#and he was like. an assassin and espionage guy for the

[archie-sunshine]

TRANSFORMERS STRAGGLERS BELOVED ALREADY. Now's your chance to go off about what's going on with the decepticons over there

EEE THANK YOU!! and YES, FINALLY I CAN RAMBLE ABOUT THE DECEPTICONS!!

sO, as i've said, i'm not the most familiar with the combaticons. but in my research, what's come up the most is that onslaught is a plans guy, a habitual tactician, a danny ocean, etc etc.

and so I have given him leadership of this base of decepticons.

and an impossible challenge.

i'm giving onslaught a crisis of faith about his own ability to plan.

IM PUTTING A CUT BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY LONG BUT ENJOY!

If the autobots stationed at this outpost are disorganized, the decepticons are a mess. None of them are ready for the war to be over, none of them are ready to be STUCK HERE, none of them are ready to be at PEACE with the AUTOBOT SCUM they've been fighting against for almost YEARS NOW.

The general dynamic is that onslaught is really good at being the leader of the combaticons, but he is less good at being the leader of other bots outside of his team because he hasn't focused on building a rapport with any of them. The simple fact is that he assumed they would all be leaving this outpost soon enough, and so didn't bother to bridge the gap between his team members.

He butts heads often with deadlock- because deadlock hates taking orders- but his relationship with slipstream is even worse.

Slipstream is a stealth jet, she's a loner who prefers to just do her job and keep a low profile. She was given this job as an easier placement following a particularly bad failed espionage mission. She was told she would only be making strafing flights for surveillance purposes and occasionally assisting in basic maintenance or sabotage. And then the base received a trio of new seekers and Onslaught, not knowing seekers as well, made her their wing commander arbitrarily.

Those seekers were the rainmakers, a pack of codependant, antisocial, sadistic outlier experiments with incredibly poor social skills who immediately magnetized to her like a bunch of creepy cats. She hates all three of them so much, while they adore following her around and observing her (as in this continuity they're pretty fresh out of the test tube and have lacked any socialization outside of shockwave and being brought to battles.)

Deadlock on the other hand was kicked off of a more elite team by Megatron as punishment for killing his superior officer. He was previously a favourite assassin of Megatrons, and so Deadlock is now seething and holding a massive grudge against the warlord for not only banishing him, but then immediately rolling over and conceding the war right after. He's all knotted up with anger about everything that's going on, when of course, what should happen but the doctor that saved him reappearing!!

yes, yes, stragglers ratchlock real.

While the rest of the crew are bickering and raging about the war being over, Ambulon couldn't be more thrilled about it. He's one of the first on the decepticon side who really embraces the peace. He gets picked on frequently (mostly by the rainmakers, again, more about them to come) and sees his status as a decepticon as barring him from ever fully becoming a legitimate doctor. With the war over, he is the first that begins to mingle with the autobots by way of tutoring under ratchet, and commiserating with first aid.

The combaticons are also a complex lot, with each of them having their own despair surrounding the end of the war.

Vortex is aghast at the end of the fighting. He finds himself breaking into fits of destruction between long periods of apathy. Though he's mostly a character who is used for comedy here, he still struggles with feeling aimless and constantly bored without the war. He and whirl also have a mutually destructive pseudo 'friendship' where they beat the ever living shit out of each other for seemingly no reason.

Swindle is understandably distraught, seeing as his entire business as an arms dealer just went tits up on the cybertronian side. For much of the beginning of the story swindle would be refusing to leave his room, pitching a huge fit about everything being ruined. Eventually, he would be one to advocate for peace with the other base, if only for the financial opportunities it could present.

Brawl is arguably the least affected by the end of the war. He's not stupid, but he is simple, so he knows as long as his fellas are around he's going to be able to find work, and they'll probably just go back to being mercenaries. What really annoys brawl is more the fact that they're stuck here. he's usually the first to jump at an opportunity to fight, and is the one who objects the most when the group finally is forced to work with the autobots. It also goes without saying that he is fiercely loyal to Onslaught, and is usually the first to agree with his boss.

Blast off is conflicted. He is deeply enamoured with onslaught, and admires his leadership skills very much. He is Onslaught's second in command, and he holds that title proudly. He is reserved, and quiet, distant from his teammates despite being incredibly loyal to them. He struggles between feeling relieved that the war is over, and knowing his crew would likely all rather be fighting. He also struggles with a great deal of guilt, knowing that if he really wanted to, he could leave, but he'd be leaving his crew behind.

AND finally, ASTROTRAIN shows up a couple 'episodes in', crashlanding on their planet on his way back to cybertron. Immediately, the decepticons leap to help fix him up and try to brownnose to get him to give them a lift back home. HOWEVER, astrotrain has been doing a lot of thinking on his way back home. He's realizing how much of his life has been spent ferrying people around not getting any time for himself, just being a glorified taxi service for a load of ungrateful jerks....

and then he looks out at this beautiful quiet organic planet with a nice big energon vein, far off from cybertron and all his nagging bosses... and he goes.

"I quit. and im staying right here actually."

:D

BUT YEAH!! thats sort of the deal of all the cons right now, i'll update with drawings of all of them when i can!!

[jaderabbitt]

Incidents (2)

in which there are many incidents where people forget you are the wife of one Bucky Barnes.

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: Descriptions of Violence, Singular Usage of Y/N, Mentions of Racism/Segregation, Canon-Typical Violence, Mentions of Death, Reader flirts with a woman jokingly but is otherwise of unspecified sexuality, jaderabbitt's esoteric writing style, not beta-read so if you find spelling mistakes, i WILL game-end myself Tags: whipped for his wife!bucky, not a John Walker friendly fic, some angst, comedy, angst with fluff, not good at tagging xo Riga, Latvia

Approaching the “safe” house that Zemo had apparently owned did little to settle your nerves regarding the entire situation. Madripoor had gone to shit, and fast, and you could not believe that they had convinced Bucky that it was a good idea to become the Soldat again.

Whole lot that did.

The two men walking in front of you knew better than to try and rope you into their conversation, though it seemed that Zemo was doing a lot of the talking. Bucky simply walked alongside you, slowing his gait to match yours as you let the events of the past twenty-four hours stew in your head. He had even wrapped his warm blooded arm around your waist, but you refused to lean into his touch–instead, you crossed your arms as you walked. 

There wasn’t much that could’ve taken you out of your current state. 

Sensing vibrational pulses that were abnormal for the surrounding climate, would.

Your pace had slowed even further as you looked around for the source of where the waves were coming from. Bucky’s arm tensed around you, as if he had also sensed what you were searching for.

“–of course not, why would you? We are here.” Zemo announced, promptly stopping in front of a door.

“We’ll meet back here. I need to talk to her alone,” Bucky blurted out, pinning you with a look that said trust me. You nearly rolled your eyes instinctively at how this man was an assassin for so long, yet couldn’t even come up with a convincing enough lie in the moment. It was no wonder why Hydra had you as the espionage asset and kept him behind the scope of a sniper.

Sam’s brows furrowed as he watched the interaction. “Y’all good?” He asked, his eyes darting back and forth between your figures.

“Yeah. We’ll see you guys in a bit.”

Sam gave you both one last suspicious look before walking into the building. You stood watch as Bucky leant down to pick up what you instantly recognized as a Kimoyo Bead. Hissing between your teeth, you ran a hand down your face; you were in for it now…

Bucky stood back up and turned, seeing you with an open and outstretched hand. He winced as he dropped it into your palm, already sensing the headache building on the forefront of his wife’s head. You snatched the bead up, beginning to massage your temple.

“Sweetheart–”

��Save it, James.”

You had already begun walking towards where you felt the next bead’s pulse, following it like a breadcrumb trail. His jaw quickly snapped shut and he nodded, at least having the wherewithal to look a little guilty.

— — —

You found yourselves in between what seemed to be an alleyway. The walls of the buildings on either side were peeling–and an eyesore yellow color to boot. The street itself, however, was immaculately clean. 

Truly, the alleys of New York could never. You half expected a rat the size of Bucky’s forearm to skitter across any second. The edges of your lips quirked up as you remembered when you both found out just how big the rats had mutated to over the decades. Time and a place, you reminded yourself.

“You dropped something,” Bucky called out, clearly trying to rouse whichever Wakandan had led you here. Something told you that you both had an idea on exactly who. “I was wondering when you were going to show up.”

You quickly turned around, coming face to face with Ayo.

The grin that creeped along your face was inescapable.

“Ayo, you finally came to visit me?” You purred, sauntering up to the Dora Milaje warrior. While she had meant to be all intimidating and serious business, the minute her eyes went from Bucky to you, there was a noticeable glimmer that came over her. You had pressed your cheeks to hers on both sides, making faux kisses in greeting. While it wasn’t one that was customary in Wakandan culture, you felt it appropriate to greet your friend.

You took a glance back at Bucky, where his eye twitched and his jaw ticked–a sign you knew meant that he was grinding his teeth.

The Wakandan warrior curled a hand under your chin, which made you let out a pleased hum in response. Her eyes quickly darted back towards your husband, and narrowed back into the expression that anyone knew meant that she wasn’t going to ask twice.

“I am here for Zemo.” She said in Xhosa, her grip on you leaving as she approached your husband. “How could you free him?”

“We need his help,” he answered plainly, and you sighed. You knew that you did need the man, but that didn’t make him less of a stain upon the earth.

Ayo had begun to prowl around the ex-assassin, chastising him. “With time, will, and the resources, the Winter Soldier programming was removed from you like a rotten fur.”

“And I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for everything you and Shuri have done–”

“Zemo murdered our King T’Chaka at the U.N. The man who chose us–” she paused, glancing down for a second before correcting herself, “who chose me to protect him.”

“I understand–”

“Very little, if anything, of our loss and our shame.”

You watched Bucky search for the words–any words, really–to respond to Ayo in a way that justified what he had done. You truthfully couldn’t find them either. It had not been you who had freed the psychopath, but…were you not one in your own right, after what you did?

You held your tongue, but it did not feel good. You swore a vow–in sickness, and in health. You trusted your husband’s decisions, even if you didn’t agree wholeheartedly with them. You would figure it out. Together.

“He’s a means to an end.”

Hearing him speak the language of the country you both had betrayed broke your glass heart into aching shards. It reminded you of your days together in the peaceful land. You had taken quickly to the people and your small community, even volunteering to assist in the childcare of the tribe. They had been weary to allow an outsider to do so, but the king’s trust in you was not taken lightly.

“Eight hours, White Wolf. Then, we come for him.”

She had held her palm open for Bucky to place the beads in, but you were quick to approach and place them in his stead. Her other hand gently enclosed over yours before you could pull away.

“Aneeka and I miss you terribly, Little Lamb.” Ayo smiled, her eyes softening as she gazed into your own. 

You couldn’t help but pout at that, sighing in defeat.

“You know I am a faithful woman, Ayo–”

“Please stop flirting with my wife.”

“I know, Little Lamb. But, if you ever change your mind…” She gave a chuckle and a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows as she began to walk away. You suddenly felt like the sun was sweltering as she winked back at you, and you bit your lower lip in return.

Bucky growled, grabbing you by your hips and pressing your backside to his front. You gasped as he bit down into the crook of your neck, effectively marking you in front of the other woman.

Hence, the name White Wolf.

– – –

“Something’s not right about Walker.”

You quirked an eyebrow at your husband as he shed his jacket on his way to the cabinets, giving his figure a once over. He caught your look as he glanced back to offer you a glass, but you shamelessly kept gazing. It was a shame you couldn’t see the angry red blush that was surely creeping along his chest as his head snapped back towards pouring a drink, almost hitting against the open cabinet door.

“You don’t say,” Sam snorted, looking back down at his phone.

“Well, I know crazy when I see one–”

“I’d be very careful with how you finish that sentence, dear.”

“–because I am crazy.”

“Nice save,” you smirked.

“Can’t argue with that.”

You plucked the decanter from Bucky’s hand, holding his right hand in your own, forcing him to pick up the glass with his metal one. He squeezed it gently as he took a sip of the whiskey, going on to argue about the shield once more with Sam.

His thumb rubbed circles into your skin, not even flinching as the door was slammed open by none other than John Walker himself. He simply sighed and made to grab the decanter again, and you knew he wished for nothing more than to regain the ability to get drunk in this moment. You shooed his hand away from the alcohol, taking a swig straight from the glass bottle when he turned his back towards you to look over at Walker.

Next thing you knew, a vibranium spear was embedded into the wall inches from Walker’s face.

You gave a low whistle, knowing that it had been a warning; the Dora Milaje don’t just miss. You smiled and gave a wave to the now weaponless warrior who had appeared. She gave an enthusiastic wave back upon recognizing you.

Bucky scowled and grabbed your hand, stopping you from distracting the ladies joining in on the fun.

He shamefully looked down as Ayo began to speak, knowing she was addressing him specifically.

“Even if he is a means to your end, time’s up.”

You tilted his chin up to look at you. The gray in his eyes always seemed to become more prominent when he was thinking negatively like this. He leaned into your touch near imperceptibly, very much aware of the situation in the room.

“Release him to us now.”

Your head snapped towards Ayo once Walker started addressing her. “Well, let’s put down the pointy sticks–”

Your husband was born during segregation and you don’t think even he would voice such a microaggression.

“...you might wanna fight Bucky and (y/n) before you tangle with the Dora Milaje,” you heard Sam say, only half paying attention to the conversation.

You watched in abject horror as John Walker went to touch Ayo. “Walker, don’t–”

The grimace that spread as you watched her lay Walker out on his ass was almost sympathetic. You were mostly just uninterested in being involved in the death of the newly appointed Captain America.

“We should do something.” Sam pointed out to you and Bucky.

The latter of which simply wrapped an arm around your shoulder to pull you against him, smirking like he was watching a cage match where his bet was winning.

“Lookin’ strong, John!” Bucky cheered sarcastically, making you snort.

“Bucky.” Sam hissed, looking to you as if he was asking you for help.

“You’ll land a hit eventually, Walker!” You added, looking Sam dead in the eyes.

You both begrudgingly conceded to stopping your affair-in-waiting-should-Bucky-fuck-up.

Watching your husband’s metal arm fall off his torso had startled you as much as it did him. You looked to Ayo, mouth agape, as she condemned him. The betrayal in his eyes as you locked gazes with him was nothing short of visceral. You quickly rushed over to pick up the fallen limb, helping him reattach it. His daze didn’t last very long; he never was one to allow himself to think instead of running on instinct alone.

“Buck, look at me.” His face locked back into an impassive expression, but his eyes couldn’t lie. Not to you. “I’m with you. ��Till death do us part, remember?”

I’m with you ‘till the end of the line, pal. xo likes, reposts, comments appreciated <3 taglist: @seventeen-x @svtbpbts @mizz-kraziii @rafesgurl

[dcdreamblog]

so You Have talked a bit About Shadow ORGANIZATIONS ON The past and There One i Want to Know a bit more About

CHECKMATE

What Was Up With Them?

What did They Have to do With That Waller Lady How Feels like She Had a part in Every Shadow org and That Maxwell Lord Guy?

and Why did Everything About Them Have Something to do With Chess? i just NEED to know

"Checkmate" known in official documents as the "Metahuman Monitoring and Defense Directorate" (when it was forced to come up with a real name after being dragged into the spotlight after the OMAC mess) was originally an American espionage organization created by infamous politico Amanda Wallter as a more intelligence based branch of her Task Force X directive.

(The organization's logo, showing a knight chess piece in a crosshair half filled with a chessboard pattern)

Its original mandate was to support Task Force X through the collection of intelligence and to undermine metahuman or extranormal threats through the use of targeted assault, cyberattack or assassination. Its internal bodies are all named after chess pieces. King/Queen (Co-Head of Operations) Rook (Intelligence Correlation and Planning) Bishop (Communication and Mission Overwatch) Knights (Field Operations) Pawns (Logistical or Mechanical Support)

Basically from the instant of its foundation it fell back into the same bad habits anything with Waller's name on it does. Paranoia surrounding superheroes leading to alliance with untrustworthy partners that then lead to deadly outcomes. It and every other spy agency like it at the time from the Force of July to the clandestine project that produced Captain Atom were all turned against one another by the terrorist group Kobra through a very simple false intelligence scheme that nonetheless wiped out more than 2/3rds of Checkmate's manpower and its original base of operations. The organization hung around for a few years after that playing cops and robbers in the shadows until eventually it was co opted by a madman by the name of Maxwell Lord who had taken governmental paranoia of superhumans to a violent extreme and planned to use Checkmate as a cudgel to destroy all metahumans on the planet. Unleashing the OMAC virus as the climactic assault on the superheroes of the world in a pointless tragedy that left both Lord and the beloved second Blue Beetle dead. It was THIS even that unveiled Checkmate to the world, acting FAR beyond it purview and having been taken over by a murderous con man with a bigoted grudge it was disbanded by law after a several hour private conversation between the then president and the Martian Manhunter that revealed just how deeply rotten the organization was. Never one to waste an opportunity to throw good money after bad the organization was then REconstituted by the UN Security Council in an attempt to create a body that could police and corral the metahuman population (which always goes SO well). The intention was to balance out that directive by including experienced superheroes within the organization including Alan Scott, the second Mister Terrific and Fire to name a few balanced out by a human counterpart for each superhuman agent. As one can imagine this almost INSTANTLY went awry, within days of the organizations refounding it had invaded the sovereign territory of the French Republic seeking a domestic corruption scandal in an attempt to strong arm the nation into supporting Checkmate in the general assembly. Directly after THAT the organization nearly came to blows with China's Great Ten when a clandestine infiltration of a Chinese facility turned out to be an invasion of the Ten's secret base of operations. While that mess was deescalated before it got bloody, the act of deescalating with his Chinese counterparts saw the United States forcing Alan Scott to resign because he had saved the Chinese government from a public embarrassment. Showing that the organization was going to spend its time getting dicked around by international partisan interests despite its charter as an international peacekeeping force. Gaff and scandal were layered on top of gaff and scandal as a scheme to blackmail former Justice League member Fire into committing assassinations for the organization lead direction into laying groundwork for Operation: Salvation Run a HORRIFICALLY inhumane plot to deport Earth's supervillains to an uncharted planetoid in a distant galaxy without trial. This final, MASSIVE fumble lead to every superhero within the organization resigning in protest and to force the resignation of Waller from all of her government posts pending criminal investigation and government court martial. Checkmate is just one more attempt at the governments of the world to play Mutually Assured Destruction with the global superhero community that falls apart because superheroes have no leverage by which to be blackmailed and any wider worries about a superhuman takeover always end up being so much hot air and paranoia. Government doesn't like superheroes because superheroes don't answer to government. And stories like Checkmate's are a good example of why that is a 100% positive dichotomy

[aetheloria]

Ah thank you for answering my ask! lets see… what is Soundwave up to in your au? -🪳

Im happy you asked about him ngl, his lore is a bit of a wild ride.

Soundwave was constructed cold amongst four others of his frame type (Tape decks, Blaster is one of them!) by the council to be used for espionage and surveillance to aid in catching organized criminals alongside their cassette tape companions. My Soundwave was also born with very little vision! He sees in the same way Toph from ATLA does.

However, with his outlier ability, he was separated from the rest and essentially groomed to be a teacher's pet.

The flow of government after the age of Primes needs its own post, but Soundwave worked primarily under Nova and Magnus to keep tabs on everyone elected into any official role. Only Magnus, Sentinel, and Nova were aware of his ability to hear thoughts.

He never had any issue with ratting traitors out. He never was a fan of deceit, and his friends at the top treated him so well! Why would anyone plot against them??

Until brand mew elect Senator Shockwave. Traitorous? Yes. Genuine? Also yes..? Soundwave was fascinated. How could this mech be lying for good? He kinda followed him around for a while, while keeping his mouth shut. He's not sure when spying for the council became spying for himself, but he just couldn't stop observing. This guy was kind. Just to be kind. Not for his own gain.

Everything the 'Primes' of the council claimed to be.

He was enamored with his ideas-- with his vision for the future of Cybertron. They seemed so outlandish, and so wonderful.

He got sloppy; He wasn't focused like he would be if he was on duty. He was too busy enjoying following a silly crush around like a stalker. Shockwave absolutely noticed, and eventually confronted him about it. Luckily for Soundwave, he's got a cute face.

A vorn later and they were conjunxed 🎉

Shockwave filled his head with ideas of rebellion, ending the corruption from inside the government. A world where everyone is free to be themselves without limits based on their frame. Soundwave saw a new perspective, and realized how terrible the system really was. They were

The council wasn't too fond of Shockwave. He had a way with people. He motivated them with his charisma. He was a problem. And he had their best spy wrapped around his servo.

So they got rid of him.

Nova and Sentinel told Soundwave he'd been assassinated by a civilian. All he felt radiating off of them was deceit. He knew they did it.

He fled. He had no idea where he could go, but he couldn't stay there a second longer. He ran, and he didn't stop running. He eventually exhausted himself, and found himself on the outskirts of Iacon. Notorious for being sketchy and violent crime. Having spent his entire life privileged, he wasn't very smart. Everything about him screamed high caste, and it didn't take long for someone to take the opportunity.

He was kidnapped, and taken to Kaon against his will. He was then bought and sold to an illegal underground fighting ring. Nothing packs in crowds of exhausted laborers like watching someone privileged and rich get slaughtered by someone just like them.

Unfortunately for them, Soundwave refused to die. With no combat experience, a sword that was too heavy, and cassettes to protect, he managed to defeat and kill a gladiator by listening to his thoughts. (Gettem dude!)

This method proved to be quite successful, and he eventually ended up catching a lot of attention, including Megatron. He was impressed, but he also suspected foul play. Soundwave was visibly blind. He came and interrogated him (in his shitty little makeshift prison cell) and was fascinated by such an outlier ability. It was exactly what he needed.

He befriended soundwave, and after hearing about his late conjunx, convinced him to run away with him to start the rebellion. (There was definitely some megasound action going on here lol.) so they did. That whole plot is a post in itself, and this has run quite long already so ill save that for another time; This is pretty much everything for his pre war life!

Thanks for the ask :3 (I totally need to draw pre war wavewave wedding pic omg.)

[soullessbullshit]

Okay, hear me out.

Raz and Darien play very similar narrative roles in their respective factions' storylines, but their core characters are night and day from one another.

Razum-dar is cunning, keen, and deceptive. He plays the role of a flirtatious rogue with a daedra-may-care attitude, masking the manipulative, hyper-observant machiavellian that lies beneath (which, looking back at some of my years-old Raz posts, actively deceived me for a while).

Raz deliberately carries himself with an air of shallowness, nonchalance, and overconfidence to ensure that most underestimate him, providing more opportunities to subvert their expectations. By feigning minor incompetence, Raz is able to more easily manipulate not only his enemies, but his allies as well, into lowering their guard just enough to get what he needs. It's through his mastery of this routine that he so fervently excels in the realm of espionage and inquisition.

In several instances throughout the game, Razum-dar has lowered the mask just enough to showcase how ruthless, driven, and pragmatic his methods truly are (reprimanding the Vestige for refusing to let him die in Senalana, killing a seditious extremist in front of his father with zero hesitation or remorse, etc.) His laziness is just as much of a ruse; the guy conducted a full-blown investigation on vacation (which he only took out of mandate in the first place) simply because the opportunity presented itself and his Spy-dey senses started tingling.

Razum-dar has been likened even more so to fellow Fruit Ninja Naryu Virian, as both are incredibly charismatic covert ops who toe the line between distant and gregarious at every turn. That being said, I would genuinely argue that Razum-dar is an even more detached individual than Naryu. For all her "heartless assassin" swagger, Naryu has prioritized attachment over pragmatism or responsibility on at least a couple occasions, while Raz has yet to make a major decision for any known reason beyond responsibility or fixation. Were Raz in Naryu's shoes during the Morrowind DLC, I earnestly believe he'd kill Veya unless physically prevented from doing so.

Darien Gautier, on the other hand, is a lot of what Raz pretends to be. He's idealistic, he's naive, and he's incredibly cavalier. He's an aspiring knight in shining armor with, much like Raz, a genuine knack for his vocation.

In overt contrast to Raz, Darien is an individual with whom what you see is what you get. His methods and occupation take a far more direct approach as a front-line warrior, imposing himself between danger and those he's sworn to protect while beating back threats in direct combat.

For all his growth in his time as the Golden Knight, we only get to see so much of it (easily one of the most glaringly missed opportunities in the game), as he only shows up towards the end of his tenure for half of one DLC that afforded little room for individual characters to breathe. That said, while he does come off as far more level-headed and situationally aware in that time, he clearly retains a more centered version of his defining characteristics from the Covenant questline. Darien is optimistic, encouraging, and hopelessly devoted. He's the radiant heart of every team. He's a warm font of hope and morale. He's defined by his compassion and his desire to do right by those who need it.

While both have willingly sacrificed themselves for others, Darien did so in last-ditch efforts to protect the people for whom he cares, while Raz insisted on doing so out of a sense of pragmatic obligation. While both have manipulated others for the advancement of their objectives, Darien did so as a case-specific (albeit self-indulgent) necessity, while Raz does so both as his modus operandi and as a far broader, pettier pastime. While both are characterized by a fierce devotion to their respective vocations, Darien's is rooted in altruism and a heroic ideal, while Raz's is rooted in personal loyalty and a desire for purpose and fulfillment.

If these two were to work together, beyond the hyper-tangential capacity in which they did so in the Summerset DLC, I believe they'd have very different opinions of each other.

Darien would likely buy into Raz's persona completely, maintaining an active rapport and (ironically enough) trying to get him to take a more active initiative in their objectives. Raz would immediately figure out exactly what makes Darien tick, seeing him as an incredibly simple and useful asset to manipulate, but also a potential liability should his idealism cloud his judgement. He would definitely still enjoy engaging and interacting with him, though he'd be about as surface-level as can be, presuming Darien not to last long as the front-liner he is and devising plans around that notion.

In any moral decision, the two are butting heads. Unless Raz manages to successfully gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss Darien into submission and/or confusion, most of his solutions to such quandries would most certainly prompt a less-than-favorable response, and in some cases, maybe even direct intervention.

The difference between the two is genuinely one of my favorite things to consider while writing Khoshekh, considering the comparable degrees of significance (albeit of wildly contrasting natures) the two play in their life over the years.

No way in Oblivion I'm not absolutely milking the rare crossing of threads come Summerset. Especially with the SBverse Summerset arc occurring nearly a decade into the story after a several year timeskip, rather than literally the entire game happening in the same year (y'all can't tell me that entire questline isn't some table-indulgent high-level post-campaign shit).

That drama's gonna be fun.

[forwards-beckon-rebound]

batfam as hamilton (yes the musical) characters

bruce as aaron burr and jason as alexander hamilton

look me in the eye and tell me that hamilton and burr's dynamic is not basically bruce and jason

like jason is this poor kid who's ambitious and has a lot of things he wants to change about the world

for both selfish and selfless reasons but we see him go from the hero to a more morally grey character throughout the musical

he's constantly critiquing burr for not doing enough and just going with the status quo

literally bruce not willing to kill any of his villains and jason being like the joker has killed so many people because of it

like is this part of the song not just basically that one scene in under the red hood

also burr is sort of a mentor figure to hamilton until they realize they don't agree on their principles

dick as hercules mulligan

ngl i don't really have an explanation for this one except i think he would like milfs and i trust him with espionage the most out of the robins

and yknow the whole playboy thing but also when he gets down to business he gets it done

damian as marquis de lafayette

badass, gets shit done, friends with hamilton (i want to hc that jason andd damian did hang out in the league of assassins even though that's not really true because i think they both need more positive sibling relationships and also i love how similar the characters are)

also lafayette comes with financial backing for the war and damian's loaded

joker as king george iii

weirdly obsessive

i mean he’s the antagonist i feel like that’s obvious

but like how king george is barelyyyy a villain in hamilton and most certainly does not crack the top 5 list of most interesting characters, joker is also honestly overhyped and overrepresented in batman adaptations

also i want to see jonathan groff play the joker if they ever do a batman musical, sue me

barbara as eliza schuyler/george washington

BUT ONLY ELIZA AND I DO MEAN ONLY BECAUSE OF THAT ONE VOICE NOTE IN ARKHAM KNIGHT (i don't ship them guys i promise)

“come home jason, we can fix this” and we know how that went

but honestly, i see her as the voice of reason

she kinda knows everything, gives them guidance yknow

like george washington kind of doesn’t get himself too involved in the political drama, he usually just gives advice or tells hamilton to do stuff lol

soooo basically oracle?

also i like washington and i like babs it's as simple as that

[ruthytwoshakes]

Bunch of two fort ladies hell yeah B)

headcannons of inconsistent length below the cut

Zhanna: reeeeeeoow!!! She’s so gorgoryse . gay as hell about all these women tbh. Yeah I just gave her body hair and thicker eyebrows because it’s cool as fuck. And a bear claw scar from when she tried to take home a baby bear when she was little. I think she really likes bears and wants one as a pet. Maybe the bear and soldier’s raccoons would get along aww <33

Admin: yipppeee evil old lady!!!!! . Gave her acne scars , think she would pick her face when she was younger and the scars never faded. shes so pretty heruhghhsg. She smokes these fucked up super long cigarettes idk. I like her wonky nose, maybe she got into a fight or something and broke it.

Scouts Ma: oh man I have so many ideas for her hehehhe. Okay so her name is Jenny, shes Puerto Rican, moved to Boston when she was a young adult, and she’s around the same height as sniper. She’s green because she’s both the scouts mother, and I didn’t want her to be purple like Pauling and Admin I wanted her to be her own person. Her heart locket contains a bunch of pictures of her boys that all cartoonishly fold out to the floor when she opens it up.

She’s bi and poly, and currently dating both the spies because I think it’s funny. I can’t decide if both the spies would also be dating each other or would hate each other, maybe it depends on the time of day. Oh also she used to be an assassin! Maybe that’s why she had to move because she got found out at her old hometown. Anybody who got too rough with her boys were never seen again, only reason the scouts made it out alive lol.

She’s only recently gotten back together with the spies, had a falling out with Red before she knew she was pregnant, but he wanted to reconnect with her after finding out Red scout was his kid. Blu and her were friends for a really long time, she was the surrogate mother to Blu scout, but they fell out of contact when Blu spy had to take scout and disappear due to some espionage work gone wrong. When both the Blus join the team, the red scout recognized them and Blu spy eventually reconnected with Jen through that.

All of her kids are out of the house and she’s retired, so she has a lot of free time. She hosts foreign exchange students and fosters baby animals. She does a lot of traveling and shopping, she also likes knife and axe throwing, while doing some abstract sculpting on the side.

Maggie:

I love Maggie she’s so interesting,, I really like the panels where she’s laughing with saxton on the plane. Oh yeah gave her a mustache cus she’s Australian!, don’t be shy give the pretty lady a mustache she deserves it. That line on her lip was from this one girl I had a crush on back in high school, she said that she was bullied for it. don’t think I’ve ever seen it on another person since. She was one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met. I hope she’s doing alright. She was a really good friend, real wonderful person.

Merasmus:

hi Merasmus how r u. oh yeah I’m trying out some other designs for her because I’m working on a little animated series about her and a magic spell she fucks up. I want her to be Sumerian because Sumer is so interesting!! I’ve been learning about the art from it in class, check out the Sumerian virtue status or the Epic of Gilgamesh they’re some of my favorite bits of history we’ve learned so far. Oh yeah also I think when she takes off that weird cap thing she has the longest most beautiful curly hair that goes down to her ankles because I love those kind of visual gags hehe. Also yeah she has piercings idk why I did that. I think she’s kinda blind and she uses her skull to see with her magic or whatever. I love her facial expressions in the comics,, have you guys seen the cunty Merasmus poster i love the cunty Merasmus poster

Miss Pauling:

MISS PAULFIJF LETS FUCMIGN GOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! She’s got sideburns because im a dyke bleh blehhhh . hshe look at her big ass glasses I’m in love. Oh yeah I gave her lots of moles! And changed up her sleeve colors. Too tired to write much more lol

[urialnathanonwright]

The Nationalist Grievance Machine: Trump's Dangerous Playbook for Division and Dysfunction

Let’s talk about the latest installment of the Trump circus—a mix of revisionist history, authoritarian flexes, and the kind of shameless self-aggrandizement that only he can pull off. Whether it’s pardoning domestic terrorists, undermining international cooperation, or declaring the Gulf of Mexico as his personal property, Trump’s vision for America is nothing more than a dystopian fever dream masquerading as leadership.

First up we've got Davos. Trump’s appearance at the World Economic Forum—virtually, of course, because nothing screams "global leadership" like dialing it in—comes with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. Will he talk about unity? Innovation? Climate action? Don’t bet on it. This is the guy who pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization, all while doubling down on nationalism. Instead of addressing global challenges, Trump’s use his speech to settle personal scores and push his isolationist agenda. The only “unity” he seems interested in is the unified chant of his die-hard base.

And those pardons—1,600 people, including leaders of extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who orchestrated one of the darkest days in modern American history. These weren’t peaceful protestors, as Trump likes to claim. These were violent insurrectionists who beat law enforcement officers and sought to overturn a democratic election. Yet Trump portrays them as patriots - they are not. The hypocrisy is staggering for a man - oppps that should be the convicted felon and rapist, in case you forgot - who claims to support “law and order” while undermining the very institutions that uphold it.

Then the nationalistic chest-thumping. Renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America”? Come on. The audacity to claim a body of water shared with multiple nations is peak Trump—a man who confuses petty rebranding with actual policy. And threatening to take back the Panama Canal? It’s as if he’s binge-watched old imperialist propaganda and thought, “Yeah, let’s bring that back.”

Oh, and his TikTok comments? Defending a platform with clear ties to foreign surveillance while shrugging off concerns about Chinese espionage is a masterclass in contradiction. He’s like a used car salesman trying to sell you a lemon while telling you it’s a luxury sedan.

And finally, his supposed political “comeback.” Trump wants us to believe he’s a phoenix rising from the ashes, a savior returning to restore glory to America. But in reality, his presidency is the same as it ever was a self-serving, grievance-filled spectacle. His survival of an assassination attempt may have deepened his faith, but it hasn’t deepened his character.

At the end of the day, Trump’s agenda is clear: dismantle democracy, divide the nation, and consolidate power under the guise of “fixing” the very problems he’s exacerbated. He’s not the solution; he’s the problem on steroids. And the rest of us—whether we’re Democrats, independents, or Republicans who still believe in decency—have to call this what it is: a dangerous farce that threatens the very fabric of our country.

It’s time to stop treating Trump like a political anomaly or a bad reality TV show and start holding him accountable. America deserves better than this. And the world deserves better than an American president who thinks leadership is just another episode of “The Apprentice.”

[dykeinfection]

As a trans lesbian, I always find it really funny looking at media that are obviously done from a cishet male perspective. Like for example, the game 'Alpha Protocol' (2010). For context, the game refers to itself as "The Espionage RPG". As you can imagine you play as a spy and do all kinds of cool spy stuff like stopping political assassinations, planting bugs and blowing shit up.

The meat of the game however comes from its dialogue system. The various important characters from the game react to the choices you make and particularly what you say to them. This will change what they think of you, and they will react accordingly based on whether they like you, dislike you or are otherwise neutral. I could spend hours discussing the specific intricacies of the system, but you get the gist. Now, the other thing the dialogue choices affects are your romance options.

Like many RPGs these days, Alpha Protocol has multiple romantic interests for you to have your way with. Because it's incredibly cishet and you play a male protagonist, the only options are women unfortunately. Sorry to all the guy lovers out there, Alpha Protocol is not for you. Now, the romantic interest in particular I want to focus on in particular is SIE. SIE is a German mercenary in her 40s. Most characters in the game refer to her in someway as being old, ugly or disgusting. Or all three. Early in the game if you choose to flirt with her, one of the characters says: "If you hear a choking noise, it's me vomiting." Another implies that she smells like "Cat piss and tuna". For the most part the game makes it very clear to you that everyone finds SIE unattractive, and that you should to.

For reference, this is SIE:

Like, am I insane here??? She's so hot!!! And in a stereotypically conventionally attractive way too! She's just muscular and in her 40s. That's it! That's the whole reason the devs decided she was unattractive. During her sex scene your dialogue options are "No way in hell" and "Might as well". "Might as well"??? "MIGHT AS WELL"???!!! Thousands of lesbians would be ON THEIR KNEES begging this chick to bang them. Yet the protagonist is like "eh, I've got nothing better to do". And on top of that, in the sex scene he's annoyed!! She's got him tied to a table and is in lingerie and he's a bit miffed!! He doesn't react that way to any of the other love interests! (Who by the way are all in their 20s and rendered just as conventionally attractive).

Deeply deeply unserious game made by deeply deeply unserious men. Completely baffling to me.

[queenphanessa]

Why do people criticize the House of the Hearth (and Arlecchino) for taking in orphans that can be Fatui agents when they grow up?

Remember Klee? The Spark Knight? The kid who plays with bombs and causes property damage?

Klee is a little girl, and yet she's officially considered a Knight of Favonius even if she's the only kid there. She might be cute and her destructive tendencies might be played for laughs, but she's officially a child soldier.

Edit: I legit forgot about Mika

Mika is a kid/teen who's an official member of the Knights of Favonius who Grand Master Varka brought on an expedition. He's an older child soldier than Klee.

Edit: I also forgot about Diluc who was a teenager when he joined the Knights of Favonius, as per his father's wishes for him to become the most esteemed Knight of all for the sake of their home, which lead to him becoming the youngest-ever Calvary Captain. And Diluc explicitly quit after his 18th birthday when his father died. So yeah, Diluc was also a child soldier for the KoF.

Bennett and Fischl are both teenagers (Fischl, I'm a little unsure of, but I'm pretty sure she's a teen), and they both have jobs as members of the Adventurer's Guild, with commissions/quests that can range from benign to dangerous. Bennett is especially notable since he was orphaned as a baby and raised by a bunch of senior members of the Guild before he himself became a member. So Bennett and Fischl could also be considered child soldiers.

And then of course there's Sayu. You know, the child ninja for the Shuumatsuban? An Inazuman organization that reports to Ayato and deals with espionage, combat, and assassinations?

Remember how Lyney said that betrayal was not tolerated at the House of the Hearth?

And remember what Ayato had to say about the Shuumastuban?

And look what Sayu's character details say.

For those who have played Sayu's hangout quest, remember that she was given a mission to assassinate the Traveler. And she's a kid.

And the man who gave her the order was surprised and horrified that she actually carried it out before finding out she and the Traveler had tricked him. He wasn't surprised because Sayu, a kid, had allegedly killed someone, it was because he thought she would be too lazy to actually do it.

As lazy and silly as Sayu is, it can be easy to forget that Sayu is indeed a child soldier. Ayato and the Shuumatsuban are the most similar to Arlecchino and the House of the Hearth, but I haven't seen anyone throw shade at Ayato, who in spite of being one of the good guys, is a scheming and manipulative person when need be. So why do people side eye the House of the Hearth, but not the Knights of Favonius, the Adventurer's Guild, and the Shuumatsuban for having child operatives? Because the latter three are on the protagonist's side? Because they're treated in a lighthearted manner or only elaborated on in character stories that not everyone reads? A lot of fictional stories (especially fantasy media) have teen and child heroes who act as warriors/soldiers and it's not like Teyvat/Genshin Impact has any qualms about having children be fighters. In fact, Hoyoverse in general has no issue with having child and teen characters, protagonists or antagonists, be soldiers in their games (in Honkai Impact 3rd, there's a whole school dedicated to training teenagers to be soldiers to fight against the Honkai), so why do some people have an issue with the House of the Hearth? Especially since in Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet's character stories, there's no mistreatment by Arlecchino?

[ac-liveblogs]

I was just thinking about what a shame it was that Kishimoto established that the girls had a kunoichi-specific curriculum, and we didn't really get any plots (or plot points) that evolved from that. (Kunoichi being trained for espionage and needing to be able to 'pass as an ordinary woman', that sort of thing).

And then I got to thinking that there's no real infiltration/disguise missions in Naruto at all, and I think the closest we get is Kakashi's joke identity Sukea and Sakura's Sasuke murder plot. (which makes sense, bc they are not ninja, they are semi-stealthy wizards).

Anyway, then it occurred to me that it'd be really funny if Sai had meant to be some kind of PG-13 honeypot that, alongside assassinating Sasuke, had been meant to try and seduce Sakura to get close to Tsunade's successor for [whatever reason, recruitment or to get closer to the Jinchuuriki, nefarious Danzo committing-a-coup reasons], because Danzo figured she was a shallow girl that would like anyone that resembled Sasuke. He'd have been so bad at it.

but like. he's meant to be keeping a secret identity. and ino gets a crush on him instead (he kinda reciprocates without knowing what the HELL is going on). sakura encourages this so he goes with it except like. this is the mind-body transfer, potential mind-reading girl who's dad is a definitely mind-reading guy that works for Konoha's information gathering team. this is the WORST GIRL to get involved with.

a n d y e t

anyway, i think inoichi should invite sai over for dinner to meet ino's new boyfriend while he's still meant to be undercover as "normal guy". make this boy sweat.

[msbigredmachine]

TARGETS - EPILOGUE

Roman Reigns is an agent in the secret organization The Authority and one of the world’s deadliest assassins. When he crosses paths with a mysterious woman during an assignment, he makes a life-changing decision that switches his role from the hunter to the hunted.  (AU Espionage Story)

TARGETS MASTERLIST

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

BOOOOM!

“First C4 activated! Release the teargas, now!”

“Got it, Uce. Put on your gas mask, man. You and Rollins in yet?”

“Affirmative. Ambrose and I are in."

"Hey, I see ‘em.”

“Both of ‘em?”

“Yeah. Both packages located, we got ‘em. Shit, they’re hurt.”

“Hold on, Ambrose, we’ll patch them up later. Twins, get us outta here, asap!”

“There’s a loose vent on your nine that leads right outside. You got ninety seconds to evacuate, then the rest of the C4s blow.”

“We found it. We’re getting outta here. Man, we owe you guys. Both of you.”

“Naw, Uce. We’ll collect soon, don’t worry about it.”

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

Sixty three days later…

Montego Bay, Jamaica 

"So this is it?"

Dean nodded, handing the object he was holding over to his dark-haired friend. "Yep."

Seth held it up, scrutinizing it carefully. "You think she'll like it?" he asked, looking wearily at Dean and hoping he didn't sound as panicked as he felt.

"Course she will, look how pretty it is," Dean said, "Chicks dig stuff like this, anyway."

"Ah shit, I should have just brought Roman along with us," Seth whined.

"So what, my opinions mean shit to you?" the ex-Authority agent challenged, offended.

"It's not that, man, it's just...he seems to be really good with this stuff. The romance and all. He’s had a lot of experience with Jasmine."

"Well, he's probably with her right now...would you like to call him and fuck everything up in the process?" Dean flattened his eyes at Seth, who sighed heavily. "Now's really not the time to bitch at me, Ambrose. I’m just a little nervous for him, that’s all."

Dean started to say more, but decided to drop it when he noticed the apprehension on his friend's face. He reached up and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "It's gonna be fine, Seth. Trust me. Trust both of them. After all the shit they have been through together, I don't see any other outcome."

Seth looked at his friend with a smile. It seemed like only yesterday that he and Dean came to Roman and Jasmine's aid at Lagoon. The two men never went to Jamaica, at least not immediately. When they discovered the Authority and F.L.O.R.A’s plans to ambush the couple, they sought out Jimmy and Jey and begged for their help, to help them interject themselves under the guise that they were working under The Authority's orders. With the twins pulling the strings, Dean was able to rig the entire shopping mall with explosives, detonating them all and bringing the building down on all the agents. Seth rescued a gravely injured Roman and Jasmine through a vent that was initially to be used to dispatch their corpses, and got them out of there before the building was razed to the ground. Together, the four smuggled their way out of the States and took a one-way trip to the Caribbean. 

As beautiful and serene as Montego Bay seemed, adjusting to life as civilians was a tougher process than all four of them thought. The rules were different, an uncomfortable contrast from what they were used to. The need to hunt, to kill, still lingered. The threat of the remnants of what was once their lives still hung over their heads, and at times paranoia set in. To stay sane, the four of them often had dinner together at Roman and Jasmine's overwater bungalow, which was a short distance from the little town they resided in, isolated and surrounded by bushes and beaches. For the first few weeks, they took turns staying awake, keeping watch over the house while the others slept. As much as they knew that most of F.L.O.R.A. and The Authority had been wiped out, none of them was naive enough to be assured they were gone for good. Perhaps the paranoia was destined to be ingrained in them, but they were better safe than sorry. 

The twins had unfrozen the accounts of Roman and Jasmine, and with Seth and Dean’s own contributions, all four were set for life as multimillionaires. However, they chose to lay low as ordinary middle class foreigners. The three men set up an auto shop and began making a living as mechanics, while Jasmine became a bartender at a popular local bar. It was a smart strategy, allowing her to sniff out anyone suspicious as well as collect information on the goings-on around town. Of course, it wasn’t all about work. The dating scene was kind to Dean and Seth in varying degrees. Dean was, as expected, sowing his wild oats, while Seth had fallen for a Jamaican girl named Portia who worked at the bar with Jasmine. She, Roman and Dean approved of her – after a quick background check of course, and Roman told Seth he hoped he would find the kind of happiness he was enjoying with Jasmine.

Checking his watch, Dean looked over at Seth. “Where the fuck is that big goof anyway? He’s supposed to come over and pick it up. He knows I got a date in like an hour. What’s taking him so long?”

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

Roman expelled another primal grunt as he uncrossed Jasmine’s ankles and shoved her knees into the mattress. As he thrust deeper inside her impossibly wet, tender pussy, she cried out and squirmed underneath his big body.

“Fuck! Wait, wait baby, I just came again,” she whined with a push of his hips, forcing him to halt his movements so she could catch her breath. Chuckling softly at her declaration, he leaned down to kiss her cheek, feeling her sexy little body shiver against him. His lips then touched hers in sweet, gentle kisses, making her moan for him. His tongue played with hers, making her taste his breakfast from earlier, which just so happened to be her.

“I ain't done. C’mon,” he drawled, giving her another kiss before sitting back up and moving again, albeit less roughly this time. He hissed with delight when he sank into her, thrusting in and out, meeting nothing but warm, tight wetness. “Yeah, that’s it mama, take it, grip my dick…” he groaned softly, closely watching her pretty face.

“Unnnhhh, shit,” Jasmine moaned, looking down at his flesh weapon, glistening with her nectar, digging her out, with her legs now wide open and pinned down by his huge hands. “Damn, your dick is so big…”

“I know, baby, you take it so well. Am I gettin’ your sweet spot? Huh?” he asked, his voice so thick and sultry that she moaned again.

“You are, Daddy, you’re all the way in. So good.” She’d never felt this full before and it felt incredible. His dick had her pussy slick and stuffed, and even then she gripped him tighter with each luscious stroke.

“Mm-hmm, I can feel it, baby. Let me pound this pussy till you squirt all over me.” 

“Oooooh,” she answered weakly, her eyes rolling back when he began to fuck her harder. She was on the verge of passing out from the incredible pleasure. Her palms slid down his broad back to squeeze and grip his ass cheeks, her toes curling in the air, her throaty moans lost among the sounds of slapping skin and the outdoors morning breeze as he fucked her into the bed with his deep, ruthless stroking. 

Roman cupped her bouncing breasts and massaged them in his large competent hands, the scrape of his fingertips over her nipples prompting her walls to pull greedily on his dick. “Unnhh, you got me drunk off this pussy, baby, so tight and wet for Daddy,” he rasped, biting his lip when she fluttered around him again. Getting praised turned her on; he knew that all too well and did so as often as he could because it made her feel good and his girl deserved it.

“Fuck, right there Daddy, right there,” her mouth fell open and her eyes fluttered shut as he flexed his hips, sliding his heavy dick right up in her stomach. He was taking his time, making her feel every inch of him all up in her guts, the base of his cock grinding against her clit. Her fingers slipped down between her open legs to rub the swollen bud in quick, frantic circles. “Ooh, shiiiit, I’m gonna come again…”

"Look at me. Let me see them pretty eyes when you come," he groaned, and immediately her eyes flew back open; she could see the whites of his own, his pupils onyx black and dilated, reflecting the passion she was feeling. She pulled him down and wrapped her arms around him. The sweat slid between their bodies as he pounded her out, his hefty girth swelling inside her, expanding her walls, his growls and moans ringing in her ears as he also neared his end, causing the heat in her belly to amplify to seismic proportions. 

“Oh fuck, oh, ohhhh,” And then she was struck dumb as this orgasm crashed over her with brute force, every part of her burning feverishly from the explosion of her body, flooding Roman's dick with her juices just like he wanted.

Tucking his face in her neck, another needy groan escaped from Roman’s lips as he pumped away on top of her, his breathing getting heavier and heavier. Then, with one more deep thrust, the big man came apart with a harsh moan, his entire body going rigid as he pulsed inside her. He tried to rock his hips again, but then froze because he was coming so hard, his dick twitching and spurting cum deep inside her walls. Jasmine lowered her long legs and wrapped them around his waist to keep him close, threading her fingers through his hair and pulling his face to hers for a kiss. She loved how he moaned into her mouth, sharing his pleasure with her as his orgasm continued to ravage his two-sixty-plus-pound frame. Every dizzying second was amazing, and they savored the moment of bliss together, feeling serene and replete.

“Fuck, I can’t move,” Roman half-groaned, half-chuckled, drawing a giggle from Jasmine as she wiped the sweat off his brow. 

“Then don’t,” she told him, recapturing his mouth for more deliciously noisy tongue-kissing. “Mmm, baby, what a start to my morning...”

Her little purr, along with her delectable tongue lapping his mouth and her hands kneading the firm flesh of his backside, caused his dick to stir inside her again, tempting him with yet another round. He placed one more sensual kiss to her lips before managing to slide out of her and collapse onto his back with a satisfied moan. As Jasmine pushed herself upright and tugged her neon-green bikini top back over her breasts, his eyes narrowed, as though seeing her chest for the first time. “Is it me or are your titties bigger?” he asked.

Jasmine giggled and pushed them together for his hungry gaze. “It’s possible. I’m getting thicker everywhere. Must be all the good Island food.” 

“I ain’t mad at it, baby. If anything, you look hotter every day,” he complimented, reaching out to squeeze her ass when she rolled over to search for something on her side of the bed. Checking the time on his phone, he cursed and flew out of the bed in all his naked glory. Luckily there was no one in sight of the expanse of clear blue sea their bedroom overlooked. “Fuck! Ambrose is gonna kill me! I’m meant to have met him ten minutes ago!” He grabbed his shorts from off the floor and hopped clumsily into them, commando and all. 

“When will you be back?” Jasmine asked, putting on her sunglasses.

“Soon as I can,” he said, throwing on his white t-shirt. “I shouldn’t be long. We’re going out later this evening, by the way, just me and you.”

“You don’t wanna stay in tonight?” she pouted.

“We can, if that’s what you want. But then you’ll miss out on the special surprise I got for you.” Sitting down next to her, he reached behind her to gently massage the back of her neck as he peered at her. “You okay, though?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Jasmine smiled sweetly at her boyfriend. “Don't be gone too long. I want more sex.”

"Damn, my girl's been horny as hell for me lately. Not that I'm complaining."

Her nonchalant shrug couldn't hide her blush. "Yeah, well, you're smoking hot and I like the way you fuck me, so..." she said simply.

Roman chuckled at that. She really knew how to stroke a guy's ego...among other things. "A'ight, then. Anything for you, my baby girl. I’ll be back asap. Love you.” 

“Love you too,” she replied. With a tender kiss to her lips, he stood up and slipped through the curtained entrance, leaving her by herself. Once she was sure the coast was clear, Jasmine took a deep, nervous breath, staring out into the horizon, her mind traveling in several different directions.

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

Hours later

The beauty of the sunset was unmissable, and Jasmine and Roman were glad to be out to see it. After a sumptuous early dinner in one of their favorite restaurants, the couple strolled along the beach, arms comfortably around the other, lost in their thoughts. They had become more reflective ever since their narrow brush with death back in the States. A lot had changed, and it led to a new, albeit uncertain future with scars of their recent past. Fragments of bullets remained in Roman's left leg, leaving him with a permanent limp, while Jasmine sustained third-degree burns on her body that left her physically scarred. Despite the physical – and mental – injuries they endured, the couple never forgot that they owed Seth, Dean, Jimmy and Jey their lives.

Their relationship continued to grow. They often took long walks on the beach situated close to their oceanfront residence. They'd had dates and parties there, and it was also their place of mourning after learning of Rose and Leona's deaths. The couple grieved – each in private, and together, sharing their sorrow over the loss of their good friends.

This evening though, there would be no mourning. At least Roman hoped not. As the moment of truth approached, his insides began to twist in knots. He couldn't remember the last time he was this nervous about anything. Stopping, he turned to look at his girlfriend, hoping to draw confidence from her, and what he saw blew him away, like always.

Perfect. That was the only word he could think of to describe her. Absolute perfection. Every curve, every inch of her was exquisite. From her hair, currently styled in long, beautiful goddess locs, to her eyes, the color of hot chocolate on a cold Christmas morning. Her hands, when they touched him, made him surrender without a fight. She was his weakness. She was his strength. She was his love.

Locking eyes with her, he returned her smile when he pulled her gently to him. Cradling her face with both hands, he kissed her deeply, tenderly, feeling her arms curl around his waist as she kissed him back. 

"I love you so much," he whispered, brushing his knuckles over her cheek, his head tilting for another taste of her sweet lips.

"I love you more," Jasmine replied, her voice as soft as his. The way he looked at her was enough to tell her he loved her; with such affection and awe and appreciation. Roman was the only man for her, the only man who could set her heart racing with just one look. His strength, his spontaneity, his passion for life, passion for her, melted her heart. For the first time in her life, Jasmine was in love, truly in love.

He took both her hands in his and held them to his chest. Her eyes widened at how fast his heart was beating. “Baby, are you okay?” she asked, concerned.

Roman merely smiled softly. "Jasmine...it's been just over a year since we first met, and during that time I've searched for ways to express just how much I love you." As he spoke, he felt his nerves begin to fade away. Again, her eyes. One look into them and everything became right with the world. "But I realized that words will never be enough," he went on. "I know it hasn't been the longest relationship, or the most conventional one for that matter, but I think I fell in love with you the moment I saw you in Miami. To say that night was the greatest night of my life will not be an exaggeration."

He watched the tears pool in those beautiful eyes and he took a deep breath. "I love you. More than my own life, my own breath. I can't imagine a life without you and I don't even want to try. We've been through so much together…hell, we almost fuckin’ died together. But I believe there’s a reason we’re still alive, and it’s for this very moment, and I couldn't let it pass by without letting you know I want to spend the rest of my natural life with you…as your husband."

Jasmine stood, dumbfounded, as he smiled a tiny, nervous smile and took a step back. Her eyes grew wide as he slowly descended to one knee. She brought her hands up to cover her shocked gasp, her heart pounding uncomfortably as he reached into his pocket and took out a small velvet box.

Oh god. Oh my god. Tell him! Tell him now! "Wait!" she blurted out.

Roman stilled, staring up at her with an uneasy expression. "Is something wrong?"

The answer to that question depended entirely on him. "I...I need to show you something." Letting her gaze linger on him for a second longer, she brought a long, thin object out of her little shoulder bag and gave it to him with a trembling hand. Roman took it, and holding it up curiously, his face paled.

It was a small, long white stick, and printed at the end of the stick were eight letters.

She swallowed hard as she watched the comprehension dawn on his handsome face. "I took three tests yesterday, they were all positive," she rambled. "I was looking for the right time to tell you..." When she found out, she was terrified. She didn't know what he would say, how he would react, so she had kept it from him and chose to confide in Portia instead. She had encouraged Jasmine to tell him tonight. But now, as she gauged the look on his face, she wished she never did. Her heart sank at his unreadable expression. He hadn't said a word, instead just kept staring at the pregnancy test. It felt like a hot knife through her chest and for a moment she couldn't breathe. 

"I...I’m keeping the baby," she barreled on with a shaky voice, fighting back tears. She tore her gaze away from him. She couldn't bear to see the rejection on his face, or hear him disown the one thing she thought they'd created out of love. "You don't have to be involved in its life if you don't want to-"

"What?!" Roman exclaimed, surprised. "Why the fuck would you think I don't want anything to do with my own child?"

There was a pain in his eyes Jasmine had never seen before, and in that moment she felt stupid for thinking the way she did. "I...I don't know...I didn't know how you would feel about being a father..." She tried to defend herself and ended up succumbing to her tears. "I remembered everything you told me in Vermont, how hesitant you were about having children. And then this happens and I thought...I just thought you would say you weren't ready, and then you would leave me-"

“Leave you? Over this? Are you fuckin’ kidding me?”

“I don’t know what to think, Roman! I’m scared, okay?”

“Well, think about this.” Tugging her back to him, he silenced her with a kiss so tender, and yet so passionate, that it sent shivers down her spine and made her forget her name. She was certain she was still standing only because he was holding her. When he pulled back, her eyes were still closed, but the tears streamed down her beautiful face, strangely enough, making her look even more beautiful if that was possible. Roman gently pressed his forehead to hers. "Baby, look at me."

When she did, his heart skipped at the sadness that looked back at him. She had him terribly mistaken and he was going to clear that up right now. "My baby girl, you don't realize how much deeper in love with you I've just fallen," he told her softly, sincerely.

At his words, Jasmine choked back a sob, more tears trickling down her cheeks. Roman didn't hesitate to wipe each one away. "I will never leave you for anything," he promised. "You never need to worry about that. I belong to you. I'm yours for as long as you'll have me. That is my child growing inside you, our child. And I'm going to be there for him or her. Every step, every moment, I'll be here by your side. There's nothing else I'd rather do with my future than watch our babies grow old together."

The words were so heartfelt, so sincere. How could she ever have doubted this incredible man?

Reaching back into his pocket, Roman retrieved the small velvet box and opened it up. Jasmine's breath caught at the piece of jewelry that shone at her. It was the most exquisite thing she'd ever seen.

"Jasmine...my love, my sweetheart, the best partner I’ve ever had," Roman said softly, his heart in his brown gaze, "This news you just shared with me has made me the happiest man on earth, and there's only one thing that would make me even happier." Smiling at her, he held up the box to her. "Marry me."

A knowing smile spread across her features. "Mr. Reigns...Are you asking me to be your wife?

Roman's grin matched her own. "Yeah. I guess I am."

"Mrs. Reigns." Jasmine grinned. "I like the sound of that."

The words were familiar – they had this exchange when he'd asked her to be his girlfriend – and he was just as ecstatic as he was back then. "Is that a yes?"

"Of course! Yes!" She could barely see through her tears as he slid the diamond ring onto her finger. She threw herself into his arms and crushed her lips to his. "I love you, Roman." She would never be tired of saying those words to him.

"I love you more." His heart swelled with happiness. This felt like a dream. He was engaged to Jasmine. He would get to spend the rest of his life with her; his lover. His wife-to-be. The mother of his child.

Wow. His child. He was going to be a father.

"Man, it all makes sense now. The vomiting...I thought you were just seasick...Your thicker body, you tryna fuck me every chance you get," he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

She hit his arm. "Shut up," she said playfully, laughing when engulfed her in a big hug, burying his face in her neck. They stood there together for a long time, not saying a word, letting it all sink in.

"I'm so fuckin' happy right now. I never thought it was possible to ever feel like this, babe," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Jasmine stroked the back of his head, the tears returning. Happy tears. "You deserve happiness, Roman," she assured him. "We both do." She took his hand in hers. "Darling...I know we're here, and it seems safe, but we may never really be safe, you know?" She looked up at him, her eyes tinged with skepticism.

"I'll protect you," he vowed, placing a gentle hand on his fiancée's belly, only just realizing that it was indeed a little rounder thanks to the changes happening inside her. Even after everything she had been put through, the baby had stood firm. He couldn't help but be proud. His baby was strong, just like its mother. "I'll protect you both."

Jasmine covered his hand on her stomach with hers and kissed him. She believed him. He had not let her down, not yet broken a promise so far. As they broke apart, he kept his hands tight in hers, his smile so wide and happy. His joy was infectious. Jasmine wanted to see him look that way forever. Together, hand in hand, they resumed their walk along the shore, returning home.

"I do have one ground rule though," she spoke up, "No guns around the baby."

He laughed. "We should be telling that to the uncles, Seth and Dean. They'll call dibs on who will teach the baby first."

Jasmine gasped, horrified. "No, no, no guns at all. And certainly no explosives! I'm serious!"

"Well, we'll discuss all of that in fine detail. We've got the rest of our lives to do that, after all," he smiled, squeezing his new fiancée's hand.

Returning his smile, she felt her heart warm, the joy she felt inside radiating through every pore. "Yeah, we do."

The rest of their lives with each other. It sounded good. It sounded really good.

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

“I can pull the trigger right now, Uce. Say the word.”

“Now why do you like gettin’ your hands dirty? Leave that shit for the primitives. You gonna off an innocent unborn baby, dude?”

“It ain’t born yet, so it don’t count.” Jey put his rifle away. “Man, I’m bored. This shit ain’t what it used to be. Everything’s been fucked up the last three months.”

Jimmy rolled his eyes. “It’s fucked up cuz we allowed it to happen, Uce. And look at us now. We run F.L.O.R.A and the Authority. Chill.”

Jey mulled it over. His brother had a point. “A’ight. So what’s the plan?”

“We wait for the best offer and only at the right time. When that time comes, we serve ‘em all up to the highest bidder. We’re looking at half a billion dollars, brother. That kinda bread gives us unlimited access to the most secure cybersystems in the world."

"Not to mention feed our families for life. Whose names are in the hat?”

“You won't believe it, bro. Trick and Melo Gang, the Latino World Order, Tony D and Stacks…the McMahons…”

Jey’s eyes widened. Those names belonged to some of the most dangerous crime families and syndicates in all of North America, all of whom had been slighted by either Jasmine, Roman, Dean or Seth. “Oh shit. I like the sound of that,” he said with a big grin on his face.

Jimmy’s glinted menacingly. “Exactly. The fun’s just getting started, Uce. Sit your ass back, be patient and relax.”

“Ya know what, big brother? Maybe I will.”

And with that, the twins continued their surveillance on their former colleagues, their targets, their meal tickets, their chance to take over cyberspace and wreak havoc on the world like they really wanted to.

After all, the waiting game was the fun part. It made eliminating the targets much sweeter.

THE END

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

And so ends Targets. What a ride it's been.

Thoughts?

Who was your favorite character? Favorite chapter/quote/scene?

Thank you all for your amazing support! I'll be on vacation in like a week so expect more stuff from me hopefully soon!

[silviakundera]

Joy of Life livelogging episode 5

This is my first watch, so don't tell me secrets ;)

I really like our protagonist, he's interesting. Assassin bro kneels to him with the quintessential, blah blah do this thing for me and my life and soul will be yours and ML says no. no. and also no!

ML just wants truths.

Assassin bro's story is super sad and so effective in that way that cdramas can do - people being crushed by systems, ordinary people being selfish in a human way without being evil, the inability to obtain justice for all the wrongs u suffer, that resentment that nestles in the heart

So his family is missing & he can only trust ML... which pays off because ML wants to help him because of his lingering decency. He doesn't want a wuxia slave, he wants to do the decent thing, because that's the type of person he wants to be.

the great cdramas and danmei write "good isn't weak" characters in just the way I like. not sanctimonious, pretentious, and hypocritical, just very centered & fiercely determined.

🍗 drumstick girl keeps coughing blood, if this was western tv I'd presume she'd be dead within weeks

tuberculosis doesn't exist in wuxia 😆

How tragic that ML and his love interest are both dumbasses

Still enjoying loser little brother

So the emperor is using ML to stir up the players and get them to reveal their agendas & alliances

lmaooooooo his Dreams of Red Chamber fanfic is spreading across the capital

This thing where ML and 🍗 coincidentally don't meet and will break up the engagement they both want is gonna get on my actual nerves. I'm already moving past bemused to annoyed. It's just too much of a manufactured obstacle.

Loser brother actually finding his brains & life passion when it comes to commerce

Our first look at A VILLAIN: Guo Baokun, Assassin bro's full time nemesis. part-time anti

villain steps on Dream of Red Chamber. our transmographied ML: 😬😱😤

the brothers fighting on the same side!!!!!! I love them together.

This prince of Jin son.. Li HongCheng. The emperor's nephew? Is this "2nd prince" who's vying for the throne or just another prince? idk but everyone is going to a poetry gathering

Mysterious guy with bangs whose face we can't see is interested in ML and his book

ML agreed to do a bookstore to please his lil bro, what a softie

About to do some espionage. hope u don't create a disaster!

[citrine-elephant]

abduction/ambush concept for good ol' agent kennedy..... ->

leon catches someone taking his picture. it's a creepshot for sure, but with his line of work.... he can't be too careful now.

immediately he can tell his young woman knows she's been caught, and immediately he tries to get a feel for the situation.

she's embarrassed. she's looking away. and leon's.... not so sure about it. so, he makes his way over nonchalantly.

this woman is sat by the exit of this truckstop restaurant, by the trashcans and such. leon tries to avoid bluntly intimidating her by steering clear and throwing his stuff away. only to gently throw a comment her way, one that's meant to be playful and now blunt, but quiet to avoid drawing attention to her.

if this woman is just being creepy, he doesn't exactly want to embarrass her. she looks fresh into college and, while an adult shouldn't be acting like this.... maybe he wants to give her the benefit of the doubt, yknow?

he comments, something along the lines of, "not who you think i am, but i'm flattered. coulda just asked next time." a way to ease any tension with a joke.

and quickly, she's apologetic. "it was for a friend, i'm sorry," etc etc.

leon kinda feels bad. for the most part, he was worried less about some random girl taking creepshots and more of espionage and assassination attempts. if she's just some weirdo, then he can try to be nice at least? make the world a better place by confronting a creep and hopefully changing their ways lol.

in the best way he can, he just puts it light and asks her to not do that again. steer her on the right path.

but aha! that is the trick! while she wasn't interested in him (or maybe she plans to NOT delete that image after sending it to the sketch number she was given ahah), she was interested in the money she was paid to take photos and then lie to him if she was caught. hell, she IS a broke college student. what's wrong with sacrificing her dignity for a couple hundred bucks?

classic, "use an innocent looking young woman/kid to keep the target's guard down as a red herring!"

he might be a little weirded out on his way out, but he's more distracted by social anxiety to notice the ambush.

bonus points if this woman somehow becomes actually involved when, whoops, her desperation led her to witness this man's kidnapping and... oh god she just wants to eat something better than ramen, dude. fuck, man. shit. oh no. oh god.

and boy, is she in for a surprise when it's not just some random handsome guy getting abducted. not some poor fucker caught up in crime, or someone who owes money. ..

it's a fucking government agent involved with stopping bioterrorism. she's in deep...

[teecupangel]

I've been replaying Nobodies and in the middle of the second game I thought "Hey this guy talks like Desmond!" then I thought it would be pretty funny if Desmond became a murder cleaner lol

Nobodies: Murder Cleaner is available for Android, PC (via Steam) and Apple if you want to try it. It’s a point and click game where you play as a member of a secret government organization and your job is to clean up after other members have killed the target.

So we have two option for this idea.

Option 1: Canon ‘Verse where Desmond becomes a Cleaner instead of a Bartender

In this one, the only thing we have to tweak is what Desmond’s history becomes when he left the Farm. Maybe he saw one of the Cleaners doing their job in Rapid City and the Cleaner didn’t want to kill a kid to cover his tracks so he makes Desmond his accomplice, helping him clean it up, all the while teaching him the ‘craft’. After that, Desmond tags along because the Cleaner says that’s the only way he’ll survive and maybe Desmond’s upbringing mess him up enough that he thinks this is okay. That this kind of life is actually better than the life he had back on the Farm. The Cleaner keeps a close eye on him and notices how ‘unique’ Desmond’s upbringing is. He even thinks Desmond has what it takes to actually be one of the ‘messy ones’ but Desmond preferred to clean. It feels… more distant to his life before.

We get our timeskip and Desmond is one of the best cleaners out there. His identity is ironclad because his Cleaner mentor gave him a new one and their organization made it official since they do have a bit of leeway with the government. In exchange, Desmond will be in their service which he doesn’t mind because the organization pays for everything he needs (other than the equipment and items he might actually need when it was time to clean up because having such equipment with him when he gets to the scene would be security guard bait).

At this point, the organization has an idea that Abstergo is very sus and there’s a shadowy organization that does questionable things against Abstergo most of the time. They don’t know the full story though but Desmond believes that his parents’ cult is actually an ecoterrorist group. He keeps it to himself though since he doesn’t want to be anywhere close to them.

With the backing of the organization and his more honed skills and espionage, Desmond is actually more or less a ghost even to Abstergo. They know Desmond Miles exist but they also know that he disappeared nine years ago. Desmond’s government records are all fake data but authenticated by the government itself. Hell, he even has an SSN and tax records. (Your call if he keeps his Desmond Miles name or he changes to like Desmond Miller or full on fake name like Derek Milton or something XD)

If you still want Desmond to be part of the Animus Project or to kickstart the main plot, Desmond gets caught because the organization has traitors and one of them took him while he was cleaning a scene that turned out to be a trap. However, Desmond knows how to play the game and his childhood training only help him become better at his job.

If Vidic kept the same ‘security’ in AC1 (cameras only, no visible guards), Desmond would find a way to kill Vidic and (maybe) Lucy before the guards even get there. Once he gets access to the computer (thanks, Lucy), tampering with the security feed would be easy because he’s done it before as a Cleaner. He’s also used to using items and devices he sees on the ‘scene’ so yeah…

Before the even finishes Altaïr’s memories, he’d most probably already made his escape after cleaning the scene.

And that’s when…

The Bleeding Effect starts…

Option 2: Full Spy AU where every Assassin is messy and Desmond has to clean after them

Okay, this one plays loose with the lore.

In this one, the Brotherhood is a secret organization that has the capital and the influence that a usual Hollywood super spy organization has.

And Desmond is the poor son of a high ranking member of the organization. He was being trained to be an operative but he didn’t want to be an operative like his father.

So… he became a cleaner instead.

In this one, I think it would be fun if Desmond is just some poor cleaner who has to clean up for the messiest of the operatives because he’s one of the best cleaners.

So the setup could be Desmond appearing on the scene and deducing which of his messy ‘regulars’ did this one and he all have nicknames for each of them.

One of them is super good at his job that Desmond just have to take care of the body most of the time. That one he calls “the light of my life” because it means a quick easy job then Desmond can just chill somewhere and see the sights until he’s called again.

Another one is someone who always has to chase their target and dear god, Desmond wants to strangle this operative so badly because Desmond has to clean up multiple places and that includes CCTVs used by the local government for the roads and such. That one he calls ‘the bane of my existence’.

The funny thing?

Both operative are the same person: Altaïr who seesaw between absolutely the best or having a bad day that can only be summed up as “the universe is conspiring against him to get some cardio today”.

Of course, there’s a lot more operatives that Desmond cleans after.

There’s one that liked to actually steal shit and Desmond just usually make that a burglary gone wrong most of the time.

There’s another operative who may or may not have a dog that he uses to rip apart his target and Desmond always prays the scene is somewhere outside so he can just make it look like a wild animal attack and always hate it whenever it happens in an office building or anywhere indoors to be completely honest.

There’s another one that tries to be sneaky but that only makes Desmond’s life harder because he has to make sure to look everywhere just to be sure that the sneaky operative didn’t miss or fuck up somewhere.

In other words, Desmond has a lot of complaints for his regular operatives XD

[team-headcanons-2]

Allow me to regale you with TF2 opera headcanons

Scout - Basic, has never seen one, if asked would say he doesn't like it, would be bored on principle if forced to listen to/watch one

Pyro - Prefers newer, experimental stuff, definitely a Philip Glass fan

Soldier - Same as Scout, but if he was ever put into a situation where he had to listen to, like, La Fille du Règiment, or Orfeo ed Euridice, or Tosca, he'd feel things. Not an opera (plural) fan, but a potential opera (singular) fan

Demo - Oh you know he loves some earnest drama and showy embellishments. Loves comedies, loves tragedies. Vastly prefers actually experiencing opera to talking about it. He gets that you have to think about it on the fly and just Feel it, y'know?

Heavy - He likes literature, so I think just from a viewpoint of intellectual breadth he'd watch The Nose, War and Peace, all the Shakespeare ones, etc, but I think he'd really like Eugene Onegin. Is that basic? Yeah, but it's popular for a reason

Engie - Probably inherited a record of, like, La Bohème or something from his mom, and he'll put it on when he just wants some background noise, but that's about it

Medic - Maybe a hot take, but I think he'd hate opera so much. He finds the stories boring and the music doesn't keep his attention. If he was going to like an opera, it would have to be a 30-minute condensed version for kids, but with more stabbing scenes

Sniper - Same as Engie, but Sniper's mom really tried hard to get him into it as a kid. Nothing stuck except for a few bits he hums sometimes

Spy - That one guy who buys the $1000 mezzanine ticket so the nosebleed passionate-but-starving-student-seats can stay dirt cheap. Only goes to the theater for espionage/assassination reasons, but will pretend to like it to seem smarter

YEAAAA OPERA