#also helis should get one too

[hobermallowed]

wondering why Carja men don’t also paint their lips….

[moonshinemusings]

Random TF 141 + friends headcanons (Pt.2)

Warnings: none

• Soap makes amazing pancakes. There are many videos of him trying to flip them over and failing, but that's not the point-

• Speaking of, Farah has so many vids that can be used as blackmail. She can never catch Price or Ghost doing something dumb enough for it, but the others are unfortunate victims

• König loves butterflies. Most bugs freak him out, but he finds them beautiful and peaceful. At the same time he loves bees, he really does, but he's really scared of being stung (even though it has never happened before)

• Roach, being true to his name, finds bugs really fascinating. He owns at least one metal pin of a roach that's for sure. The others also often gift him little things resembling insects

• Alejandro and Rodolfo used to sit on the roof and watch the stars together a lot as kids

• Gaz really likes swimming, especially when he can do it in the sea

• The team has UNO nights where the table ends up flipped over regularly (usually by Alejandro)

• Soap shouldn't be taken to the cinema because he talks through the movies. All. The. Time.

• Farah is really clumsy in heels since she never needed to learn how to walk in them. She'd rather die than try though. Meanwhile, Valeria could run and kill a man without ever worrying about falling or breaking her ankles

• And honestly? I think Gaz would rock the heels too, if only after a little practice

• Ghost finds sharks fascinating, especially the aspect of how many people are scared of them when they are mostly harmless

• Soap, Gaz and Alex really enjoy the Deadpool movies, they often quote lines at each other

• Graves is a Backstreet Boys enjoyer (honestly can't blame him)

• Rodolfo adores those little, fluffy white dogs that look like rats whenever they are bathed

• Put Soap in a dance circle and he's going to make a fool out of himself, but somehow slay at the same time

• Alex likes drawing tattoo ideas that he wants to get later, or simply just feel like making. Doodling calms him

• Farah takes zero shit (like Gaz), so when there is a banter with someone it can quickly turn into a heated argument or some firm words from her

• Price is a certified McDonald's hater. Calls it fake food and complains about the quality and taste constantly

• Ghost likes horror movies and laughs at them, but only when they don't have some specific scenes (I don't think I have to elaborate)

• Soap has random shit on him all the time. Once he pulled out a lollipop from his vest and started eating it on the heli towards a mission

• Most of the team plays Hay Day. They are on each other's friend lists, but Rodolfo is the only one who actually helps the others

• Alejandro builds his farm like he would in real life and tries to make it realistic, while Rudy does the same. He cares more about the cute animals though, he probably has like 10 dogs and cats

• Gaz tried to get Price to play, but he cut his whole career short because the Captain started to get obsessed and wouldn't put the phone down

• Soap always brags about how good his farm is, meanwhile Ghost quietly sits in the background with like +30 levels on him. He often plays when he can't sleep so he's ahead of everyone

• Alex and Farah kind of bond over the game, they have one shared account because neither of them spend too much time playing. They often have childish arguments over things like where they should put certain decorations, but always end up finding a compromise (Alex lets her get away with a lot in this sense)

[jolalibrary]

adjusting.

soap mactavish x f!reader (squid!reader)

summary: soap has also seen cuddly you, arms wrapped all around him, keeping him as close as humanly possible. Even when the two of you were just friends. so, this is something else. 

an: set after yours to keep, but can be read as a standalone | established relationship, adjusting to going from friends to lovers. wordcount: 2.9k

soap mactavish masterlist

Soap hears, before he sees you.

Entering the briefing room expecting your face to meet his, finding everyone sent on the operation except you. 

It’s Ghost who crosses the room. Gently nodding at him to go to the side, mask still in place—arms folded across his chest as he explains. 

—But, she’s fine. Just twisted her ankle, badly. After we'd got out.

Deep down, Soap knew you had come up against worse—handled and grunted your teeth through things worse than even those. 

However, when he saw you hobbling awkwardly down the corridor—most likely against medical advice—something knotted inside of him. Because it’s different seeing it again.

Temporarily forgetting times when you’re hurt or injured, as he assumes you do with him. 

Like anyone who was dating someone, he hated seeing you in pain, wishing to forget it as soon as you were better. So, having to watch you try to push through it, stings. 

How? How’d she twist her ankle, Lt? Tripped on a tree root on her way to the heli. 

If you weren’t currently being seen to, and were with them all, he’d have laughed. Likely jabbed a finger into your side as Ghost filled them all in on the successful, but eventful mission. Instead, the first sight of you back on base was that of you limping and hissing in pain. 

“Y’shouldnt be walking on tha’—which, I imagine y’know.”

The way you pause, shoulders sinking as your head dips tells him all he needs to know. That you’ve sunk your pearly whites into your cheek, biting back a retort that would have been flung at him if he wasn’t… well him. 

He watches as your fingers curl into the wall, its crevices between each brick trying to carve under your nails. You’re still in your gear, likely not even having the chance to run fresh, clean water over your hands. 

Stopping just behind you, he places a comforting hand on your hip—feeling the heat from your body, even through the layers. Can even feel the grimace, the pain and annoyance bubbling furiously under the surface. Even if you try to hide it, he knows it’s there. 

He’s come well versed in Squid. 

“Mari—“

“Shut up, Soap.”

He does. 

Even if your voice is more exasperated than bossy or sharp. It’s tinged with heaviness, likely guilt too knowing you—probably already wrapping its way around you, pleading with you to apologise. 

“C’mere—“

“I’m fine, Johnny. Just…need to get to my room.”

“Lemme help.”

“No.” 

It comes out sharp. Sharper than he’s heard you be in a while.

You look over your shoulder at him, sighing heavily. "I've been shot. Stabbed. Fuckin... I'm so mad at myself."

Your words are all words and no air, and you almost look as though you’ll shoot him an apology. Almost—

He steals the words as he lifts you. One arm under your knees, the other supporting your back, the smallest oof leaving your mouth as he holds you close, floor coming away from your feet. 

“Steamin’ Jesus, yer stubborn.”

You glare, slowly weaving your hand around his neck. 

He’s missed it, your touch. 

Three days is barely anything after he's put up with longer, but it was only supposed to be one night instead of two. 

You shift in his hold, and he adjusts your knees in his arm. Wondering how much you’re hating that you’re enjoying it, that the pressure off your body is welcomed—

“Be careful of doorways.”

“If that’s a dig at me being clumsy, lass. Yer should rethink it. I’m not the one wit’ a twisted ankle.” 

“I’m not bridal picking up colleagues.”

“Colleagues, aye?” 

He watches it flash across your face—the guilt again. The adjustment harder than the two of you’d banked on, the settling now the two of you are something far more than friends.

“You… you know what I mean?” 

“I’ll let yer off—cause of the pain.” 

“How generous of you.” 

He leans close to you, contemplating something snarky back, but instead, he kisses your cheek. Pretty sure it means more than any quip could. 

He’s seen many sides of you. 

The frustrated, gnawing at your lip side. The funny, energetic side where your words are sharp and your middle finger is present.

Soap has also seen cuddly you, arms wrapped all around him, keeping him as close as humanly possible. Even when the two of you were just friends. 

So, this is something else. 

It’s like all of the versions of you are fighting to be at the front.

You smile, and then it’s robbed by frustration, and then you’re sharp and funny—making a joke about him being your bitch until you can walk. The jokes don’t land, because the light in your eyes isn’t there. 

He watches you struggle for far longer than he’d have liked, but he knows when to pick his battles. Once he’d gotten you to his room—not yours, like you’d said—he’d placed you on the bed and let you unknot your emotions. 

And Johnny hates it.

Nothing more that winds him up and creates an internal storm than being on the other side of the room, not able to help you. He’s leaning, purposefully digging his shoulder into the wall to keep him rooted; his arms folded as he watches you try and stuff elements of how you feel into various boxes. 

You need to do this—it’s something you always do. Behind the jokes, the smiles and the occasional middle-fingers, you’re always processing—stuffing and stifling things just so you can keep your head up and your shoulders from around your ears. 

So, as much as he hates it, he lets you do it. Doesn’t bother to move until you attempt to remove your boot, and then he’s across the short space in three strides.

Your eyes cut into him, all fuelled with anger and mounting annoyance at yourself. Your pupils attempt to slice through the air, but… they don’t. 

Because he’s not holding back, he’s not throwing up walls to keep you out. You do that enough for the two of them. 

“Want me t’remove yer sock, Mar?” 

You look conflicted, chewing a response before you swallow it—whatever you’d been about to say—and nod. His fingers slide up the back of your ankle gently, each movement so slow and cautious, afraid of spooking you, of brushing over something swollen as he takes hold of the band of your sock. 

It removes with relative ease as it unveils an angry, assorted blue-shaded bruise that’s spreading across your skin and bone. It takes all of him not to hiss, to not want to rub his own ankle in sympathy. 

“Looks worse than it is.” 

The purpling of your skin said otherwise. The angry swelling that shifted like jelly under your skin when he brushed his fingers over it. 

You meet his gaze then, no walls, no shields to keep him out—just pain flooding the space where there had been anger. And then, if something hadn’t already twisted his insides, your eyes filled with tears, one’s which stung and burned him as much as they did your cheeks. 

“Liar.”

You smirk, the smallest slither of the usual Squid. 

“We should ice it, Mari.” 

His eyes look up, seeing the signs of defeat beginning to spread over your features. Your eyes continue to shimmer, lips no longer curled up, and tiredness slowly kissing the skin under your eyes. 

“Hey… it’s alright, yer man-bitch is ‘ere.” 

For a second, you just stare, no smile, no smirk. And then, you’re burying your face in his neck, and his hand rises to cup the back of your neck. 

It’s natural, almost on-demand, that he begins to knead the skin with his fingers—circle those spots on your neck with his calloused touch. The ones that can either relax you or make you moan. His body uncomfortably leaning over yours, rather wishing he could lie you back, bring you over him, hold you as close as he normally would. 

“Can we just... cuddle?” 

Great minds… he thinks to himself. “Course we can, Mar. Don’t ‘ave t’ask me twice.” 

He brushes his lips against your forehead, feeling you soften against him as he eases you back, moving you with far more ease than you can manage. 

“I can handle a shower,” you had said, pausing at his bathroom door, clutching the handle in your hand as he watched you. 

Your weight all on your other leg, barely letting the sole of your foot meet the bare floor as you smiled as sweetly as you could. 

“You sure? Y’don’t need some soap with y’soap?”

You smirk, and it warmed him like the fucking sun. “I can’t wait to tell Ghost you just said that.”

Once the door shut, his smile faded. 

Body moving around his room, pulling out clothing you’d left—some purposeful, and some accidental. He found a t-shirt, shorts and some underwear, making a small pile on the edge of his unmade sheets as he listened to the spray of the water. 

He should be on the other side. His hands holding you up, taking the weight from your ankle. It’s what he’d suggested, offered. Your eyes looking at him, a little brighter thanks to your nap and some more pills. 

You haven’t got to always save me, Johnny. 

He knows that. 

Aware that you can more than handle yourself, but isn’t that what you do when you’re in love? Do you not take the burden, carry the weight until the person can lift up their own head? 

The words had almost left his lips to suggest so, but instead, he brushed his fingers over your skin. He felt the mission on your cheek before he kissed an I love you against your lips. 

Go on then, lass. I’ll be ‘ere.

You looked at him like you know. 

Your finger ghosted over your lower lip as though you also couldn’t get over the fact the two of you do that now. As though it hadn’t quite hit you either that the two of you aren’t hiding, aren’t concealing all that lived between you. 

He glances to the clock, threading his fingers together as he sits on the edge of his bed. 

Eventually, he calls out, “Y’alright, lass?” 

Waiting a beat, hearing the water turn off. 

“No. Think I perished down the plug hole,” you comment from behind the door, steam rushing out when you eventually open it. 

“Aye, y’hilarious y’ar—“

He feels them die, his words.

You standing, beads of water dripping down your body—falling down silver scars and toned muscles. Rolling across your hip bones, down your legs and passed your knees. It's your lips curling up, half-smirking as you stare at him with eyes full of flaming determination.

Steamin’ fuck.

His throat is dry, little point in trying to swallow, as he looks at you respectfully. Not that he wants to. 

He wants to take a fucking picture and then carve it into paper with a pencil. He wants to study you, have you stood there so he can draw you until he has to plunge his cock in you to get himself thinking straight. 

He’ll never tire of it—seeing you like this. A prize, one he was gifted and not won. Something he cherished before ever really having it, and now he does, not a soul can yank it from his grip. 

“I’m hungry,” you say, voice full of silk as the syllables bless his ears. “You hungry, baby?” 

Fuck is he. 

And then his eyes land on your ankle, the one twice as big as the other. He tells himself that’s the reason he’s standing, sliding his palms against your bare hips as he tries to keep a level-head. You make it hard—you make him hard. 

“Squid—“

“I’m okay,” you mutter, staring up at him through your lashes. “Promise.” 

“Can we.. can yer, just come over ‘ere—can make you feel good right over here.” 

Your smirk widens, tracing your lower lip with your tongue as you keep yourself stuck, soles glued to the floor. “No. Want it here, want you to fuck me right here, Johnny. Up against the wall, like we did before I left.”

But, it’s not like when you left, though. 

Then you didn’t have an ankle three times its size amassing a colour range close to a craft shop. And it takes every thought of Price’s moustache not to give in.

To not kiss you—not lift your injured leg over his hip and push your other one to the breaking point of holding you up. 

“If y’can just come ova’ ere—“

“Soap MacTavish. Are you fucking rejecting me?” 

He closes his eyes, releasing a sharp breath as he pinches the bridge of his nose. Because he’s not sure how to explain this without it going wrong. 

Without all the words leaving his mouth incorrectly and making you mad. Because technically, he fucking is. And he knows what an idiot that makes him. But also, you're hurt. And the way the two of you fuck, it's guaranteed to make it far worse.

“For now, lass, yes. But, you can’t even imagine how fuckin’ difficult tha’ is right now.” 

Your face shifts. Changes.

He watches as a storm eclipses your eyes—one full of thunder and lightning. One with a purpose to pull him under and drown him, fry the skin from his bones.

Johnny also half expects to be thrown across the room from the look on your face alone. 

But he’s quicker, bigger—stronger. Somewhat moving you before you can root yourself, half carrying and half dragging until you’re perched again, off your feet, on his bed. Him on his knees, right in front of you—staring at you on the same level. 

“I found y’some clothes?”  

You don’t speak. Don’t take them from him either. Your eyes morph into a knife as they try to plunge into him. 

He unfolds the t-shirt—the one from a concert you went to with Gaz. Your voice all animated as you told him about it once, promising him that you’ll show him videos off it on your laptop when you go home. 

Y’inviting me home, Mar? Course. This time mine, next time yours. Y’got it all planned out, aye? Yeah. Will even get you streaky bacon. Yer fuckin' glorious y'are.

You slide your arms through it, begrudgingly so. Your eyes not shifting from before the fabric goes over your face, to after. Just staring, cutting into him as if you’re the reason for all the wrong in the world. 

And he’d take it, even if he doesn’t want to. 

He’ll let you hate him if it means you’ll sit, and rest—like he knows you’ve been told to. That even if the two of you can follow it for tonight, tomorrow he can have your thighs clamping around his head as he makes you forget all about hating him, tree roots and swollen ankles. 

“You’re a bad boyfriend.” 

He smirks, watching your eyes soften. “The fuckin’ worst, lass.”

You just about smile—fighting it, clearly. 

“Wait—Boyfriend again, am I?” 

You shove him lightly, snatching the underwear from beside you to put in his hand. “You know I didn’t mean… just colleagues.” 

I know. His hands guiding your feet through your underwear as he hands it you to pull up. “Aye, we’re jus’ adjusting.” 

You nod, shifting in place as you pull them up onto your hips. Your hand rising to cup his cheek as he presses a kiss to your wrist.

The two of you in time returning to your places on the bed, the scent of his shampoo hitting his nose from your hair—your arm across his chest, fingers dancing on his ribs. 

“I should tell y’, when Lt told me y’were with the medics—“ he whispers, his hand clutches yours, bringing it to his chest, right over where his heart is currently pounding into your palm. “Heart almost stopped.”

You look up at him, almost in disbelief. The look makes him wonder if he’s done a shit job of making you believe he’s all in, or whether—like him—you can’t believe it’s real. 

“I’m not leaving you, Johnny.” 

“Aye, best not. B’ shit of yer to make me fall in love wit’ you, and then y’leave me with those bastards.”

You laugh, it bristling over him. “Gaz isn’t terrible.” 

“He’s not you, though.” 

You roll your eyes, before closing them, burying yourself more into him. “There’s no one like me, Johnny.” 

“Aye. Y’one of a kind, Mar.” 

You sigh, a murmur of a noise leaving you—and he almost asks, almost questions. But decides against it, slowly counting in his head from 1 to 100, unsurprised that he only makes it to 62 before you’re asleep. 

"Night, hen," he whispers into your wet hair.

Slowly closing his eyes, listening to your soft breaths as he lets his muscles relax for the first time since you left.

[tia-amorosa]

Sunset Died - Erin's Crew

Back from the battlefield

About a week earlier. It was the afternoon when the last team arrived safely back at the Mesa Valley military base after their mission. After the ageing helicopter had landed and the swirling desert sand had settled back on the ground, the passengers were finally able to disembark. And one of them was in a particular hurry…. “Hey, where are you going, Diego?”.

“Damn, I've had to piss for half an hour and I don't feel like flying with this thing anymore…"/ ‘We could have landed somewhere on the way…’/ ”No way, then we wouldn't have come back. I'm not putting another foot in there, the general should finally take care of a new heli, … damn it, I'm going to wet my shorts!.”.

“I don't understand what's wrong with him. The old lady's still in good shape…"/ ‘Well, she's a bit rattly, but she certainly got us back here safely…’/ ‘If she's serviced properly after every flight and you strengthen the weak points, she'll last a few more times. he's just putting on an unnecessary show, hnhn’/ ‘Do you still trust him as a pilot, Colonel Kennedy?’/ ‘Sure, and as you say, Lieutenant Shearing, he's just putting on an act’.

Mesa Valley is a town that was built in the middle of the desert. Once upon a time, people were still searching for valuable natural resources here, but today the mines have been closed down. But the town is not abandoned, some people have settled here. The military has also set up a base here. “I have to take a shower now,” said Lieutenant Roman Cardona in an annoyed tone.

While some of them are in the shower, rinsing the dust and dirt from their last assignment from their bodies, the others look around a little. Especially the youngest member of the team, Peter Lee. “Little has changed here in the last three months… OK, the picture there is new… Where are the others?"/ ”Most of them are on vacation now. And you can go back to your families in a few days too.”

Peter got a happy smile on his face. “I can't wait to see my mother again either. She'll probably be bursting with pride"/ ”You've really done very well as a newcomer here, Mr. Lee. I'll write my recommendation in the report"/ ‘Thank you very much, Colonel’. Erin gave him a friendly nod and a slight smile. “Mhm. Now everyone get some rest.”

echoing water splashing “Hey, Diego, don't forget to wash your cock, otherwise she might not let you touch her again”. Diego hesitated for a moment until he said something. “huh, what are you talking about?"/ ‘hehe, come on now, I've seen you and everyone else has noticed by now…’/ ‘Don't talk nonsense, there's nothing going on…’.

Roman stepped out of the shower soaking wet. “pah, my ass. Hey, I get you, she's really hot, but she's definitely too dominant for me"/ ”too dominant? And what are you? You've been tried to get laid the Muslim women there for the last three months…", Diego said in a loud, admonishing voice. / ‘And I've gotten into a fight or two in the process, yeah, yeah… They started flirting first’. Roman tried to talk his way out of it.

Diego had also finished showering and stepped out of the damp cubicle. “That's nonsense, and you know it. Every time you went to the market you couldn't keep your hands to yourself. It was clear that the men there would be annoyed at some point…”. Roman put on an indifferent look and grinned with just one corner of his mouth. “Pff, what the hell, everything's back to normal at home…"/ ‘Yes, you can spend your money on the brothel again…’ Diego said ironically.

Meanwhile… If there was one thing Erin didn't like about her job, it was the paperwork. Everyone on the team was required to write a report during their deployment, but she took the work off her teammates today so they could recover after the long deployment. All she had to do was summarize everything. “OK, I'll do that first then…”.

Everyone handed in their reports to Erin. After all, she was present at almost every action that took place during the mission. So no reports were falsified. And if something was missing, she would ask… “Who had the stupid idea of putting the basketball hoop right in front of the window here? What if the ball goes through the window? Oh boy…”… Diege knew that it was actually unnecessary to worry about it.

He deliberately remained standing in front of the window for a moment, secretly hoping that she would notice him. . But he knew it was pointless at that moment, because once she was focused on something, no matter how exhausted she was, she couldn't be distracted by anything else. “Hey, do you want to shoot some hoops, Diego?“ / „No…“. To distract himself a little, he took over cooking dinner for the evening. Normally they had a housekeeper on staff for this. But it was her day off today.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

@greenplumbboblover ⭐

Note: I hope you enjoyed the start of the "helpers" flashback. I used some of @pancakebobs base sims for this team.

https://www.tumblr.com/pancakebobs/766138804601012224/roman-georgina-chloe-peter-alexander?source=share

(Roman, Chloe & Peter) I just thought they would fit🙂 thanks for the great sims.🤗 Diego was created by myself.😏👀😊

The military base was built by my dear friend @liesemietze . You can download it from the Exchange here:

[gh0stlyfixation]

Promises

Paring: Simon Riley x reader

Warnings: none besides betraying a loved one and your team 😠 probably writing issues because tumblr kept deleting stuff I wrote when I saved, double 😠😠

Summary: graves betrayed the team and you. Ghost finally admits his feelings for you in the heat of it all.

“Phillip? How could you?” You say inching closer to Ghost for safety.

141 had no idea of the betrayal, not even his fiancé. Ghost is quick to pull you against him and John stands in front of you, shielding you from the chaos that is about to happen.

And when Alejandro lunges for Phillip that’s when hell breaks loose. Ghost lets you go and he elbows two men coming up from behind you both. You are in a daze as you watch your surroundings not realizing each member of 141 is protecting you.

You see Soap gets shot in the shoulder and feel Ghost grip your arm and moving you behind a truck. He’s speaking to you but everything is muffled and feels like time is moving slowly. You don’t start to come back until Ghost starts shaking your body, “we have to go! We have to run.” He’s yelling at you when you look up at him. You simply nod before he’s pulling you up and running.

Ghost holds your hand as you both run for your life. Your breath is uneven as you struggle to keep up with him. Your eyes are blurred, “I can’t! I can’t do this!” You finally scream out. You tug away from Ghost's hand but it doesn’t let you let go.

He loves you too much to let you give up. He’s angry at him, he’s angry at you for never taking his “jokes” of leaving Graves. He stops and pulls you closer to him, both hands on your cheeks, “yes you can! Get it through your pretty head that you can! Okay? We need to go, and we need to hide. I am not letting give up!” He shouts at you. Tears fall down your face as he tries to wipe them away. “I am in love with you. Those jokes I used to say? I meant the truth. I want you. I love you and I need you to keep fighting. I know your hurting and feel broken but fuck I am not letting you go now.” He says and it brings more tears from your eyes as he leans his forehead on yours. You nod as you hear Graves's soldiers come closer and you begin running again with more purpose.

You and Ghost find a church and pick off stray Shadow Company soldiers. You grab one of the dead men’s radios listening out for what they say, “find her alive.” One radios in. You grip the com so tight it breaks. “We need to get you out of here.” Ghost says.

“No,” you say as you let the pieces fall on the floor.

“You're not safe here. We don’t know what he’ll do.” Ghost says coming up to you.

Your voice breaks, “no,” you say again looking blankly at the floor stray tears fall. You know you can’t stay, you know you're a liability. You can’t even see the floor because you can’t stop crying. “You can’t leave me.” You choked out finally realizing the feelings for Ghost that you stuffed away in hopes they go away forever once you and Graves were married. Now hear Ghost is, professing his love in the most unconvinced time.

—

Two whole months have passed by. You kept hidden at Ghost's private home, on an island, that was heavy on security. Who knew he was loaded and a great interior designer? You put a large T-shirt on and you found yourself on a lawn chair in the sand sitting in the sun every day around the same time thinking about recent events.

You had time to cry your eyes out for the hurt and betrayal, you also had time to think about Ghost's confession. It was in the heat of it all, and through your blurred vision you could see the truth and passion in his eyes, he meant every word.

You hadn’t heard from him after he got you safely on the heli, you assumed they took care of Graves and then set back out on their original mission. You stood up and walked towards the ocean breathing in the air. You got knees deep in the water before stopping and looking around the endless sea.

You didn’t know how’d you break the news to his family. You didn’t know if you should tell them the truth or just say he died in battle. You didn’t want to go back to America and back to the house you and Phillip built together and see the memories you two created, but you had time. You had time to learn and hate the man for making you cry for a month straight, you had time to scream and yell, you had time to be angry and now you are content. Your heart hurts but it also feels better.

At that moment, running from Phillip, you wanted to die. You wanted your heart to be torn out and thrown on the dirt-covered ground and stomped on. The feeling of heartache slowly faded, Ghost-, Simon, was all your brain thought of.

You think back to the day you decided to shove your feelings for him back, “come on, I’d be way better than Graves.” He joked, or so you thought. “Yeah, r- right.” You stuttered, he would be. Graves and you had your fights but lately, things were worse. It’s just nerves, you’d tell yourself. The love in Ghost's eyes screamed how much he loved and adored you and you knew you were fucked, but you loved Phillip, so you thought.

You hug yourself not hearing the footsteps coming behind you until they hit the water, you jump and turn to see him, Simon. You don’t give him time to speak before you slam your body on his wrapping your arms around his neck tightly. You let the tears you’ve been holding in for him go. He’s alive and he came back for you, just like he promised.

He rubs one hand on your back while the other arm wraps around the back of your neck holding you close to him. “I love you.” You say to him. His heart swells at the sound of your voice saying that.

“I’ll give you as much time as you need to heal. When we start, I want to start right. I’ll be here for whatever you need.” Simon says to you. Waves crash below you knocking you out of balance and pulling him down with you in the water. You giggle through your sniffles feeling genuine happiness for the first time in a long time, even with Phillip around you never giggled like this.

“Your right, I need to heal first,” you admit. You tug at his mask, “may I? I want to see your face again.” you ask with a smile. He can't help but hold a smile on his face when you tell him you loved him, those sweet words coming from your voice are all he wanted. He nods and when you pull off the drenched mask you see his wild blond hair wet and sticking in all directions and a smile on his face. “Thank you for not giving up on me,” you say kissing his cheek.

“Never. I'll wait years if that's what it takes to be with you,” he says

May write a part two, idk

[timeskip]

HxH 406 thoughts yippeeeeee

I saw some people point out that Nobunaga lost his sword recently to the Heli-ly, but in recent chapters was shown still with it... So he has a power (?) to MAKE NEW SWORDS? But he can't just do it immediately. It doesn't sound like it's conjured (also he's an enhancer iirc so he WOULDN'T have good affinity for conjuration anyways) so I have... zero guesses as to how he made his sword. It's nice to finally have a hint at his abilities though since we know very little about him :)?

I already saw this in the raws but GOD. IT'S SO AWESOME. Look at the STAIRS, look at how they climb into the distance.

I know we already knew she died but :( I liked her :( Bonolenov why did you have to do that :((

I do really like the Zakuro and Hinrigh conversation, trying to figure out what happened to her though. They're smart! They knew Lynch!!! They also know nen, and I love seeing characters try to puzzle out what nen ability could work--was it a disguise, or manipulation, etc etc and what did "Hisoka" want from doing this to Lynch. And now they're fully prepared to kill Bonolenov, and by extension, the Phantom Troupe... Yet another layer to the complicated mafia war

AND THEN WE GET TO CHROLLO'S SECTION. SO EXCITING.

There's so many answers here about Chrollo's goals on the Black Whale. We see exactly why he's here, what he wants to steal, where it is, how it affects his ability... He's planned it out so much. He even knows that Hisoka is on tier 1 and he could run into him...

And he's also planning to DIE if he has to. We know that the other Spiders want to kill Hisoka first in order to stop this, but Chrollo has already decided to go all in on not mattering as a person. He created the Spider, he will protect the Spider. He needs to kill Hisoka before they kill the rest of his friends, and his own life doesn't matter to him (same as we saw in Yorknew)!!! BUT I think the mention of him having "two conflicting emotions" is interesting because I think it might indicate that part of him also wants to stop this too. I doubt those emotions would be like... "rage and grief" which DO work together for this revenge plot. I think that he's going all in on the revenge against Hisoka to avoid thinking about this other conflicting emotion.

Going forward, Chrollo is going to fuck with the succession war. It sounds like he doesn't know about Kurapika's presence which coulddd cause some issues. I have a feeling they're going to run into each other one way or another.

Succession war-wise, upcoming plotlines and theories:

Kurapika's next nen class should have happened before the funeral procession, and during it, Sarahell (Camilla's have-not soldier) was supposed to attempt to curse Woble

The funeral procession is going to be an opportunity for Halkenburg-as-Balsamilco to use his ability, maybe? We don't know what his plan is in the 10 hours he has in Balsamilco's body, but either way it's going to bring Halkenburg back to tier 1, where he'll presumably have contact with Benjamin. If the theory that Halkenburg intends to put himself/one of his followers in Benjamin's body is correct, this could cause a major shift.

Melody, Kacho, and Kaiser haven't done their Prince Luzurus assassination yet, but that's supposed to happen. Killing him would also destabilize the mafia conflict even further and possible usher in martial law if Benjamin is able to.

Chrollo is going to try to break into the succession war and steal *the very things creating it.* This will likely destabilize things, or maybe give an opportunity for the princes to no longer need to be part of it? No idea.

Chrollo is also looking for a nen ability, and his stolen power lets him set conditions for an ability he wants to find. I didn't believe the theories from last chapter that Chrollo might end up wanting to steal one of Kurapika's abilities, but if Chrollo doesn't know about Kurapika and is only looking for a specific kind of ability... that seems like a perfect opportunity for Chrollo to get close to him, for better or for worse, attempting to steal judgement chain. I cannot imagine how difficult this would make things for Kurapika. Alternatively, he could go after a prince, or Kurapika's allies... There's a lot of options on tier 1, which is why this is scary

There's other plotlines going on, but these are immediate ones, and ones I have thoughts on right now.

Also, for the place the treasures are: I'd be SHOCKED if at least one of them wasn't HERE:

It also seems clearer now that these coffins (?) are powering at least one of the treasures. Maybe the sword given to the winner of the succession war? Either way, it seems like the divine mummy is the one that needs to be destroyed in order for Kurapika's plan to save Woble to succeed, so either way Chrollo and Kurapika are aiming for the same thing now.

[crabdrabbles]

Here's Chapter 5 for @pricegazweek week! Chapters: 5/7 Fandom: Call of Duty (Video Games) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Kyle "Gaz" Garrick/John Price Characters: Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, John Price (Call of Duty) Additional Tags: Presumed Dead, Blood and Injury

I know I'm a few days behind, but I should hopefully finish the remaining two chapters by Wednesday <3

“I expected... more from not just one– but two SAS soldiers.”

“Undo these ropes and I’ll show you exactly what we’re capable of.” Price spat, very much a spitting image of a large, and furious, animal. Gaz, who was kneeling beside him, remained quiet– but his eyes burned with a rage that matched that of his captain’s. 

Poor intel was part of the job, gaps missing in the portfolio, sending soldiers in blind– shit like that happened. It was Price’s entire job to adapt to any situation thrown at him– to change plans at the drop of a hat. To keep his men safe. There was only so much he could do when intel was not only flawed, but falsified completely. And Price had led himself and Gaz right into danger with little to no backup. 

‘Just routine.’ he had said to Ghost after his Lieutenant had asked if he needed him and Soap on standby. ‘We should manage just fine.’

‘Something doesn’t feel right about this, Price.’ Ghost had said as he poured over the copious amount of files and reports– months worth of investigations and surveillance. 

‘Intel’s from one of Laswell’s agents. I trust her judgement.’ SImon had looked like he wanted to say something more but Price had brushed it off. If it was important, then the mancunian would have spoken his mind without a second thought. He should have pushed him– pressed him to speak his mind because then maybe he and Gaz wouldn’t be stuck in this situation– at the mercy of some greed driven arms dealer. Even as they were climbing into Nik’s heli, Simon had that look on his face– the one that said something wasn’t quite right. Why didn’t Price ask? He had never had a problem listening to his men before, appreciating any input anybody had– he wouldn’t have shut Simon down. He would have brought all four of them on the mission if the Lieutenant was that worried. 

Although, that may have meant all of the team would have been captured instead of just half. Hindsight was a petty bitch and, if Price got out of this alive, he would have to have a stern word with her. And maybe Laswell, too, to watch her agents a little more closely. He flexed his hands, tensing to feel the knot wrapping around his wrists. If given enough time, some leeway, and a little bit of luck, he might be able to shimmy his way out of them. He just needed to keep Sergey talking. It must have been the bastard’s first capture, because the idiot had left most of their gear on in his haste to get them tied up and kneeling. Amateur.

“What do you want from us?” Gaz asked and Price’s eyes flicked over to his lover, worry flashing for only a moment before he schooled his expression back into a mask of fury. 

“Information.” The arms dealer, Sergey, said. Sergey was a sickly looking man– wiry yet fat in all the wrong places that made his body bulge in strange parts. He wore an ill fitting suit that was clearly too small for his size but also somehow managed to look too big at the same time. In all honesty, he looked exactly what one would expect when thinking of what an arm’s dealer would look like– right down to the untrustworthy moustache. Not to mention he looked like he was almost constantly constipated and, from the way he was holding the pistol in his shaking hand, he had never wielded a weapon before. Ironic– a man who had never sampled his open products that he was illegally shipping off to the highest bidder. Not one to get his hands dirty– but more than happy to dip them in blood. 

“What sort of information?” Price spoke up before Gaz could open his mouth back up. Attention on me, Price’s face screamed. Don’t look at him. Look at me. The more attention on him, the less likely that Gaz was going to be put in harm's way. Price could deal well enough with being tortured and interrogated– could handle it better than the sergeant. 

“Just a little bit of information, that’s all I want, and I’ll be happy to let you both go. And, depending on what you give, you may walk away with heavier pockets.”

Of course a man like Sergey would offer a bribe in exchange for information and freedom. Price expected that from someone who had never been told ‘no’ his entire life. If Price had taken every bribe thrown his way in the past 20 odd years, he would have been able to afford a private island with a complimentary private jet. Maybe one of those fancy yachts, too, so he could go out fishing in the ocean. With the amount of money he could have got, he’d be buying private islands for each individual fish he caught. 

“Cold of you to assume we’ll give you anything.” He continued slowly, clenching his hands into fists and straining subtly to fight the rope. His wrists would be red raw by the end of the night but if it got them out alive he’d take a bullet too for good measure. Just a little more…

“I imagine that you will. I can be quite… persuasive.” Gaz snorted to Price’s left and he sent a scathing look his sergeant's way. Antagonising the man holding the gun was the last thing that they wanted right now.

“And if we don’t?”

“I kill you both.” An emphasis on his words with a point of his pistol to Price. He was shaking, the metal rattling from his trembling. Jesus wept– had he ever even held a gun before? 

There– he could feel the ropes loosen ever so slightly, just enough for him to start sliding his thumb through. It would be uncomfortable and quite painful, but it was enough. 

“Then you get nothing.” Panted through clenched teeth, masking his pain for anger.  “Go on, then, shoot me.”

“No. I still need you, Captain. Your friend, however…”

Before anyone could do so much as blink, the gun moved to point at Gaz in all its shaking glory. Two clear shots rang out– followed by a body hitting the ground. Price’s heart kicked into gear– blood rushing in his ears, heart hammering against his ribs as if trying to jump out of his very chest in order to get to– 

Gaz.

Price stared at the motionless sergeant, eyes wide and every instinct in his body screaming at him to move– to check on him. A small puddle of blood was already forming underneath Gaz’s body. No. No, no, no, no–

“Gaz!”

Read the rest on AO3!

[kallie-den]

One Little Kiss

Eros, a small-time supervillain, gets a lucky break when the all-powerful psychic heroine Qualia succumbs to her mind-warping kiss and starts falling in love with her

If you enjoy my work and are looking for more, or you want to support me, I strongly encourage you to check out my Patreon! I  write erotica full-time, which means I need your patronage to keep creating, and my Patrons also get benefits like early access to my stories, extra stories, and the ability to vote on what I write next! So, if that sounds good to you, head over and join the couple hundred patrons I already have :)

---

“Hurry up!” the supervillain Eros yelled down the stairwell, already faintly out of breath from all the running and climbing. “We don’t have all day! This is a heist, you know.”

“Yes, my love!” called back an even more breathless security guard. She was carrying a huge duffel bag stuffed with cash, and despite how red-faced from exertion she was, the vibrant red lipstick mark on her face stood out even more. “Anything for you!”

Trailing behind her were a few more guards and bank tellers, each one of whom was carrying a duffel bag and each one of whom was wearing one of Eros’s little kisses on their face. One after the other, they each replied with their toothachingly sweet little professions of devotion and undying affection.

Eros rolled her eyes. Hearing her love-drunk minions babble got old very, very fast. But if it was the price of becoming a successful supervillain, so be it.

Admittedly, calling herself a successful supervillain was getting a little ahead of herself. Eros hadn’t yet succeeded at anything more than robbing a few high-end stores so she could put together a costume while she tested the limits of her ‘power’. She didn’t know much about the life of a villain, and she certainly didn’t know anything about fighting superheroes.

But as a perpetually-overworked administrative assistant, she knew a great deal about timing and scheduling. For her first big heist, Eros had put those talents to good use. The likely time it would take for someone to sound the alarm. The delay before the cops arrived. The time it would take to grab everything and get out.  Eros had it all memorized. She’d planned it out like clockwork. At this day and time, once a week, a helicopter landed on top of the building that held the Pierce Street bank to accept delivery of some sensitive financial documents. It was the perfect way out, and Eros had already taken care of the pilot.

Everything was perfect. Eros had even spent a week scouring social media for superhero sightings. If she was right, the bank was far enough from any patrol routes that they should be able to avoid any interventions.

It was still a risk, of course. Heroes were unpredictable. But the millions in those duffel bags was worth any risk. And Eros was thrilled to be doing something truly selfish for a change.

“Here!” she called, as she reached the top of the stairwell and pushed open the door that led out to the helipad. “Load it into the heli. And quick!”

Her adoring, unwitting goons hastened to obey. And as they did, Eros took a moment to re-apply her lipstick.

Her vivid red lipstick was the key to everything. It was Eros, just as much as she was. After years of thankless work as an administrative assistant at a cosmetics company, Eros had already been ready to snap - and when she’d seen the discarded lipstick formula before it was to be destroyed, it had seemed like an opportunity too perfect not to take.

According to the government, it was both unethical and dangerous. Whenever she thought about that, it brought a grin to Eros’s face. In a way, she’d proven them right.

Love was a very, very dangerous thing. In a way, cosmetic companies had always been aiming to create artificial love, be it with the right color, the right shape, or the right scent. But Eros’s company had gone further. They had created a lipstick that could make someone fall in love with a single kiss. Eros didn’t know how it worked, but it certainly worked. She’d stolen the formula, and ‘redirected’ enough raw materials to synthesize it herself. And now she had love itself painted all over her lips.

But as it turned out, love was more than just a pretty word. If someone truly loved you, you could convince them to do anything - at least until the effects wore off. Anything. They’d gladly break laws, if Eros asked sweetly enough. It was the perfect tool in the arsenal of a supervillain. Because of it, the women hired to work at the bank she was robbing were currently helping her make off with the money.

All it took was one little kiss.

Thanks to her mind-warping lipstick, Eros’s heist was going perfectly - or so she thought, until she realized that all of the people she’d brainwashed with her kisses had stopped moving.

“Hey!” she said sharply. “What’s going on?”

There was no reply. Her confusion started to turn to alarm.

“Hey,” Eros repeated. “Can you even-“

She trailed off when she realized what had happened to them. Something was coming. Something big.

Eros wasn’t sure how she knew, exactly. But there was something in the air. Something so palpable it was almost physical. It reminded her of the kind of brimming charge you could sense hanging in the atmosphere before a thunderstorm, only ten times more potent. Whatever that strange energy was, it felt as though it was touching her very soul. And she could sense it coming off her minions in waves.

And then Eros saw her, floating over the nearby rooftops.

Qualia.

Immediately, Eros knew it was over.

Qualia was one of those superheroes every single person had heard of. Every single citizen of Future City would have recognized her. She was a member of the city’s Apex League, the team of its most powerful heroes. Time and time again, she had appeared to defend the city against world-ending threats, and every single time, she’d triumphed. According to some, she was more like a god than a human.

And if she was close enough to put Eros’s minions on ice, it was already too late to run.

“What do we have here?” Qualia asked imperiously as she floated down to stand on the helipad, eyes blazing with green light. “I don’t recognize you, villain. This will be your last misdeed, as well as your first.”

Eros grit her teeth. She was so fucked.

The things Qualia could do made Eros’s lipstick look like child’s play. In simple terms, she was a psychic - a natural telepath and mind controller - but it went deeper than that. Some experts speculated that she was psychic so powerful, she was capable of tapping into and manipulating the collective unconscious that made up reality itself. Others disagreed, but ultimately, that was all academic. There was simply no denying what Qualia was capable of.

Even now, as she stared coldly at Eros across the helipad, she was surrounded by a crackling nova of energy, the same green as her eyes. Pieces of random debris - stones, branches, other small objects - kept levitating off the ground and floating towards her, before being pulled into a kind of orbiting ring that surrounded her, as if Qualia’s sheer psychic presence gave her a gravitational pull.

Eros’s nerve broke. She turned and ran back towards the stairwell.

She made it one whole step.

“No,” Qualia said simply.

As she did, Eros felt her whole body lock up. There was no warning. She simply couldn’t move. She couldn’t even turn to look at Qualia as the superhero walked slowly toward her.

“I’ve partitioned your nervous system from the conscious part of your mind,” the superhero explained calmly. “You’re paralyzed, just like your minions.”

Eros tried to scream. She couldn’t even do that. Her lips, her tongue, her vocal cords - they were all frozen.

“And now that this little farce is over,” Qualia continued, walking a slow circuit around Eros, “let’s see what you’re all about.”

Without any more warning than that, Qualia started to peer into Eros’s mind with her power. Eros wasn’t sure how she knew it was happening. She just knew. Eros felt completely transparent for a moment, before being struck by a chilling sensation that she instinctively associated with being completely and totally perceived. When she tried to focus on it, it felt a little like staring into one of those lights that the doctor used to inspect your eyes.

It sucked.

“Yes, I understand now,” Qualia said dispassionately. “Your name is Rhea Galanis, even though you call yourself Eros. You’re thirty-two years old. You’ve spent the last twelve years working your way up from secretary to administrative assistant - until you decided to turn to a life of crime.” The superhero’s lips curled up into an arrogant smirk. “That was very unwise. Tell me, what did you think was going to happen?”

For a moment, Eros thought Qualia was simply mocking her, but then she found that she could speak again. Control over her throat, her tongue, and her lips had been returned to her.

“I… just…” Eros replied slowly, stumbling over her words. “I… wanted something for myself for a change!”

“Yes, I see now.” Qualia nodded thoughtfully. “You were overworked and under-appreciated, so you decided to start breaking the rules. I’ve seen the same story many, many times.” Her smirk grew. “It’s so very petty.”

There was a chilling arrogance in the superhero’s voice. Eros could see what was happening now. Qualia was enjoying herself. She wasn’t indulging some kind of morbid curiosity. She was simply playing with her food.

“Not that I’m surprised you’re new on the scene,” Qualia continued. “Your ‘costume’ says it all. You… stole the jacket from a high-end clothing store.” Her lips curled a little further upwards. “How charming.”

Eros couldn’t help but blush a little. She’d done her best! Her costume - such as it was - consisted of a striking white leather jacket with a red sports bra underneath, worn with some simple, pragmatic, black combat pants and a black domino mask to conceal her identity. It wasn’t exactly professional, but it was wildly daring compared to Eros’s mousy dress sense in her old life as an administrative assistant. She’d even sewn a massive patch featuring a stylized pair of lips onto the back of her jacket. Branding was important, after all!

Still, the whole affair marked her out as belonging to an entirely different world from Qualia. The superhero had no need for a mask, and she was clad neck-to-toes in a black, tight-fitting bodysuit. It was made out of some kind of futuristic, texture, membrane-like material that rippled with a green glow whenever Qualia called upon her psychic powers. It wasn’t exactly something you could get at a clothing store.

Perhaps the most obnoxious part was how utterly perfect Qualia looked in it. She had a classically curvaceous bombshell body, absolutely none of which was kept hidden by the skin-tight costume, and the blazing green her eyes shone with was the perfect counterpart to her rich, dark, tanned skin. When she floated or lifted something, her long, brunette hair spread out behind her like a mane, making her look utterly, implacably regal.

She might have been Eros’s type, if she wasn’t such an ice queen.

“Insecure?” Qualia let out a high-handed little laugh. “You should be. You’re not suited for this, Eros. It’s just like you thought.”

“Hey!” Eros whined. “Get out of my head!”

“No,” Qualia replied simply. “You chose this. You decided to break the rules, and now you’re going to be punished for it.”

Eros tried to shake her head, although Qualia’s control barely let her move. This couldn’t be the end. Not already. She wanted better! That’s why she’d put herself on this path.

“It doesn’t matter what petty little power you managed to manifest,” Qualia lectured. “You’re nothing compared to heroes like me. Your kind always loses. If not to someone else, then to me.”

There had to be something Eros could do. Anything. But what? Even plotting felt like a fool’s errand when Qualia could see into her thoughts. And how could she ever overcome all the other aspects of Qualia’s power?

She had frozen Eros’s minions without so much as a touch or a word. The gulf in power between her and Eros was beyond measure. Her reputation as a top-tier invincible hero preceded up, but up close, Qualia seemed even more formidable. Between her overwhelming power and her supreme arrogance, she was like a force of nature.

“You should count yourself lucky I was the one to catch you,” Qualia went on. She said it so bluntly. To her, it wasn’t even a boast. It was a fact. “Rather than someone more destructive. Or another supervillain, sweeping in to steal your prize. You should be grateful.”

Eros grit her teeth. There had to be something. Please. Or maybe not. Maybe she should just give up and go quietly. Maybe Qualia was right. Maybe her plan to break bad as a supervillain had never been anything more than a pathetic joke. She wasn’t a criminal. She was a glorified secretary.

“You know, I could reach into your head and fix you, if I wanted to.” Again, Qualia made it sound more like a gospel truth than a threat. She said it the same way Eros might have said that it could rain tomorrow. “I could make you sorry for this. I could make you regret everything. I could make sure you never break the law or hurt anyone ever again. But I won’t, because that isn’t what heroes are supposed to do. Instead, I’ll hand you over to the cops. They’ll give you plenty of time to contemplate your mistake. Your defeat.”

Something inside Eros’s head suddenly snapped. She wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but something about Qualia’s lecturing reminded her of the way her former boss had always talked to her when she did something wrong. And it pissed her the hell off.

No. She wasn’t going to go quietly. She had an idea.

“My defeat?” Eros forced a half-crazed grin onto her face. Her plan was a ‘maybe’ at best, but it was all she had. “I haven’t lost anything yet, hero.”

Qualia raised an eyebrow disdainfully. “Yes, you have.”

Eros spat onto the ground. “Come a little closer, and I’ll teach you otherwise.”

Her heart started pounding a double rhythm. If Qualia peered into her head again, she’d know exactly what was going on. She’d just have to hope the hero was too arrogant to bother.

“Very well.” Pointedly, Qualia took a big step forward. She looked even more amused than before. “Do your worst.”

She was two steps away now.

“You gotta get closer than that.” Eros sniffed. “Or are you scared?”

Qualia laughed softly. “You understand that you can’t move right now. Don’t you?”

Unafraid, she took another step forward. Just one pace away.

Qualia hadn’t mentioned Eros’s power. Eros had to hope that meant she didn’t know what it was. Eros was obviously small-time. Her power was nothing compared to the hero’s, and she was paralyzed. Why would Qualia even bother to check, when she could knock Eros out with a single thought?

“I’m waiting,” Qualia mocked.

“C’mon,” Eros jeered. She tried to make her grin look even bigger and even stupider. “Closer.”

Qualia was too amused not to indulge her. She pressed close to the would-be supervillain, like they were about to embrace. Eros knew she felt secure in the knowledge that she couldn’t move or raise a fist.

The only thing she could move was her lips.

It was time for the last and dumbest part of Eros’s gambit. She sneered up at Qualia, and mumbled something completely incoherent under her breath.

“Huh? What did you say?”

Instinctively, Qualia moved even closer to try and make out her words. She put her face right next to Eros’s.

So close, Eros was able to stretch forwards, just barely, and kiss her.

At once, Qualia surged backward. She was too experienced a hero not to react instantly. But the damage was already done. Eros rejoiced at the sight of her big, red, bright lipstick stain on the superhero’s tanned cheek, and almost jumped for joy when, a moment later, she was suddenly able to move again.

It was time to have some fun.

***

Qualia recoiled as soon as she felt Eros’s lips touch her, chiding herself sternly as she did. It was unbecoming of an Apex League superhero to allow a third-rate villain to make a fool of her. Fortunately, it was just a kiss. A harmless prank.

Or so she thought until, moments later, she felt her concentration slip.

That never happened. It was impossible. Qualia was a genius. A savant. She could keep a crowd of hundreds dancing to her tune and have it be nothing more than an afterthought as she crushed the psyche of a world-class supervillain. The only time she had ever come close to losing her focus was against a dark mirror version of herself from another dimension.

Compared to foes like that, Eros was nothing more than a bug.

And yet, after a few more seconds, she felt her own thoughts scattered like ships in a storm, and she lost her grip on the villain.

Qualia blinked. She shook her head. She tried to recenter herself. This was impossible.

“What… did you do?” she said slowly.

Eros was stretching languidly, enjoying her brief moment of freedom. As Qualia spoke, her face lit up in delight.

��Oh my god!” she exclaimed. The villain looked like a kid on Christmas. “It’s actually working? Oh my god.”

Qualia closed her eyes. This was a momentary lapse. Nothing more.

“I can’t believe it!” Eros squealed. “I wasn’t sure… I mean, according to the research documents, it all depends on willpower. Mental resilience. I thought for sure, someone like you…”

Qualia opened her eyes again. She needed to figure this out. For the first time, she deigned to look properly at Eros’s minions. She could still hold them in place, at least. A sinking feeling developed in the pit of her stomach when she noticed the lipstick marks on their faces.

“What have you done to me?” the hero demanded.

“Oh, now you’re real curious about my power, huh?” Eros laughed. “Well, let me explain. It’s my lipstick. I kiss you, and it makes you fall in love with me.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Qualia scoffed. “You can’t just… you… you can’t…”

She trailed off. She had just noticed something that suddenly seemed incredibly important to her.

Eros was really, really pretty.

Qualia tried to pinch herself. So what if she was pretty? Why would she even notice that right now? It didn’t matter.

Except, it felt like it did.

“Wait,” Eros said, pausing. “Have you ever been through anything like this before? Ever been captured and brainwashed? Hypnotized? Drugged?”

“O-of course not!” Qualia scoffed. “No villain has ever got the better of me! I’d never let them, um, even so much as try to… or, um drink something, without, um… I mean, I don’t even drink!”

She glanced down. Qualia kept getting tongue-tied and tripping over her words. Why?

“Oh my god!” Eros was practically delirious with glee. “That’s it, isn’t it? That’s hilarious! I can’t believe this is the closest anyone’s ever come to defeating the legendary Qualia.”

“What are you t-talking about?” Qualia’s cheeks were starting to grow hot.

“Don’t you see?” Eros gloated. “You’ve always kept danger at arm’s reach with your power. Behind that, you’ve got no defenses. No resistance. You don’t even drink. Gotta keep a clear head, am I right?” She took a step closer and leered eagerly at Qualia. “You might be one of the most powerful superheroes in the world, but you’re also the single most susceptible person I’ve ever met.”

A cold shiver raced down Qualia’s spine, but she wasn’t sure if it was because of Eros’s words or because - as much as she was trying not to think about it - the closer the villain, the more overwhelming her beauty became.

‘Beautiful’ really was the only fitting word, Qualia unwillingly decided. She was having trouble taking her eyes off the supervillain, even though when she had first arrived she had barely bothered to look at her. Eros had seemed pretty ordinary, physically. But now, everything about her was enchanting.

The way Eros’s short, curly, coiffed hair sat atop her head like a crown. The way her vibrant lipstick made her perfect lips pop. The dazzling blue of her eyes behind her mask, and the way her costume left her stomach teasingly on display. It was all breathtaking.

Qualia’s calling as a hero didn’t leave much time for romance. She’d never spent much time thinking about her ‘type’ - but now she knew. This was it. Eros was exactly her type.

Which was strange, because Qualia had always considered herself straight. But even so, she couldn’t bring herself to question it.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Eros commented. “It feels pretty good, right? Falling in love?”

That remark was like a bucket of cold water dropped over Qualia’s head. Right. The lipstick. She needed to remember.

However much she wanted to get lost in Eros’s eyes…

Qualia made a fresh attempt to focus. There was no denying Eros’s lipstick was affecting her. Qualia needed to subdue the villain while she was still in her right mind. If she couldn’t use her power, she’d use her fists. The superhero clenched them as tight as she could.

And then, as she looked at Eros once more, let them fall to her sides.

What was she going to do? Put a bruise on Eros’s pretty cheek? No way. She couldn’t bring herself to throw a punch. It would be like defacing a work of art.

“I’m curious,” Eros piped up. She was watching Qualia intently. “How do you feel about me? You know, you said some very, very mean things earlier.”

She affected a pout. It was so cute it made Qualia sigh. But her mood instantly soured when she remembered the way she’d spoken to Eros earlier.

“O-of course I do!” Qualia replied half-heartedly. “You’re a… a criminal. A villain!”

Still, Qualia couldn’t help but regret her words. What if she’d actually hurt Eros’s feelings?

The superhero blinked. There was no way she’d ever care about something like that. Was there?

“Are you sure?” Eros pressed. “Really? That’s all I mean to you?”

“I…” Qualia said in an uncertain, strangled voice. “Y-you’re…”

So many embarrassing professions of admiration were on the top of her tongue. And moreover, she had to fight down the urge to apologize for everything she’d said before.

Why did she feel so terrible about it? Was it the lipstick? How could Qualia be sure?

No. No, of course not. She wasn’t falling in love. That was ridiculous. She couldn’t accept that she’d be so easily influenced. It was just that, she’d been so blunt and needlessly cruel. Boorish, even. It was embarrassing. Mortifying.

And there was nothing wrong with the fact that she found Eros so beautiful, either! It was just a fact. Qualia was simply acknowledging it. Only a fool wouldn’t have admitted that she was one of the most perfectly divine creatures ever to have walked the Earth, and only someone with no taste whatsoever wouldn’t have found themselves thinking about how much they wanted to hold her hand, and embrace her, and-

Qualia groaned and buried her head into her hands. What was happening to her?

“Hey, don’t worry about it too much.” Eros laughed. “But do you wanna know what I think of you?”

Qualia looked up with humiliating eagerness. Now that it was being suggested, she realized she wanted that desperately. It was all-important.

Eros leaned in, wearing a slightly cruel smile that, to Qualia, did nothing but enhance her beauty. “Actually, I think you’re really pretty.”

Immediately, Qualia’s face lit up in a red-hot blush, and she could barely hear her stammering reply over the sound of her pounding heartbeat. “Y-y-you do?”

“Of course!” Eros confirmed. “You’re so cute, Qualia.”

Qualia’s blush deepened and her mind started to race. Why would Eros say that? Was the supervillain messing with her? Lying to her? No. There was no way Eros would do something like that, she decided. Eros simply wasn’t that kind of person.

Then… did she mean it? Really? It was almost too good to be true. Qualia struggled to imagine that the vision of beauty standing before her would even notice a girl like her. She didn’t want to get her hopes up. And yet, the mere thought of it had butterflies filling her stomach.

After a few moments of torturous mental gymnastics, Qualia could no longer bring herself to meet Eros’s gaze. She was a blushing, stammering mess. She felt like a schoolgirl.

“Oh my god!” Eros laughed again. Qualia was keenly aware of the villain’s gaze. It kept making her blush anew. “I’ve seen ‘down bad’ before, don’t get me wrong. But this is something else! Wait… is this the first time you’ve ever been in love?”

Qualia’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t answer that! This was the first time they’d ever met. Qualia didn’t know much about romance, but she felt sure that confessing her feelings right away would be coming on way too strong. Weren’t you supposed to play it cool for a while? She was sure she’d heard that somewhere.

“I-I-I! Um!” she blurted out, tongue-tied. “I mean um… I guess… I guess I’ve never really, um, dated?”

Immediately, Qualia paled. Why had she said that? She risked a glance at Eros. Would she think it was lame, or cool? Surely the former. Who, at her age, hadn’t even dated? Qualia was crestfallen.

Eros giggled at her, smiling. “Wow. Maybe I’ll get to be your lucky first.”

Qualia had fought insane pyrokinetics and gone to Hell itself to battle demons, but her face had never felt as hot as it did now. She could tell Eros was teasing her, of course, but maybe that wasn’t so bad. She was interested, wasn’t she? That was the most important thing. And besides, even the teasing was starting to feel pretty amazing.

At that moment, Qualia realized she’d been forgetting something. The lipstick. All of this, everything she was feeling, was down to Eros’s lipstick.

Only… Qualia wasn’t so sure of that anymore. Everything she was starting to feel for Eros was just so real. So important. Surely it couldn’t be explained away so easily. It reminded Qualia of when people tried to insist that love was ‘just a chemical reaction’. Admittedly, Qualia had always been of that mindset. But now it seemed so foolish. So cynical. So lacking in poetry.

Suddenly, it occurred to Qualia that maybe she should try to write Eros a poem.

"Hey Qualia,” Eros piped up, grinning. “Since we’re getting to know each other, how about you tell me your name?”

Qualia froze at once. She couldn’t. She shouldn’t. For a hero like her, revealing her identity was an unspeakable taboo. It exposed her, and all those close to her, to unspeakable dangers.

And yet, she yearned to answer.

“I…” she struggled. “I’m… we’re not, um, supposed, um…”

“C’mon. Please?” Eros pouted again. “I thought we were getting to know each other! And besides, you know my name. It’s only fair.”

Qualia was no match for that pout. “S-Sophia,” she said, before she could think better of it.

“Sophia!” Eros repeated, delighted. “A pretty name for a pretty girl.”

Qualia thought she was going to pass out from sheer joy. Her heart was beating like a jackhammer.

“So, Sophia,” Eros continued. Just hearing her say her name made Qualia bite her lip girlishly. “Wanna help me haul this stolen money out of here?”

The superhero blinked. Hearing that brought her back to herself, a little. It was a patently absurd proposal. She was one of the greatest heroes in the world. A powerful and righteous defender of everything lawful and good. She couldn’t possibly help a petty crook carry out a bank heist.

But… could she really say ‘no’ to Eros?

“T-that’s…” Qualia struggled. “I… well… you know… I’m a hero.”

“Oh, sure,” Eros replied dismissively. Her smile didn’t budge. “It’s just, I thought maybe we could be partners.”

Partners.

That word hit Qualia like a lightning bolt.

“P-p-p-partners?” she stammered. She couldn’t keep her leg from bouncing. “Like…?”

Eros kept her hanging for just a moment. “Partners in crime,” she answered. “Or perhaps, you know…”

That ‘you know…’ meant everything to the lovestruck superhero. Her face kept twitching, threatening to break out into a nervous, adoring, smile. But even so, Qualia held back. If she agreed, she’d lose everything. Her status. Her reputation. Her pride. It would all be gone, and she’d never get it back.

“L-look, um, Eros,” she said slowly. “It’s not that I don’t want to be, um, p… it’s just… well I… I mean, people would… maybe t-there’s something else?”

She lapsed into silence. Qualia had never been so on edge as she was waiting for Eros to respond. Somehow, more than her reputation or her pride, she found herself worrying about whether or not Eros would think less of her now.

After several seconds of awkwardness, Eros just shrugged. It was devastating. “Well, OK. If that’s really how you feel…”

Then, she did the worst thing she could have: she turned away.

Qualia tried to hold firm, but after Eros made it just two steps, her will broke. She couldn’t handle this.

“W-wait!” the prideful hero cried out.

Eros paused and turned back. “Yeah?”

“I…” Qualia took a moment to contemplate everything she was about to throw away. But ultimately, none of that had ever made her feel the way Eros made her feel. What was she fighting for, if not love? What was more important? “I want to be your p-partner.”

“I see.” Eros folded her arms and smirked. Clearly, she’d expected nothing less. That made perfect sense to Qualia. Eros was so smart. “But you know I’m a villain, right? And you’re a hero?”

That gave Qualia pause, but she immediately found herself rationalizing. It was strange, sure, but heroes going bad was far from unheard of. Maybe there was a good reason for it. And suddenly, being a villain had started to seem kind of cool. If Eros was doing it, it had to be cool.

If Qualia became a villain, maybe Eros would think she was cool too.

The very thought made Qualia want to squeal.

“W-well, um,” she said nervously. “If we’re p-partners, then I’d be a villain too, right? S-so that’s fine.”

“That’s true,” Eros replied.

She sounded pleased. Her approval made Qualia’s whole body hum with joy. It felt better than saving people ever had. Her pride and her reputation had been important to her, yes. But maybe, deep down, she’d always been a romantic at heart. Maybe there had always been a little hole in her heart, waiting to be filled. Maybe she’d always been pining for that perfect connection.

How could she let it slip through her fingers, just for the sake of a little pride?

“Although,” Eros added, “if we’re partners, I think it’s only fair that I’m the senior partner. Right?”

“Of course!” Qualia agreed instantly. She wouldn’t dream of having it any other way. Eros had been a villain first. It only stood to reason that she’d be in charge.

The fact that this was Eros’s first big act of villainy failed to register with her. Neither did the fact that her power was so much stronger.

“Great!” Eros held out her hand. “Shall we shake on it?”

Qualia blushed yet again. She was going to get to hold her crush’s hand. She couldn’t believe her luck. She tried to surreptitiously brush her own hand off on her thigh. She didn’t want it to be too hot or too sweaty. She didn’t want to look like a nervous, blushing virgin in front of her crush. Even so, as they shook, she couldn’t keep her hand from shaking. And she let out a gasp when Eros abruptly pulled her closer.

“Actually,” Eros said, smirking. “You like me, right?

“Yes.” Qualia was too disarmed by the sudden gesture to lie.

“And you think I’m pretty?”

“God, yes,” the superhero whimpered.

“In that case, do you want to kiss?” Eros’s eyes were shining with the thrill of victory. “Since we’re maybe going to be more than just partners in crime.”

Qualia forgot to breathe. She certainly forgot to play it cool. She just nodded with breathless eagerness.

“Great.” Eros giggled. “Then go ahead and kiss me.”

Qualia looked at Eros’s perfect lips, still drenched in that bright red, mind-warping lipstick.

She didn’t even hesitate. She kissed Eros as fiercely and passionately as she could, smearing the villain’s lipstick all over her own lips in the process. The whole time, Qualia was blushing fiercely. She didn’t have a lot of experience with kissing. She wasn’t sure if she was doing it right. But now, all her nerves were blown away by giddy jubilation.

She couldn’t believe this wasn’t a dream. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was.

“Wow,” Eros giggled, as they broke the kiss. “You’re an eager one, huh? Although your technique could use a little work. Who knew heroes didn’t get laid?”

Too love-drunk to be embarrassed, Qualia felt like she was going to faint as the second dose of the lipstick took hold of her. When she looked at Eros, it was almost like the villain was shrouded in a heady, pink glow.

“Well, fortunately, I’ll have plenty of time to teach you,” Eros mused. “Maybe we’ll change your costume too. I like that idea. And… huh. Did your eyes just…”

“Huh?” Qualia tilted her head.

“Never mind,” Eros decided. “Let’s get out of here - you and me both, babe.”

Qualia giggled wildly and took Eros’s hand. She summoned up her power and used it to lift both of them up into the air, along with all of Eros’s ill-gotten gains. And then, without a single regret, she flew both of them off into the sky, and left her life as a superhero behind.

***

Starfrost grunted in pain as she was lifted into the air and thrown bodily through the solid brick wall of a nearby building. Even for a superhero like her, that was going to leave some bruises. It was fear, though, rather than pain that was starting to grip the statuesque heroine.

So this was what it was like to go up against Qualia.

A couple of weeks ago, reports had started coming in that Qualia had switched sides and become a villain. Starfrost hadn’t believed it, of course. She’d only met the psychic a few times - Qualia was definitely a league or two above Starfrost, in terms of power and prestige - but that had been enough for her to know that Qualia was morally upstanding to a fault, and far too powerful to succumb to any kind of corruption.

She had been so, so wrong.

Psychic power crackled around Qualia as she stepped through the hole Starfrost had left in the side of the building. Without so much as lifting a finger, she seized Starfrost in her mental grip and paralyzed her. A chill ran through Starfrost.

What the hell had happened to Qualia?

There was no mistaking that this was the real deal, but Qualia had undergone some shocking changes. The most obvious was her costume. Her traditional sleek, high-tech jumpsuit had been trimmed down to nothing more than a bikini, leaving a mouth-watering amount of skin and curves on display.

Ominously, her new costume revealed that all over her body, Qualia was covered with bright red lipstick marks.

Her eyes had changed, too. Normally, when she used her powers, Qualia’s eyes glowed with her signature, psychic green. Not anymore. Now, they were red - the same red as all that lipstick she was covered with.

But to Starfrost, the biggest change of all was in the heroine’s face. Starfrost had always known Qualia to be stern and calm, and perhaps a little arrogant. There was no longer any trace of that. Instead, she wore a big, joyful, unnatural smile that reflected the same placid happiness she could see in the superhero’s eyes. The happy, tranquil expression was completely out of place on Qualia. It was obvious someone was messing with her head.

“Hey,” called an unfamiliar voice. “You got her?”

“Yes, my darling!” Qualia called back brightly. Her smile seemed, if anything, to grow even wider.

Starfrost frowned.

Someone else entered through the hole in the wall. After a moment, Starfrost recognized them. It was Eros - apparently a new villain on the scene, and an associate of the corrupted Qualia. Starfrost hadn’t thought much of her, but now she couldn’t help but notice that the lipstick on Eros’s lips matched the lipstick planted all over Qualia’s body.

“What did you do to her?” Starfrost demanded.

Eros just laughed. “I’d explain, but in a few moments, you won’t really care. Suffice it to say, she’s had a change of heart.”

Starfrost’s blood ran cold. “And… what are you going to do to me?”

“Well, it’s been going great between me and Qualia,” Eros explained theatrically. She sounded half-crazed with power. “She's such a sweetheart. But I don’t think I’m really a one-woman type of girl, you know? So we’ve decided to expand our relationship a little. You don’t mind, do you, Sophia?”

Qualia shook her head and giggled. “Not at all! Whatever you need, my love.”

Starfrost’s dread was mounting. She tried her hardest to move, but all her superhuman strength was worth nothing when Qualia was in her head.

“In fact, she even offered to help wingman for me!” Eros exclaimed theatrically. “Isn’t that sweet? She’s such a wonderful partner. And soon, you will be too. Would you mind, babe?”

“Of course!”

Qualia looked positively rapturous at the petty villain’s praise, but then she focused as she turned her attention to Starfrost. Her eyes started to glow, and pieces of debris started to lift into the air around her.

Starfrost shuddered as she felt the former superhero break her mind wide open, and replace all her deepest convictions with nothing but true love.

—

I would like to express my gratitude for the generosity of all those who  support me on Patreon, and to give a special thanks to the following  patrons in particular for their exceptional support:

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[sailorsharky]

⚓️Journal of a Sailor V⚓️

-= Log: 1=-

-= Day 1=-

-= Time of writing: 1930 =-

-= Weather conditions: Mostly clear skies. =-

I left home at 0700, and arrived roughly 3 hours later aboard the vessel. A vessel with a sizeable crew. There was some paperwork and instructional videos to get through, but once that was over, it was time to get my hands dirty.

Spent the remainder of my shift assisting others on deck whilst trying to form a mental map of the vessel along with asking around for info about the ship and the type of work that she's made for. More on that later.

For now, my shift is over and I've got 12 hours completely to myself. We've just slipped our moorings and are underway to the North Sea proper.

-= Day 2 =-

-= Time of writing: 1010 the following day. =-

-= Weather conditions: Warm and sunny. =-

Not much to comment on for day two, as the whole day was spent cleaning the decks, starting from the bridge deck, down to the forward deck and finishing off on the main deck. Still more to do the next day.

-= Day 3 =-

-= Time of writing: 2100 =-

-= Weather conditions: Clear during the day, more cloud cover towards the evening. =-

More deckwashing today, plus some extra familiarization. Couple of meetings too, especially in regards to the job of decommissioning an offshore installation. We're now at anchor at the location and we'll stay here for two to three weeks as we take it apart.

Looking forward to seeing how this'll go, as it's the first time I'm involved in work of this sort.

So far I can say that I like the ship, as well as the folks aboard. Friendly colleagues, for one, and the ship is quite luxurious all things considered.

-= Day 4 =-

-= Time of writing: 1932 the next day. =-

-= Weather conditions: Clear skies most of the day. =-

Well, this log entry slipped my mind for a few.

The day was mostly spent keeping watch over the gangway connecting the ship to the platform, including keeping an eye on who goes off onto it.

Aside from that, there are some other odd jobs on the aft deck, mostly involving hoisting, lifting and the preparation for the materials to be hoisted.

I did, however, injure myself on something, but I'll be alright as it's nothing major. At most it's annoying in that it makes working with heavy gear a bit more difficult.

Should pass, given some time.

-= Day 5 =-

-= Time of writing: 1938 =-

-= Weather conditions: Rain and wind in the morning, sunny in the afternoon. =-

Immediate follow up on the last entry; I got my injury checked out by the onboard medic. It's nothing major, but still painful. Been described some pain meds and with those it's a bit better.

Other than that, I've been up the platform myself today, to help out with things, such as cleaning the heli deck, lashing loose objects in order to secure the first part of the rig for lifting and taking down materiel from the rig by crane.

Not much else to report at this time.

-= Day 6 =-

-= Time of writing: 1949 =-

-= Weather conditions: Sunny in the morning, shifting to rain, string winds and high waves over the course of the afternoon. =-

Welp. I overworked myself this morning and had to pay the ship's medic another visit. No change in the situation with my injury (bruised ribs), but in order for it to heal properly, I'm relegated to light duties only. Right now that means gangway watch. No heavy lifting, hauling, pulling or what have you.

So, that's what I'm doing from now on.

As for the project, the first third of the rig has been removed and put on a barge, and cutting of the second section has been nearly completed. All that remains is to remove that, followed up by the underwater section.

We also managed to dredge up some scrap that was lying on the seafloor. To which quite a lot of sea life was clinging onto. From anemones to seasponges, starfish and crabs.

No doubt we'll see a lot more when the final section of the rig is lifted up from the seafloor.

-= Day 7 =-

-= Time of writing: 1927 =-

-= Weather conditions: Sunny all day with a slight wind. =-

More gangway watch, plus some small tasks here and there as needed. The usual.

My ribs still hurt immensely in the morning, but the painkillers do help.

Other than that, two-thirds of the rig has been cut loose and hoisted up during my shift.

Now, all that remains is the underwater portion, which will take a significantly longer time to complete.

But with that said, the first quarter of my contract is over now. And with that, this log will go up.

P.S: I can't show pictures of the job in question yet, as I need to ask permission for that first. But some beauty shots I can use for the next log.

✨️May Polaris guide you always.✨️

[yeoldecorprusarium]

I thought similar on my playthrough of HFW. I think it was the fact that old ones being able to somehow make themselves live for 1000 years+ ruined the “immersion” of the world, like it went too far into sci fi realm and was less grounded in the “reality” of the new world. Yes we have animal machines and talking AIs of insane complexity, but they’re almost plausible in the way it’s set up in HZD. The Zeniths just… aren’t convincing enough, I’d take cryogenics over what they went with.

At least Helis and Regalla were believable antagonists, leader of the mad cult of the new world religion manipulated by a rogue AI, and woman from a warrior clan who wants revenge on the tribe that caused horrors for years and destroyed her family and will do anything to achieve it.

Even though I'm not as bothered by their immortality, I see where you're coming from. It could have been explored a lot more to make it seem plausible. In fact, all the Zeniths felt very rushed, one dimensional and half baked to me (even Tilda). Not like an organic part of the world, but as baddies they added last minute thinking something like "what would be bigger than the revelations from ZD?" but it didn't work, imo.

We literally know only their names and some details from like two of them and their goal is completely nonsensical and just cartoonishly evil. That's my biggest issue with them: from the moment of their introduction they appear as mere one dimensional assholes and remain like that for the entire thing (Tilda has a change of heart, but her plan envolves massacring an entire tribe, so she also thinks of the tribals as vermin and Aloy is just better in her eyes because ~muh Elizabet~).

Also, Regalla was completely wasted in order for the end game to be focused on the Zeniths, and she was SO. COOL. From her character design, to her voice, to her aura of sheer badassery... and for what?

The game is a middle child and it should have embraced the role and laid the groundwork for the finale properly. There's more than enough content with the blight, Hephaestus, the civil war and Aloy recruiting more allies. They could have just ran with these plot lines and maybe introduced the zeniths from the sidelines (Gaia -after getting stronger- detecting a signal or some shit as they make their way to Earth and then quests like Chen's for the main zeniths, for example. I get that they're supposed to be anonymous and secretive billionaires, but if there's someone that would be able to dig for something on them that someone would be Aloy).

I enjoyed Hades because he was literally just a somewhat conscious computer program trying to do it's job. That job just happened to suck for everyone else. And that was kinda ruined by the "you're unhappy, I'm glad" line in FW, but anyways. Human antagonists need more than that to be enjoyable villains.

Let's see if they'll fumble the bag with Nemesis, too. I hope not.

Sorry for the mega wall of text, I'm still not over it lol

Also, not really relevant, as it's more of a personal thing, but I really dislike their ultra clean, futuristic aesthetic. That's not what I play the games for.

[jewwyfeesh]

The Detective's Banquet 4

Writer: Mitsuki

Character(s): Shino Hajime, Mashiro Tomoya, Hidaka Hokuto, Sakuma Ritsu, Isara Mao, Harukawa Sora, Tomoe Hiyori, HiMERU

Translated by: jewwyfeesh

Tomoya: ……I’m sorry, but I need to do this.

Location: Inside the Helicopter

Hiyori: So, how did this even happen!? Finding a ticking time bomb under the seats… What foul weather!

Mao: Ahaha… I’d originally thought that being in a heli in-game isn’t something to be scared of;I really wasn’t expecting to experience something even more terrifying in the end… Parachute jumping[1]…

Ritsu: Sigh… I’m here only because Maa~kun said he wanted to ride the helicopter, so Maa~kun, you need to take responsibility~

Hiyori: Everyone ready? Later, when you’re in the air, don’t panic and remember to protect yourselves!

Three, two, one, jump—!

Location: Seishou Hall Common Room

Hajime: Even though everyone successfully parachuted to safety, the helicopter exploding and disintegrating right above our heads was a little scary…

Hiyori: Not to mention, why were we banned from returning to the island to continue investigations after parachuting? I definitely remember even calling for the rescue team to bring us back!

Sora: HuHu~ Sora helped produce SSVRS part of this project, so Sora will answer!

This project is a little bit like a trial level, that’s why the Blizzard Mountain Villa map was made relatively simple. If you leave the boundary of the island, a high-difficulty level will be triggered.

Because the island is rather isolated, the investigation would’ve been long over by the time the rescue team brought everyone back~

Hajime: So… Is there really no way to leave once you step foot on this island?

Sora: You can leave once you’ve cleared the high-difficulty level! In order to keep the game balanced, Sora made sure to design skill sets well! In this batch of detectives, there should be someone who’s able to defuse bombs, no?

Mao: Ahaha, I think the ‘Bionic Detective’ should know how; what a pity Hokuto wasn’t in the helicopter with us then.

Sora: Getting someone with bomb defusal abilities to call and give instructions is also an option; if you’d like something more realistic, you could also try your hand at defusing the bomb yourself with the toolbox in the plane. Interesting, right ♪

Hiyori: Fiiiiiine. After all, a trial stage made with so much love… I guess there’s really nothing that can be done about it. But I’m not exactly happy about it!

I spent so much time learning how to pilot the helicopter in-game, only for it to end so abruptly! My screen time was too short, too!

Hokuto: In any case, Tomoe-senpai did leave a lasting impression on everyone. I can benefit greatly from your usage of over-the-top actions to portray a character’s defined set of skills.

In the end, you did snag a rather important role in the official project – as expected of Tomoe-senpai.

Hiyori: Oh? Hokuto-kun, when did you become so adept in praising others? But what you say is completely right – truly, as expected of me ♪

Oh right, I just thought of this… Isn’t there an Easter Egg lying around — an additional puzzle meant for the Detectives to solve? In the end, I didn’t get the chance to have a go at all… When the game’s released, I’ll definitely try again~

Sora: Sora remembers that that particular riddle was solved by the ‘High School Student Detective’ in the end—

Location: Luxurious Hotel Room

[Returning to the time when someone knocked on Tomoya’s door]

Tomoya: W-who…? Who’s there!

???: It seems like you didn’t close your door fully, ‘High School Student Detective’.

HiMERU: No, let HiMERU address you by your name, Mashiro Tomoya. You, who have committed a crime… you’ve already forsaken your identity as a detective, haven’t you?

Tomoya: Erm… May I ask you what you’re doing…? Why did you suddenly barge into my room, calling me a murderer…?

HiMERU: As matters stand, there’s no use acting stupid anymore. This is your disguise, no? Cleverly hiding amongst the masses whilst donning the identity of the most ‘ordinary’ person.

Tomoya: Ah, could it be that you’re knocking on everyone’s door and telling this to them, in the hopes that you’d be able to bluff the real murderer into revealing themselves?

If that’s what you’re trying to do, you should’ve already gotten your answer. The person you’re looking for isn’t me, so please just leave me to my own devices?

HiMERU: There’s no use beating around the bush nor playing word games with me. You’re very smart, and the tranquiliser gun in your hands is the best evidence of that fact – the item you received for unravelling that riddle.

If you don’t intend on admitting, then I suppose I’m left with no choice. Let’s call everyone over, and HiMERU will confront you—

Ack… You?!

Tomoya: W-w-wait, wait a minute, h-how did that happen!? I had no intention of firing the gun! Was it because I was so nervous that my muscles unconsciously tightened, and the trigger was pulled?

Thank goodness it’s just a tranquilizer… I’ll just explain it to him when he wakes up, it should be fine…

It was really scary… That senior detective approached me in such an imposing manner… I thought I was gonna die…

Is there something wrong with this place…? Feels like everyone, me included, has become more volatile… And it really feels like we’re constantly on the brink of confrontation.

If the truth is unable to be uncovered, and we’re unable to leave this island, then… more cases would occur.

(Aah, not to mention, Hokuto-senpai’s here. He needs to act as an Android, and is unable to protect himself in front of others. So it’s only right that I protect him!)

Location: Prop Room

[In the Resort’s storage room]

Hokuto: For the ‘High School Student Detective’ to specially request to meet me here, is something the matter?

Tomoya: ……I’m sorry, but I need to do this.

‘Bionic Detective’, you’ve taught me many things. So now, it’s my turn to protect you.

Hokuto: I apologise, I don’t understand. Could you please clarify what you meant?

Tomoya: Then, let me address you by ‘Hokuto-senpai’ one last time. Goodbye, Hokuto-senpai… Please don’t hate me… Though, you probably won’t even know what that means.

Hokuto: Mm~ So you’re taking your leave first? See you tomorrow, then.

…………

Hold on a moment, why did you lock the door and walk away?! I need to leave too!

Tomoya: This place is rather out-of-the-way, so no matter how loud you shout, no one will come and save you. Rather, think of it this way – it’s very safe, you can rest assured.

Hokuto: (Kidnapping someone, and proceeding to say it’s for the other party’s protection… Why do I feel a particular sense of déjà vu…? Where have I heard this before…?)

(Nevermind. Hibiki-senpai must’ve taught Tomoya some weird things again.)

(All in all, I can’t stay locked up in here. Tomoya must’ve encountered something for him to act this way. If he encountered some real trouble, as his senior, I can’t just sit on the sidelines uncaringly…!)

(Calm down. Now, I need to figure out a way to break out of this room… but I also need to do it in a way that doesn’t go against what Androids can do. Hm…)

First of all, the main entrance should’ve already been locked from the outside. I am not a combat-type Android, so I lack the weapons capable of breaking the door down.

However, there are many materials in this storage room that can be used to make a living, as well as various tools lying around. Referencing the things around me, I should be able to create some usable props.

The window is rather high up, and can be accessed by climbing up some boxes and the like. Not to mention, this Android body is strong enough to sustain falls from a height, but it is unclear which part of the resort is the window facing. A scout of the environment is necessary.

(Tomoya most likely didn’t do a thorough search of the surrounding areas either — the difficulty of this escape isn’t particularly high. Of course, there’s always the staff to help me exit the game if absolutely necessary.)

(Still… I’m unable to calm down and think it through. Even though the plans I’ve come up with are rather simple, it’s still best to try them out…)

← Chapter 3 | Chapter 5 →

[sgt-scottymoreau]

MWII Event: Countdown

Summary: Time is ticking to stop Hassan and the last missile.

Warning: None

Words: 1.9k // AO3 // Masterlist

A/N: Last part of the main game fic. I guess now I can start posting more original fics, but I don't know which one to post yet lol I have too many.

The flight to Chicago was as tense if not more than their trip to Los Vaqueros’ HQ. If they were late by a few minutes it could change the whole story. They had to locate where exactly Hassan was. According to some more intel they were able to get from El Sin Ombre, the missile has been smuggled through the port of Chicago. To move a container that size unnoticed, it couldn’t have been more too far from it. Or with access to the water. The second piece of information they were able to get was that the man had been moved downtown, in a building used as cover - a shell company - to the Las Almas cartel. It was a gamble to hope that both Hassan and the missile would be there. 

Laswell contacted the local police as soon as the information reached her. She told them to make sure any civilians would be out of the area and to be on the lookout for a stolen container full of weapons. If they knew they were dealing with a missile, it might spread panic even more. Scotty and Gaz were able to pull up the schematic of the said building and gave all the most important details about to Laswell. To her it came clear that Hassan might be on the 54th floor where the schematic showed a fortified server room. From here, they had to corner him and stop him before it was too late.

“I’ll be on the ground working to locate the missile.” Laswell explained the plan. “Garrick will infiltrate with the Marines on the Chicago river and move in from ground level. Ghost and Moreau will go take a heli up to an OP across from the objective for armed overwatch. Price and Soap will touch down on the roof of the building with a group of marines and make their way down. While one team goes up, the other goes down, repelling to the server room, pinching Hassan in the middle.”

Their primary objective is to find the missile and stop it. But they also all had execute authority to kill Hassan if the chance presented itself. 

The night had already fallen over the city by the time all was in place and ready. The rain slowly turned into snow as the cold took its place. Every team was rushing to their designated spot. Scotty watched the other heli in the distance. She could make out the silhouette of the captain and Soap. “Ghost, Scotty, get to your overwatch.” Price’s order came through their radio.

“Rog, on the move.” Their helicopter broke formation to reach the building in front. Scotty checked her weapon one last time; a malfunction would be an issue. Ghost looked at her with a reassuring gaze behind his mask. Not that she needed it but she appreciated it. They both knew the danger that was looming over right now. With the intel suggesting a lot of AQ inside, this added to the workload. The helicopter touched down on the roof and the two snipers disembarked.  Ghost pointed to the edge. 

“We set up there, we should have a good view. I’ll go from top to bottom, you take bottom to top.” He explained. “If anything unusual comes up, tell Garrick right away.”

“Yes, sir.” She positioned her weapon to the right angle, quickly looking if she could see her allies. Through her scope she could see civilians. Hostages. Scotty snickered at the idea of people using the innocent as shields. Only a coward would do that. Or someone who was trying to buy time. 

“Ghost, Scotty, we’re set. You have eyes on?” Price asked.

 “A-firm. Flashing now.” Ghost replied. In the distance, the captain saw the two flashes. The sergeant hooked his rope and started his descent, while the captain took the staircase. Ghost guided him down to the 54th floor. Scotty did the same with Gaz. Although on her side, everything was less crowded. Hassan didn’t need men to protect him on every floor, only needed close to him.

“Gaz, you have two x-rays behind the door of the staircase.” Scotty warned him. 

“Roger.” Scotty saw him kick the door open, sending one AQ flight on the floor with the impact and the other too confused to react. They dropped quickly. “We are on floor 28th, keep climbing.”

In the meantime, Soap and Price had made their first breach in the server and control room to look for Hassan. All clear. He was nowhere in sight. A frustrating outcome. “Ghost, you got anything?”

“A-firm. Possible visual. Forty-sixth floor.” 

Scotty and Ghost remained on the lookout, till Gaz said he had a clear visual on Hassan, indeed 46th floor. As the team went deeper into the building, it was harder for them to keep a visual to help. However, what didn’t go unnoticed by almost everyone was the missile launching. As it flew right above them, the two snipers looked at each other very worried. “I hope they find those control soon, otherwise we are fucked.” Scotty winced, panic rising up inside, yet remained calm on the outside.

“It’s not over yet.” They returned to their overwatch and found the rest of the 141. They saw them heading to a door and then an explosion. They both tensed up, their grip on their gun tightening. The smoke slowly dissipated from the explosion giving a clear view. From afar, they had cleared the area for somewhere safer. Price assured he was good and Scotty saw Gaz and Soap follow Hassan toward elevators, then silence for a moment. It was soon followed by a small explosion. Debris flying everywhere gave the hint to one. 

Not even five minutes had passed between all of this, but the silence was worrisome. Soap finally came back on the radio. He had the controls, but no more weapons. “Construction floor.” 

Ghost and Scotty readjusted their position to find said floor. They couldn’t spot him yet, but they surely could see the AQ and Hassan be on the lookout for him. With Laswell help, the sergeant was able to detonate the missile before it would reach its target. For now, Soap had to find a way to survive. Ghost guided him through again, just like in the city of Las Almas. “Aye. Like old times, huh Lt?”

“Seems like yesterday…” Scotty turned to look at him with eyebrows raised. Ghost shrugged, but she could see the smile in the corner of his eyes.

“It was yesterday.” Soap came through the radio, a very faint chuckle in the back. However this time, none of them cracked jokes like they did back with the Shadows. Their minds were focused on surviving and getting Soap out of here in one piece. Because of the layout of the floor, Soap would often disappear from their watch. In itself it wasn't too bad, as they kept comms. After a few minutes, a long silence came, while he was out of sight. 

“You think he is alright?” Scotty worried.

“I don’t know.” Ghost was looking everywhere, but nothing. It took another minute before Soap spoke again. His voice was weak, like he just got hit. What happened?

“Watch the window.” A few seconds after that they spotted the exploding window. Ghost repositioned himself while Scotty kept an eye on the situation. She gave him directives about the wind and double checked the distance. Through their scope they saw Hassan lift Soap and walk him toward the window. Ghost took a deep breath, steadied his body and pressed the trigger. Hassan dropped and so did Soap who had to find his bearings. He eventually called a perfect shot.

"You called it Sergeant." Ghost reminded Soap. “All stations - Hassan’s down. Enemy KIA.”  If it wasn't from him giving a heads up, they wouldn't have paid attention to the right spot. Maybe, but too late. Scotty and Ghost exchanged a glance. The pressure that had been building up in the last two days finally vanished. Their shoulders slacked down, despite their mind still being alert for any more orders. The situation wasn't entirely over, but they could take a breather. A bigger one than before. Still kneeling, in this moment of short relief, Scotty didn’t care. They were on a rooftop, away from anyone’s sight and she had been waiting for this since they found her back in Las Almas. 

She jumped on him, arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. She didn’t even care if the mask was in the way, she needed to kiss him right here, right now. Ghost was surprised at first, but eventually relaxed and pulled her closer to him. He broke the kiss only to lift up his mask enough to free his lips and returned the kiss. Only breaking it once more when Price told everyone to wrap everything. “Much better without the mask in the way, don’t you think?”

“It tastes better, sure.” She smiled and helped him to get back on his feet.

*****

A day later, the 141 joined Laswell for a drink in a local bar before heading back to England. A way to humbly cheer up at the end of another threat. As per Gaz's request who wondered what happened to her after they parted ways in Amsterdam, Scotty told him her encounter with El Sin Ombre and the eventual unplanned but welcome rescue from Soap and Ghost. Gaz joked that this reinforced his idea that she was always putting herself in more trouble when the captain wasn’t around. "Next time you get hurt on the job because of them, give me a call. I'll tell the captain to let you work with us." Gaz laughed and sipped on his drink. 

"Fuck off, Garrick." Soap returned the laugh. "We can take care of the lady. It's her who should take care of herself."

"May I remind you that one time we worked together against that human traffic cell and I got myself in trouble?" Scotty said. "Again it was my choice, but I'm not a hundred percent safe either with you Gaz. So our dear friend here is right; I need to take care of myself."

"Heard you had to save Laswell from a bad situation." She smirked while sipping on her drink.

Gaz leaned closer. "I swear Price loves to put me in complicated situations. First let me scout the fish nursery alone, I still can smell it when I sleep! And yeah, then I have to drive and take down enemies. Meanwhile, he is just riding the pickup truck." The three sergeants looked up. The captain had not heard anything while still talking with Laswell.

"Are you saying it would have been nice if I stayed with you and Price?"

"Yeah, I could have used a hand during the chase."

"You don't want her as a driver. She drives like shite." Ghost commented. She flipped him off with a smile. 

"You will know that my driving skills are very good. You just never let me show it."

She had taken a seat between Soap and Gaz, to avoid the former teasing her even more. Since she called Lt pretty, he hadn't let go of this. Their light hearted conversation died down when they noticed the serious expression of Laswell when she slided a piece of paper to Price. The captain looked at it then back to the chief station. "He is not new."

He passed the picture onto the rest of the team. Scotty looked at it when it passed to Gaz and Soap, she didn’t not recognize the man. One thing for sure the rest of the 141 seemed to. Even Ghost shifted in his seat to get close to the conversation. 

"Who is he?" Laswell asked when she saw that all the 141 were giving her their full attention.  

"Makarov."

[dorkyart23]

Ghostsoap fic

Chapter 1- shattered hearts

There was a loud sound of an explosion. It had thrown soap and ghost pretty far. Soap had landed not too far from Simon. The hit knocked the wind out of him and he fell unconscious for a few minutes. When he came too he looked around until his eyes had landed on his lieutenant, he had a gut feeling and feared the worse. He managed to force himself up, despite the pain all over his body. He went to Simon and shook him “ L.T….hey wake up” he said as he began to panic. “ ghost…come on wake up…you gotta wake up!” He said frantically as he shook him. “ Simon…so come on don’t do this to me please! Simon!” He said as he teared up. “ si…please” he said as his heart dropped. He placed his ear close to his mouth and that’s when it set in. He wasn’t breathing. “ no…no no no no…you can’t do this to me….” He said and let out a sob. “ I love you..” he said and wrapped his arms around Simon. He cried. He heard footsteps approaching them quickly. He didn’t care if it was the enemy’s. His will to live was gone. His everything was gone, and the one thing that guilted him the most, was he never got to tell him how he felt. And now Simon Riley is gone.

“ soap?” Alejandro asked as he approached the two. He noticed something was wrong right away. Price and gaz weren’t far behind him, price already called for a helicopter to come and pick them up. The mission had gone astray and they needed to retreat.

Alejandro dropped down quickly and felt for a pulse. 𝑁𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔… Alejandro looked to price with a saddened look he shook his head “ we have to go, quickly the heli is landing!” Price said, he put his emotions aside right now, he needed to get the rest of his team to safety.

“Soap now, we have to go!” He said worry lacing his voice. Price was the only one who knew of his feelings for Simon.

“No…no I can’t…I can’t I won’t leave him” he said and kept Simon in his arms.

Price made the call and Alejandro and Rudy pried John from Simon's body. They dragged him towards the heli, and he fought “ no!…I LOVE HIM!!” He said through a pained sob. he fought until he lost the energy too.

While the boys dragged him to the heli price sighed softly and grabbed the dog tags from around Simon's neck and held them in his hand. He placed them in his pocket before he also double checked Simon's pulse and confirmed he was in fact gone. He sighed heavily before turning his coms on and made the dreaded call…”This is bravo 7…it is with deep sadness that Simon Riley….has been KIA…over..” he went to the heli with a big cloud hanging over him.

When they got Johnny on the heli he shut down. He wouldn’t talk to anyone, he stared off toward a wall. He sighed a shaky breath. When he heard the call over coms he broke down, he didn’t know what to do. Soap had been on and off crying while they headed back to base.

The heli cab was quiet, the sad tension in the air was very thick. Alejandro held Rudy close. This hit too close to home for the two of them.

Price sighed softly before he got up and walked over to John and sat next to him. “ you don’t have to talk right now…but I’m here for you John, you know that. I always have been and I always will be. I think…you should have these..” he said in a soft, father- like tone as he held Simon's dog tags out in his hand to soap.

Johnny looked at Price's hands and read the dog tags. With a shaky hand he grabbed them and held them tightly before placing them around his neck. He held them close to his heart as another wave of tears hit him. “ t-thanks cap…” he said, his voice broken and defeated.

Price placed a hand onto his shoulder tightly and nodded before got up and went to sit back down.

After they landed, Johnny had gone to his room, stripped his gear off and fell apart in his room. He screamed and cried, a grief stricken scream and cry. He cried for what felt like hours until he couldn’t cry anymore. He passed out on his bed for a few hours.

His sleep didn’t last very long. He woke up from a nightmare. This was how it was, this is what happens when you watch the one you love die. Soap knew he was taking a risk, falling for his Lieutenant, but he did. And now he paid the price for it.

[penname-artist]

Tidbits #5

Q & A: We Interrupt This Program To Bring You-

Notice: this chapter of 'Tidbits' is reposted from it's original document of 2021, and may no longer be up-to-date with current headcanons.

Pushing back my hermaphroditism bit again because y’all are so persistent. But, I think this will actually fare well as a lead-up into said chapter. You’ll see what I mean in a minute. On with...more questions! XD

Tanel asks: Okay, does Blade feel protective over his team? especially Dusty and does he think that Dusty is cute little fucker??

Absolutely. Well they all do to an extent, really. Blade may be the battalion chief, but that doesn’t make him the one solely in charge of maintaining his crew. (Actually, one might argue that on the outside, he seems very closed and cold to some)

But that’s just how Blade is. Everyone else has come to learn how to read him, and Dusty in particular is the only one who’s thus been capable of breaking down new barriers. Because of that, they especially will go to lengths to protect one another.

Tanel asks: Would Blade save Cad from a burning house while risking his own life doing so?

XD

Asshat or no asshat, Blade’s putting his life on the line for anyone! That includes Cad, should need have arised to.

Tanel asks: When Blade goes to sleep does he pull his landing gear in and lies down on his belly like a snuggly little cutie.

Or he stays on his wheels whole time?

It honestly depends on the night. He will sleep in duck-mode (that’s what I’m calling it, you can’t stop me) less often than he did in his youth, but on particularly peaceful nights, he’ll allow himself to do so. Otherwise, he sleeps with his landing gear down and ‘locked’ (as a horse might sleep with their legs locked) on a mat, just because it’s easier on his tires than hard concrete. Sharatrap123 asks: Depending on what i am seeing, the PPAA and PWJ can basically eat human food or is it food specialized to be edible for vehicles only?

It’s actually both! Well, in my headcanon it’s both. So, while aircraft and other vehicles are definitely that, machines, their internal bodies have a lot of the same organic qualities that humans or other animals have. It’s the same kind of organic hybridization that makes their mouths malleable and their bodies have a bit more stretch to them. Because of this unique structure, their bodies have evolved to be able to ingest ‘human food’.

And, while oil is definitely their main source of sustenance (assume it’s like honey, in that it contains all of the life-sustaining properties) certain fruits, vegetables and other foods are important in keeping an aircraft healthy.

Funny story though, and I’ll get to talking about this eventually in a Tidbit, there aren’t any living mammals on their planet anymore (though not from reptiles and birds, who are coming back), so what has ended up happening is scientists basically formulated meat that is entirely plant-based (it’s a thing. Actually it’s a thing in our world too, it’s very strange XD) but still looks and tastes like meat.

Sharatrap123 asks: Also do humans exist in their world since i don't know how the heck they can be born or know things…

Headcanon-speaking...not anymore. There’s evidence to suggest people did, in fact, exist prior, but their records are extremely slim. No one is really quite sure what happened to them, nor how aircraft came to be the way they are (they are aware that humans had soulless, organless versions of them, but it’s believed that the two are not connected).

As for how they can be born and ‘know things’...oh you sweet innocent creature�� XD

Okie, I’m gonna cover all of this is my next Tidbit (Lord willing I get it out before I get too many more questions again XD) but in summary: Planes and helis do, indeed, reproduce by themselves; their bodies are hybridized constructs with organic beings (some speculate they might have relation to dolphins) which have allowed them their sentience; different types of aircraft have different designs relevant to the ‘how’s and ‘why’s of their reproduction, for example some have evolved forms of hermaphroditism; lastly, they do have live birth as opposed to laying eggs or them being ‘built’ (though I guess technically they still are, in a way..), though they will of course need modifications on their bodies as they grow older to keep them in tip-top shape.

I’ll get into the nitty-gritties in my next Tidbit, hopefully! I’m working on it right now! We gon’ have an aircraft sex-ed, ho’ boy! The funny thing is, it’s not the first public Planes sex-ed, it’s the second (“-I’d have two nickels! Which isn’t a lot, but you know it’s weird that it happened twice-”) so quick but very deserving shoutout to Bobblychicken for their own Planes Anatomy 101!

[raikkonenvettels]

hello and welcome to everyone seeing this to

where i tell you why these two men are so special and why you should vote for them! let’s begin!

preface -> 2003: seb in the ferrari garage and (possible) first meeting? (there is an italian article from 2013 where kimi says they have been friends for ten years. is it an hyperbole? probably but it’s very interesting)

2006: they were friendly from 2006 (info found in a finnish article from 2019). this confirms the earlier theory for sure honestly (aka they met). maybe they didn’t see each other that much but they certainty knew each other (courtesy of michael maybe? but this is just speculation don’t mind me)

2007: you all know what i’m going to say and i will say exactly that. kimi was the ONLY driver to look at seb in the eyes and to respect him from day one. also he took the drinks for him when the other drivers wanted to see seb drunk and embarrass him (kimi as a knight in a shining armor my absolute beloved <333 what a gentleman)

2008: i know it’s stupid but seb was asked to choose between felipe lewis and robert kubica for who he would support in the championship fight and he said kimi. the crush was definitely showing

2009: seb going to the finland rally aka kimi’s first rally and specifically waiting for him in the tent. kimi’s smile as he sees him while he descends the stairs is priceless <3 (also seb followed kimi’s whole race from the helicopter. he said it was a cool experience. yes i saw the video of him explaining how it was to be on a heli on tik tok iykyk)

2010: gay longing™️ (seb saying his only friend on the grid was kimi but he went away. poor baby give him back his man. also saying that kimi inspired him to win his championship)

2011: even more gay longing™️ (the autosport awards where seb was about to say he loved kimi and did his impression. just normal dudes things)

2012: the whole season BUT PARTICULARLY. seb saying he had missed kimi and he is happy he is back. china 2012 (seb taking the secret elevator to kimi’s room). whater the fuck that abu dhabi podium was (save nando pls)(they literally went crotch to crotch in that one idk what to tell you). also after the bahrain race where seb looked like he was going to devour kimi whole. you know just normal stuff

2013: singapore gp 2013. also kimi partying hard at seb’s championship party after having a fight with lotus (and most probably fucking that twink). also also kimi being the only person to alway and i mean always defend seb from the media and telling them seb is an amazing guy, always humble etc etc (everyone and i mean EVERYONE hated seb. all of the media too). ah and also “i prefer kimi” we get it babygirl you want kimi as a teammate. we get it. WE GET IT STOP SAYING IT IN EVERY SINGLE PRESS CONFERENCE.

2014: kimi saying seb is doing amazingly with the car he has even if he is struggling meanwhile everyone else was piling up insults at him. yeah. also their press conferences and driver pared were particularly gay this year (cue that one photo where the ferrari mechanics stare longingly at them while they are walking super close to each other. what a time to be alive)

2015: well…the whole reason he signed for ferrari in particular (apart from the fact it’s ferrari) was most probably because of kimi and their amazing relationship. also singapore 2015 anyone? (they were so gay in that one, press conference where they looked about to kiss al the time and everything else. do i have to remind you all about the pit board thing?). also this is the year of seb’s denial (it did not work we all know he is gay for that man)

2016: the quiz ferrari did in monaco and seb knowing kimi’s lap record. ok FANBOY. also idk if it’s from this year but seb saying that if he wasn’t in f1 he would be a kimi fan? i’m connecting the dots (he is insane about that old man). also china 2016 and seb apologizing to kimi. ALSO THEM HAVING A DATE LOOKING AT THE SUNSET AFTER THE RUSSIAN GP WITH WINE (and no i am not joking this actually happened)

2017: hungary 2017. need i say more? no but i will because honestly this being after monaco 2017 aka the race where kimi was PISSED (and rightfully so) for not having won AND he defended seb from the mercs willingly (seb had a problem to the streering wheel) and THEN seb not only said “thank you for helping me” in the cooldown room but also he does THE most iconic thing in the herstory of the sport and just. takes kimi’s hand on the podium. in front of literally everyone. in a homophobic country. and kimi just let him. iconic, no one will ever be like this

2018: seb is still on about how he prefers kimi as his teammate. also him being tricked into signing for ferrari for another two years because they told him kimi was going to be with him only for elkann to ruin everything (as he does)(also yes mauri wanted to sign kimi again. he gets it)

2019: “i’m not in love with kimi so i can’t say i miss him. but i do miss him” i don’t think sebastian vettel realizes the more you say something isn’t true the more it sounds like it is true (bc it is)

2020: possibly the year seb decided his relationship with kimi was going to be kept more private? also them deciding and going back from the australian gp together before anyone had even said it was cancelled. my iconic kings

2021: a lot of many different little moments (and seb still holding the umbrella for him, just like he did in 2008 and through their whole time together) + the retirement party speech. yes i do cry about it seb knows him so well and kimi looking at the screen??? i cry about it EVEN MORE

2022: monza gp. i know i might sound crazy but they definitely met and we just didn’t see it bc seb’s kids were there (it has been said seb took his kids to more races towards the end of the season/in this season in particular). also the behind the grid episode!!! (kimi being the biggest natural talent. that he doesn’t want to say they have a bond (they have))

2023: kimi being the only retired driver seb followed on instagram (mick is not included bc he didn’t exactly retire) and it stands true to this day :). ah and btw kimi, follow him back pls i know you love him showing tits for you but come on king

2024: “wdym this year??? we didn’t get anything this year—“ WRONG YOU’RE JUST NOT DELUSIONAL ENOUGH. i’m considering them being in the nordic regions at the same time a simi moment. they are old men in love yadda yadda yadda

anyways always remember

thank you for listening! (or well…reading)

Group A: Semifinal

[shikhartravels0]

Kashmir: The Magical Experience Which Makes Kashmir Irresistible

The brown of pine trees against a lovely contrast of white of snow and imposing mountain peaks, with a little bit of green. Everything but grey concrete buildings. This is the first impression of my Kashmir. The paradise which is so beautiful in summers enthralls you with its magic in winters. Nothing looks so much prettier as Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Pahalgam, and Srinagar are all cast in the snow. Look for your dream Kashmir Tour here.

Imagine season’s first snowflake grazing your cheek as you tilt your head upwards to the sky. When little beds of flowers are covered with snowflakes and so are the benches that line the promenade. And so is the pine tree that you can see from the window of your hotel room while you sip on the flavorful Kashmiri tea- ‘Kahwa’. You sleep peacefully in the cocoon of your room as the fire crackles in a Bukhari. When you wake up, the whole world beyond the window is encased in the purest white of snow. You revel in nature’s magic as snow encompasses everything around you and your heart.

Ready, steady and whoosh. The slopes of Gulmarg are India’s best and Asia’s 7th best for both novices and avid skiers. When you’re going at a speed and don’t know how to stop, just fall. This was one of the best tips for novices that I got from an instructor. And quite an easy instruction to follow! Riding a cable car in Gulmarg is truly an incredible experience. Hiking, skating, and heli-skiing are some of the other popular activities. There are quite a few local operators in Gulmarg who make arrangements for adventure sports. You can make a snowman and indulge in snowball fights with your family or friends or spouse or the local kids. I made my own ‘Olaf, the snowman’ and relived Disney’s ‘Frozen’ here. Kashmir is an experience that can be enjoyed both solos and with company.

The Shikaras are all at your disposal and so is the Dal Lake which lacks the hordes of tourists that throng in summer. You can experience the tranquility of the lake while you enjoy a ride on the Shikara in winters. The chirping of birds, the sound of prayers – Azan and the ripples of water are all you would hear. Of course, staying in a houseboat is also a distinctive experience that you can opt for. I spent some of my best times in Kashmir while I sat on the loveseats in the balcony of my houseboat in the wee hours of morning. The kingfishers and men selling flowers, vegetables and all sorts of wares came to my door on the lake. Of course, you can’t indulge in a ride in a frozen Dal Lake. But a frozen lake would be quite a lifetime experience to behold if and when it happens.

The golden beauty of Sonmarg turns into a sea of white. The ponies guide you through the Betaab Valley in Pahalgam to witness the winter magic. For the more adventurous, the Zanskar region is famous for one of the most thrilling treks in the world – Chadar trek. This 20-day trek is both dangerous and beautiful as it involves crossing the frozen river in a world that looks nothing less than the ice age at this time of the year.

There are a lot of things to do when you are in Kashmir. And tasting Kashmiri cuisine is one of them. Kashmiri Pulav, Yakhni, Kahwa and the Kebabs are of course mouthwatering delicacies. But you should also try Harissa which is the local Kashmiri food. The non-vegetarian delicacy that takes almost 12 hours to prepare with Lamb and rice as the primary ingredients is a staple diet of Kashmiris in winter.

You can stroll the markets to shop for some of the best pashminas, shawls, suits and woolens with indigenous embroidery that Kashmir is world famous for. The riots of colors of paper-mache and other Kashmiri handicrafts will amaze you.

Plus, you will get amazing discounts if you visit Kashmir in winter. So, before thinking of all those exorbitantly priced Switzerland packages, do experience Kashmir and its hospitality. It will rival any picture of Switzerland and that too on a budget with memories that would never fade.