#also to be clear i'm camp B but i absolutely love either

[beatcroc]

people who draw fake peppino with black nail poilsh versus people who draw fake peppino with multiple rows of teeth....the difference is small but we are leading very very different lives

[baby-brunette]

a spontaneous review of my perfume collection 🌹

i was about 14-15 when i picked up a bottle of Japanese cherry blossom from bath & body works. i practically wore it all the time & my fav thing about it was the way the glitter shimmered on my skin throughout the day. i haven't been to b&bw in a while so idk if they're even still making glittery perfumes. there's of course the floral notes but i remember it being kinda soapy too? like it kinda smelled like u just took a bubble bath with flower pedals lol. the memories aren't very clear but i get glimpses of summer camp, field trips, & when i & other girls wore wire cat ears, flower crowns & we popped the lenses out of shades cuz we liked to wear just the frame, y'all remember that right?

as for sweet cotton candy ( bodycology ) i don't remember buying it but i know for a fact i got it from walmart years ago. if japanese cherry blossom was in one hand, sweet cotton candy was in the other. idk why i took the sticker off tho. scc is almost sticky sweet, but not very overwhelming. i was stuck on these two for a good while as u can see i'm almost out. i refuse to use them now cuz jcb holds so many repressed memories & i scc has been discontinued by bodycology, they're very sentimental pieces to me.

i happened to find this one day & bought it on impulse. big mistake. it smells similar to the one i got from b&bw AT FIRST, but when it dries down its sweeter ( like splenda sweet, i hate splenda ) & the floral note fades quicker. also there's no glitter.. which is no fun. pretty bottle tho but i don't see myself wearing this anytime soon, it's not terrible just very bland & it's just not the same as the one from b&bw like i hoped it would be

i've made a post about this one already when i found it. i absolutely adore this scent, smells exactly like the one from bodycology. 🩷 it smells like pink sugar crystsls & it's not too sweet either. it's more like cotton candy ice cream rather than actually COTTON candy which is fine with me. btw i think this is perfect for bubblegum coquettes.

i got these years ago & i remember loving cupcake swirl at the time but it's just wayyy too sweet for me now. it's like disgustingly sweet which i guess is good if u like that kinda thing but i only wear it from time to time just to try to like it again lol. i tried giving it away to my friend but she didn't want it either. i think someone gave me cookie butter & it's also kinda strong but i like it.. it's slightly buttery like those Danish cookies. if i had to choose between the two i'd choose cookie butter, that's the one i used the most out of the two. unfortunately i haven't seen cookie butter anywhere since then. if i happen to come across more i'll definitely get s'more, i'm practically out. for some reason it reminds me of cool sunday mornings

ngl i saw my mutual post about this one in a mini haul & i went & got it. it smells lovely, sweet, floral, powdery. kinda reminds me of a night at the beach during a full moon, perhaps even a date night. this scent has an androgynous feel to it, i think it can be appreciated by coquettes & faunlets alike. now that i think about, maybe i'll get my bf to wear this... i think maybe dark or grunge coquettes would like this one

if u were around for Melanie Martinez's crybaby era but was never able to get her milk perfume ( i feel ur pain :ccc ), i think this a good replacement. i know i know, the notes are mainly powdery, not lactonic, but i think she'd wear this especially during that time, don't u agree? even the reputation this perfume has reminds me of melanie to a degree, not sm the slogan but the advertising & the way the models were dressed up ( also if there's anyone out there that has/had the crybaby milk perfume & u know of a perfume that's very similar PLEASE let me know.. ty :* )

i think this is the most recent one i got? i don't remember, but this is lovely. it's a fresh bouquet of lilies & jasmine & vanilla/syrup mix, i'm thinking more ethereal coquette with this one. this reminds me of marc jacobs commercials, it's what angels smell like. this is great if u want something sweet & simple.

strawberry pound cake is the scent i reach for the most as of right now, partly because my bf really likes it. you'll be walking around smelling like a strawberry pound cake of course, & who doesn't want that? while for me, strawberry pound cake is an everyday perfume, pretty as a peach is usually for occasions or when i'm dressed more mature/androgynous than usual. it's not everyday that i go around smelling like fresh fruits, but when i do, this is what i'll be wearing

this one isn't only the most eye catching of the bunch, it's also a classic coquette perfume that i'm so glad to have finally gotten my hands on. this is the most complex perfume i have so far. top notes are very sweet, fruity, mostly cherry, & at times can be nutty & smell of almond extract. needless to say, if u love the classic coquette look, this is a great finishing touch

last but not least, pink sugar! this one i find lasts the longest, i wore it to sleep last night & i woke up smelling just as good. this too is great for bubblegum coquettes & is great if u want a perfume that lasts all day. i swear i've used this exact same perfume even before japanese cherry blossom & sweet cotton candy. it was in one of those small roll on fragrance oil bottles. my mom bought it for me & i was so sad when i ran out. so glad i've finally reunited with this scent <3

[thawthebeez]

hey guys. tumblr user thawthebeez back at it again with yet another haikyuu essay B) the topic of today is one that i see NOBODY talking about which is crazy because this motif is (in my opinion) one of the main foundations of the kagehina community.

now may someone please explain to me why the HELL nobody ever talks about how whenever Tobio expresses an insecurity of ANY KIND, Hinata is ALWAYS the first one to swoop in and tell him not to worry about it?

yes, we've all established that Hinata Shouyou is the #1 Kageyama Tobio understander. we get that. BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN DISPLAYS OF THAT AND I'VE SEEN LITERALLY NOBODY SPEAK OF IT EVER.

i'm pretty sure there's an instance of it in season 2 (either that or my brain just made it up) when Tobio is a little worried about his and Hinata's quick attack not really working out but Hinata tells him "nah you'll figure it out eventually" or something along those lines. i'm not going to lose my shit over it because i can't find it but if you know YOU KNOW.

a part that i COULD find from season 2, however, was this:

here we have Tobio explaining how talented of a setter Oikawa is- how he's so much better than him- and it's clear that this is something he's insecure about given his facial expression.

THEN we have Hinata's INSTANT response:

and it blows Tobio away because WHAT

because, to paraphrase a little, Tobio basically just said "yeah oikawa can make any spiker look good no matter what team he's on" to which Hinata replied "yeah but that team wouldn't be Karasuno" which is essentially "Karasuno is strong enough as it is" BUT- if ur crazy- " dw he wouldn't take your spot babe" (<- which probably isn't how it's meant to be interpreted because they just finished talking about The Team That's Stronger As Six thing so like... context clues. it's probably not the insane interpretation).

ANYWAYS boom there it is. Tobio expresses insecurity, Shouyou swoops in and goes "Ermmmm Actuallyyyyy🤓" WHICH IS SO FUCKING ENDEARING ON IT'S OWN BUT THE FACT THAT IT HAPPENS MORE THAN ONCE AND AT SUCH A CRITICAL POINT TOO

the critical point in question being:

(context: Tobio just came back from his training camp in Tokyo and is a little frustrated because he's gotten so used to playing with other prodigies like himself so to go back to talented-but-not-prodigious players is a bit of a switch for him. don't get him wrong tho he loves this team to DEATH it's just a little different that's all. hashtag number one Tobio apologist right here)

SO THERE'S THIS! and it goes without saying that Tobio is DEEPLY insecure about his late middle-school days and being referred to as a king. Tsukishima adds a little salt to the wound and while I didn't take a screenshot of it Tobio makes this look of absolute HORROR after he says what he says

(which, side note, shows a lot of a character development within Tobio. especially since I've been flipping between season 2 and 4 a lot looking for these clips. Tobio didn't even notice when he was acting kingly before but he realizes it INSTANTLY now which is so so so good for him yayyyy character development!)

this also leads fantastically into my next tangent which is

TOBIO FUCKING APOLOGIZES!

now, admittedly this isn't entirely related to my thesis but i absolutely ADORE talking about this scene and i genuinely think it is one of the most prevalent displays of character development within Tobio because i feel like he tends to get overshadowed by all the other characters (especially Hinata, which i'm not upset about in the slightest like it makes perfect sense and if Tobio got all the attention all the time the show would be soooo unbalanced)

but I feel like a lot of people skip over Tobio's overall development over the course of the show. I mean compare s1 Tobio to s4 Tobio THAT IS NOT SAME PERSON ANYMORE. he grows so much over such a short period of time (which is another essay I could write. something along the lines of "Explaining Why Tobio And Shouyou Need To Be On Separate Teams Actually Because Character Development Purposes" because the amount of people i've seen on tiktok complaining about kghn being on separate teams and how they should just be on the same team forever makes my blood boil violently) and it's so refreshing to see Tobio's growth especially as a big Tobio enjoyer.

ANYWAYS back to the main thesis.

So Hinata steps in IMMEDIATELY here. literally cuts Tobio's apology off because HE HAS NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR. he was expressing his thoughts whatever that's fine he could have done it in a nicer way SURE but listen the guy still has a LOOOONNNGGGG way to go but still, nothing to apologize for. it's just growing pains, y'know?

now the quote "What's wrong with him being the King again?" appearing here isn't the first time we're seeing this. Hinata has ALWAYS been confused as to why calling Tobio a "King" is a bad thing. literally from day fucking one Hinata was like "nah dude I think that title is cool" WHICH, AGAIN, TOBIO BEING INSECURE ABOUT SOMETHING AND SHOUYOU REASSURING HIM THAT IT'S TOTALLY CHILL HELLO?????

LITERALLY FROM DAY ONE SHOUYOU HAS BEEN DOING THIS. THAT MAN MAY THINK TOBIO'S AN ASSHOLE SOMETIMES (and he kinda is) BUT NEVER WILL HINATA INHERENTLY HATE A PART OF HIM. and i don't think they realize it here nor do i think the realization comes soon after but at some point there will be the realization that they love each other. every single part. fucking Tobio probably realized it way back in junior high but that's a tangent for another time.

now this line.... this one right here...... oh my god i can be SO NORMAL ABOUT IT.

the main reason why Tobio had this look of HORROR on his face after he yelled at everyone was BECAUSE HE KNEW THE ENDING. he knew that yelling at them would have consequences (if it weren't for Hinata stepping in thank god). HE'S SEEN IT ALL BEFORE. in his final year of junior high he yelled at his teammates to run faster and jump higher and be better AND THEY LEFT HIM!!!

so Tobio yelling like this instantly makes him afraid that he's just ruined the entire balance of the team. he thinks he's going to be left behind again because he yelled and everyone is going to leave him BUT!!!!!

BUT SHOUYOU IMMEDIATELY JUMPS IN AND SAYS "idc what u say honestly if i don't like i'm just not gonna listen" OR, TO TRANSLATE "i'm not going anywhere regardless of what you say"

Tobio's biggest fear is losing this team. I literally do not need to explain why. that man would fucking DIE for this team (if you really need an explanation just to go the end of the Kamomedai match when Tobio admits that he's upset they lost because he wanted to play with that specific team more).

and for Hinata to essentially say "you could literally be as kingly as u want and i simply would not care, pal, i promise you i am NOT going ANYWHERE!!!" which has got to be SO FUCKING RELIEVING FOR TOBIO.

(also something something "nobody was there" / "i'm here" something something "doesn't matter what kind of toss goes up if you send it my way i'm hitting it" something something they're soulmates or whatever they are literally bound together by the universe they were destined to be together and it's a crime that universe kept them apart for so long and now that they're together they will always BE together two peas in a pod literally inseparable they are hot glued and duct taped together.)

and then there's this. i mean at this point you already know what i'm going to say like you get it by now but again IT MUST BE SO RELIEVING TO TOBIO to know that shouyou thinks his biggest insecurity is cool. that shouyou thinks that it's not something to be concerned about. that no matter what, no matter how much a King he is, they're not going anywhere.

SOMETHING SOMETHING "you drew stars around my scars" IF YOU EVEN CARE

and just the fact that it's always ALWAYS shouyou to do this. the fact that there was dead silence before shouyou spoke up. the fact that it's ALWAYS HIM there to understand Tobio (someone who has been misunderstood for as long as he can remember) GOD THEY DRIVE ME INSANE.

anyways thank you for being a witness to this madness👍

[caitsyoi]

I wanted to talk about FEDRA in Seattle a bit. What they did was super impressive, even if it did end really badly for them.

Under the cut because there are lots of pictures and I talk about FEDRA too. Actually, this got really out of hand but it is interesting af to me, so click below to read my thesis on FEDRA.

I think the singular most impressive thing that FEDRA did was building this wall. I estimate that the constructed about 5 miles of concrete wall (based on Dina's map and the distance in RL Seattle), and this wall is around 4 stories tall. I have no idea how they managed this during a pandemic of this size. Maybe Seattle got a heads-up from other infected areas, and maybe they set up temporary barriers first while constructing this one. Still, that is a lot of material to haul to and set up during a devastating outbreak like in the TLOU universe. It is insanely impressive.

They also set the QZ up into zones, and the zones were created using concrete walls about a story high. That's even more work they had to do, all the while fighting off infected and trying to keep everyone fed.

I can't imagine they were receiving supplies from outside for long, their supply routes probably didn't stay functioning too long past Outbreak Day. It's unknown whether they started up any farming of their own or if the WLF was the first to do that, but as you can see here, searching the buildings for food and supplies was a very important task. If that was all they had for food for 5-10 years, it is no wonder there was heavy rationing and food shortages.

Another interesting thing about this picture are the cleared zones. Based on this and Dina's map, they cleared the zone around the FOB, Capitol Hill (and another just outside the wall but still in the neighborhood of Capitol Hill), and they cleared parts of what I'm guessing was downtown (that is if the WLF use the same names for zones as FEDRA did). They hadn't cleared the stadium (implying they weren't doing any farming), or a lot of areas in the north central part of Seattle (what is referred to as the "Contested Zone" by the WLF, which you can see on Issac's map). The security situation in the QZ was a real mess.

FEDRA did make an attempt to move people out of less secure zones and into safer ones. You can see that in some of the notes you find and on the doors to some apartments. I actually looked this up to find out what it means. Basically, the "X" means "Dangerous - Do Not Enter", "0-6" is supposed to be time and date but it could number of survivors and corpses, "NE" means "No Entry" and it's where you would indicate types of hazards, and DOA is what you think it means (this is also typically where they state the condition and amount of people found). If you want to see the reference I used, look here.

In the notes you can find, it seems like the safe zones were not a pleasant place to be. They sound like the lawless refugee camps you tend to hear about in war-torn areas. It's not surprising that some people resisted going, like the Seraphites in the NW and the residents of Hillcrest in the NE.

Another unpleasant aspect of QZ life - rationing. This seems to be a thing in every QZ we see in game, although to be fair, we only see Boston and Seattle. All the citizens of the QZ were divided into 3 groups based on their role in the QZ. "A" ration cards are the best and held by soldiers, but it's unclear who got "B" and "C" cards. What is clear is that just like in Boston, this caused a lot of resentment towards the soldiers. The WLF used this resentment to recruit members, much like we saw with the Fireflies in Boston. It makes sense, since Issac used to be a Firefly.

Ration cards also worked as identification. It's what they needed to move between different zones or enter certain areas. The WLF probably got a lot of goodwill by falsifying ration cards (and it probably allowed them to move weapons and supplies around much easier).

This is how I figured out the soldiers were type "A". This was on the FEDRA trailers near the main gate, which are designated as authorized personnel only. It also says "ablebodied" here, which makes me wonder if there was forced conscription like you saw in Boston. This seems very likely to me. It also seems like there was not a high standard for those selected for conscription, other than being physically able to do it. Again, this was probably not a popular policy.

It's pretty brutal that they didn't allow anyone with any disease or condition into the QZ. This adds up for what you find out about FEDRA in other parts of the game, but it's still sad to think of the people who weren't contagious but were still denied entry. It's also sad to think of the contagious people who were denied, although that is a bit easier to understand (although still so fucked up).

You find a note near the Fuck FEDRA gate that lists the amount of people allowed in, the amount turned away, and the amount that were kicked out. Over time, the amount allowed in decreased to 0, and the amount turned away or banished greatly increased. Again you can see why they grew to become very unpopular.

Another thing you get from these signs is that there were a ton of restrictions: no photography in certain areas, you had to surrender your firearms, no freedom of movement, and you weren't not allowed to enter OR leave the QZ without permission. Again it makes sense when you are dealing with something as dangerous as the fungus, but you can still see why this was not popular with people. Life under FEDRA was pretty darn oppressive (though it isn't much better in that respect under the Seraphites or the WLF either).

They also had a curfew at night, which also makes sense. Honestly, I wouldn't mind this because who the fuck wants to go out and possibly come across infected in the dark? I wouldn't even want to see them in the light.

There are also signs all over former FEDRA property telling people to report any suspicious activity. This makes sense with dealing with infected people, there were probably a lot of scared, recently infected people who tried to sneak in. You can see though how this was probably not just used to locate potential infected, the WLF and possibly the Seraphites were also targeted.

This is another common sign you see. They really weren't afraid to use lethal force either, there are several notes mentioning how FEDRA was willing to kill without trial, just shooting those they suspect in the street. It is not hard to see why they were overthrown. Violence begat violence, and the WLF paid them back in kind.

It had to be so hard to live in the QZ and find out someone you care about is infected. If you don't report it and they found out (which I imagine they'd have to find out eventually), you could be killed as punishment. If you do report it, you are effectively killing them. I understand why FEDRA was so strict about infection, but damn is that brutal.

Last but not least, I love that they took real photos of the different kinds of infected. Some poor FEDRA soldiers were tasked with bringing back a runner, a clicker, a stalker, and a bloater. A pretty common story for soldiers everywhere, sometimes you just get the shit jobs. I also think it's funny that in Boston they just drew pictures instead.

I also love the advice they give. For runners, it's all about not letting them swarm you. For stalkers, it's all about checking your surroundings. For clickers, it's all about keeping your distance. Finally, for bloaters it's basically don't engage unless you absolutely have to. All great advice.

Another interesting fact, there is no indication that FEDRA was ever aware of the existence of Shamblers. The earliest mention is a WLF soldier who found one and left a note to report back. That means that this type of infected took at least 5-10 years to first show up.

And that's it for my FEDRA post. If you can't tell, the TLOU universe is interesting as fuck to me. Like, I would spend cash money on a book just about TLOU lore.

Once again, if you got through all this, you are my people.

[minilpark]

hi :) i hope you're not too overwhelmed with all the TGM ship requests! may i request a top gun ship? please and thank you!!

pronouns: she/her

personality: i'm quiet and reserved when i don't really know people, but when i open up, i can be quite loud and enthusiastic. i love making the people i care about laugh. i'll even make it my mission when am with friends who are introverted and on the quieter side. i'd say i'm a bit of a nerd in a sense that i like to learn fun, useless, facts, but more importantly, i like to learn things to affect change. i was a poli sci major in undergrad and am currently in grad school pursing an MA (and possibly will pursue a PhD but who knows). i gotta say, i'm terrible at setting boundaries but i'm working on it. it's a problem bc i often feel the need to help my friends with stuff but it gets draining. totally a secret but when i'm alone, i absolutely do karaoke as if i'm a famous singer and will sometimes imagine what my life would be life if i was a celebrity (yikes that sounds shallow). and although embarrassing to admit, i sometimes imagine myself doing interviews with talk-show hosts lmaoo

interests: big marvel/mcu fan; avid NBA fan

hobbies: singing; guitar; piano; painting; embroidering; reading; writing; gardening

likes: staying home; enjoying food and drinks; watching TV shows and movies; quick-witted people; meaningful and vulnerable conversations

dislikes: bigots; clear injustices; close-minded people; camping (i'm very much a city gal)

pet peeves: having a know-it-all attitude and a my-way-or-the-highway attitude because damn is it frustrating to converse with someone like that; people who can't communicate because helloooo, i can't read your mind!

ideal date: nothing in particular, as long as i'm spending it with the right person (lol corny i know)

favourite music, colour, season: i think my music taste is all over the place, but i'd say i mostly listen to pop, R&B, hip hop, and jazz. my favourite colour, hands down, is yellow. and lastly, my favourite season is fall because are you kidding? when the leaves change colours, it's gorgeous.

~ 🐞 anon (i hope this emoji isn't already taken haha)

lmao i may be getting a smidgen overwhelmed with ship requests, but it's fine! thank you for asking for one though! also, you are such a cool person i love your vibes.

anyways, you and fanboy would be great for each other.

mickey isn't necessarily an outgoing person, but he isn't a complete introvert either. when you're struggling to set boundaries, he will definitely help you with them and remind you that you deserve a break from taking care of your friends and to focus on yourself for once too. i've mentioned this multiple times, but i definitely think mickey is an actual nerd and fanboy about things. you two would definitely geek out over marvel content or anything else you two are interested in. imagine going to whatever new marvel movie comes out in the theatres on the premier weekend! anyways, besides this, i can definitely imagine the both of you staying home one night, eating some kinda takeout food, having drinks, and a karaoke night singing to all kinds of songs since you two enjoy similar music genres.

[camp-camp-imagines]

You're the first person to accept Woodscouts X Reader and I'm crying. Okay, my idea is Pikeman is radioing the others for part of their plan, however someone else comes over the radio. She got the wrong frequency and they start talking, they get along and it goes on for days. Then he asks to meet her. They meet on Spooky island and turns out the reader is a Flower Scout, it's a little awkward for them to talk in person so she picks up a rock and pretends it's a radio to help them talk again. ❤️

I LOVE IT!!!! Also sorry for taking so long… ;v;

~~~~~

Pikeman paced a lap around the table in his planning room; he was waiting for a confirmation response from Petrol about if their popcorn delivery had arrived at the front gates. He only stopped pacing when a static crackled from his walkie.

“Hello…?”

Pikeman nearly jumped out of his skin; that was DEFINITELY not Petrol OR Snake… A girl. How did a girl get on this channel? Pulling himself together, Pikeman plucked the walkie from the table and clicked the button on the side. “You are on a secured channel. Speak your name, rank, and how you got this channel number….!” Pikeman insisted, though his voice creeked slightly, having not been prepared to talk to a girl; speaking with Gwen was one thing because A) she was usually right in front of him and B) he expected rejection from her.

“O-Oh um… My mama told me never to tell strangers my name… Can we use code names…? That’s what you’ve been doing right…? With the other two you mentioned before…?”

Pikeman hummed a bit as he considered this suggestion; it was a reasonable excuse. Most parents didn’t like their children talking to strangers. His parents allowed him to be a bit more independant due to PROVING his responsibility with his position in the Wood Scouts, but even he knew never to give his full name unless introducing himself in person.

“Well I’m sure you already know my… Code name… So what code name do you wish to be addressed by?” Pikeman asked, managing a small smile as he waited for the girl’s response.

“Hmm… How about… Tiger Lily…?” the voice suggested, sounding a bit nervous. Pikeman tried to imagine what this ‘Tiger Lily’ looked like in his head. She sounded young, no older than him, maybe a few years younger. Tiger Lily, maybe a redhead like him…? No, lighter. More of a copper colour. Like the flower she chose to hide her name with. Freckles, of course… He was pulled from his thoughts when Tiger Lily called his name. “Mr. Pikeman…?”

Pikeman cleared his throat before speaking again. “My apologies, Miss Tiger Lily… I must ask again though how did you get this channel number…? Not that I am not enjoying our chat, but as I stated, this is a secured channel…” Pikeman asked, his voice a little less harsh than last time, but with his nerves calmed after receiving a name he could call her, his speech was even and didn’t have it’s previous creeking.

“But… You came onto THIS line…? I’ve only heard your voice the last hour or so…” Tiger Lily insisted, sounding confused.

Pikeman’s eyes widened as he looked down at his walkie channel; she was right. He must have clicked it to a different channel when he slammed it down before. “I’ll call you back.” He quickly insisted before readjusting his channel and clicking the call button. “PETROL, SNAKE, WHERE’S THAT POPCORN DELIVERY?!”

After hours of back and forth arguing and sorting and storing, Pikeman dismissed a pissed off Snake and a… Well a still ever neutral Petrol. Once they were gone from his sight, he let his head hang and let out an exhausted sigh; how could he have let such a small mix up cause so much chaos…? He’d have to be more careful next time with his radio.

The radio.

Pikeman glanced over at the radio that was sitting on the table across from him; Tiger Lily… Would she have waited all that time for him to come back? He’d been gone for so long. ‘She’s probably gone.’ He thought, trying to convince himself not to bother trying, but something gnawed at the back of his thoughts, telling him, BEGGING him to just… Check. Walking over to the table, Pikeman picked up the radio and fiddled a bit with the channel, setting it back to what he’d accidentally had it at before.

With a deep breath, he pressed the call button and spoke. “Tiger Lily, do you copy? Over.” He waited, counting the literal seconds in his head as he waited for a reply from his mysterious radio mate. He’d reached 57 in his head and was about to give up when suddenly there was a crackle from the speaker.

“Hello? Pikeman?”

Pikeman let out the breath he’d been holding and managed a small smile as he pressed the call button again. “My deepest apologies, Tiger Lily. I did not intend on taking nearly as long as we did. Apparently my right hand men aren’t nearly as competent as I thought…” Pikeman grumbled, walking over to his chair to sit. “But with my guidance, everything is sorted and ready for delivery.”

“Goodness Pikeman, you shouldn’t talk about your friends like that… You’re all a team, right? Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.”

Pikeman frowned a little, knowing she was right. “You are correct, my dear… Perhaps I expected too much from them… I’ve been… Irked lately due to our newest recruit from another camp… He means well and tries, but there is no bigger regret I have on this planet than not taking that lanky optimistic counselor Da-”

“He just needs positive reinforcement…! Make sure he knows he’s doing a good job, but lightly suggest another strategy for the things he’s not doing so well on…?” Tiger Lily suggested, cutting Pikeman off. “I know some people who are like that here too, but once you show them a different way and let them try, you definitely see a difference…”

Pikeman smiled again; Tiger Lily seemed like such a kind soul with plenty of intelligence to back it up. “I might try that… Thank you, Tiger Lily…” Pikeman leaned over the table a bit as he watched the radio like it was a screen. “You must be tired of listening to me complain… Shall we change the subject? Like… What sort of hobbies interest you…?”

“Oh gosh I absolutely love baking…! Though I think my favourite thing to do is when we have friendly competitions with the other camp troops… So many very talented people…!”

“I couldn’t agree more, my dear!” Pikeman exclaimed, grinning a bit again.

The conversation took off from there, dipping at times when Tiger Lily would disapprove of some of Pikeman’s methods before rising again when Pikeman realized what she meant and would continue the conversation. This went on for so long that Pikeman didn’t even realize he’d missed dinner.

“Oh goodness, is that really the time…?! I’m so sorry I kept you so long, Pikeman…!” Tiger Lily insisted, sounding rather guilty and ashamed.

Pikeman shook his head, even though she couldn’t see him. “It’s quite alright dear, the conversation was far too engaging for me to simply stop for a meer meal.” he insisted, standing from his chair to stretch his back and legs. “Our mess hall is usually open later on for officers, so I will still be able to get something, so long as the other officers haven’t eaten everything already.”

“I should probably go too… We’re supposed to make our own dinners here and tonight is pizza night.” Tiger Lily explained, a shuffling sound following her as, from what Pikeman assumed, she stood up. “Could we… Do this again tomorrow…?”

Pikeman had to keep himself from shouting yes at his radio; he couldn’t seem TOO eager… “Perhaps… Is your camp close to Lake Lilac? Tomorrow evening we could meet in person instead…? It would make this much easier to talk in person than over the radio, correct? We could meet on the island that Cameron Campbell’s old summer home is located on…?”

“You mean Spooky Island…?”

“Spooky what now?” Pikeman asked, raising an eyebrow.

After agreeing to meet, Pikeman and Tiger Lily bid their farewells and promised to meet the following night. The day felt like it passed far too slowly for Pikeman’s liking; he just wanted it to be after hours already so he could take the boat out… He was very quick to eat and finish dinner before he began pacing up and down the rows, making sure everyone focused on eating instead of talking because ‘talking could be done AFTER eating and clean down!’.

Once everything and everyone was clean and presentable, Pikeman dismissed them, waiting until every member of his troop was gone before heading off to the docks to borrow the boat; he was sure he was going to be late and hoped that Tiger Lily wasn’t waiting for him… Thankfully, it seemed he was the first to arrive, so he spent the time waiting for her just pacing and thinking; what if she saw his face and immediately didn’t want to speak to him again…? What if she was just nice over the radio but was actually rude in person…?

What if this was a trick by that damned Maxwell…?

Shaking these thoughts from his head, Pikeman stopped pacing upon hearing a boat slide up against the shore; she was here… Pikeman quickly flattened out his uniform and straightened his collar before standing at attention, his arms pressed against his back as he waited for her to appear.

The bushes rustled before a young girl appeared from behind them.

A girl… In a flower scouts uniform… She was very pretty with a cute pair of glasses on her nose, but… He was definitely not expecting her to be a member of one of his rival camps.

“A-Are you… P-Pikeman…?” She asked, taking a few steps toward him.

Pikeman nodded, his professionalism thrown out the window as he wasn’t quite sure how he should introduce himself now that he was seeing her in person. But from what he could see, she wasn’t sure either as her eyes were searching the sandy beach. He watched as she hesitated before hurrying over to the shore line and carefully lifting a flat rock out of the sand, washing it off in the water before bringing it up in front of her face. He watched as she tapped her thumb against the side of the rock.

“H-Hi… It’s Tiger L-Lily…” She stated, her eyes down as she said this before she looked back up at him and lift her thumb off the rock again. Pikeman looked confused at first until he watched her press her thumb down again. “C-Come in, Pikeman… Over…”

It clicked in his head what she was doing and he scrambled to find a rock like she did; he didn’t want to accidentally use his actual radio as it was set to the frequency for the other radios back at camp… Once he found a rock about the size of his radio, he too washed it off and held it like he would his own radio. “I read you, Tiger Lily! I… I must say, you are just as… As beautiful as your voice implied…” He insisted before lifting his thumb to give her a chance to speak.

Tiger Lily blushed, but giggled, pressing her thumb down again. “T-Thank you… You’re quite handsome yourself…” She said into the rock, but looked up from it to look to Pikeman, who was becoming red himself. Pikeman looked from Tiger Lily to the rock and back to Tiger Lily before taking the stone and tossing it into the lake. He then turned to Tiger Lilly, who looked rather shocked and started walking toward her, stopping just in front of her before offering her his hand. “W-would you like to go for a walk…?” He asked with a smile.

Tiger Lily’s eyes darted from the stone to Pikeman’s eyes a few times before she dropped the rock on the ground in exchange of taking his hand, a small smile playing at her lips as she nodded. “I-I’d like that…” She said softly, squeezing his hand before following him along the shore line for their romantic walk in the moonlight.