#I JUST BOUGHT COD 4

[ohworm-writes]

True mental illness is fixing on a certain character to the point that you waste countless amounts of money on things even remotely related to them.

[ave661]

Post about art-theft, AI and tracing of my render:

Unfortunately, one of my renders I made a year ago, was traced, copied, edited by AI by "brothers in arms" store and now sold as a merch aimed towards CoD fandom. They are currently sending this out to various cosplayers asking them to promote it.

As someone who is affected by this, I have to speak up about it.

(post about it on twt & insta)

I found out about it by accident when I saw promoted post on my insta feed. When I started talking about it in my stories, this store sent me a private message saying they had been working on this design for weeks and had never heard of me so they definitely didn't steal anything, and offered me free stuff. When I disagreed with them and sent them files comparing our works, they stopped replying to me, so I continued talking about it again on my insta. Only when my followers started leaving comments under their post saying this is wrong, they decided to continue discussion on the next day.

2. They mentioned that they could have been inspired by some pictures they found on the internet and showed me their "first sketch" of design… which was made by AI.

3. During the conversation, they mentioned that their artist could have based his work on a picture he found on the Internet, but he defended himself by saying that they might not have known it was mine. But even if they didn't know about me, even if they found some fanart on the Internet - it doesn't mean you can copy something detail by detail and sell it as your own. What is most important here, their offer to solve the problem was to give me credits in their design. IF they worked hard on it, why would they want to give me credits? My offer was to remove it.

4. Why do I mention that it could have been done by AI? because many lines are unfinished and a lot of details don't make sense.

5. Below is a comparison of my render that I published on March 18, 2023 with their first sketch they showed me, which apparently they drew themselves:

I am saying this so that the CoD community, which is very large, will be aware of this, because there are many people who have already bought it and after my insta story, they felt bad and said they want return it because they don't want to support art theft.

It's not just about me anymore - it could have happened to anyone who creates fanart and share it on the Internet just for fun. One day someone may use it for their own profit without us being aware of it. It doesn't matter if it's a 3D render or a drawing. All artists in this (or any other) fandom do not deserve to experience such thing, and we need to speak out about it to prevent it from happening in the future.

Reposting fanart is, as this example shows, dangerous and hurtful, so please respect artists and don’t do this. Especially on pinterest.

Their only proposal and offer to give me credits for the work they traced is something I will never agree to.

[sickeninglyshoujo]

a/n: continually obsessed w/ cod dads, here's price

part 1: simon here

part 3: soap here

part 4: gaz here

masterlist here

warnings: pregnancy

word count: 1.7k

buy me a ko-fi

Price was afraid to have babies with you because of the age difference and you rolled your eyes every time he talked about being an old man and how a pretty young thing like you shouldn’t be dating him much less trying to get knocked up by someone his age. As if he’d let you even entertain the thought of leaving him for a young buck who couldn’t spoil you like you deserved.

Throughout your pregnancy he treated you like fine China, afraid he’d say the wrong thing and make you cry. He’s heard about women’s hormones during pregnancy even as you remained rock solid, rolling your eyes when he’d ‘yes dear’ you.

You tried to kick him out of the bathroom when morning sickness hit and he refused. Instead sitting on the tub next to you, petting your back as you leaned into the toilet and tried to soothe you, telling you how strong you were and how beautiful you were carrying his baby even with sick bubbling up your throat at the slightest movement “I thought morning sickness was only supposed to be in the morning,” you moaned with your forehead pressed against the cool floor tile. “It’’s a misnomer, love,” John said, removing himself from his perch on the tub to wet a cool washcloth and wipe down your face.

He wishes this phase was over, hates seeing you in pain like this.

That changes once the baby’s born then he’s ready to do it all over again. He didn’t know how attached he’s gotten to helping you do the things you couldn’t because of your belly  like putting on your shoes (looking up at your belly reverently the entire time before planting a kiss on it) for you and helping you pick things off the floor that your clumsy fingers dropped. He grew a particular affection for helping you rub shea butter and vitamin E oil over your rapidly appearing stretch marks.

Price insists on building the nursery furniture without reading the directions, “Know what I’m doin’ woman,” and to your chagrin he was right. Managed everything without a set of directions perched on his knee and instead chucked them to the side with the box.

The first thing he built was the fancy rocking chair he bought for you, insisting you don’t help him with anything “At least let me hold the screws John, I feel stupid just sitting here!”

To him, peace is this. This is what so many long nights holed up in some shithole on a mission have led to. Him sitting on the floor at your feet, building a life together while oldies play on the record player in the next room. He’s so overwhelmed in the moment he can’t help but pull your hand to his lips and kiss it and laughs at you when you ask him what’s wrong

“It’s all right, is the thing, love.”

When you get the first ultrasound, he stops at the store on the way home and purchased a picture frame (insisting you stay in the car and not overexert yourself, he’ll just be a moment, love). The next day he’s on base it now proudly sits facing him next to the photo of him and you vacationing in London with your faces squeezed together in the frame, selfie-style.

Tells anyone who enters his office about you and how far along you are, whether they ask or not, comparing the baby to different sized fruits, which parts were developing that week.

“She’s the size of a lime now, tiny little thing.”

“Can you imagine that she’s growing fingernails in my bird’s belly!”

Absolutely rubbed your swollen ankles in the evenings when he got home from work, peppering gentle kisses on them when he switched feet

Loved your pregnancy brain fog and would kiss your nose any time he got to remind you about something. He became the keeper of your calendar, scheduling your appointments and taking you to them.

When you go into labor, he’s on base in a meeting with some high-brass in a meeting on a highly classified matter. He’s not even allowed to bring his phone into the room. Instead having to turn it off and lock it in a safe prior to entering even with a baby on the way. He was aware this might happen and had instructed you on the line of succession.

“If you can’t get ahold of me, leave me a message lovie, then go down the line. Simon’s second-in–command-”

“Then Kyle, then Johnny, I know, John, you’ve drilled it into my head,” You soothe him, petting the creases he’s worn between his eyebrows, “It’ll be just fine, women have been doing it for thousands of years.”

“I’ll be there, I promise lovie,” He kisses your palm

You leave the message on John’s voicemail, a curt, “It’s time John, once I hang-up I’m dialing Simon, just like we practiced.”

Simon answers on the third ring, “Missus?” His rumbly voice cuts across the line.

“It’s time Simon and John’s still in the meeting since his phone is turned off.”

“Copy.”

The line goes dead leaving you blinking at the Call Ended screen.

You decide that Simon is aware of the drastic nature of the matter and instead busy yourself, you lug the baby bag and your purse to the floor next to the door and go through the checklist John had created in the front pocket: Stove off, windows shut and locked, televisions off…It wasn’t until Simon was letting himself into your front door that the list was likely a distraction from your husband to stop you from leaving on your own until Simon arrived.

Simon collects you with the cool confidence of a Lieutenant in the special forces.

No, don’t worry about the bags or the door, he’s got it, just get yourself into the car.

You try John’s number over and over on the way to the hospital, narrating Simon’s driving, “John, I’m going to have words with you when this is over, I cannot believe you let your pregnant wife in a car with what has to be the worst driver in all of Manchester!”

Before you know it, you’re being rushed into the hospital with Ghost snapping at the nurse at the desk for a wheelchair, NOW! He barks out orders in true military fashion leaving your head buried in your hands as you’re being escorted to the maternity ward.

“Now don’t worry, Sir, your wife is in excellent hands,” one of the nurses addresses Simon, all muscle pushing you in the wheelchair, unblinking and matching their pace.

“He’s not-” You try and interject.

“She better be,” Simon cuts you off, “And the labor will be handled with the utmost care or someone will have to answer to me personally.”

The contractions have started coming back to back and you’re pacing the hospital room, sucking on ice chips fed to you by a patient Simon.

Kyle and Johnny have also arrived and join him in his vigil, somehow maneuvering their way through the “Father and family only” policy the hospital has.

“She was adopted,” You later find out Kyle deadpanned at the security trying to stop him from entering the room, “Can’t you see the family resemblance?”

True to his word, John is there.

He’s rushed into the room, frazzled and running his hand over his beard, eyes darting until he finds you, “Hey sweet girl, I’m here, I’m here,” pointedly ignoring the nurse trying to count out the men in the room

(“Who are these men to you again miss?”)

(“I’m the father,” Gaz informs, flipping through a magazine to pass the time between bursts of activity with contractions.)

You moan out John’s name slapping at his chest weekly when he gathers you up into his arms and hugs you, “I’m mad at you John!”

“Don’t be mad, love, I made it just like I promised,” He tries to soothe you, smoothing his hands over your disheveled hair. “Not about being late, about getting me pregnant!” “It’s a bit late for that now, love,” He does his best to hide the smile twitching into place under his mustache. 

The boys remain in the room for the entire labor, John holding one hand and the other men trading off when your grip became too strong (“Dinnae know the lass could break my bones with just one hand,” Johnny moans shaking out his aching appendage.)

When the baby finally arrives, the doctor again looks around at the men in the room, “Would…Dad like to hold her?”

John finally extracts himself from your bruising grip to hold your daughter, eyes twinkling with joy at seeing the bundle covered in blood and viscera. Such a difference from every other time he’d been covered in the blood, these are stains he’ll gladly wear.

#1 baby wearer captain price

“I hardly get to hug you anymore because she’s always strapped to you!”

Price’s eyebrows go up at that, “Are you jealous, love?

 “Not jealous, but I miss my husband's arms around me!” When you say that with a slight pout in your voice, Price is quick to arrange Uncle Soap and Gaz so he can wine and dine you like old times. 

You make sure to wag your finger enough at the boys and remind them they’re there to babysit, not throw a rager and rile up the baby, even though you know your warnings are falling onto deaf ears. You wholeheartedly expect to return home to a cranky and overtired baby and two military men.

“Can’t neglect either of my girls” he’d mutter into your hair after pulling you close after dinner, holding you to his chest tightly in the middle of the sidewalk 

“You never do, John, you’re the best man I could’ve hoped for,” You muttered into his chest, “Never did I think I’d get someone so in love with me and our child.”

Will regularly fall asleep with the baby curled on his chest, boonie hat pulled down over his eyes, with your daughter also lulled to sleep by his steady breaths. You can’t help but take a photo every time it happens, so smitten with how your husband enjoys his quiet days on leave.

You can’t help but send the photo to the boys, having the group chat with them immediately blown up with emojis sent by Soap, laughing at the Captain’s prone form.

As a joke the photo ends up framed on Price’s desk, next to the ultrasound. Price actually enjoys having it to remind him of the peace he has waiting at home and the joke is ruined when the photo remains in it’s place of honor.

[st-el-la-luna]

El's COD Kinktober 2024

I figured this would be a good way to keep my blog alive. Expect short pieces, and missed days. But I will do my best

NSFW Minors DNI

1. SOMNOPHILIA: JOHNNY "SOAP" MACTAVISH

Soap wakes up to you moaning in your sleep. He helps you make your dreams a reality.

➳ gnlafab!reader, wet dreams, somnophilia, dry humping, fingering, premature ejaculation, use of "pup" once

2. Sensory Deprivation/Blindfolds: John Price x Reader

Somehow it's better when you don't know it's coming

3. Double Penetration: Alejandro Vargas and Rodolfo Parra x Reader

Your Colonel and Sergeant comfort you the day after a bad date

4. Lingerie: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader

You want to surprise Ghost for his birthday. Things go wrong, in perhaps the best way.

5. Mommy Kink: Philip Graves x Reader

After a particularly long mission and several bad months at the company, Graves' spirits are low. He needs someone to take care of him, to tell him he's good

6. Threesome: Kyle "Gaz" Garrick and König x Reader

KorTac has been working alongside Task Force 141 for a while now. Kyle has always had his eye on you, but it becomes clear that the Austrian giant feels the same. Tensions rise between the two until they decide to prove which of them is best once and for all

7. Restraints: Kim "Horangi" Hon-jin x Reader

Horangi is in debt to you and your going to teach him a lesson: either he pays you back monetarily or...

8. Body Worship: Alex Keller x Reader 

Alex thinks every inch of your body is perfect. And he won't stop telling you until he's sure you believe it too.

9. Face Sitting: Kyle "Gaz" Garrick x Reader

Gaz overhears you telling Soap you've never enjoyed receiving oral. He decides to change that

10. Exhibitionism: Nikolai x Reader

Nik likes to show you off whenever he can. The Task Force has been eyeing you too much as of late. He reminds them who you belong to.

11. Thigh Fucking: König x Reader

König is just too big

12. Breeding: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader

Mid-fuck, Ghost let's slip that he wants to be a mommy.

13. Overstimulation: Rodolfo Parra x Reader

After everything that happened with the Shadow Company, you're just glad to have him back. Your relief at his wellbeing quickly becomes more and, well, you have a lot of stress to work off. But he can take it.

14. Free Use: Kyle "Gaz" Garrick x Reader 

You and Kyle have an agreement. Whatever either of you want to do, whenever you want to do it. You both enjoy your agreement.

15. Blood Kink: Nikto x Reader

Nikto comes to your door, desperate. You tell him you can't, you're on your period. Blood has never bothered him before, why would it now?

16. Dry Humping: John "Soap" MacTavish x Reader 

You can't, it's a sin... Luckily even God leaves loopholes.

17. Uniform Kink: Philip Graves x Reader

He can't get enough of the way you look, all dressed up for this event. And you can't get enough of him in his dress uniform.

18. Cockwarming: Alejandro Vargas x Reader 

There's nothing Alejandro likes more than coming home to you. And to his second home, between your legs.

19. Pegging: Alex Keller x Reader

One of his friends bought it as a gag gift. You laughed. Alex didn't.

20. Oral Fixation: Kyle "Gaz" Garrick x Reader

Gaz notices how you've always got something in your mouth; a pencil, gum, a lollipop. He can tell it calms you. At a formal event, he senses your stress and gives you something to help ground yourself.

21. Corruption Kink/Loss of Virginity: Johnny "Soap" MacTavish x Reader

After months of dating and never doing more than make out, you ask Soap when you're going to, well, do it. His answer surprises you, and you learn something about yourself that's even more surprising.

22. Spit: König x Reader 

In the heat of an argument you spit at your Colonel's feet.

23. Choking: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader

An accidental training misshap leaves Ghost reeling, you help pull him in.

24. Werewolf: Keegan P Russ x Reader

Little Red Riding Hood, you should know better than to wander the woods at night alone. Especially tonight.

25. Spanking: John Price x Reader

John decides to get you back for slapping his ass in front of his men.

26. Predator/Prey: Valeria Garza x Reader

You and Valeria play a game of hide and seek with a twist...

27. Praise: John Price x Reader

Joyn worries he isn't good enough, that he's gone too often. That he's a bad person. You assure him none of its true.

28. Boot Worship: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader

You show Simon your new boots. He reacts unexpectedly.

29. Hair Pulling: John "Soap" MacTavish x Reader

You accidentally grab his hair during a spar. He moans like a whore.

30. Cumplay: Poly!141 x Reader

Soap had an idea for a fun game. You're just surprised he was able to rope the others into it too.

31. Wild Card

[sunshine-and-moonshine]

COD Sex Bot Au - General and Character Specific Facts

Requested: Yes. By uh…..pretty much everyone. SO many people begged for something and while this isn’t exactly a part 2, I hope it will help tide you all over til I can get that completed.

Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Child Abuse, Adult Abuse as well, Mention of Murder, Mention of Self-Destruction (Robot Suicide), Mentions of Knives, Mention of Blood, Spice, Probably very incorrect Spanish

A/N: So! A lot of people, along with requesting a part 2, have also been begging me for Price as well. I know I’ve only done the 4 characters for all of my Cod works so far but I do want to expand the character list! That being said, I’m just not entirely comfortable with writing them yet. I am looking more into Gaz, Price, and Roach specifically and I promise to let you guys know when I feel comfortable enough to write for them! But until then, please enjoy!

✨General✨

Their eyes get this kind of colored sheen to them sometimes. Different colors for different things.

Yellow is absorbing new information

Pink is the color during sexy times

Red is malfunctioning/in need of repairs (but can also be a sign of embarrassment or shyness)

Light blue is curiosity

White (still) is powered down

White (pulsing) is powering down

White (flickering) is low power

Grey is rebooting/charging

Black is enraged

Lilac is contentment

Plum is upset/hurt

All the boys come with their uniforms on but what’s underneath depends

For Ghost’s model, simple black briefs

For Soap’s model, silly patterned boxers (think hearts or something)

For König’s model, usually some fancy lace panties since he’s very popular amongst Doms who like that sort of thing

Alejandro’s model? Absolutely nothing

Ghost

Ghost’s model was MEANT to be a scary bad guy kind of deal, to be marketed towards fans of slashers and the like. But he…..didn’t end up being that way.

At least, not your Ghost. Many of the other Ghost models are that way, but not yours. For some reason.

Granted, that programming is definitely still in him, though not exactly in the way it was meant to be.

Instead of it being just for fun rough sexy times, it’s more…….actually will kill for you. And has, in fact, killed for you.

Something that he’s NOT supposed to be able to do.

“Gee, I wonder what happened to that Barista that insulted me the other day.”

“Gee, I wonder.” *cleaning a bloody combat knife in your sink*

Speaking of knives!!! Ghost’s model does come with a lot of fun knives! Granted, they’re dulled into being just (mostly) harmless kink knives but he made quick work of making them a lot more harmless by ordering a knife sharpener.

So uh, yeah. You have received not just a sex robot, but one that borders on Yandere and will probably self-destruct if you reject him.

Have fun with that!

Fun fact: YOUR Ghost actually used to be a child bot MANY years ago, bought by a man who only wanted to be able to legally abuse a child. So he was broke down and put back together so very many times. And when they recycled and reprogrammed his AI chip, the scarring from that was still imprinted into him.

Soap

While Soap’s model is marketed more towards romantic oriented people, he’s generally seen as a Jack of all trades.

Doms, subs, romantics, first timers, just about any kind of person. He’s good with all of them, though he thrives with Romantics since that is his programming.

And also just because your Soap is so very lonely. He yearns to be loved by you, to melt under your affection.

And also just because your Soap is so very lonely. He yearns to be loved by you, to melt under your affection.

He doesn’t want to be seen as just a sexual object, he wants to be yours. And you to be his.

König

Ah yes, the gentle giant that was supposed to be marketed more towards Subs but ended up being a bit….Soft.

None of the programmers can explain it but every model of him is just inexplicably shy and quiet, thriving in an environment where he has no control.

So now he’s more marketed towards doms. Usually soft doms.

They once tried to change his model to be smaller and more petite and people started BOYCOTTING.

It affected their sales so much that they very quickly changed him back.

People still seethe when they think about it.

Probably equal parts the most loved and most abused of the different models.

Probably equal parts the most loved and most abused of the different models.

Just because of how quiet and meek his model is, how they almost never fight back when hurt.

Alejandro

Alejandro’s model is VERY popular among submissives so he’s programmed to be pretty dominant and also to have a caring nature.

Due to said caring nature, many mistake his model as good for beginners.

I can assure you, he is NOT.

So SO many of his models have been returned cause he’s brought them to tears from so much pleasure, absolutely overwhelming for any beginner.

“Cry for me, Amor. That’s it, just like that.”

His model is one of the only ones that isn’t returnable unless something is malfunctioning and even then, they’ll try just about anything to fix the model instead of just taking them back.

If you’re the type to forget meals and such (I’m not projecting, shut up) then he will literally drag you away from whatever you’re doing and make you eat.

Will set up a rewards system if you have trouble with personal upkeep as well, like household chores and stuff (again, not projecting).

How much pleasure you get throughout the day is all dependent on how well you follow the schedule he makes based on your personal life.

He can and will have you call him Papi, in and out of bed.

“Be a Good Little Cachorro and get on your knees for Papi.”

You only get called Amor when you’re good or when you’re upset. Anything else and it’s Cachorro (Puppy).

[starryylies]

maybe this sounds a lil weird but could you pls write abt how all of the cod boys (including graves and köing) dating a female!reader WHO SUPER famous like taylor swift level famous.

thank youuuuu💝💝💝

TF141 + graves and könig with a super famous s/o

Hii ong thank u for the ask and sorry for responding late, i was busy :((

I hope it’s to your liking and your ask is awesome not weird dw I love it!

PRICE-

he definitely did not know you were famous when you both met.

Plans dates at home since it’s pretty much impossible for you both to go out

But when you do go out He is crazy protective of you and doesn’t let anyone approach you.

He once told gaz to take care of you when you had to go to the airport for your tour since he wasn’t around.

Proudly boasts about you to tf141.

Gets jealous when he sees younger actors and singers get close to you :(

Asked you to sign papers for the rest of tf141 esp soap.

Takes pictures of you when you’re at your concerts.

He’s definitely the type who puts away your phone when your mood gets sad after looking at some hurtful comment.

Rents an empty restaurant to have a date with you.

He bought all of your albums.

GAZ-

Okay so he’s a total fanboy, he totally knew about you before you guys met.

He fell in love with you the minute he saw you up close

You both met through price when you needed someone to escort you to a stadium safely since there were high risks of you getting hurt

Asked you to sign his album the day you met.

Totally knows all the lyrics to all your songs

Tells everyone his girlfriend is THE BEST SINGER in the entire world

Biggest cheerleader in your concerts.

Defends you on the internet whenever anyone says shit about you.

when you’re in an interview or meeting a fan he’d make sure they don’t make you uncomfortable.

Makes sure you’re safe whenever you guys go out.

He’s a very proud boyfriend :)

SIMON-

Knew who you were when you guys met because of soap but didn’t give a shit. :(

He had to be your bodyguard during your interview and whenever you went out.

Initially thought you’d be a brat but was proven wrong.

Slowly fell for you as he noticed you’re a very warm and genuine person

Is very protective of you

He takes his role of being a bodyguard very seriously and won’t let anyone near you

avoids paparazzi with his huge frame guarding you.

Asked you to sign 4 albums that soap had given him to make you sign.

Doesn’t like other men flirting with you.

Whenever he sees a man flirting with you he’d come behind you to scare them off. :3

Hates it when your back-dancers get too touchy with you.

He is very cautious with you and is lowkey hyper vigilant.

Would never let anything happen to you.

SOAP-

Okay just like gaz he’s a totallll fanboy

He used to have posters of you in his room

Had many pre existing fan pages of you and even blogs where he would post his thoughts on your songs.

Knows all of your tracks and has his own interpretations on your songs.

Will come with you to the backstage and give you a kiss before you go.

Is the type who will fight strangers on the internet if they dare say anything wrong about you.

Would have an Instagram dedicated to you and post your pics together

Will show you off whenever he gets a chance.

Would have candlelit dates with you at an empty park so you nobody can find you.

I s the type who gets jealous of other fanboys.

Takes you out to amusement park dates while you both wear ridiculous disguises. :D

KÖNIG-

This Hulk of a man is so bbg, he loves your songs and sings to them when he’s showering.

He loves hearing you sing for him

Had been a fan of yours since you had started out with your musical journey.

Doesn’t let any fanboy get near you

Gets insecure when he sees you with all your celebrity friends :(

Thinks he’s inadequate for you :((

Definitely walks behind you to scare everyone away.

Will not let any fan even get a picture with you.

Is your make believe bodyguard

He is surprised by why you chose him but he won’t want it any other way.

GRAVES-

Okay this man is so cocky when it comes to you

Definitely boasts about you to the shadow company

Takes you out to expensive restaurants and places just so others can see him with you

Purposely goes through the paparazzi with you so everyone knows you’re his.

Takes you with him to the shadow company just to show you off.

Has allotted men from the company to guard you.

Because of him you have an army of bodyguard’s surrounding you.

Comes with you backstage to see your perform.

Clicks candid pictures of you whenever you’re performing.

Makes you his profile picture everywhere.

[rainybubbles]

How do COD men confess to you ?

Ghost, Soap, Price, Gaz, Alejandro

If you want more context here the part 1, and 2

G H O S T :

-At the end of your shift, he was waiting for you.

-And Max.

-Because Max was a cute puppy who stole his heart, but he would never tell a soul.

So yeah every day he wasn't on mission. He knew that at 10 pm, he will be at this little pet shop.

-Because he loved how your smile was appearing when you recognized him.

-He loved how you still joked about the ropes he bought or even how when he walked you back home, you were trying to go out of your way to make this walk longer by taking him to the little restaurant.

-This little restaurant, that you chose on purpose, because it has 4 fire escapes, and a perfect view on the outside.

-You knew him.

-And you didn't step back.

-Well in fact you didn't step back when he was just a creepy man who bought ropes at 3 AM, so he -sincerely doubts about your survival instinct.

-So yeah...

-But how did he confess, you're asking me ?

-Well, he didn't.

-Ghost has too many issues to open his heart like this.

-So you decided to make a moove.

-A classic move with a little declaration and a gift.

-Yeah.

.

.

.

-So you bought rope.

-Yeah.

-I know this doesn't sound good.

-It sounds even like the beginning of a horror story but wait.

-You decided to send him a package.

-And in this package you will put a rope tied in a heart form with a letter.

-Telling he took you heart in hostage and you would like him to keep it.

-...

-Seems weird, but it kinda fit your meeting, so it seems like a cute idea.

-Until three months passed and you had no news.

-Not even a letter.

-You didn't panic because sometimes his job was like this, he told you.

-But the problem was you had to move out.

-And even if he had your number, Ghost changed his phone regularly to prevent from some undercover shit.

-Besides your job at the pet shop, he couldn't contact you.

-So you tried to ignore your removal.

-But at the end of the fourth month, you had to admit this relationship will never had an end.

-And you mooved out of the country.

-A bittersweet ending.

-You felt like you were reading a fluff story but forgot to read the tag "hurt/no comfort".

-Shit.

-Maybe next time you should read the tag of your fucking love life.

-Like "a rope man will steal your heart" "angst" "sad ending" "slow burn" "fucking weird story" "not a happy fidelity card guy" "maybe he was into bondage but guess what ? We will never know lol"

-Maybe you were crying when you saw a rope in a DIY shop after this.

-Or not.

-Your dignity and ego will never recover from this memory. (neither did the sales assistant who was just here trying to help you)

-So you tried watching around, maybe the destiny would help you.

-Maybe a tall masked man will appear at your door at 2 PM, under the rain saying he has always loved you and....

-And you don't open the door for your own mom because you're too scared that she could be someone pretending she's your mom so you hoped he wouldn't do this.

-Yet two months after your removal, you had a call from your previous boss.

-You usually avoid calls, but you knew he wouldn't call you if it wasn't important.

-So you answered and...

-He was telling you a package with your name was delivered to him.

-And when you asked what was in it.

-He answered.

-"A fidelity card for rope, with a yes on it."

-You never smiled that hard.

-(Ghost found your new contacts thanks to Lasswell later, to confirm you both confessed to each other.)

S O A P :

-You had kept in touch.

-Through letters and some texts, when Soap was allowed to send them, you started to have a great friendship.

-But lately in the memes that Soap sent to you, you found a lot of references to the French girls in general.

-Firstly you didn't pay attention.

-Until that night.

-When you saw Titanic again with your parents.

-And it clicked.

-The French girls scene !

-By you stopped.

-Why would Soap make implicit reference to this ?

-Then again you remembered his drawings.

-He sent you some of them in his letters.

-When you get back to your home, you gathered them, looking if maybe he had made a portrait of you or had made a joke that you didn't see.

-But it was just random sketches.

-You stared at Ghost sketch eating an ice cream when you noticed something on his mask.

-He had a "W" on it.

-You searched through the sketches and...

-"U to the mow, I go you will" you said out loud after collecting the letters and tried to figure out what he wanted to say.

-And you tried to understand it.

-But except this fucking "mow" and "will"

-You didn't find any coherence in it.

-Did he want to ask you to mow his lawn in his garden ?

-But he didn't have a garden.

-And why a "U" and then a "You".

-Why, why Soap would even do this ?

-He was not the kinda guy that do this.

-"...I think I'm too stupid to find out this shit." you admitted.

-Well maybe your French girls scenes will not be romantic.

-So you texted him saying, you understood he sent you a message.

-But you didn't find how to translate it.

-And he texted you the answer.

-"Will you go out with me ?"

-...

-"Did Price give you the idea Soap ?" you answered.

-"Wait, you didn't answer."

-"Did Price give you the idea ?"

-"You think I couldn't be a romantic, love ?"

-"I think we're both too stupid to create a thing like this, love."

-"... it was L.T"

-"he...Ghost ?"

-"Yes."

-"...did he love titanic ?"

-"he had a collection about it."

-"...wow."

-"yeah."

-"To answer, yes, I would love too. But never ask again advice from Ghost, I don't want to end on an iceberg."

-"Yes, love."

P R I C E :

-Soap and Gaz with a broken arm led to your confession.

-They were both drunk and knew their captain had a thing for you, and it was reciprocated.

-Especially after Price offered you some chocolates to make clear he was interested in you.

-But nothing was happening.

-So with some scotch, and very bad ideas, Gaz and Soap decided that their time to shine had coming.

-They were the Cupids of the base.

-And what had Cupid ?

-Wings.

-If they used their wings to bring you from your office to Price at the bar, then he would be happy and more relaxed in this context, and maybe he will confess.

-Yes.

-Except.

-They didn't have wings.

-So when they jumped out from the roof.

-Their arms broke.

-And who was the doctor at the base ?

-You.

-You didn't go out because you were busy to treat their arms.

-"Maybe we need some bows next time." Soap whispered but it was more like he shouted in Gaz's ears.

-"And some white underwears! Cupid has that. I'm sure if we wore this, it will work for sure." Gaz answered.

-"And what about not jumping from the roof and not drinking that much, hmm ?" you asked.

-"Sssshhhh, we're in a confession plan right now. You can't stop us." Gaz said trying to put his finger on your mouth but ended up to do it on the wall next to you.

-"I'm calling Price to take you back to your bed, you're both too heavy for me."

-"We could walk."

-"It's not walking the problem Soap. It's where you could go."

-"hmm."

-So you called Price.

-The problem was he asked you why.

-Why did the boys jump out from the roof ?

-You blinked.

-He would know when he would come here.

-So you decided to gather some courage and-

-"They try to make us confess by bringing me to the bar with you. But they believe they were angels and could fly."

-The silence was so loud.

-He hung up.

-You sighed.

-Well at least, you said it.

-You didn't expect a yes, but at least an answer would be the minimum.

-When later, you heard a knock, you didn't make the effort to look up.

-You heard Price taking the boys to their beds and the door closing.

-But few minutes later, you heard a knock.

-Surprised, you stood up.

-Maybe someone else has drunk too much and-

-"John." You said surprised.

-"I intend to ask you out with some roses, and tomorrow but I guess two drunk soldiers with broken arms beat me."

-"The experienced strategist beat up ?" you joked.

-"I guess so. I'm sorry it was done like this, love."

-"I don't care honestly. As long as it's you asking me."

-He smiled and took your hand slowly.

-"Well, I can't wait for our first date, then."

-"'Hope Soap and Gaz will not be there."

-He laughed.

-"I can't promise that." he smiled.

G A Z :

-A meme.

-He sent you a meme.

-To confess.

-But you never answered him.

-And when he saw you, you never talked about it.

-So...he understood he was rejected.

-And he was okay with that, hell it was normal.

-He just thought it was reciprocated because you had what seems like dates with him.

-Maybe he mixed up signals.

-So he just never talked about it again, because he didn't want to make you feel awkward.

-But one day during lunch, he heard Soap talking with you.

-"So you got a new one, uh ?" Soap asked.

-"I didn't have the choice. His ass fucking destroyed the previous one."

-Gaz stared at the floor.

-He didn't know you had someone.

-Maybe that was because you never-

-"L.T has a cake, that's for sure." Soap joked.

-Gaz suffocated.

-You-

-And Ghost-

-And Ghost's ass-

-"That's not funny Soap. He fucking destroyed my phone just by sitting on it. It's not a cake. It's a fucking breeze block at this point."

-Your...

-Oh.

-oh.

-FUCK.

-He realized.

-You didn't ignore him.

-You hadn't see his message.

-"How does it happen ?" he asked to be sure of his conclusion.

-"I just let my phone on a bench, and he sat without looking, that's it. But because his ass is apparently more solid that my relationship with my father, or even the fucking Vivelle dop gel, he broke it."

-"Fuckin' hell". Gaz said

-"You can say that again. Why are you asking, by the way ?"

-"I sent you a text and you never answer, so I was wondering why."

-"Now you know. But I will answer, I manage to transfer my data and texts on my new phone."

-Gaz didn't feel well now.

-Soap was here.

-And your phone in your hand.

-Meaning he will see your reaction in live and with a public.

-Like he was on the set of a TV show. But here he could gain your heart and not $100,000.

-But you didn't say anything, neither did open it.

-You just sit and talked with him and Soap like it was not important.

-Because of course you couldn't know what was his text.

-So he waited.

-All the day, for you to open this fucking meme.

-To see it.

-And at midnight.

-He received a Mister Worlwide saying yes.

-Never he was so happy to see this bald head

A L E J A N D R O :

-He had everything planned.

-The moment, the place.

-It was going to be a big thing.

-He talked Rudy about it and even the 1-4-1 during a mission.

-Because Soap teased him about you.

-So he explained how he was going to ask you out and-

-Laswell stopped him.

-Their communications were not over.

-She heard everything

-And when Laswell ordered you to tell the location to Price

-He understood you were on their mission as a technician, and you heard all of it.

-The only thing that could kill Alejandro is Alejandro after all, right ?

-Even when it was dying of embarrassment.

-He mumbled some insults in Spanish and tried to hold his head high.

-He had everything planned, and just a microphone ruined this ?

-No,no, no, no he refused.

-He met you because of those mics, how they dare to betray him like that ?

-He ignored this and finished the mission.

-But on the way back, he heard your voice.

-"Good job guys. By the way I would love going on a date with you, Ale. If you needed to know after...this."

-You know the smile he did, when they interrogate Valeria ?

-It was one hundred brighter right now in the car.

-Soap even wore sunglasses to protect his eyes.

-Alejandro was so fucking happy.

-Maybe he did not hate the mics.

-Even though he's persuaded that someone hacked them this particular day.

___

If you want more : here.

I'm sorry that it took so long to post this part, but when I posted another COD about how you meet Farah, Alex and Konig I had a comment saying it was shit.

And I know my English sucks, so I deleted it and hesitated to write again..

Maybe I need some readers to help me, or maybe this comment was just hateful, I don't know.

In any case, sorry for the mistakes, English is not my first language !

[bluejaysandblackbats]

A Stone’s Throw

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: The night Jason wakes up in the convalescent home, he’s accompanied by his favorite nurse (Nurse Kathy). Nurse Kathy follows her instincts and decides to foster him in the nearby city of Blüdhaven. Soon, her partner and roommates become Jason’s new family despite hopes that he’ll regain his memories.

Chapters: 4/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Original Characters, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Barbara Gordon

Additional Tags: Disabled Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne Doesn’t Know Jason Todd is Alive, Angst, Fluff, Found Family, Jason Todd Has a Foster Family AU, Jason Todd Moves to Blüdhaven, Original Asexual Characters, Original Lesbian Characters, Amnesiac Jason Todd, “Missed Him By That Much” Trope, Hurt/Comfort, Resurrected Jason Todd

Chapter Four: Homecoming

Daniel and Kathy arrived at the house a few hours after Dodie settled in, and Kathy took a box straight to the kitchen without a word and started. “Hey, Dodie. Mom’s a little frazzled, but she’ll be okay once everything’s done,” Daniel reassured him. 

“I know. Have you seen the boy yet? Are you gonna—?” 

“No, this is all Sibyl and Mom. And I haven’t seen him. I hear he’s a bigger boy… Very strong. She’s the only person at the hospital that he likes,” Daniel replied, “I think this will help her feel good again. I was worried that she hit a wall.” 

“Mom’s struggling?” Dodie asked. 

“It’s nothing bad… She just seemed empty this past year. I could feel something shift when she met this boy—.” Kathy rushed into the living room and hugged Dodie. It nearly knocked him off balance, but he softened and settled into her embrace. 

“Hi, Mom. I missed you, too,” Dodie smiled, “How’s New Jersey’s favorite nurse?” 

“I’m all over the place, Dodie… But this feels like a nice new start. We have more space, we’re closer to you, and there’s a community garden on the roof. I’m so excited and terrified and I want you to know you can sleep here whenever you like. I—.”

“Mom, breathe. Do you need help in the kitchen?” Dodie asked. Kathy nodded, taking Dodie’s hand and leading him to the kitchen. “So, am I gonna be an older brother? Or is this just temporary?” 

“It depends. If he has a family out there, I have to help him find his way home. If it’s just him, then of course, I’d love to keep him. He’s such a doll. I think you’d like him. You used to love to visit the hospital with me. It’ll be nice to take this ride with you on Sunday,” Kathy smiled as she opened the fridge. 

“Mom, have you taken a moment to kind of—?” 

Kathy washed her hands and started cutting onions. “How is work, honey bunny? You’re working on a new subdivision, right? Cape cod style houses? ” Kathy interrupted. She stopped to look at him and smiled. “I’m always obsessed with the little shutters, but why don’t they ever install real shutters? I love real shutters. My house had real shutters when I was a little girl. Papa used to close them at night, so we wouldn’t get scared of the shadows outside.” 

“It’s going great. Maybe I could send you my palette ideas, and you could give me some input,” Dodie suggested, “And now that you live so close, maybe I could stop by, and we could do pajama nights again.” 

Kathy grinned, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I would love that so much,” Kathy replied. 

**

SUNDAY IN BLÜDHAVEN 

Dodie sat in the car while Kathy went in. She nervously signed the discharge paperwork, holding back tears as she handed the clipboard to her supervisor. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever that afternoon as she approached Jason’s room. He was already dressed in the clothes she bought him. Kathy adjusted his glasses, and he wrapped his arms around her. “I told you I’d be here… It’s time to go home now,” Kathy whispered. Jason sat down on the bed, and Kathy shook her head. “You’re coming with me.” 

She extended a hand, and Jason took it, following her down the hall. She took him outside to the car, and Jason hesitated. “Oh, hon… This is my son, Dodie. He wanted to meet you,” Kathy explained as she gestured for Dodie to get out of the car. 

Dodie stepped outside, and he extended his hand to Jason, slowly as he examined the bruises and cuts on Jason’s face and hands. “Dodie Hines-Fletcher, pleasure to meet you,” Dodie smiled. Jason took his hand, shaking it firmly before taking Kathy’s hand again. “She’s our mom for the time being… Guess that makes us brothers.” 

Kathy swallowed hard and let Jason in the car, buckling him in as she got into the backseat. Dodie got in the driver’s seat. “Did Mom tell you about Dad?” Dodie asked. He turned around, looking past Jason and Kathy as he backed out of the parking space. Jason nodded, and his round glasses slipped to the tip of his nose. “Dad’s great. You’ll like him. He’s just as sweet as Mom.”

Jason turned to Kathy, tapping her knee as he raised his sweatshirt to show her a fist-sized bruise on his lower abdomen. Kathy took a closer look, putting pressure on it. Jason didn’t budge. “Does that hurt?” Kathy asked. Jason shook his head. “A few days ago?” Jason nodded. “Well, you won’t have to worry about that anymore. You’re going to stay with me from now on.”

Jason lay his head on her shoulder, and Dodie smiled as he drove toward the freeway, heading toward Blüdhaven. “We’re going to Blüdhaven. Nudge Mom if you see something familiar,” Dodie stated. Jason looked out the window, his hand never straying far from Kathy. He held on, not wanting her to leave him somehow. Kathy. His Catherine. It all melded together in his mind. He couldn’t clearly remember why the name made his heart feel full and heavy or why hearing Dodie call her Mom made him want to cry. 

The sky was a sad grey as the clouds covered the son, gently breaking into a weepy drizzle. Jason touched the door, pressing his hands against the interior until his fingers found the button for the window. He rolled it down a crack, tilting his head up, and breathing in the air through his open mouth. Kathy watched the rise and fall of his chest before smiling. “It’s nice to have fresh air, huh?” Kathy giggled. “Want more?” Jason shook his head. 

He watched the cars pass by, and Kathy rubbed his back, gently watching as he enjoyed the air coming through the open sliver in the window. Jason fell asleep within fifteen minutes and the other twenty minutes were nearly silent as they passed the police station. “What do you call him? You haven’t given him a name… I know you haven’t, but I can’t call him sweetheart or hon like you do,” Dodie whispered. 

“I call him Blue Eyes sometimes, but I’m still waiting for him to tell me his name,” Kathy answered. 

They parked in Kathy’s parking spot, and Jason woke up. Kathy nudged Jason, and he stirred, looking around at the buildings. “Hi, Blue Eyes. It’s time to go inside, honey,” Kathy whispered. Jason opened his eyes and took her hand. She led him inside and up the stairs of her building before taking Jason by the shoulders. “The people inside are my friends. There are two men. One woman. The men are named Daniel and Walter. The woman is named Sibyl. They won’t hurt you. I promise.” She nodded slowly, waiting for Jason to nod along, and she smiled when he finally did.

Daniel smiled and waved, looking up from his sketchbook. 

“I’m Daniel. Would you like to take a seat? Lunch is almost ready,” Daniel asked. Jason looked at Kathy. 

“That’s Daniel. He’s Dodie’s father. You can sit with him if you like,” Kathy reassured him.

[dragons-bones]

FFXIV Write Entry #4: Lominsan Girls

Prompt: reticent || Master Post || On AO3

---

Nhaama bless every hair on their ridiculous heads, but sometimes Alakhai’s fellow Upright Thieves could not shut up.

She wouldn’t have minded the sound bouncing around the Dutiful Sisters of the Edelweiss—the hum and chatter of daily activity was a soothing sound all the way back to her childhood on the Steppe, where silence was only acceptable when out alone in the grasslands—but Jacke’s ego had swelled up after leading his first successful mission without supervision from the guildmaster. Three years her junior, Jacke was already being groomed to eventually take over the leadership of the Upright Thieves, and normally he had a fairly good head on his shoulders.

But teenage boys were teenage boys no matter how well-behaved they could be, and V’kebbe had decided his pride needed deflating.

T’vanoh had shaken his head as the pair devolved into name-calling in both standard Eorzean and thieves’ cant, but had merely waved Alakhai on as she had stomped out of the convent. The surest way to rein Jacke in was to have one of his peers yank him down to ground level with the rest of them, and trying to step in between Jacke and V’kebbe when they were a hair away from outright brawling was never wise, so she knew why the guildmaster didn’t try to pull them apart. Didn’t mean Alakhai was willing to tolerate the noise, on top of everyone else chattering in an attempt to drown the two out.

Not for the first time in her life, Alakhai thought the Qestir had the right idea about words and talking and just not bothering.

So instead of curling up for a nap in her hammock, Alakhai was out in Fisherman’s Bottom, feet dangling in the water of the harbor as she sat on the edge of one of the currently-empty piers with a little wooden tray overflowing with fish and chips in her lap. The boat she’d bought her lunch from was one pier over, and she’d return the tray once she’d finished. Much as she had wanted that nap, food was a decent secondary option.

She sniffed appreciatively; there was something about fried food that always made her happy. Maybe it was because it was the one of the few constants between the Steppe and Yanxia and Kugane and Eorzea: everyone had at least one dish they put something in dough or a batter and then dunked in hot oil to cook.

Alakhai took out her pocket knife, about to cut into the thick filet of fried cod to make easier pieces to pick up, when a tromp of boots along the wood caught her attention. The footsteps were coming towards her, and then stopped a handful of fulms away. She lifted her head to see who had come to bother her.

The lean, gangly Highlander girl in arcanist greys, nerves dancing in her green eyes behind a mask of steely determination, brown hair sporting fresh grass-green dye and pulled back into a braid that hit the back of her knees, was not the person Alakhai had been expecting. She was not even in the top ten.

But Alakhai did recognize her. She was in only the second, maybe third, official class of baby arcanists of the newly-formed Arcanists’ Guild, and Alakhai had seen her and her classmates throughout Limsa Lominsa over the past two moons, usually in Hawker’s Alley and the food stalls. This one stood out especially; there was a small Highlander population in the city, expat mercenaries who had been stranded when Ala Mhigo had fallen to the Garleans, but there were very few of this one’s age that were local.

Good sense for trouble on her. The first time Alakhai had seen her, the baby arcanist had clocked one of the shadier pirates eyeing one of her classmates as they had waited for their orders at Mama Fyrwyb’s fish stall, and put herself between the creep and her friend. Alakhai had been on duty in the Alley that day, and she had chucked said shady pirate into the harbor and a slipped word to one of the Yellowjackets before skulking back into the crowd.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” the student arcanist said.

Alakhai glanced down quickly, noting the bucket she had in hand. Probably full of oysters purchased from the Fishers’ Guild; her own lunch then.

Eh, why not?

“Go ahead,” Alakhai said.

The girl stepped closer, crouching down to set her bucket aside and then quickly work her boots off. She sat properly on the edge of the pier, legs dangling down into the cool water up to her skins, and pulled her bucket closer as she pulled a pocket knife from the pouch on her belt.

A flash of turquoise caught Alakhai’s eye, and she turned to see an emerald carbuncle toddle up and loaf itself next to its person. The carbuncle turned to look at her, and Alakhai blinked as it—she?—gave her a narrow-eyed once over. After a minute of feeling as if she was being assessed by something that wasn’t just a mere magical construct, the carbuncle turned away and cuddled her hyur.

Alakhai blinked again. Huh.

Lunch passed quietly. The Highlander shucked oysters, slurping contently and ensuring her empty shells went back into the bucket so the fishers could reseed the local oyster beds. Alakhai neatly dunked strips of fried cod into fresh tartar sauce, enjoying the mix of crisp breading, tender fish, and tangy sauce, interspersing them with unceremoniously shoving the thick-cut popoto chips into her mouth, wonderfully crunchy on the outside and soft and still hot on the inside.

Neither of them spoke, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, Alakhai would call it pleasant. Sitting with this baby arcanist felt like when Alakhai had spent time with her auntie on foal watch; just enjoying one another’s company and the simple joy of sharing a beautiful day with another person.

Eventually, Alakhai’s tray was empty. She sighed contently, stomach pleasantly full, and pushed herself to standing, shoving her still-wet feet into the loose sandals she had. She tucked the tray under her arm, ready to return it to the lunch boat, but took a step towards the arcanist and stuck out her hand.

“Alakhai,” she said simply.

The arcanist looked up at, still chewing one of her last oysters, surprise on her face. But she swallowed, and smiled, a little shy. She took Alakhai’s hand. “Synnove,” she said in turn as they shook. “And this is Galette.”

The carbuncle sneezed.

“Nice to meet you both,” Alakhai said. “I’ll see you around.”

Synnove waved, her smile a little less shy, and Alakhai wandered back down the pier, a sense of satisfaction curling in her chest.

[chamomiletealeaf]

My day today:

1. Had a dermatologist app to figure out why my hair is falling out (didn’t make it there and lemme tell you why)

2. Ran out of gas on the highway on the way to derm app and called them saying I was gonna be late.

3. Went to get gas and the guy behind me beeped at me and got really agitated for some reason and it made me anxious.

4. Finally got to derm app but couldn’t figure out how to get in and called them telling them I was there but lost for 10 mins.

5. They said I had to reschedule for being late even though I was there when I said I would be, I was just lost.

6. Had a breakdown in the parking garage where people minded their business passing me sobbing.

7. Went to Ulta to try and make myself feel better and buy something nice.

8. The things I bought actually suck ass and I have to return them anyway.

9. Rescheduled derm app to tmr morning so hopefully that goes better.

10. Work at the country club tmr…..

11. Which one do I get:

Spending the rest of the night online shopping for retail therapy.

Save me COD man, COD man save me….

[eikaprime]

Pe4rlina

You've already seen C4llie and M4rie, but do you know who else we should ship Agent 4 with? Marina and Pearl, of Off The Hook. Yes, both of them. Yes, at the same time. This is the third of six planned chapters of a fic on AO3 (Chapter one found HERE), and I don't know what *you'll* think of it, but *I* think it's cute.

Pe4rlina

"You have nothing to worry about," Marie says. "Don't give me that look. I know what expression you're making, even over the phone. You really have nothing to worry about."

"But it's Pearl," Rain says. "As in, Houzuki. As in, Off The Hook. As in—"

"A loudmouthed hyperactive gremlin, as Marina would put it, who trusts my recommendation."

Rain's ears lower. "You recommended me? I've only had the shop for a couple months."

"The arrangements you did for Callie's birthday were gorgeous," Marie says. "Better quality than a lot of profreshional florists, and Pearl likes supporting small businesses. Now just drive up to the side entrance, say you're there to interview for the landscaping position, and don't let her intimidate you."

Easy for Marie to say. Rain didn't believe it at first, but Marie's at home in front of crowds and signs autographs in line at the grocery store. She may not be in the same league as Off The Hook, but she's in a neighboring one. "But—"

Marie hangs up on her. Rain wants to call back, to keep panicking, but there's no time. The turn for the Houzuki Mansion is just up ahead.

Like Marie told her, there's a side entrance with a small gate and a guard station. Rain rolls down the window. Her van, bought from a junkyard and fixed with spare parts, rattles to a stop; she has to figure out what's doing that later. "Weatherclear Florists and Landscaping, here to meet with Pearl Houzuki about—"

"You're expected," interrupts the shrimp. He opens the gate. "Follow the path on the right for a hundred feet, until you see the wall of hedges; you'll meet her at the table there."

Rain gulps, but drives on, barely going five miles an hour. The wall of hedges turns out to be the wall of a hedge maze, and there's a place to park right by the entrance. Rain's engine dies with a grinding whirr when she turns it off. She'll be able to get home, but she'd better spend some money on real parts soon. 

Like the guard said, there's a table nearby, a nice patio table with an umbrella that pokes over the top of the hedges. Rain carefully does not confirm if it's edged in real gold. But there are some decorative hedges nearby, and after waiting a few minutes, she can't help but go over for a closer look.

Whoever pruned these had no idea what they were doing. Rain wrinkles her nose. That one looks like a seahorse, carved by someone who'd never seen a seahorse before. It's recognizable—barely. But...

Rain leaves her laptop on the table and retreats to her van for the hedge trimmers and gets to work. Whoever did this was lazy, too, and didn't properly support anything; she gets some wires. It takes a little, wrapping supporting wires around the fragile parts, snipping carefully at the overgrown bits, detailing the tail's curl, but she—

"Shell yeah, you just jumped right in!"

Rain jumps a foot and snips off the whole tail. OH COD.

"My bad." Rain almost stabs Pearl with the hedge trimmers when she bumps Rain's elbow. Pearl doesn't even notice. "Squit, I didn't think anyone could save these hedges. Marie said you were the best landscaper she'd seen, but I wasn't expecting miracles!"

"I cut off the tail," Rain says, her ears drooping. She tucks one of her long tentacles behind her ear. "I—I'm sorry, I wasn't told to work on it and it'll take weeks to fix—"

"You kidding? It looks fresh as shell, and you said you can fix it!" Pearl grabs Rain by both arms and moves her aside, and Rain gets a view of the top of Pearl's head, a view she never gets watching them below the stage during splatfests. It's cute. "Come on, let's go to the table and thrash out all the stupid business stuff. Rina's running behind."

Pearl releases her, and Rain takes a deep breath and sits at the table. She does pretty well, keeping her head. There's going to be a party—a massive shindig, Pearl says, for her grandparent's sixtieth clammiversary. "It's not for a couple months yet," Pearl says, "but they love this place. I guess when they were dating they'd come down to the hedge maze all the time and escape their parents by wandering around in it. Guess they got so lost they spent the night a couple times." She throws her head back and laughs, loud and long, and Rain can't help but grin at her. "Might be why my parents declared it off limits!"

Even from here, Rain can see it's overgrown. "So you want me to trim everything back into shape?" Depending on the size of the maze, that could take an easy month or two, and she'd have to come back for touch-ups just before the party. It's good she has so much time.

"Nah, I want as much of the party in there as possible! I'm talking buffet tables set up in any open spaces and lawn games for the kiddos in the dead ends." Pearl kicks her feet up on the table and leans back. "No one's been in there for about twenty years, not even Rina's touched it, so I want you to map it, then tell me if we need any new hedges or moved hedges or shit for that sorta stuff."

Holy squit. This is the sort of job that could have her set for life, balloon her reputation until she can hire employees and have a wait list for clients. And it means she gets to use graph paper. Time to start the price negotiations. "I can absolutely do that for you! The price would be—"

"Done," Pearl says. she hands Rain a blank check and Rain stares at it because maybe Pearl is stupid, to do this. "Write down what you want, plus expenses."

Rain swallows hard. She wants to take it so bad it hurts, but she wrote down her plan and she's gonna stick to it. "I'd prefer to work on a weekly basis, with similar payment, in case at some point either of us decide to end the relationship. Those weekly meetings would also ensure I can keep you up to date on progress or unexpected developments, and you can let me know anything you want fixed or altered."

"Every other Monday, and we'll start at two hundred for expenses," Pearl counters. That's fair, and Rain shakes on it.

~~~~~

The first thing Rain does is buys two new tape measures, a hundred tall gardening stakes, index cards, waterproof sleeves for the index cards, permanent markers, a mallet, a more secure lightweight ladder, and a special notebook just for this project (she loves new notebooks). Then she starts her measurements. It hurts her to ignore the overgrown branches but she can trim it all down once she knows the height she's going for. Then she walks around the edges of the hedge maze, driving in a stake every twenty feet, until she knows the size.

One poster sheet of graph paper should do it, prefolded so she can work easily. She'll have to come back with that tomorrow; it's getting late. Rain shoves her equipment in the back of her van, straps the ladder securely to the side, and turns it on.

The engine rumbles, coughs, and doesn't start.

Rain swears, smacks the horn once (it beeps a satisfying six notes of Nasty Majesty), and pops the hood. Five minutes later, she's got grease marks all over her hands and good gardening clothes—least it'll blend in with the dirt streaks—and she's tying the engine back together with garden twine.

"Oh!" says someone behind her, and Rain jumps and bangs her head on the hood. Swears she hasn't used since discovering octosnipers leave her in a stream, and she backs up to turn around properly and ah, carp, she's swearing in front of Marina. "Sorry," Rain says. "Sorry! Oh, geeze, am I late? I know Pearl's and mine agreement said I had to be out of here by eight o'clock and—"

She's interrupted by a giggle. Marina covers her mouth with one hand, her tentacles writhing. "No, no, you're okay! I heard the horn and wanted to see what was happening. Car trouble?"

"I've got it handled," Rain says, but Marina's crowding up next to her and one of her tentacles brushes Rain's arm and that does it. She blushes, her ears going straight up.

Marina doesn't seem to notice, thank cod. "You've done pretty good work, but that twine's a hazard," she says. "You need some wire at least, if not a completely new engine."

Rain swallows hard as Marina's tentacles wiggle. So, here's what she didn't tell Marie, when Marie was talking her through getting this job: Rain has the biggest celebrity crush on Off The Hook. Both of them. But she's here as a landscaper, as... is the correct term client or contractor or, whatever. Either way she has to be profreshional.

"It'll hold for a couple days," she says. "I'll be able to buy parts once I get my next check from this job."

Marina nods, reaching in with hands and tentacles to shift some of the car's innards. "I haven't gotten to work on a car before," she murmurs. "All of Pearl's are new, and I had my bike, and we were so busy..."

Rain takes a deep breath and moves closer to Marina, shoulders brushing as she leans close and refuses to ink out over who's touching her. "A lot of this is jury-rigged, and I've gotta make some major improvements to pass the next inspection," she says, touching the patches on the oil tank and the mess of wires. "But I did it all myself."

"It's beautiful," Marina whispers. "Would—would you mind if I worked on it? Like, it'd be a learning experience for me, so I'd buy all the parts and you could keep them, but I just wanna get head and shoulders into an engine."

Rain's ears twitch. Marina made the shifty stations. More, Marina's a domes defector, who made the flooders and helped with the Great Octobosses. She can handle a car. Still... "Can we work on it together?" Rain runs her fingers over the engine and reaches for the twine again. "I wanna know what working with new parts feels like." Shoulder to shoulder with Marina, oh cod, she cannot ink out over this.

"Come again tomorrow, if you're finished by five we can eat together and then work on it," Marina says. Rain's ears shoot so high they almost bounce off her head. 

"That would be great," Rain says, and cod, she sounds like a fangirl. One more tie, and that should do it. She steps back, and Marina steps back, too. "I'll make sure to bring my supper."

"Nah, I can take care of it, you're doing me a favor." Marina closes the hood, and stands by as Rain gets the engine. It coughs and sputters, but starts. "See you tomorrow!"

"Yeah," Rain says as she drives off. "See you."

~~~~~

Putting garden stakes with laminated index cards at every intersection takes most of the day, and Rain sketches the last of it on graph paper. Mapping's all done, accurate to... she'd like to say completely, but realistically, she messed up somewhere, so she'll say things could be off by three feet. She's gonna need some outside assistance: there are five large clearings, one of them big enough for a couple buffet tables and a few places to sit and eat (gotta remember this is for Pearl's grandparents) and the smaller ones big enough for two or three tables each. Or a pinata or something.

But Rain's no caterer, so Pearl's gonna have to hire people for that. And to fix those absolutely gorgeous but broken fountains, and they need to discuss the sort of benches she wants to replace those old ones with, and...

Squit, it's already after five!

Rain rushes to the front of the maze. She makes the last turn and sees Pearl peering in. "Hey, Rina! Told you she lost track of the time."

Rain's whole face burns. Hopefully it's a sunburn, but she ducks her head anyway, ears twitching back.  "Sorry," she says.

"Rina does the same thing," Pearl holds out a fist, and Rain bumps it. She can't resist doing the explodey part after, making Pearl chuckle. "You won't believe how often I've gotta drag her to bed, she gets stuck in recording or working on that bike of hers..."

"Pearlie!" Marina rushes over to cover Pearl's mouth with her hands; Pearl still manages to smirk. "Ignore her. Come sit at the table, I packed us a picnic!"

Rain looks at her dirt-streaked hands and shrugs. but when she sits at the table, Marina passes her a wipe, and Rain flashes her ink to pink so she can clean her hands. Marina unpacks the picnic basket: a good dozen or more sandwiches, a container full of still-steaming fries, a few big bags of chips, pasta salad, regular salad...

Marina notices Rain staring and blushes. "I may have gone a little overboard," she mumbles, her tentacles writhing, two creeping up to cover her face.

Pearl grabs one tentacle, wraps it around her hand, and squeezes it, palm to sucker. "Chill, it's sweet," Pearl says. "We'll eat leftovers at the studio tomorrow, and Rain can take some home."

Rain realizes she's staring, and grabs for the nearest sandwich. "Um, thank you for supper, but you can keep the leftovers. I won't need them." She bites into it and almost spits it out. Who the carp makes tuna salad with ketchup?

Pearl snorts. "Nope, I insist," she says. "Couple sandwiches, some pasta salad—I made that—and a bag of chips, minimum." She releases Marina's tentacle and sits next to Rain, knocking her paper plate (and sandwich) on the ground. "Woops! Guess you can't finish that one."

"I think I'd like some pasta salad, anyway," Rain says. 

~~~~~

"Nice work," Pearl says, and Rain almost falls off the ladder. A hand on her ankle steadies her. "Yeesh, careful. I thought you heard me come up."

"I was getting into it," Rain says. She walks down the ladder backwards, pausing at the bottom to wipe her forehead. "Shaping isn't hard, but there's a lot of them to do."

"I'll say." Pearl looks at the neat rows of hedges stretching all on one side and down half the other, where it turns into a snarled mess of haphazard branches.  "Wanna show me those fountains? I need pictures and an idea of the problem if I'm gonna get some repair people out here."

Rain smiles down at her. "One fountain, coming right up. I can leave direction signs for all of them, too, so they don't have to get lost dealing with it."

"Nah," Pearl has to trot to keep up, and Rain slows her pace. "I kinda like the thought of some repair dudes stuck out here overnight. Give them the chance to rethink those candid pics they always take of me and Rina."

Rain sucks in a breath. "Want to check my phone? I haven't taken any, but—"

"Nah, dude, you're good," Pearl pats Rain's arm as they enter the big clearing. "I trust you... damn that's a big fountain."

A jumping shark with spouts by its three fins; over it, held up by smaller 'splashes' of stone water, three fish try to escape, their open mouths more spouts. "This is the biggest," Rain says. "I figure the caterers would want to set up here."

"So what's wrong with it?"

Rain shrugs, getting on her knees by the fountain's brim. "To start with, it's filthy. Only water in it now's rainwater, not proper ink or something," she says. "You can't see the drain under all the leaves and muck, and..."

Rain loses her train of thought when Pearl touches one of her ears, and it flicks reflexively. "Neat," Pearl says. "I noticed yours moving a lot, more than mine or Rina's; it's cool to watch."

Rain's whole head grows hot. Cod. "I, uh, it, uh, I mean..." she knows learning to manage your ears is a normal part of growing up, just like being quiet in class, but Rain's never gotten the hang of it.

Pearl chuckles. "You're cute when you're all flustered," she says, touching Rain's other ear, and, okay, this is, it's, uh.

Rain pushes herself backwards, onto her feet and out of Pearl's range. "A-anyway there may be something, with, uh, pumps and solar or power or pistons or, uh, yeah," she babbles. Pearl called her cute PEARL CALLED HER CUTE no no no she's a profreshional business squid. Oh cod, what are her ears doing? She can't cover her burning cheeks and her twitching ears at the same time!

Pearl smiles at her, a smile Rain's never seen on stage, and Rain's hearts pound. "Sensitive," she says. "I'll remember that. Anyway, if you can clear a drain, I'll take pictures and get Rina to try to find the power source. Who knows, maybe she can fix it." She smiles again, and it's the same smile she gave Rain, but softer. "Cod, Rina's amazing."

~~~~~

"Pass me the wrench?"

"Don't you have to line up those—"

"They are lined up!"

"No, they're a little off," Marina says. "Here," she leans over Rain, her chest pressed to Rain's back, and Rain's brain stutters. Marina pushes the wrench into Rain's left hand, then wraps one of her hands around where two pipes connect, moving the whole thing the slightest bit sideways; she wraps the other around Rain's spare hand, holding her—and the new oil tank—in place. "Okay, now you can tighten that bolt."

Rain tries to breathe, but everything is oil and Marina, and she's getting light headed. She fumbles to get the wrench on the bolt, and it's pure muscle memory that gets the job done; all Rain can think about is the way Marina's pressed against her, her legs on either side of Rain's, her tentacles lazily curling around Rain's shoulders.

Then she steps back, and Rain can gasp in one deep breath. "I think that should do it!" Rain straightens and turns to see Marina stretching, her arms interlaced overhead, and she presses up enough that her shirt lifts and shows her stomach which should not be so enticing after watching all those splatfests but it is. "Ready to add the oil and see if it works?"

Rain swallows hard. Marina looks at her, one eyebrow raised and tentacle curled in a question. "Sorry," Rain lies, "I'm just nervous."

"We've been working really hard on this," Rina says. "I love seeing you so focused, you get the sweetest expression on your face. I promise, this is gonna work."

Rain's still stuck on the compliment as she nods. Marina lifts the oil can, pouring it in, then puts a hand on Rain's back, ushering her to the driver's door. Rain swallows hard and turns it on.

The engine starts with a purr, no coughs or stutters at all, and  a smile covers Rain's face. She closes her eyes to listen better. It really works.

"You did it!" Marina cries, clapping her hands.

"We did it," Rain corrects her. She turns the car off and gets out. "All it needs now is a fresh coat of paint, and it's just like new."

"I can't wait to see it," Marina says.

Rain can't wait to do it, but with all the work she's got, that won't be for a while. "Would you," she swallows, because no, this is taking it too far. "Never mind."

"No, tell me," Marina says. She grabs Rain's hands in her own and looks down at her.

Rain looks up, into those beautiful eyes. "When it's finished, can I take you for a ride? It's, uh, I don't know where we'd go, and it's kinda stupid just to sit in a car to go around in a circle or something, but—”

Marina stops her with a finger to her lips. "I'd love to," she says.

Rain floats through the rest of the day.

~~~~~

With the party a week away, Rain doesn't dare ask for time off. She gets up bright and early and goes in before she's supposed to, instead. She checks every corner of the maze, stopping frequently for last-minute trims of the hedges, and sets up tiny tables and old-fashioned torch holders for the day of; the bouquets will be set out that morning, and the party's supposed to last into the night. The materials for the flower arch arrived yesterday, and are being kept fresh until the night before; she'll have to stay up late to handle that...

There's so much going on in Rain's head that when she reaches the center, with the large shark fountain, it takes her several seconds to register that there are balloons, and streamers, and a table with a cake, and Marina and Pearl grinning at her behind the table. She drops her sheers. “Oh cod, did I screw up? Is the party today?!”

"Chill," Pearl says, hopping from her seat.  She strolls over, casual and confident as their first meeting. "Ya didn't miss anything."

"A little jelly told us it wasyour birthday today," Marina says. "And you were planning to work through it. So happy birthday!"

Rain stands there, mouth opening and closing, lost for words. She hadn't told the NSS; with Eight's recent arrival, it seemed self-centered, to want to celebrate a birthday. And she doesn't know that many people in Inkopolis.

There's a lump in her throat, and Rain swallows it away, puts her hands over her twitching ears. "Thank you," she whispers.

Pearl grabs her hand and drags her to the table, where she's pushed into the third seat and sung over and has to make a wish; this close, she can count all twenty candles. When there are large slices of orange cake in front of each of them, Pearl says, "Rina and I wanna ask ya a couple things."

Rain sets her fork down (the cake is delicious) and turns her full attention on Pearl.

"First, and I want ya to know this offer stands n matter what ya say to the second part, I'd like to hire you as a landscaper for Houzuki house year-round," Pearl says. "We can cut it back after the party; the lawns already have maintenance people, but one week a month, if you'd deal with the hedges and shit..."

Good reliable pay for a job she can handle. Enough that she can build her business and not worry about bills. "Absolutely," Rain promises.

"Right, that's settled. Second question." She drums her fingers on the table, head tilted and smiling at Rain. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Rains jaw drops. Her ears start doing something. Did she hear that right?

Pearl bursts out laughing. "Your ears omicod I love that so much."

Rain's dream just turned into a nightmare. "Marina is right there," she says, pointing at the Octoling. "I ain't breakin you two up! What do you take me for? Shell, Pearl, what's wrong with you?"

"Actually," Marina says, "I'd like to take you on a date, too."

Any thoughts remaining in Rain's head melt into a puddle in the bottom of her brain.

"Me and Pearl have talked about it before," Marina says. "Having a romantic relationship between any number of people requires a lot of trust and conversation, but adding a third person doesn't seem like it'd be harder than two. Just gotta watch for jealousy issues." She narrows her eyes at Pearl. "And we can handle those when they come up."

"Hey, I want this too, I ain't gonna get jealous—"

"Pearl, do you know yourself?"

Rain sputters a laugh. That jogs her out of it She's had the biggest crush on them both for forever, but this... "Can I think about it for a couple days?" She cuts a bite of cake with her fork.  "I really wasn't expecting... well, anything."

"Course."

"Of course!"

The two members of Off The Hook smile at each other, then turn back to Rain. "Nothing has to change," Marina says. "We can be friends, and celebrate birthdays, and work on your car together."

"But bringing in a little romance could be awesome!"" Pearl flings up her hand, icing flying off her fork and into the statue's ink pool. "Take a risk, and we may all get something awesome out of it."

~~~~~

Once the flower arches are installed at the maze's entrance and exit, and the vases full of flowers placed on tables at every dead end, and the banners hung between the poles, Rain gets to attend the rest of the party as a guest. Pearl introduces her as 'The miracle worker who got the maze back in shape... and my friend!' and  that was all it took for the rest of the Houzuki clan to accept her.

But she doesn't know any of them, and there's only so long she can make awkward small talk. Rain accepts the congratulations and hug from Pearl's grandparents, who want to walk around the whole maze reminiscing (she suspects if they do the whole maze they may need those wheelchairs later) and heads for the furthest corner of the maze, the only one without any decorations because someone would have to be really, really lost to end up there. It'll be a nice spot for Rain to catch her breath.

But when she reaches it, she finds Off The Hook making out. Rain... really wants to join in. She really, really does.

Marina catches sight of her and taps Pearl on the shoulder. The two break apart and turn to face her, and Pearl's expression morphs to a softer, smiling one when she sees Rain. "Yeah?"

"If I say yes," Rain says, "to, well, to both of you, do I have to be famous? I don't really like that squit much..."

The two glance at each other. "I ain't gonna lie and say Rina's my one and only if I've got you, too," Pearl says.

"But we can discuss things like, say, not showing up with us in public, or not calling you by name on stage, and such," Rina says.

Pearl sighs. "Yeah, guess I can avoid devoting concerts to you and shit. By name, anyway."

Rain's not sure what her ears are doing, but she knows they're moving, sideways and up and oh shell what the shell why not. She takes a step forward, pulls Pearl in by the collar of her shirt, and kisses her. Pearl kisses back, and Rain closes her eyes and enjoys it, the plankton in her stomach and all. Pearl is... this may still be a dream.

They're both panting when they break apart, and Rain glances at Marina, who has her hands clasped in front of her face, bouncing on her toes and grinning. "Damn," Pearl says, still out of breath. "She kisses better than you."

"Really?" Marina asks.

Rain's ears twitch back. "Of course not!"

"Yeah," Pearl says, stepping away from Rain. She grins at Marina. “You should try it.”

Marina steps forward, reaching for Rain with hands and tentacles, then hesitates. “May I?”

Rain's face burns again, and she nods. Why is Marina so intimidating?

But, as Marina draws her close, hands cradling Rain's cheeks to tilt her head up and tentacles holding her shoulders, it feels like the most natural thing in the world to close her eyes and let Marina lead, to press into the kiss Marina has her in and just enjoy it.

Rain pulls away first this time. Marina grins at her. “Yeah, you're better than Pearl, too.”

Rain laughs. She doesn't know why. She can't help herself. She giggles so long and hard she has to sit, right there, on the ground, and Marina and Pearl sit with her, even though they don't know why it's funny. She doesn't either.

But if any day deserves joyful hysterics, it's this one.

[wierdaesthetic]

How I think cod men smell like naturally their body. (hate dni)

so I have this thing called synesthics with basically causes my brain to use more than one sence when triggered for example I can smell pictures, I know it sounds weird but when ever I look at pic of smth or someone my brain makes up what it/they would smell like. (And to my suprice its pretty accurate)

1. ghost

I am 100% he wears Axe body spray in the purple blue scent, and not because its named Marine (haha). Yeah so his notes are axe spray, hormones(the sweet pinappley ones, not the gross just hit puberty boy type) and I think rust for some reason like he was in a mechanical work space. 2. Konig

Now this bitch confuses me as shit. I think he smells like medical equiment but at the same time I think he smells like nothing, netrual. I dont know he has a minty tone tho. So he probs just has amazing heigyne and doesn't over fragrance himself.

3. Price He smells like tobacco Malboro, I bet my ass on that. But I would know cause I smoke more than him (he is 40+ I am beraly 20). But he also smell alchooly BUT BEFORE YOU SAY I AM STEREOTYPING!! I mean like fragrance type alchool, most notably after shave type of scent. Like spicy cinamon but in a more masculine way. 4. Soap

Before yall hoes come for me, sHe pRobS gOinG tO sAy He SmElLs LikE SoAp, NO BITCH. Like I said I aint stereotyping shit today. HE SMELLS LIKE A PHEREMONENAL SLUT not because he is my favourite but because he always sweaty in the game. But I dont think his sweat smells bad honestly, first of all let me let yall in a little secret ... if you exersice, eat heathly and let out sweat (you know ;) ;)) YOUR SWEAT DOESN'T SMELL!! In the best case senario it is even plesant. At the bear minimum he smells like a basic cologe that his ex or ghost bought him for his bday.

5. Gaz

Let me tell you hoes something. BLACK MEN KNOW HOW TO NOTE AND COMPLIMENT THEIR SCENT!! Did you read that or do I need to repeat it. He smells like vanilla, cocunut, sol de janero REALNESS. He has scented moisteraiser every where in his car, in bag, on a keychain, in his mulitary bag EVERYWHERE, I bet you he has one between his cheeks so he can use it mids war. (I AM DYING) 6. Alejandro

Now hear me when I say, I know he smells feminine. Which is not bad at all but I feel like his stuff is florally scented or fruit or something like that, but at the same time I fear he smells like my boy bff cause they have so similar vibes (I HOPE NOT). But also he smell of tattoo shop YEAH THATS IT. He smells exactly like green disinfectant soap with rose peals infusion, exactly that and if you dont know what I am talking about just imagine dentist office smell + roses.

7. Alex Keller

Oh I know he smells good, naturally and when it comes to fragrance. I just feel it in my bones. He smells like oils, honey and anything in that area. I just know he drenches himself in jojoba oil and l know he loves dior. Like thats it, he is an expencive smelling man.

8. Rudy

I mean, he confuses me. I think he is mixure of hormones (again not the disguasting) and expencive parfum. I think he smells "manly", it sounds weird I know. I KNOW! He smells like salty caramel but the sticky type that you can also eat as a chewing gum, if you are from europe you especially from the slavic or balkan area you know exactly what I am talking about.

9. Nikto

To me he smells like home and I bet my ass on that if he was real I would say that as soon as I would met him but I bet most of yall have no idea what I am talking about unless you are slavic. Well he smells like beer but not the alchooly type but the softer type also he smells like grass, nature and wood. Also he smells like tobacco NOT SMOKE but the plant.

10. Keegan

MINT. MINT. MINT. I know this man smells like a colgate ad, I can feel it. He smells exactly how water tastes after you brush your teeth. He smells also like rain but thats a small note, mostly MINT and fresh. If you are afab or use ph balance wash HE SMELLS LIKE THAT.

(no I wont do philip FUCK HIM, unless yall really want it)

Just a bit of my delulu for anyone that caress I CAN SMELL KONIG RIGHT NOW WTF, AS IF HE IS IN FRONT OF ME. It so weird help.

[schnuron]

Games... #1

In the video game world, there are games that get the most attention to the public and some games sold 6 million, 10 million or 20 million copies to the public. But there are games that get less attention to the public eye.

Not Baldur's Gate 3, Elden Ring, The Witcher 3, etc.

I'm referring to Palworld and Helldivers 2 in this year.

Welp, both games are getting the hype today.

I like those two games. And I won't do a review them.

Okay, okay. This post was clickbait, but scroll down the page.

I've seen people were playing Titanfall 2 to this day and how the game wasn't popular back then. I wouldn't mind if that game was popular, while the amount of shooter games was oversaturated back in 2016 and 2017. Many people had noticed and played Overwatch, COD Infinite Warfare, Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG, Destiny and Battlefield 1.

Despite Titanfall 2 sold not big numbers of copies back in 2016, I still love Titanfall 2, but it's not for everyone.

Do you know what underrated game I used to like in 2010, but don't want to play it anymore today?

Amnesia The Dark Descent

--

Here's another example. Back in 2005, gamers and me got to play Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, Resident Evil 4, Burnout Revenge, Need for Speed Most Wanted or God of War on PS2.

But not Psychonauts, until gamers have noticed that underrated game years later.

I'm sure that not every game was made for you. If you bought a game on Steam and you didn't like it for the first 1 hour, you could refund it.

It's easier said than done, but if you're on PC, you can pirate a single-player game and see if that's your vibe. You can't do that on consoles, unless you find a way to download softwares to play an older game.

Can you enjoy the game, even though it's not your vibe or thing?

I could say yes. I played Skyrim in early 2012 and I liked it. I'm biased towards science fiction, but I appreciate any game that's fantasy.

I had a nice affair with a male Argonian in my journey of the game.

I don't know if Helldivers 2 would be the GOTY in 2024, I don't have big expectations of it.

Despite how good and fun Helldivers 2 is, though the campaign is non-existent

nor Palworld…

Just enjoy either of those two games, while the servers are still running live.

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

The interchange of presents was a very small ingredient in the older English festivity. Mr. Pickwick took a cod with him to Dingley Dell; the reformed Scrooge ordered a turkey for his clerk; lovers sent love gifts; toys and fruit were given to children. But the idea that not only all friends but even all acquaintances should give one another presents, or at least send one another cards, is quite modern and has been forced upon us by the shopkeepers. Neither of these circumstances is in itself a reason for condemning it. I condemn it on the following grounds. 1. It gives on the whole much more pain than pleasure. You have only to stay over Christmas with a family who seriously try to ‘keep’ it (in its third, or commercial, aspect) in order to see that the thing is a nightmare. Long before December 25th everyone is worn out — physically worn out by weeks of daily struggle in overcrowded shops, mentally worn out by the effort to remember all the right recipients and to think out suitable gifts for them. They are in no trim for merry-making; much less (if they should want to) to take part in a religious act. They look far more as if there had been a long illness in the house. 2. Most of it is involuntary. The modern rule is that anyone can force you to give him a present by sending you a quite unprovoked present of his own. It is almost a blackmail. Who has not heard the wail of despair, and indeed of resentment, when, at the last moment, just as everyone hoped that the nuisance was over for one more year, the unwanted gift from Mrs. Busy (whom we hardly remember) flops unwelcomed through the letter-box, and back to the dreadful shops one of us has to go? 3. Things are given as presents which no mortal every bought for himself — gaudy and useless gadgets, ‘novelties’ because no one was ever fool enough to make their like before. Have we really no better use for materials and for human skill and time than to spend them on all this rubbish? 4. The nuisance. For after all, during the racket we still have all our ordinary and necessary shopping to do, and the racket trebles the labour of it. We are told that the whole dreary business must go on because it is good for trade. It is in fact merely one annual symptom of that lunatic condition of our country, and indeed of the world, in which everyone lives by persuading everyone else to buy things. I don’t know the way out. But can it really be my duty to buy and receive masses of junk every winter just to help the shopkeepers? If the worst comes to the worst I’d sooner give them money for nothing and write if off as a charity. For nothing? Why, better for nothing than for a nuisance.

C.S. Lewis [x]

[6ad6ro]

i waited until the very end of last year to finally buy a ps5. i got it used, with store credit from selling a bunch of stuff. but it still seemed like i was getting ripped off. i really only got it for one game, final fantasy vii rebirth, because that game is absolutely going to be spoiled by assholes and clickbait shitheads the first chance they get. so i couldn't safely wait for a pc release.

there were 3 other exclusives i got for it. demon's souls remake, final fantasy xvi, and astro's playroom (the free pack-in). demon's souls is fine and looks gorgeous, but it's just a remake plus i'm so burned out on soulslikes that i never wanna play one again for the rest of my life (anti-fun genre). final fantasy feels mediocre, and astro is like a big demo. no other exclusives are the least bit appealing.

i also bought the 5 call of duty games that won't run on steam deck bc anticheat. half are legit bad, and the rest are videogame fast food at best. the only unreleased exclusive i'm excited about, besides ff7rb, is death stranding 2. i can maybe also count gta6 because it prob won't run well on deck (if at all). so assuming i go back and enjoy ffxvi. and that ff7rb, ds2, and gta6 are all good. that's like what... 4 games? 5 if you roll astro and the cod games into a single good game. this shit about "ps5's lifespan bein over soon" better be bullshit, or this is the last console i ever buy.

[synthe4u]

.cod #4

A/N: I INTRODUCE MY 'DREAMS' aka my writings that would only make sense if I was dreaming (they're not actual dreams)

This will include misspelling, missed punctuation, military inaccuracies, etc.

masterlist

I would be the one to talk to a civilian if they help us or give us a lift/comforting the civilian on the ride back

“So it’s a good day, ain’t it?” -Me “I- uh- yeah” -Civilian “You doing alright? You’re a shaking” “Uhm, yeah-“ Her hands were shaking with blood around the wheel “Do you want me to take over and drive?” “No- no I’m good” “Are you sure? I know you’re a little shaken up from—that” “Yeah- yeah, yeah sure” The car pulls over and we switch spots. I’m driving now and she’s in the passenger seat. I made Soap switch from the passenger seat to the back. I didn’t want the woman to be back there with that bloody mess. Price got shot so he was in the back with terrible stitches made by what we had on us. “So..are you from here” “Huh?- oh—no” “Visiting?” “Yeah, my parents and cousins” “Where you live?” “Uhm, Michigan” “Hmm, Michigan, never been before. What’s it like?” “It’s cold and everyone in my neighborhood gets along,” her voice trailed over, still shaky from the sight before. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened and what you had to see” “No no, I was just at the wrong place wrong time” “I wouldn’t say that- I mean nevermind,” I held back from saying a pick up line like ‘I wouldn’t say that, you met a hot guy/girl like me’ but I knew she was still in shock. “Do you have any siblings?” “Yeah, two brothers and…” The chatter from the back got louder as Price was knocked out from morphine not able to tel the men to shut up. I shush them and apologize to the woman. I could see her eyes start to close, so I asked one last question. “What’s your favorite song?” “Probably..love-fool by the…cardigans,” she starts to doze off before her eyes finally closed. I knew she would be tired after all that. I pulled into a motel parking lot. Stopping the car and getting Soap up to come get a room with me. We walk in and the place smells like a hotel, not like them other cheap motels we always showed up to. “Hi, I would like to get two rooms on the bottom floor please” -Me “Sure can do” “Do you have any scotch at this place?” -Soap “No, but there’s a alcohol store not too far, half a block away down” “Thank you” -Soap We got everyone except the girl into the room. I put the girl in the other room. One room for us, one room for her. It would be weird to have a huge group check into a motel at once so we often got 1 or 2 rooms. Luckily there was enough space for us in the room. Ghost cleaned his own wounds and I helped with everyone else’s. I was the part time medic of the group so I mostly helped with the wounds. One of the good things about the room is that there’s a medkit in it, we usually have to ask the front desk for one or go to a nearby store for one. I fixed up the Captain’s wounds and put bandages around it. Looking to Ghost, I could see he needed help with a wound in the back of his shoulder. I offered to help and he accepted. After that, I went to go check up on the girl. She was just waking up after I opened the door. “Hey, wakey wakey. Eggs and bakey” “It’s bacon..” she responded tiredly “Too bad” “We’re at a motel, thank you so much for letting us catch a ride. You can leave whenever time you want. We bought the room for 2 days. Bye bye sweetheart” “Uh- what- bye?” I leave the room and start thinking about the convo. That was one short convo.

Inspired by Dog Soldiers when they were running from the werewolves and a woman stopped her car and they all got in to get away from the monsters