#Lance Corporal Skip Wells

[svalleynow]

Community keeps memory of 'The Fallen Five' alive 9 years after tragedy

Community keeps memory of 'The Fallen Five' alive 9 years after tragedy...

July 16, 2024 marks the 9-year anniversary of the terrorist attack in Chattanooga that killed 4 marines and a Navy sailor. In  2015, a man opened fire at a military recruiting center and then went to the Naval Operational Support Center, killing 5 service members in the attack. Those 5 service members include Sergeant Carson Holmquist, Lance Corporal Skip Wells, Navy Petty Officer Second Class…

[sickbaysaturdays]

The Metal Butterfly

By @solacearchiveContent 

warning for some moderate body horror/medical abuse.

Lance Corporal Flynn and Medic are ready to enjoy a well-earned day off when they are called to take care of a most unusual patient with a most unusual story to tell.

“Medic, wake up,” I said, rapping on the cabin door again. “It’s time for PT.”

No response. I rapped again. “I’m not going away.”

From inside the cabin came the sound of a person oozing out of bed along with their blankets. “Can’t we skip just one day?”

“Nope,” I replied. “You know the drill. PT, breakfast, then the morning’s yours. My function is to ensure that the first two items are accomplished in a safe and efficient manner.”

“What is it with you military types and your PT?” Medic insisted. At least I could hear water running. “I mean, I get it for you and Gunnery Sergeant Wong and everybody, but since when do I need to be able to bench press a gorilla?”

What was a gorilla? “It’s good for your health. You should know that,” I said. “Mind and body both. Plus, I do PT every morning, and I’m required to stick to you like glue, so you at least need to tag along.”

“That’s the other thing,” Medic continued, amid the sounds of drawers opening and closing. “How much longer is Commander Giroux going to keep me under supervision like this? I mean, I don’t mind your company, of course. But I did the same job for a year with no support personnel, fewer resources, and Imperial guns in my face. I think I can handle myself.”

She could handle herself medically, sure. 

I’d never seen anything to make me doubt her skills in sickbay, and neither had Lucan, the Libertad's chief medic. But she tended to crash after stressful situations, becoming shaky and staring blankly into space. 

Any time anyone tried to talk to her about it, she took it as a slight against her medical skills, and we got nowhere.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “But that’s the situation for now. How’re the PT clothes coming?”

The cabin door slid open, and Medic stood wearing PT clothes and an epic frown.

I grinned at her. “How’re you feeling about some weight training?”

Medic started to reply, but the mini-radio clipped to my waistband interrupted her.

“Lance Corporal Flynn, Staff Sergeant Blaine. Is Medic with you?”

I keyed up. “Yes, sir.” Blaine was leading the salvage team on the wrecked Imperial cruiser we found orbiting Harah’s second moon. They hadn’t needed Medic since no one could have survived that long in a depressurized ship.

“Have her meet us in sickbay; we’re about twenty minutes out. We, uh, got a patient for her.”

Medic motioned at me, and I handed her the radio. 

“Is one of the salvage team injured? What’s their condition?”

There was a pause, then, “No, not quite. Um, better just to show you.”

“Well, that’s not very descriptive,” I commented.

“At least it gets me out of lifting weights,” said Medic, reaching for her scrubs.

Eli Constanzakis was waiting for us in sickbay, which was unusual because Eli was a mechanic.

“They just said it’d be easier to show me,” he said, by way of explanation.

“Yeah, me too.”

Staff Sergeant Blaine hurried through the doors, followed by two of their specialists, each carrying one end of a portable stretcher and visibly straining under the weight. Medic motioned to the exam table in the resuscitation area, and the specialists deposited their load on top with sighs of relief.

“What the—?” Eli swore under his breath.

Medic peered at her patient, picked something up from her tray, then put it down. She turned to Blaine. “Where’d you find him?”

“One of the last pressurized compartments on the wreck. It looked like a cabin, but it was separate from crew quarters. He was unconscious when we found him, but there’s still a pulse.” They gestured at the patient on the resus table. “Didn’t know whether to call a medic or a mech, so I called both.”

Medic nodded deferentially, the way she always did around military personnel she didn’t know well. “Thank you, sir.”

“Any time.” Blaine followed their specialists out the door.

“So, what’s the plan here?” Medic stated, surveying her patient.

Usually, I stood back against the wall like a good soldier and let Medic medic, but today curiosity won out. I took a few steps forward until the supply cart wasn’t blocking my view anymore and saw what had them so bewildered. The person lying on the table in the resus area looked as much machine as person. All four limbs were cybernetic, grafted into gray flesh, and both eyes glinted the dark metallic gray of optic replacements. Wires and nodes crisscrossed his chest and neck above and below the skin. The sockets that dotted his bald head looked like the input ports in a computer.

I stepped back again.

“Well, let me get my diagnostic equipment, and you get yours,” Eli said, cracking open his toolbag. “I’ll plug his cybernetics into old reliable here, see what we can see, and you do the same with the medicine, or however that works.”

“Yes, however that works,” Medic said, trying to find a place to put her electrodes. She gave up and booted up the portable scanner.

Eli attached a few wires to the head sockets and fired up his diagnostic unit. “Oh, hello, dolly. Can’t even get this on the black market.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“BCI,” he said. “Or, BCI’s badass grandaddy. Uh, we use brain-computer interfaces for stuff like optic replacements for the blind if they want them, right? Gotta get that stuff talking to your brain somehow. Or in places that allow it, some people are straight up augmented and can talk to computers with their brains, you know?”

“I’m with you.”

“But that’s just a little chip and a few wires. This fella’s got a whole-ass motherboard grafted right into his gray matter. Goes into the spine, too—hey, Medic, look at this.”

Staring at the display on her portable scanner, Medic whispered, “I see it. Question is, does the problem lie with the hardware, the software, or the human-ware?”

“If the commander’ll let me, I can use the deep-space radio to call some cybernetics people. They might be able to help.”

Medic furrowed her brow. “It might be something a little more mundane than that. Look at this.” She pointed to a white circle on the scanner display. “See, right where the arm meets the shoulder, the skin’s inflamed. I bet the organic parts of him are half septic. I’m going to drain the abscess and try to infuse antibiotics and fluids, and we’ll see if that helps.”

“Here, looks like you can get IV access on this bioplastic thing in his chest. Handy.”

Medic shook her head angrily. “There’s no way this being done to a person is legal or ethical. Lance Corporal, when we’re done, would you call Attorney Kane? I believe this is something she’d be interested in.”

I nodded. “Okay.” I almost said yes, sir, but the last time I’d said that, Medic had freaked out and apologized for being too demanding, and it had taken a minute to convince her I wasn’t mad. Even though, technically, she had the authority to give me orders on medical matters.

For the next hour, Medic and Eli worked on the machine-man. Medic made an incision near his shoulder and drained what looked like a liter of nasty-looking pus. He barely moved. Eli hooked him up to his diagnostic unit and an external DC power source, reasoning that “maybe the kid’s just low on juice.”

The cybernetics expert that Eli managed to get on the line talked them through some repairs, but even she was improvising. Their patient’s cybernetics were beyond anything people in the Allied worlds were even blueprinting.

“Must violate about every human rights convention on cybernetics,” I heard her say.

Well, we had someone for that, at least.

After over an hour of medicine and tinkering, I heard Medic say, “I think he’s waking up.”

A second later, she shrieked and jumped back, knocking an instrument tray over with a clatter. Her patient’s metal arm swung out, missing her by a hair. 

I stepped forward, hand on my sidearm.

“Don’t hurt him,” called Medic.

“Whoa, buddy, we’re not here to hurt you,” Eli said, holding his hands out in a calming gesture. “Just take it easy, okay?”

The arm kept swinging, and Eli stumbled back, abandoning his diagnostic unit.

“Can you speak?” Medic asked. “Please, we can help you.”

There was no response from the patient, but Eli’s diagnostic unit buzzed from its spot on the floor.

“Huh,” Eli said, glancing at the screen. 

Instead of diagnostic codes, the screen read, please stop I hurt where am I where are they please please please no more.

Medic bit her lip. “I can give you something for the pain. I can make it go away, all of it. Do you have any drug allergies?”

The diagnostic unit’s screen filled up with the word penicillin over and over again.

“Okay,” said Medic. “No penicillin, just the good stuff. Let me know when the hurt is gone, okay?”

She read the name and amount of the medication off the vial’s label and pulled a generous amount into a syringe.

She turned to her patient. “I need you to keep your arm still while I dose you. Please don’t hit me.”

The arm slowed, then settled by the metal-boy’s side, twitching and spasming. Medic cautiously reached for the IV line plugged into her patient’s chest and pushed her drug.

“Let me know when you start to feel it,” she told him. Eli kept an eye on the diagnostic unit.

The patient’s arm stopped twitching by his side. Eli flashed a thumbs-up and held up the diagnostic unit.  Warm now it’s gone, the screen read.

“Good, good,” Medic said. “Now, can you tell us how to fix you?”

In the end, there was only so much that could be done. The human parts were battling a serious infection from an improperly grafted node. Several cybernetic components had been damaged and would need to be removed or replaced. When Eli and Medic were done, he could move all four limbs, see from one cyber-eye, and hear from both aural inputs. The pain was down to an acceptable level, and he could speak.

“So, what’s your name?” I asked. Medic, being from Kumitan, often forgot to ask.

“They called me Twelve,” he said.

“What do you call you?” I asked.

He paused and glanced sideways at Medic, typing a chart, and Eli, coiling up his gator cables. Then he looked back at me. “I call myself Orren,” he said.

“Good to meet you, Orren,” I said. “I’m Lance Corporal Flynn. You’re on an Alliance patrol ship. That’s Medic, and the mech’s Eli.”

“Hey-o,” said Eli, giving a little wave. “Neat trick with the diagnostic unit, by the way. Clever.”

“I reached out through the wires,” said Orren. “I screamed so loudly. I didn’t think anyone would hear.”

“We heard,” said Medic. “How’s the pain, one to ten?”

Orren thought for a minute. “Three,” he said. “It’s mostly my spinal processors. I’m not sure they were installed properly.”

“Definitely not,” said Medic. She pulled up a scan. “See, these look like they’re supposed to be grafted onto nerve tissue, but the grafts aren’t taking. I’d remove them, but I’m not a spinal surgeon or a cybernetician. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Who did all this to you anyway?” Eli asked. 

“Half this stuff’s illegal, and the other half’s so advanced we’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Experimental Military Research department,” said Orren. 

“They recruited me after the military rejected me. They said I could still be a part of the glory of the Imperium. I wish I’d said no.”

“Probably wouldn’t have mattered,” Medic muttered.

“Would you be willing to give a statement about what happened to you?” I asked. “We have an attorney from Intersystem Human Rights Court with us. She’s helping document everything the Imperium has done to people like you.”

“All I have to do is say what happened?” Orren asked.

“Yup,” I said. “Done it a couple times myself, as a witness. It’s not scary, just talking into a recorder. She’ll ask a question here and there. Honestly, it’s always made me feel better, the times I’ve done it.”

“Very well,” Orren agreed. “I will speak to this person.”

“Cybernetics violations?” Madalyn Kane asked. 

She, Medic, Eli, and I were standing in the hallway outside sickbay. “That’s new. Are you sure?”

“Well, it doesn’t sound like they had his full informed consent,” Medic said. “That’s a big one.”

“What are the cybernetic conventions again?” Eli asked. “Sorry, been a little busy fixing the aircon to be reading up on intersystem law.”

“There are four of them,” Madalyn recited. “The first convention, like Medic said, is consent. No one can be modified or augmented without their freely given informed consent, except in a life-threatening situation where no other effective treatments are available.”

Eli nodded. “Makes sense.”

“The second states—goodness, this is giving me law school flashbacks—states that no one may be compensated for or coerced into receiving them. They cannot be a condition of education or employment. Discrimination in favor of or against the modified and augmented is forbidden, and any society that makes modifications and augments available must also have the equivalent in disability access to public life.”

“Huh?” Eli asked.

“If you offer optic replacements, you also have to offer tactile walkways and Braille computers,” Medic explained. “They don’t want people to feel like they need to get cybernetics because it’s the only way to participate in society.”

“Makes sense,” Eli said.

“The third convention is open access,” Madalyn continued. “No modifications or augments can be proprietary technology. All replacement parts must be universal. Technical specifications and repair manuals must be freely available to people receiving modifications and augments.

"The fourth convention states that modifications and augments are only to be used for medical and scientific purposes. Human beings are not, through modification or augmentation, to be turned into weapons of war.”

We were silent for a second.

“Do you think that’s what they were doing?” Eli wondered aloud.

“It’s the Imperials,” Medic muttered. “What else?”

“Well, then,” Madalyn said, smoothing the front of her blouse. “Let’s get this young man’s statement and we’ll see, won’t we?”

Affidavit 33532 Name: OrrenRecorded by Atty M. Kane

You may begin.

I grew up on Caldros, one of the older manufacturing space habitats in the Imperial Core. My family and I were good citizens. My father was a neighborhood watch captain, and my mother was part of the Women’s Citizens Alliance. All my older siblings joined the Junior Imperial Guard in secondary school. 

I would have joined too, but I didn’t pass the physical tests. I passed the knowledge exam, but the Imperium wants your body, not your mind. My father and teachers were furious, until a doctor finally realized I had Waller-Kates disease. I’d likely had it all my life, but it took until I was fourteen for the levels of malformed blood cells to reach critical levels.

I spent the next few years in bed, mostly. I was told there were drugs that could help, but the war effort needed them more than I did. I tried my hardest to be strong, I did, but my body would betray me. Some days I could hardly walk across the house without losing my breath and becoming unbearably fatigued.

This angered my father. He believed that if I fought hard enough, I could defeat the blood disease through force of will alone. I only wish it were that easy.

My application to the military was denied, of course; they have access to everyone’s medical files. I don’t know why I applied in the first place; even if some overworked clerk sent me call-up orders by mistake, there’s no way I’d have made it through training when I could barely make it to the corner grocery and back. 

Then I received a private message, not an easy thing to arrange in the Core. It was from a Dr. Fredrick Gatwin, and it had a military signature. He said he was from a special division, and needed me for some cybernetics research he was doing. He promised me medical care for my Waller-Kates and a ticket away from a home that had become more like a prison over the last four years. So I said yes. I didn’t ask questions. I should have asked—

Recording resumes.

I’d never been away from home before. The transport took me to a warship occupying a remote system. Dr. Gatwin seemed so happy to have me on board. He said that with his help, I could be the best soldier the Imperium has ever seen.  

I was just as excited; here I was, on an Imperial warship, exactly where every boy dreams of going. I didn’t ask why I was being housed separately from the crew.

Dr. Gatwin started giving me infusions of S-33, the Waller-Kates drug I couldn’t get back home. He said it would be good to put an IV port in my chest, so that his nurse wouldn’t have to stick me every time.

I thought it would just be a little medication port like I’d seen in the medical shows. But when I woke up, I had this big, ugly bioplastic thing sticking out of me. 

I wanted to cry every time I had to change my shirt. I didn’t tell Dr. Gatwin, though. I didn’t want him to think I was weak like my father did.

The excitement of being on a warship wore off very quickly after that. My days were long and lonely. I wasn’t allowed into most of the crew areas like the mess hall and the rec area. Dr. Gatwin’s research assistants—I never learned their names; they came and went—didn’t speak to me unless they had to. Some days I fantasized about wandering into a crowded hallway and screaming as loudly as I could. 

But I wouldn’t dare.

One crew member was kind to me, though. Sergeant Tillery—I never knew her first name. She cornered me in the hall one day and invited me to the shooting range after hours. She said if I was going to be on a warship, I should learn to shoot a laser rifle. We met every week, Wednesdays at seven.

Dr. Gatwin started replacing the rest of me. Sometimes it was necessary. Waller-Kates can put you at risk for clots in your legs, and cybernetic legs will never have that problem. Other times …

The optic replacements let me see in infrared and ultraviolet, and with greater acuity than any human. I’ll never need glasses or laser surgery. I miss my eyes, though. They were brown, I think, very dark brown like polished wood.

Sergeant Tillery always met me at the range. She never said anything if I missed a week and then came back the next with more tech in me. She even showed me different ways to grip and aim that would take the pressure off the healing surgical sites.

I think I stopped thinking of myself as a person when they turned on the neural tech. My hair never grew back after that operation. Once I had healed and the grafts took, they switched it on and, well, it’s hard to describe.  

The first thing I noticed was that I don’t have to sleep anymore. I miss that, especially dreaming. On the other hand, I’m never fatigued anymore, when once I was nothing but. I can talk to a computer with a hardline or wirelessly if I have the codes. And the way I think is more ordered, like I have administrator access to my own mind.

Still, the more new things they added, the more old thing broke. Dr. Gatwin went through three generations of spinal processors before he found ones that wouldn’t short. I would randomly lose control of a hand or a whole leg, or have a seizure when the connections overloaded. The pain … I asked if there was a way to turn off pain perception. Dr. Gatwin said he was working on it. The perfect soldier wouldn’t feel pain.

A short time later, we were ambushed by Alliance forces seeking to liberate the system we occupied. We took heavy damage and casualties. I followed Sergeant Tillery’s transponder  until it went silent after a cannon salvo.

I was injured, but the hallways to sickbay and Dr. Gatwin’s lab were both decompressed. I took shelter in my cabin and sealed the doors. And when the crew abandoned ship, no one took me along. I was only a science experiment, and probably a failed one. 

Twelve, the lab assistants called me. I wonder who the other eleven were. I am better off not knowing. As long as there is no thirteen.

The cabin was so cold that ice crystals formed on my metal parts. I couldn’t sense the ship’s computer anymore. My body doesn’t need very much oxygen, so I knew it would take a long time for the air to run out. I tried to access any nearby computers, but there were none, not even a transponder. Outside of my cabin was decompressed. 

In the end, I couldn’t think of a way out. I pulled as many happy memories as I could find from my brain and hard drives—rifle practice with Sergeant Tillery, family dinners back home, Imperial Pride rallies with all my best friends and onion bread and soft drinks after. Not much of a life, all in all, but mine.

And just when I thought I’d made my peace, I woke up in your sickbay, and I did not know I was safe. I hope you’ll forgive me.

Thank you, Mr. Orren. 

I will probably have some follow-up questions for you soon. If you intend to seek asylum on humanitarian grounds, the Alliance will certainly grant it. 

Recording ends.

“What will happen to me?” Orren asked. 

Madalyn had left with her briefcase to file an asylum petition, and Eli had gone to fix someone’s heater.  It was just him, Medic, and me.

“You’re going to need specialist care,” Medic said. “I’ve got some calls out to university hospitals to try and get you a bed. They can take your spinal processors out safely, clean up the infected shoulder joint, get you sorted out in the long run. They can even do stuff like—well, you mentioned you liked your old eye color?”

“Dark brown.”

“There are optic replacements that mimic the colors of organic eyes. They’re more basic, but the colors are customizable. My dad had one after he lost an eye in an accident.”

“I don’t know,” said Orren.

“You don’t have to decide right away,” I told him. “It’s a lot. Just take some time and think about what you want.”

Orren frowned thoughtfully. “What I want. I will think about that. Lance Corporal Flynn, I am curious.”

“About?”

“Cybernetics are seldom used in the Imperium except on soldiers wounded in combat. Are there others like me on Alliance worlds?”

“Not with quite as many cybernetic parts as you, but yeah, a bunch,” I said. “Just growing up in a small town, I knew a bunch of people who had cybernetics. Eyes and legs mostly. My homeroom teacher one year had a cybernetic heart. Oh, and one of my sisters has one of those—Medic, what’s it called, the spider, for epilepsy?” I tapped the side of my head where Kava’s implant had sat on her skull.

“Implantable neuro-anticonvulsant,” Medic supplied. “I-NAC. It does kind of look like a spider.”

“Brought her from ten seizures a day to maybe two a year. Her hair grew over it, though,” I added. “Most people never noticed she had it.”

“Interesting,” Orren murmured. After a moment, he turned to Medic. “I have thought about what I want. I now know one thing that I would like very much.”

“What’s that?”

“Can you make my hair grow again?”

Medic grinned. “Absolutely.”

[tehuti88-art]

10/11/24: r/SketchDaily theme, "Free Draw Friday."

This week's characters from my anthro WWII storyline are Gabriele "Gabby" Zweifel, and Lance Corporal White Rat. Gabby is the toddler daughter of Mirjam Zweifel and the two spend the entire story in hiding. White is from the old character list and not well developed yet but is rather a jerk. There'll be more about them later in my art Tumblr and Toyhou.se.

Regarding their design, Gabby mostly takes after her unknown father, though I gave her ears similar to Mirjam's. With White, I gave him hazel green eyes before realizing that, as a white rat who's not albino, he should be leucistic and have blue eyes. Oops. Well, maybe he has some different-colored patches not visible in this portrait, or I should tweak his design. Dunno.

TUMBLR EDIT: Entry split in two here on out.

Gabriele...is an uncomfortable character. Her very physical appearance, so different from her mother's, hints at this. This entry touches on controversial themes, I won't go into detail though I'll lay it out plainly, so in the tiny chance anyone is reading this you might want to skip the rest.

...

Last warning.

Okay, here goes.

Gabriele is the product of a gang rape. Her mother Mirjam has no idea who her true father is; as she later explains it to Major Jan Delbrück, he could've been any of a large group of SS officers: "I lost count around eight." Even Delbrück, hardened as he is by providing the final shot that kills wounded prisoners in the labor camp, is horrified by her tale.

Much of Mirjam's story is still murky; it seems she was one of an extended family group of Jews who for some reason were still hiding within the city, seeking a means of escape while moving between temporary homes. They seemed to have no contact with or assistance from the Diamond Network, if it was around. The Allgemeine-SS was tipped off to this and raided their current hiding spot; most of the group was killed immediately, Mirjam was not. After they were finished she was left for dead; she regained consciousness, however, and managed to once more flee and go into hiding.

Some time later--switching to present tense here--a young woman employed at Frau Bitterlich's, a well-known brothel tolerated (i. e., intentionally overlooked because their own members so often visit it) by the Nazi Party, spies movement within a derelict building as she passes; peering within and calling out, she's surprised to spot a thin, disheveled woman--with a very big belly--hiding within. Mirjam's been surviving on her own since the loss of her family group, and is nearly feral by now, skittish and defensive, living off of discarded scraps, constantly moving from place to place. The woman finally coaxes her out with the promise of food, a hot bath, and a warm bed. She asks Mirjam how far along she is; Mirjam's lost track of time, though she's obviously due very soon. She's alarmed to learn the nature of the place she's been brought to, yet the woman reassures her that nothing will be requested of her right now, Frau Bitterlich will surely allow her to stay a while and recover.

Frau Bitterlich, upon seeing Mirjam, contacts a private physician on call to the brothel; she promises Mirjam that she has no need to worry, he's discreet. Mirjam's features--dark hair, dark eyes, dark complexion--combined with her obvious terror make it clear she's Jewish, and Frau Bitterlich and her girls start to suspect that something truly awful happened to her. The doctor arrives and Mirjam reluctantly allows him to look her over; he tells Frau Bitterlich that she's malnourished, but aside from that, relatively healthy. He can't tell more without a more intimate examination, which he doesn't think would be wise to conduct right now, yet has no reason to believe there'll be any major issues with Mirjam's childbirth: He's fairly certain, based on feeling her belly and asking questions to narrow down the date of conception, that she's actually overdue. He's deliberately vague in informing Frau Bitterlich that Mirjam's options right now are quite limited--he can still terminate, though it's definitely not recommended so far along, he's willing to fetch the right instruments if she requests. At this, Mirjam, still sitting nearby, suddenly exclaims, "Nein!" The doctor and Frau Bitterlich glance at her; Mirjam wraps her arms around her belly as if to protect herself, and murmurs, "I...I want to keep it...I want one good little thing from this." Her eyes fill with tears and she starts trembling. "This is the only reason I'm still here," she says. Despite the violence of the child's conception, Mirjam had no choice to abort early on; once she realized this, she made the unborn child her reason to hold on, to stay alive. She won't ask them to terminate now. The doctor tells Frau Bitterlich to contact him when Mirjam goes into labor and he'll provide what help he can.

Frau Bitterlich's girls set Mirjam up, give her the promised food and hot bath and warm bed, fawn over her and make sure she's safe and comfortable. When she goes into labor, it's painful but quick; Frau Bitterlich calls the doctor, yet Mirjam's already done all the work by the time he arrives. Frau Bitterlich's girls, assisting, catch sight of the newborn before Mirjam does, and share furtive, uneasy looks; Mirjam briefly worries that something is wrong with the child, yet she's reassured that it's a perfectly healthy baby girl. They hold the mewling infant up for Mirjam to see; she takes in a sharp breath and pales when she sees her fair hair and complexion, nothing whatsoever like her own. The baby blinks her eyes open just briefly--Mirjam actually flinches back a little at the light blue--yet the baby then starts to cry, and Mirjam's eyes fill with tears again. She holds out her shaking arms; the baby is placed in them and she cradles her close to let her nurse. She presses her face to the top of her new daughter's head and names her Gabriele, after the archangel. "My little messenger," she whispers.

Gabriele's appearance tells Frau Bitterlich and her girls all they need to know about what must have happened; they don't ask any questions. Mirjam is allowed to stay at the brothel (though eventually, she begins working there for her room and board). Her feelings toward her daughter are complicated; she does love her dearly, and does everything she can to protect her, though as she later admits, every time she looks at her she's reminded of how exactly she came to be. When the rather antinatalist Delbrück (more on him in a moment) says if he had been in her situation, he would have aborted her, Mirjam admits that if this had been an option, she can't honestly say she wouldn't have terminated the pregnancy. Abortion is illegal for Aryan women--a group into which Mirjam does not fit--but given that she's Jewish and in hiding, it wasn't readily available to her, either. So the entire argument, ultimately, is moot. By the time she finally met the doctor, she'd decided she wished to keep the child, a decision Delbrück still doesn't understand, and even she can't really explain it. It's clear she would never judge any woman who chose otherwise, but she herself can't even imagine life without her daughter, now. Even if she has to struggle with the awful memories every day, she doesn't blame Gabriele.

The relationship between Mirjam, Gabriele, and Delbrück is complicated, too. The adjutant (second-in-command) of the local labor camp and thus a member of the SS-Totenkopfverbände, he visits the brothel one day with a bizarre request that only Mirjam can fulfill. Frau Bitterlich does something that really seems like a d*ck move by not informing Mirjam of the nature of her new client (Delbrück, new to this sort of thing, shows up in uniform) before locking them both in the same room (a sort of safety measure Mirjam's never had any problem with until now); Mirjam and Delbrück end up stranded together and staring at each other in astonishment before Mirjam spends a moment or two frantically pounding on the door begging to be let out. Nobody responds so she turns back to Delbrück, who simply says, "I can be discreet, if you can," and Mirjam realizes that she's actually the one with the power in this situation: She has everyone else in the brothel at her back, and if anyone on the outside were to find out that Delbrück's visited with her, he'd be finished. Mirjam's in no danger whatsoever--Delbrück is.

The two of them settle on a series of arranged meetings for his particular request--which doesn't involve sexual contact of any sort, but does involve a strict insistence that she not try to talk with him--until eventually, the visits seem to lose their effect for him. Mirjam can't help herself, various times curiosity gets the better of her and she tentatively tries to talk to him, though he always brusquely cuts her off with "No talking!" and on one occasion even complains to Frau Bitterlich. After her session with him fails to work, while pleading that she can try harder if he wishes, she accidentally mentions her daughter, which finally elicits a response--"You have a daughter?" But then the clock runs out, and Delbrück leaves. Mirjam's certain he's not coming back, yet he does, and spots Gabriele. Mirjam awkwardly introduces them to each other, calling him her friend "Herr Jan," and Delbrück says, "Hallo, Gabby," getting a small "Hallo" in return. Then, something Mirjam's never seen before--Delbrück smiles, just a bit, just fleetingly.

The moment they're alone, Delbrück says, "Her father's SS, isn't he." Doesn't bother phrasing it as a question, it's so painfully obvious. By now Mirjam's learned that Delbrück isn't with the Allgemeine-SS, therefore he likely has no connection to what happened--in fact, the Allgemeine-SS ends up investigating him for his visits to the brothel--so she feels safe enough replying that yes, Gabriele's father is SS, and she tells him what happened. Although she avoids going into detail, Delbrück is still disturbed by the story. His comments that he would have sought an abortion, and he's not interested in fathering children (he took part in Lebensborn, but soon quit as he found it "weird"), puzzle her a little, with how in conflict they are with the Nazi ideal of having as many kids as possible; as an SS member, it's strongly encouraged that he get married and sire at least four children. Delbrück doesn't see the point, who in their right mind would want to bring a child into this mess--? Realizing then exactly what he said, he flushes and tries to excuse Mirjam from his observation, though she's not offended...she knows it's complicated and she can't really explain her decision, herself. After a few moments, she ventures to ask, "Are...are we talking?" Delbrück blinks, then relaxes and says, "I guess we are."

The two continue their visits--talking to each other now--and as time goes on, they develop feelings for each other, with all that that entails. They both know they can never be in a true relationship, so they take what they can get. And despite his avowed aversion to children, Delbrück is excellent with Gabby, who seems to like him a lot in return, calling him Herr Jan and giving him a big hug whenever they meet. Noticing this, Mirjam decides to make another, much different request of him: She asks if he'll take Gabby outside. Gabby's entire world, her entire life, has consisted of living within the brothel; she's never seen the outside, never seen the sun or the clouds or trees or anything, other than the city alleyway and its mere sliver of sky visible from Mirjam's window. Just once, Mirjam would like her daughter to see the life she's missed. This is the one gift she longs to give her, but has never been able to. "She can pass as one of you," she tells Delbrück, "if you two were together, no one would ask any questions." Delbrück is surprised by the request, but promises to take Gabby out for a day and show her the world.

The appointed day, Delbrück stops by and retrieves Gabby from Mirjam--who by now is having second thoughts, full of anxiety that somehow Delbrück will be outed as a client, or Gabby's identity will be detected--promises to have her back that evening, and leaves. He leads her out through the side exit so they aren't spotted out front. A big black limousine is parked on the back street; the chauffeur, leaning against it, hurries to snuff out his cigarette and open the door. "Your guest...?" he says as Delbrück places Gabby in the back seat before joining her; Delbrück just rolls his eyes. He tells her the other man is Herr Cranz and she can trust him. Herr Cranz gets in the car, starts the engine--Gabby gasps at the roar and claps her hands to her ears--and says, "Where to--?" Delbrück blinks--he hasn't even thought about where to take Gabby, he has no idea what a kid would like, and says as much. "Park, maybe?" Cranz suggests; it's as good as anything, so Delbrück says yes, city park please. As the big black limo pulls away from the curb and heads off for the park, Gabby stands on the seat, hands and face pressed to the glass, and stares at the passing scenery with huge eyes.

Cranz drops them off at the city park; Delbrück instructs him to return in the evening, takes Gabby's hand, and asks where she'd like to go first. Gabby looks all across the park in open wonder before pointing at the pond, bouncing excitedly--"Bitte! Bitte!"--so he leads her there. Several large birds are drifting across the water, honking among themselves; "What are those?" Gabby asks; "Gänse," Delbrück says, "Geese." He advises they not get too close as geese can be mean; yet as the geese drift toward them expectantly, Gabby asks, "Can I feed a geese?" Delbrück, amused by the mistake, says, "Gans...one geese is a goose," and waves at a nearby food vendor--it's extremely frivolous in such times, yet he promised to let Gabby do as she wished. "Like Mutter Gans (Mother Goose)!" Gabby exclaims, pleased to at last see the fairytale figure's namesake, and she tosses bits of bread as Delbrück shows her to, clapping her hands as the birds gather to honk and nibble at the crumbs.

"Herr Jan," Gabby asks after she takes a ride on a small carousel, "what are those?" She points up; he looks, uncertain what she's pointing at. She says, "Those fluffy things, I see them from the window sometimes, but not so many," to which Delbrück says, "Clouds...?" "Clouds," Gabby echoes. "What are they doing?" Delbrück has no idea how to answer that, so he says, "I don't know...cloud things, I suppose." "What do clouds do?" Gabby asks; "They bring rain sometimes," he says, at which Gabby tilts her head and says, "Rain...?" Delbrück blinks, feeling an odd sense of dismay; "It's like...water, that falls from the sky," he tries to explain; Gabby's face lights up--"Oh! I see it from the window, it makes the street all shiny. Rain," she sounds it out, and Delbrück lets out a breath.

Gabby runs and skips along the paved path, singing to herself as Delbrück walks some distance behind. She suddenly stops, lets out a small shriek, and comes running to him in a panic--"Herr Jan! Herr Jan! Something touched me! What is it?" Delbrück drops to his knee and looks her over--"What is it, did something bite you?"--yet he can't see a thing on her. "Something played with my hair!" Gabby insists, confusing him all the more--then she shrieks again, and points at the path. "Look! Look! There it is, Herr Jan!"

Delbrück looks. Doesn't see anything except some leaves scattering by. Then understanding dawns..."Wind?" he says, furrowing his brow. "You've never felt wind?" "Wind," Gabby echoes; she gasps when it ruffles her hair again. "Why can't I see it, Herr Jan?" "Nobody can see it," Delbrück says, "just what it does, like blowing on your hair." Gabby asks, "Is it like a ghost?" Delbrück has to ponder that briefly before replying, "Ja...I suppose it is. A nice ghost, though. Wind won't hurt you." A fresh breeze arises; this time Gabby doesn't cry out in fear, but holds out her arms, and laughs when her hair waves around. "It's tickling me, Herr Jan!" Delbrück forces a small smile at her but inside, he's wincing at the thought of a child who's never felt rain or wind before.

They continue walking along the paths. Gabby collects leaves, makes little pictures with them, lets out a dismayed sound when they blow away--"Naughty wind!"--she gathers colorful pebbles instead, makes more pictures, leaves them behind as she skips into the grass. She pets the ground as if it's a cat: "Soft!" She spots a puddle and runs toward it, yet Delbrück hurries to grab her up and pull off her shoes first; she splashes around happily, exclaiming, "I'm walking on rain, Herr Jan!"--and "Honk, honk!--I'm eine Gans"--she flaps her arms.

"Ohhh!" a smartly dressed woman coos as they walk along once more, Delbrück carrying Gabby's shoes until her feet can dry off, "what an adorable little child!" She bends down to look Gabby in the eyes. "Hallo, little girl! Are you having fun...?" Gabby clutches Delbrück's hand, peers up at him, and murmurs, "Is she your friend too, Herr Jan...?" Delbrück blushes furiously--him being Mirjam's "friend" has distinct connotations different from most uses of the word, something Gabby can't possibly know--yet a more pressing issue arises. "'Herr Jan'...?" the woman echoes, perplexed; "Ah...she means me," Delbrück says, at which the woman gets a very odd look and says, "She calls you Herr Jan?" Delbrück realizes that Mirjam's hope--that Gabby could pass as Aryan--has proven TOO true--this woman has assumed they're father and daughter. "She...ah...she's the daughter of a distant cousin," he hastens to say as he picks Gabby up, "we don't talk much." The woman seems to accept the explanation; she apologizes for the assumption, says she'll stop bothering them now, waves goodbye to Gabby--"Tschüss!"--and strolls off. Delbrück lets out another breath.

"Do you have a lot of friends, Herr Jan?" Gabby asks as they continue on their way; Delbrück thinks a moment, then admits, "Nein...not really." Truth to tell, he has acquaintances, but he can't really say he has anyone he would call a friend. Gabby says, "I have a lot of friends!"--perplexing him at first--before adding, "Mama, and Frau Bitterlich, and the women we live with, they're all my friends"--his heart hurts realizing that Gabby's "friends" are a bunch of prostitutes. She's probably never even seen another child. He's relieved that she doesn't follow that up with any more awkward questions...this entire outing by now has him thinking and feeling a lot of things he always preferred to let be.

By now, it's starting to get late, the sky beginning to purple, the shadows growing long. "A little bit longer...?" Gabby pleads. She waves goodbye to the geese, her skipping slows, she starts yawning. "I don't want to go home yet," she pouts, only to yawn even wider and murmur, "I miss Mama." Delbrück puts her on his shoulders and heads for the edge of the park. "Look, Herr Jan," she says, and points upward; "someone poked a bunch of holes in the sky." Delbrück feels a pang again; "Sterne," he says, "those are stars." "Like the ones Mama and me are supposed to wear?" Gabby asks, and it takes everything Delbrück has to mumble, "Ja...just like those."

Gabby has dozed off by the time they reach the limo waiting at the edge of the park; Cranz takes them back to Frau Bitterlich's. Mirjam is beside herself by now; Delbrück apologizes for taking so long as she takes back her sleepy daughter and hugs her tight. Everything went well, Gabby enjoyed her day, he reassures her; she's a bit too emotional to respond much just yet, but does murmur, "Danke, danke," repeatedly as she takes Gabby back up to their room, and Delbrück heads back to the labor camp.

Delbrück lies on his bunk most of the night staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Thinks about the woman assuming that Gabby was his daughter. Realizes that the thought of having a child isn't as bad as he'd claimed, especially seeing the happiness on her face as she played in the park, and the relief and love on Mirjam's face once she returned. He thinks maybe now he understands what Mirjam meant when she said it's complicated and can't really be explained. Delbrück's long felt that life has no real meaning...it's just never really bothered him before now. And seeing how life has so much meaning for someone who's been through such awful things, someone who his own people have deemed unworthy of life, well...he wonders now what exactly he's been missing, and if it's too late for him to have it.

While watching the camp yard the next day, sharing cigarettes with the kapo, Schindel, Delbrück asks him if he has any kids. Schindel gets quite an awkward look as if unsure whether he's actually meant to respond, so Delbrück gestures to tell him he can talk freely. "My...my wife was with child when I was...brought here," Schindel says, choosing his words carefully, apparently still wondering if this is some sort of trap; "Boy or girl?" Delbrück asks, at which Schindel looks REALLY uncomfortable and says, "Ahm...I don't know...I don't know where my wife is, or for sure if she's still alive." Delbrück's gotten so used to Schindel's company that he forgot he's just another Jew, another prisoner, nothing like him--he nods hastily to acknowledge how stupid his question was, and doesn't protest when Schindel excuses himself to go patrol the yard. Here's the thing, though...even a lowly kapo has a wife and child and a lot more purpose in life than he has. Delbrück feels like his blinkers have been removed; he has far too many thoughts and feelings to deal with now, and no idea how to handle them. All because Mirjam wanted Gabby to experience one good day. Has anyone else ever had an existential crisis triggered by a toddler...?

Mirjam goes a long period without seeing Delbrück when he's drafted to head to the Eastern Front late in the war; Frau Bitterlich's other girls watch uneasily as the freshly assembled SS units march past, and one of them recognizes "Herr Jan" as he goes by. Mirjam knows the reputation of the Red Army troops, as well as just how Germany has been faring in battle, and agonizes over Delbrück's possible fate. Rumor has it that this is just the beginning of the end. Some time later the troops return in a grand parade, but Delbrück privately confides in Mirjam that it's merely for show: His unit and others were called back before they could achieve any decisive victory, he believes to stage the parade and boost the citizens' flagging morale. Germany's defeat is looking more and more imminent. Even as he returns to his job at the camp, Delbrück tells Mirjam to be ready to flee or fight if she has to. To which Mirjam replies, "Flee where? I don't have anyone or anywhere to go."

This isn't entirely true, as some questioning reveals: Mirjam has an uncle and a cousin. Both lapsed Jews, they've managed to escape notice so far as they live far out in the countryside. Thing is, Mirjam has no way to get in contact with them, and isn't even sure if they're alive. She figures Delbrück is too wrapped up in his own issues to remember this particular detail, yet he does. As Allied troops are reported to be on their way toward the city, and the SS starts cracking down on citizens trying to flee, Delbrück decides to get out while the getting's good. The story of what happens next is detailed in the following entries: Jan Delbrück, Mirjam Zweifel, Hermine Cranz.

Delbrück manages to locate the old farm Mirjam's relatives live on and leaves Mirjam and Gabriele there, then departs, despite their calls of "Herr Jan--?" Her cousin, who had confronted Delbrück with a rifle when he appeared, takes them in to be tended to; they haven't seen each other since before this all started, so she's surprised by Gabby's existence, and even asks, after Mirjam hints at what happened, if the SS officer who left her here is Gabby's father. Mirjam says no...Herr Jan's never hurt her. She would be dead now if not for him. Her cousin and uncle can't understand why a Nazi would go to such lengths to save a Jew and her Mischling daughter who isn't even his...Mirjam can't explain it for them. It's complicated.

Gabby asks her mother, as she's being tucked in bed later that night, where Herr Jan is, if he's all right. Mirjam can't answer this, either. She figures he's likely to be captured and executed, whether by his own people as a deserter, or by the Allies as an enemy, it hardly matters. Indeed, quite a while passes as the Allies capture the city, subdue the German troops, and start the process of denazification. The one silver lining is that the American troops reach the city first, so it's largely spared the wrath of the Red Army. After some time, avenues of both communication and transport begin to open up again, and Herr and Fräulein Zweifel tentatively resume trading farm goods with people in the city. It's an especially difficult time full of food shortages and inflation, so their business, however limited, is greatly appreciated.

Mirjam accompanies her uncle into the city one day while Gabby stays with her cousin, and spots a familiar face: Delbrück, though he's in civilian clothes now, and has stubble on his face. It's clear he recognizes her too when she hails him, yet he insists that he's not Herr Jan, he's Bruno Lehmbruck. Mirjam immediately understands, though at her uncle's prompting--he's rather nearsighted, and never got a good look at Delbrück when he left Mirjam and Gabby at the farm, so he doesn't recognize him now--offers him a job on the farm. Gabby, too, hasn't forgotten "Herr Jan," who her mother introduces as her friend, Herr Bruno. Although a bit puzzled about why his name is different, she's used to unusual "games"--such as the "keep-quiet" game she always played with her mother while hiding under the stairs at Frau Bitterlich's--so she figures Herr Jan is playing a game now, too. "Hallo, Gabby," he says, just like old times, and "Hallo," Gabby returns the greeting. Delbrück...Lehmbruck...smiles.

I haven't yet explored the remainder of Gabriele's life, what sort of person she grows up to be. Does she ever meet Hanna Schindel, or the Cranzes again...? Does she ever gain any half-siblings...? Because although it's awkward at first (Fräulein Zweifel DOES recognize Delbrück when he comes to the farm, and privately warns him that she'll be keeping a hawk's eye on him), Delbrück remains on the Zweifel farm, and his and Mirjam's feelings haven't changed. The situation is complicated, yet Delbrück rather feels he understands it, now...and every time Gabby happily greets him--"Hallo, Herr Bruno!"--he forgets what it ever felt like to not like children.

[Gabriele Zweifel 2024 [‎Friday, ‎October ‎11, ‎2024, ‏‎12:01:17 AM]]

[stilemawillow]

Underestimation [Levi | Cadet! Reader | Drabble]

"Good morning, sir." You greeted politely with a smile, knowing there was a fat chance you'd actually get acknowledged by the passing superior.

"Hello, (Y/N)." The male your greeting was directed to returned despite the fact both his hands were full of papers and his eyes were glued to the words on the pages. He hadn't even looked up but he made the effort to address you as he usually would when other people weren't around. However, he didn't feel the need to stop and chat with you furthermore.

"Do you need help, Corporal?" You inquired shyly, seeing as he was approaching the closed door of the mess hall and lacking the opportunity (and free hands) to open it. Not to mention the fact he could've hardly noticed it with his eyes still on the paperwork he was carrying.

"Not that I know of, cadet." Even though he said that he still didn't seem to have acknowledged the existence of the wooden obstacle standing in his way. Worst case scenario he'd actually walk through it and the door would be the one hurting in the end.

You kept walking next to him for a few more seconds before deciding it was best not to risk anything and skipping ahead. Your hand grasped the doorknob and you swung it open for the stoic corporal to step through approximately five seconds before he actually did. He was so indulged in his papers that he didn't glance upwards once - not when the click of the door's mechanism was heard, not when the creak followed and certainly not when you awkwardly scrambled to move out of the way for him to pass either.

You didn't think your Corporal stupid and the last thing in the world you wanted to do was create the impression you were underestimating him, but if he'd been hoping for the door to be magically open just for him you might as well consider him mildly naive.

The raven-haired superior walked past you to his table - the one the rest of your squad had already occupied. Petra, being the first to notice the short Corporal and you, trailing behind him like the owner of a careless pet, waved you over before nudging Eld on her right. Just then you noticed the next obstacle ahead of the Corporal - a young cadet with a tray full of food, who was talking to his friends without paying attention to where he was walking. Just like your raven-haired superior, you compared briefly before imagining what would befall both males if they were to clash.

There would be cursing and a bunch of food on top of your corporal, and the stupid cadet would probably get a lifelong stable duty. Eyes widening in slight panic, you rounded the Corporal from the right as fast as you could whilst calling out to the careless cadet strolling in your direction because you strongly wished to prevent the terrible event of them crashing into one another.

"Hey!" You were speed-walking when he turned to face your exclamation without finding it needed for him to stop or even slow down. As expected, there was a collision. The whole mess hall looked at you with the one exception of the Corporal you'd protected from the gruesome fate that had befallen you. You gritted your teeth as a blob of mashed potatoes slid off your chest to the floor with a splat. The cadet whose food had ever so rudely abused the fabric of your clothes seemed shocked.

You were pissed but the Lance Corporal was oblivious to what had happened, not to mention disinterested in its essence due to it allegedly not concerning him. Only if he knew, you sighed as your shoulders slumped. The cadet in front of you received a warning glare before you rushed past him with mashed potatoes sticking to your shirt, bread crumbs tangled in your tresses and little pieces of eggs sliding off the leather jacket on your shoulders. Maybe you had to be thankful for the lack of beverage on top of the tray.

The Corporal had seated himself at your squad's table as everybody stared at you wondrously. You heard them greet him briefly all the while eyeing you up, a question visible in their orbs. You avoided their gazes and made your way to the kitchen with the intention to grab the Corporal his usual cup of tea. Less than two minutes after that you arrived at the table and watched the raven write on a sheet of paper prior to reading something off another right next to it.

You put down his tea and took a seat on Petra's left as the girl slid a number of napkins over to you with a smile. The raven-haired corporal with his eyes still glued to the words on the papers in front of him, without missing a beat, said:

"Thank you, Petra."

"Sir, that---" You elbowed her in the side, cutting her off, and when she received an additional warning look she seemed to have gotten the message. "... isn't something to thank me for." Even though smiling was quite useless in a situation like this where it wouldn't be paid any attention Petra still managed to force a little smile as her amber eyes glared back at yours half-heartedly.

The Corporal, oblivious to your exchange, took a sip from the tea, almost knocking it over in the meantime, and hummed in satisfaction. Your squadmates renewed their conversations as you cleaned your uniform with the help of Petra's napkins whilst warily spying on your superior.

In the beginning, it was for the sake of his safety but three minutes in and you weren't so sure anymore. You weren't so sure because his hair looked extremely soft and silky, his fingers looked strangely appealing as they wrote and the curved thick eyelashes that almost hid his eyes somehow made his high cheekbones attractive.

You watched as the Corporal's lips pursed in frustration, parted in hopelessness or exasperation and rested in a straight line as he concentrated. You observed his slender fingers grip the pen in his hold and write, bring the cup of black tea to his lips and leave it back on the table with a clink, and tuck an annoying strand of his undercut behind his ear. You felt the immense need to help him with that, and bite his earlobe in the meantime, just to see how he'd react.

You held yourself back from elaborating on that fantasy, only because you knew, in reality, you'd probably get kicked into another dimension if you dared do that to your superior. And then you'd get charged with sexual assault.

You didn't bother being nervous about getting caught staring, mostly because your superior seemed extremely disinterested in the act of observing anything that wasn't his paperwork at the moment. Believe it or not, time (and in your case - thirty minutes) literally possessed the ability to fly when you observed something - or someone, you thought beautiful.

Though you could use a bunch of other adjectives to describe Levi Ackerman's appearance with (e.g. attractive, appealing, alluring, bewitching, breath-taking, charming, delightful, divine, distracting, ethereal, exquisite, fine, gorgeous, handsome, lovely, mesmerizing, marvellous, pretty, ravishing, stunning and so on) you considered 'beautiful' closest to reality without being too over the top.

The thick eyelashes, the thin lips, the high cheekbones, the narrow eyes, the arched brows, the silky locks, the angular jaw and the straight nose - they created the image of a 'beautiful person'. A beautiful person most wouldn't be able to envision killing titans times bigger than himself, but a beautiful person you could look at for hours on end and keep finding things about him you hadn't seen before.

Last week, after an expedition in the open, as you sat at the same table you noticed the raven's nose had gotten a slight sunburn. It had been adorably red - and then you saw the small freckles on his cheeks. Your eyes had softened and you'd made a visible effort to keep quiet that hadn't gone unnoticed - unlike now.

Weeks before that the Lance Corporal had gotten angry at a bunch of new requits for leaving mould in the corner of a room they were supposed to clean and he'd started screaming at them, lashing out to the point his teeth flashed a few times. It had taken you quite a bit of staring to see the way his canines were abnormally pointy. That, of course, led to a new type of fantasy for you that specifically included biting.

Months prior you snuck out of your room to make yourself some tea and saw the corporal in the kitchen, immediately thinking you'd get stable duty for being up and around so late, but upon a closer look, the raven had fallen asleep in the middle of his paperwork. You ended up standing there for an actual minute, curiously staring at the peaceful expression on his face. It was then you'd noticed his eyelashes were so long they touched his cheekbones as he slept.

The example you loved most went back a few years, about the time you'd gotten comfortable in his squad and become aware of your crush on him. One evening after a particularly bad expedition you'd caught him having numerous drinks in the corner of the kitchen on the floor. Very close to being tipsy and the furthest from being scary, the raven had offered you a drink as well, seeing as he'd been too tired to scold you for invading his space. You'd accepted, fearing reprimand if you refused, and ended up trying to cheer up the Corporal by blurting out every joke your friends had ever told you. At one point the raven had covered his mouth very crookedly but you clearly saw a dimple appear at the side of it. That was certainly the night you realised you liked him for real.

You went back to reality when Petra and Gunther started cleaning up after themselves only to realise breakfast was over. You looked around you with a sigh; the mess hall was almost empty. You still had to clean yourself up because you feared the napkins wouldn't be enough and you might need an actual shower, but then you saw your Corporal, just as enticed by his paperwork as he'd been thirty minutes ago, rising from the table. You concluded you'd find time to tend to your hygiene later and immediately shot out of your seat, following your superior out of the room.

The next four hours turned out all too challenging for poor little you, mostly because the Lance Corporal couldn't sit still and do his paperwork in his office - no, he had to walk around HQ and fulfil a bunch of other duties he had alongside it. So you had to follow him around as well, without making your presence known, which turned out a bit harder than expected since fate just wouldn't let you have it your way.

You prevented your superior from getting flattened to the ground by a falling ladder as he was checking the damage on the 3DMG after the last expedition; you stopped him from walking into two trees, three doors and a street cat by using various methods, all of which probably looked extremely odd and ridiculous from the side; you made him avoid slipping on numerous surfaces while slipping on them yourself; and you prevented him from getting hit by a flying wooden dagger during combat training by tossing a cleaning rag at his feet which immediately made him bend so he could pick it up - it was very unfortunate that you happened to stand in the wooden dagger's way as well because you weren't fast enough to dodge it yourself and the result was a lump at the top of your head.

When the raven-haired male took a seat in the shade of a tree outside - an action that almost made you gape in surprise, you concluded everything was going to be fine and your shoulders sagged in relief at the thought of your help being no longer needed.

That turned out to be quite wrong a statement, as a recruit almost ran into him from the back. Of course, before you could stop the girl without making your presence known to your superior she collided with you instead. You yelped and fell backwards, feeling another lump form on the back of your head as you whisper-scolded the recruit. She apologised just as quietly prior to taking her leave and when you stood up your heart froze mid-throb.

The Lance Corporal wasn't there.

You looked around frantically, attempting to pinpoint where the short male had gone off to. He couldn't have gotten far because your interaction with the cadet had been half a minute at most and every place he could've approached would take him longer to arrive at. You exhaled sharply, frowning, before feeling a tap at the top of your shoulder which made you jump.

You turned around and there, still not looking up from his papers, stood your bored Corporal. Your shoulders slouched in relief as a shaky exhale made itself known in the space between your bodies.

"Please don't do that, sir, you scared me." Though it sounded like a half-hearted reprimand regarding his ninja ways of appearing behind your back when you least expected it, you actually meant the way in which he'd almost scared you to death by disappearing in the first place, but you guessed it'd be for the best if he didn't know that.

"Well, seeing as you were searching for me I found it needed." His bored words made your whole body freeze. Every internal organ of yours stopped in its tracks, only your brain kept functioning properly although a bit shaken. Your shoulders stiffened and your eyes widened but the male only kept reading. Your mind was struggling to process exactly what his words meant. If he knew you were searching for him then he had to have realised you'd been around for the past few hours and he had to know about every single---

"I seem to have shocked you with my lack of pure idiocy, (L/N)." He noted coolly after receiving no response from you, eyes scanning the papers in his hold with admirable speed. "For your information, I'm neither blind nor stupid. Your help, though unneeded, is, in actual fact," his eyes unexpectedly clashed with yours, stealing the breath from your lungs with their vibrancy, "appreciated."

You reddened almost instantly and your mouth was suddenly as dry as a desert. You stood there speechless - filled with a bunch of erratic feelings and desperately gripping onto the ends of the affection you felt for the man in front of you as it dripped from the tips of your fingers and stalked towards him.

"Thank you." It was small but it did stop the reckless 'I love you' that would've been blurted out in its stead. It was all too early for a confession of any kind. The raven's face didn't change but his eyes didn't flee back to his papers either. You felt like he was smiling at you in spite of the fact his features bore his usual frown.

"No need for that, since it was entertaining to watch you make a fool of yourself for my sake. I feel like I should inform you I was very much aware of all that was happening. It would've been embarrassing if Humanity's Strongest Soldier couldn't open a door for himself without looking at it, don't you think so?" There was the smallest hint of a smirk on the male's thin lips as his eyes pierced yours smugly.

In all honesty, it made total sense that the Corporal wasn't as clueless as you'd initially taken him for, but you did everything you did out of fear he'd hurt himself if you just stood there and watched. You didn't want him to get injured or be inconvenienced since he had enough to deal with already - this very day seemed to prove it with all its paperwork and accidents and reckless cadets/recruits the male would usually have to deal with himself.

"Yes, of course, but I wasn't underestimating you, sir, I just..." You trailed off helplessly, unable to finish and wishing that the raven would, contrary to your previous hopes, stop looking into your eyes. It made you rather bashful in terms of speaking the truth when he looked at you as if he already knew exactly what you'd say.

"You just what, (Y/N)?" He prompted instead, almost sounding smug about it. The use of your name just added to the list of things that triggered your embarrassment and disabled your confidence instead.

"I just didn't want you to hurt yourself. You have enough troubles as it is." You explained shyly, gaze pinned to his and not daring to move away because you just might miss some change along the male's lines. It had become a universal rule for you not to look away from your Corporal's face in moments like these because there were a lot of things he could think which would make themselves known in his eyes and never exit his mouth.

"I do." He admitted seriously, eyes briefly narrowing in some kind of acknowledgement you had no way of understanding. Your brows furrowed in mild confusion on the topic of that gesture. "At least now I know you can also function as some kind of ridiculous bodyguard, cadet." The blunt phrase made you redden once again in embarrassment, but a small thought kept you from sprinting away in the opposite direction.

"I should probably be going." You tried to step back but the raven himself didn't move a single inch, gaze still on yours. You considered turning but he spoke before you could, making your heart skip a beat.

"Why don't you stay instead? Who knows when another ladder could fall on me." The male taunted jokingly but you only huffed and followed him with a small smile clinging to your lips. You sat at a big rock further into the small forest by the HQ so he could proceed to do his paperwork, but you soon came to notice he was barely looking at the papers anymore.

A grin threatened to creep over your lips as a realisation settled into your mind two or three minutes later - the Lance Corporal's paperwork had been already done, maybe a few minutes back in time when he'd disappeared from his spot and scared you shitless. You didn't comment on the topic and sat there, satisfied with yourself and how much you made a fool of yourself that day.

At one point he looked at you once more and a small phrase hung in the air between your bodies - 'thank you for taking care of me'. You were glad you did - came the conclusion with a soft smile. The exchange was silent but it made your heart race. The presence of the unsaid phrases was acknowledged by both you and your superior, but their importance turned out to be just as underestimated.

[sinswithpleasure]

Pilot (ft. TWICE's Chaeyoung) [Fluff]

The airbase is always so busy.

Every day, you arrive at work to pilots requesting maintenance or refueling, or your bosses requiring you to stock-take your stores. The mechanic life is never easy, but you enjoy the hard work. After all, there is nothing else you're better at than handiwork. How you end up working at a military airbase is quite the story, but to sum it up, you had a passion for aerospace, which led you to join up with the Air Force. You found yourself excelling at maintenance during the training, and now it was your career.

The airbase houses a ton of military staff. Pilots come and go, of course, alongside many departments, such as Administration, Training, Air Traffic Control. You recognize lots of faces: Corporal Kim Shin Woo in Admin, Lance Corporal Lee over in Training, and as for the pilots, you know almost all of them. However, you have a favourite: Captain Son Chaeyoung.

The Captain is a young, feisty woman. Most places would not tolerate the things she does, especially with how she handles her piloting. However, she somehow manages to escape consequences that people ranked higher than her would not escape from. You deem it strange, but you choose not to think about it too much. After all, you're only a Corporal, and a mechanic.

-----------

"Yah, Seo Minjun!"

You look up from your tinkering at your workbench. "Oh, hey Captain!"

"It's just Chaeyoung when we're alone, buddy. I kinda need some maintenance. I'll drop by later, yeah?"

You smile brightly. "Sure! I'll be waiting!"

Chaeyoung grins, her prominent dimples appearing on her cheeks. She gives you a wave before sticking both hands into her pockets, skipping away. Today, she wears non-regulation uniform: long-sleeved button down, grey slacks, combat boots. How did she not get ordered to change clothes? You blush at at how cool she looks.

Yes, you were down bad for her. A cute female pilot with a decent amount of mechanical knowledge, looking the way she does? Naturally, you end up crushing on her. However, you are only a Corporal, and she a Captain. What chance do you have? Shaking your head to clear your thoughts, you return to your tinkering.

Chaeyoung's plane soon taxies its way into your hangar, and you rise to greet her. As Chaeyoung disembarks from the plane, she waves at you again, and you weakly wave back. She steps next to you, and pats you on the back. "You're the best, Minjun-ah. Thank you!" She then stands on her tiptoes and pecks you on the cheek. Immediately, you burst out blushing, even though this is a regular occurrence. Chaeyoung gives you a soft smile, pushing you towards the plane. You step towards it, with a renewed sense of purpose. Her plane would be the most well-maintained plane in all of the base.

-----------

You spend hours on the plane, inspecting and fixing any issues you meet. Chaeyoung lies patiently on the old couch you have, repeatedly throwing a ball up in the air and catching it.

"Minjun-ie, are you done?"

The pet name Chaeyoung gives you makes you jump a little. You turn to her, calling out, "Yeah, almost done, Captain."

"Call me Chaeyoung, Minjun-ie~," she whines. "No need to be so formal!"

"Okay, Chaeyoung..."

"Yeah! That's right!"

The Captain has been around longer than you have. She is two years your senior, in terms of how long both of you had been in the airbase. Somehow, she seems to have taken a liking to you. Most people here do not have the privilege of calling her by her name, and yet she allows you to do so. You refuse to think too much about why, though. Maybe she's just nice.

"I'm done, Captain!"

"Chae. Young." She pouts. "Call. Me. Chae. Young. Goddamnit, Minjun-ie." Chaeyoung rises to her feet, her boots clacking against the floor as she moves towards you. She pulls you in for a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around you as she sways you from side to side. "Thank you for spending the extra time, Minjun-ie!"

You try to resist. "We're at work, Captain! This is unprofessional!"

"They won't punish me, it's fine! Besides, why can't I hug the cute mechanic that spent extra time on my plane? I have to pay extra for complimentary work!"

Wait. She knew?

"Of course I know, idiot. You don't usually take that long. I trust you did good." Chaeyoung breaks the hug, her bright smile reaches her eyes, and you visibly short circuit in front of her. She boops your nose with her finger, and gets in her plane, but leaves the top open as she furrows her brows.

"Say, are you free this Friday?"

"Huh, err... um, yes. Yes I am." You pathetically stumble through your words, your face burning in embarrassment.

"Good. Let's go on a date. I'm done waiting for you to confess to me. You like me, and I like you too. You're my cute mechanic from now on." Chaeyoung slides her helmet on her head, blowing you a kiss as she smiles cheekily. Her plane taxies out of your hangar, and you remain stunned on the spot long after she leaves.

What?

You have a date?

A date with... Captain Son Chaeyoung?

The cute pilot of your dreams, that Son Chaeyoung?

You celebrate by jumping up and down, cheering in excitement. She likes you. She likes you!

You can't wait for Friday.

[caker-baker]

The Job Hunt

The hero groaned, letting the newspaper drop onto the floor. That was the third ad for a job this week, and the eleventh rejection this month.

It wasn’t necessarily their fault that their hours were somewhat weak. How could they know when disaster would strike at the hands of the villain?

Stupid, stupid, villain. If they could work out a set schedule, then maybe, just maybe, the hero might be able to hold a steady job. But for now, free lance writing and construction work was all they could do, and it didn’t always pay well.

They swiped the newspaper off the floor, ready to crumple it and hurl it into the garbage can, but then they noticed another ad. A fourth description for a job that had escaped the hero’s eye.

An assistant type job, one to fill in if the other couldn’t make it.

The hero chewed on their lip. Filling in would probably be flexible hours, and there was already another assistant there, making it more of a codependent job than anything. It seemed perfect, and the hero’s last choice.

So there they were, in front of a large and imposing building, clutching the ad in hand.

It was like any other interviewing process, though - a greeting at a front desk, a brief waiting period, then a hiring manager. A hiring manager who shook the hero’s hand, who agreed with the hero’s terms of odd hours, who set up the hero’s first day of training.

They couldn’t believe it. It was so easy. Maybe they wouldn’t have sore limbs after construction jobs and fighting the villain, maybe they wouldn’t need to stay up so late just to finish one freelance assignment. They were getting ahead of themselves, but the thought of decent pay and a semi-stable schedule was exciting after all this time.

When the first training day came, the hero could hardly contain their excitement. If the villain chose to be a menace today, the other assistant would apparently be there. This job was a miracle, a breath of fresh air for the hero.

The fresh air was quickly polluted when the hero entered the imposing building. No, not just imposing, but empty, as opposed to a few days prior when the hero saw a place bustling with working life. Too perfect. It must’ve been some shady corporation that already skipped town, which was why they were ok with the hero’s strange work conditions, they didn’t expect to be there long.

Dejected, the hero turned to leave, only to find an automatic door sealed shut. Eyes narrowed, the hero backed away from the door. Too perfect.

Was it all a large setup to rob someone blind? Or was there something more sinister going on?

The hero didn’t like reckless destruction if they could help it, but this time couldn’t be helped. With a quick breath, the hero charged towards the door, ready to knock it down, but four hands stopped them abruptly.

Two hands were placed on each arm, and the hero pushed forward immediately, their concentration focusing on escaping.

It was surprisingly hard to get out of someone’s grip, especially when they were behind you, and you couldn’t see what weak points you could attack. They kicked wildly behind them, trying to get the sudden attackers to release them.

“Stop struggling.” A cold voice hissed. “Or I’ll have them kill you.” The voice lied.

The hero shuddered. They did stop, but only becuase they recognized the icy voice, they had fought the owner of that voice several times over.

The hero prayed that the villain didn’t recognize them, that the villain thought they were a civilian, someone they could just take as a hostage.

“Turn them around.” The villain commanded the henchmen. “I want to see if there’s a resemblance.”

Though the hero jerked, the henchmen held tight, giving the villain full view of the hero.

The villain squinted, tilting their head at the hero, who was struggling for words.

What would a civilian say? What would a civilian say? What would a civilian say?

“Yo-” the hero began. They didn’t need to fake the fear that laced their tone, that was genuine. “You’re Villain.”

“Obviously.” The villain murmured, still squinting. “And am I wrong to assume you’re hero?”

“If I was hero,” They started. “Wouldn’t I be able to escape?”

“Normally, yes.” The villain agreed, strolling closer to the hero. “But I think if our hero was tired enough, unprepared enough, they would be off their game, allowing themselves to be snatched up.” They squinted again. “You’d think it’d be easier to tell even without a mask.”

What would a civilian do? What would a civilian do? What would a civilian do?

“I-I’m not her-hero.” They swallowed, watching the villain’s eyes trail their captured form. “I thought-I thought I was getting a job.”

“I know.” The villain nearly rolled their eyes, but didn’t, choosing to keep exploring the hero. “That’s what I was counting on.” The villain’s voice dropped suddenly. “It should be right here.”

The villain grabbed the hero’s arms ferociously, ripping at the long sleeve which covered the hero’s trailing scar. A scar the villain had made.

“And what’s this from?” The villain asked, waving the henchmen off of the hero, effectively releasing them into the villain’s grasp. Delicately, they trailed a finger up and down the scar.

“I-” the hero had excuses lined up for people who asked. “I was in a car accident.”

Still holding fast to the hero, the villain chuckled, trailing their gaze to the hero’s ear. Carefully, they moved a strand of hair, revealing another scar created by the villain.

“And this one?”

“What do you want from me?” The hero was almost sobbing. They were normally prepared for the villain, something this elaborate wasn’t like their nemesis, it was unexpected, unpreparable.

“Oh,” the villain tutted. “None of that now.” They twirled the hero around, trapping them against their chest. They were delighted with the hero’s shivering breaths.

“If you were in such a press for cash, you could’ve come to me.” They lowered their head to the hero’s scarred ear. “I would move mountains to help you, darling.”

Trying their hardest to calm themselves, the hero spoke. “I was busy trying to stop you from killing people.”

Another chuckle. “So sure of yourself. Wouldn’t you like to stop all the construction, every little side gig?”

The hero froze. If the villain knew that, that meant the villain had been spying on them, suspecting their secret identity for who knows how long.

“Barely scraping by, poor thing.”

When the hero made to jerk away from the villain, they heard the sudden cocking of a weapon.

“When’s the last time you got a good night’s rest?”

[breathings-of-the-heart]

Imagine Levi Confessing his Love for You

A/N: THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ THE TEXT BELOW BEFORE PROCEEDING THANK YOU :))

HERE IS A TIMELINE /  EXPLANATION / BACKGROUND INFORMATION BECAUSE CASE THE TIME SKIPS OF THIS STORY ARE CONFUSING: I’m sorry for that everyone, I know the dates are sloppy and as a whole this fic doesn’t make too much sense; I tried to edit this piece as best I could to make the story as easy to follow as possible, but seeing as I can’t unpublish part 1 or 2, the cleanup still leaves things bit unclear. These imagines were originally chapters of a longer Levi x Reader fic that I decided to discontinue, which is why there are so many loose ends. Here was my original intention for this story, broken down for the few who choose to read the Author’s Notes lol.

We are going to do this in the order of the 3 part fic (I also put attached all the links to the titles)

Part 1: Imagine Relating to Mikasa About Loving Someone in the Military

The scene is set during the events of SEASON 1 of Attack on Titan, BEFORE the Female Titan Arc. (Y/N) was also hand selected by Levi to be part of the original Special Operation Squad; she bit her hand at the dinner table along with Petra, Gunther, Eld, and Oluo to show their dedication and understanding towards Eren wayyy back in the beginning of the series. The Survey Corps is making preparations for their first attempt to go to Shiganshina since the Fall of Wall Maria and not only uncover the mole who killed captive titans Sonny and Bean, but also to get to Eren’s basement.

Part 2: To Love Another

The flashback and opening scene in the beginning of this writing piece (where (Y/N) and Hange are talking to each other) occurs shortly after (Y/N) wakes up in the infirmary room, before anyone breaks the news that she, aside from an injured Levi, is the last surviving member of Squad Levi after Annie killed the others in the Forest of Giant Trees in her female titan form. Hange’s intentions were to bring the (Y/N) and Levi together so they would be able to support each other during this mutual loss. But alas, (Y/N) accepts his rejection and the two suffer the aftermath of this tragic news alone. To read this arc for context/bonus content to get a better understanding of this mini series, see my posts (as a sort of prequel, if you will) Imagine Levi Finding you Injured on an Expedition and Imagine Being the Last Member of Squad Levi To Survive to fill that time gap :)

In real-time, all of Season 2 and Season 3 Part 1 have gone by with limited interaction between (Y/N) and Levi. This part of the story is occurring during Season 3 PART 2, (spoilers) after the Coup D'etat, and after Historia becomes Queen. (Y/N) is no longer an active soldier, having sustained injuries too severe to be reliable in combat. She remains useful to the Corps as a battle strategist, however, which allows her to stay. The Scouting Regiment is currently preparing to go to Eren’s basement in their second attempt, knowing Reiner and Berthold will be waiting for them there.

Part 3: Imagine Levi Confessing his Love for You (YOU ARE HERE)

This part takes place pretty much a week or so after the events of “To Love Another.” It is revealed how much (Y/N) has isolated herself in the months between Parts 1 and 2 from not only Levi, but Hange, the only one besides Mikasa who knew about her feelings for Levi prior to their falling out. (Y/N) confesses her feelings for Levi before the mission to Shiganshina in Season one, and the fic parallels itself and comes full circle once their final interaction occurs before the second and final mission to Shiganshina, for which, (Y/N) is unable to go for her death would be almost certain. She seen to be more valuable inside the walls, where she can carry on the duties of the Survey Corps should the entire regiment collapse during the mission. This is the final part :)

I HOPE THAT CLEARS THINGS UP!

requested by @a-single-uwo @dracq and @little-diva-gurl and a lovely anon who def isn’t the happiest that this took so long. Deepest apologies! Hope this was worth the wait. I also hope this post finds everyone safe and in good health during these crazy times <3

~~~~~

Dread bottled up in the bottom of your stomach, which threatened to fall down to your knees. Even Hange’s eyes brimmed with concern when she informed you that Levi requested your presence in his office; all of which was out of the blue, uncharacteristic, after months of him being accustomed to giving you your space.

Feigning annoyance, you stared at the soldier dummy two paces ahead, dented heavily with the marks of your punches. The sun was beating down on the early autumn day, and heat waves rose from the ground. It illuminated the glistening perspiration sliding down your figure, torso rising and falling in short breaths of exhaustion.

Hange watched you carefully from a distance. She noticed your tense muscles, clad in a sports bra and boxing shorts; the lack of attire made it impossible to hide the sudden tension and stiffness embedded in your lean muscles, a tell tale sign of distress. As a creature of observation and analytics, the Squad Leader could sense your discomfort as if it was written across your forehead.

The brunette watched you wipe the sweat off your forehead and yell in frustration, turning towards her direction and moving to land a kick at her head.

Unfazed and in possession of sharp reflexes, Hange took a step back, only to watch as you twisted mid-air and landed a 360 Crescent kick to the dummy-shaped bag, which broke open on impact under the force of the blow. Sand poured out of its opening and spilled onto the ground in a steady stream that grew less heavy as the seconds passed.

“I’ll have to admit, you are getting better, but (Y/N), don’t get your hopes up,” Hange cautioned. “The problem does not reside in your muscles. No matter how well you learn to fight like you used to, Annie crushed your ribs and threw you to the ground: it's your lungs that will never recover. You can’t come with us to Shiganshina tomorrow like this.”

Hunched over with hands on your knees, you regained a regular breathing pattern and began to feel the explosive pain in your chest. Airways blocked, you began coughing, willing the oxygen to enter your body.

“Let me humor myself, Hange-san. If I don’t try, I might go insane.”

It was almost tragic that such a young soldier was out of commission; you were full of promise, rivalling Mikasa in skill. Hange knew you were itching to do what you trained for your whole life: Coming to Shiganshina and putting it all on the line had always been your number one goal. You didn’t want to be left behind again, to die bitter and alone without the only people you cared about.

“Regardless, (Y/N), you’re stalling,” Hange smoothly shifted the topic of conversation back to what brought her to you in the first place. “He still has that power over you, huh?”

"It'll pass eventually," you sighed, hoping the words were true.

You bowed towards the tall female. She smiled in return, shaking her head softly.

Whilst pacing away, said person stopped you once more.

“(Y/N). For what it’s worth, I stand by what I said before. Don’t look so nervous, okay?”

Her words replayed in your head, a haunting ghost of the not-so-long ago past. Time was strange, that way. It seemed like everything happened yesterday yet in another lifetime, all at once. “He loves you, more than he’s ever loved anyone. Surely you know that.”

Stupid, you thought, how I might have believed it once.

As you made your way down the hall, numbness crept into your body once again. You were too proud to admit you were afraid, especially with the Section Commander’s radiating sympathy, but everyone knew the once friendly dynamic between you and the Captain transformed into one more distant and cold. With each step towards the door, you felt the icy chill grow and that fact alone shook you to the core. 

But it didn’t matter, seeing as Levi was of superior authority. There was no way around it.

Your hand shook as it raised to knock.

~~~~~~

“Name and business,” Levi spoke, voice muffled by the closed door.

“It’s (Y/N), sir. I was hoping to speak with you.”

There was a pause, and in that time you considered the option of fleeing back to your room and retreating back to a life of emotional safety, normality. It wasn’t too late to forget.

It had been a week since you spoke to Mikasa on the rooftop, after realizing the deep shit your heart decided to put you in. You didn’t think Levi would notice the distracted nature of your behavior-- tried to make it as subtle as possible whilst you figured out what you felt for him. 

But before you could explore other options, Levi muttered a stern “enter.” You knew with the first expedition back to Shiganshina tomorrow, and the prospect of death closer than it has ever been on a mission, it was now or never. 

The room was dim, small, warm, and thick with building tension. Shadows danced across the Captain’s face, sharp features lit by an orange flame. Only candlelight, sourced at his desk, assisted your adjusting eyes. 

Your nose was hit with the smell of tea and cleaning products upon entry. This fact made you smile despite your bundling nervous energy. It was a familiar place, filled with memories of late night conversations (granted, of mostly you speaking and him listening), witnessed only by the large piles of paperwork. It started here and resulted in a natural, growing fondness kept secret to all except you two and the moon looking in from the window. 

This man was your squad leader, your commander, your trusted comrade. There was no need to be afraid-- Not unless of course, you held the potential to shatter such damn a delicate relationship.

And you did. 

Was it worth it?

Your gaze gravitated towards the center of the room where the Lance Corporal sat. And in that instant, your smile evaporated instantly. He placed his pen down, gracefully resting his cheek on his fist and lazily tossing the raven locks out of his eyes-- they landed on you, piercing yet drowsy and indifferent upon first glance. He was beautiful, as always. The allure was nearly sickening; unfair to the rest of the world.

Looking closer, however, he was anything but relaxed. The observant eye could see his countenance stirred something different. He seemed sharp and focused, ready to dart out and wrap himself around your heart, squeezing tighter with every breath you took. And you felt it-- the heart palpitations, which got worse at the sight of him.

He seemed… different. Dangerous, like a storm stirring in the distance, and the inevitable downpour that comes with it. The dark circles under his eyes told tales about the insomnia; a fresh cup of caffeinated black tea even rested on his left, steam rising out of it. And whilst attraction was undeniable, your concern always came first.

Levi was never quite good at getting proper rest before a mission.

“(Y/N),” The word was breathy, yet his voice was rough.

You shuffled in your spot, your name on his tongue making your stomach churn with desire.

Levi seemed to pick up on your affliction, getting out of his chair and gliding towards you. Everything happened fast and slow all at once, starting off with a momentaneous rush of air and  the collision of your back with the office wall. A small shriek filled the air, out of place against the silence; was that your voice? The pain should’ve been there, but it wasn’t.

Then the seconds dragged out. Levi was a new person, setting your skin aflame as he gripped your wrists and pinned them against the wall. His lips brushed your eartips, which turned red the instant the raven’s breath fanned over them. This normally reserved, disciplined man unleashed something you had never seen before.

“Finally ready to talk to me about why you’ve been acting so strange, brat?” he whispered.  

This wasn’t supposed to be so dirty. He was angry, but the mood was established in layers: something more sinister existed beneath.

The scent of fresh pine filled your nostrils until your brain went foggy. Levi was close--so close, and with the fact that you’ve been avoiding him mixed in with the fact that you missed him for it, all bets were off: there was no stopping the words that came out of your mouth next.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” you whispered back, looking him dead in the eyes, no fear this time.

His grip on your wrist slackened.

“Hm?”

You took in a deep breath, ready to leave it all on the line, and spoke.

“I like you a lot, sir. And not in a comradery type of way. I-I just thought I’d tell you before, you know, we leave tomorrow.” Your gaze found the floor again, too timid for your own good. But the statement was said, and it was finite; there was no turning away from it.

The Captain’s eyes went wide and gleamed brightly at you. His chest felt lighter and as he looked down at you in speechless awe, staring at anything but his face in your adorable embarrassment, he realized exactly why your absent look irked him those days ago. Why your lack of enthusiasm and lighthearted-ness gave him a strange sense of frustration. 

Levi never felt more awake, more hyper aware of his surroundings. 

The feeling of your chest pressed against him, the heat of those rosy cheeks, the pounding within his ribcage, the moon hitting your pretty face. With your figure in his arms, after the blissful seconds passed, everything felt, for once, okay.

Until it wasn’t.

Gaining the courage to look back up at him, you all but tore apart at the scowl on his face as demons flitted through his beautiful brain and polluted the image of happiness. Levi grew more indignant by the second, all but throwing your arms he held back at your sides like they were poison to the touch. 

Tears pooled in your eyes as the soft expression you didn’t get to see turned sour, disgusted-- the Captain’s lips curling into a snarl as he imagined what he could lose if he opened up his heart for this girl in front of him to take. The risk and pain of falling for someone, in the world the two of you lived in. And all the stoic man could think was how he allowed this charade to come so far.

No, he wouldn't allow it.

“Get out, (L/N)” he commanded, harsh and unforgiving.

You were trembling, body feeling detached from reality as it moved, convincing itself that it was simply a nightmare. Levi’s cruel demeanor all but shattered you as you looked wide-eyed and his anger grew, the short man pacing behind his desk and bringing a hand over his face. His free one crumpled into a fist, knuckles turning white as he slammed it on the wood, the loud bang making you jump; the fear, grief, confusion coming all at once until it choked you and your vision spotted black.

“I said GET OUT!”

The room stilled and Levi looked up to face you cowering near the door, a single tear rolling down your cheek. He stilled at the sight, the weight of his words dawning upon him.  

“I-I’m sorry,” you gasped before racing out of the room.

Had you looked back, you would’ve seen Levi’s outstretched hand betraying his body, desperately reaching out for you, gray eyes filled with pain.

But you knew now you’d never be dumb enough to spare him that second glance-- and maybe that was the right call, seeing as his feet moved in the direction you left, only to shut the door left askew in your wake.  

~~~

The Captain’s gaze was on you more than necessary, but it was clear the two of you had the same thought: You focused everything into this discussion, melting into the emotionally-detached soldier your duty commanded, just like Levi did. His words had no ulterior motive, no deeper meaning. They were monotonous and empty.

Or so you thought.

Levi stood up the second you came in, but your gaze fell to the ground in submission.

“Hange said you needed to see me, Captain?” your voice was small and weak; you kicked yourself for it. How pathetic.

“Damn you...”

The man said nothing more, brushing his fingers along your cheekbones and you everything hit you like whiplash, the memories. Levi ran them along your face, down to your chin to lift it gently, so that for once you’d let your eyes meet instead of looking at the ground like a coward.

When they did the man’s breath hitched in his throat, because although your (eye color) orbs were no longer as vibrant, they were still beautiful and entrancing; why hadn’t he ever appreciated them before? 

"I missed you, brat," he spoke firmly.

You felt a churn in your abdomen as you watched his eyes study the details of your face and take in every feature, committing it to memory painfully slow. You were paralyzed, his face inches away from yours and forcing buried emotions to resurface as months of restraint came undone. He didn’t speak, holding you delicately after not being this close for far too long and discerning what he’s been missing.  

“Um, Captain? What are you...?"

You bit your lip, feeling puzzled and confused as you remembered the hate in Levi's orbs the last time you saw him like this.

All you could see now was how quickly his emotions shifted from serenity to fury that fateful night, and as you recollected the way Levi lashed out, all chaos and fury, he retracted his hand.

And you flinched away.

The Captain froze.

“Don’t-- don’t fucking do that,” he growled, his urgency startling. “I would never hurt you, (Y/N).”

Your eyebrows furrowed, all inhibition thrown out the window the second Levi’s countenance flashed with hurt at your response to his touch. You let your fear go and emotions free at the irony of the raven’s statement. Your mind went into overdrive, recounting every instance you wanted to give up and leave, drown in yourself, give up on finding purpose in the aftermath of rejection and Squad Levi’s death and your permanent injury changing your way of life. Things you faced alone, because instead of rekindling any semblance of a relationship, Levi tossed everything away and berated you for feeling.

The man who resided here cut your heart expertisely like the countless swords he wielded then disposed. He did not have the right to look at you so kindly; did not have to right to fan the flames of false hope. But here he was, procrastinating until the very last day to take initiative regarding those actions.

“Why are you doing this?” you whispered, forgetting your composure.

“I’d advise you not to speak in riddles,” Levi spoke in a low and even voice, no real malice as he addressed you and tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

You took a deep breath and fought to remain calm, grabbing Levi's wrist to keep him from touching you.

“Please don’t toy with me, or mock my feelings like this. Why did you call me here? You made it plenty clear how you feel about me, Levi. What else is there to say?" you begged, the lack of closure driving you insane.

This was the first time you used his name, an unprecedented amount of spite and pain expressed through it, because you wanted Levi to remember this moment. It was over: that time of feeling sorry and ashamed of yourself for being nothing other than human. The remorse was gone, and the heartache was fleeting.

“Tell me, dammit!”

His was overflowing.

“You want to know how I really feel about you, (Y/N)!?” the Captain shouted, voice rising because for a man who relied on impulse and action on the battlefield it was fucking frustrating, watching the woman in front of him live this way for the simple reason that he was not good with words. "The thoughts that go through my head when you can't even bear to look at me?!"

"No, that's not what I asked. I already know that you don't--"

"--Fuck this."

Relying on instinct to guide him, Levi leaned forward and kissed you.

The second his lips met yours, you melted on the spot, knees giving out beneath you. Tongue sliding into your mouth, Levi simultaneously lifted you into the air, feeling lightheaded as you moaned into him, eagerly returning the kiss. His hands were everywhere, grasping at your waist, clutching the back of your head, running down your thighs. You were in such a state of euphoria that nothing else existed.

Your own digits threaded through Levi’s raven locks and pulled needily, emitting a growl from his throat as he bit down on your lower lip. He reveled in the feeling of your legs around his waist as your soft lips worked against his own, hungry and relentless. The kiss was passionate and you’d imagined it a million times over, but this-- Levi successfully ruined you for any other man.

The need for oxygen pulled you apart, Levi’s strong arms keeping you in the air as his eyes remained shut; he pecked your lips once, then twice, savoring the moment until it mournfully passed.

He was hesitant to break the silence, but you deserved it. You waited long enough to hear the truth, and he knew his time was running out; you weren’t going to wait for him forever.

“(Y/N)...” he began to speak, forehead resting on yours as he panted softly to catch his breath. “I dreamt of you last night. I have been for days.”

“Levi--”

“--Just listen,” he interrupted, unable to stop himself from kissing you softly once more. “Neither of us are running away this time.”

You fell silent as the man let you down, pulling you into his solid chest as you buried your face in his shirt, patiently listening. His calm heartbeat thrummed soothingly in your ears like a metronome.

“Isabel, Farlan, Oluo, Petra, Gunther, Eld. They all knew that what they meant to me. And I them."

One of the only things that made it easier to say goodbye, you thought with a bittersweet pang in your chest.

"With us, it's different. I died in every dream, (Y/N). Every one. And in every single one, you lived on believing I never loved you. Call me selfish, but I...”

You pulled away from the stoic man, searching his gaze as he trailed off. Shyly, you interlaced your fingers, his larger hand enveloping yours and you prayed to whoever was listening upstairs that all of this was real.

“I just can't leave until you understand...”

He clutched you impossibly tighter, eyes squeezing shut.

"...that you, are everything."

~~~ Extended Ending ~~~

A soft hum filled the air, the tune dreamy and sweet as you repeated the melody once again. You smiled warmly as hands wound around your waist, pulling you closer to a toned and shirtless Captain Levi, silken sheets tossed haphazardly on top of the two of you. His breath sent goosebumps on your neck as he kissed your shoulder gently, warmth deliciously intoxicating. 

Giggling now, you turned around to face him, the man’s onyx hair ticking you softly. You captured your lips in his with one smooth movement and snuggled closer, taking in the small slice of heaven that was home in his arms, legs tangled together. Feeling unbelievably content, like your heart might burst, you leaned forward and rubbed your nose against Levi's. 

Although he wasn't smiling, the look he was giving you revealed his own sensation of happiness.

“I never thought you’d be the cuddling type,” you remarked devilishly, scrunching up your nose as you teased him. 

Though your tone was lighthearted, you were painfully aware that the moment was ending. You internally cursed the sun as it started to set, orange light peeking in through the window shades to signal the coming of night. Levi said nothing, looking deeply into your eyes, and like always, it felt as if he could read the contents of your soul. 

But it wasn’t vulnerability you felt: on the contrary, you knew you would never find as safe a place as here. With him. Finally.  

“Levi...” you swallowed, humor all but gone. “Now you have to come home.” 

To emphasize your point you sat up on the bed, legs tucked neatly underneath you as you stared imperatively at your lover. 

“Mhm. We’ve wasted enough time,” he agreed, taking you by the wrist to pull you back on top of him, to bask in this personal paradise if only for another minute. 

[biotic-boshtet]

Aftermath - Chapter 5

Read on AO3 Start at the beginning!

Thunder

(major character death) (but its cool, she gets better)

Alchera and the aftermath.

“Will the Alliance get here in time?”

“I’m not doing this just so they can find our frozen corpses! Get everyone into the escape pods!” Another impact comes with the rumble of buckling plating, like a cheap facsimile of thunder. She launches the distress beacon.

“Joker’s still in the cockpit, he won’t abandon ship. I’m not leaving either.”

She turns to stare at him for half a second, alarms wailing all around them. “That’s an_ order_ Kaidan! I’m going up to haul Jeff out of there myself!”

“Norah Jean,” She pauses, taking a step towards him and thunking their helmets together. The only affection she can spare at the moment. Right now, she has to be Commander Shepard, no room for anything else.

“I’ll be fine. Get the hell out of here! Go!” She doesn’t so much as glance backwards as she slams her fist down on the beacon launch on her way to the stairs.

The air is full of sparks and smoke until she reaches the top of the steps. She double checks her helmet seals just before the doors fail, depressurizing the rest of the deck and opening to the CIC. Or what was the CIC. Now it’s just a hole, completely open to space. Equipment drifts in the vacuum. She triple checks her seals on reflex, even though she’d have known immediately if something wasn’t right. The ship shudders beneath her as she makes her way to the cockpit as fast as her magboots allow, shoving debris aside. A few more strides and she’s on the other side of the emergency barrier keeping atmosphere in the cockpit.

“Jeff. We need to leave! Now!”

“No! I won’t abandon the Normandy, Norah Jean, I can still save her!”

“Jeff Alexander Moreau! Don’t make me tell Hilary you couldn’t come home for her birthday because you wanted to try to save a doomed ship!” That makes the pilot hesitate.

“Fine, okay, help me up. Shit.” He glances at the readings still coming in from their mutilated sensors. “They’re coming around for another pass!”

His hands fly back to the interface. Shepard turns to see a beam scorching through what’s left of the ship, heading right for them. She steps back to Jeff, grabbing him and hauling him out of the chair.

“Dammit, I said now, Jeff!”

“Agh, watch the arm!”

“As long as we make it off this damn ship alive, I don’t give a fuck about your arm!”

Five steps to the pod. She all but tosses him inside, one foot on the threshold of the pod when the ship heaves again, deck plates buckling beneath her. She turns to look. Her foot slips. Another beam rips through the ship and her other boot loses contact with the metal underneath her. Drifting. Everything slows down. Norah Jean catches herself on the outer control panel for the pod. No deck left to stick her boots to. Maneuvering jets are inoperable. Another beam lances through the cockpit now. No way to the pod through it. Jeff would never launch it without her inside, and there’s not a chance in hell for her to make it. She makes a choice.

“Norah Jean!” He knows. There’s no way he doesn’t. Not with the way his voice breaks.

“I’m sorry, Jeff.” She slams the button, starting the launch sequence just as her comm dies. Red turns to green. An explosion knocks her away from her handhold. A second blast slams her into the bulkhead. She’s too dazed to try to find purchase anywhere.

And then she’s spinning.

Spinning.

Spinning.

Spinning.

-

Kaidan skipped the memorial. From what he’s heard, most of the rest of the squad did too. Joker had disappeared the moment they docked on the Citadel. Not even 24 hours after docking, he’d received an invitation to the funeral. On paper. He’d needed to turn on the light to read it. Family only, no media allowed. A week away. Anchorage. He’d been once, on shore leave. Not sure how many of the others got an invite.

-

It’s raining in Anchorage. Cats and dogs and everything else. He’s not sure if the chill in his bones is from his mood or the weather. He shows his invitation to a pair of sentries at the cemetery gate. Lightning cracks overhead and Kaidan counts out of habit. Eleven seconds. Thunder rolls. He shivers, but this time it isn’t the cold. There are more than a few sets of dress blues huddled under black umbrellas as he slowly approaches. Of course, it thunders for her funeral. She’d have loved it. Their air feels electric. He can’t stand it.

Hannah Shepard spots him before anybody else, breaking off from the group and meeting him halfway. She drops her umbrella and pulls him into a tight hug before he can say anything. It takes him a second, but he returns the hug before she pulls away. She takes a shaky breath, exhaling in a huff. “Thank you for coming, Kaidan. I know this has to be difficult.”

He takes a deep breath. The rain continues to pelt his umbrella. “No more difficult than it is for you, I’m sure.”

“Yeah.”

Hannah retrieves her umbrella, shaking it out, then links an arm in his and together they walk to the cluster of uniforms. Kaidan spots admiral’s bars and doesn’t even have time to wonder who it is before Steven Hackett turns his head, red rimmed eyes following the pair as they pass. His hand is resting on the shoulder of a woman who looks like Hannah, her arms wrapped tightly around a sobbing teenage boy. Anderson glances up as he passes, then continues his quiet conversation with a young corporal. Kaidan stares straight ahead as they keep walking.

Three people stand in the rain. Only one person he really knew. One he’d met in passing. The last one he only heard about. Hannah steps away and without her arm in his, suddenly Kaidan can’t move. Can barely breathe. The electricity hanging in the air is stifling. He stands there staring at the flag draped casket. Remembers the thunderstorm they watched from the porch. Lightning flashes through the clouds. Seven seconds. Thunder.

Joker stands at the casket, good hand braced on it, staring at the Alliance emblem in the middle. Rain drips off his face, dress blues soaked through completely. Kaidan’s never seen him without a hat before.

He glances up to look for Hannah. She’s off to the side, at the next headstone over, now-open umbrella held over the two soaked men. He’s not sure how long he stands there, lost in the sound of the rain, at least one more thunderclap, but now a man stands in front of him. Not much taller than Norah Jean is. Was. Maybe 5’4”, curly brown hair peppered with gray with a mustache to match, N7 on his shoulder, bars on his uniform labeling him a Major. Nameplate reads Conti. Right. Her father. Kaidan takes the outstretched hand, meeting his eyes. Her eyes. He looks exhausted.

“Sir.”

“Staff Lieutenant.” The Major has a firm grip, and he pins Kaidan to the spot with a gaze that goes straight through to his soul. Now he knows where she got it from. Seemingly satisfied with what he sees, he releases Kaidan’s hand.

“Rossano Conti. Not how I expected to meet Norah Jean’s sweetheart.” Rossano doesn’t raise his voice to be heard more easily over the rain.

The rest of the funeral passes in a blur.

They lower the empty casket into the dirt.

He’s vaguely aware of someone delivering a eulogy.

Anderson speaks.

Joker avoids him completely.

They all migrate back to her parent’s house just outside the city.

Somehow, he’s ended up sitting at the top of the steps. He can’t remember leaving the cemetery. Can’t remember climbing up the stairs. Everyone else quietly mills around downstairs. A cup of coffee that isn’t strong enough is clutched tightly in his hands. It’s black. Six spoonfuls of sugar. Her coffee. He’d spent a week in this house with her not even a month ago. They were supposed to have time. He stares at a framed photo of her sporting a massive trophy on the wall. The floor creaks behind him, then the top step, as Jamie Shepard sits down beside him.

“That one’s from the end of wrestling season, her senior year of high school, I think.”

“Hmm.” If he’s remembering right, Jamie had been in N5 training right around the time everything went to hell on Eden Prime. “You get your N6 invite yet?”

“Don’t even know if I want it anymore.”

“She was so proud when you made N6. All she talked about for a week. She’d want you to keep at it, I think.”

“Maybe. I might think about it.”

He’s not sure how long they sit in silence before Jamie gets up and makes his way down the steps.

Kaidan’s coffee is cold. All he can think of is the week they spent here, figuring out what they were. His omnitool pings with a flood watch for the area. Thunder rattles the house. He stands up.

Nobody stops him as he shuffles back through the house, still clutching his cold coffee, making a beeline for the back door. Lightning flashes as he gets the door open. Three seconds. The thunder is deafening, but he barely hears it as he sits on the old bench. This time the storm is fierce enough to whip rain well under the roof of the porch. He isn’t sure how long he sits there. Long enough to get soaked through. Coffee’s even waterier than before, sitting uselessly by his feet.

His head hurts.

[xxladymjxx]

HUMANITY'S STRONGEST IN LOVE?

I took this from my wattpad! I hope you guys like it so far!

Humanities Strongest in Love?

Lance Corporal Levi is a highly respected soldier amongst the Survey Corps. He is known as "Humanities Strongest" because of his amazing abilities to take down Titans. Whither they were normal or abnormal Titans, Levi could take them down with absolute ease. Unbeknownst to him, he'd soon meet a certain cadet that will change his life, experience new, confusing emotions and possibly happiness.

●I don't own Attack On Titan

●I don't own the characters

(I don't own Attack On Titan)

*Your POV*

You stretch your body as you awoke this Monday morning, getting ready for the day. Your (h/s) hair was frizzy (*A/N I have naturally curly hair :D*) you'd have to manage your hair properly with a brush this morning quickly as in you didn't want to be late for breakfast.

*Time skip to reader-chan getting ready...also I'm lazy to write it lol*

*Your Pov*

You walk down the hall toward the Mess Hall, happy for breakfast and the sunny day outside. Perfect training weather. You walk into the Mess Hall and you are immediately greeted by one of your good friends, Hanji.

"(Naaaaaaaaammme)!!!"

Hanji exclaims after giving you a hug that nearly knocked you over.

"Oi! Shitty-glasses! Don't assault (Name)!"

You looked to see whom that voice belonged to. It was your Lance Corporal Levi who was glaring at you and Hanji with absolute fury.

You squealed and hid behind Hanji, ducking your head.

"I can still see you, brat! Tch!"

He says as he rolls his eyes.

You felt a light tap on your shoulder and you turned around. Armin gave you a shy smile and asked "Hey, (name) would you like to sit with us?"

You've always though Armin was a total sweetheart (*A/N Which he is*) so you decided to sit with him.

"Sure, Armin! See you later Hanji!"

You smiled at her.

Hanji smiled back, heading back to the Squad Leader Table.

"You got it (nick name)!"

You took a seat next to Armin, whom was closely followed by Mikasa, Eren, Sasha, Jean, Reiner, Ymir, Christa and Beretoldt.

Even though you were older than the cadets by a decade you still got along with them well.

"U-um, (N-name)?" A shy voice you recognized called your attention.

"Yes, Armin?"

You fixed you (e/c) eyes on him.

"Are you sure you're not exotic?"

His question made you giggle.

"Why do you ask that?"

"W-well your beautiful (s/t) is something I've never seen before! Isn't her skin gorgeous Eren?"

Armin asked the turquoise eyed boy who was sitting to Armins left.

"Huh?"

He asked Armin.

"Oh! Yeah! (Name)s skin is gorgeous!" He blushed while saying that.

(*A/N btw reader is light-skinned*)

"Thank you, Eren."

You smiled.

*Levi's POV*

I watch that Arlet brat and the Jeager brat fawn over (Name)s while drinking my tea, trying to suppress this strange emotion stirring in my stomach. My thoughts get interrupted by Shitty-glasses.

"Leeeeevvvvviiii!"~ she sang.

"What?" I ask in my monotone voice.

"You're staring at cadet (Name), you think shes fucking hot don't cha!" She gently nudged Levis' ribs in a teasing way.

"Tch! Shut your loud-ass mouth."

I couldn't quite explain what I felt around (Name). I don't recognize this emotion, its infuriating. Am I going insane? I close my eyes sipping down the rest of my tea recalling how we first met.

*Flashback*

Shitty-glasses fucked up my cleaning supplies as some sort of prank. I'm currently running down the many halls of HQ trying to catch her.

*Your POV*

(Name) was wandering down the halls of HQ heading outside.

"Operation: human shield!"

You heard a voice behind you when you suddenly feel the belts on your back being lifted along with yourself, feet barely touching the ground.

"Sorry, (Name)! This must be done!"

You recognized the voice as Squad Leader Hanji.

"H-hanji! W-what going on!?"

She immediately turned you around and there was the answer to your question. A livid looking raven-haired man was pursuing Hanji. It seemed to be an instant but he was in front of you.

"Shitty-glasses, what the fuck are you doing!?"

You heard Hanji laugh behind you.

"Just a silly little prank, shorty. Lighten up!" She says pulled you closer to her.

"U-uh!" You couldn't help but say.

"Put the new Titan fodder down!"

The cold man exclaimed in a furious tone.

Uh, rude much?

You thought.

"Never! (Name) (last name) is my human shield from the mean small man!"

You couldn't help but let a small giggle escape your lips at Hanjis comment but immediately stop when the man glared at you with such intensity you let out a small gasp.

"Hanji,"

The man said, trembling with rage.

"Put cadet (Last Name) down." He says, still seething.

"No can do Corporal short stuff!"

She immediately shoves you so hard that you and the Corporal land straight in the dirt, your breasts in his face. Hanji laughs maniacally, running back to HQ.

You gasp softly.

"Oh no! My deepest apologies Corporal, sir!"

You scramble to your feet, hold out your hand to help the Corporal up.

"Tch!"

He takes your hand and with your help pulls himself up.

"Levi."

"Huh?"

"My name is Levi, you will address me as that when we're alone, got it memorized?"

(If you get that reference, bravo!)

"Yes, sir! Nice to meet you, sir!"

You say saluting your Corporal.

He nodded and chuckled a bit from your manners.

"So, Corporal, I guess I'll see you around?"

"Tch! Obviously, brat."

"Brat?"

You pretended to be offended, hand over your heart dramatically.

"I am 29 Corporal."

"Tch! Brats still a brat."

"If you say so."

You shrugged, as you walked back inside HQ.

"Did I dismiss you, cadet?"

"No, sir!"

You saluted quickly.

"What is that?"

He pointed to your necklace that looked like a small vile of red liquid.

"This?"

You questioned him, holding the small vile between your thumb and index finger.

"A necklace, sir."

You smirked knowingly.

Levi rolled his eyes

"Yeah, no shit. I meant what is it exactly."

You giggled and replied.

"Family heirloom."

"A vile of red liquid that looks like blood is a family heirloom?"

Levi questioned, perplexed.

"My family is fucking weird, Corporal."

You smiled fondly.

*Flashback over*

Levi finishes his favorite black tea, setting it back down on the table, sighing contentedly.

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

[satohqbanana]

Mars Red EP 2: Til Death Do Us Part SummaReview

This episode is where we get to meet the real main cast (aside from Maeda, Aoi, and Defrot).

TL;DR: Maeda proves he is GOAT and SOFT, Kurusu's hesitance makes me think he's so incompetent, lots of awesome things about the main cast, and some neato lore about the vampires of the story. ALSO MISAKIIII MY LOVE (SOBS). The beauty of theater (and the lack of narration) is still there. This series will probably not spend a single episode without referencing anything about theater, so we better get used to it.

Actual summary/review:

We open with Maeda inspecting the remnants of what seems to be Misaki's cell. It's suspicious that, for a posthumous side character, Misaki still appears in the OP, and so does the Salome poster as Takeuchi walks in the city. Does it mean she's more involved than we initially think she is?

Aoi is funny, but I like Misaki better. I like to think Misaki fits in the series as a female lead, but Aoi serves as the naive POV and is also Kurusu's lover--AHEM, childhood friend, so I guess there's more reason for Aoi to stay. Also, Aoi is a journalist for a shoddy newspaper filled with lies and speculation (I mean, they sold Misaki as the actress who eloped with her lover, though as of EP 1 I think that's more or less "correct" in the angle of "she went and met with Maeda and they're probably in love with each other, probably"), so it's definitely interesting in the angle of "What do outsiders to the vamp situation think/do about this?"

Kurusu meanwhile... well, here he goes (again). He's in an absolute state of denial about his vampirism. It's his character in the series, and also his greatest personal conflict. It's also what makes him annoying for me, but it's what makes him "human", even if he is the least "human".

Yamagami, who tries to be a good model to Kurusu despite being the same seniority of vampirism and fails anyway because he's an unranked vamp who still has pride, is absolute perfection. Takeuchi, who's definitely embracing the mad scientist role with much gusto (and some responsibility), is also perfection. I love them both.

And love that tension between Yamagami and Maeda. Maeda really just had to rub salt in the wound by mentioning he's a colonel now and Yamagami, who used to be his colleague, is just a Major, AND an unranked vampire (Yamagami isn't totally useless as an unranked, but he still is an unranked). But, huh... Kurusu is a Lance Corporal. I must've skipped that in the manga in a hurry to consume Mars Red content.

Suwa is straight to the point. He's so bloodthirsty towards the vampires he's not allies with. Given his backstory as already explored in the manga, we can't really blame him. That said, his design is so dope. I love him too.

I can see art errors every time I pause. That said, I like how Suwa has blue eyes compared to everyone else in the unit (except Maeda, who definitely isn't a vamp like I first thought) who has red/brown.

I also love how they try to explain the (pseudo) science of being a vampire. Well, Takeuchi's someone who's dedicated to explaining and experimenting with it, but I just love how it's explained in a way that fits its setting. There's just enough info about it.

We get to see Tenmanya Shinnosuke, too! It's a pleasant surprise for me, because I was so sure from the previews I saw that we'd only see the main Code Zero squad this episode. Love his shop. It's so quirky! This isn't how I imagined it in the manga; it was more like a dark, ridiculous, antique shop-like in my perception. But here in the anime, it's bright, it's cute, it's filled with junk still, but it's definitely a nice place to find just about every single pleasantly weird things. I also love his multi-colored lamps! I absolutely love everything about this part of the episode.

We also get yet another play aside from Salome and Romeo & Juliet. This time it's from kabuki! Chuusingura's Okaru and Kanpei is referenced by the episode's antagonists, perhaps as a foil? Parallel? To Romeo and Juliet, except the villains of the week probably know more about JP theater than Western, so I guess that's why it's been referenced. I also wonder if the name of the rival of Tenmanya is Ascra. Or if it's the product. It's obviously not superior compared to having fresh blood, and it . The female vampire doesn't like it at all, though her lover insists on it.

Maeda is such a GOAT. His command over the troops is so confident. Then he goes to visit the spot where Misaki died. My heart bleeds for this guy. He offers pink, white, and purple asters for Misaki. Then he goes "No it's not for my lover," then Aoi goes "Asters mean 'I'll never forget you.' He definitely lost his lover." I HATE THIS. I NEED A MAEMISA FIC NOW.

Then Maeda immediately goes all business-like, easily decides what to do, very cooly, as if the whole ordeal with Misaki never happened. He's so cool. Minus Kurusu, I love the scenes that followed, the chase and the whole dialogue between the two vampires, and how the Ascra was meddling with the perception of the male vampire who was becoming very addicted to it, because it made him feel safe.

Incompetent boy Kurusu is, his hesitance killed Moriyama. Moriyama was such a good character. Even Maeda mourns Moriyama, citing that he (Maeda) should've been the one bitten by the vampire (albeit metaphorically: "I should be the one who becomes a monster."). That said, Kurusu's incompetence let Suwa the cold killer and Maeda the goat save the day. Suwa coming in with a swift knife to the chest and Maeda drawing his sword and swiftly slaying the vamp was just so awesome.

That said, I hope Kurusu warms up to his role faster, because he's not making it easy for me to go through the series, even if he is supposed to be the main main character. And even if he hands the scenes where he's supposed to be awesome to Suwa and Maeda.

That said, I personally feel uneasy about Defrot too? Maybe it's because he's not yet that significant besides being the oldest (living?) vampire in the cast.

I look forward to see more of Mars Red. Minus Kurusu. He alone makes me upset, but at the least I can understand why there's a need for his character. I just wish he'd develop much faster.

Also, by the way, the OP animation is referencing some plot points already showed in the manga. I wonder if it's already spoiled a lot of stuff?

[rueitae]

Roommates in Disguise

Read the fic on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19901668/chapters/47138743

Lance makes a hasty decision that lands him in the clutches of the Green Starling, one of the city’s most notorious super villains. Thankfully she doesn’t seem to know he’s actually her nemesis, the superhero Icebound. His captivity puts him in contact with Katie, a fellow college student. Concerned she may be targeted again, Lance befriends Katie. He doesn’t expect to end up moving in with her. 

Katie will do anything to find her family, that includes becoming a super villain to expose a Galra Corporation that has the city wrapped around its metaphorical finger. When Lance literally falls at her feet, claiming to be friends with Icebound, she jumps at the chance to find the connection between Galra Corp and the sudden appearance of super heroes two years ago, not long after her family went missing... 

Neither anticipate a friendship and a blossoming romance. 

Rated: T

Tags: enemies to friends to lovers, alternate universe - superhero, explosions, comic book level violence, experimentation, human lab rat, domestic fluff, roommates/housemates, Pidge is an anti hero, Galra are still the bad guys, action, secret identities, captured, companionable snark, collaboration

Art by @mybluelionlancylance. Look at it!

https://mybluelionlancylance.tumblr.com/post/186452499757/this-is-art-for-the-plance-mini-bang

Beta-ed by @whyamistillhungry

For @planceminibang

Myself and @fallen-angel-nightshade have worked together to provide ten chapters for your enjoyment! We’ll be posting once a day in alternating POV. I have Lance, she has Pidge. Watch for Nightshade’s chapter two tomorrow!

~~~~~

Lance wondered if heroes in comic books ever had bad days like this.

Not for the first time that day, or even week, Lance cursed his horrible luck. Dust gathered on his dress shoes as he ran desperately along the upended street. He loosened his tie for easier breathing, disoriented and light headed as he crashed into a mound of concrete that used to be part of the road. 

The meeting with his boss hadn’t gone well - he was epically failing his internship, though that was no surprise considering his absences and late assignments. There was no way they’d hire him when he graduated. 

If he lived to graduate in the first place. 

Well, at least he could try to save some people from today’s villainous rampage. 

Pausing for a moment's rest against the wall of concrete and pavement, he closed his eyes to construct peace and quiet as streams of shrieking bystanders raced by in the opposite direction of his travel, towards the center of chaos. There was no opportunity for him to hide and transform into his hero persona. Icebound would be able to traverse this trashed landscape with no problem, but he couldn’t give away his secret identity. His enemies wouldn’t give him any peace.

Enemies he never would have had, had he not been delivering lunch (with ice cream dessert, oh does he remember that ice cream well - all that awful stickiness!) to the Galra Corp building when the lab exploded. So of course he had ice powers. 

It wasn’t as easy as comic books made it out to be. Lance extended a wave of sympathy towards Clark Kent - but at least he had convenient telephone booths to work with. Lance liked to see what he would do in the age of cell phones.

A growing chorus of panicked screams rang out in the near distance.

With a deep breath, determination set in. He had to do something, or innocent people would get hurt. 

He heaved, pushing himself up and over a piece of raised road, making Lance grateful for all those years of gym class. He rolled over his back before sitting up on his knees, assessing the situation. 

A group of students from his university were huddled together, surrounded by strings of green-colored energy that emitted from three black poles embedded in the pavement.

His heart dropped into his throat. They were trapped, and the design and coloring of the contraption told him exactly who was behind it. 

A black spire impaled the ground next to him - it may have well struck through his heart with the way it skipped a beat. He screeched as it missed his arm by a hair’s breadth, forcing him to blunder backward. Elbows scraped against the concrete and he hissed in pain, though it was a small price to pay to avoid a head injury.  

Dread grew by the tick, perspiration trickling down his temple as he craned his neck upwards. Towering above him, the cause of the destruction sat atop her prized machine in a half-circle cockpit surrounded on all sides by control panels, the tall legs lifting her a full story above ground level.

“Well, what do we have here?” the Green Starling, or Pidge as he’d grown to know her, mused. Lance scooted backward but another leg of her octopod caught a piece of his nice slacks with precision and purpose, pinning him to the spot. “Not really who I was expecting to be running into danger.”

This was not the most ideal way to face one of the city’s most dangerous villains, Lance fretted. He wasn’t in costume, but he had to do whatever he could. 

Frostbite formed on his fingertips despite his racing heart. His chilly core begged for release to encase his body and unleash his full power. He had some access to his powers while not in disguise, but not enough to defeat the imposing sight before him. Worse, she’d learn his identity and Lance knew she’d take full advantage of it. Her hacking prowess had landed him in hot water before, mostly in the form of turning machinery against him; she’d find his name and address before he could get home. 

He curled in his cold fingers, hiding them on an otherwise warm and sunny day. “Let them go,” he pleaded, “they’re innocent!” He still had his words. She’d listened to him before - well, Icebound anyway - and left civilians alone. Lance was convinced she had a good heart. She just needed a reminder of it from time to time. 

Pidge rested her elbows on the machine’s console, chin sagging into her palm. The slightest of amused smiles teased on her lips and Lance swore there was a sparkle in her eye. “You’re playing hero - that’s cute.”

“Someone has to,” he retorted, perhaps a bit too quickly, though his heart pounded and he swallowed hard. “What are you even after?”

Pidge rolled her eyes, squashing his hope she’d listen to him. “I needed Icebound’s surrender yesterday,” she said. “I figured surely he’d come out with a mess like this. So unless you know where he is, I don’t have any use for you.”

Lance gulped. Oh if she only knew. 

Though, a sense of pride swelled in his heart that she’d focus on his meddling verses the other two heroes in the city. Not that they were a common sight and Lance begrudged the idea that, despite how irritating Flame-o Brain-o always managed to be, he wouldn’t mind a little help with hero work now and then to catch up with his civilian life.  

The attention to him specifically boosted his confidence and a smug grin tugged up the side of his face. Maybe he could use this to his advantage. 

“It’s your lucky day then!” Lance said cockily, despite being pinned down by a giant robot. “Why hold a bunch of people hostage, when you can just take Icebound’s best friend?” 

Pidge raised a critical eyebrow. “You?” she questioned, pointing a lazy finger in his direction. 

“Yes, me,” Lance responded, momentarily annoyed. Why wouldn’t he be a hero’s best friend if he wasn’t already the hero? He was an awesome friend! 

But a shallow argument wasn’t going to free the civilians. Lance closed his eyes and took a calming breath. He needed to swallow his pride and make her take this deal. “Take me hostage and let the others go,” he pleaded as sincerely as he could muster. “It’ll be just as effective, and you’ll only have one body to worry about.” He had no idea how he was going to free himself later, but as long as the students were safe, it was a risk worth taking. 

After a long moment of considering, Pidge pulled down definitively on a lever. Two thick cables snaked down from either side of the machine. Lance fought his instinct to retaliate as they wrapped under his arms and around his chest, pulling him into the air helplessly. He gripped the coils for some sense of security as he was hoisted to the villain’s eye level. 

Without prompting, she released the students. They scattered and scrambled in all directions. Lance breathed a sigh of relief.

“For your own sake, I hope you’re telling the truth,” Pidge said ominously as she turned her vehicle and moved towards the suburbs. “Because if Icebound doesn’t show up for you, I have plenty of use for you in my lab.”

“You actually have a secret lab?” Lance perked up, his voice rising steadily in alarm. The methodical movement of the machine was making his stomach twist about. each step it took jiggled him about in the smooth coils and it felt like he could slip out if he doesn’t hang on with all he had, legs dangling uselessly a story above the ground. 

He forced a laugh that didn’t feel entirely humorous, keeping a weather eye on how far away he was from the ground. “I never pegged you for being the ultimate villain stereotype.”

Pidge raised an eyebrow at him.“We only just met and I’ve done nothing but hit the super villain checklist.”

Oh right. He couldn’t mention any of their past meetings in costume. He laughed nervously. “Icebound tells me about you all the time. He says you’re the smartest and most creative bad guy he knows.” Add a wink to the compliment, wiggle the raised eyebrow - be irresistible. 

“Flattery won’t save you from my death ray if you’re lying.” Her threat was so monotone that it sent a chill up his spine faster than ever. So much for flirting his way out of this.

Their ride took an extra heavy stomp and he slipped down, scrambling to catch hold of any part of the coils that might offer more grip. His belly button was left exposed, shirt riding up his stomach.

Maybe, if he’s lucky, one of the other two heroes would find him before he’s forced to reveal his identity to Pidge. 

Urgh. Getting saved by Flame-dude would suck. 

[avasharpe]

Sugar and Salt

Chapter: Three, of ?

Chapter Title: And Put it in the Oven for Baby and Me

Chapter Summary:  When Ava goes with Mona and Nora to Jiwe’s Bakery so that the latter can make a move on Ray Palmer she finds a familiar face behind the counter. Sara and Ava put aside their differences and actually talk for once, and Nora and Ray are not the only ones with a blossoming relationship.

Fandom: DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.

Relationship: Sara Lance/Ava Sharpe, (Side-pairing) Nora Darhk/Ray Palmer and Amaya Jiwe/Zari Tomaz.

Characters: Sara Lance, Ava Sharpe, Sin, Gary Green, Amaya Jiwe, Zari Tomaz, Mona Wu, Nora Darhk, Nate Heywood, and Ray Palmer

Chapter Rating: General Audiences.

Additional Tags: Bakery and Coffee Shop, Teacher AU, Mutual Pining, Parent-Teacher AU, Non-binary character, Trans Character, Smut, Fluff and Smut. 

Read at AO3

Read at FFN

So the chapters were supposed to alternate between couples, but I need to put this chapter here to maintain the timeline in a way that will soon become apparent.

Also, this is the chapter with smut and if that’s not your thing just skip to the end and read the second to last paragraph break.

Thanks to @canaryatlaw and @transspidermannn for editing and beta reading this for me.

……………………………………………………………………

Ava reluctantly followed Nora and Mona as they led her up the street to Jiwe’s Bakery and Cafe that Saturday afternoon. She held onto her coat as she walked, surveying the old building. It looked to be mid-19th century but, in excellent condition, with all the classic features, a big front window, and a yellow and white awning. Although it wasn’t the most popular place, Ava had heard it talked about throughout the city since she moved there five years ago.

“Remind me why we’re doing this again,” Ava asked, as they paused at the door.

“Oh come on Ava, you know why,” Mona said, tugging on her arm. “Besides, I thought you’d love this place. They’ve got the best danishes!”

Ava sighed, but let Mona and Nora drag her through the door. She had to pause again, as she gasped and took the place in. It looked like it could have been her grandmother’s kitchen, if Ava had a grandmother. While it was a small shop, it was decorated with comfy furniture and dark brown tables and chairs. There was soft jazz coming from a player piano near the back and classic paintings on yellow walls decorated the room. Ava looked around, even the display counter was classy and felt natural. It was classic and homey and definitely her style.

“Okay, it’s not that bad,” Ava admitted.

“Told ya,” Nora said, as she walked over to get in line at the counter.

Ava scanned the room, catching the real reason why they were here. Ray Palmer sat in one of the chairs with Nate as they both talked with Amaya, the owner. 

“Okay so this is the plan,” Mona said, getting right into it, only to be interrupted by the line moving forward as it became their turn at the register.

“Hello and welcome to Jiwe’s Bakery and Cafe. What can I get you started with?” 

Ava recognized Zari Tomaz behind the counter, as she had Behrad in her class. They exchanged pleasantries and let Zari get on with her work as they all ordered coffee and pastries. Ava was surprised when she took a bite of the warm danish, closing her eyes to savor the delicious taste.

“Okay,” Mona continued, once they were seated at one of the tables. “Nora and I will go up to them and talk about how we just happened to run into Nate and Ray. I’ll pull Nate away with a conversation about the Star City Rockets and how they’re doing this year.”

“Are you sure you’ll be able to do this?” Ava asked, trying to steal a glance at Nate and Ray. “Maybe we should just tell him about our plan.”

“No, I did all the research beforehand, I’ll definitely be able to distract him long enough for Nora and Ray to start a conversation and ask him out. I only need you to swoop in with the sister stuff in case I can’t keep Nate distracted, which will ensure that Nora has long enough to talk with Ray and fall in love,” Mona replied, flirting her eyelashes for effect.

“Are you sure about this?” Nora asked, looking over at Ray nervously.

“Of course,” Mona insisted. “My plan is foolproof!”

……………………………………………………………………

Mona’s plan was foolproof. Ava watched from her spot in line for another danish as Nora and Ray giggled and held hands, gazing into each other’s eyes. It was pretty easy to get Nate away from them, even if he quickly figured out what was going on. Nate admitted that he knew Ray had a crush on Nora as well and agreed to help them. He was now over at the piano, playing a couple of tunes while Mona sang, leaving the sweethearts alone. Ava just smiled as she watched them. Nora’s smile was so bright and genuine as she laughed at something Ray said.

“They’re cute, aren’t they?” Sara Lance’s voice startled her, as she looked up to see her standing there with a towel over her shoulder at the register, nodding to Zari as she went on break.

“What are you doing here?” Ava asked, still staring at her.

“I work here,” Sara said, casually gesturing to the shop around them.

“Oh,” Ava said, remembering all of the things she had heard about the bakery and cafe over the past couple of years. “When Sin said for you were a business woman, I thought they meant you worked for a corporation or something.”

Sara laughed. “Yeah, I can see how you’d think that. Sin grew up playing in my office in the back, as they and the other kids are mostly barred from the kitchen. I usually just handle the business side of things, but I help out where it’s needed, and since Kendra’s babysitting for everyone else, I get to play barista.”

“Oh,” Ava said, with a little nod still staring at her. “So Sin’s here with the other kids?”

“No, Laurel’s spending time with them today and the other kids are at Kendra’s place. We only have them here when necessary. It just makes it easier for everyone. Do you want me to take that?” Sara asked, gesturing to her empty plate.

“Thanks,” Ava said, remembering what she was there for and handing her the plate. “It was one of the best danishes I’ve ever had.”

“I’ll give Kendra your compliment,” Sara easily smiled at her. “So do you want some tea or coffee?”

“Coffee would be nice, whatever’s in the pot, and another danish please,” Ava said, nodding her head too fast.

Sara smiled as she reached under the counter and pulled out a mug, then turned around to grab the pot of drip coffee to fill it up.

Ava found herself easily smiling back, all of the petty rudeness they had exchanged over the past few weeks somehow faded away.

“So do you, Nora, and Mona do this often then? Going out together, I mean,” Sara said, giving Ava her coffee and danish, then putting her elbows on the counter and leaning over to talk to her. The shop was a bit busy, but everyone seemed settled in, and no one else came up to the counter, leaving Sara free to stand and talk with her.

“Yeah, we usually just stay in and have book club, but Nora has got the biggest crush on Ray and finally decided to do something about it.”

“Yeah, I know. Ray likes her too and I’m glad everything worked out for them, they really like each other.” 

They both looked over to see Nora and Ray talking, and Ray rubbing his thumb over the back of Nora’s hand.

“I bet they’re married by the end of summer,” Sara said, still staring at them.

“No way,” Ava guffawed. “Nora’s always wanted a December wedding. I give them at least until next year.”

“At this rate, they’re going to make it this year,” Sara chuckled as they watched them start to make out.

They looked away and giggled like a pair of schoolgirls, and Ava began to wonder if she had Sara painted all wrong.

“I wanted to apologize for the things I said at the meeting we had earlier this month,” Sara began, looking her in the eye. “Ray’s been coming over and helping me and Sin with their homework. He thinks they might have that thing you were talking about.”

“Dyscalculia.”

“Yeah,” Sara nodded, looking somber. “We’re meeting with a specialist next Monday.” 

“I’m glad you’re doing that,” Ava said, taking a softer tone. 

“Thank you,” Sara said, quite genuinely soft in a way that surprised Ava. 

Ava suddenly looked at Sara in a new light, and she took in the woman standing before her. Maybe it was the lighting, or the romantic atmosphere around them created by their friends, but Ava couldn’t help but think that Sara was beautiful. There were freckles painted across her cheeks that were accented against her pink blush. Maybe it was the good food or how cute Sara looked when she smiled, but Ava found herself developing a crush, and blushing alongside her. 

Before Ava knew what it, Sara had pulled up a chair next to her with a bit of paperwork she never got the chance to do, as they had talked the afternoon away. They also talked with Mona and Nate. They came by and sat with them for a while, but were now back at the piano. They had played Piano Man more than a dozen times, but were now playing simple tunes. Apparently, Sara had already met her brother, as they had been friends in college, and Ava was surprised she and Sara had never met before, with the many mutual friends they had. 

It was still early evening, but Nora had come over and said she was leaving with Ray. As they watch them go, Sara said “I still say it’s gonna happen this summer. I don’t think they’ll want to wait that long.” 

“No way, they’ll definitely wait at least a year. This is literally their first date, no one gets married within a few months of dating,” Ava said, having set her mind on it.

“I don’t know,” Sara said. “They’ve been friends for nearly two years, they know each other well enough that it could happen.”

“No, no, no,” Ava shook her head. “They’re both way too smart for that.”

“You want to bet on it?”

“Yes.”

Seeing that Ava was sure, Sara nodded her head and set down the rag on the counter. “Just so you know, I’ve never lost a bet.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Ava said, with an eye roll.

“Okay,” Sara said, crossing her arms. “I’ll prove it, I bet my boss Amaya and coworker Zari are making out in the back right now.”

“No way, they said they were going into the back to take stock,” Ava said. Zari and Amaya had both come over a few minutes ago and told Sara that was what they were doing. “I would know, I’m a great lie detector. I do it all the time with the kids in my classroom.”

“Kids lying and adults lying are two very different types of lying, and Amaya and Zari were both definitely lying,” Sara said, sure of her words.

“Fine, I’ll take that action,” Ava said, determined to prove her wrong.

“Okay so first off, terms and conditions. What do you want if you win?”

Ava thought it over, trying to think of something reasonable. She could always go with money, but there was something else that interested her just as much. “Two free danishes for next time I come in.”

“Great, if I win you pay double next time,” Sara said with a smile.

“Sounds good,” Ava said, shaking Sara’s hand over it. 

They both got up, and Sara led her down the hall. They passed a door that Ava assumed was her office. They continued past the bathrooms, to a door and a staircase that led down to the stockroom. 

The light was off, and they got halfway down the stairs when Sara reached out and pulled a string, illuminating the stock shelves of flour and other baking materials. Lo and behold, there were Zari and Amaya aggressively making out against the stocks shelves. 

As hard as they were going at it, Ava was thankful that they both had their hands over each other’s clothes. It took Zari and Amaya a second to realize that they had been caught, and they both looked up at them in shock, then jumped three feet apart.

“Are you two going to go upstairs and help me close, or just stay down here and defile our stockroom?”

“We were just leaving,” Amaya said, while blushing and looking anywhere but their eyes, while Zari tried and failed to hide a smirk, not looking bashful at all. 

Sara gave them one hard look before they scampered up the stairs. As soon as they closed the door, back in the hall Sara and Ava just looked at each other and burst out laughing. Ava handed her the twenty dollar bill, which would more than cover the double plate of danishes. She didn’t have to pay until she came back, but she wanted Sara to know she was good for it.

Sara took the money, and they continued laughing as they walked upstairs. 

“Why don’t I grab my keys and wallet, and I’ll walk you and Mona to your car.”

“Actually we took an uber here.”

“All the more reason for me to drive you home,” Sara said.

……………………………………………………………………

Sara opened the door to her office and walked in. It was a good sized room, with space for Sara’s desk and two chairs in front of it, set up for client meetings as well as space for Zari’s desk. Against the other wall, there was a table for kids next to a two person couch, set up across from a TV they kept tucked away in the cabinet. It was professional, but with four kids, and the fact that neither she nor Zari were particularly clean, it was always messy and unorganized. Sara usually didn’t mind, but for some reason, she felt the need to move a few things around as she showed Ava in. Ava followed her and looked around, as Sara grabbed her things from the top drawer of her desk.

“You don’t have to do that. You’ve had a long shift and I’m sure you’ll want to get home  and get Sin from Kendra’s.”

“Since Laurel is watching them today, and she won’t mind if I’m late,” Sara said, waving her off. “After we moved in together, Laurel said she’d happily watch Sin for the few hours here and there, and Sin loves their Auntie-Nibblet time together, so it all works out. Since it’s a Saturday, they’re probably both snuggling on the couch with bowls of ice cream, playing some video game.”

Ava laughed at the thought, “Yeah, my son and his babysitter are probably watching Magic documentaries, or still at the magic shop. He loves going there and seeing all the stuff. I don’t really get it, but he loves it, so I try and learn too.”

“That’s sweet,” Sara said. “I didn’t know you had a son.”

“Gary, yeah,” Ava said, looking down at the bracelet he made her. “He’s Sin’s age actually. He’s in Nate’s class and is obsessed with magic.”

“Sin had a brief magic stage, inspired by our friend Constantine.”

“Yeah, Gary loves him, we’re at his shop at least once a week, which is as much as I can stand,” Ava insisted, making a face. 

“Not a fan.”

“No.”

Sara laughed and looked into the kitchen, waving to Amaya before she shut the blinds.

“Is it tough? working Saturdays I mean?” Ava asked.

“Kind of, I miss spending time with Sin and doing other things, but it’s been worth it financially, and it’s brought in new business. I know Amaya, Zari, and Kendra feel the same, but I don’t think we’ll continue it after school gets out. I just feel lucky that Amaya is so understanding, now that she’s got Kuasa all four of us have a kid so we all take turns leaving early to pick up and watch the kids until closing. Although I’m a single parent, it doesn’t feel like it, because we all raise the kids together and are so involved in each other’s lives. Not to mention the fact that I don’t have to worry about the financial burden of having a nanny or doing daycare,” Sara said, then looked down at her hands and blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to go on and on.”

“No, it’s okay,” Ava said, reaching out and taking her hand. “I’m a single parent too. My mom, well my unofficial adopted mom, Dot, you might know her, she’s Nate’s mom. Well, she came to visit when my ex left and later moved closer so she could watch Gary after my parental leave was up. I don’t think I could have raised him without her. Nowadays, she sometimes picks him up after school, or he just hangs out in one of our classrooms and sometimes helps out with little things. It’s not for very long, so it all works out.”

“Yeah, Sin’s Dad died when they were four, and if it wasn’t for my friends and family I wouldn’t have been able to do it either. These guys, my parents, my sister, his sister, and our friends were always around to help out too, and I did get into a new relationship pretty quickly. My ex-girlfriend was kinda like a second mom to Sin. So I felt pretty lucky.”

Ava nodded somberly, having heard some of it from the child themselves. “Sin told me their Dad was an engineer.”

“Yeah Len, he um, he died in a car crash along the coast. He was taking me on a trip for our anniversary. It was the first trip we had been on since Sin was born.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that. My ex-wife decided she didn’t want to be a parent after we had Gary and took off. It was tough, as I’m sure you know. I’m glad that I had a family that was there for me as well, even if at the end of the day it was just the two of us.”

“Yeah I get that,” Sara said, smiling.

It had been like this all day. They just talked and talked, about anything and everything. Being Sin’s teacher, it felt like she had already partially known Sara through Sin. Perhaps it was just that, but Ava was open with her throughout their conversations, and Sara found herself opening up as well. She talked about things with Ava that she would have never opened up about with anyone else unless she had already known them for a long time.

“Is that a Rembrandt?” Ava asked, looking over at the painting behind her. 

“It’s a copy, but yes. The old building owner gifted it to me before he left. He’s now the superintendent of the school district here in the Glades.”

“Rip used to own this place?” Ava asked, looking back at her. “He recruited me from my old teaching job in Fresno to be a teacher here after Gary was born.”

“Small world,” Sara said, surprised at the number of mutual friends they had. “We started out as partners with him, but he sold everything to Amaya years ago after the business took off.”

“No kidding,” Ava said, with a smile that made Sara sigh.

Sara looked at Ava standing there in her office. Rather than the usual suit and white button up she had worn every time Sara had seen her in the school, Ava wore a blue, fitted sweater and casual, but dressy plaid grey pants. The sweater outlined the muscles of Ava’s arm and was pulled tightly over her breast. Sara looked down at the muscles of her abdomen and absentmindedly licked her lips. 

Ava must have been thinking something similar because she took a step forward, looking Sara up and down. Sara looked down at her regular old white button up, black pants and the waitress’s apron she wore today with her notebook, and the sparkly pen Sin had given her for Mother’s Day. 

Sara looked up and met Ava’s eyes, taking a step forward until they were just inches apart. She really shouldn’t be doing this. Ava was Sin’s teacher, but all Sara could think about was finding out what Ava looked like underneath the blue sweater she wore. Ava tested the waters with her, closing her eyes and leaned in to touch her lips to Sara’s. Ava’s lips were sweet and soft, and Sara melted against her, running her fingers into the hair at the base of Ava’s head and wrapping her other arm around Ava’s waist. 

Ava moaned and kissed her harder, slipping her tongue into Sara’s mouth, pressing up against her and pushing her back to the desk. Sara let her take the lead, but pushed Ava’s tongue back so she could explore Ava’s mouth. Sara was sure she wanted this. Wanted Ava. Besides, chances were nothing would come of it. Sara could get Ava out of her system, and they could get out all that tension that had built up over the past month with a good fuck.

Sara reached back and pushed the papers off of her messy desk, as Ava lifted her up and sat her on it. There was a moment where they stopped kissing and stared at each other. They could stop now and leave it at that, but Ava didn’t remove her hands from Sara’s waist.

Ava leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Do you want me, baby?”

“Yes,” Sara breathed out, kissing Ava’s neck.

Sara reached down to the hem of her shirt, not bothering to unbutton it, just pulling it over her head and revealing herself to Ava. Ava took her in with wide eyes. Sara had forgone a bra that day, and the arousal of their kiss made her nipples stand up. 

Sara smirked at Ava’s expression. Her breasts had changed a lot since she got pregnant with Sin, and although she expected it, it was hard to watch them shrink when Sin was old enough to stop breastfeeding, and when she started working out again. Now, she was happy with her body, and the fact that she could still make anyone swoon by taking off her top was a bonus. Especially as she usually stuck to one night stands these days.

Ava let her hands run up Sara’s sides to cup her breast, her fingers running along Sara’s stretch marks, Ava moved to hold them and ran her thumbs over Sara’s nipples. Sara pushed her chest out further and moaned, signaling Ava to continue. She let her own hands find their way to Ava’s belt. Ava’s sweater was tucked into her pants, and Sara let her fingers find her belt buckle and undo it.

“Wait,” Ava said suddenly, letting go of Sara’s breasts. “There’s something you should know.” 

Sara paused, and Ava took a step back, looking nervous, but Sara waited patiently for her to make a decision about what she wanted to do next.

“I don’t usually do this, so it hasn’t really been an issue, but, um, well, do you have any condoms?”

“Yeah plenty, dams and stuff too,” Sara said nonchalantly; she figured they would use protection and didn’t care if Ava had anything, so long as she told her and was willing to use protection.

“Good, because we’re going to need them.” Ava took a deep breath. “I’m trans. I have a penis, and I just switched from hormone pills to the patch, and I’ve had trouble with the dosage so I’ve started to produce semen, and I’d like to be safe.”

“Okay,” Sara said softly, with a smile, trying to put Ava at ease. Sara reached back over to her desk, pulled open the drawer on the left, and grabbed a pack of condoms before handing them over to Ava.

“Okay,” Ava said. She let out of breath and seemed more at ease, she smiled and kissed Sara again.

“And just so we’re clear, I’m clean,” Sara said. 

“I’m clean too,” Ava replied, before pulling off her sweater.

Sara smiled at what she found underneath. Ava’s breasts were perfect, and they heaved with her chest as she breathed. Sara reached behind Ava to undo her bra, setting her breast free. The blue bra slipped off her shoulders, and then it was Sara’s turn to be in awe of Ava. She leaned forward and looked up at Ava from between her breasts. 

“Can I taste them?”

Ava just nodded, and Sara looked back to the pink areolas and wrapped her lips around the left one. Ava’s breasts were more pointed, and of course her nipples and areolas were smaller, but that didn’t make Sara enjoy them any less. She licked her way from the left to the right. When she was satisfied that she had paid attention enough to each breast, Sara pulled back. 

Sara reached behind herself and undid the strings of her apron, pulling it off and setting it aside. Ava got the hint and reached for the button of Sara’s jeans. Sara put both of her hands on her desk behind her and lifted her hips so that Ava could drag her pants and underwear down her legs. She was thankful that she had worn the black sports panties, rather than the off-pink pair that had one too many holes and bloodstains, but were insanely comfortable. Not that Ava paid much attention to it, just leaving both items in a pile on the floor.

Sara quickly kicked off her boots and Ava took a step back, then reached for her own pants. At first, she took off her belt and placed it on the chair Sara had for guests and clients, as they often met with couples for wedding cakes in here, then toed off both of her boots and placed them next to the chair as well. She picked up her sweater and gently folded it, before finally taking off her pants and folding them as well. The action made Sara smile.

When Ava turned around, she was just wearing a pair of tighty whities, and Sara could see her penis press out against the front of her underwear. Sara took a moment to take Ava in. She was tall and lengthy, and thin but muscular. Her arms and legs seem to never end. Her face was oval and slim, like her body with her soft features. Sara thought she was breathtaking.

Sara reached for her, but Ava stood just past her fingertips. Ava took a step forward, and Sara placed her hands on Ava’s hips and stuck her thumbs in the waistband of Ava’s underwear. Sara looked up at her and waited for Ava to give her the okay to continue. Ava nodded, and Sara slowly pulled the underwear down. Ava’s penis stood half hard, uncircumcised, long and thin like the rest of her body. 

“It’s not much,” Ava said, looking down at her.

“Are you kidding me?” Sara said not taking her eyes off of it. “Whoever made you believe that is an idiot.”

“Well, when I started estrogen and t-blockers my doctor told me it could shrink and it did a little bit, and it’s a use it or lose it kinda thing, and I’ve never really minded having a penis, so I’ve tried to keep using it. That’s kinda why I switched dosages on the patch, so that I can have more sexual function…” Ava trailed off as Sara ran her fingers over her shaft with a feather touch. 

Ava closed her eyes, thrusted forward and moaned. Sara smiled at how sensitive she was and grasped her hips, pushing her back, and Sara got down and dropped to her knees. She took the pack of condoms from Ava’s hand and ripped open the first one, unrolling over Ava’s shaft, before leaning in.

“Sara.”

“Humm?” Sara murmured and hesitated, but was unable to take her eyes off of her.

“You don’t have to do this.”

“I want to do this,” Sara said, looking back up at her. “Do you want me to do this?”

All Ava could do was nod, and with that Sara stuck out her tongue and licked her way up Ava’s shaft. 

Sara swirled her tongue around Ava’s head and licked down her length, then she held Ava’s shaft up so she could suck on Ava’s balls. Ava held still for most of the time, but when Sara wrapped her lips around her length, taking Ava fully in her mouth, Ava’s hips jumped forward. Ava poked the back of Sara’s throat and caused her to choke.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Ava said, pulling out of Sara’s mouth. 

Sara laughed, “No it’s okay, it’s not the first time it’s accidentally happened. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

Ava nodded and held still, as Sara tried again and sucked Ava into her mouth. Ava let out a shaky breath, and Sara took her further down, letting herself get used to the feeling. Sara opened her throat and took Ava in all the way down, then Sara looked up at Ava. It was hard to see her from this angle, but Sara could see her head thrown back. 

Sara moved back, letting Ava’s length slide most of the way out of her mouth, and then took her back down again. Ava moaned and threaded her fingers into Sara’s hair, but she just held her, not pushing her head forward or back. Sara continued to bob her head up and down, sucking Ava in every time. Sara reaches down and cupped Ava’s balls, massaging them. Ava moaned and panted.

“Sara,” Ava pleaded.

Sara continued her actions, sucking and moving. Ava’s hips rolled, and Sara moved with her. Then, Ava pulled back and Sara was forced to let her go. 

“Come here,” Ava said, pulling her up and kissing her again. Ava held Sara’s hips and guided her back to sit on the desk.

Ava lifted her up and set her on the desk, and Sara spread her legs wide, bringing both of her feet up on the desk, next to her hips. Ava ran her hands down from Sara’s knees to her inner thigh. When she got to the mop of blonde curls between Sara’s legs, she gently ran her fingers through the hair before parting Sara’s labia and running a finger over her clit.

Ava gently took two fingers and explored Sara’s vulva. Ava ran them up and down in between Sara’s pink lips. Sara was completely soaking Ava’s fingers, as Ava collected her wetness. Soon, Ava’s fingers zeroed in on Sara’s clit, running over it in quick hard circles.

“Fuck, Ava,” Sara moans out, letting her head drop back. 

It just felt so good, and Sara was more worked up than she realized. Ava definitely knew her way around and worked Sara so good that before she knew it, she was cumming and gushing all over Ava’s fingers. 

Ava pulled away, but Sara pulled her back, grabbing her hips and pulling her forward. She grabbed ahold of Ava’s penis and pulled it towards her center. Sara wrapped her legs around Ava and looked down to guide her in. 

Ava went slow at first, letting Sara adjust to the feeling of Ava filling her, slowly inching forward until she was completely inside of Sara.

“God, it feels so good to be full,” Sara said, the words slipping off her tongue.

Ava immediately got to work and set a good pace, as she started moving back and forth. Sara let herself go and got caught up in the pleasure, as Ava hit that spot in her that made her go wild.

Sara threw her head back and couldn’t help the loud moan that she let loose. Ava’s movements have her on cloud nine, as Ava moved her hips, thrusting back and forth. Sara clenched around Ava, causing her to gasp and move wildly. Ava held both sides of her hips as she rocked back and forth. Ava moaned as she moved forward to capture Sara in a kiss, though they had to part as they both started to breathe heavily. 

Ava leaned forward, letting go of Sara’s hips as she snaked her arm around to hold Sara’s back, and slammed her other hand on Sara’s desk to hold herself up. Sara wrapped one arm around Ava and leaned into her shoulder, letting her lips linger against her skin.

Ava started to pant and Sara could tell she was close by the way her hips rolled erratically. Ava moved her hand from Sara’s hip to sneak between their bodies. Ava adjusted her angle and pressed two fingers to Sara’s clit. Sara would swear if she could talk. Ava rubbed her fingers across her clit at just the right force and consistency. 

“I’m gonna cum,” Sara breathed out.

“Me too.”

Ava just went faster, thrusting her hips and rubbing Sara’s clit. It was too much. Sara came, hard. She almost screamed Ava’s name and buried her head in Ava’s shoulder to muffle her cry. Sara’s walls contracted as her orgasm ran over her, and she felt Ava cum as well. 

Ava’s thrusts slowed, losing speed and strength. Ava removed her hand from Sara’s oversensitive clit and held her. Ava tried to remove her hand from the desk, but it stuck to the leather folder Sara kept the wedding cake pictures in. It slowly came off of Ava’s hand, pulling at her skin as she ripped it off. Once she removed her hand, she just held Sara, rubbing her back and letting Sara rest her head on her shoulder. 

“That was great, thank you,” Sara whispered. She buried her nose in Ava’s hair, enjoying her soft and sweet scent.

“Thank you, too,” Ava said with a laugh.

Sara chuckled and Ava pulled back a little bit. She looked at Sara, both in that soft afterglow. Their smiles came easy and lazy across their lips. Ava pulled out and Sara sighed at the loss.

……………………………………………………………………

By the time they got their clothes back on, grabbed Sara’s things, cleaned up her desk, and locked up her office, the shop was completely shut down. The only lights on were those behind the counter and the setting sun streaming in through the front windows. Everyone else had left, except for Mona who sat at one of the tables alongside Kendra. 

“Ava, there you are,” Mona said in a soft sweet voice, clearly indicating that she knew what had gone on.

“Sorry to keep you, Kendra,” Sara said as she approached their table, placing her hand on Kendra’s shoulders.

“I would have locked up but this woman said she was waiting for her friend,” Kendra said with a knowing smile.

“I knew you were around here somewhere, and I saw you wander off with Sara a while ago,” Mona said with an over enthusiastic wink.

“No, that’s not what happened,” Ava stammered, wanting to keep her sex life to herself.

“I was just giving her the full tour,” Sara said, in an equally unbelievable tone.

“Then why is Ava’s sweater on backwards?” Kendra asked.

Ava quickly looked down at her sweater, pulling at the collar to reveal the tag, indicating that it was indeed on backward. 

“Okay, time to go,” Sara said, ushering them up.

All four of them walked out of the bakery, and Sara locked up behind them. Kendra walked with Sara over to her car, as Sara opened the door for Ava and Mona, whom Sara had agreed to drive home.

“Goodnight Sara, I hope you had fun today,” Kendra sang, as she got in her car. 

Sara shook her head and got in her car. She pulled out of the alleyway, heading in the direction Ava had given her. Things were quiet as Sara quickly made it over to Ava’s place. She tried to hide her surprise as they pulled into one of the nicest neighborhoods in Star City. It was a few more turns around the streets, before they pulled up to a modern two story home. 

“Thanks for driving us here,” Ava said, as Mona got out ahead of her, leaving them alone. “I know it’s kind of out of your way.”

“No problem,” Sara said, waving her off.

“I had fun today,” Ava said, smiling softly.

“Me too,” Sara said, before casually adding. “You should come by more often.”

“If things work out between Ray and Nora, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you, Ms. Lance.”

“Oh, you can count on it, Ms. Sharpe.”

Sara nervously drummed her fingers against her steering wheel, like she was dropping her date off after the first time, which she supposed she was.

“Goodnight, Sara.”

“Goodnight, Ava.”

With that, Ava closed Sara’s door and walked up the steps to her house. Ava waved to Mona as she got in her own car and drove off. Sara made sure she got inside, and Ava waved to her before shutting her front door. Sara found herself smiling on the drive home and all the way up to her apartment. She quietly let herself in like she always did. Sure enough, Sin and Laurel were on the couch, playing video games and yelling at the TV. 

Sin jumped up when they finally heard Sara and wrapped their arms around her waist. Sara knew one day her kid wouldn’t jump for joy when she came home. So for now, Sara just hugged them back and enjoyed this moment. 

……………………………………………………………………

Ava would never admit it, but this had become a routine. Going to Jiwe’s with Nora and Mona on Saturdays, and sometimes stopping in with Gary after school, where they would sit and talk with the group. Sara would come over and talk as well, although she occasionally got pulled away to her duties. Ava, Nora, and Mona were becoming regulars. Ava got to know Ray more so than she did at work, in fact, Ava got to know all of the staff, and she watched as Zari and Amaya tried and failed to hide their relationship. 

Although, she would never admit that her thing with Sara had also become routine. The talking and occasionally flirting with her was how it always started out. With Sara across from her at the counter, with that sweet smile Sara had just for her. They would talk until the day ended, then go back to Sara’s office or car, they even got a hotel once, and had sex. However, it wasn’t just sex.

They weren’t dating, per se, moreso friends with benefits was what Ava chose to call it, because there was something there. Something that certainly could turn into a relationship if they gave it a chance, but they danced around that line because neither one was willing to cross it. Ava wanted to remain professional, Sin was still her student and she wasn’t going to jeopardize that just so she could continue to see Sara. So this is where they were at. With Ava coming over to the bakery and them flirting and sleeping together, and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t there just to see Sara.

[sideofwritingsandramblings]

Day 6: I’m Drunk on You

For @sheithmonth prev / on ao3 / next July 6th - Business

Keith shifted in his lap and Shiro tried not to groan out loud. Instead he closed his eyes and prayed to whatever god that might listen that no one would notice his… predicament. Especially not Keith.

The employees of Altea Corporation were currently celebrating their CEO’s engagement to her fiance. President Allura and her lover Lance had been dating for the better part of 2 years, so no one was surprised when the announcement came that morning in the office. Hunk had then suggested that everyone hit up a bar after work that day to celebrate the couple.

However, the short notice meant cramming dozens of employees into an unsuspecting bar that had Allura apologizing profusely and offering extra cash to the owner. The bar they had ended up at was called Little Root Tavern, and was actually owned by Shiro’s friend Matt Holt, who was more than happy to host the party. But as the name suggests, Little Root was not a very large establishment, forcing everyone to pack in like sardines.

The only spot that would fit them was one long table in the center of the room where they could sit on the floor. Shiro slipped his way to a spot where he could sit cross legged and lean against the wall, and Keith had taken his usual space beside him. As many people as possible crammed around that table and as the alcohol was served, Shiro found himself getting squished from both sides. What Shiro hadn’t expected was a very tipsy Keith to climb into his lap halfway through the night, grumbling about how crowded it was. Shiro knew his face had gone red and he avoided making eye contact with Lance who was smirking at them.

Now Shiro was trying to keep calm as his best friend (and longtime crush) sat firmly in his lap, every so often shifting in an attempt to get comfortable. Moving in ways that almost had Shiro choking on his alcohol.

“Anything else I can get for you all?” Matt asked the party, making eye contact with Shiro and raising an eyebrow at Shiro’s situation.

People called out more orders, and Shiro reached around Keith to pass his empty glass to Matt.

Don’t ask, Shiro mouthed to him, and Matt smirked.

“How about another round of shots?” Matt announced to the table, “This round on the house for the happy couple!”

The party cheered, raising their glasses to Allura and Lance, but Shiro glared at Matt, who had been pointedly looking at him and Keith when he’d said it. Shiro suddenly regretted ever telling Matt about his feelings for Keith.

“Shiro? I’m sorry, I’m probably heavy aren’t I?” Keith asked, twisting to catch Shiro’s eye.

“N-No you’re fine!”

“Okay,” Keith smiled and turned back to his drink, while Shiro internally cursed himself.

That was probably the only chance he’d get to get Keith off of him. Keith really wasn’t heavy but Shiro’s own problem wasn’t getting any better. He kept finding himself watching Keith, the way he’d laugh at something Allura or Pidge had said. The way his cheeks flushed from the alcohol and how sometimes he’d lean back against Shiro’s chest before realizing what he’d done and leaned forward again. Shiro hated that distance and he desperately wanted to wrap his arms around Keith’s waist and pull him back again.

But that would be crossing a line that Shiro wouldn’t risk crossing.

Not when the past two years have been some of the best of his life. When he’d first met Keith at Altea Corp they’d hit it off immediately. Keith had gone from the new employee Shiro mentored to best friend in a ridiculously short amount of time. Being with Keith was easy and fun and exhilarating. After long days at the office it was common for Shiro to find himself on the back of Keith’s motorcycle, riding up through the forest to find someplace to watch the stars. Or to a shitty diner where they’d talk over fries and shakes. Or even to Shiro’s apartment where they’d watch and laugh at the new season of Boltron: Legendary Attacker and it’s bad writing.

No matter what they did Shiro felt happy. And he wouldn’t give it up for the world. Even if every time they hung out it felt like a date and Shiro wanted nothing more then to swoop down and kiss Keith absolutely senseless. How Keith would probably be just as forward and aggressive with his kisses as he was on the training mat when they sparred at the gym. God, did Keith look good when he was on the mat…

And this is not what he should be thinking about when Keith is in his lap.

“Well, I think it’s about time we head out,” Allura announced, which was immediately met by complaints from the party, “Oh please. Unlike some of you who get weekends off with the company, the CEO’s job is never done.”

“You heard the lady,” Lance said, grabbing Allura’s coat from the floor and helping her pull it on, “You all can stay and continue to toast to our well-being. We’ll let you know when the wedding will be.”

And with that (and a few finger guns from Lance), Allura and her fiance left the party.

“I bet that’s nice,” Keith mumbled, suddenly leaning back and resting his head on Shiro’s shoulder with his face turned slightly towards Shiro’s own.

Shiro could smell the alcohol on his breath, “What?”

“You know,” Keith paused and Shiro’s heart skipped a beat when Keith looked down at Shiro’s lip’s, “Being in a relationship.”

Keith looked back up at Shiro’s eyes and for a split second Shiro was certain Keith was going to kiss him. But Keith sat back up and finally stood from Shiro’s lap.

“I’ll be right back,” Keith said and Shiro watched him walk towards the bathrooms.

Shiro let out a breath, and scooted forward so that his lap was directly under the table. He tried to think about anything besides Keith or otherwise he wouldn’t be able to walk out of this bar without people noticing he was half hard.

“Fuck,” he whispered.

“What’s that Shiro?” Pidge’s voice came from across the table, “Don’t tell me having your crush in your lap all night has been a problem for you?”

“Pidge,” he hissed out, eyes darting about to the remaining employees around the table.

“Oh come on Shiro,” Pidge continued, ignoring his complaint, “Everyone knows how you feel. Honestly, we’re all just surprised it hasn’t happened yet.”

“I should have never told Matt,” Shiro lamented, to which Pidge laughed.

“Oh please, Matt didn’t need to tell me. You’re obvious.”

Hunk nodded beside Pidge, “Yeah I mean even Lance has you figured out, and it took him months to figure out Shay and I were dating. We weren’t even trying to hide it! It took me kissing Shay right in front of him!”

Shiro sighed again as the others continued their discussion about Shiro’s love life. Eventually he took a peek at his watch and looked over towards the bathroom again. Keith was taking a while.

“Plus, Keith is totally into yo-” Pidge started.

“I’ll be right back,” Shiro interrupted, pushing himself up off the ground.

He felt a bit dizzy from the quick change of elevation but at least he wasn’t drunk. He made his way over to the bathroom door and pushed his way inside. His eyes immediately locked on to Keith, who stood at the bathroom mirror, hands braced on the sink and head down.

“Keith? Are you okay?”

Keith jumped, apparently not having heard him enter and turned to face him, “Yeah I’m fine, just a little queasy. I had a little too much.”

“Do you want me to call you a cab?”

Keith paused, seeming to take a moment to just look at him. Shiro tried not to let it affect him, but Keith looked like he was searching for something. There was a heat in Keith’s eyes that Shiro wasn’t used to. Eventually Keith looked away, turning back to the mirror.

“Yeah,” he finally said, “I should probably go home.”

Keith pushed away from the mirror and Shiro followed him out of the bathroom. They said their goodbyes to their friends and made their way outside. They stood on the street corner in front of the bar. It was quieter outside, the only noises were the muffled sounds of merriment behind the bar’s door and the cars passing them by.

“Sorry about in there,” Keith suddenly said.

“What about?”

“I-I shouldn’t have, you know, gotten into your space like that. I know I was in the way.”

“No Keith, it was fine. Honest,” Shiro replied easily, because it was the truth. It was fine, Shiro was the one who made it weird.

“Oh, that’s good,” Keith seemed to visibly relax beside him, “So, just curious, was I imagining you having a hard on in there?”

Shiro felt his stomach drop and he had the sudden desire to get swallowed up by the ground beneath his feet. He continued to stare ahead, feeling Keith’s eyes on him, and he felt his face heat considerably.

“Shiro you don’t have to freak out, it’s fine,” Keith laughed, and then shuffled his feet, “I was actually kind of hoping you’d kiss me in there.”

Shiro’s head whipped towards him but now it was Keith’s turn to look away with a blush dusting his cheeks. Shiro watched him for a few moments and then made up his mind.

“Well… can I kiss you now instead?”

Keith turned back, “Please.”

Shiro stepped closer into Keith’s space and Keith immediately wrapped his arms around Shiro’s shoulders. There was one more moment of hesitation as they stared at one another, and then Keith was pushing up on his toes to meet Shiro halfway.

It was like a spark between them and Shiro immediately wanted more. He pushed Keith back against the concrete wall of Little Root, and Keith hugged him even tighter as he was pinned. He felt Keith bite and suck at his bottom lip and he groaned, his hands coming up to Keith’s face to hold him still as they kissed deeper.

At least until he heard the bell above the tavern door ring as the door swung open. Shiro pulled back just in time to see Pidge and Matt walk out of the building.

Pidge saw them first.

“Finally!”

Shiro felt his ears burn but he wasn’t sure if it was from being caught or from Keith whispering in his ear.

Come home with me.

[sol1056]

git along little nonnies

Got a whole bunch of you on related themes, so I’m just gonna do this all at once: a bunch of questions about DW, spinoffs, merchandise, business, management, support (and protest) and whatnot. In no particular order.

Ok there are petitions and peaceful boycotts directed at DW but problem is they aren’t addressing the EPs and things they, not DW, did so how are we to sign them, how to handle this when this could at best confuse the situation and not give any results and at worst, make matters even worse about what we want regarding DW addressing things? 

Here’s what companies care about: money. Everything else is gravy.

If you want a corporation to pay attention to your complaints, then you need to figure out their sources of income, and find a way to threaten that. If the social reprobation is high enough, damage to the brand can translate into lost sales, but the tempest required to make that happen must be much, much larger than anything I’ve seen the fandom manage. 

I’ve been saying this all along: voices are far more powerful than signatures. If twenty thousand people wrote or called in, and said what they liked vs what upset them, that would have a far greater impact. Certainly a lot more than a list of names with no emotion beyond a request that may not even be something DW can, or would, fulfill.  

And don’t even get me started on mailing stuff in. Cute, but hardly actionable.  

Do you know what kind of contracts DW sign, as in, are they obligated to air all seasons, can they choose not to air them, do the companies they work with (netflix, wep) have a say or more say than them? Who gets the last word? Is airing all seasons squarely on DW or more? 

As I’m not a corporate lawyer employed by any of the signatories, I can’t tell you what the contract stipulated. What I can tell you is that a contract of the magnitude of the DW-WEP-Netflix agreement probably had a dissertation worth of riders covering the different types of possible defaults or breaches, and the penalties for each. Additionally, the contract also likely covered what constituted ‘satisfactory delivery’ of the product. 

To take it down to a really simple level: you place an order at a restaurant. You expect to get it, eat it, and pay for it. You don’t expect to be told, “hey, we burnt your steak and we’re out of butter for your sweet potatoes, so have some green beans instead,” and then be told you still owe the full amount, anyway. 

Netflix wouldn’t settle for ordering (and paying for) something never delivered, anymore than you would. Sure, any corporation worth their over-inflated stock options would try --- but that’s the point of contracts, to make sure they can’t. 

Netflix paid, DW delivers, end of story.  

 ...do you think ppl in charge didn't think EPs would tell they made changes and also thought they'd manage to bury it? And then they got in trouble and DW is going thru changes for that reason? -waves at DW goings on and silence.

I got lost in all the pronouns, there. Who’s the first ‘they,’ the EPs or DW execs? Is the second ‘they’ referring to the same as the first? So... I’m not really sure what you’re positing, but if the ‘DW is going through changes’ is implying DW’s got a shakeup and/or is promoting its head-of-TV to president and that’s somehow connected to two newbie EPs screwing up?

I’d say the chances are so infinitesimal as to be nearly in the negative. (I should also note, the press release listed successful shows Cohn oversaw, yet oddly did not include VLD.) DW is not a three-person start up; it has stakeholders and a board and a C-suite to satisfy. Cohn got that promotion ‘cause she’s got a track record going back thirty years, most recently growing DW’s TV division from 8 to 800 in five years. 

Most corporations tend to announce their new CEO or President like someone woke up that morning and went, hey, I’ve got a great idea. Truth is, it’s usually in the works for at least a year, sometimes several years, or more. The only thing that has me side-eyeing the announcement is the silence around who’ll fill Cohn’s previous position. 

But that’s again less to do with a single series, and more to do with what it says about DW as a whole, business-wise. 

What meaningful changes could the new president Margie Cohn make that would be different than the last one? Also I'm sorry if your getting a bunch of Voltron/DW questions lately, you just seem to be the most knowledgeable person on this platform.

I’d be willing to bet I’m far from the most knowledgeable person; I’m just someone not bound by an NDA, and curious enough to do a bit of digging and jaded enough to talk about (most) of what I find. 

A president can have immense impact on a company’s direction; that’s kinda why they exist, to set that high-level strategy. That said, Cohn will be bound by all contracts signed by her predecessor. The TV side (barring someone filling the shoes she left) will probably continue as it was. The theatrical side (which she’s taking over) will be where we’ll probably see any major changes. 

And even those aren’t likely to be on films currently in production. Hell, given theatrical animation can take up to five years, I’m not sure that’d show much change, either. Look instead to changes in investors, new deals, and new properties. 

What do you think DW will do about a sequel if there’s really no bible? Theres tons of plot holes & abandoned storylines. VLD will never feel satisfying, and fans already argued with different interpretations based on conflicting content, without a nice satisfying explanation...

I know this is the first of a three-part ask, but I’m skipping the rest because the only answer possible is to your very first question: the bible doesn’t matter. 

Any new series --- even a continuation --- will construct its own bible. Same as we’d do in fandom: they’ll patch together what they can, fill in blanks as they need, and gloss the rest, or retcon it outright. Even if there were a bible, diligently followed, that doesn’t mean the next series is automatically beholden to it. Some franchises would care (ie Star Wars) while others might let a reboot mess with the details (ie Star Trek). 

For every continuation, there’s gradations in between, since otherwise what’s the interest for creative minds, if you’re obligated to follow someone else’s script exactly? So, no. The absence of a story bible doesn’t preclude the next iteration making its own, as it needs, to whatever extent it requires. 

I was wandering around the hot topic online store, and i noticed a shirt that raised a few flags and questions. it's the 'Voltron Location' shirt. it has all the paladins in different places in a star globe chart thing? with what might possibly be planet designations. plus Lance is the only one not inside his blue colored bubble. Keith is in Red and Shiro in Black again. it's interesting at least.

Nearly all the shirts use the same base images, just changed up. It feels a little like someone handed a designer a half-dozen images with a request for forty-something designs --- and now HT is just throwing them all at the wall to see what sticks (or sells). 

HT’s stuff has been pretty consistent, from what I’ve heard: Shiro is Black, Keith is Red, etc. Considering the t-shirts seem to be selling out regularly (along with various other sidelines), I’d say someone is savvy as to the fact that the segment of fandom spending the most money is also the segment that prefers the S1/S2 lineup. 

If that’s what customers want, it’s smart business for DW to provide.

(Yes, that applies on more than one level.)

There are VLD comic books being released by LionForge Comics, are those considered canon? Do LM and JDS have any involvement? They take place before Season 7and8 but I don't wanna support the original EPs.

Every fandom has its own stand on what counts as canon. Sometimes (especially with adaptations) you’ll find fandoms being explicit as to whether they’re book or movie (ie HP and LotR). I expect the same will eventually shake out in VLD’s fandom, too. 

From everything I’ve heard, Hedrick and Iverson were handed the comics and ran with it. I suppose that would argue for seeing the comics as canon, being they were written by people also writing the main series... but from what I can tell, it’s one-way. The show affected the comics, but nothing in the comics ever affected the series.

That said, your purchases have nothing to do with the original EPs. All you’re doing is telling DW you like the VLD-iteration of Voltron.

What are your thoughts on the final vld poster? I feel like it’s missing the end. Allura is randomly staring back into nothing.

It’s a clever idea to do a poster for each season, but it’s not something I’ve ever paid any attention to, really. If it were drawn by the head writer? That might mean the artist had more insight than, say, a storyboarder or animator. But even then... cool picture, still not-canon. I’m only interested in canon.

Do you think that Voltron was rushed purposely by the EP's. [...] Wouldn't this effect the quality of, well, everything? I feel as if they got frustrated with the show at that point and just wanted out.

Dude. There are times I sit here and just stare into space, bewildered yet again not just at the thought of 39 episodes released in one year --- but doing that with 26 as a last-minute cut-and-paste rearrangement. All I can tell you is that what I’ve seen from animation people and aficionados (and friends) is that three full seasons in one calendar year is just bonkers. 

If DW hadn’t wanted the schedule that packed, the EPs aren’t the ones getting the say. That’s a DW-Netflix thing. I really wonder whether DW used VLD as a guinea pig. TH went a year between S1 and S2, and the numbers slumped badly. Perhaps DW wanted to know if more episodes, more often, would keep fan interest high? DW has experienced execs, but they’re all from broadcast; how you arrange and time things in the brave new world of binge-watching is a completely different beast. 

So, it’s possible it was less of a rush job to get the show out, and more from a desire to see what'd happen to release so much, so close together. 

I still think it’s a bonkers schedule, though.

"Relaunch the whole property" sounds like they won't continue expanding the whole vld universe and they'll make a new itineration. Though if they do a spin-off it'd likely be on the vld universe surrounding the new "Legendary Defenders" from the epilogue. And "especially given the response" do you think after the negative response from s8, wouldn't be better for WEP to not keep working with Dreamworks? Or maybe they need to clean their brand from vld fiasco? What can you say about all of this?

I can say you might try re-reading, because boy is that a radical interpretation of the text. Remember, Jeremy was speaking before S8, and all indication is that he was caught off-guard as much as the fans. Re-read in light of Jeremy (at the time) appearing to expect S8 to be a crowd-pleaser.   

...I'm becoming more confident in my belief that DW has something planned for Voltron. I mean they are still heavily promoting the show, LionForge is still publishing Voltron comics, and merchandise is still being made. These don't seem like the actions of a company trying to get people to forget a show. 

You’re not wrong. Up to the last few days of 2018, DW gave every indication they wanted S8 quietly buried. Nothing they’ve done since has fit that pattern --- including the anomaly of failing to announce their 2019 series. Something is going on, that’s for certain. 

Did DW really just throw the VAs to the wolves [for] three days? and there's still no official stance? One panel was enough. They had [the VAs] take the heat for them? But thankfully fans felt sorry for them? Which could also have been the goal, shut the fans up [with] the VAs of the characters who got the worst treatment and who love their characters ... Yes DW this really makes me trust you /sarcasm/

I don’t think that was the original plan. Let’s pretend DW released its 2019 schedule via press release in the first few days of January, and among those was an announcement of a VLD sequel or spinoff, coming late 2019. 

People wouldn’t be fussing over putting the VAs through three panels. They’d be complaining we didn’t get the biggest room for every panel. The majority of the fandom doesn’t trust the EPs, and is wary of DW --- really, the only ones who retain any goodwill, at this point, are the VAs. So who better than to assure a nervous fandom about the goodness of the second iteration than the VAs whose characters were most shafted by the first iteration?

What breaks this is that immediately after S8 dropped, Josh and Kimberly went silent on twitter. AJ slipped into passive-aggressive snarking; Jeremy fell off the radar and usually he’s pretty interactive with his fans. Bex pretty much wiped  VLD from her stream, possibly including deleting older tweets. Neil tried to engage and made a hash of it, bless his heart. 

Josh and Kimberly are consummate professionals who reliably promote the series after every season drop, but their radio silence continued for almost two weeks. This wasn’t the first season that came saddled with controversy; if there was a time to go quiet, it was after S7. Something else was going on. 

I have strong suspicions backed by research, but if I’m right, I’d be stepping on a major legal landmine. In the interest of not getting blown up, I’ll only say that the VAs appearing for those three panels (and their low-key and mostly diplomatic hedging around VLD’s conclusion) was a good sign that all parties involved are willing to work things out.   

[DW was] quick to handle the Season 7 backlash and have stayed mum on what is arguably a much worse reaction to the 8th and final season.

and

I believe the S8 of voltron we got was not the original ending we were supposed to get and highly edited. My question is why? What was the point of changing the original ending? [The] radio silence from DW and the cast is driving me nuts. I wish DW would make a statement.

DW is in an interesting place. Its TV side is barely five years old, but dominated by execs with long-time broadcast experience, predating vibrant interactivity afforded by platforms like twitter, tumblr, or instagram. DW’s background as a theatrical company also seems to incline it away from any ongoing engagement with the audience. It releases a movie and by the time that hits theaters, DW is onto the next thing. 

It’s a strong contrast with production studios like Zagtoon (Miraculous), who penned an open letter to their fandom about production delays. Or little studios like Wonderstorm (The Dragon Prince) whose deft use of twitter and tumblr sets their brand apart. Or Federator (Castlevania), with their witty marketing campaigns and willingness to engage with fans. Even Disney was willing to be open about its errors with Tiana, and to make clear how it was striving to do better --- so there’s no excuse that only small studios do such outreach.

My guess is that DW's core leadership is from the school of business in which admitting a mistake is tantamount to ritual suicide. Don’t blink first, or maybe the rule is never let them see you sweat, but whatever it is, DW is turning into a textbook case of how silence can damage a brand. 

Companies have multiple avenues to reach customers directly, now. Our modern technologies are a two-way street, and good companies leverage that to create not passive fandoms but active communities. It takes work, careful planning, and some level of transparency --- something old-school execs find highly uncomfortable, to be honest --- but in this day and age, those are crucial building-blocks to achieving any kind of audience loyalty.

DW isn’t going to render itself obsolete (at least not overnight), but it's on a track to end up as the studio whose work audiences only watch when there’s nothing better being offered. Unfortunately for DW, there’s a hell of a lot of other studios out there, and they're all offering something better. 

[legendary-defender-of-fandoms]

Avatar Hunk AU Sneak Peek

So, I wanted to have a few Avatar Hunk stories ready for @hunk-appreciation-week , but I bit off more than I could chew & don’t have any of them done. To compensate, I thought I would share some backstory, Headcanon, story ideas, and other stuff that I want to put in my Avatar Hunk AU.

Part 1 - The Premise

Before I get too far, I need to give credit where credit is due. @avatarpabu97 was the one who originated the idea of Hunk being the new Avatar. I thought it was cute at first, but the more they shared about their Headcanon & the more I thought about it, the more I realized how it was a fantastic idea. It fit with the cycle of the preceding Avatar shows, it gave our favorite sunshine boi a chance to shine, and it could lead to some awesome stories that combine the best of Voltron AND Avatar! @avatarpabu97 had a lot of cool ideas for what kind of Bender everyone would be and who would be where, and our ideas might overlap in some spots. But I had a few ideas of my own for how the Voltron folks would fit in the Avatar universe.

Anyway, the Premise. For my Avatar Hunk AU, it would be set in the world of Avatar about 70-80 years after the events of Legend of Korra. The tech levels would be more advanced than what we have (given their access to Spirit Energy, Bending, etc.), but not quite on, say, Star Trek levels. Korra has died (of old age, or at least peacefully in her home), and the world has started to look for the new Avatar. But given the technological advancements made since Korra’s time, this is seen as more of a side quest by the general public. The White Lotus & the New Air Nation dispatch a few teams, and some ambitious mover producers decide to create game shows to find the new Avatar, but for the rest of the world, life moves on. A new research and development corporation, Galra Tech, starts to make serious advances in harnessing Spirit Energy. The CEO, Zarkon Daibazaal, is a suave businessman who started his company to help people. But having all this power at his disposal leads to corruption, and the chief scientist for his company - his wife, Honerva - has been performing more and more unsettling experiments. They may have plans to invade the Spirit World to reap untold power, conquer the world, yadda yadda yadda. So the Avatar will be needed once more to prevent the exploitation of the Spirit World, another Spirits vs Humans war, and possibly the destruction of the planet? Haven’t planned that far yet.

Part 2 - The Characters

Hunk - Born and raised in Zhao Fu, Tsuyoshi Hershel Seidou Garrett is the only son of Tsuyoshi Garrett, an Earthbender (and a distant descendant of Haru from the original series), and Lisa Seidou, whose family immigrated from the Northern Water Tribe after the Earth Empire dissolved. His nickname was a misnomer, since he was a very small baby, but he quickly grew into it. His parents always knew their child was special (Spirits used to gravitate towards him when he was a baby, he took to Earthbending like a turtle duck to water when he was five, he started Metalbending & helping his father in the family Satomobile shop when he was ten, and he’s always been the sort to end disputes & help those in need), but they wanted Hunk to discover his destiny on his own, let him decide if he should let the world know he is the Avatar. Hunk earns an academic scholarship to the Hiroshi Sato School of Technology & Exploration at Republic City University, where he meets a colorful group of friends & discovers the dangers of Galra Tech’s Spirit Energy experiments. When Hunk starts to realize he’s the Avatar, he’s not sure what to think. I mean, the Avatar is supposed to save the world every other week, isn’t he? And the Avatar’s always been some confident badass who can take out armies by themselves & never backs down from a fight. Hunk wants to help however he can, but he’s not sure he has what it takes to be the Avatar. Until he realizes just how much is on the line, in which case Hunk decides it doesn’t matter if the Spirits made a mistake or if someone else should be the Avatar. He has the ability to help others, and he’ll do whatever he can to save the people he loves.

Gyrgan - Hunk’s animal companion, an Armadillo Lion. Hunk saved him from poachers when he was a cub, and the two have been inseparable ever since. Gyrgan is slow to trust new people, but once he has accepted someone in his life he becomes a giant lap kitty. Threatening those he loves, however, can lead to a death more terrifying than failing an Altean linguistics class. Hunk has taught him proper manners, so he’s not a menace & is permitted to be boarded at RCU. Much like Naga and Appa, he’s huge & can be ridden by Hunk, but typically won’t let others ride.

Lance McClain - A Waterbending mischief maker from Whale Tail Island, Lance and his family move to Zhao Fu when Lance is 12 years old. The two instantly bond over their love of “Nuktuk, Hero of the South” (who, much like Captain America and Wonder Woman, has evolved past his propaganda origins into a pop culture hero with multiple reboots, spinoffs, and Saturday morning cartoons). Lance isn’t quite the scholar Hunk is, but he does manage to get into RCU on a Probending scholarship & is excited to go to his sister Veronica’s alma mater. Until he finds a certain big-eyed mullet boy is on his Probending team & in his classes (not sure how far the Klance stuff is going to go, because I have little writing experience & even less experience with LGBT+ rep. But I want it to keep true to the 30+ years of Klance sexual tension that dates back to GoLion.) Still, when the world starts to fall apart, Lance won’t be left out of the action. (Might also make Lance a descendant of Sokka and Suki, but not sure how to work that into the story)

Katie “Pidge” Holt - The daughter of the head of the Technology department at RCU, Pidge is a child prodigy when it comes to computers. She manages to skip a few grades & get into the Hiroshi Sato School of Technology at the age of 15. Pidge has a pet Owl Cat named Rover who becomes instant besties with Gyrgan. Pidge’s mother was the daughter of Air Acolytes, and Pidge is a skilled Airbender. However, Pidge doesn’t really connect well with others. Until she gets to Computer Algorhithms class and meets Hunk, the first person close to her age who not only understands her techno jargon, but contributes with his own tech knowledge instead of scoffing & calling her a nerd or teacher’s kid. She’s not so sure about his buddy/roommate Lance, but he kind of grows on her & they eventually bond over their love of Space Sword video games. Pidge’s brother Matt was interning at Galra Tech when their experiments in the Spirit World started to spiral out of control, and Pidge will do whatever it takes to bring him home. Even if it means fighting the entirety of the Spirit World.

Keith Kogane - You know how Mako & Bolin had it rough, growing up on the streets after their parents were killed by a Firebender? Now imagine if either one had to do it alone & never knew what happened to their mother because she took off when they were babies. After Keith’s father is killed in a freak industrial accident, the young Firebender falls in with the Blade of Marmora Triad. He’s caught during a raid by Detective Takashi Shirogane and his partner Ulaz, a former Blade, but instead of putting him juvenile detention Shiro decides to give the kid a shot at a new life (maybe he shows mercy to someone the Blades ordered him to kill, or he has impressive Firebending skills, or Shiro’s a sucker for mullets). Keith starts channeling his aggression into Probending, playing against a certain hotshot from Whale Tail Island over the years, and he eventually gets into the Lin Beifong School of Criminal Justice at RCU. He’s less than thrilled to be on the school’s Probending team with Lance, and after Shiro disappears Keith considers dropping out. But when Shiro reappears (backstory below), Keith will put aside his petty rivalry with Lance and help Shiro with taking down Galra Tech once and for all.

Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane - A skilled Metalbender & brilliant detective, Shiro is everything Hunk thinks an Avatar should be. Intuitive, compassionate, a great leader, skilled in a fight - is there any chance Raava can pick this guy to save the world? But one night, Shiro & his partner Ulaz (not sure if they’re just platonic partners or if they’re also partner-partners, also not sure where Adam & Curtis will come in if they exist at all) are sneaking through a Galra Tech laboratory after receiving anonymous tips that Honerva was capturing Spirits to experiment on, an explosion destroys the building. Shiro loses his partner, his arm, and six months of his life (which Honerva May or May not be responsible for). When he finally returns to his Republic City apartment, he’s visibly distraught by the lost time & a vague memory of something horrible coming. Pidge & Hunk work together to make Shiro a prosthetic he controls with Metalbending, at which point Shiro realizes Hunk is the Avatar & warns him about the Spiritpocalypse. Hunk isn’t sure what Shiro expects him to do about it, and Shiro promises to stand by his side in the coming war to defend humanity & avenge Ulaz.

Allura & Coran will also be part of the story, but I haven’t quite figured out their motivations or backstories yet. Allura will be a powerful Healer from the Northern Water Tribe (not sure if she’ll be a Princess or the daughter of Alfor of Altea Industries, a company that was bought out by Galra Tech through shady deals, corporate espionage, and some old friend backstabbing), and Coran will be Varrick’s grandson & heir to Varrick Industries.

Part 3 - The Stories

I’ve only got a couple of plots right now, but more are coming.

1) A New Beginning - this will be a prologue for the series, confirming the death of Avatar Korra & introducing everyone to baby Hunk. We’ll also get to see Tsuyoshi, Lisa, and a bit of their extended family. Expect maximum cuteness. This is the only story I’ve started so far, and I have it all figured out in my head. I just need to transcribe it.

2) The Boy and the Armadillo Lion - this will be how Hunk meets Gyrgan & when he starts to suspect he might be the Avatar. There will be some tough stuff in here regarding poaching, but most of the animal torture will be implied. One of those “this guy needs to be returned to his mother/oh, don’t worry, he’ll be with his mother soon enough” situations. We’ll see “a boy and his future pet” bonding similar to Hiccup & Toothless, lots of fighting & chasing, and Baby’s First Avatar State. Also debating if I want Old Man Meelo to make a cameo. I love the idea of Meelo deciding to be a hermit in the Swamp because the Avatar’s going to need a cooky wise old mentor in the swamp, but it may raise too many questions if he watches Hunk fight off the poachers without doing anything to help. Maybe Hunk will ride through the Swamp on his way to RCU while wrestling with his insecurities about being the Avatar, and after fighting a few Swamp Hallucinations in the form of past Korra baddies Meelo will pop out of nowhere like Rafiki saying something like “You forgot to be the leaf!”

3) A series of vignettes about young Hunk developing his Bending skills. Earthbending sand castles with his dad, figuring out Metalbending while watching him work on his uncle’s racing Satomobile (oh, he has an Uncle Filo who races Satomobiles professionally), thinking he’s using Lavabending to weld a broken pipe (but Tsuyoshi realizes it’s Firebending), healing his friend Lance when he gets scraped up after trying to pull off a Nuktuk dive while their families vacation at Lake Laogai (which, without the Dai Lee hideout, is a fairly popular vacation spot), that sort of thing.

[tehuti88-art]

8/19/22: r/SketchDaily theme, "Free Draw Friday." Ahhhh late!

This week's character from my anthro WWII storyline is Sergeant Camo Rat. He's the first sergeant of the Trench Rats; I figured since I already drew his corporal (Drake), love interest (Anna Julian), and primary antagonist (Otto Himmel), I should check him off my list. There'll be more about him later in my art Tumblr and Toyhou.se.

Not much to say regarding his design. The ear nicks and scars on my characters, BTW, might actually be located on the opposite side, since it's impossible they've all had the left side injured.

(I see no theme for tomorrow, so I'll have to go off theme and probably just draw another character, sorry. 😕 )

TUMBLR EDIT: I loosely explained my "Trench Rats" storyline evolution in the Anna Julian entry. An additional curiosity of this story is that it's told rather out of order, though all one would have to do is transpose the first two intended sections of the story to make it chronological. I don't know why I did it like this but it isn't even written so it doesn't matter much. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Anyway, the story sections are referred to, in chronological order, as "Genesis," "Reborn," and "Reunion," though "Reunion" runs long and could possibly be divided itself. ("Reborn" originally was the part simply known as "The Trench Rats" as it was the main part of the story, but given that the "original" order of presentation was Reborn-Genesis-Reunion, it's since gained a clarifying subtitle.) Additionally, there's an intended "sequel/epilogue" called "Ultima Thule," which wasn't originally intended as part of the main storyline though by now it may as well be. And most recently, a PROLOGUE story, "Weltuntergang," has emerged. (This is more accurately not part of the main storyline as it predates the formation of the Trench Rats.) So as things currently stand, in chronological order, the story goes Weltuntergang--Genesis--Reborn--Reunion--Ultima Thule.

This means that when the "official" story starts, Sgt. Black Rat and Cpl. Gold Rat have recently assumed leadership of the Trench Rats First Battalion (I know, sergeants don't lead battalions, most of this was childhood error that I've since attempted to retcon an explanation for). Additionally, a bunch of new recruits have arrived to take the place of the loss of approximately a third of the battalion. Although next chronologically would be "Reunion," after "Reborn" the story instead skips back to "Genesis," the creation of the battalion at the start of the US's involvement in the European war (which takes place much sooner, and for different reasons, in my story). Camo (short, of course, for Camouflage, though this is never given as his actual codename, so I assume Camo IS his codename) is the first leader of the battalion, with Drake as his corporal. Their capture by the Nazis is what ends this part of the storyline and leads back to where "Reborn" starts (though in the telling, it instead jumps forward to "Reunion," the story where they end up reunited with the battalion--confused yet?).

The actual formation of the battalion is still hazy. Initially, it was meant to be Camo's idea, though I think now it's his superiors' idea to send troops to Germany to attempt both the rescue of an American soldier, and the collection of Nazi information regarding a mysterious medical experiment. The Trench Rats aren't primarily intended for combat, though they'll fight if they need to.

As the plot currently stands, Camo is a Great War veteran (recent plot development) who's still actively serving in the military. (The Trench Rats were previously described as Marines. However, they have a medical unit, and I think I heard Marines don't have medics? I'd already dropped most mention of the Marines as I don't feel comfortable basing them directly on distinct branches of the US military, so I think from now on their actual affiliation will be kept vague. The presence of lance corporals may be a giveaway, though.) Prior to story events, he was married and had a young daughter, but the family was involved in an automobile accident which left wife and daughter dead (I have a thing for grieving single fathers/widowers, it seems) and Camo seriously injured with a broken neck and possibly other spinal damage. (I have a thing for seriously injured war veterans too, it seems.) He wasn't expected to survive; then, when he did, he wasn't expected to regain function of his limbs. He defied all the odds, practicing moving his arms and hands when he was alone, then relearning to walk, first with assistance and then eventually without. He makes a near-total recovery but is still in constant pain so gets hooked on morphine; he's good at concealing this, so it presents little problem, and even those who know about it look the other way. Similar to Capt. Otto Himmel on the opposite side of the war (though for different reasons), Camo decides to throw himself into his work since he has little else to turn to.

News starts reaching the US military about ominous goings-on in Europe; when a member of a tiny American contingent of soldiers who've been sent along early to collect intel is captured by the Nazis and reports stop arriving from the others, they decide to get involved. Tentative plans for a larger group are made. Among those doing the planning are somewhat older (circa 2000 or so) characters Maj. Dupries, Gunnery Sgt. Evans, Sgt. Maj. Revell, and Sgt. Irene Beaudry. These characters and their British counterparts, who assist the Rats when they arrive in Germany, have been left largely undeveloped, so info about them is sparse and iffy. What I do know, based on the 2002 version of the character list, is that: Dupries is skeptical of the entire thing, but comes around; Evans is the most instrumental in getting things going; Revell is an unstable a-hole who's actually opposed to the operation and likely uses underhanded means to try to derail it; and Beaudry, the token female character, is also helpful, though her assistance is contingent on Evans sleeping with her. (In the mildly updated version of events, Evans is gay but in the closet, and is attracted to Drake, though all they do is share a kiss.) So...yep. These are the people Camo works with. Also brought on board to help plan things out is Drake, whom Camo first "meets" when the truck he's riding in runs Drake's little motorcycle off the road, leaving the corporal dusty and somewhat battered, needing to walk his damaged motorcycle the rest of the way to the military headquarters where they're all meeting to discuss things. Camo doesn't know yet that Drake is involved, but he rebukes the driver, who brushes it off as a joke. Most of the others Camo is coming to work with know that Drake is Jewish and some of them occasionally subject him to mean-spirited "pranks" which he pretends to ignore though the truth is he's getting pretty irritated and cynical. So when he and Camo are introduced, he already has a bad impression of the sergeant, (mis)assuming he was part of the "joke" involving running him off the road (a joke Camo would never participate in, due to his own past experience). Camo is unaware of most of this, so he doesn't quite understand why Drake seems to hate him. BUT, they both learn they're going to be working together, so they have to set their differences aside.

Regarding what exactly is going on in Europe, Drake has a bit more knowledge than Camo, and helps fill him in. So far reports are hazy but there's some unpleasant business involving "camps," and a big medical experiment intended to give the fledgling Nazi government an advantage on the battlefield. The Americans suspect one of their own was captured to participate in this. This can't be allowed to go unchallenged, so the plan for a bigger group to head to Germany and hopefully connect with local resistance movements to free the captive and collect intelligence proceeds. They start recruiting others for the effort. Securing a surgeon/chief medical officer proves trickiest, as most of those available outrank Camo, who's intended to be the battalion's leader. They're in luck, though, when they approach a particular second lieutenant whose medical skills are quite well known; oddly, he has a phobia of splashing/spraying blood, but doesn't let that prevent him from doing his job. When offered the chance to work with the Trench Rats, unlike his fellow surgeons, he accepts, and despite his rather sour temper, he has no problem with essentially being subordinate to a sergeant and even a corporal; all he's interested in is medical work. He even has no problem immediately shipping out with them. The newly forming Trench Rats decide upon an identification system involving color-coded nicknames (a very few of them, like Drake, don't go by this convention), and the surgeon is codenamed Burgundy. Turns out Burgundy just found his wife cheating on him with his own brother, which is why he has no problem immediately shipping out; he has no further business to take care of in the US.

(Burgundy discovers something that Drake suspects but has no direct proof of: Camo's morphine addiction. Although he doesn't approve of it, he takes charge of allowing him a strict dosage every day so that he won't overdose, and doesn't report on it.)

The Allies come up with an unusual ruse with which to introduce the Trench Rats to the German military: They'll be disguised as German soldiers of the Great War, with vaguely German-style uniforms and Pickelhaube helmets. The Nazis are known to be highly superstitious, so this ruse might buy the Rats a little time to get settled in, as well as obscure their purpose there, and their true identity. (The color-coded capes they don don't come along until after this ruse falls apart; instead they wear simple colored armbands.) Their mission is to meet up with the small group of Americans already there, scout out a location for headquarters, make contact with the known resistance movements in the area, and start collecting info on the Nazi medical project, while attempting to rescue their comrade. Upon arriving they meet with a few members of the British military--First Lieutenant Donovan Bradford, Maj. Titus Ellroy, Sgt. Thomas "Harrier" Harricks, and Liam Morgan (no rank given yet)--who give them further information as well as connect them with an American liaison, Corporal Anna Julian, who helps them locate various other helpful sources. The primary resistance movement in the city--which the Rats plan to avoid at first--is known as the Diamond Network, while the two best-known partisan groups in the countryside, where the Rats are focusing first, are a mostly French group led by Sgt. Maj. Champere, and a larger, more militant mixed group led by a Romani woman named Didrika.

(A weird tidbit here. The story features two main casts of characters who were meant to interact more in older versions, but in the current version keep mostly separate--Sgt. Gerhardt is the primary character shown interacting between the two groups. These are the canine cast, and the rodent cast. Like I said, they mostly don't interact, just go about their parallel storylines; a good example is the canine Lt. Hesse and the rodent Capt. Himmel. There are lots of similarities between the two even though they live in separate parts of the storyline; these similarities weren't intentional, though I've decided to play them up to show how two characters with such similar lives end up taking such different paths. (I like to describe Hesse as the wolf in sheep's clothing, and Himmel as the sheep in wolf's clothing.) Anyway, Champere's and Didrika's groups apparently only have rodent versions (there ARE other partisan groups on the canine side, just unnamed so far), but the Diamond Network has both canine AND rodent factions, even though it started out on the canine side. This is likely due to Champere and Didrika being the concrete leaders of their particular groups, while the Diamond Network, despite nominally being led by canine Josef Diamant, has a more decentralized structure that doesn't directly depend on him to keep going. I'm not sure how the rodents caught wind of the Network and got involved, yet they must have done so early on. Another thing that ends up having both rodent and canine aspects is Project Doomsday, which starts out with the rodent Dr. Kammler and spreads to the canine side, involving Dr.s Arzt and Mengele. I have yet to determine if any successful canine test subjects exist--oooh plot idea!--though I think Lukas Mettbach may have had it tried out on him, as a former test subject of Mengele.)

The Rats keep their eyes open for these people when setting out to find the small American contingent already there, with whom they lost contact some time back. Drake manages to locate this group, practically stumbling upon them sheltering in an old trench. They're startled to see him, especially in his odd Prussian uniform. This little group consists of those who are to soon be nicknamed LC Battleship Gray (BG), LC Blue, LC Copper, LC Indigo, LC Silver, PFC Teal, and LC Turquoise. They're a little battered, half starved and running low on ammunition, but otherwise okay. After Drake hastily introduces himself, they confirm their last relayed information, that during an encounter with a Nazi unit, one of their number was captured, and until recently they were pinned down with no means of communication. Drake attempts to lead them back to the others, but gets turned around and confused; curiously, Turquoise takes the lead, and successfully finds the way back to Camo. (Drake assumes he has good tracking skills. Turns out he's clairvoyant. But anyway.) Their reaction when Camo explains the situation is...rather unexpected. Indigo and Silver get quite huffy to learn that Camo and Drake are in command now, since they were the two with the combined highest rank and experience/time enlisted, prior to now--in their opinion THEY should be promoted and placed in charge. Camo quickly shoots down this argument to try to avoid a conflict; when Indigo ends up with a medical post alongside Burgundy, he mellows out, though Silver carries his grudge with being passed over for quite a while, and never really gets along with Camo or Drake. He does come to serve the Trench Rats well, however, as his physical skills and stealth make him the ideal party to sneak into German buildings and confiscate documents. He soon earns the nickname "Der Silbergeist," or the Silver Ghost, for his habit of entering Nazi facilities unnoticed, snapping the necks of any Nazis who get in his way, and exiting just as silently, with nothing but dead bodies and missing papers to show for it. Silver really DOES trigger the Nazis' superstitions about ghosts and supernatural powers, and becomes one of their most-wanted targets. (He's up there with other esteemed parties like Diamant and Didrika.)

The Rats start looking for the best spot to construct headquarters, which will be partly aboveground but mostly submerged and camouflaged from above. Thing is, they don't know they're being watched: Papillon and Jean, two of Champere's men, notice them while scouting, and report back about the strange newcomers. They're instructed to keep them under observation, but avoid making contact. This becomes unavoidable, however, when Jean is struck by a stray bullet and badly wounded; Papillon, a bat, flies off after where he last saw what he assumes was the Trench Rats' medical unit, as their leader had a red cross on his helmet. He hails Burgundy when he spots him, and manages to convince him to accompany him back to Jean. Jean has lost too much blood, however, and Burgundy can't help him; Papillon thanks him anyway, and leaves with Jean's body. Champere isn't happy about this turn of events (neither is Papillon--he and Jean were lovers), but Papillon does have a new piece of information to share: He now knows where the newcomers hail from. The surgeon spoke English with an American accent.

Papillon and the Rats make contact a second time when he spots Camo and Drake scouting and notices a German soldier in Drake's vicinity; he swoops down and tries to grab Drake by the shoulders and carry him to safety, except Drake is too heavy for him, and he ends up dropping him in a mud-filled trench. (I forgot to mention how, during special training they went through before leaving for Europe, Camo and Drake practiced Camo swooping down upon a raptor's back and picking Drake up; it didn't go well, and afterwards Drake adamantly refused to continue the routine, saying that he planned to keep his feet on the ground and if God had intended him to fly he would've been born with wings.) Papillon lands and hurries to the site to make sure Drake is okay, finding him crawling out of the mud; he offers his hand and the Trench Rat reluctantly takes it. Camo arrives and he and Drake merely share a look--despite their differences, they've become good at nonverbal communication. Papillon introduces himself and finally reveals that Champere's men have been watching their movements; Burgundy confirms Papillon is the party he met previously, and that he'd hailed them in French and then English. The Rats aren't happy about this information either but decide it's time to officially establish contact. Champere withholds the info that he knows where they've started constructing their HQ. He doesn't seem to care much about the Americans, but promises aid when it's needed.

Papillon offers to introduce them to the other partisan group known to be in the area, led by Didrika, a Romani woman. The idea of an all-male resistance group led by a woman is a strange one--the Nazis disparagingly refer to the sharpshooter Didrika as not just the "Scarlet Gypsy" but as "Flintenweib" (Rifle Broad)--and she has a reputation to match, with a well-known tendency to attempt to seduce the men she comes into contact with. Papillon has some advice: Treat her with respect, but rebuff her advances. It's odd advice but Camo and Drake take it. They're allowed entrance to Didrika's camp with Papillon leading them, though every gun is trained on them as well; these partisans, made up largely of escaped prisoners and former Red Army soldiers, are especially suspicious, and not easy to make contact with. Didrika herself is an ex-teen prostitute who was banished from her clan after being raped by a gadjo (non-Gypsy); she took the money she earned and eked out a living for herself in the woods, learning to shoot and eventually gathering a following devoted to attacking Nazis and sabotaging their efforts. She cuts an interesting and unusual figure when the Rats meet her, a slim attractive brunette dressed in a loose (cleavage-revealing) blouse, jodhpurs, tall boots, big gold hoop earrings, and a skull-and-crossbones necklace, with an eye tattooed on the palm of her left hand. (NOTE, I'd previously described it as her right hand, but I've since changed my mind.) She's rather superstitious, but also thinks nothing of using others' superstitions against them, and the Rats' tactics to psych out the Nazis intrigue her. Just as Papillon had warned, she flirts with and talks suggestively to the two, soon focusing her attention primarily on Camo, though they pretend not to notice, and after a while she quits. Papillon had also instructed them that any attempts at an alliance with Didrika will be treated as a business transaction: "She'll try to...how do you say?--screw you over?...so you better be ready to haggle," and again, just as he'd said, Didrika wants to know what's in it for her if she allies with the Rats. They eventually reach an agreement to provide each other with necessary supplies whenever they request the others' aid--the Rats can offer medical supplies and ammunition/weapons, while Didrika's people can offer food and services--while both groups promise to provide combat support against the Nazis. Didrika startles Camo by taking a knife and slicing her hand open before offering it for a handshake; he hesitates before pulling his own knife and doing the same. After they shake hands Didrika tells him the bloodletting was completely unnecessary for the agreement, she just wanted to see what he'd do; she hadn't expected him to actually follow through. "I think I like you, gadjo," she adds, and laughs.

At last the effort is made to free the American prisoner of the Nazis' Projekt Weltuntergang. Intel informs them that the project is helmed by a man former prisoners have nicknamed Dr. C (it turns out his name is actually Dietmar Kammler), and is being funded by the Schutzstaffel, a paramilitary group that now rivals the Wehrmacht, Germany's actual military, in terms of military force, and is in charge of intelligence and security itself. SS members can often be identified by a double lightning bolt rune they wear on their collar or Stahlhelm, and/or a Totenkopf--death's head--they display on their caps. The military branch, the Waffen-SS, dresses in gray, while the intelligence and record-keeping branch, the Allgemeine-SS, dresses all in black except when out in the field (when they dress similar to the Waffen-SS); a third branch, the SS-Totenkopfverbände, is in charge of the camp system, and although aligned with the Waffen-SS their members also wear black. The Rats learn more about this camp system from the former prisoners they come into contact with, and learn that while some camps focus on providing cheap slave labor and others are intended purely for mass extermination, in the end they're all basically death camps, in that they lead directly or indirectly, quickly or gradually, to the death of their inmates. Medical experimentation takes place in the camps as well as outside, with some camps providing test subjects when requested. Dr. C has made good use of the nearby camp run by Sturmbannführer Konstantin Klaus (NEW CHARACTER ALERT!) and gone through a great number of victims in his pursuit of the perfect serum that will create a Nazi "Übermensch," or superhuman, who can provide a distinct advantage on the battlefield. Despite his efforts, however, his luck has been minimal--the serum works only on a very rare blood type mutation, so rare that Dr. C has apparently located only three successful test subjects so far: a Jewish camp prisoner, a mentally disabled man from an institution, and the American prisoner of war. (The first two were located via checking the results of slews and slews of blood tests; the third was pure coincidence.) Given the "subhuman" status of the first two, the POW is considered the first true success of Projekt Weltuntergang.

Somehow the Rats manage to recapture the POW--but Teal Rat is captured by the Nazis instead. Unable to immediately retrieve him, they're forced to leave him behind for now, as "Subject Doomsday" is top priority--a decision that wears heavily on Camo and Drake, who've been taught to leave no man behind. As for the soldier now known as Doomsday, things are a bit...weird. For the most part he refuses to communicate with them, even his old companions, whom he doesn't seem to recognize. He would seem to be catatonic if he weren't obviously aware of what's going on around him. He doesn't respond to his old name or any other cues that should be familiar. The situation changes only when he's brought to Burgundy for a checkup of his physical health, since the serum is known to be incredibly painful for some subjects. Doomsday watches with a sort of detached curiosity while Burgundy looks him over, finding signs of extended torture, though they're mostly healed by now. He theorizes that physical and psychological torture, combined with use of the serum, was used to make and keep Doomsday compliant. As Burgundy is checking him out, Doomsday finally speaks--in German--a language Indigo insists he didn't know before. He points to the red cross on Burgundy's helmet and says, "Ein Arzt?"--doctor? Burgundy says, "Ja," and Doomsday requests his orders. Burgundy is beyond confused, but careful questioning soon reveals that Doomsday has been "trained" to respond only to orders given by "Doktor-Vater," or Doctor-Father, the name by which Dr. C insists his subjects refer to him. Camo suggests that Burgundy declare himself "Doktor-Vater" now, an idea which he finds reprehensible--"I'm not going to perpetuate this so-called 'experiment'!"--but on being convinced this may be the only way to get through to Doomsday he yields, and says that he's Doctor-Father now, so Doomsday answers to him. When Doomsday again requests his orders, Burgundy first says he has none, but then quickly corrects himself, and orders Doomsday to give them information on the project. Doomsday promptly starts talking, and answers every question Burgundy directs at him (he refuses to answer whenever Camo, Drake, or Indigo ask anything). All in perfect German. He gives lots of specifics regarding how the project works and what his role was intended to be, but regarding the moment of his capture, and his life before he became a test subject, his memory is woefully vague. No amount of questioning brings further details to light and it becomes clear that Dr. C's programming has effectively wiped Doomsday's conscious memory; Burgundy suggests that scattered memories might return slowly over time, though he may never fully remember his life before.

The Rats do a few preliminary tests to see how effective the serum is; Doomsday exhibits immense strength unlike what he possessed before, easily snapping several sets of metal shackles placed on his arms, and lifting a large piece of medical equipment (but only when ordered to by Burgundy); he holds his hands in a bucket of ice water long enough that Burgundy finally makes him stop. Likewise, he effortlessly answers several complicated math equations written on the blackboard (Indigo confirms he was never particularly known for his mathematical knowledge). Even as they interact with each other, he starts tentatively repeating words in English. Over the next several days he not only regains his use of the language but learns how to repair various electric devices (another skill he never previously possessed), becoming so adept at this that plans are made to install him as chief engineer in charge of wiring headquarters and getting all the necessary equipment set up.

While checking out some old trenches that lie at the edge of the woods, Camo is startled to see a silhouette standing atop a ridge of earth, dressed in a Stahlhelm and greatcoat, wearing a sword, and carrying a gun. The two of them just stare at each other for a minute, long enough for Camo to make out the sig runes on his helmet--this isn't a member of the Wehrmacht, but of the SS. Camo gets a look at his face and he seems familiar; he doesn't quite believe it's possible the stranger is who he looks like, but the sword and gun show that he's lefthanded, and he seems to recognize Camo as well. He turns and disappears before Camo can catch up with him, but by now Camo is just about positive. He came across the same person while fighting in the Great War, except he was just a teenager then. Camo had tried several times to shoot him, unsuccessfully, while the stranger refused to take a shot and left, just as he did now. Although the stranger didn't reach headquarters, Camo is rattled by the experience.

Camo and Drake become more familiar with Cpl. Anna Julian, the American liaison among the British. She occasionally visits Trench Rat Headquarters to consult with them and share information, but since she isn't a Trench Rat herself, her access to HQ is limited; like all other visitors (even Papillon, who knows the HQ location already), she's required to wear a blindfold and headphones and ride in the back of a covered truck, or in an enclosed compartment upon one of the transport dogs, to be brought to HQ. Eventually she and Camo grow close and develop a discreet romantic relationship; Camo doesn't provide her with any confidential information (to her credit, she never asks), though he does inform her superiors of how trustworthy and helpful she's been to the Rats, keeping them informed of developments in the area and assisting in connecting with local resources. The British take the recommendation up with Camo's superiors in the US, and clearance is given for Cpl. Julian to officially join the Trench Rats as their first female member. She's accordingly granted her own room at HQ, although she continues to divide her time between there and the British outpost.

Meanwhile, Silver Rat is instrumental in obtaining secret information on Project Doomsday, and the Rats start to make plans to raid project headquarters in the hopes of not only grabbing further documents, but perhaps liberating at least some of the test subjects as well. They never get the chance, however, as the Nazis suddenly launch an unexpected attack on Trench Rat Headquarters, targeting them from several directions at once in a massive, strangely coordinated effort. Headquarters itself is bombed from above before being attacked by troops on foot; a second group attacks the Rats stationed in the old trenches near the edge of the woods, while a third attempts an ambush of another company of Rats passing along a forest road. The two companies in the trenches successfully fight off the Germans with minimal losses, and the company passing through the woods avoids attack completely. The two companies remaining at Headquarters, led by Camo and Drake themselves, don't fare nearly as well. A large number of Rats are killed in the initial bombing which destroys the aboveground entrance and completely collapses one of the underground wings, trapping most inside to either be crushed or suffocate to death. The Germans pick off some of the Rats who manage to escape the half-collapsed complex, but then start taking prisoners. Camo, Drake, and Julian are taken slightly battered but alive; as they're roughly bustled away, they manage to catch snippets of conversation that indicate the Nazis are following a detailed plan which includes taking the most important Trench Rats alive. The three are on this list; included also are Doomsday, Silver, and Burgundy, though the latter two weren't at HQ during the attack, and from the looks of it they've all avoided capture. (Doomsday, or D-Day as he's since been re-nicknamed, plays an important part in assisting in the rescue of Rats still trapped in Headquarters.) Despite their own dire circumstances, Camo and Drake try to take hope in this fact, and are shuttled off by the Germans.

As they're being transported, the Germans themselves come under attack by snipers hidden in the woods. The captives don't know, but these are Didrika and her men, who learned of the attack only belatedly but set out almost immediately to offer aid. They, too, manage to kill off some of the German troops and rescue a handful of Rats, but they're unable to prevent Camo and the others from being taken away. Papillon also arrives to offer assistance, but conspicuously absent are the rest of Champere's men--they're sent out only after the German attack is repelled. They do offer aid in rescuing and tending to the wounded, but Champere himself is harshly rebuked by Didrika, who calls him a coward for not intervening sooner. (Champere brushes her off as a "whore who doesn't know her place.") Relations between his men and the Rats sour even further when it's revealed they had advance warning a Nazi attack on Trench Rat Headquarters was coming, yet didn't share or act on this information. Champere defends his decision by claiming they had no way to verify the info, part of it seemed suspect so he doubted it would be believed, and it wasn't his men's job to provide protection for the Rats anyway. When asked why he thought the intel wouldn't be believed, Champere replies that the rumor is the information came from the inside--the Trench Rats have a leak. The only potential leak the remaining Trench Rats can think of is Private Teal, who's still in Nazi captivity and has doubtlessly undergone extensive torture; of course this would be strong motivation for him to tell the Nazis what he knows. Privately, however, the Rats can't help but suspect Champere's men, despite Papillon's insistence they had nothing to do with it. There's nothing to be done about it, though, other than tend to the wounded and pick up the pieces to rebuild again, which the Trench Rats do, Champere's men assisting in the repairs while the Rats strengthen their defenses in case of another attack. They report the situation to their superiors in the US, and efforts to recruit new Rats step up.

Camo, Drake, and Julian are transported, arms restrained, to a Nazi-run facility, made to kneel, and confronted by a German in a black uniform, a sword on his right hip and a pistol in his left hand. Camo immediately recognizes the stranger he spotted previously at the edge of the woods, and before that, during the Great War. His name is Otto Himmel, and he's a captain in the Allgemeine-SS. He seems to have been sent there to question them, though he asks few questions, seeming more interested in observing their reactions. He aims his gun at each of them in turn before focusing his attention on Drake, who's wearing a Star of David necklace, and who's already been the subject of several comments by the other Nazis present, who theorize he may be a good test subject. Finding the gun pointed between his eyes, Drake closes them, saying nothing. Capt. Himmel pauses before aiming the gun at Julian instead and shooting her in the forehead, killing her instantly.

Drake jerks back in surprise to still be alive, Julian's blood spattering him. Camo launches himself at Himmel, trying to attack him despite his arms being restrained; Himmel seems surprised as well, taking a step back before the other Nazis tackle Camo and shove him back to the floor. He sees Drake attempting to see to Julian, who isn't moving, before Drake is struck in the back of the head and knocked out; he catches a glimpse of the look on Himmel's face--strangely dismayed--before he too is struck unconscious.

Camo awakens to find himself in a small cell, someone urgently whispering his name. Drake is in the neighboring cell, trying to get his attention. Camo goes to see him, still disoriented and confused, especially by the fact that the corporal is now dressed in stripes with a tattoo on his arm and a yellow-and-pink star on his shirt. He belatedly realizes he's wearing a similar outfit, except he has no tattoo and has a red upright triangle. Drake's eyes have been blackened but he claims he's otherwise all right. Camo asks why they've been housed next to each other, which lets them communicate; Drake replies that this is likely the reason, to see if they'll share any information. He expresses worry over what their change of outfit could signify. At that point a door in the hallway opens and in comes a man in a white coat and glasses, flanked by Nazi guards. He introduces himself as Dr. C and says that they're at Projekt Weltuntergang headquarters, and they're both going to be interrogated; the treatment they receive afterward may depend on how helpful they are. Both of them refuse to reply, so Dr. C gestures and the guards unlock Drake's cell and reach for him. Camo grabs Drake's arm, but Drake simply pulls loose, meeting his eyes--"One of us has to stay alive," he says--and goes with the guards without resisting. "I'll see to you later," Dr. C says, and leaves Camo alone.

Camo has no way to know what's become of Drake, though the comments the Nazis had been making while they were with Himmel give him an idea. Guards eventually arrive to transport him to a medical suite where Dr. C is waiting; he's restrained to a bed and an IV stand is prepared. Although his blood type isn't a match (presumably, his blood was drawn while he was unconscious), the doctor decides to try the Doomsday serum on him anyway. The IV is placed and the others retreat to a nearby room to observe. A good deal of time passes before Dr. C returns, seeming perplexed and peeved. Camo assumes at first that he was given a placebo, but the doctor's attitude soon makes it clear he was in fact given the serum--he just experienced zero reactions. The serum was extremely painful for Drake, whose blood type is also not a match. Hearing this makes Camo extremely angry, and when he's uncuffed from the bed he manages to hit one of the guards before being struck himself and restrained again; Dr. C demands that he not be mistreated, and he's taken back to his cell.

Over the next few weeks Camo is given a series of injections yet apparently none have any effect. He's also interrogated; he provides no information, but for some reason, aside from a few blows he receives, he isn't tortured. As he sits in his cell one day, the prisoner in the cell across from his--a tall, hulking man the Nazi guards seem to be afraid of--tells him in halting English that the red upright triangle on his shirt makes him "special," a Sonderhäftling, who will likely not be too badly mistreated; Camo asks him what his own badge, a black triangle with the word "Blöd" on it, means, and the prisoner replies that it means he's "stupid." Camo expresses surprise that someone should be imprisoned for being "stupid," when a voice tells the prisoner, "Don't talk to him," and Capt. Himmel steps in. He and Camo glare at each other as the Nazi guards nervously unlock the prisoner's cell and step back, clubs and cattle prods at the ready, but Himmel is apparently not afraid of him, and the big prisoner exits his cell and leaves with him peacefully. Himmel glances briefly at Camo again as they exit the hall and Camo decides he has to come up with a plan to escape.

While examining the next cell he ends up in, he discovers that the mortar between the bricks around the room's one tiny window has softened from moisture over the years, and can crumble apart if dug at. He uses one of his shirt buttons to slowly pick at the mortar and manages to pull a brick loose. Not long after, he's placed in a different, newer cell, and finds that the mortar is too tough to dig through. Strangely, however, a day or so later he's moved back to the old cell, and starts his work anew. Every night before he goes to sleep he returns the bricks and crumbled mortar to their place, moistening and placing just enough mortar in the cracks to give the illusion it's filled in, though every day the hole gets bigger and deeper. He reaches the outside of the wall, a few feet above the ground, but puts off his escape until he's sure he won't be immediately discovered; he's studied who passes through the yard and when, when the lights shine near his window, where people come and go from, everything. One night when all the conditions seem right, he crawls out the hole, then reaches in to loosely replace a few bricks so the hole isn't as obvious. He tears the red triangle off his shirt, rubs dirt on himself to somewhat obscure the stripes and blend in to the darkness a little better, and sets off at a jog with his head lowered, keeping out of view of the lights that occasionally sweep the yard. It takes some looking around as he's not entirely familiar with project headquarters, though being transported between buildings a few times has given him some rough impressions, and at last he manages to crawl through a fence into a narrow alley behind the complex. Project headquarters is located in the city, so it's some further tricky navigating for him to reach safety.

He knows the Diamond Network operates in the city; the Trench Rats had made limited contact with them, though not nearly as extensive as their alliances with Champere and Didrika. The Network trusted the Rats enough to tell them the location of one "safe point" where someone can wait for a Network member to arrive and help them out, though it's somewhat old information and he's not sure if the point is still in use or is compromised; after stealing clothes from a line hanging from an apartment window, he heads to the safe point to wait and see what happens, peering out from the nearby alley every so often. It's still very early so not many people are out; just before daybreak, however, an old truck pulls up and the driver asks if he's looking for work. Camo knows he looks rather indigent, and isn't sure if he should go along until the driver claims to be "a friend of Jack's." The leader of the main faction of the Diamond Network, Josef Diamant, is nicknamed the Jack of Diamonds, so Camo gets in the truck. He's taken to a Network safe house where he's informed that the safe point has indeed been compromised and phased out of use, it was pure luck that a passing Network member spotted him there and decided to check on him. They're amazed to learn that he's the sergeant of the Trench Rats--according to contact they've had with Didrika's network, he's been presumed dead, along with Drake and Julian--yet when Camo mentions his plans to return to Headquarters, they strongly discourage him from doing so. Camo is dismayed to learn from them the extent of the devastation of the attack, but is also a bit hopeful: Dr. C had repeatedly told him the battalion was wiped out, something he now knows was a lie intended to demoralize him. A good number of the Rats are still alive and working on rebuilding HQ and recruiting new members. This is still very much in its beginning stages, though--it'll be a long while before the Rats are fully operational again--and the Network insists that right now, Camo is a liability. HQ is still badly damaged and compromised, the Rats are thinned out and overstressed, and as soon as the Nazis learn of Camo's escape, he'll have a huge target on his back. They aren't as motivated to attack HQ a second time just yet since security was stepped up, but if they know Camo has returned, that could very well give them the motivation to take the risk. Plus, a new sergeant and corporal--Black and Gold--have arrived from the US, so he could be redundant right now. In short, if Camo really wishes to help the Trench Rats, he'd be best off doing it from afar.

Camo is unhappy with this development but accepts. The Network recruits him and decides to try a tactic similar to that the Rats attempted first: They put Camo in a German uniform and gas mask to conceal his identity and throw off anyone, Allies or Axis, who might come across him. Unlike most of the Network members, he'll operate in the country, in the woods not too far from Trench Rat Headquarters or Didrika's camp, and help provide safe passage to Allied parties passing through, guiding them to safety while fending off any Nazis who appear. This is a risky move with neither the Rats nor Didrika's or Champere's men being aware of his affiliation or purpose--Didrika's men are especially territorial and trigger happy--and Camo has a few close calls. As time goes by, however, they seem to begin to understand which side he's on, and although still suspicious, start to let him be. The Trench Rats, especially, appear to consider him a sort of kindred spirit, and although it pains him to never be able to let them know who he is, he knows it's for the best. This entire time he also tries to think of ways to liberate Drake from the project, but neither he nor the Network can think of much to do, especially considering that project headquarters security is significantly amped up following the escape. Also, the Network is well aware of the number of test subjects Dr. C has requested from the camp, as well as the number of bodies that have left project headquarters to be cremated; given the circumstances under which Camo last saw Drake, chances are high that he's no longer alive.

Camo keeps a distant eye on the Rats as he performs his new job, but never talks to them during their occasional run-ins. Several parties, Allies and Nazis alike, refer to him as the Ghost of the Woods, appearing seemingly out of nowhere to assist people or ward off Nazis and then disappearing again. In truth, he returns to a small but well-hidden shelter constructed with the aid of Network members; using what he knows of Didrika and her men, he places particular symbols on a few trees not far from it--they're easy to miss unless someone is looking for them--in the hopes that Didrika's superstitions will keep her people away, and by extension, other Allies will keep away as well. He has no way of knowing for sure whether the tactic works, though it seems to help, and no one ever locates the shelter. He does run into Papillon now and then, and can't help but think Papillon suspects who he is, but Papillon never attempts to blow his cover or compromise his position. He himself suspects that Papillon and Drake were closer than they let on publicly, and rather wishes he could let him know the corporal was captured alive, but can't do so for various reasons.

Well after the re-formed Trench Rats Battalion has established itself and resumed its relations with Didrika's and Champere's men--though the latter relationship is rather strained, due to Champere's hesitation aiding before or during the attack--word reaches Camo of coordinated attacks against the Nazis, which first result in the capture of Kolten, a test subject of Project Doomsday, who due to his excessive strength is regarded as a sort of "superweapon"--Camo recognizes, from his description, that this is the big prisoner the Nazi guards seemed to fear--and then lead to the start of the end of Project Doomsday itself, when project headquarters itself is captured and Dr. C--whose real name is Dr. Kammler--and Capt. Himmel are captured. Private Teal and Corporal Drake are also rescued, in rough shape but still alive. When Teal is brought to the same room as Dr. Kammler to be temporarily held while the Rats finish searching the complex for documents and information, he first expresses distress at seeing the doctor captive and restrained, but after learning the project is officially ended--even Himmel confirms this when Teal looks to him--his mood abruptly shifts, and in a blind rage he stabs Dr. Kammler to death in front of everyone else, spattering the startled Himmel with his blood. He's eventually restrained himself, and drops the makeshift knife when a Rat verifies that Kammler is dead. Everyone returns to Trench Rat Headquarters, where Himmel is locked in a cell and Teal and Drake are taken to the medical ward. They both exhibit multiple signs of longterm torture and neglect, though Teal's injuries are older; as they wash Kammler's blood off of him he explains that, as a Sonderhäftling, he was given preferential treatment by the doctor, but only after a long period of torture and experimentation; the turning point was when he betrayed Lance Corporal Silver Rat to the Nazis, yelling to alert them to his presence on one occasion when he sneaked into project headquarters. (This incident resulted in Silver's temporary capture and brutal torture before another test subject, Wolfstein, helped him escape.) The irony is that Silver, although surprised to find Teal alive, would have rescued him if Teal hadn't betrayed him first; when asked why he did this, Teal can only reply, "Better him than me," hinting that he underwent the same sort of particularly sadistic treatment Silver received. After this incident, Teal's own torture ended, and Dr. Kammler appointed him as a sort of personal assistant with more freedoms than the other prisoners; he was still subjected to Kammler's hair-trigger temper and occasional violent whims, but it was much preferable to what he'd experienced before. Despite this treacherous behavior, however, he's adamant that he had nothing to do with the Nazis' attack on Trench Rat Headquarters--never once has he offered up information on the HQ location. He expresses resignation that the Rats won't believe him, and asks Burgundy if he can at least give Silver his apology for what he did. When Burgundy says Teal will have the chance to do that himself, Teal replies, "No...I won't," and before Burgundy can stop him, stabs himself in the neck with a scalpel.

Corporal Gold Rat--who's temporarily assumed command of the Trench Rats and slightly later is promoted to sergeant--and Lance Corporal Mahogany Rat, both from the second recruitment of Trench Rats, take Teal's body with them into the woods in search of a final resting place that should remain undisturbed. Camo runs across them and, uneasy at the sight of the wrapped sheet on the cart they're pulling, indicates that he wishes to see it. He's dismayed to see that Teal is dead, but he wants more information. He points at Gold, then at his corporal's stripes, and then at Teal. It takes a moment for Mahogany to figure out that he's asking if "the other corporal," Drake, is dead or alive. Gold confirms that Drake is alive (although Burgundy has placed him on an informal suicide watch following Teal's actions, Drake--who witnessed the entire thing from the neighboring bed--promised he wouldn't attempt the same), but wonders aloud how this stranger even knows who Teal and Drake are; of course, Camo refuses to answer. The other two mention their purpose carrying Teal through the woods, and Camo gestures for them to follow him. He leads them on a rather difficult trek to a waterfall, and points out a good spot for burial; he even assists in digging the grave. After they place Teal in the ground and cover him again, Gold comments about how arduous the trip was, just to get to a waterfall. Camo finally feels the need to speak, telling them that Teal was the one who originally scouted out the waterfall and had expressed awe on inspecting it. He removes his gas mask; Gold just stares at him blankly, but Mahogany gets excited, telling Gold that he recognizes the stranger from his military photo in the Trench Rats' files--it's Sergeant Camo. Gold--and the rest of the Rats, when Camo returns to HQ with them--are stunned that he's still alive; even Drake hadn't known for sure if he survived long past his escape (an incident Dr. Kammler told him about to try to demoralize him about being left behind, yet Drake had merely laughed), and embraces him when they're reunited. Camo is grateful to be back, but something still weighs heavily on him; knowing that Capt. Himmel was captured alive, he requests to be present when he's questioned. He needs to know why the SS officer so coldly murdered Cpl. Anna Julian.

Gold, Drake, and Camo go to speak with the imprisoned Himmel. The captain is completely uncooperative at first, speaking little but expressing a sort of bitter amusement when he does; even Kammler's death seems to have had little effect on him, and the Rats pick up hints that, despite Himmel overseeing Kammler's project, there was no love lost between the two. When directly asked why he executed Cpl. Julian, Himmel refuses to answer beyond saying that he doesn't think they really want to know. Camo's temper gets the better of him and he attempts to threaten him, but Himmel just smiles. The Rats start arguing among themselves under their breath about the best way to proceed; one suggestion is that they relocate him to the countryside like they did with Kolten. At the mention of Kolten's name, from the corner of his eye Camo sees Himmel's smile abruptly vanish. They again attempt to question the captain about the project and Cpl. Julian, but he still refuses to speak; Camo pulls his gun on him and points it at his head, exclaiming, "Maybe you'll talk if you know exactly how she felt." Before he can pull the trigger, however, Himmel blurts out, "Eight burning lamps!"--and to everyone's surprise, Drake immediately knocks Camo's gun aside. The corporal seems a bit flustered by his own actions, but tries to explain: While he was imprisoned, one of his guards took pity on him, and would occasionally perform small favors, such as bringing him extra food, or a change of gauze after Kammler had his teeth removed. One day the guard merely brought him a spoken message--"Eight burning lamps"--with no explanation for what it meant or whom it came from. Himmel using this phrase now is evidence that he was aware of the guard illicitly helping out a prisoner--and he didn't report it. Making him complicit in the guard's efforts to assist Drake.

Although upset by Drake's interference, Camo once more demands to know why Himmel shot Julian. This time, Himmel's reply is much different: He promises to answer this, as well as tell the Rats everything he knows about Project Doomsday, but they have to take him to visit Kolten first. The request is perplexing--why would an SS officer be interested in a mentally disabled person?--but Himmel refuses to explain or to say anything further--"Take me to Herr Kolten, and then I'll tell you everything you want to know. But only then." Further attempts at questioning and threats result in nothing but silence, so the Rats make arrangements for Himmel to be taken to the country homestead where Kolten has been placed with an elderly couple who've been caring for him since his rescue.

This couple, the Albrechts, are anxious when the Rats arrive with Himmel in the back of a covered truck--blindfolded and headphoned just like Cpl. Julian used to be when transported to Trench Rat Headquarters--but when the Rats reassure them that Himmel is restrained, alone, and seems to have no interest in harming Kolten, they allow them in. Himmel is led to a large sitting room that's been converted into a sort of "playroom" for Kolten's use--despite his age and his considerable size and strength, Kolten pretty much has the mentality and temperament of a child, and although he's prone to destructive temper tantrums when upset, his violence is usually unintentional. Far from being the superweapon the Nazis intended, he prefers to spend his days drawing, looking at picture books, and making elaborate structures out of wooden blocks. They find him preoccupied doing this when they enter; he shows no interest in or even notice of the group, just continuing to work on his latest building. Frau Albrecht explains that Kolten tends to react with rage and distress if anyone interferes with his projects, so they let him be while he works on them. Himmel's reaction on seeing him is subdued but curious; his eyes light up and he takes a step toward him. Gold halts him and removes the restraints from his wrists; to their surprise, Himmel murmurs, "Danke," and goes to sit down across from Kolten, who ignores him and continues building. Himmel watches him for a while before selecting a block and setting it in place within the structure; the others tense up, expecting an outburst. Kolten halts in the middle of placing a block himself, staring at the piece Himmel placed, before looking at Himmel and saying, simply, "You didn't come to visit me. Were you sick?"

The Albrechts and the Rats are stunned by the odd reaction, but Himmel seems to have expected it. He explains that he wasn't able to visit, though he wanted to. He adds that he would have brought candy, but it was confiscated when he was searched. (Frau Albrecht whispers to the Rats that Kolten is fond of small candies and chocolates.) As the two talk, it becomes obvious they're very familiar and comfortable with each other, and Kolten even allows Himmel to place several blocks, something he never allows anyone else to do; he says he's made some drawings, and fetches an art pad which Himmel browses through, admiration plain in his eyes. As he pages through it, Camo catches a glimpse of a sketch of Himmel himself--it's astonishingly realistic. (Frau Albrecht says that Kolten is incredibly skilled at drawing things from direct observation and memory, though he can't draw things just from his imagination.) Himmel and Kolten converse for a brief while.

Himmel: "You seem happy here."

Kolten: "The Albrechts are good to me. They aren't you, though."

Himmel: "They treat you well?"

Kolten: "They give me pencils and paper to draw whatever I want with. Herr Albrecht gives me all the wood blocks I want and they let me build as big as I want and they don't tear it down. Frau Albrecht gives me books with pictures and she reads the words. She lets me have a candy sometimes, but not too many so I don't get sick. They let me help with the chores but they don't make me, I want to. They don't yell at me. They don't stick things in my arms. They aren't you, though...how long will you stay?"

Himmel: "I can't stay...some things have changed, and I may not be able to come and see you again."

Kolten: "You won't visit me anymore...?"

Himmel: "I wish I could, more than anything. But I have to take responsibility for some things. I'm not sure what's going to happen to me. If I can come back, I will, I promise. But I don't know if I can."

Kolten: "Am...I going back to Doktor-Vater, then...?"

Himmel: "Nein. Doktor-Vater is gone now. The project is over."

Kolten: "He's gone...?"

Himmel: "You don't have to worry about him anymore."

Kolten: "Then...am I going with Hauptsturmführer-Vater, instead...?"

This time everyone--Himmel included--reacts with shock. "Hauptsturmführer" is the SS equivalent of Captain. Kolten is Himmel's son. Himmel himself wasn't even aware that Kolten knew this. As the two continue talking the situation becomes clearer to the Albrechts and the Rats.

Himmel: "You--you know?"

Kolten: "I always knew."

Himmel: "But--how? The doctors told me to never tell you. They said it would confuse you. You were just a little thing when I left you there, you can't possibly remember. And then they wouldn't let me see you anymore. But all this time you knew? How?"

Kolten: "Some people at the hospital taught us about families. About mothers and fathers and children. They said mothers and fathers love their children un-con-di-tion-al-ly. That means they love them no matter what they do. You were the only one who did that. You came to visit and you said you were sorry when you couldn't. You liked my drawings and my buildings and you never tore them down when they got too big. You read me the words in the books. You brought me candies even though Doktor-Vater didn't want you to. You never got mad at me or yelled at me or called me stupid even though I am stupid. Everyone else looks afraid when they see me...your face always smiles. A father does this, ja...?"

Himmel: "Ja...this is what a father does. But...you can't come with me. You have to stay here. They treat you well, ja? You like it here?"

Kolten: "I do...but they aren't you."

Himmel: "I wish I could take you with me. I promise I'll come back, if I can. But I don't know for sure, or when it'll be... I have to go now. Promise me you'll be good?"

Kolten: "Ja, Papa."

Himmel: "No matter what happens to me I want you to remember I'll always love you. And you've never once disappointed me."

Kolten: "I'll remember, Papa."

Himmel: "Tschüss. I love you."

Kolten: "Tschüss. I love you, Papa."

Kolten embraces Himmel, which seems to surprise him (they haven't hugged since Kolten was a child), but he hugs him back and then turns to the Trench Rats. "Vielen Dank," he says quietly, and offers his wrists to be shackled again. He's blindfolded and headphoned and brought to the truck, and transported back to Trench Rat Headquarters.

Again in a cell, Himmel requests water--"I expect I'll be talking a long while, and my voice doesn't last long." Gold takes over questioning him first, not wishing a repeat of the last time; they get the basics out of the way, such as what Himmel's exact role in Project Doomsday was--he provided oversight, reporting results back to his superiors so they could determine funding--and what his exact relationship with Dr. Kammler was. "He's--" Himmel says, then, "He was my brother-in-law." When Gold recounts what he was told about Himmel laughing at Kammler's gruesome death, Himmel curtly says, "We weren't close." He reveals how Kammler was responsible for forcing Kolten into Project Doomsday against his wishes, and that this scheme involved an attempt on his life; he undoes his collar and shows them an ugly, ragged scar across his throat, the reason he always speaks so softly. When asked why he participated in the project if he was against Kolten's inclusion, Himmel bitterly says, "Because that was the only way I could stall progress until you people could find the time to destroy it. Took you long enough!" Turns out that Himmel's entire SS career was a ruse originally intended to protect his son, whom he knew could become a target of the Nazis' euthanasia program years ago; he'd assumed that Kolten would be safe from harm if his father was SS, something that seemed to work initially when Himmel showed up at the institution where his son had been staying since he was a toddler, when Himmel had been forced to relinquish him--the doctor, who had repeatedly put off "Hauptmann Himmel's" efforts to see the boy, quickly relented when Hauptsturmführer Himmel showed up in uniform instead, and promised the staff had no intentions of harming Kolten. Himmel had been ensured his rank and a smooth entry into the Allgemeine-SS if he agreed to take a relatively dull desk job in the office of Sturmbannführer Ludolf Jäger; not long after, Jäger had appointed him to oversee a new medical experiment led by Dr. Dietmar Kammler. Jäger had recognized Kammler's name from Himmel's personal file, which named his deceased wife as "Dagmar Himmel-Kammler"; he surmised the two could either work together or at least, once Himmel explained their volatile relationship, keep each other in check, to keep the project on track. Kammler frequently had blood samples taken of camp prisoners and institutionalized patients, and Kolten's results were a match; when Himmel refused Kammler's request to enter Kolten in the project, Kammler attempted to have him killed to gain custody of his son. Himmel miraculously survived with the help of the Diamond Network, who tended to his wound and provided advice on how he could sabotage the project. Kammler and the SS were stunned when Himmel returned after going missing for a couple of weeks; Himmel confided in Jäger that Kammler was involved, but requested to remain in his position, though he didn't elaborate why. Thus, Himmel overseeing the same project that had victimized his son: He's been sabotaging it this entire time, by making sure all attempts to create a modified serum fail. When the Trench Rats arrived and it became clear that ending Project Doomsday was a primary motivation, Himmel incorporated them in his plan, knowing he couldn't pull it off on his own.

Further startling details become clear. Himmel recognizes Sgt. Camo from the Great War and from their brief encounter previously; he's also read his file, kept by the Allgemeine-SS, as his job consisted of typing, checking, updating, and organizing such files. He was responsible for ensuring Camo's escape by requesting he be moved back to his old cell--after Camo was moved, he'd noticed the loose brick under the window. Although only somewhat successful, he'd attempted to protect Kammler's test subjects--not just Kolten, but Jakob Wolfstein, Teal, and Drake--from Kammler's worst treatment, in an effort to keep them alive until they could be rescued. (As the one mentally sound Aryan with the right blood type, Doomsday had been treated relatively well compared to the rest.) And he constantly gaslit Kammler and thwarted his efforts to improve the serum, putting the project in constant jeopardy of being defunded.

Camo finally cuts in. Even if Himmel never truly abided by the tenets of the SS--something he doubts, but for the moment doesn't question--what was the point of murdering Cpl. Julian? Somebody who posed no harm to the SS in general or Himmel in particular, as she'd been restrained and unarmed? Himmel hesitantly says, "I'm not sure how much you would like to know about her," at which Camo snaps, "I already knew her." "I read her file," Himmel says back, "and I don't think you knew her much at all. Of course she posed no harm to the SS, because she was working for us."

The Rats are dumbfounded. Himmel explains that Kolten made him a drawing of a strange woman he'd seen visiting project headquarters--a woman in an American uniform. The same woman visited once while Himmel was present, and had used the phrase "useless eaters"--Nazi terminology for mentally disabled people, like Kolten, who contribute nothing to society and so are slated for euthanasia. Julian had used the Nazi salute. And after reading her file, Himmel knew she'd been recruited by the Waffen-SS to infiltrate the Trench Rats and give up the location of their headquarters--something she'd succeeded at only after seducing Camo, which her SS handler, a British soldier who'd also been recruited, had ordered her to do. Similar to Himmel's efforts in Project Doomsday, Anna Julian had been sabotaging the Trench Rats from the inside. "That poor Sonderhäftling you were all so quick to blame?" Himmel adds, referring to Teal, "He had nothing to do with it. He was just your perfect scapegoat. All those years loyal--for nothing. You rewarded a traitor instead."

Camo refuses to believe an SS officer--and an especially duplicitous one, to boot--over Julian. Drake, however, isn't so quick to brush Himmel off. He later reminds Camo of an exchange they had not long after meeting Julian, when Drake had mentioned he had the feeling she disliked him. When Camo had asked why he thought this, he'd shrugged it off as his imagination; but Julian's tendency toward antisemitism is included in her SS file, and Drake's gut feeling wasn't wrong. There's lots of other evidence, too. Kolten's drawing of Julian--eerily realistic--is still in a sketchpad in Himmel's office at project headquarters, confiscated when the Rats take it over. Wolfstein, who had been liberated previously, is shown Julian's photo and confirms that he saw her visiting while he was incarcerated there, and he also confirms her disgust toward him: "That woman looked so warm, but she had ice in her heart." After the Allies, who've finally entered the city, seize Allgemeine-SS headquarters, they find Julian's file in the archives--as well as Camo's, Drake's, and the other Rats who've had files compiled by the SS--and the entire plot to have her attempt to seduce Drake, then Camo, then to give up the Trench Rats' location, is laid bare. Not only are Teal--and Champere--exonerated, but Himmel's unprompted execution of Julian is looking no longer so meaningless, as she was not only responsible for the deaths of a third of the Trench Rats, but Himmel feared she would also end up getting yet more innocent people killed, including his son. The "useless eaters" comment, which she tossed out so casually, was what cinched his decision that he had to take action, for Kolten's wellbeing. "Everything I've done, my whole life, has been for my son," Himmel says. "You, you had a daughter yourself," he adds, to Camo. "Would you not have laid your life down if it meant she would live? If you're a father, you understand. This is what fathers do for their children. I didn't want to take a life but I would do it again if I had to. For my son." He finishes, "Believe me, or don't believe me, I no longer care. Kolten is safe and this is what matters. Ask me again and I'll swear the same. My heart is clear now."

Shortly after the war's end, Himmel is tried by a hastily appointed military tribunal, and swears by his original story; the testimony of numerous witnesses confirms most of the details. Additionally, Himmel claims sole responsibility for his actions, and promises to accept whatever verdict and punishment the court deems fit. The worst Nazi offenders are often executed, while lesser offenders often receive at least ten years in prison--the punishment that seems most likely for someone like Himmel. However, the court surprises everyone--Himmel and Camo especially--by simply finding him guilty of belonging to a criminal organization--the SS--and stripping him of his military rank and honors, and prohibiting him from serving again; they remove the insignia from his uniform and confiscate his service weapons, but decline to sentence him to prison or fine him. Despite the obvious illegality of what he did to Julian, the court finds that he was justified in thinking Julian would only cause more deaths, given the number of Trench Rats killed in the attack on Headquarters, and how she'd been radicalized by the SS. If Himmel hadn't killed her, she likely would have been executed for treason. This doesn't excuse Himmel's actions, but sentencing him to prison and seizing his remaining property seems pointless, especially given that he has his son to care for; he's allowed to go free. Himmel is offered a final ride to the destination of his choice, and he chooses the Albrecht residence (which Gold has to provide directions to). On his way out of the makeshift courtroom, Himmel has to pass by Camo, who stands to confront him. No words come. After a moment Himmel murmurs, "I know you cared about her. I'm sorry you had to find out this way," and leaves, his head lowered.

Camo--who had resumed command of the Trench Rats along with Gold, following Black Rat's death--is left feeling rather bitter and disillusioned. He still can't bring himself to believe Himmel, or that he was fooled so easily, but he knows everyone else--especially Dr. Kammler's other victims--can't be wrong, and he feels almost overwhelming guilt at being partly responsible for the deaths of so many of the battalion. He decides to remain in Germany to help with the post-war cleanup effort. The handful of Trench Rats who stay behind--including Gold, Burgundy, Lyndsey Skye, and Mahogany--take over Project Doomsday headquarters as their new base of operations and set to work assisting the rest of the Allies in going through the records the SS left behind, as well as coordinating with the members of the now-defunct Diamond Network to help former prisoners and refugees obtain medical attention and housing/jobs. One of these ex-members is a former camp inmate named Helena Urbach, who was liberated and processed by the Trench Rats much earlier; she had asked Mahogany about the location of another prisoner, whom Mahogany tracked down and found out was deceased. This was Helena's husband. Upon learning of his death, she decided to join the Diamond Network to help other prisoners reach freedom. She resurfaces at the newly established Trench Rat Headquarters and offers her services. This brings her into contact with Camo, and the two frequently work together going through files and organizing efforts to get aid to others. After some time Helena expresses interest in Camo; he's very reluctant to get involved with her, given what happened with his last two relationships, but she's patient, and he gradually warms to her.

I'm not sure what role exactly Camo plays in the final story arc, Ultima Thule; originally he was going to be one of the group which heads into the mountains to the Alpine Fortress, but I'm not positive about that now, since Himmel accompanies the group yet I feel his and Camo's further interactions are limited until a while later (beyond the official storyline). He might instead remain behind along with Helena and maintain radio contact while trying to dig up further information about the newly discovered "Project Ultima Thule." Somehow, the remaining Rats catch wind of what seems to be a new Nazi project, which makes no sense, as the Nazis were defeated and both Project Doomsday and its creator were terminated--so what could this be? They start reaching out to the others remaining in Europe for their assistance; Drake and Papillon arrive from France, Ratdog--who ended up siding with the Allies and assisted in killing General Schavich--returns from his old home in the woods where he now lives with Didrika following the deaths of Private Klemper and Boris, and Ratdog reaches out to Himmel, who after reuniting with the Albrechts and Kolten, took up residence in an abandoned mansion nearby. Given that the group that gathers at HQ served on both sides and represents all different factions--Americans, British, French, Germans, Russians; Wehrmacht, SS, Red Army, other Allies; Christians, Jews, atheists; Aryans, Roma, and others--it's rather awkward trying to work past their numerous differences and biases, yet they try.

Camo and the other Trench Rats, who've taken temporary custody of SS records in preparation for handing them over to the proper authorities, set out photos of SS members and auxiliaries who went missing after the war, for identification; as Himmel was responsible for keeping track of such files, he's requested to point out who he knows and what became of them. Himmel's reluctant to rat out (no pun intended) his former associates, but claims to know little about what became of most of them anyway; he agrees to ID who he can. He identifies many of the female auxiliaries, including Rosina Kestler, whom he insists was "a genuinely good person, she would have nothing to do with this," but not as many of the men, explaining that his office consisted of mostly women. He pauses over one man's photo and stares at it uncertainly before asking, "He's missing?" The name on the back of the photo is Major Ludolf Jäger. Himmel confirms that Jäger was his boss in the Allgemeine-SS, and Jäger was the one who would relay Himmel's reports on Project Doomsday's progress to the SS leaders in charge of funding. Whenever Dr. Kammler needed extra funds, test subjects, resources, or favors, Jäger was the one who could grant or deny the request. Despite describing himself as merely "a small cog in the great war machine," and Kammler privately deriding him as a "glorified pencil pusher," he wielded a great deal of power, and was highly instrumental in keeping the project going. Himmel had no idea what had become of him following the war, and is uneasy to learn that he's officially missing. "He was good to me, he even knew about Kolten but didn't use that against me; I like to think we were friends," he murmurs, to which Gold points out that despite this, he hasn't described Jäger as "a genuinely good person," the way he did Kestler. It seems to take everything Himmel has to say quietly, "That's because I do not believe he was." Jäger, he explains, was a true believer in the Reich; although polite and well educated and for the most part disdainful of violence--earlier in the storyline, he harshly rebuked the Einsatzgruppen for committing a massacre on land under his jurisdiction, and expressed disgust over the concept of mass killing in general, preferring the option of relocation--he was still slavishly loyal to the Nazi cause and to the SS in particular, displaying an almost fanatical devotion on more than one occasion. Various papers related to Project Doomsday went missing toward the end--mainly, all the material regarding the serum's "recipe" or exact chemical composition--and Himmel reluctantly admits that Jäger was the one most likely to have taken these, as he visited project headquarters not long before the attack. Plus, once when Jäger was wounded, Himmel got a look at a tattoo he had on his right shoulder: a design known as a broken sun cross swastika, the emblem of the esoteric Thule Society. If Jäger is indeed alive and free, he's almost certainly involved in this project, which is likely just a reboot of Project Doomsday.

Armed with this knowledge, the Rats get in touch with their canine allies, who confirm that the medical experimentation which started with Dr. Kammler continued with input from Dr.s Arzt and Mengele and the project has expanded in an even more ominous direction. The surviving Nazi doctors, and possibly Jäger, are believed to have fled to the Alpine Fortress, so the two groups set out in an attempt to end the project for good.

At some point following the events of Ultima Thule, Camo likely meets with Himmel again, because he still wants closure and to work through his anger and grief; likewise, Himmel wants to work through his guilt. I'm not sure how that part goes, yet.

[Camo Rat 2022 [‎Friday, ‎August ‎19, ‎2022, ‏‎3:00:09 AM]]