make you stay. You keep him calm, all those voices and nightmarish images he has to live with everyday, you somehow make it bearable. 

When you arrive in Brimstone’s office requesting your resignation, somehow you cannot. Brimstone explains it has something to do with agent confidentiality or the safety, you weren’t really listening. 

Yet you’re stuck.

Standing there under Brimstone’s gaze never upset you, never made you nervous or anxious in any way. It was him who stood there, the walking shadow as he gazed upon your rigid form. Your fists clench to your side, sweat starting to form in your already clammy hands. The whole confrontation was unsettling, not only Brimstone was delivering such disheartful news, you had to endure the shadow that loomed over you. By the time the meeting was done and a final apology was uttered from Brim, he dismissed you. You walked out, form slumped as you were completely saddened by the news. As you made your way to the shared dining facility, you made yourself a cup of tea to calm your nerves down from what had happened. In the corner of your eye you could see the familiar phantom, the inescapable nightmare that you permanently stained your life.. 

BRIMSTONE: 

You’re not making it out of the book with this one. There is no way you could even try to leave considering he is the leader of Protocol and would make up some excuse as to why you couldn’t resign from your role as an agent. 

He makes the rules and no one questions it. Why would they when all he does is look out for his fellow agents and tries to encourage them as much as he can. 

Brim is one stubborn man, one who has committed himself to protecting this earth from all the radianite crises that continue to happen. He had the chance of retiring, starting a family and settling down somewhere in those American suburbs with the perfect life. He will do anything to keep you there. To keep you under him so when this is all over you and he can finally have the life his ex colleagues always talked about.

He is dedicated and with dedication there is nowhere to run or even hide. 

Stepping into Brimstone’s office you meet the gaze of the older man and you stand in front of his desk. His demeanor changed as he sat up in his chair straightening his form and clearing his throat before he began to talk. “You know why I called you in today?” He begun, his fingers laced together as his nose crinkled with a small sniff. “No sir, I do not.” You addressed him formerly even though it wasn’t mandatory. “I heard word from the others about you possibly wanting to leave. Is that true?” Your back stiffened as you felt scrutiny under his gaze. Your mouth went dry, heart stammering in your chest the longer he continued to stare at you. “Yes sir…” A defeated tone you uttered. He shifted his position, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he turned to look back up at you. “Look kid, I can't let you do that. Considering what is all going right now, not only would it be risky for you but with what you know Protocol could be compromised. I’m sorry to deliver this kind of news to you, I know it can be stressful but that is why we're all here…why I’m here.” He stood, walking towards you to place his much larger burly hand on your shoulder. The close proximity unsettled you as silence settled in the room, his deep breaths compared to your shallow fearful ones. “When this is all over you don’t need to worry about all of this. Like I said I’m here for you…I always will be.” It was at that moment you knew your fate was sealed.

[haggishlyhagging]

There is something inherent in writing that is very solitary and I think that writers come to such awful ends in life because it's almost a total abuse of the human system to use the mind the way you use your mind when you're a writer. But at the time I was writing Pornography which was from about 1977 through 1980, there wasn't the support that there would be now. It wasn't just lonely because writing is lonely. It was lonely because feminists did not want to deal with pornography. They wouldn't even consider that this was something that had to be done and that made it much worse. And, basically, I almost died from writing Pornography. I couldn't make a living. The book that I published is only one-third of the book that I planned to write, because there was no way that I could keep working on it. I often wonder what would have happened if I could have written more of it, because the next part of the book, the second third of the book, was specifically about how pornography socialises female sexuality. Since so much of the subsequent articles have been around that, it has always felt to me as if I have been operating sort of with an amputated leg. You know, where is that other leg I wanted this book to stand on? But I couldn't survive and continue writing this book. In that way I feel that the Women's Movement has failed many writers and many women and, yes, it could have been different.

-Andrea Dworkin, “Dworkin on Dworkin” in Radically Speaking: Feminism Reclaimed

[theangrycomet-art]

The Almanac is a very... interesting read

I have... opinions on some of the behind the scenes world building and what they had planned with S4 (it makes me a little glad the show ended where it did... writers it's bad enough you offed Prowl when you could have had restoring the Allspark be the Key's purpose instead of upgrading Sari- but then to further split up the team whyyyyy)

Anyway, here's Blitzwing and my take on him before the Triple-Changer experiment was done to him against his will and his former partner the cold hearted bitch who did it to him, also pre-op.

COMMISSIONS OPEN

Ramblings (no really- RAMBLINGS) below: I wanted to make this a comic but the Art wasn't Arting

TLDR: Lancer and Blitzwing were taken as prisoners of war by the autobots and Lancer made a lot of bad decisions to try and save his life within they circumstances which directly led to him becoming the first triple changer.

It's a little more complicated than this but basically Blitzwing (then known as Kaltwing) was hurt REALLY bad when he and Lancer were trying to retrieve the Allspark-about partway through the war. Like- missing his legs- wings ripped off- half his face blasted off bad.

So Lancer, or Himmel Lancer as she was then called, tried to put him back together with what she had on hand because she was not about to let her best friend go OFFLINE. This resulted in her basically frankenstein-ing him parts from a fallen tank decepticon's corpse as well as her own parts to try and keep him online.Most notably her own T-cog, as his was damaged and forcing him to attempt to transform at random. Because they were the same Frame type it was compatible enough to stabilize it when she fused the two ports.

Unfortunately, this still left him in extreme agony as Lancer was a RESEARCHER, not a Medic by any streatch of the word. It was one of those times he was pleading with her to offline him that they were caught by Autobots. With Blitzwing barley able to move and Lancer unable to transform, they were fish in a barrel.

The Autobots, after surgically stripping Lancer of ALL her weapons and installing a "contingency clause" protocol, allowed her to continue Blitzwing's "treatment" as well as forcing her to continue such experiments on other captured ‘cons. Many were curious to see where this "project" would go, even if most wouldn't openly agree to it themselves.

This went on for years with Blitzwing being their geniua pig until they reached the final straw for both of the former seekers.

Through a string of luck and incompetence, Lancer managed to achieve the two's original goal and stole the All-Spark right from under Ultra Magnus' nose. She was hoping it would reverse the damage she's done to him, and possibly restore herself in the process, but she was interrupted when the gaurds caught up with her and the contingency clause protocols activated and began frying her from the inside out.

While she was able to stabilize Blitzwing before all this and relieve him of the physical pain he'd been under, it came at cost. Between his fritzing original T-cog and the trauma of having endless, painful operations at the hands of his friend and subsequent the poor treatment from Autobots, his mind broke under the Allsparks "upgrades"z

During the chaos, he manages to break free and slaughters everyone in the facility including Lancer (at least he thought so). He was trying to grant her the clean death she refused him.

(Ironically enough, this damaged her enough for the protocols to think she'd offlined, and thus deactivate on their own).

He escapes back to the decepticons empty-handed and scary the shit out of everyone while Lancer is left to deal with the remaining wrath of the autobots.

[wordstome]

Thanks for everything, but it’s time to close up shop.

Hello, everybody. Sorry for this post being a portent of doom, but I feel like you all deserve better than radio silence. Originally, I went on hiatus because I got busy with school and work. This is still true—real life is getting in the way of me being able to write creatively, which I haven’t done in a while.

However, I think it would only be fair for me to admit that I’m just not as into COD anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been into the games and always have been a fan of the little fandom of writers here, but I have to admit that part of my difficulty writing is just not being as into the content anymore. Most of it is just naturally moving on from something you used to like, but I also feel uninspired and weird about the idea of writing fanfiction about the military nowadays.

TO BE CLEAR: I don’t suddenly think that all my fellow writers are doing something problematic and amoral, and I vehemently do not want my departure from creating fan works to be used as some sort of gotcha to attack other writers. I don’t think any of us respect the military or US imperialism (I hope not) and I think the tumblr subsection of fandom is especially aware that COD is military propaganda. What we do here is writing about characters, not the institution they operate in. A lot of cod fanfiction doesn’t even take place in the military. I also haven’t drifted away because some writers make heavier/darker content, so I’m squashing that discourse before it has a chance to start.

It would also be disingenuous to say that I drifted away solely because of fandom discourse, but it certainly didn’t help. Thankfully, I only caught the tail end of a recent…controversy? Discourse? Involving other creators. It’s exhausting and disheartening to see this sort of thing happen, but I also realize it’s kind of inevitable that feathers will be ruffled when subjects like racism against Gaz are addressed, and that doesn’t mean we should just stop talking about those subjects. I don’t have a good solution to this and I don’t mean to complain about something that’s just a part of human nature. I just can’t pretend that it isn’t really demoralizing to see people acting poorly and the internet slapfights that result from it. I hope those involved in the recent incident are taking care of themselves. ❤️

Anyway, if you’ve gotten this far, thanks for reading. I have a lot of love left for this fandom, and especially my fellow creators who I have come to consider genuine friends. I feel a deep obligation to everyone who reads and interacts with my work, and I can’t continue to leave people waiting when I know it is, most likely, over. So, to be clear: this is the end of my COD writing journey. I won’t be writing any more or continuing any of my fics.

All of my works, both here and on AO3, will remain up, so you don’t have to worry about anything being deleted. I’m still grateful to cod for bringing my zest for writing back, even if it was only for a handful of months. And if you guys want to see unpublished drafts (like for kingdom come), have questions, or simply want to know my plans for fics that won’t be finished/want to know how they end, please send me asks or reach out! I would love to talk about it. Mutuals are, as always, extremely welcome in my DMs, and it means the world to me that people have been checking in on me during my hiatus.

TLDR:

I’m leaving for good. None of my fics will be deleted, but they won’t be updated anymore. I won’t be active on this blog, but I’ll still check in once in a while to answer any asks or questions about my fics.

I don’t think this will happen, but it’s worth saying: please don’t use my departure to make sweeping generalizations about the fandom or start more discourse. I just drifted away and lost interest. Take care of yourselves.

[pomegranate]

Hi I'd like to ask about the mash timeloop theory is it so that they repeat every day as a timeloop or is it a loop that lasts 11 years? I know that there are some jokes that could be taken as them timelooping but is there like a primer of sorts with the rules of it? Does every character loop or only one of them?

Hi anon! Oh this is a fun question and thank you for giving me an excuse to talk about MASH and time loops. First off, I will say I don't think there's any one interpretation of the time loop idea that has any merit above others - some people see the time loop as being the act of re-watching MASH over and over, putting Hawkeye back in Korea after finishing GFA. The time loop is also inspired by the series' lack of continuity, which can be easily explained by MASH airing at a time when continuity was not considered for a long-running television series. The Korean War was a 3 year war and MASH aired over an 11 year period. Other people don't necessarily subscribe to the time "loop" theory but rather just that time itself is wonky in the MASH universe, which is why I like my dear friend @mashbrainrot 's "time trauma" tag that covers any sort of questionable references to time throughout MASH.

Because the thing is - the show starts off with a time abnormality. The second shot in the pilot has the text "KOREA, 1950 / a hundred years ago" - meaning the pilot is addressed to viewers in 2050, which is an interesting idea to consider. But does the text fit with the time loop theory? It doesn't necessarily feel like it's part of a "loop" but it's still noteworthy, considering this is how the series starts.

Throughout the show, we have one-liners about the length of time that the MASH surgeons have spent operating. Frequently they liken their time in the O.R. to an eternity or a lifetime, and if we want to take a Doylist approach to these references, it's just the MASH writers using hyperbole to stress how these surgery sessions are all the same, one after another, dragging on and on. But the time inconsistency comes up in other ways, like the episode "A War For All Seasons" - a season 9 episode which inexplicably takes place between New Years 1951 and New Years 1952. It doesn't make sense timeline-wise if you look at the other dates given throughout the series before this point, but the writers weren't thinking about previous seasons when they wrote it because that is not how episodic television worked at the time. And then you have stuff like Henry & Potter having kids/grandkids of different ages, depending on the episode. Potter has his first grandchild in s4 but in s5 "Dear Sigmund", he says he's got a granddaughter about the same age as a patient who is approximately 7. There is absolutely zero point in trying to figure out a "realistic" timeline for MASH, in the end. It was a television show made during an era where episodes couldn't be rewatched endlessly and continuity wasn't really a big deal. It was enough that characters like Henry, Trapper, Frank and Radar get referenced long after they'd left the show, but there was no "show bible" and no long-standing plan for how the series would turn out.

WHICH IS WHY it's fun to play with the idea that a time loop is at play; maybe the loop resets every time a significant character leaves the 4077th (this was someone else's idea but I can't remember who at the moment I THINK maybe Kit (@nedlittle)?) or maybe it resets when you as a viewer restart the show. Or maybe it resets in other little moments; maybe it's not one continuous loop but a series of loops throughout the series. I don't think there's one agreed-upon theory when it comes to the MASH time loop but I do encourage everyone to check out Helen's time trauma tag to see some really great posts about the concept AND share any ideas of your own about time wonkiness within the MASH universe! (ALSO there are two great videos on the timeloop concept that i will reblog following this post)

[elliespillowprincess]

WHY YOU SHOULD NOT SUPPORT NEIL DRUCKMANN OR TLOU

israeli military operations are continuing the genocide and destruction on Palestine, and as a fic writer of TLOU, i need to say the following.

I DO NOT SUPPORT NEIL DRUCKMANN OR HIS CURRENT, PREVIOUS, OR FUTURE PROJECTS, AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU.

if you don’t know, neil druckmann, the co-writer of TLOU is a zionist. i’m leaving the following quote from this website, which you should read along! “The game's co-director and co-writer Neil Druckmann, an Israeli who was born and raised in the West Bank before his family moved to the U.S., told the Washington Post that the game's themes of revenge can be traced back to the 2000 killing of two Israeli soldiers by a mob in Ramallah.” (VICE.COM)

if you have already purchased tlou and are unable to refund, there isn’t much more you can do for that specifically. (i am unsure if playing the already bought game gives him money, please inform me in the comments!!) what i will say is for anyone who hasn’t bought it, please refrain from doing so, this includes purchasing the remasters!! giving him more money only supports this ongoing genocide.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

“i wasn’t planning on buying the game, and i don’t have money to donate! how can i help?”

one of the biggest things you can do, for free, is spread awareness: reposting, informing, and sharing links to nonprofit organizations that support Palestine! there are many organizations that will donate with the simple press of a button, including THIS ONE.

another great impact you can make is to stop supporting businesses that support israel, THIS IS a page that lists all of the current establishments that support israel.

people are suffering, people are starving, people are dying.

the following are links of info about the genocide and how you can help:

Daily death rate in Gaza higher than any other major 21st Century conflict.

Free Donation with the Click of a Button

Crisis in Palestine: What you need to know

Help families in Gaza now

How to Help Palestine

i do not support the TLOU franchise, my fics will be purely based on the characters and i will link this page on every single one. i hope you read through all of this, and took some time to become educated on the topic. if any of this information is incorrect, please inform me and i will fix it. thank you for reading.

[chatonarya]

Special Dispatch Kjerag, from the official AK EN twitter account.

Ring in the 1100s! We've sent the finest of our editorial writers out for a live taste of the hinterland hot topic that is snowy Kjerag, working hand-in-hand with local outlets to serve up first-to-press reports in first-class detail. The newest and truest of the Snow Realm from us to you—all right here in your copy of Special Dispatch Kjerag.

Of interest:

Viscount Craigavon admits to being "homesick for Kjerag". he's a Kjeragaboo

Degenbrecher's battle with the Craigavon army is passed off as a "Major-style exhibition match", which the Viscount describes as "an amicable interaction."

Victorian barracks around Kjerag have been dismantled. Lisburn manages to propose to his girlfriend.

Karlan Trade-operated hotels reached an agreement with the KGCC to open an Alpine Sanatorium Line for foreign tourists, Craigavons of Victoria the first to sign up.

Paleroches exploring integrating their brewing with modern medical treatment, Arctosz planning to visit Rhodes Island. He spends the whole day sitting in the reception room hoping to see Leto.

Interview with John Smith, blind box artist, and his magnificent collection.

Kjerag Educational Foundation continues to focus on wide scope; Karlan Trade CTO states Kjerag needs engineering talent en masse.

Enciodes and Enya fiercely debate the construction of the starpod research site near Mt. Karlan with a Rhine Lab representative in attendance. A tentative consensus was reached.

Advertisements for diving in Lake Silberneherze and a new snow realm hat style--the trilby.

[kwanisms]

02:22 — c.san :: Carnival of Lies

»» ateez masterlist ««

➥ anarchist!San × fem!Reader summary: in the city of Neo Seoul in the year 2073, a group of bikers turned anarchists outlaws have decided to go through with a life changing heist. The plans have been laid, the timeline set, all that's left is to say goodbye but San never expected it to be this hard. wc: 10.9k genres/themes/au: angst, smut; fantasy, science fiction, cyberpunk, dystopian, western, & biker gang themes, anarchist!Ateez, outlaw!Ateez; non idol au, dystopian au, cyberpunk au warnings: ANGST AHEAD (you have been warned lol), adult dialogue, female reader, the characters break the laws of their society, sexual content (18+ mdni), see smut warnings under the cut! permanent taglist: @yoonguurt @wonderfulshinee @candidupped @dejavernon @violagoth @tigermoonbiss @katsukis1wife @luvsooby @thesolarplanetarysystem @salty-for-suga @devilsmatches @dmnspiit @simeonswhore @yangracha @seonghwalover @atinypurr @aikyubi

ateez taglist: @2hodefender @cixrosie @pyeonghongrie-main @flowerboykun @sanjoongie @anyamaris @stardragongalaxy @kpop-stories-21 @wooyoungmybelovedhusband @mlysalt @cinnamoon-belle @briannabk22 @is4b3ll3s @hyukssunflower @vampiirose @0325tiny @ateezstanforever @justiny @jeongwangjessmina @lacie220900 @aaaaajonghooooo @dementedaly

special tags: @thelargefrye

join my taglists! Strikethrough means I cannot tag you. MINORS WILL BE BLACKLISTED & BLOCKED.

a/n: part of the Operation Outlaw : Before the Boom collab with several of my friends and fellow @cultofdionysusnet writers. We conceived this idea when the first teasers were dropped for the Outlaw comeback and we've been talking and working almost around the clock about it, tossing ideas around until we weaved together an intricate story set in the near future. Thank you so much for reading and please check out the other writers' pieces which can be found on the collab masterlist here! As always, this is a work of fiction and all characters are not reflective of their respective irl counterparts. for entertainment purposes only. Adult content divider made by @cafekitsune and banner made by me. I do not allow reposts, translations, or continuations of my works. All my works ©️ kwanisms

smut warnings: possessive!San, sub!Reader, grinding/dry humping, use of pet names (baby, baby girl), sex photos/video, nipple play, fingering, dirty talk, finger sucking, oral (f receiving feat pussy drunk San), unprotected sex (use condoms), creampie, San is in love and highkey possessive but the reader loves it. I think I got all the warnings but if I missed any, please let me know!

❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❙❘❙❚❙❘❙❘❙❙❘❙❚

Glancing at the clock, San saw it was almost 100 and looked back down at his food. From the front seat, he could hear the faint sound of racing music as Wooyoung and Cardinal sat in the front seats, playing some sort of rhythm racing game on their phones.

“You two really like that game, don’t you?” San asked, making Wooyoung glance up. Cardinal let out a triumphant cheer as her character passed Wooyoung’s and crossed the finish line first.

Wooyoung let out a groan, throwing his head back against the headrest.

“That doesn’t count, he distracted me!” he whined. Cardinal smirked at Wooyoung before responding as if she were speaking to a baby.

“Awww it’s okay Woo,” she cooed. “Maybe next time.”

Cardinal put her phone away and glanced back. “Hand me one of those boxes,” she said, pointing to the food Yeosang had delivered only moments ago. San, who was already digging into his own food, set his utensils down and grabbed an unopened box, handing it to Cardinal who thanked him and took the fork he offered as well.

Wooyoung watched as the pair dug into their food. “What is that?” he asked, eyeing the food in Cardinal’s box. She held up the box for Wooyoung to sniff and he backed away. “What is that?” he asked again, albeit a little more disgusted.

Cardinal rolled her eyes and continued to eat. “You’re so dramatic.”

Wooyoung climbed into the back to sit beside San, grabbing another container and opening it, giving it a sniff as well. “Blech,” he said, closing it. “Of all the places Yeo could have gotten a job at, he had to pick the worst place in the district,” he scoffed.

San’s brow furrowed. “Don’t knock it until you try it,” he replied, picking up a plastic fork and digging into the noodles. Wooyoung pretended to gag, making San roll his eyes. ���See,” Cardinal said, drawing both their attention. “What did I say? He’s dramatic.”

San nodded as Wooyoung shrugged and moved back up next to Cardinal reaching out to tickle her side. The sound of her giggles filled the van until she tried, and failed, to sternly tell Wooyoung off.

While San and Cardinal ate, Wooyoung pulled his phone out again and started up a new game of whatever new noisy musical rhythm game he’d downloaded.

“Have you heard from Joong?” San asked as he picked up his cup, taking a sip and turning his head to look at the back of Wooyoung’s head.

The younger man paused his game, still staring at his phone, no doubt reading something on the screen. Next to him, San could see Cardinal holding her phone, smirking at Wooyoung while Wooyoung typed something back.

San waited for his friends to answer but when they didn’t after a couple minutes, he spoke up again.

“Yo, Wooyoung!” he said, a little louder this time. Wooyoung nearly spun around in his seat. “What?” he asked, looking mildly shocked, like he’d been caught doing something. Cardinal tried to keep from laughing as she went back to eating her food.

“Did you hear me?” San asked, suspicious of his friend’s shifty behavior.

Wooyoung shook his head. “No, what did you say?”

San sighed, resisting the urge to chew his best friend out for not listening to him. “I asked if you’ve heard from Joong,” he answered, waiting for Wooyoung to answer him. “Oh,” Wooyoung said, shifting in his seat. Cardinal spoke up for him.

“Yeah. He said to hang tight for a bit. He’s checked in with everyone else and we’re all good to go,” she answered. “He contacted me earlier.”

San nodded as Wooyoung glanced back down at his phone, thumbs tapping away as he typed something quickly, throwing a glance at Cardinal who immediately checked her phone. If San wasn’t suspicious before, he definitely was now.

“Hey, uh,” Wooyoung said suddenly. “I’m not trying to sound like a dick here, but could you like… leave?”

San stared at his friend with a deadpan expression before turning to look at Cardinal who avoided his gaze. ‘Seriously?’

“Leave?” San asked, voice void of any emotion. “You want me to leave?”

Wooyoung nodded, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

“Uh yeah. I hate kicking you out of the van, like this, you know that but—” San sighed heavily, closing his takeout container and setting it aside. “Sure. Fine,” he replied flatly. Had he been looking at them, he would have seen the apologetic looks on both Wooyoung and Cardinal’s faces.

“Just… please don’t squishy my food or ruin my pallet,” San grumbled, Wooyoung grimacing as San grabbed his jacket. “Sorry,” he replied as San opened the back of the van and hopped out.

He shut the door, stopping briefly to pull on his red leather jacket.

“Nah,” he said as he moved around to the driver’s door. “It’s cool.”

Both Cardinal and Wooyoung gave him apologetic smiles.

“Get it, or whatever,” San added as he raised his fist for Wooyoung to give him a bump, Cardinal blushing furiously. “I’ll be back before 500,” he added before setting off, leaving Wooyoung and Cardinal in the van.

San wasn’t one to let Wooyoung talk him into or out of things easily but he had his suspicions about Wooyoung and Cardinal’s relationship since day one and this just confirmed what he already assumed.

San walked around the corner, taking back alleys and streets, not wanting to run into anyone he didn’t want to see. His walk took him just past the customs shop where he saw Yunho working on a bike. San walked over, Yunho looking up as he approached.

“Hey,” Yunho said as he set the wrench in his hand down and picked up a dirty shop rag.

“What’s up?”

San looked around before looking up at Yunho.

“Where’s Jongho?” he asked. Yunho rolled his eyes. “Probably somewhere with Raven where there aren’t cameras,” he answered with a smirk and San immediately understood his meaning, a smile forming on his face.

“Why are you here?” Yunho asked suddenly.

“Woo and Cardinal kicked me out of the van,” San answered, shrugging as he tucked his hands into his jacket pocket. “So I’m taking a walk,” he added.

Yunho nodded, watching San carefully.

“I’d take a ride but someone has my bike,” he added. Yunho laughed sheepishly. “Hey, Joong wanted me to make some last minute adjustments,” he said, holding his hands up before he gestured for San to follow him. The two walked to the other side of the garage where Yunho pressed a button, lowering the garage door.

Once shut, he opened another door and allowed San to enter before following him.

“You want to take her out?” Yunho asked as he locked the door and flipped a switch, fluorescents flooding the room with bright white light.

The room had no windows and was an extension of the garage where Yunho worked on the motorbikes. The ones the city outlawed three years ago. San nodded. “Actually, yeah,” he said as he walked past the seven other bikes until he came to his.

It was an older Kawasaki model originally manufactured from 2006 to 2038. A Ninja 650 that San had a hand in completely customizing with Yunho’s help. San looked over the custom paint job, extra parts he had installed with an exceptional fondness.

The paint had been touched up and new decals applied with only the expertise and care that Yunho showed. “It should be ready for tomorrow,” Yunho explained as he moved to unchain the bike from the others.

“You can take her for a spin but make sure to bring her back before 400,” he said as San moved to mount the bike, running his hands over the handlebars.

“You listening to me?” Yunho asked as he placed the lock back on the chain. San nodded. “Back by 400,” he replied. “Got it.”

“Anything else?” He turned his head to find Yunho smiling at him, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “Have fun,” he replied before tossing the keys over and pushing a button on the wall to open the small garage door. San put the key in the ignition and started the bike which came to life with a roar and settled into a loud purr.

He turned to look at his friend. “She sounds fucking amazing,” he called over the idling engine. Yunho waved him off and without another word, San put the bike in gear, turned off the brake, and let off the clutch.

He carefully rode the bike out of the shop into a slim alleyway and turned to head away from the city center. As soon as he was clear, Yunho shut the garage and San took off, driving down the alley as carefully as he could.

He knew if he rode on the main streets, he would be spotted by authorities and he didn’t want to deal with that so he stuck to the back streets and alleys as he moved further and further from the center.

As he continued, the buildings grew shorter in stature, the electronic billboards replaced with old painted ones as he drove further into the edge of town.

He didn’t know where he was going to go initially but as he headed further and further away, growing more and more bold, his mind was made up for him.

The diner.

Neo Seoul was built on top of the former city, new skyscrapers reaching high into the clouds, all state of the art made of glass and metal. The older brick buildings were slowly replaced until only the old buildings stood in the outskirts.

San never much liked the city, finding it congested, full of fake people, and the adverts didn’t help. He hated how commercial everything was. He hated everything about the city. Not just on the surface level but deep down, it was corrupt, almost like a rotted core, working its way out, killing the organism from the inside out.

As San reached the outskirts, he slowed his bike, pulling up to the diner and parking the bike out back behind the building where he knew it wouldn’t be spotted. San removed the key and got up, making his way around the front of the building and entering through the front door.

The diner was a cliche and niche place, styled after a diner from 1950’s America and serving the same fare that one would find at such an establishment. San looked around as he entered, greeting one of the servers who rolled past him on roller skates. Another part of the charm and atmosphere of the diner.

San took a seat in the booth at the back of the room, ignoring the looks from some of the other patrons as he sat down.

A different server rolled up to greet him as San grabbed a menu from a small metal holder at the end of the table against the window. “What can I get you?” she asked, forcing San to look up. She was younger, possibly college age.

“A cherry coke please,” San answered as he looked back down to gloss over the menu. “And maybe a cheeseburger,” he added. The server jotted his order down on her table. “Fries okay?” she asked to which San nodded.

“Coming right up,” she said as she rolled away, leaving him alone for a moment before she returned with his drink. As she turned to roll away, San quietly stopped her. “Is Cherry here?” he asked softly.

The server’s eyes widened for a moment before narrowing.

“Uh, who’s asking?” she asked, looking at him suspiciously.

“Could you tell her Cola is here,” San asked, ignoring the confused look on the poor girl’s face. “She’ll know what it means.”

The server nodded slowly before skating away and behind the counter. She glanced back once before disappearing into the kitchen.

San had only been to this place a couple times before. It’d been a long time since he last visited. The interior was exactly the same.

The same red top tables with silver legs and matching booths line the front wall of the restaurant. A tall bar separated the kitchen from the restaurant with red bar stools that swivel on the spot. A swinging metal door with a round window separated the bar from the kitchen.

Caddies with condiments including sugar and creamer sat at the end of the tables, accompanying the metal menu holders under large picture windows with white blinds.

San was staring out the window, having spent the last couple minutes staring at the bubbles in his plastic cup clinging to the sides when he heard someone approach.

“Your cheeseburger with fries,” a familiar voice said, prompting San to look up and smile as he found himself face to face with quite possibly his favorite person.

You smiled as you set his plate down in front of him. “When Sango said Cola was asking for me, I was a little shocked,” you said as San looked up at you. “Haven’t seen you around here in a while.” The smile on San’s face fell.

“I’m sorry about that,” he said softly. You smiled at him with that same bright smile you always gave him. The radiant one you reserved only for puppies and him.

“It’s okay,” you replied. “I’m sure you’ve been quite busy.” San nodded slowly. You had a way of always leaving him speechless.

Ever since meeting you on the playground in primary school, San was shy and soft-spoken around you. Not that he was particularly loquacious to begin with. He’d always been more of an introvert but it got worse moving to the city with his family.

He was the new kid and even though he had his older sister, she was more preoccupied with her friends and her own life than with making sure San was okay. He kept to himself most of that first week. Until he literally bumped into you on the playground.

He’d been playing by himself in the jungle gym when some of the older boys kicked him out of their fort. San decided to use the slide to escape and that was how he accidentally mowed you down into the wood chips.

The other kids were quick to check on you but you were much tougher than San expected, even with the nasty scrape on your knee. He apologized profusely, expecting you to yell at him or cry for the teacher but you surprised him yet again by crouching down to make sure he wasn’t hurt.

You introduced yourself shortly after and an unlikely friendship was started.

Where San was shy and quiet, you were loud and friendly with everyone.

The entire class liked you. Including San.

Your friendship continued into junior high where San discovered he had feelings for you. It started when one of your fellow classmates came up and asked you to go to the movies.

A jealousy San had never experienced before erupted from his stomach and settled in his chest and you blushed and politely turned the guy down, saying your father wasn’t allowing you to date until high school.

San then made it his mission to keep the other boys away from you, partly for your father’s sake but also for his own.

He didn’t want to share you with anyone else.

He was possessive in that regard.

In high school, you started paying more attention to your appearance, wearing makeup and spending more time with your girl friends but you always made time for San. His feelings only got stronger and stronger.

San never mentioned his feelings for you, too afraid to ruin your friendship.

It wasn’t until your last year together that San finally confessed, assuming you would go off to college while San got a job and he would probably never see you again.

He was shocked, to say the least, when you reciprocated his feelings and kissed him, murmuring something about him taking long enough. Since then, it had been a slow but steady pace until San joined the underground resistance, something he kept secret from both his family and from you.

As far as you knew, he worked at a mechanic shop.

He would try to see you as often as he could between actually working and devoting time to the small rebel biker gang he joined.

Whatever free time he had, he tried to devote to you but it was difficult when he lived deep inside the city center while you lived on the outskirts of town. As he became more involved in the resistance, he saw you less and less.

So, rare moments like this he always treasured.

“You got time?” San asked, looking up at you while you checked your watch.

“Let me finish getting my food out and I’ll come back for my break,” you replied with a smile. San watched as you skated away before starting to dig into his food.

It was only a few moments later when you returned and sat down in the booth with him, sipping on your water while you talked. You told him all about what had happened since the last time you saw one another, occasionally stealing his fries.

San listened with rapt attention as you spoke animatedly, telling him stories about your life at home, where you were living, your neighbors, anything you could think of.

You had just finished telling him a story about one of your coworkers when you cleared your throat.

“Ben proposed to me.”

San, who had been taking a sip of his drink sputtered and coughed.

You leaned forward, looking concerned but he waved his hand while he coughed a few times before clearing his throat. “I forgot you were dating him,” he murmured, sounding a little dejected. You noticed immediately.

“Yeah. It was so sudden. I didn’t expect it,” you said with a nervous chuckle, bringing your hand up to brush some of your hair back. San followed your hand but surprisingly didn’t see a ring.

“I don’t see a ring,” he commented, picking up the last of his burger and taking a bite. He didn’t miss the way you avoided his gaze, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth briefly. “I actually said no,” you finally whispered.

San looked up from his plate, finding you already looking at him.

“Why?” He asked softly, holding your gaze. You shrugged your shoulders. “It didn’t feel right,” you replied just as quietly. “But you love him?” San asked.

You shook your head. “Not like that. Not enough to marry the guy.”

San picked up his cola and took a drink before speaking.

“He seemed like a great guy,” he noted, noticing the way you shrugged.

“He is,” you replied. “But I don’t want to marry him,” you added.

“It felt wrong.”

San tilted his head as you stole another fry from his plate.

“Felt wrong how?” he asked, watching you shift in your seat, avoiding his gaze.

“He’s not…” you said softly, trailing off. “He’s not what?” San’s voice was barely above a whisper now. You looked up through your lashes at him.

“He’s not you.”

San’s heart hammered against his chest as you held his gaze. There were so many things he wanted to say but he didn’t know where to start.

Before he could respond, a voice called out.

“Y/N, your break is over!”

You sat up quickly, glancing over to who San could only assume was your boss. “Sorry, Sherry!” You called and got up quickly.

San reached forward, grabbing your hand gently.

You looked down at his hand and then back up to meet his gaze.

“Can I see you after your shift?” He asked, holding your gaze with his intense stare. You hesitated before nodding. “I’m off in an hour,” you replied. “I’ll meet you here.”

Without another word, San let go of your hand and you hurried around the counter, offering another apology to your boss.

The other server came by to take San’s empty plate.

“Anything I can get for you?” She asked with a smile.

“Coffee,” San answered. “And a slice of pie. Whichever you recommend.”

The server nodded before skating away and fulfilling his order. She came back shortly with a white ceramic mug and a carafe of coffee, pouring him a cup and then skating away.

San grabbed some sugar and creamer, adding it to his coffee until the color was unrecognizable as coffee. Shortly after, the server rolled by, dropping off his pie. It was a slice of apple with a small swirl of whipped cream on top.

San ate in silence, checking his watch and scrolling through his phone as the minutes ticked by. He was finishing his third or fourth cup of coffee when you appeared in your jacket and without skates, calling goodnight to your coworkers.

San had already paid his tab before you clocked out and stood up as you approached him. “Shall we?” You asked, smiling at him. San returned the smile and let you lead the way out of the diner before leading you around the building to where his bike stood, paint shimmering under the dim lamp light.

San picked up his own helmet and handed it to you. “I only have one,” he explained as you took it from him. “It should fit.”

You put the helmet on as San swung one leg over the bike, sitting and taking the handles and keeping it steady so you could climb onto the back. Only once you were situated, did San turn the key and the bike roared to life.

He felt you wrap your arms around his waist, holding tight as he put the bike into gear. The bike lurched forward, making you shriek as San cackled before actually releasing the clutch and pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road.

The ride was full of only the sound of the engine and the wind whipping.

San noticed a dark, desolate park as he turned into yet another empty street and slowed his bike, pulling into the small parking lot, rolling into one of the spaces before cutting the engine and parking the bike.

You removed the helmet and shook your head as San waited for you to get off.

Carefully you climbed off, making sure to push down the skirt of your diner uniform. San took the helmet from you and hung it on one of the handlebars before turning to you.

“Aren’t you afraid of someone stealing it?” You asked, nodding at the helmet. San shook his head. “Not really,” he replied, taking your hand and leading you through the park. The two of you walked on the paved path, hand in hand as San asked more about your life lately.

He wanted to address what you had said at the diner but decided he would wait to bring it up. He didn’t want to pry too much but he also wanted to know what you had meant and if you had actually meant it.

“I actually had a reason for coming to see you,” San said suddenly, causing you to look at him. “Oh?” Your voice sounded equal parts curious and confused as the two of you continued to walk.

“I have this… job,” he said softly.

San always made sure not to tell you too many details about his work. About the work he did for the resistance. He didn’t want you to be a target or to be too privy to any sensitive information, mainly for your protection and that of his crew.

But this job was different. It was big. There was a chance he might not see you again for a long, long time and he wanted you to be aware of that.

“Yeah,” he answered. “It’s a big one,” he continued. “Bigger than any I’ve ever done.” You nodded as he spoke, enjoying the warmth of your hand in his. “And this job might…” you glanced up as he trailed off.

You pulled him to a stop. “Might what?” You asked softly. San hesitated before finally looking at you. “It might force me to leave town or go into hiding for a while.” Your eyes widened. “Which means I may not see you again for a really long time,” he continued. You listened silently as he spoke.

“Which is why,” San said. “I want to make the most of tonight.”

“I want to spend as much time with you as I can before I have to go away.”

You let go of his hand, moving to pull him into a hug, eye shutting tight as his arms wrapped around yours. “I care so much about you, Y/N,” he said softly. “I want you to stay safe which is why I keep this life separate but I’m also selfish and I want to be with you.”

You nodded, understanding where he was going. “If I could just be with you without this complication, I would in a heartbeat,” he continued. You looked up, smiling as you fought back tears. “Then just be with me tonight,” you answered. San cupped your cheek, gazing into your eyes lovingly.

Pressing a chaste kiss to your forehead, he took your hand again and resumed walking around the park, following the path.

As you walked around a curve in the path, San noticed a dancing light and looked up. About twenty to thirty feet from where you both stood was a rather large house, the backyard behind a black wrought iron fence. In the backyard, was a large swimming pool where the light was coming from.

San glanced down at you, waiting for you to see it too. When you did, you glanced up at him. “No,” you said, shaking your head. “No San!” You hissed as he dragged you along, heading for the fence. “This is illegal!”

San snorted as you reached the property line. “And so is owning a motorbike,” he added. “Since when have I ever cared for the rules?”

You shook your head, unable to hide the smile on your face. “It’s only illegal in the city,” you reminded him. “Still illegal,” San answered. He looked around for a moment before scooting past you to a stone pillar at the end of the fence.

“San!” You hissed again as he carefully found his footing and started to climb. “San, we’re going to get caught!”

He looked down at you, bringing a finger up to his lips. “Not if you stay quiet,” he whispered before continuing to climb. He scaled the pillar with ease, carefully hopping down into the backyard before moving to the gate and unlocking it, opening it slowly and only enough to let you in.

The owners of the house clearly had money and took very good care of their lawn, if the pristinely cut grass, stone tile patio with an outdoor dining set and grill and well maintained pool and covered hot tub were anything to go by.

San walked over to the pool, kneeling down to stick his hand in it.

“San, what are you doing?!” You whisper yelled at him as he started to kick off his shoes, pulling his socks off and tucking them inside his shoes for safe keeping.

He shrugged off his jacket and started to undo his pants before turning to look at you.

“You gonna just stand there?” He asked as he undid his belt and pants, pushing them down, making you giggle as he kicked his jeans off and jumped into the pool in his underwear with a splash. “San!” You hissed as he surfaced.

He pushed his hair back before looking up at you. “Come on,” he said. “Live a little, Y/N.” You huffed out a sigh, glancing around before taking off your own jacket and kicking off your shoes and socks.

San turned to swim away as you shimmied out of your dress and quickly discarded it before stepping off the side of the pool into the warm water.

When you surfaced you started swimming towards San who grinned mischievously at you. “You’re insane,” you murmured as you met him near the side of the pool.

You felt one of his arms snake around your waist, pulling your shivering body against his warm one. “You followed me,” he whispered, eyes dipping to look at your lips before pulling you closer, his own lips meeting yours.

It had been more years than you could remember since San had last kissed you and it still made your heart skip a beat and butterflies erupt in your stomach.

His lips moved softly against yours until you felt his tongue against your bottom lip, begging for permission. Your lips parted, sighing as his tongue slipped past them and moved languidly against your own tongue.

Your arms went around his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss, making him groan against your mouth. “Did you mean it earlier?” He whispered, breaking the kiss to look at you through heavy hooded eyes. “When you said you couldn’t marry Ben because he’s not me?”

You nodded, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth. “Yes,” you answered.

“It’s always been you San. I’ve never wanted anyone but you.”

San let out a groan, pulling you back in for another kiss.

Your legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as he pinned you against the side of the pool, both hands holding you up. You gasped against his lips as you felt his cloth covered hard length rut against your lace covered core. His lips kissed across your cheek before brushing against your ear.

“I want you so bad,” he murmured, his breath hot and heavy against your wet skin.

He grinded against you again, groaning in your ear.

A sudden bright light filled the area and you both quickly looked to see one of the flood lights had come on. “Shit,” San cursed, pushing you towards the ladder.

“Go, go!”

You climbed the slippery ladder as quickly as you could, hurrying over to your clothes as San followed, snatching his own stuff and leading you to the gate as the back door of the house slid open and a deep booming voice threatened to call the police as you both darted out the gate and through the park in just your underwear. San ducked behind the jungle gym, pulling you under with him.

The two of you waited for a moment, listening but could only hear the sound of your own heavy breathing. You placed your hand over your chest feeling the pounding of your heart. San, who had his eyes on you, suddenly burst into quiet laughter. You turned to look at him.

“What is so funny?” You demanded incredulously. “We almost got caught!”

“We did get caught,” San answered. “But wasn’t that a rush?”

You glared at him as he started to pull on his clothes. You quickly started to dress as well, pulling on your dress and trying to ignore the feeling of San’s eyes on you. You were pulling on your shoes when San finally poked his head out of your hiding spot and looked around.

“I think we’re okay,” he whispered, leaning back in to look at you as you tied your apron back on. “Come on,” he said, nodding his head and stepping out from under the jungle gym. You followed hesitantly, looking around before finally stepping out and standing up straight.

“Can we agree to never do that again?” You whispered, brushing your skirt off.

San turned to face you, one of his hands moving to your waist as he backed you up against the jungle gym, his face inches from yours. He rested his other hand against the hard plastic structure.

“Don’t tell me that wasn’t exciting,” he said softly, moving the hand on your waist up to take your chin gently. “Getting caught skinny dipping in a strangers pool isn’t exciting, San,” you whispered as his thumb moved, brushing over your bottom lip.

“It’s reckless.”

You let out a tiny gasp as San pushed himself into you, his erection pressing against your thigh. “I didn’t mean the pool part,” he whispered, leaning in and brushing his lips against yours. “San,” you murmured, your hands grabbing his jacket.

“Yes?” He hummed, nuzzling his nose against yours.

You hesitated, uncertain if you should continue.

It had always been like this, a game of push and pull when it came to you and San. You’d push for more and he’d always pull away. He’d push you to try new things and you’d pull away. Quite frankly, you were getting sick of it.

It was time to change things.

Your hands tightened on his jacket, pulling him even closer.

“I—”

Your words failed you as San stared at you, lights from the city behind you shining over his face, reflecting in his eyes like stars. “Yes?” he asked, a smile threatening to spread across his face. Instead of answering him, you decided action was the best course to take and reached up, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him into a kiss.

San responded immediately, one arm moving to wrap around your waist, holding you steady while the other moved into your hair, lips parting and deepening the kiss. You moaned, the sound muffled by his mouth as he greedily swallowed the sound. You only broke apart needing air but as soon as you gasped down a couple breaths, San’s lips were back on yours, his hand moving down to your hip.

His hand moved around, grabbing your ass before moving down to lift your thigh to his waist. “Wait,” you mumbled, breaking the kiss. San gave you a perplexed look, certain he’d done something wrong.

But when you replied “not here,” he took your hand, leading you over to his bike. You put the helmet back on and climbed on before he started the engine and backed up a couple feet.

Once in gear, he pulled out of the space and turned the bike around, heading onto the street and followed your instruction to your apartment. The ride only took a few minutes and soon he was pulling into the alley between your building and the butcher shop next door.

San turned the engine off and put the kickstand down before getting off and helping you up. You removed the helmet and decided to bring it with you up to your apartment rather than leave it with the bike.

You had just reached your floor when San stopped you. “Wait,” you heard him say softly. “What about…” his voice trailed off, eyes still looking at your face.

“Ben stayed at the old apartment,” you answered, knowing what he was getting at without even saying anything. “This is my apartment. I live here alone.”

San nodded, allowing you to continue down the hall. You unlocked your door, allowing San into the apartment before shutting the door behind you and locking it again. You pulled your jacket off, hanging it up as you set your keys on the kitchen island while San took a quick look around.

It was a small studio apartment, the bedroom separated by a cube shelf you probably put together yourself.

The front living room and dining room area was small with only a loveseat, coffee table, and media console. The kitchen was also small with a tiny kitchen island where your sink was. The bedroom area was where your queen size bed and desk were.

You had removed your shoes and socks and were untying your apron when San turned back around to look at you. Looking up, you were met with his heated gaze. “What?” You asked as you untied your apron and set it on the counter.

San crossed the apartment, pulling you against him, lips meeting yours in a passionate kiss. From there, it was a mess of stumbling, tugging his clothes off until you both tumbled onto your bed, San trapping you beneath him.

Along the way from the kitchen to your bed, he’d lost his jacket and shirt, leaving him in his jeans and a white tank. Your skirt had fallen up as your legs wrapped around his waist, exposing your black lace panties.

You let out a moan as San leaned in, kissing up your neck as he rolled his hips against yours, grinding his erection into your soaked panties.

“Fuck,” you heard him hiss.

“I should have done this a long time ago,” San groaned, lips moving across your cheek. “San,” you gasped as his hips rolled against yours, pressing his hard cock against your core. “Say that again,” San whispered in your ear, grinding into you again.

“Say my name like that again, baby.”

You moaned, his name slipping out as he rutted against you again. His movements sped up, grinding against you repeatedly. “S-Sannie,” you whimpered, one hand moving to his shoulder as the other gripped the hair at the nape of his neck tightly. San groaned into your neck as his head fell.

“Oh god, that’s even better,” he grunted.

Whines and mewls left your lips as San continued to grind against you, grunting into your neck until you finally spoke up, your voice a little more hoarse than you intended.

“S-San,” you tried to catch his attention. When he didn’t seem to hear you, you tried again.

“San,” you said a little clearer. “Wait, wait, stop,” you continued, tapping his shoulder.

San lifted his head, stopping instantly and fixing you with a perplexed stare.

“W-what? What’s wrong?” He asked, eyes searching your face.

You reached up, cupping his cheek. “I don’t want things to go too far—”

San bowed his head with a groan. “I’m so sorry,” he started apologizing.

You shook your head as he started to push himself up. “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions,” he continued but you sat up quickly, grabbing his arm. “No, San,” you answered. “It’s not that.”

He stared at your hand on his arm before his eyes traveled up to meet your gaze.

“You didn’t let me finish,” you added.

San relaxed in your grip as he waited for you to speak.

“I was going to say that I don’t want things to go too far before we’ve properly had a chance to explore things,” you said as you watched him, waiting for his reaction. “Explore things?” He repeated your words back to you, which you confirmed with a nod.

“What does that mean?”

Your cheeks burned but you spoke with as much confidence as you could muster.

“Explore… each other.”

San’s eyes widened as your words sank in. “Explore each other?” He parroted, his lips pulling into a smile as you nodded.

“Sorry for interrupting you!” He said excitedly as he quickly threw himself onto you, pinning you against the mattress.

You let out a giggle as he peppered kisses all over your cheeks before taking your lips in a soft kiss that quickly turned heated. “God,” he murmured, lips moving across your cheek.

“I love you so much.”

Your eyes shot open and you were met with his intense stare. His face was full of nothing but adoration as he looked down at you. Your cheeks burned under his gaze and you quickly pushed him over, rolling so you were on top of him, straddling his hips.

He looked surprised as you leaned over, pressing your lips to his. “I love you too,” you answered, squealing when he pulled you tightly against him.

“This needs to come off,” he pouted, tugging at your skirt.

“Then take it off me,” you challenged. San raised an eyebrow and was quick to sit up, wasting no time as he pushed the cheap material up and watched in awe as you finished the job, pulling the dress off with ease and tossing it to the floor.

His eyes left your face, trailing down to take in your lace bra, his hands moved carefully against your skin, up your sides to cup your breasts over the material. You ran your fingers through his hair, keeping your eyes trained on his face as he continued to explore.

He reached behind your back, glancing up once as he mumbled a simple “may I?”

You nodded, breathing heavily as he undid the clasp on your bra and just as swiftly, pulled the straps down your shoulders and discarded the item with your dress. Your cheeks burned as he saw you for the first time.

You’d dreamt about this moment more than once but now that it was happening, you were feeling many emotions all at once. Love, lust, anxiety, fear, self consciousness. Would he like what he saw? What if he didn’t?

Your concerns were quashed when San spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Have I ever told you how fucking beautiful you are?”

Your cheeks burned more as you pulled your bottom teeth between your teeth, shaking your head. San carefully took the back of your neck in one hand while cupping one of your tits with the other, the palm of his hand warm against your sensitive nipple.

“You are,” he confirmed. “So fucking beautiful,” he added as he pulled you into a kiss, lips moving against yours as he parted them, his tongue slipping into your mouth. The hand on your chest squeezed, kneading your breast gently.

San pulled back, looking up at you with glossy eyes. “Lay back for me, baby,” he murmured, voice laced with desire. You carefully leaned back until you were lying on your back, San moving to kneel between your thighs.

He took your hands, moving to pin them over your head against the mattress. His lips met your collar, peppering light kisses over your skin, up the side of your neck.

“Oh, I’m going to enjoy taking my time with you,” he whispered in your ear.

He let go of your wrists as he sat up. “Keep your hands there,” he ordered, his own hands moving to undo his pants and belt. You watched as San unzipped his jeans and pushed them down, kicking them off and tossing them off the bed.

Next to go was his tank, joining his jeans in a pile on the floor, leaving him in his underwear and the necklace he always wore. The same one you gifted him many years ago.

He leaned over, kissing your stomach before moving to slide his thumbs under your panties and as slow as possible, pulled them down, sliding them down your thighs before finally discarding them on the floor as well.

You looked up at him as his eyes raked over your body, taking in all the things he’d never seen before. He rested his hands on your knees and pushed your thighs apart, ignoring the blush that crept across your face as you watched him eye up your glistening sex.

You’d only ever been intimate with one man but it wasn’t the one you wanted and now that you had the man you truly wanted to be with here in your apartment, you were going to make the most of it.

“Like what you see?” You whispered, drawing San’s attention. He met your gaze with a smirk. “More than you know,” he admitted, leaning over to kiss you. “I just want to memorize every detail,” he mumbled against your lips.

“Take a picture,” you whispered. San pulled back to give you a shocked look. “You’re serious?” He asked, which you nodded in response to. “Yes,” you answered. “Take a picture of me. Then you can look at it whenever you want to. Remember every detail until we see each other again.”

San groaned before moving to grab his phone from his pants. He quickly unlocked the screen, opened the camera app and snapped several pictures. He set his phone aside and dove back in, pressing kisses to your chest.

“San,” you breathed, your fingers combing through his hair as his lips brushed against the soft skin of your breast. “Hmm?” He hummed in response, looking up to meet your eyes in a soft gaze.

“I want you,” you whispered. He let out a small huff, his hot breath fanning across your skin. “I want you too, baby,” he replied. “I’m just taking my time with you.”

Without giving you a chance to answer, you felt his wet tongue run over your nipple before taking it in his mouth, making you moan loudly. He was gentle but still firm, tongue swirling around the sensitive nub before suckling softly.

Another moan slipped out as you felt his fingers skimming down your stomach and between your thighs. He pressed them against your wetness, groaning against your chest as he pushed one into your waiting hole.

“So fucking wet for me already?”

You whimpered as he carefully curled his finger against your walls before adding a second, pumping them slowly as his tongue continued to swirl around and run over your nipple, fixating his attention.

“S-San,” you whined, thighs trying to clench around his waist but unable to do so. Your walls fluttered around his fingers as he fucked and stretched you open. With the addition of a third finger, your arousal was starting to seep out of your hole, spilling onto your sheets.

“Such a greedy girl,” he murmured, his voice barely louder than the wet squelching of your cunt trying to suck his fingers back in. “Can I record this?” He asked softly. You nodded instantly. “Record whatever you want,” you gasped as he curled his fingers.

San sat back, continuing to pump his fingers in and out of you as he reached over to grab his phone. He opened the camera app and pressed the record, aiming the lens between your thighs as his fingers pistoned in and out of you.

Your slick shined in the flash as he lowered the phone to get a closer shot.

“That’s it baby,” he rasped, looking up from the screen of his phone to your fucked out expression. He moved his phone to get a shot of your face before moving it back to your pussy.

“You gonna cum for me, baby?” He cooed, fingers curling inside against your sweet spot. “Y-yes,” you moaned. “M’gonna cum, Sannie.”

Your thighs trembled as your high approached but just before you toppled over the edge, San stopped, pulling his fingers from your cunt. You whined in protest as he chuckled. Making sure to record, he brought his soaked fingers to your lips.

“Open,” he ordered. You did as he asked, lips parting enough for him to shove all three fingers into your mouth. “Clean them,” he added, keeping the camera on your face as you licked and sucked his fingers clean.

“Good girl,” he cooed, pausing the recording. “Here,” he said, handing the phone to you. “I want you to record me now.”

Your cheeks burned as he kissed your lips and then scooted back to settle between your thighs.

Doing as he asked, you pushed the record button, keeping the camera pointed at him. Once he knew you were recording, San smiled mischievously at the camera as he pushed your thighs apart and leaned in, biting the inside of your thigh and making you squeal.

He let out a breathy chuckle, kissing the same spot.

“San,” you breathed out as you felt him kiss his way up the inside of your thigh, skipping over your sex as he kissed up your stomach and chest, stopping to look up at you from between the valley of your breasts.

“Say it again,” he murmured. “Say my name again. Let me hear who’s making you feel this good, baby.” You moaned in response, hand moving to card your fingers through his hair. “You are,” you whispered.

You felt him huff against your skin. “Louder baby,” he retorted. “I can’t hear you.”

“You are!” You all but shouted. San chuckled against your skin, nuzzling into your sternum. “You’re damn right,” he answered.

His lips kissed down your stomach as he settled between your thighs, shoulders brushing against your skin. “Don’t be shy,” he said softly but just loud enough for you to hear him. “Let everyone know how good I make you feel.”

Your fingers in his hair tightened as you felt his tongue run along your slit, his hands shifting to spread your folds before he dove in, immediately teasing your clit with the tip of his tongue before cautiously sucking on it, making your back arch off the mattress as you fought to keep the camera focused on him.

“So sensitive,” he mused, attacking the bundle of nerves with his tongue with short but quick licks, each time making your thighs shake until you pushed his head down, forcing his tongue back against your clit.

He didn’t seem to mind, alternating between sucking and licking, making your cheeks burn as the sound of his sinful actions filled the room. It was wet and lewd but only the two of you were around to hear it.

You felt his hands move, sliding under your backside between your ass and the sheets as he held you in place, his tongue lapping at your swollen nub. Your hand in his hair moved up your stomach to grab one of your tits, massaging slowly.

“S-San,” you gasped as his tongue moved down, prodding at your entrance. You felt his nose bump against your clit as he toyed with your hole, groaning against you at the taste of your essence. “You taste so fucking good,” he grunted before pulling your clit back between his lips, a lewd slurping sound eminating from him.

“S-San,” you whined, cheeks still burning as heat spread from your stomach and to the other parts of your body. “F-feels so good,” you moaned, your fingers in his hair combing through his dark tresses.

You let out a whimper as you felt two of his fingers circle your wet entrance before pushing teasingly into you shallowly. He flattened his tongue, moving his head as his fingers teased your entrance.

“Please S-Sannie,” you moaned, back arching off your bed, begging him for more.

Without word or warning, San’s fingers breached your walls yet again, sliding in with ease as his tongue continued its assault on your clit. He kept his fingers still for a moment before starting to slowly pump them in and out of your sopping cunt.

Your thighs tried to clench around him but he used his free hand to push one of your thighs away from his head, keeping it pinned to the bed as he ate you out, fingers continuing to gain momentum until they were almost pistoning in and out of you.

A tightness in your lower stomach started, feeling as if an elastic band was being pulled back, tension mounting and ready to snap at any second. “I’m gonna cum,” you moaned. San ceased all movement at once and you whined as he pulled his fingers from your pussy. “San!”

You pushed yourself up to look at him, resting on your elbow as you tried to continue filming. He pulled his head back with a cheeky grin. His chin and lips were coated in your arousal, eyes glazed over and pupils blown wide with lust.

“I was so close,” you whined as he wiped his chin before moving to hover over you, taking you in a searing kiss, tongue pushing past your lips and dancing against yours.

You groaned, tasting yourself of his lips and tongue before he pulled away, bringing his fingers up to your mouth. “Open,” he whispered, watching as your lips parted, taking his fingers in your mouth. “Suck,” he continued, groaning as you cleaned your juices off his fingers.

As quickly as it started, he pulled his fingers from your mouth and pulled you into a passionate kiss, pinning you under him as he fiddled with his underwear.

His lips kissed down your neck to your chest, taking one of your nipples into his mouth again, tongue swirling around the sensitive nub while one of his hands kneaded and massaged your other tit.

You moaned, fingers combing through his hair and his tongue flicked against your pert nipple.

He pulled back, blowing on your wet skin and sending a chill up your spine. His lips were back against your cheek as he made his way to your ear. “I’m gonna fuck you so good you forget there was ever anyone else,” he whispered, grinding his hard cock against your wet cunt.

“Please,” you begged, meeting the grind of his hips. “Please San.”

Letting out a growl, San took the phone from you and set it aside, not even bothering to turn the recording off before he reached between your bodies, taking himself in his hand to give his cock a couple strokes, spreading your wetness along his length before pressing the head of his cock against your entrance.

You reached up, cupping his cheek as he looked up to meet your gaze. “Do it,” you whispered. “I trust you.”

San groaned, pushing into your velvety warm walls. “Ssshiiit,” he hissed, breath fanning over the skin of your neck. “K-keep going,” you gasped, one hand moving to his shoulder, squeezing as he did just that, his cock sliding further into your pussy.

“You feel so fuckin’ good, baby,” San whined, burying his face in the crook of your neck. Your walls clenched around him, drawing another whine from his lips, muffled by your neck. “You too,” you breathed, trying to adjust to the intrusion, your thighs squeezing around his slim waist.

“Please Sannie,” you urged, squeezing his waist with your thighs, one of your heels pushing into the back of his thigh. “Please fuck me.”

San groaned, his throbbing cock twitching in your cunt. “You can’t just say things like that, baby girl,” he mumbled. “And not expect me to go fuckin’ feral on you.”

You opened your mouth to respond but moaned instead when San pulled back quickly before thrusting into you one, twice, three times, setting a steady rhythm. Your hand in his hair moved to the back of his neck as you moved your hand from his shoulder to his bicep, squeezing gently.

“Fuck,” you hissed as he hit you with a hard thrust, testing just how much you could take. “Feels good?” He asked, lifting his head to smirk down at you. “Mhm,” you hummed, thighs tightening around his waist. “So f-fucking good.”

“Say it again. Tell me how good it feels, ” San groaned, hips stuttering as your walls convulsed around his cock again. “F-feels so fucking good, San,” you repeated. “Yeah?” San asked, his voice breathless as he watched your face contorted in pleasure.

“Feels fucking good? You like the way I fuck you?” He asked, his hips pounding harder against yours, the sound of skin slapping filling the room. “You like how I fill you up?” His voice dropped in pitch, a groan threatening to escape as he tried to hold back.

You nodded, whimpering as you felt the head of his length hit the spot that had your toes curling. “You like how my cock feels in your tight little pussy?”

You gasped as San rolled his hips, making you feel every ridge, bump, and vein. “You like that, baby?” He asked breathlessly, brows furrowing in concentration as your walls gripped him tighter, like a warm hug, enticing him to bury himself inside you and never leave again.

“Yes, Sannie,” you whined, your fingers moving back into his hair, trying to find something to hold onto and keep yourself grounded in the moment. You’d always wanted San to take you for his own. You’d been in love with the man since you were teenagers. Even when he didn’t follow the same path as you.

You never stopped loving him. Even when he pushed you away, saying it was for your safety. He didn’t want you to get hurt but when he came back, wanting to spend more time and see you more, you fell even harder.

The corner of your eyes burned with unshed tears as you felt your orgasm approaching. “San,” you gasped. “M'so close.”

San nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on your face. “I know, baby,” he answered, his voice just as breathy as yours. “Me too.”

The roll of his hips switch to a more erratic thrusting, each drag of his cock against your walls pulling moan after moan from you. “Fuck,” he cursed. “Look at me,” he growled. Your eyes opened, blinking away the hot tears that threatened to spill.

You felt San’s hand cup your cheek as he held your gaze. “Tell me you love me,” he blurted out. “Tell me.” Your heart leapt into your throat, pounding just as much as before. “I-“ you hesitated. Of course you loved him, you told him earlier but now it felt so much more intimate.

Your eyes darted between his before it finally slipped out.

“I love you, San.”

He sighed heavily, pulling you into a messy kiss that was mostly tongue before pulling back, ignoring the trail of spit that connected your lips. “Tell me,” he whispered, still thrusting quickly into you, cock ramming your cunt with renewed vigor. “Tell me you’re mine,” he continued.

You moaned, your hand moving to grab his wrist as your orgasm loomed over your head. “I’m yours,” you whimpered. “Only yours.”

San growled, burying his face in your neck as he chased his high, yours already crashing over you like ocean waves. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” San moaned against your skin. “M'gonna cum.”

“Cum inside me,” you gasped, keeping your thighs tight around his waist so he couldn’t pull away. “Fill me up and make me yours completely, San.” San growled into your neck, thrusting a few more times before he came with a groan, hips continuing to fuck you as he relased inside you, filling your cunt with his hot load.

His hips slowed to a stop until he collapsed on top of you. “Holy shit,” he gasped as you combed your fingers through his sweaty hair. San turned his head to look at you, finding you already looking at him with a dazed smile.

“What?” he asked, lifting his head to look at you properly.

“I love you so much,” you murmured, moving your hand to pull his face towards yours, pressing your lips against his forehead. “Yah,” he whined, cheeks turning peach as he tried to hide his face in your neck. “I’m supposed to kiss your forehead,” he mumbled. “Not the other way around.”

You giggled as he pushed himself up to look down at your smiling face.

His eyes darted to the side, noticing the phone with the camera still open, recording the ceiling. “Whoops,” he said, grabbing the device and pressing the stop button. You’d also completely forgotten about the phone until he brought it up.

“Did it record everything?” You asked as he set the device on the nightstand. He nodded, looking back down at you. “Yeah,” he answered softly before he took your lips in a slow, passionate kiss, lips moving softly against each other. “I love you,” he whispered against your lips. “So much.”

You kissed him back, smiling as he leaned into your kiss. You let out a series of giggles as his hands wandered, tickling your sides before shrieking as he rolled onto his back, pulling you on top of him. San groaned as he looked up at you.

“Fuck, I should have made you ride me,” he murmured, hands moving up your sides and around to cup your chest. You leaned over to kiss him again. “We still have a couple hours,” you muttered, lips brushing against his. You felt one of his hands move up to your neck, cupping the side of it.

“Give me a bit to recover first,” he murmured, pressing multiple kisses to your lips.

“Then we can go again. We can go all night if you want to,” he added, looking up into your eyes. You placed your hand over his. “All night?” you asked, sounding hopeful and prompting San to nod in response.

“I’m yours until 400,” he added, noticing how your smile fell a fraction, the same sadness from before reaching your eyes. “And then you’ll be gone,” you whispered. San took your face in his hands. “Not forever,” he whispered, thumb stroking your cheek as tears welled up in your eyes.

“No,” he murmured, kissing you softly. “Please don’t cry, Y/N.”

You tried to hold back your tears, sobs threatening to escape your throat.

“I’ll come back for you,” he added. “I promise.”

You nodded your head as he kissed you again. “You told me you love me,” you whispered. San hummed in response, pulling you against his chest, fingers combing through your hair. “I do,” he replied.

“You promise?”

San nodded, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I promise, baby.”

“And you promise you’ll come back for me?”

San could only curse the universe for the way things worked out. If he had his way, he’d call off the whole resistance and quit it all to be with you but he was too far in. Too deep. He couldn’t do that to his crew who had become like family to him.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he nodded once more.

“I promise,” he answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Because you love me?” Your voice was so soft as you slowly started to drift off.

San smiled at you as you eyes fluttered shut, fingers combing through your hair gently. He’d never loved anyone as much as he loved you. It was a bittersweet love. One that was doomed to end with heartbreak.

“Because I love you.”

It was almost a crime to leave your apartment but San knew he had no choice. Even though you looked so peaceful sleeping. Almost like an angel.

He knew he had business to attend to. He had to have the bike back to Outlaw Customs by 400 and it was just after 300. The ride back wasn’t as long but San made sure to savor every moment of it.

That was until his bike started making a weird sound.

He had just pulled into the alley when the sound started so he was able to roll the bike to the garage door and press the buzzer.

After a few moments, no doubt Yunho checking the cameras, the garage door started to open with a mechanical whirring. Yunho greeted his friend before a frown covered his features.

“Why does she sound like that?” Yunho asked as San parked the bike and cut the engine. “That’s a great question,” San answered. “It just started making it as soon as I pulled into the alley.”

Yunho pushed the garage door closing button and walked over, kneeling by the bike to inspect it. “I might need to readjust a few things,” he murmured before standing back up. “She’ll be fine for the job,” he added as San narrowed his eyes at the giant mechanic. “She better be,” San muttered.

Yunho waved his concern away. “Have I ever given you reason to doubt me?” The giant asked to which San shook his head. “Not yet,” he answered, making Yunho swear and playfully swipe at his friend.

“So, did you get everything done?” Yunho asked, not missing the sad smile that crossed San’s features. “Yeah,” the shorter man said. “Yeah I did.”

Yunho paused for a moment before placing a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “If you want to talk about it—” San quickly cut him off.

“I’ll be fine,” he said quickly, pulling from Yunho’s reach. “I’ll see you later.”

Yunho nodded as San walked out the door into the main shop, nodding towards the shop owner, Nightowl, as he exited, Yunho not far behind.

“What was that all about?” Nightowl asked, looking over at Yunho who shrugged.

“I have no idea.”

The walk back was shorter than San remembered and soon the old van came into view. Wooyoung was still sitting in the driver’s seat while Cardinal sat in the passenger seat just like when San left.

Wooyoung was playing the same rhythm game on his phone while Cardinal looked through city maps. They both looked just as they had when San left but he picked up on subtle differences. Wooyoung’s hair was a little more wild and Cardinal was missing one of their shirts, left in just a tank top and pants.

San didn’t need to be a genius to know what happened in the back of the van and he begrudgingly opened the back door of the van and climbed in.

The stench of sex hung in the air and San pushed the blankets away from him as he settled down in his usual spot. “Where did you go?” Cardinal asked, peering over the seat to look at San as he removed his leather jacket and hung it on a hook next to him.

“Just out,” he answered quietly as he grabbed his tablet and started fiddling with it, ignoring the looks both Wooyoung and Cardinal threw his way. He missed the way they both exchanged worried looks with one another.

“You alright, San?” Wooyoung asked, glancing back at his friend. San said nothing but nodded.

He continued to tap on the screen while Wooyoung and Cardinal exchanged glances once more.

Part of San wishes he hadn’t come back. That he’d stayed with you in your apartment and forgotten the whole thing. Everything he’d worked for and helped set in motion. He would forget it all if it meant he could have a chance at being happy with you. But it wasn’t possible.

Not in this life.

[juni-ravenhall]

im playing story quests on one of my alts and i pretty much completely forgot about this part of the rescue herman quest where herman tells us GED have blocked off Old Hillcrest (its blocked off with a tall wall right next to the GED site where herman was) bc when they were mining for drakonium an explosion within the mountain occured and purple mist spread, some people disappeared who were trapped by the mist, the place was then closed off and screams can be heard at night still. and GED thinks this was some kind of operation by a rivalling company and are "planning to bring a small army to take the mine back and become the most powerful company in the world".

im still in the middle of these quests so theres some left to go before it dies and gets abandoned. i remember playing this the first time and feeling like it was actually fun and intriguing story-wise, despite the clunky gameplay. the intrigue of the characters too, the buttergoods, the mystery of mrs X and jarlaheim's missing mayor, and other fun characters around this like hayden that are just fun to read bc of the silly vibes of the writing. i feel so much nostalgia when im playing it and and sadness about how this shit was abandoned, and im not even a longterm childhood player or someone who has been waiting for these stories since SSL.

i really wish the writers and directors at sse took this more seriously and tried to actually revive the story that their players were promised and waiting for, alongside producing higher quality writing than they currently do (including characterisation) and gameplay. the gameplay was never good, but the vibes used to be. it was charming and goofy but it was also exciting.

i also played the new race things added to valedale today and it was pretty much pointless. why did you add 3 new npcs *again*? what is the plan? we already have no relation to the other new valedale npcs and now theres even more of them and none of them feel like they matter to the story or the world at all. its just bloating the game with random npcs while we dont hear anything about all these epona characters or the wildwoods or mistfall characters or most the others. it really is like, "we added Stuff To Do like you asked so now you cant complain!" but the Stuff To Do that people want should actually tie back into things youve already been creating in the game rather than constantly adding in random new shit that doesnt feel like a continuation of the story and world we fell in love with. all the valedale magic stuff feels really random and out of place (to me!) rather than connected to the druids and soul riding.

[os-game-rp-out-of-context]

fifh

Fifh masterpost:

- - - - - -

Please contact me through asks or tumblr DMs if new ones appear, if there's issues with the listing, or if I missed some. This post will receive updates.

If you wish to not be listed here, contact me the same way.

This is not a masterpost for the tide arc, and will not include all of it.

These are the original posts. If you wish to continue any of these, use the reblog graph to find the longer threads.

No particular order yet.

- - - - - -

@freeware-entity - The original, Denial, Bargaining, Acceptance, Denial, Denial, Anger, Anger, Bargaining, Denial, Acceptance, Denial, Yuri.

@askprophetbot - Fifh.

@silverpoints-terminal - Fifh.

@prophet-of-the-barrens - Fifh.

@oneshotcafe - Fifh.

@zeralight-asks & backup. - Fifh. Writer's very wholesome motivational speech Laser Fifh. No. Get bricked. (there might be more)

@ask-oneshot-messiah - Fifh.

@ask-entity-of-the-tower - Fifh.

@ask-the-world-machine - Nonsense.

@aviator-of-the-glen - Fifh. Twice.

@askhellopenguin - Fifh. Clark's Fifh.

@nyat-a-cat - Fifh. Fifh. Elaborate Chain Plan.

@watchereyes - I am sorry?

@fox-of-the-refuge - Fifh.

@ask-phosphor-alula - Fifh. Twice.

@alulablog - Fifh. Twice.

@officialancer - Forgotten Isotope Fancy Hat.

@scorched-rth - Thanks.

@ratfromh - Speak your truth.

@definitelynotabanana - Fifh.

@nelumbo-lotuses - Fifh.

@the-true-shinetales - Whom?

@alulaisthebest - I agree? Fish?

@the-tamed-fox - What?

@n1ko-whoisdefinatelynotacat - I- what?

@rotomblr-polls - Bonus poll.

@ask-oneshot - Fifh. Again?

@askwalmartniko - Have fun. Fifhed.

@ask-cat-kip - Like fish?

@guilty-shot-au - The F.I.F.H.

@os-mapmaker - Fifh. Fifh. Fifh. Fifh. Fifh.

@tides-of-timelines - Tide arc start.

@ask-onelife-au - Uhm.

@fruttymoment - God bless. Fifh fanart.

@bane-of-beings-that-fish - Thanks? Twice

@scarletlights - Bwuh?

@ask-nikooneshot - Indeed. Fifh. Fifhs and dreams.

@os-game-rp-out-of-context - Fifh Masterpost, twice.

@ask-os-testbuild - Fifh.

@wishiwashi-wrangler - Fish.

@proxy-node-x04 - Fifh.

@in-your-reflection - Fi- oh wait not yet-

@irruption-lightbringer - wat

@mikaseidukas - Very Nice.

@anyzstuff - Please don't hurt me!

@stuckobserver - Twice. Thrice.

@zeramalgamate - What?

@society-of-non-cats - Fifh!

@ask-oneshot-operator - Already?

@os-hacknet Your IP is... Twice.

@navi-sakura - Eated it all.

@tainted-hope - F1fh.

@ask-porthole - Like, fish?

[workersolidarity]

[ 📹 Scenes of chaos and horror after the Israeli occupation army bombed a gathering of civilians attempting to obtain a clear internet signal in the Al-Jarn area of the Jabalia Camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of at least three Palestinians. 📈 The endlessly rising death toll in the Zionist entity's ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip now exceeds 37'713 Palestinians killed and over 86'377 others wounded since October 7th. ]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚀🏘️💥🚑 🚨

WAR IN GAZA, DAY 264: SENIOR ISRAELI OFFICIALS AND ACADEMICS DEMAND U.S. CANCEL NETANYAHU'S VISIT TO CONGRESS, GENOCIDE GOES ON AS CIVILIANS ARE TARGETED BY OCCUPATION BOMBS

On 264th day of the Israeli occupation's ongoing special genocide operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed a total of 4 new massacres of Palestinian families, resulting in the deaths of no less than 60 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, while another 140 others were wounded over the previous 24-hours.

It should be noted that as a result of the constant Israeli bombardment of Gaza's healthcare system, infrastructure, residential and commercial buildings, local paramedic and civil defense crews are unable to recover countless hundreds, even thousands, of victims who remain trapped under the rubble, or who's bodies remain strewn across the streets of Gaza.

This leaves the official death toll vastly undercounted as Gaza's healthcare officials are unable to accurately tally those killed and maimed in this genocide, which must be kept in mind when considering the scale of the mass murder.

Writing in an opinion piece published by the New York Times, several former Israeli officials and academics have called upon the United States to cancel a planned speech to the Congress by the embattled Zionist entity's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

The officials writing the opinion piece include David Harel, President of the Israeli Academy of the Sciences and Humanities; Tamir Pardo, former director of the Mossad spy agency; Talia Sasson, former director of the special tasks department at "Israel's" State Attorney's Office; Ehud Barack, the former Israeli Prime Minister; and Aaron Ciechanover, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The officials and academics write that inviting Netanyahu to speak before Congress is a "terrible mistake," and that his appearance before Congress will "not represent the State of Israel and its citizens," resulting in the rewarding of Netanyahu's "scandalous and destructive conduct."

Coming from positions of politics, the sciences, technology, defense and law, the writers feel they are well placed to judge the effects of Netanyahu's extremist government, adding that "like many, we believe that he is driving Israel downhill at an alarming speed, to the extent that we may eventually lose the country we love."

The officials continue by saying that Netanyahu and his regime have failed to create a plan for ending the war in the Gaza Strip, and that the Occupation Prime Minister has been unable to secure the release of Israeli hostages detained by the Palestinian Resistance in the Strip.

"At the very least, an invitation to address Congress should have been contingent upon resolving these two issues and, in addition, calling for new elections in Israel," they write in the Times.

The officials go on to declare that, "Inviting Mr. Netanyahu will reward his contempt for U.S. efforts to establish a peace plan, allow more aid to the beleaguered people of Gaza and do a better job of sparing civilians."

They warn that, again and again, the Netanyahu administration has rejected U.S. President Joe Biden's plans to remove Hamas from its position of power in the Gaza Strip by establishing a peacekeeping force in the Palestinian enclave.

"Such a move would very likely bring in its wake a far broader regional alliance, including a vision to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is not only in Israel’s interest but also in the interest of both political parties in the United States. Mr. Netanyahu constitutes the main obstacle to these outcomes," the officials said in the Times.

"The man who will address Congress next month has failed to assume responsibility for the blunders that allowed the Hamas assault, initially blaming security chiefs (then quickly backtracking), and has yet to announce the establishment of a direly needed state commission of inquiry headed by a Supreme Court judge to look into the fiasco," they added.

The writers go on to list the many ways in which the Israeli Prime Minister has weakened the Israeli occupation, while giving examples of the ways in which Netanyahu's coalition partners endanger the rights of Israeli citizens, including the example of the violent suppression of Israeli protests against the government, as well as Netanyahu's insistence on enshrining into law the exemption from military service for the Ultra-Orthodox at a time of war.

"Above all, many Israelis are convinced that Mr. Netanyahu has obstructed proposed deals with Hamas that would have led to the release of the hostages in order to keep the war going and thus avoid the inevitable political reckoning he will face when it ends," the former officials and academics said of Netanyahu's corrupt administration.

The writers go on to point to Israeli public opinion, which they say has turned against the Prime Minister's administration as Netanyahu's coalition hangs on tightly to its slim majority in the Israeli Knesset.

The officials continue by slamming Netanyahu's seeming lack of concern for the hundreds of thousands of Israelis displaced by Hezbollah's retaliation in the north of the occupied Palestinian territories, resulting from the continued Zionist aggression in the Gaza Strip, while growing demonstrations in the occupied territories threaten Netanyahu's position as the protest movement continues to grow in strength.

"That’s where Mr. Netanyahu’s speech to Congress fits in with his political needs. No doubt it will be carefully stage-managed to prop up his shaky hold on power and allow him to boast to his constituents about America’s so-called support for his failed policies," the officials said of Netanyahu's speech to Congress.

They warn that Likud and the far-right's supporters in the occupied territories will be emboldened by the speech before Congress, coming to the conclusion that it will further hinder the chances of making a deal that could see the Israeli hostages released.

The officials conclude by saying, "Giving Mr. Netanyahu the stage in Washington will all but dismiss the rage and pain of his people, as expressed in the demonstrations throughout the country. American lawmakers should not let that happen. They should ask Mr. Netanyahu to stay home."

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation's ongoing special genocide operation continued in the Gaza Strip, with several airstrikes overnight and into the morning that resulted in dozens of casualties.

In just a few examples of the Zionist entity's war crimes in Gaza, an occupation air raid targeted a residential house belonging to the Abu Awad family in the city of Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, with initial reports stating that three Palestinians were killed in the assault, while at least a dozen others were wounded.

Subsequently, additional reporting stated the death toll in the Beit Lahiya strike had risen to 15, while several others remained in critical condition.

Following that strike, occupation aircraft fired a missile towards a gathering of civilians attempting to obtain an internet signal in the Al-Jarn area of the town of Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, after which, three Palestinians who were killed in the strike were transferred to the Indonesian Hospital in the city of Beit Lahiya.

At the same time, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) bombed, and detonated with explosives, several residential homes in neighborhoods southwest of Gaza City, as well as the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of the city, while the systematic destruction of residential neighborhoods and public infrastructure in the city of Rafah in the south continued unabated.

According to local reporting, the occupation army detonated a number of residential squares in the Saudi neighborhood, west of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, as well as in neighborhoods east and northeast of Khan Yunis, while violent occupation artillery shelling and airstrikes hammered the Nuseirat Camp, in the central Gaza Strip.

Local reporting states that a number of civilians were killed, and many others wounded, as a result of IOF artillery shelling of various neighborhoods of Gaza City, including the Al-Sabra, Al-Zaytoun, and Tal al-Hawa neighborhoods.

Simultaneously, Zionist artillery detatchments resumed their bombardment of the eastern areas of the Bureij Refugee Camp, as well as targeting agricultural lands west of the Nuseirat Camp, both in the central Gaza Strip.

Local reports write that 5 civilians were killed in an artillery strike, and were subsequently taken to Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat Camp after being targeted in their residential apartment, while occupation artillery shelling also targeted farmers in the grape vineyards, west of the New Camp area in the Nuseirat Camp.

Occupation soldiers also detonated a number of residential buildings in the vicinity of the Zoroub roundabout, west of the city of Rafah, south of Gaza, coinciding with heavy artillery shelling of the central and western neighborhoods of the city.

Palestinian sources have also reported that a number of wounded civilians arrived at the European Gaza Hospital in the city of Khan Yunis, south of Gaza, after intense occupation bombing pummeled citizen's homes in the town of Al-Khuza'a.

As a result of the Israeli occupation's ongoing war of extermination in the Gaza Strip, the infinitely rising death toll now exceeds 37'718 Palestinians killed, including at least 10'000 women and more than 15'000 children, while another 86'377 others have been wounded since the start of the current round of Zionist aggression, beginning with the events of October 7th, 2023.

June 26th, 2024.

#source1

#source2

#source3

#source4

#source5

#videosource

#graphicsource

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[percheduphere]

LOKI SEASON 2 - END GAME THEORIES PART 1

This is going to be a super long post that will need to be divided into 2 parts due to the 10 image posting limit. Here's what I'll cover:

Part 1:

1.) The Original Timekeepers

2.) Trust as a Theme

3.) Social Intelligence is a Leadership Skill

4.) Mobius's Presence Through Food - Food is Socializing ... and Friendship

Part 2: (read: here)

5.) Mobius's Plotline

6.) Sylvie's Role

7.) John = Mobius?

8.) The Original Timekeepers & Time Paradoxes

THE ORIGINAL TIMEKEEPERS

I am 99.99% certain that the original 3 timekeepers are Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie, and that we are in a time paradox by which the future influenced the past. The lore and set design have repeatedly highlighted that there have always been THREE timekeepers.

More than once, the camera has held on the TVA seal for an extended period. The seal above is from the past, when HWR was in power.

This seal is from the future:

In both cases, the image of the seal remains the same. The dagger represents Loki, the hourglass (drawn like a mobius strip) represents Mobius, and the mask (that looks like shield but isn't) represents Sylvie, who can enchant. The papers covering the text appears intentional as well, a nod to the comics, "Loki: God of Stories".

And the writers, cunning folk that they are, are counting on the most avid fans to be too busy looking for scenes supporting their ships to realize that the end game is for Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie to trust and care about one another enough to protect all time(lines), always. Please note that I'm not an anti. I love shipping! It's fun. But an awareness of shipping is also a useful tool to keep the audience distracted from the narrative and cinematic hints that are right in front of our faces. These three need to become a team. The shots below (adored by Lokius fans, including me) foreshadow this in 2 ways:

First, that Loki's character has progressed to the point that he trusts and supports Mobius. Second, that both shots are imbalanced. There needs to be a third person on Loki's other side to balance both shots' composition. The Heart of the TVA is missing its 3rd timekeeper: Sylvie.

This shot is significant for several reasons, all of which are thematically connected. Despite there being two people on either side of Loki, the shot is still imbalanced. Loki is slightly closer to Mobius. In this scene. Sylvie is positioned at a distance, demonstrating lack of trust in both of them.

TRUST AS A THEME

Stepping back for a moment, S1 predominantly focused on Loki and Mobius developing trust in one another:

By Season 2, that trust is well-established. Sylvie hasn't had enough time to build trust with either them. She continues to operate in a survivalist mindset. Her history justifies this: she's relied on herself since childhood. But not having anyone to trust is not the path to happiness, nor is it to the path to success when in the face of an annihilation event. Sylvie is still emotionally and psychologically where Loki was at the beginning of S1.

SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE IS A LEADERSHIP SKILL

I'm an older fan. If you've ever worked for a medium to large employer, the different types of managers that exist become apparent.

1. The micromanagers, managers who do not trust their staff and consequently create a tense environment that can become toxic where no one trusts one another.

2. The absent managers, managers who delegate and disappear, leaving their team feel uncared for.

3. The blurred-line manager, who's friendly and approachable but doesn't hold others accountable and doesn't know how to create and implement plans at a high level (out of fear of upsetting anyone), making their team feel frustrated with in-fighting and lost in terms of what the main goal is.

4. The authoritarian, a manager who follows the book to a T, is rigid, punitive, and has no compassion for individual circumstances.

5. The leader, a manager who takes the time to know team members individually, change their management style based on individual needs, keeps an eye on the big picture and ensure actions are taken toward it, holds people accountable but also makes time to make sure people are getting along.

Renslayer, Brad, and Sylvie tearing Mobius down are foreshadowing, plot set-up, and red herrings. Mobius is not a perfect leader, but he is a strong one by virtue of having exceptional social skills, which Sylvie doesn't have because she's never had real friends before. It's not her fault. However, it is imperative that she move beyond this.

And Loki, who has developed compassion, self-awareness, and personal accountability through Mobius's friendship and love, extends those things to Sylvie. He is gentle when he confronts her. He shares his experience with Thor because he knows where Sylvie is at mentally. But he also doesn't force her to come with him. He leaves her with the free will to choose.

MOBIUS'S PRESENCE THROUGH FOOD - FOOD IS SOCIALIZING ... AND FRIENDSHIP

In S2E4, Mobius's presence and influence are heavy in scenes in which he is not there. The pie scene is one of them, with the flickering lights and sweets sitting forlornly behind glass symbolizing that Mobius's sense of self (very much grounded in trust and hope in others, even if they are broken) is wavering. And as @charcubed noted in their INCREDIBLE meta here, everything goes wrong from this point. Why?

Having pie together was an opportunity to build trust and friendship with Sylvie.

None of them have the technical know-how to help OB, Victor, and Casey. The best thing they could have done is get out of their hair because too much overseeing leads to anxiety and anxiety leads to mistakes. Mobius knows this. What can they do in the meantime? Stress eat and integrate Sylvie as a member of the team.

Note that every moment Mobius makes to eat or drink is not only a moment to de-stress, it is also a moment he uses to bond with others and get to know them better. Renslayer (and later Loki, because he's become close enough to Mobius to know what comforts him) uses this method, too.

S1 - Whisky scene with Renslayer

S1 - Cafeteria scene with Loki

S1- Salad scene with Loki

S2 - Cracker Jack scene with Loki

S2 - McDonalds scene with Brad

S2 - Pie scene with Loki

S2 - Hot cocoa scene with Victor

Knowing what people want and care about is critical to motivating individuals, and yes, this talent can be used as manipulation when the situation calls for it.

Socializing over food is also a means of feeling less alone. We tend to eat with people we trust and care about (a tradition meant for family, found or otherwise), or at the very least want to get along with.

The second scene where Mobius's presence is felt despite not being there?

What does Victor dobwith the hot cocoa?

He gives it to D-90.

Victor gives it to D-90 out of a sense of comradery, a basic human desire to share something nice with someone and maybe make friends.

But this moment leads to tragedy. As @charcubed explained, Mobius separating from Loki led him to comfort eat via hot cocoa. The hot cocoa caught Victor's interest. D-90 goes with Victor to check out the machine. D-90 is pruned, and Victor is separated from the team. This causes a delay in getting Victor prepped and out onto the Loom gangway, which causes the temporal radiation to build up so high, it's impossible for Victor survive. The Loom consequently explodes.

PART 2 HERE!

Thank you to @bebx and @mobius-m-mobius for responding to my asks which consisted of end game theories for Loki Season 2 (here, here, here, and here), and for @wowwwmobius for supporting my thoughts. Your replies got me to feel brave enough to post everything I've been thinking in full!

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … November 13

354 AD – Early Christian writer St. Augustine was born on this date (d.430) Following the example of St. Paul, Augustine set the standard for confessional literature that was to flourish in the centuries that followed. The pattern, of course, is a detailed listing of one's sins, followed by a narration of some event or events that made one long for salvation, and then an enunciation of the pains and joys of penance with the hope of future redemption.

Augustine confessed not only to having fathered a son, but to friendship that was classically homoerotic. When he was a young man, his closest friend died and Augustine contemplated joining him in death. "I felt that his soul and mine were `one soul in two bodies'; and therefore life was to me horrible because I hated to live as half of a life; and therefore perhaps I feared to die, lest he should wholly die whom I loved so greatly. My longing eyes sought him everywhere." Augustine, of course, cast off all sins of the flesh and becoming one of the great founders of Christian doctrine, admonished us all to do the same.

1759 – In the Netherlands, minister Andreas Klink is banished for life for having committed sodomy. He defends his attractions as natural.

1879 – Marcus Behmer (d.1958) was a German writer and book illustrator, graphic designer and painter.

Marcus Behmer was a son of the painter Hermann Behmer. His uncle Rudolf Behmer, known as a breeder of Merino sheep - was the twin brother of his father. His brother Joachim Behmer was also active as an artist.

His artistic beginnings came with his first major success with the illustrations for Wilde's Salome in 1903. The early works show the influence of the illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley.

On 1 October 1903 Behmer entered military service, was appointed a corporal in 1904 and promoted in 1907 to sergeant. From 1914 he participated in the First World War (in Flanders and in Poland). In the summer of 1917 he fell ill "after an operation in the field" and was six weeks in the military hospital of Jarny . During his time in the army, many so-called "comrades' portraits" emerged, usually reduced, although finely crafted profile views of young soldiers

From 1902 Behmer produced illustrations for books, designed initials and writings, and was responsible for carefully planned publishing facilities. He worked for the Cranach Press of Count Harry Kessler and illustrated numerous articles for the monthly magazine "The Island."

Behmer had been since 1903 a member of the first homosexual organization in the world in Berlin. Because of his homosexuality, Behmer was sentenced in April 1937 by a court in Konstanz to imprisonment of two years. At times he was given the opportunity to work as an artist in prison. The works produced in this period are mostly calligraphic tablets with Greek text (prayers and Bible quotes), and drawings full of bitterness and irony.

1950 – Charles Kaiser is an American author, journalist and academic administrator. In 2018 he was named Acting Director of the LGBTQ Public Policy Center at Hunter College. He is also a nonfiction book critic for The Guardian (US).

His book about one family in the French Resistance, The Cost of Courage (2015) received enthusiastic reviews from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Christian Science Monitor, among many other publications. It also won the grand prize at the Paris Book Festival (2015). In 2016 it was published in France by Seuil as Le Prix du Courage.

His blog about the media, Full Court Press, originated on the website of Radar Magazine in the fall of 2007. He continued it at the Columbia Journalism Review and the Sidney Hillman Foundation until the spring of 2011.

The son of a diplomat, Philip Mayer Kaiser, he grew up in Washington, D.C., Albany, New York, Dakar, Senegal, London, England and Windsor, Connecticut. He has lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for many years.

He is the author of The Cost of Courage, 1968 In America, and The Gay Metropolis. The Gay Metropolis was a Lambda Literary Award winner, as well as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He was a guest on the Colbert Report, where he discussed a new edition of The Gay Metropolis. He wrote the afterword for a 2012 edition of Merle Miller's landmark work, On Being Different: What it Means to Be a Homosexual. That afterword was excerpted on the website of the New York Review of Books. In 2015 he was inducted into the LGBT Journalists Hall of Fame.

1955 – Caryn Elaine Johnson, best known as Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host. She is a strong supporter of the LGBT community.

On April 1, 2010, Goldberg joined Cyndi Lauper in the launch of her Give a Damn campaign to bring a wider awareness of discrimination of the LGBT community. The campaign is to bring straight people to ally with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community. Other names included in the campaign include Jason Mraz, Elton John, Judith Light, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Kardashian, Clay Aiken, Sharon Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne.

Goldberg's high-profile support for LGBT rights and AIDS activism dates back to the 1987 March on Washington, where she was one of few celebrities participating.

1969 – Today is the birthday of bi-sexual Scottish actor Gerard Butler. He is best known for his portrayal of King Leonidas in the intensely homoerotic film about the Spartans, 300. He also portrayed the Phantom in the 2004 film version of The Phantom of the Opera. He is slated to portray the iconic Scottish poet Robert Burns in an upcoming biopic.

In the gossip mags, there have been numerous stories of his romantic involvements - including several of romantic and/or sexual involvements with other male stars.

In a 2004 Movieline interview he said:

"I talk about my sexuality, but it's always glossed over. People seem to shy away from the issue. Whenever it is discussed, it's distended and exaggerated. Gerard Butler is Gay. No I'm not. I don't know myself what I am so it can be bewildering to see that being plugged. I have been in relationships with women. And men. That doesn't make me Gay. That doesn't make me straight. It's hard enough to go through these things in my mind without being scrutinised about it so there are times when you want to close the door and say my sexuality is my own personal business."

1999 – Josh Cavallo is an Australian professional association footballer who plays as a left back and central midfielder for Adelaide United. Cavallo has represented the Australian under-20 national team.

Cavallo was born in Bentleigh East, Victoria.

Cavallo represented both Melbourne Victory FC Youth and Melbourne City FC Youth. Western United. On 15 April 2019, Melbourne City announced that Cavallo would leave the club at the expiration of his contract at the end of the 2018–19 season.

On 24 June 2019, new A-League side Western United announced that Cavallo would join the club ahead of its inaugural season. He made his debut on 3 January 2020 in a 3–2 loss at his previous club. On as a 71st-minute substitute for Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, he earned a penalty when fouled by goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis, which was converted by Besart Berisha. Western United announced that Cavallo was leaving the club on 10 February 2021.

On 18 February 2021, Cavallo signed a short-term contract to play for Adelaide United. After a successful stint in the 2020–21 A-League, he signed a two-year contract extension on 11 May. He was rewarded with Adelaide United's A-League Rising Star award after a successful 2020–21 campaign, in which he started 15 games and made 18 appearances.

Cavallo came out as gay in October 2021. At the time, there were no other openly-gay male footballers playing professional top-flight football, in the world. In becoming the first to do so, he said in a statement, "I hope that in sharing who I am, I can show others who identify as LGBTQ+ that they are welcome in the football community."