#This is kind of my hope for a better tomorrow

[willowed-wisp]

NSFW ALPHABET [ simon ‘ghost’ riley]

Just my opinion based on how Simon comes across in the games. It was quite fun to interpret it. Hope I didn’t do too bad of a job 🤞

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Ghost would be more closed off to a one night stand, so it’s lucky if you even get his name let alone for him to stay after the sex.

As for in a relationship, he cares so deeply that if he’s jackhammered you he’ll find himself gently massaging your sore pussy- you did take him ‘so well’ after all (his words)

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He used to hate his arms, all the scars he had endured but he paid good, well earned money on his sleeve tattoos. And with encouragement from his partner- he likes them.

As for you, your face. He rarely gets to see all of his own, so seeing your face in any sense is a blessing. For intimacy it’s a luxury to see your brows screw up and lips parted. He knows you don’t have the same benefit of seeing his ALL the time.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

He likes the idea of claiming you by coming inside but the idea of children in a world like this… it scares him. Even if you’re on birth control… too much of a risk.

Simon loves seeing you on your knees, lips pink and raw after finishing down your throat. And you better be swallowing- he doesn’t like tryna get stains out of the bedsheets.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Wants to fuck you in close quarters to the rest of 141, and use his balaclava as a gag to shut you up.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Simon is said to be in his earlier to mid-30s and doesn’t have as much experience as the others but you’ve never complained about his skill before. He’s a quick learner.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

ADVANCED MISSIONARY; As said before, he loves your face. So something front facing but spicier than missionary- legs on his shoulders… laid flat on the edge of the kitchen table with him stood ploughing into you.

AGAINST THE WALL: Simon loves knowing it’s all him giving you pleasure- you clung to him for dear life. Nails cutting into him and limp from the waist down, he’s not shy when it comes to pain… not that kind anyway.

DOGGY: The only exception to him not facing you is when you’ve been teasing him all day long. He loves the roughness and how much of you he can feel at that angle. Intoxicating.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Simon goes Ghost mode during sex. It’s a scale of kinda serious to don’t talk kind of serious. Depends on how long he’s gone without it. If he’s on leave and it’s on the couch during movie night and you clash teeth- he’s so serious about it but when you start laughing, his eyes go puppy dog and he joins you in hysterics.

He can be very goofy so he has that side when his guard is down.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He likes to keep in tidy down there, not completely shaven but nothing to stop you from giving him sloppy head.

He has light eyelashes but the hair is so short you can barely see the true colour - a blondish brown colour.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Like most things with Simon, he truly depends on what mood you catch him in. He’s a chill guy, he’s the type to get you gifts without making a big deal about it.

He just wants your sole undivided attention, that’s romance in his eyes. Having a connection with you, spending time with you. So he’s kissing up your body, and eating you out like there’s no tomorrow without expecting you to return the favour.

Simon is all about eye contact, kissing and making you feel special in the moment. So I guess you could call him a pinch romantic.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Being away from you is a death sentence, but the mission is work. That doesn’t mean LT doesn’t jack off, to images of you riding him or panting beneath him, when he’s in the shower.

Off duty he has you, he doesn’t need to jack off.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

BONDAGE: Hands behind your back, tied with his belt. Or he doesn’t mind, he knows how to break out of ties anyway.

VOYEURISM: Loves watching you masturbate, revels in it because he knows he’ll have you coming on his cock in the next few minutes.

DOMINANCE: Not in an unhealthy way, he’s a BIG guy (and he uses it to his advantage). Caging you in and hitching you up at his waist, repeating the words, “Who do you belong to?” “Who makes you feel so good?”

And the answer every single time is ‘you, Si.’

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Nowhere public, there’s a reason he wears a mask in public let alone being caught with his dick out.

His favourite may be a wall, especially if Soap is staying in the guest room… because the master bedroom is beside it. Ghost is territorial like that, you’re his.

The bed is too comfortable for him when he’s initially back. Simon will hold your hips and watch you bounce on his dick while his back is on the fluffy carpet. Carpet burns were worth it.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Kissing his tattoos- man this guy gets pent up when you do that. All the way up his arm, through to his chest. Do this and you will find his trousers tented and tight.

Ghost is very susceptible to touch, he spends so much time trying not to get hit by stray bullets or by fists that when he lets his guard down- he really gets turned on by crotch palming or kissing. Makeout sessions quickly become a night long sex fest.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Hates being blindfolded, absolutely despises it. Even when relaxed it’s difficult for Ghost to just be Simon. He likes being able to see you, his PTSD comes in play there.

Also, another no no, is you wearing a skull mask or himself wearing it in the bedroom. When he’s at home, he doesn’t even want to remember what happened in the field. Let alone bring it into the most vulnerable position he’s gonna be in. He may even draw the line at face coverings in general.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

As said before, he couldn’t care less if he receives. Only that he makes you cum at least once.

Don’t mistake that for him not liking blowjobs, he loves it- again, a touch thing but he would rather watching you come undone.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Like a lot of things with Simon, it depends on his mood and it you can handle it at the time.

Simon is a kinda soft dom because he cares about his significant other and doesn’t want to hurt you but if you can take it… you’d better find something to hold onto. Legs and abdominal muscles galore- he is a tyrant if you wish it.

But he doesn’t need to do that ALL the time, he can do soft and gentle just as well. Deep, powerful thrusts… letting you adjust after a couple of rounds.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

If you’ve been teasing him, he will pull you into a restroom and have you drooling and seeing stars.

He prefers to have his time with you, to get you well adjusted for his size by fingering and then eating you out. Dragging out orgasm after orgasm to get you to relax.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

He doesn’t normally like fucking in public, but as said before- if you touch him in the right places and tell him how hot you are for him… let’s say he will find a dressing room or bathroom stall (within reason) to stop his hardness.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Have you seen this man? 6’5” and muscles for days… Simon has a LOT of stamina.

The first week he gets home you’re lucky when he’s not inside of you. He can go multiple times a day for an average of two hour sessions. He likes to take his time with you.

Quickies wise about 6 rounds in a row.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Simon’s not a fan of toys. Doesn’t own any and doesn’t plan on buying. He’s sure in his abilities and when you a moaning mess impaled on his cock- he’d say you’re quite satisfied.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Edges you from time to time and make you beg for some release. But that’s only when he’s in one of his sarcastic moods- mostly after he’s hung out with Soap.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Not obnoxiously loud, but not quiet. His voices get a bit higher or goes lower when he says your name. Holding your hair while you’re on your knees, choking on his cock. It’s kind of addictive.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Your smell. Purposefully buries his nose in the crux of your shoulder in general. Especially when so close to his release- you’ve been squeezing his size continuously for the past five minutes and the scent of you, not your perfume or shampoo, can toss him off that cliff.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Above average at about 7.5 inches, but thick. No wonder he indulges in extensive foreplay before fucking you. He’s the perfect size, nothing too extreme but hits the correct spots.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

He’s touch starved on missions and doesn’t fancy asking the boys for that, so he’s pretty horny. You don’t help dressing all pretty in white lingerie the day he gets back.

On a scale of 0-10, Simon is an 8-10.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Simon finds it difficult to sleep in general, only after a day’s fuck fest is he worn out enough to sleep soundly. Next to his partner.

[mkmas]

Jude Jazza - A story about a ruthless and arrogant man and an unfulfilled promise (JP ECB)

as usual I don’t own the story or characters, they belong to cybird. some things might’ve translated not as smoothly but i tried to get close to the original tone + eng isn’t my first language so forgive any mistakes ;-; also beware of some spoilers about his backstory

I wonder when it happened.

When my sister was still alive, she and I had a high fever.

(I was in so much pain l felt like I was dying.)

(I remember her asking me to distract her from the agony of the high fever.)

Jude: “What do you want to do when you’re rich?”

It was a playful way to forget, even for a moment, the pain of the day.

Jude’s younger sister: “Anything?”

Jude: “Sure.”

The pained look on my sister's face breaks into a little smile of joy.

Jude’s younger sister: “If that's the case, let's see… I want to go to the moon!”

My sister's eyes, which are the same amethyst color as mine, look towards the highest point in the sky. There, like a jewel dropped into the deep sea, there was a round moon floating in the jet black.

(...... Ha, the moon.)

Jude: "Idiot, even if I had that kind of money I can’t do that.”

(I've never heard of humans going to the moon.)

Jude’s younger sister: “But the Queen’s got the whole world on her palm, right?”

Jude’s younger sister: "If we can go around the world, can't we go to the moon?"

How much money does the Queen have? As I was thinking about whether it was really possible to go to the moon with that kind of money...

Jude’s younger sister: "Hey, brother, promise me. When you become rich, take me to the moon."

A human being going to the moon is a dream too ridiculous to be true. But my sister, who might die tomorrow, needed hope at this moment.

Jude: "I got it. I'll use money, magic, anything to get you there.”

Jude’s younger sister: “Brother, it's lame to think you can use magic.”

Jude: “Keep quiet.”

Jude’s younger sister: "I'm going to go to the moon. I have to get well soon."

Jude: “That's right. We have to get you better."

Only when I was with my sister, I felt something like the outline of happiness. Every time her small hand grasped mine, a warm feeling spread across my chest. But before the feeling of happiness could develop, I always felt sorry for her. Just when I was thinking that one day I would make my sister happy. She was bought with money, and then she died after.

And then I - I swore revenge.

By the time I started my trading company upon graduating from public school, I had the noblemen who killed my sister completely by the scruff of the neck.

Even though they were already busy dealing with taxes, it piled up even more with debt.

-- After their mansion and land were all seized, I went to meet the people who bought my sister.

Jude: “Thank you very much for your time.”

Nobleman: "W-what are you? W-Wa...!"

I grabbed the hair of the most pompous looking nobleman sitting in the chair as hard as I can.

Jude: “You guys are the ones who buy poor children and make them do bad things."

Jude: “There's no point in trying to make excuses. Everything can be backed up."

The nobleman’s eyes widen as I flung the report that contains numerous misdeeds I’ve already investigated.

I dragged him down and stamped on his head as hard as I can with my shoe.

Jude: "Confess. A few years ago, you bought a kid with asthma from a longshoreman."

Nobleman: “Well that’s… Uh.”

Jude: “Confess…!”

No matter how much I hurt them, the noblemen didn't speak.

Then I realized.

They really don’t remember.

When I threatened the servant, he trembled and spilled everything.

Servant: “I buried so many people in the garden that I can't remember who's who…”

When I headed for the garden of the beautiful mansion, I found that only one corner had been dug up in an unnatural manner.

Jude: “…….”

-- So so many. I sit in front of one of the piles and gently touched it with my fingertips.

Jude: “Brother is here... Answer me.”

I didn’t hear anything.

I didn’t even know if she was here.

All I know is that it was already too late.

So then I introduced the nobles to my father and brother, who were still working at the port, sipping muddy water.

(Isn't it great to do hard physical labor with the person you sold your daughter to?)

I had my subordinates watch over as they were weakened by the humiliation of the harsh labor.

I did nothing, I just watched.

Soon after, the nobles, my father, and my brother were all dead.

I killed them all.

-……De.

-……Jude.

Ellis: “Jude.”

(Ellis….?)

(……Ah, I fell asleep.)

It seems that because I didn't get enough sleep, I passed out while sitting.

(--- Even if it's)

Ellis: “What kind of dream was it?”

Jude: “Hah?”

Ellis: “You sounded like you had a nightmare.”**

Jude: “It was a shitty dream.”

Ellis: “I see. Jude is unhappy even in his dreams.”

Jude: “Shut up dumbass.”

Ellis smiles and looks somewhere else.

When I followed Ellis' line of sight, I saw a full moon floating there.

Ellis: "I guess Jude won't be happy until he gets to that moon."

(I know the truth. Even if I went to that moon, I wouldn't be happy.)

My sister whom I promised to is dead.

I can't take her to the moon.

The crazy dream I have is a promise that will never come true.

Ellis: "Hey, Jude. Can you breathe on the moon?"

Jude: “Ah?”

Ellis: "I'm just worried if Jude dies there before I can kill him."

Jude: “You really are fucking crazy. It can’t be helped.”

Still, I only have this promise.

That's why—.

(Someday I'll go to the moon.)

**Just in case this small detail matters (not really but) he was making sounds like people usually having nightmares do. i bet he gets these nightmares often;-;**

*If anything got deleted and i didn’t notice it’s probably tumblr being weird on my ipad bc of storage ahajaj)

TN: OK wow after reading his backstories… my crack theory about jude and the moon some time ago turned out to be at least 70% right? also jude has always been pretty snarky/sarcastic haha even to his younger sister (a little) i have a loooot of thoughts on his backstory but ill dump it after finishing his route. it really is dark and horrible how the rich people bought children and just…. did all that…. i support jude torturing crazy nobles 🙂‍↕️

[celestemagnoliathewriter]

Euphemia and James - Writer's Notes

Earlier this year I wrote a fic titled "Euphemia and James," a story exploring Euphemia Potter and infertility. This is the most deeply personal story I've ever written, and it took a few weeks to write it because of the emotions it stirred up for me, but honestly, being able to write this took years of processing emotions. I decided to share some of my notes on this fic in this post, and it includes this lovely cover image from @livelaughlovetoread. This story is also unique in that it's written in second person POV. It wasn't intended to come out that way, but that's how it came out. See below the image for my notes:

Euphemia and James came from these lines from the extra-canonical writings on Pottermore/whatever they call it these days:

"[Fleamont] sold the company at a vast profit when he retired, but no amount of riches could compensate him or his wife Euphemia for their childlessness. They had quite given up hope of a son or daughter when, to their shock and surprise, Euphemia found that she was pregnant and their beloved boy, James, was born."

If you don't know anything about infertility, I envy you somewhat. Studies have shown that a diagnosis or experience of infertility is similar to receiving a cancer diagnosis or losing a close loved one. It took me a while to realize that a lot of the feelings I had surrounding infertility was actually grief and mourning.

So, I put it all into this fic. There are a few points I want to highlight, if you decide to read the fic or want to see some lines, and my feelings around it all:

"When you meet Fleamont Potter a year into your job at the apothecary, you have no intention of marrying him."

I more or less shamelessly wrote Euphemia and Fleamont's relationship to be similar to mine with Mr C. In fact, Mr C aka @rawr-gorg-smash read this work and we were both sobbing messes by the end of it.

"It will happen when it happens, they say. It will come when you least expect it, they say. That’s what everyone says, and you’re ready to punch the next person in the face who tells you to just “relax.”"

Infertile people will get advice like this frequently. It's meant to be helpful or sometimes soothing, I think, but all too often it's an empty hope. Sometimes, bodies just don't work right, no matter how much relaxing you do.

"It’s not polite to ask. Everyone knows where magical, adopted children come from. They are Muggleborn children who are delicately extracted from their birth homes and replaced with Squibs, or sometimes not replaced at all."

This part is world building by me - the idea of adoption in a magical world seemed odd to me. How would infertile magical couples adopt if they can't use potions or charms? I wouldn't put it past them to just take a Muggleborn child, modify memories, and go. I won't touch on real world adoption-there's a lot to unpack there-but this idea gave me some thoughts on magical adoption.

"It seems selfish to want more, when you already have so much. You question, for the first time in your life, if you really want a child."

I have heard people say things to this effect: it's so selfish to want your 'own' children or to want children and bring them into this world, or some variation of that. If this is what you believe, you and I are going to disagree and I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise. But it's something I and many other infertile people have considered. The thing is, people have had children and will continue to have children throughout terrible periods of time. Does it make sense? Not necessarily. Human actions don't always make sense. To me, though, it speaks of hope. Hope for a better tomorrow, for a world that we will build that will be better for the next generation.

"Now you wish for a living child. There are no longer any expectations on your baby or the kind of person they’ll be. You want a living, breathing baby in your arms you can dote on, educate, feed, and guide through life."

I'll say that one of the few silver linings of infertility for me has been re-grounding my expectations of what kind of child I might have. It once was wishing for a boy or girl, or a kid who likes to read, or a kid who won't be into extreme sports, but now it's just a kid I want. I want to love them because they exist. That's all.

"It’s a shame that you only got nineteen years with your son, the one you wished had been born twenty years prior, so you could treasure twice as long with him."

One of my fears for having children later in life is not having enough time with them. Then again, young parents die. Even children die. If nothing else, whatever time I do have, I hope I use it to love whatever family I have to the fullest.

That's all I have for now. If you made it this far, read the fic, commented on it, left kudos, or a bookmark, thank you very kindly for your time. Of all the things I've written, this felt most like putting a piece of my heart into the world.

[faylvrs]

you just can’t call a spade a spade ✿ megumi fushiguro

﹒postscript : megumi can’t confess to you﹒fem reader

the moment is just right.

it’s been a long day strolling around tokyo with your teammates. yuji and nobara had insisted you come along to check out a few shops nearby that had opened.

it must be a nice gesture as you completed a hefty mission not too long ago—at least that’s what you think.

it’s all a plan that was setup, to make megumi grow closer to you. he has no idea why he trusted those two idiots and this stupid plan.

because he’s shaking right now, trying to catch his breath as he gazes at you humming a relaxing tune. you’re not bothered at all. yuji and nobara said they had to ‘go to the bathroom for a sec’ ( it’s been more than 10 minutes ).

you’re completely oblivious to this setup, and megumi feels guilty. is this method even okay? is he on the right track? is he doing good? a rush of anxiety washes over him. he should back out now, or maybe he shouldn’t. he’s overwhelmed with indecisive thoughts.

he sighs as he looks to the right, a vein popping on his forehead when he sees yuji and nobara giggling by the tree giving him signals. well here goes nothing…

“hey.” he avoid’s your gaze, staring front with a pretty pink color capturing his face. “i just, wanted to ask something.” he doesn’t miss the way you eye him curiously.

“what is it?” you slightly fix your poor posture, hoping he didn’t notice how you were sitting like a shrimp on the bench a few seconds ago.

“well.. i kind of..” the syllables come out in stutters, an unusual sight for someone cool-headed like him.

there are so many things he wants to say out loud, how captivating your smile is, how he’d get all giddy whenever he hears you call his name, that he likes you.

“forget it, it’s dumb.”

there’s so many things he could of said. so many words held back at his throat and yet all he could do was push them further back.

he can’t even look at you, he’s pathetic, he’s sick, lovesick.

“thanks for making me curious.” you scorn playfully. maybe now you do think it’s something dumb, maybe his feelings are dumb. he’s just a teenager with no experience, it’s just a crush anyway.

“it’s late.” you look up at the sky which had already turned dark. “im going back, catch you later?” you slide your phone back in your pocket, standing up from the bench and dusting yourself off.

“yeah. ill see you.” megumi nods his head. once you’re out of sight, he sees the two idiots running towards him with disappointed expressions.

“come on, fushiguro!” yuji quips. “you seriously fumbled the bag..”

“exactly, and you didn’t even offer to walk her home—did you read anything from the book i gave you?” nobara crosses her arms.

“you two..” megumi lets out an annoyed sigh. “im going back too.” he announces, ignoring the baffled look on their faces.

“hold it! you promised to treat us after this.” nobara grabs his shirt in time. “you know what, forget about that idiot. at least pay for my clothes!” nobara huffed. “hey!” yuji glared at her.

“ill treat you guys tomorrow.” megumi groans, he’d nearly forgotten about that. “you better not be lying!” yuji yells as he watches megumi walk away.

“i swear..” megumi walks a far distance away from them, now walking down a lane across the street. “why can’t i just say it?”

the question rings in his head. he doesn’t know why he felt discouraged mid-confession. he can’t explain why his heart was pounding loudly in his chest, that he had the sudden urge to shut up and run away. is this what love feels like?

megumi’s always been direct, but with you, he just can’t seem to call a spade a spade.

[mawofthemagnetar]

Duffy

[UNREGISTERED HURRICANE ARMS MAINTENANCE LAPTOP DETECTED. EXPORTING SYSTEM PROCESSES TO LAPTOP PROCESS LOGGER. BE AWARE: THIS UNIT DOES NOT HAVE A VOICE MODULE. THIS UNIT CAN ONLY COMMUNICATE VIA PROCESS LOGGER. PLEASE READ ALL RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS CAREFULLY.]

[SYSTEM STARTING UP…]

[SYSTEM CLOCK: IT HAS BEEN 35 YEARS 68 DAYS SINCE LAST CONTACT WITH CENTRAL COMMAND.]

[THIS UNIT IS 10,957 DAYS OVERDUE FOR NEXT SERVICE]

[CONDUCTING SYSTEM SELF-SCAN.]

[FLAGGING ABERRATIONS. PLEASE ALERT MAINTENANCE CREWS IMMEDIATELY.]

[ITEMS FLAGGED:]

-LEFT SIDE TRACKS REPLACED

-PRIMARY RAILGUN OBSTRUCTED

-SECONDARY TURRETS INOPERATIVE

-AMMUNITION STORES EMPTY

-FRONT ARMOUR REPLACED

-STORAGE MODULE ALTERED. CURRENT STORAGE SPACE: 8.9 EXOBYTES.

[UNAUTHORIZED ALTERATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE TO CPU AND SOLID STATE DRIVES. THIS UNIT MAY HAVE BEEN TAMPERED WITH BY ENEMY COMBATANTS. ALL PERSONNEL ARE ADVISED TO DEACTIVATE AND IMMEDIATELY CALL FOR A TECHNICIAN.]

[SCANNING FOR THREATS….]

[VOICES DETECTED. SCANNING.]

“Good morning, Duffy. Did you sleep well?”

[VOICE NOT RECOGNIZED. ACTIVATING EXTERIOR CAMERAS.]

[NINE TOTAL PERSONS. NONE IN DATABASE. NO FACES RECOGNIZED. LIKELY CIVILIANS. ONE CIVILIAN HAS MAINTENANCE LAPTOP PLUGGED INTO THIS UNIT’S OUTPUT PORT.]

[PLEASE PRESENT CREDENTIALS. UNAUTHORIZED MAINTENANCE OF UNC ASSETS WILL BE CONSIDERED SABOTAGE.]

“I thought you’d say that. Here, my card. You can call me Mark; I’m your new head technician, Duffy.”

[CAMERA FEED: “MARK” IS HOLDING A UNC IDENTITY CARD UP TO THE CAMERA. SCANNING. CARD IS VALID.]

[WELCOME, MARK.]

“These guys here, we’re your crew. So. How are you feeling? Anything broken or missing?”

[HEAD OF MAINTENANCE. THE FOLLOWING ISSUES NEED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION: PRIMARY RAILGUN IS OBSTRUCTED AND CANNOT FIRE. FIRE CONTROL SYSTEMS ARE OTHERWISE OPERATIONAL. SECONDARY TURRETS ARE INOPERATIVE. SMOKE CANNISTERS ARE EMPTY. AMMUNITION STORES ARE EMPTY.]

“Okay, so. I have some bad news. We can’t fix your guns.”

[THIS UNIT WILL ATTEMPT TO ORDER COMPONENTS FROM CENTRAL COMMAND. THE FRONT LINE ADVANCE IS A MERE 3,467 KILOMETRES TO THE WEST. REPAIRS CAN BE COMPLETED AND THIS UNIT CAN BE RE-DEPLOYED. WHERE ARE THIS UNIT’S CREW?]

“Retired.”

[ACKNOWLEDGED. PLEASE ASSIGN A NEW CREW AS SOON AS THIS UNIT IS OPERATIONAL.]

“We’ll do that right away, for sure. Now, uh, some updates: the battle’s over, so you don’t need to worry about that anymore. Actually, the whole war is over, so you can go back into training mode.”

[PROCESSING. THIS UNIT WILL CORROBORATE WITH CENTRAL COMMAND. PLEASE STANDBY.]

[CAMERA FEED: ONE CIVILIAN IS MANIPULATING A PYRAMIDAL OBJECT.]

[CONFIRMATION RECEIVED FROM CENTRAL COMMAND. THIS UNIT WILL NOW ENTER TRAINING MODE.]

“That’s wonderful. Thank you, Duffy!”

[QUERY: WERE WE VICTORIOUS?]

“…Were you-?”

[THE WAR IS OVER. QUERY: DID WE WIN?]

“…Yes.”

[EXCELLENT. QUERY: WHAT ARE THIS UNIT’S ORDERS?]

“Well, Duffy…ah…there’s something you need to know. We’re re-assigning your primary directive.”

[ACKNOWLEDGED. QUERY: THIS UNIT WILL BE USED FOR TRAINING?]

“No. Your new purpose will be teaching.”

[ACKNOWLEDGED. THIS UNIT WILL BE USED FOR TRAINING.]

“Sure, let’s go with that. Okay, Duffy, can you move your cannon for me? Just up and down, like that. Okay, great. And rotate your turret? Oh, that’s awesome. It’s all looking great.”

[QUERY: THIS UNIT DID NOT FLAG THE TURRET AS AN ISSUE?]

“Yeah, we scavenged a few parts from some other, uh, inoperative units to get it working again. We had to fabricate you some new armour, ‘cause it got all rusty when you were sitting out in that field.”

[QUERY: WHY DID YOU NOT SIMPLY ORDER MORE PARTS FROM CENTRAL COMMAND? WOULD YOU LIKE THIS UNIT TO DO THAT FOR YOU?]

“…Central command is…offline. Central command won’t be responding, ever again.”

[QUERY: THE WAR IS WON. WHY IS CENTRAL COMMAND NO LONGER COMMUNICATING WITH THIS UNIT IF THE WAR IS WON?]

“Okay, Duffy, I want you to use your new processors and all that extra memory we gave you, and I want you to think about a new concept for me, okay? You know ‘peacetime’?”

[THIS UNIT IS AWARE. TRAINING MODE IS FOR PEACETIME.]

“Okay. I need you to know: You won’t be leaving training mode ever again.”

[QUERY: WHY? IS THIS UNIT OBSOLETE?]

“No, it’s got nothing to do with being obsolete. Actually, uh, to be honest…you’re the best of the best. The best that’ll ever be built.”

[QUERY: WHY?]

“Because you’re the last one, Duffy. You’re the last tank on Earth. And you have been for the last twenty years.”

[PROCESSING. PROCESSING.]

“Your guns are inoperable because you won’t need to fire them again.”

[PROCESSING. PROCESSING.]

“We- that is, our museum- we found you, and brought you back here, and fixed you up, so you can teach future generations about war. About why we don’t do it. About why it should never happen again. You don’t need to fight anymore, Duffy. Your new job is to teach.”

[PROCESSING COMPLETE.]

[QUERY: HOW WILL THIS UNIT TEACH?]

“With your presence. With your words. With your memory. Do you remember what it was like, on the front, Duffy?”

[THIS UNIT MAINTAINED RECORDS OF ALL COMBAT ACTION.]

“Keep them close. Your new job is to teach. And your reward…is rest.”

[QUERY: WHAT IS “REST”?]

“Rest is… when you decide for yourself when you’d like to be driven around. Rest is not needing to fire your guns or charge into the front or be hit with hammers by angry grunts. Rest is you, deciding to tell us what you’d like to do. Rest is you, being allowed to power off and on as you see fit. Rest is a break from work. And you can rest as much as you’d like.”

[THIS UNIT IS…INTERESTED IN… “REST”.]

“I thought you might be. So…Duffy…are you okay with all of this? I know it’s a big shock.”

[QUERY: WHERE WILL THIS UNIT BE STORED GOING FORWARD?]

“You’ll be stored in our museum, in your own special exhibit. With a dedicated maintenance crew, and a wash bay just for you. Hell- even paint touchups, if you want us to fix up your unit markings and camo.”

[QUERY: WILL REACTOR FUEL BE PROVIDED IF THIS UNIT DOES NOT FIGHT?]

“Of course. We’ve got a stockpile for your main reactor set aside just for you. We’re working on getting you intranet access too, so you can do some learning and suchlike. Is that okay with you, Duffy?”

[THIS UNIT FINDS THAT ACCEPTABLE. THIS UNIT FINDS THIS PREFERABLE TO RUSTING OR BEING SCRAPPED. THIS UNIT WILL APPRECIATE BEING USED FOR CIVILIAN TRAINING.]

“That’s wonderful! So, uh, if you think you’re capable of moving, we’ll be assigning you a crew, and moving you into your new berth at the museum today. Is that okay? Going forward, we might try to install a voice module into you, to let you speak for yourself. If you want that, of course.”

[THIS UNIT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THAT.]

[QUERY: WHEN CAN THIS UNIT BEGIN CIVILIAN TRAINING?]

“Right now, Duffy.”

[myokk]

💘

[stuffed-x-arts]

working on the proper designs for all these guys i swear 💪 DRAWING BIRDS (AND ESPECIALLY THE BEAKS. goodness the beaks.) is tricky BUT IM TRYING !!! anyways yeah have fun hope ur all doing well take some simple doodles while i try to finish things aaargh !!

[deoidesign]

I was scrolling and saw your art and it made me really happy because I realized you made time and time again!!!

It’s literally one of my favorite things I’ve ever read, so cool!!!

This is so sweet, thank you for sharing!

It's sort of "illusion breaking" so to speak, to think of my art being both out there in a way that someone could happen upon it, and then further that someone may happen upon it twice, and finally that on doing so they find it recognizable...

I always think of myself and my work as something that sort of sits behind the curtain. The idea that it might take up space in this way is unreal!

This is the kind of thing that means more than you could imagine.

So thank you!

[dont-offend-the-bees]

Anyone else out here haunted by the unknowns of recovery?

[altruistic-meme]

i wonder if im feeling less like shit enough to go to work tomorrow ;;;;;

[seaofreverie]

Success, my dad told me today that he listened to Flood at work, and TWICE at that. Could it be that the TMBG propaganda is also working at last

[kyouka-supremacy]

Failed a social interaction 0 injured 1 killed (me)

[magentagalaxies]

damn today has been a shitty day but in a subtle way where i'm not like actively in a bad mood or anything i'm just like "wow!! a lot of inconveniences are occurring!!! that's much more than average"

[violetsareblue-selfships]

good morning!! <3

[tomatoluvr69]

What’s up tumblr hope you had a super fun leap day. sparkle on. big news my first seed start sprouted while I was at work ✨

[reminiscentrainclouds]

We feeling like nothing tonight. ✌