#expect some military based posts

[starlit-writer]

in sickness and in health, ch. 1 - alpha!simon riley x omega!reader

ah, look at that. have some omegaverse angst inspired by this post here <3 if you want to understand more about my omegaverse au, you can look at my masterpost here, and it'll help explain all of the intricacies that may or may not be explained well enough in these short-form fics!

well, this turned out to be miles longer than i expected it to. there's not really a solid ending, so let me know if you want more! have so much fun getting your heart ripped out <3

word count: 4,764 chapter two masterlist ao3 link

Three years ago, you and Simon got married. It wasn’t anything flashy or big - fuck, how could it have been when you didn’t even love each other? But, military law forbade an unmated omega from joining the ranks, and Simon was seen as a wild-card alpha, too headstrong and violent, too hard to control. So, the brass laid out an ultimatum: mate, get married, or be discharged. Both you and Simon had worked too hard for too long to get where you were, so discharge was entirely off the table. There was no courting, no dates, and the wedding, if you could call it that, was little more than signing papers - three signatures on a thick piece of A4 government paper, one from you, one from Simon, and one from your witness, Captain John Price. You didn’t even exchange rings or vows. It took less than five minutes. 

After all was said and done, you and Simon went back to your lives. Sure, you were respectful to one another, and you spent one or two heats and ruts together, but you both maintained a distance away from each other. Neither of you were thrilled with the idea of being tied down, of being mated. The mating bond between you felt more like the neck of a too-tight sweater than it did a comfort, feeling each other’s emotions more of a chore than something you looked forward to. Sure, you worked well together, fluid and deadly like a well oiled M2 on the field. Always had. But there was a stark difference between working well together, and being mated.

So that’s how you ended up here. You had lost twenty pounds. Your skin was sallow and pale, your eyes sunken in. When you looked in the mirror, you could count your ribs, the knobs of your spine, even when they were hidden under the bruises that bloomed across your sickly skin.

You had thrown yourself into work, and when there was no work, you were challenging any living thing to go for a round with you on the sparring mat. But, you were weak; the bond sickness sapped all of your energy and strength faster than you could ever hope to replenish it. Your scent, which was once a warm and spicy caramelized vanilla, now smelled like sugar burnt to the bottom of a pot - acrid and rotted. You were dying, and you knew it. But your pride was far too great to ever go crawling back to Simon, the very man who caused the sickness to infiltrate every cell of your being. It had been months of this torture. Simon, your alpha, had all but abandoned you. You had been without his touch, his scent, anything and everything that the very base instincts of your omega craved from its mate for far too long. It didn't matter to your omega that this marriage, this mating bond was nothing more than a way to keep both you and Simon in the service. Instincts couldn't be fought with fact, and now you were reaping the consequences of the neglect of the bond. You had thought bond sickness was a myth, a fear-mongering tactic to keep alphas in line. However, you were now aware that there was far more truth than you could have ever imagined to that story that is told. 

You had seen the concerned looks of your team as they watched you haunt the halls of the base like a spectre. Soap had started to bring you chocolates and drinks, anything in hopes to get you to eat. Gaz took a different approach, always being the one to take you up on your sparring requests, the beta knowing that at the very least he could be gentle with you while still giving you an outlet. The Captain had made sure to keep you off any truly strenuous missions and tasks, mainly relegating you to the medbay or to training recruits. If you were any stronger, you would be pissed, but right now you took it as a blessing. At least he hadn’t kicked you off the team for your weakness. But Simon? Simon was nowhere to be found. He continuously was the first volunteer for the most dangerous missions, keeping him away from base for weeks to months at a time. When he came back bloody and bruised, he would avoid the medbay like the plague, only coming in to get fixed up by another combat medic when he knew Soap or Gaz had forcefully pulled you away. If you two happened to be walking in the same hallway, Simon would duck out of your sight without even so much as a word. You had long since given up on running after him. 

So color yourself surprised when you were standing in front of the mirror in your bathroom and the screen of your phone lit up, a text from Simon blaring on the too-bright screen. You had every intention of ignoring it, but your pride was no match for the dying ache of your omega. 

Come to my quarters.

The text was simple. Demanding, even. And all it did was make you angry. 

You quickly tugged on a pair of sweats and forced a tank top over your bruised and feverish skin. You thought briefly for a moment about tugging a sweatshirt on over your mottled skin, but, fuck it, let him see all that he has done to you. Maybe he would give you the one blessing you had hoped for over the last few months of neglect, and finally sever the bond between you. 

You trudged through the hallways of the base, every soldier you passed giving you a wide berth. You were certain you looked like death froze over, and the rage-filled expression set over your brows and your lips certainly did not help. When you reached his door, you didn’t even bother to knock. You just shoved your copy of the key in the door and slammed the door open. 

Simon barely even looked up from where he was lounging on the bed. His shirt was off, a rare sight, even for you, but even more shocking was the fact that he wasn’t wearing his mask.  He didn’t look much better than you - his once-bronzed skin paled, his own scars raised and reddened, and he had a poorly bandaged bullet wound wrapped, the white medical wrapping blossoming with a red mark. Pulled stitches, definitely. 

“Close the door,” came the rough demand as his arms lazily opened in an invitation to lay with him. “And c’mere.”

You, in all of your rage, just stood stockstill in the still-open doorway. Even as your omega side cried to jump into his arms and let his scent and his touch wash away all the pain, you refused with a defiant jut of your chin. You didn’t know why he had called you here, and the only thing your mind could conjure up is that Price, or Laswell, or fuck, even Soap, had sat him down and forced him to do this. And you wanted nothing to do with this or with him if he actually was not trying to change.

“I don’t want your pity. And I sure as hell don’t want your affection just because Price told you that you had to fix me,” you replied, your voice shaking with weakness and pain, even as you tried your damndest to keep it steady, strong. 

Simon growled, the sound of an alpha not used to not getting his way, as he rolled onto his side to look at you more squarely. His arms were still open, but you could see the way his muscles clenched, his own anger rising. “It ain’t about pity. It’s about basic biology,” he bit out, the words short and angry. 

That made you laugh, the sound short and sardonic before it morphs into a cough that shakes your entire, frail being. You brought a shaking hand up to wipe your lips before you fixed him with a glare hard enough to freeze an ocean. “Basic biology?" you mocked. “Yeah, for sure. But it’s also basic biology to not let bond sickness even be a worry for your omega, but looks like you fucked that one right up, didn’t you!?”

Your words made something in Simon snap. Your rage, the vitriol, clenched his hands into fists as he quickly swung his powerful legs over the edge of the bed, crossing the space between you in the space between one of your breaths and the next. He was in your face now, just enough space between you to not be pressing completely against you. You averted your gaze, knowing that if you didn’t, you might continue yelling at him, or worse. 

“Look at me,” he ordered, using the same tone he does on the battlefield. His hands are still clenched into fists, but they are shaking. Why?

That tone made your eyes harden, the instincts of a hard-bred soldier kicking in. Even through the fraying of your bond, your sickness, you knew that voice. You listened when given an order. You allowed your head to loll back to look up at him, but your expression was still set in that same hard glare. You weren’t on a battlefield. You were on base, far away from the acrid explosions and hot gunpowder. How dare he pretend otherwise? “Why?” you bit back in response. “This isn’t some tactical decision, Simon. Don’t treat me like one of your fuckin’ rookies.” 

He took a sharp breath through his teeth, obviously trying to control himself. He knew you were weak, the bond sickness taking so much more from you than it ever did him. But your defiance, your spirit despite the bond sickness was making his alpha go crazy. Even with you glaring up at him, he stared down at you with fierce eyes as his hands gripped your hips, shoving you out of the doorway and pressing you against the wall right beside it. Taking one hand off of your hip, he shut the door with a resounding click before his grip, and his attention came back entirely to you. “I ain’t treatin’ you like a goddamned rookie,” he growled out, his cold brown gaze entirely focused on your own broken one as one hand slams into the wall by your head. Even through your rage, he can see it. Feel it. He had broken you. And that knowledge caused his alpha to writhe in pain. “I’m treatin’ ya like my fuckin’ omega.” 

As he caged you in, growled those words at you, your own expression hardened. Your lips curled up to reveal your smaller omega fangs, a low growl of your own reverberating from your chest as your hands clenched into fists. It’s hard to ignore the sheer size difference between the two of you as he towers over you, his head dipped low to keep your attention. However, that did nothing to stop your rage, in fact, it increased it tenfold. 

“Oh, right. I forgot. Being your omega means less than being one of your rookies, silly me.”

You knew the second the words left your mouth that you just opened a Pandora’s box. You saw it in the way his eyes instantaneously darkened, in the way his hand left the wall before you could even blink, his fingers crushing your jaw between them in a bruising grip, forcing your head back against the wall as he brought his face ever closer to yours. However, as his face got closer, you could see the glint of something else in his eyes. Triumph. His alpha was revelling in watching you snap and get fiery again. It was a victory, in his mind, to see you able to be so angry after the bond sickness had taken so much from you. “Watch it, sweetheart,” he muttered, his voice low and gruff. “I know that attitude of yours will always be there, but careful.”

His words sent another wave of anger through you, and as he forced your head back, you jerked your neck, snapping your teeth at him, your small omega fangs glinting in the low light of his quarters. It was a clear message. Fuck the bond sickness, he had no right to touch you right now. You did not forgive him, and he has to work to even begin to earn that, and if he won’t? You would dissolve the bond without him, whether or not it risked your life. 

“Don’t sweetheart me,” you growled out, glaring up at him even as the bruising grip of his fingers squished your cheeks together, slurring your words. “Not after everything.”

His alpha instincts flared again, the desire to force you into accepting his help clear as his eyes flashed in irritation at your anger. He pressed you further into the wall, his body now flush against yours as he snarled right back. “Then do something about it,” he challenged. “Get mad. Fight me. Let it all out. But, you’re not leaving this room until you let me fix this.”

As much as you hated it, hearing Simon’s permission gave you the ability to let it all out. No matter how much you wanted to pretend that you were unaffected by him, the knowledge that he wanted you to fight, wanted to fix this broken bond between you, allowed you to finally and truly get all of the anger out, and maybe, just maybe, give the bond a chance to heal. 

And so you did. Your body jerked against his, your sallow cheeks flushing red as you bared your omega fangs and growled at him again. Your eyes held the faintest spark of life, a far cry from what they used to have, but there’s something there now. 

When Simon saw that spark, the faintest hint of his omega coming back, he chuckled gruffly, his eyes glinting with a possessive heat. 

“Yes, spitfire. I want you t’ fight me. Hit me, scream, yell at me, tell me how shit of an alpha I’ve been. I don’t care. Just don’t. Hold. Back.” 

As soon as the words left his mouth, the dam inside of you broke. Months worth of anger, agony, grief, pain, and aching sadness flooded your veins like a hot, volatile drug. It felt like a living, breathing thing as the emotions curled around your lungs, your muscles, your heart. Tears pushed at your lash line, the aching pain making itself known through the rage. 

You held his cold brown gaze for a moment, your eyes searching his. When all you saw in return was steely determination, you did the only thing you could think of. Before he could even move out of the way, you shut your eyes and cranked your head back as far as it would go, and drove your forehead straight into his nose. It wasn’t nearly hard enough to break it, but definitely hard enough to hurt and make the blood start flowing. 

He staggered back from you, his hands coming up to cup his nose, but the alpha was far from angry. In fact, he was grinning, the blood pouring from his nose coating his lips and teeth. A low growl of approval rumbled from his chest as he stared at you, approval glinting in his eyes. “Good girl,” he muttered lowly, the praise slipping through so naturally. 

As his praise washed over you, you felt your stomach flip. It shouldn’t feel that good. Not after the months and months of neglect so bad that you were literally dying. But, you couldn’t help the small ember of warmth that bloomed through your chest as that muttered praise of good girl flowed through your veins like a warm blanket settling over you. 

But, you were still angry. And hurt. And countless other emotions that you couldn’t even begin to name, all just culminating into a neverending ache. And as you saw the blood marring the plush flesh of his lower lip, something inside of you snapped. 

He had made his worst mistake. He had let go of you, and now you could truly fight. 

You crouched down, using your smaller stature and power legs to kick your leg out, and you swept it across the ground, knocking the much-bigger alpha off of his feet. You watched as his massive frame hit the ground, shaking the walls, a bloom of satisfaction erupting in your chest. Adrenaline was pumping through your veins now, the only thing allowing you to move, and before he had the chance to become reoriented, you were on top of him, straddling his hips as you punched at his chest. Your tears of anguish were falling freely now, sobs breaking free with your yells. 

“You have broken me! Broken! I used to be so strong, so happy, and you destroyed that! Ripped it away from me! All because you were too fucking caught up in your own shit, your own fucking fear, that you couldn’t even be half of the alpha you needed to be!”

Simon grunted in pain as his back collided with the cold, hard tile of his quarters, his hands automatically coming up to grab at your hips. Not to shove you off, no, but to keep you on top of him. He knew he deserved this. Every punch, every pointed word, every tear. It was his penance for all of the pain and agony he had put you through, even if it was ripping his heart to absolute shreds. 

“I know, I know,” he growled softly, his voice thick with regret. “I know I did.”

You shook your head, tears and snot flying from the force. You were so angry, so hurt, but the adrenaline was quickly running its course, leaving behind only bone-deep exhaustion and pain. Your punches slowly weakened, until you were barely able to lift your hands. Instead, they came to rest on his bare chest, your omega claws digging sharply into the thick muscle that covered his chest, one of your hands digging directly over his heart, needing him to feel a fraction of the agony that coursed through your own. 

“Don’t you agree with me! Don’t you dare! Gods, you do this to me for months, and you… you have nothing to say for yourself!? I tried! Tried to be a good spouse, a good omega! I tried to give you your space, to be unobtrusive, even though that killed my omega! And all I fuckin’ got in return is this fucking bond sickness that is killing me! Tearing me apart from the inside out!” 

His body shuddered as your claws dug into his chest, his skin breaking under the tiny points. It hurt in every way that it could, but the tiny pinpricks of blood that welled around your claws were nothing compared to how he had hurt you. He knew that he deserved this, every inch of your wrath, of your anger, and the pain it brought for him. It was the least he could do - to bear this for you. But, Gods, it didn’t stop your words from tearing into his heart in a way your claws couldn’t even begin to touch. 

“I know, sweetheart, I know,” he repeated, his words thick with the guilt that was threatening to choke him. “And I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry.”

His apology broke what little strength you had left. The bond between you was fraying, seconds away from snapping completely, and you had never felt more lost. A sob broke free from your lips, the force of the sound causing your body to lurch forward. But, Simon was there. For once, he was there. His chest caught your head, your tears wetting his skin almost instantaneously as your claws scratched down his torso, leaving thin, raised red lines down his scarred skin. 

He hissed softly in response to the pain, but he made no attempt to move, to shy away from it. You had completely given up on your ego, your omega so desperate for your alpha, no matter what he had done. But, you were still so hurt, your omega so wounded that you had no idea how you were going to come back from this. 

“Just… just tell me why. Why did you do this? Why did you treat me like this?” you sobbed out into his chest, your sour, distressed omega pheromones wafting around him like a shroud of despair. 

His alpha writhed in pain at your scent. It was wrong, so, so wrong, but he had done this. His neglect, his apathy, had taken his once strong, ferocious omega and reduced her down to this. He had never seen you like this. And he never wanted to again. He could feel the bond between you slipping between his fingers like shards of glass digging into his very being, and fear rose to take its place. He wrapped his arms around you, cradling your tiny, trembling form against him, his nose burying into your hair as he pressed a featherlight, shaking kiss into it. He swallowed harshly against the lump in his throat, his heart clenching in fear. In pain. In anger at himself. “I was a coward, love.” 

You sobbed harder against his chest at his admission, shaking your head jerkily. Your body felt like it was freezing and burning up at the same time, as the frayed edges of the bond dug into you like poisonous thorns. You could feel your mind shattering, your heart stuttering as the bond sickness continued to take hold. You were dying, and you knew it. But at this point, you would almost take death over the amount of pain you were in. “That’s not a good excuse,” came your shaking reply, the words thick with tears and agony, but they were strong with conviction. “Tell me why, Simon. Tell me why, or break the godsdamned bond.” 

The words that left your lips felt like they were suffocating the alpha. Break the bond. His arms tightened around you until you were completely pressed against him, and he could feel every shudder, every quiver in your weakening body. A low growl rumbles from his chest, the sound full of pain but also a desperate desire to comfort. He had to try - to even attempt to explain, even if he wasn’t sure it would do anything. But the thought of losing you without even trying made his heart shatter, his alpha howl in protest. 

“Because I was afraid,” he murmured, his voice thick with regret and honesty as his knuckles ran across the knobs of your spine. That caused him more pain than you would ever know, feeling how you had atrophied from his neglect. How his dismissal, his abandonment had caused his once strong, beautiful omega, to waste away before his very eyes. “Afraid of getting caught up in you, in this. Of loving you, of giving you part of my heart. I didn’t know how to keep you safe. I didn’t think I was worthy of having something like that, like you. I still don’t.” 

“Then break the bond,” you whimpered out, the pain of the bond sickness, of your own emotions, and what little of Simon’s you could still feel through the barest threads of the bond ricocheting through your body, reduced you to little more than a husk lying on top of Simon. Your heart was shattering along with the bond, the broken edges of each splintering in a way that made it hard for you to breathe. Your breath pushed and pulled achingly slowly through your chapped lips like broken glass, just another thing ripping your very being apart. 

“If you can’t do this… I’ll… I’ll figure it out. The brass’ll let me stay, at least for a little bit. But, I can’t… I can’t keep doin’ this. ‘M not asking for love. ‘M not asking to be a real marriage, but I can’t be apart of a bond where ‘m not… where ‘m not bein’ taken care of. I can’t.” 

Your words were slurring, little more than a broken and pain-filled whimper against his broad chest, and Simon could practically hear the way his heart shatters beneath you. He did this. He did this. And yet, the selfish part of him couldn’t bear the thought of losing you, no matter how much pain he had put you through. The alpha snarled as he wrapped his arms around your ever-weakening frame impossibly tighter, as if he was afraid that if he didn’t hold you tight enough, you’d slip away from him forever. 

“No, baby, no,” he replied softly, but the words were filled with a growl of conviction, of promise. “I was stupid. I was so stupid, and I hurt you. Let me… let me fix this, okay? Please, baby. Lemme fix you. Just for right now.” 

Simon was begging. You didn’t know if you had ever heard him beg before, but here he was, begging you to allow him the chance to fix you. Your exhausted, wounded omega perked up a bit at his conviction, but you couldn’t help but feel like this was far too little, far too late. “I… I don’t know, Simon. How can you… how can you fix this?” 

The pained gasps between your words drove a stake of fear through Simon’s heart, his alpha whimpering painfully. He swallowed harshly against the ever-growing lump in his throat, as he knew that he had to be the pillar of strength. If he broke right now, there was no hope for you. His lips brushed against the top of your head as he inhaled your sour, rotted scent in despair, his hands running up and down your back in a vain attempt to soothe you. 

“Let me… let me have a chance,” the alpha, your alpha, pleaded. “Please baby, let me fix this. I’ll do better, I promise. Gods, I’ll do anything. Just… just let me get you better,  baby, please. And then, if you still want to break the bond, we can, okay? Just… I can’t lose you. I can’t let you die. Not like this. Never like this.”

You felt, more than heard, his words wash over you. You could feel your body failing, the bond sickness taking what little was left of you. Even with Simon’s touch, with his promises, you had a brief moment of clarity where you just knew that this still might be it, that the bond had been strained too far, the cavernous distance between the two of you still too great, that this bond sickness might still kill you, despite his promises to fix you. 

You were so tired. So, so tired. The pain is too much, your eyelids too heavy, and it felt like what was left of your shattered heart wasn’t pumping nearly enough oxygen through your veins. You were teetering on the edge, and all you wanted to do was sleep. 

“Just… just let me sleep. In here. With you. Please?” you mumbled, the words soft and slurred. Any fight, any pride you had just a few minutes ago was long gone, and if you were going to die, your omega wanted it to be right here, in your alpha’s arms, taken peacefully in your sleep. “I need… just, please, Si.” 

Simon’s resolve shattered at the nickname that fell past your lips. He instantly sat up, gathering your frail, fragile body in his arms as he nodded, his own tears finally breaking free. 

His fault. All his fault. Always his fault. 

He quickly stood up, your body light (too light, too light) in his arms as he carried you to his bed. He was terrified. He could feel how slow your heartbeat was, how weak your body was, how slurred your words were. He shushed you softly, gently, but the sound warbled against his own tears. 

“Shhh, shhh, baby. I got you. I got you. Just… just sleep, okay? I’ll be right here. Right here. Never leavin’ your side again. I promise. I’ll be right here when you wake up. Just sleep.” 

He gingerly laid you on the bed, surrounding you with blankets and pillows, anything he could find that was drenched in his alpha scent, before his body came to blanket you. He couldn’t lose you. And he will keep his promise, even as his own silent tears fell down around your now-unconscious face. What’s that old saying? Oh, right. You never know what you have until it’s gone.

[jewishvitya]

[This post was originally written in response to someone tagging me and claiming that a free Palestine would mean all Israeli Jews will be kicked out and where will I go, and how they can't understand why I'm so against Israel being our ethnostate. OP blocked me, so I'm reposting with a few edits, because I already wrote this and I might as well.]

Look. I understand your mentality. We're traumatized by a history of violence against us. We were shown that so many in the world want us dead, and so many others won't stop them. I get it. But I refuse to let myself silently become the face of similar oppression for other people.

Israel benefits from antisemitism and maintains myths that got Jewish people killed in the past, like double loyalty. It weaponizes it for propaganda reasons. It's supported by antisemitic Christian zionist organizations with terrifying motivations. It started out with violence not only against Palestinians but against Jews too. Israel isn't motivated by our safety, it abuses that idea. It manipulates and weaponizes our trauma to make us feel justified in causing so much suffering to innocent people.

You're right that I'll have nowhere to go if I'm kicked out of here. This is where I was born. My parents come from other countries that I won't feel safe in. But all of this is hypothetical. The ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians is not hypothetical, it's REALITY. It's happening RIGHT NOW. And I don't understand how, as a Jewish person who knows what this kind of suffering and loss of life means, you seem unable to prioritize that. I tell you I'm witnessing a genocide happening right next to me and you keep telling me "but what if they hurt you instead."

The assumption that Palestinians will pull some sort of reverse ethnic cleansing against us is racist. This assumption is the reason Israel feels comfortable calling the carpet bombing of a civilian population "self defense." Killing them based on a this is not self defense, it's a racially motivated crime against humanity.

And I'm calling it an assumption because I'm not willing to pull from the Hamas charter that they've since replaced. Hamas isn't Palestinians. The only reason they became this powerful is Israeli funding, and Israeli violence giving Hamas free PR as the only ones who will stand up to the state that will keep them trapped and dying.

We control every aspect of their lives. Israel created a place that breeds radicalization. No group of people, living under the conditions forced on Palestinians, would be peaceful. They would fight back. Because peaceful attempts to have the human rights that Israel denies them got nothing. We stomped on every single one. We blocked all other routes and left them with only violence, which Israeli politicians have been using as an excuse for over 15 years to make a show of force with military campaigns whenever they wanted a boost in popularity. We created living conditions with such low life expectancy that half of the population is children because so few adults survive. They don't deserve this. No one deserves this.

Palestine was a land with people living in it. One plot of land can create multiple groups of people, especially when we've been separated for 2000 years. Our connection to this land does not cancel out theirs. Removing them to create our own country could never be right. It's not an argument saying that our connection to Israel gives us the right to move here to live ALONGSIDE Palestinians. That's not what we wanted. We wanted a country that enforces Jewish majority and legally prioritizes Jews. You're justifying this when I repeatedly state that the only way for it to exist is through ethnic cleansing and genocide. There's no way to make this concept into a reality without killing, displacing, and oppressing whoever's left in various different ways, from apartheid to other kinds of discrimination.

I'm not against safety for us. I want to be safe. I want my children to grow in a safe world where we can be openly and joyfully Jewish. I'm not willing to pay for that with the lives and freedoms of other people.

So I will be loud about this: Palestinians deserve to be free in every part of their homeland, even if it's our ancestral homeland too.

If safety for us means we're the ones committing the genocide, maybe we should rethink what safety looks like.

I'm terrified for the lives of millions of people in Gaza. Right now, all I can think about is this, and it baffles me to see people so willing to transfer the horrors of our history to other people.

I had a lovely conversation in DMs in response to the first post, about how zionism encourages us to isolate rather than build bridges in the places where we live all over the world. We can't ignore the way antisemitism saturates culture, but we should also remember the places where Jewish communities thrived for centuries, the places where our neighbors protected us. We're hated, and we're loved. Each form of oppression is unique, so no other group experiences what Jewish people do exactly, but we're not alone. We have a long and rich history of solidarity with other marginalized communities and involvement in liberation movements. We're actively working to make the world safer, and we have people fighting with us. I'm just participating in this fight where I am. The struggle for liberation is a human struggle. You can't use the trauma of antisemitism to silence me about other kinds of bigotry.

Never again. To ANYONE.

[conflictofthemind]

Montauk, The Project Rainbow, and Experiments in Time

It’s fairly common knowledge that Stranger Things is based on Montauk. The unfortunate part is that Montauk has been attributed to another ‘vaguely MK-ULTRA mind control related side project’ and not the big narrative that it is, with details incredibly close to plot points in Stranger Things that resulted in an attempted lawsuit years back. Montauk does not just set the general ‘spooky scientific experiments on kids’ tone for ST - it is the backbone of the whole lore. 

‘The Montauk Project’ Book / Conspiracy explained simply is that the US government unofficially experimented on humans with ‘great psychic ability’ to allow their psychic brain waves to interact with the normal electromagnetic waves of our world. The end goal being manifesting thoughts into reality, and opening up wormholes in time. This would give the military great advantage and potentially control over the outcomes of war. It then turns out the whole narrative of Montauk occurs within a time loop from 1943-1983, when the disappearance of a ship called the USS Eldridge opened up a wormhole which was connected with by a research subject in 1983. The time loop is self-causing - the entire reason the Montauk experiments take place are to further study the events that occurred on this ship, but part of the reason the ship disappears is because of the Montauk Project. Due to all of the other time travel references within the series - trust, we will get into those - this leads me to believe it’s very unlikely there isn’t time travel / a time loop involved. Here I hope to posit the basic information about Montauk/The Philadelphia Project, how the powers work within ST, Will’s clear involvement in all of it, and the time travel element. 

Ahahaha why does that look like a bowl-cut…

Let’s put this out of the way first: the idea that Montauk/Philadelphia is the direct inspiration for the show is not based on flimsy grounds. The original series the Duffers planned to make was going to be an actual retelling of Duncan Cameron’s (think El and Henry - main research subject of Montauk) story. This was later changed to become the story we know today with the characters we know today, although with different names and the title remaining Montauk. Some of the characters had names from Montauk too… like Mr. Clarke being Mr. Nichols. I’ll save that for a later post. The entire design of HNL is based off of the ‘Camp Hero’ / Montauk lab with the iconic banana-shaped radar disk. El’s Void ability comes from the ‘Seeing Eye’ power Duncan has in Montauk, where focusing on a personal item belonging to a person lets him see into their mind. The research subjects’ power is amplified by white noise and a sensory deprivation chamber - again, seen with El. 

The Rainbow Ship and the Electromagnetic Connection:

The Electromagnetic Spectrum is usually mentioned at least a little in every season. Joyce’s magnets falling off, El needing the radio, etc. Lights are another focus, with the kids in the Rainbow Room being tested on how they can manipulate lightbulbs, and the emphasis on lights flickering whenever powerful forces are being used or the Upside Down is interfering with Hawkins. I expect them to really start pushing it in Season 5, and we can already see evidence of this (below: the WSQK Squawk Van). They’re at a radio station, the Middle School kids are learning about light from Scott Clarke most likely, and you can see the abundance of rainbows everywhere. It’s my opinion that rainbows and light are the mechanism in which these gates open, and also when at high enough power, how time can become warped. ‘Project Rainbow’ is another title basically interchangeable with the USS Eldridge and Philadelphia Project. This was because “the mechanism involved was the generation of an incredibly intense magnetic field around the ship, which would cause refraction or bending of light or radar waves around the ship”. However as we remember, this had the unintended effect of teleporting the ship across space-time. In the ST Universe, this results in the Eldridge being teleported to Dimension X temporarily (without a gate being opened).

The eagle shoots out beams of a rainbow which are meant to represent the radio waves being broadcast. 

It’s a commonly asked question as to how Will ‘blinked’ out of that shed without a gate, considering only El was able to open them at that time. The close-up on the lightbulb is the last shot we see before he just vanishes. It’s not just powers interfering with the surrounding electricity; this bending of light is what took him to the UD. But when this happens, it doesn’t result in a gate. I also believe this will end up being the mechanism for the eventual time-travel plot we’ll be seeing. Again in Montauk, there is a ‘time-tunnel’ made between the Eldridge and 1983 Montauk that was caused by the disappearance. My original post investigating this was me hypothesizing that being able to bend light to travel faster than it could result in temporary anomalies that allow one to time travel. 

Anyway, back to the rainbows. Rainbows are one of the most common recurring symbols in Stranger Things. The Rainbow Room exists of course, and there’s a deliberate costuming choice, especially in later seasons with the brighter atmosphere, to have characters wearing rainbow patterned items. Holly’s room is full of rainbows, and there are multiple rainbow props scattered around other locations (Mike’s basement, Erica’s room, etc). Scott Clarke (seriously what is up with him) is introduced in Season 1 doing a lesson on ROYGBIV. The BTS pictures of S5 Hawkins Middle School have him teaching yet another lesson on the visible light spectrum. And space for some reason. This brings us back to the Rainbow Ship.  Now we know the USS Eldridge is a marine ship, not a spaceship. But for the characters who seem to have some connection to it, it is represented as one regardless.

Will drew something representing the USS Eldridge (which it is mentioned was not from a movie i.e. he came up with it using his own memory and mind). The main fixture of Henry’s playground, where a ‘significant’ memory took place also features this representation of the Eldridge. I suspect there might also be a larger reason it took the form of a spaceship, but for now, consider that the ST Universe’s version of aliens are the Demogorgons. And outer space is Dimension X. The ship ‘flew’ to ‘outer space’ (D-X) and encountered ‘aliens’. In Montauk, that is kind of what happens. It’s more metaphorical in Stranger Things. The comic book Henry is obsessed with in TFS is seemingly changed from the real life Captain Midnight who was an airplane pilot, to be an astronaut. I think there is some kind of “alien abduction” theme with both Henry and Will being suddenly transported to another dimension that is alien in itself. Even when the lab scientists enter the UD in the first few seasons, they use hazmat suits that are deliberately similar looking to spacesuits. Stranger Things is a story about UFOs and aliens that also isn’t exactly about UFOs and aliens. 

And then, I’ll mention the weirdest part of this all - Will knows about the Eldridge somehow. And he knew about it before he was ever kidnapped and attached to the hive-mind. 

This is either possible because 1) he was in fact involved in research projects at HNL, and maybe the Project Indigo before the age of 8 like the original “rainbowshipgate” suggests. Or 2), there is an element messing with time in this situation, just like in the original Montauk book series. Montauk is literally named ‘Experiments in Time’. They’ve nabbed Linda Hamilton from Terminator (a movie about time travel) for this final season. They’re referencing a Wrinkle in Time with the Episode 6 title and Holly plot. Then we have everything else involving Henry’s clock theming that hasn’t exactly explained itself yet. Thinking time travel is a far-fetched idea at this point is a bit ridiculous. 

It really depends on how crazy they go with the whole concept. One of the other main characters from Montauk I haven’t mentioned yet is Al Bielek. Al Bielek was the original “whistleblower” who came forward with his story after supposedly recovering his repressed memories of the events. He claims to have been on the crew of the USS Eldridge in a previous life as Edward Cameron, Duncan Cameron’s brother. When he was sent forward in time he ended up staying in 1983 whereas Duncan Cameron was effectively sent back to where he came. Very confusing. But the story is, the man’s a time traveler. 

I do wonder if Al Bielek is loosely the inspiration for Will’s part in the story. Will who has seemingly repressed memories of many points in his life and has been suggested to be a time traveler many times. His name appears on the grandfather clock. He wears Marty McFly’s outfit in the first season. He has knowledge of an event that happened in 1943. He has lines about “seeing into the future” and Mike calls him a time-traveler in the VR Game where the writing staff had access to scripts and a writer from the show. The Upside Down is stuck on “the day of Will’s disappearance” (in the Duffers’ words), though that one probably has a slightly simpler explanation. 

The exact mechanics of how that would work are unclear. Right now, as young as an eight year old Will needs to have the knowledge of the Eldridge - so this isn’t something he will only end up connecting with this season. My theory is that there is a time loop involved, and Will’s actions in the future of Season 5 have him interfere in some way with the 1943 Philadelphia Project / Project Rainbow. The time loop is cyclical and self-causing. Our Will Byers already has a past iteration in yet another timeline where he already went back and tried to interfere with the past (and likely died trying in 1943). Then he is reborn again in 1971, and awakes a very small portion of his past memories of the previous loops. If that doesn’t make sense, I created this handy-but-ugly flowchart to help you out: 

Basically there is no beginning, since the future causes the past and vice versa (a bootstrap paradox). Every Will would then have memories of a past self(selves). The time loop also gets more complicated than this. Did Henry create the mindflayer? It’s presented like that within the show, but let me remind you that shows with heavy mystery elements can and will purposely deceive you. In the First Shadow, Mr. Newby is attacked by the Mindflayer and produces a drawing of the entity - it’s purposely not shown to the audience, but considering the Mindflayer was supposedly just a black mass then why is that? And regardless, in order to have Henry become possessed by it, the Mindflayer was definitely not created by him in 1979. A few have written up theories about this already, I’ll link to my friend's two posts on this element of the time loop.  

I don't have anything else super definitive yet. But I believe wholeheartedly that this is the right direction to search in and I hope we can put more attention on the subject. All of this makes sense, from the military connections they keep pushing in the show, the time travel hints we have been getting, the origin story of Brenner (whose dad died aboard the ship) and the Rainbow Room, everything ties back to the Eldridge events being incredibly incredibly important going forward.

Here's a link where you can read through Montauk Experiments in Time for free.

[sayruq]

Every few weeks, Israeli officials say that Hamas is 'starting to break' or 'starting to lose control over Gaza.'

Meanwhile Hamas released a very slick trailer unveiling a new missile type, the M-90, that it used on Tel Aviv

Al Qassam Brigades released a video showing their operation and it's the most intense one yet. Tw: explosions, gunshots, no blood or gore

Al Qassam has also released a video related to the tweets below and it's grizzly. Some of the special forces team and the POW were killed in the attempted rescue (though you only see the POW's body)

[CONT] eastern axis of Khan Yunis.

It's not just Al Qassam Brigades, the Al Quds Brigades has also released a video showing their fighters carrying out attacks against the IDF. It included a moment where one of the fighters shoots an RPG at a tank and then leaps for joy shouting ' It's on fire! It's on fire!'

Same TW as the Al Qassam video

The Mujahideen Brigades also posted an update

[CONT] aircraft intervened to bomb the soldier, and our fighters returned to their bases safely

Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades has spoken about one of their military operations in Gaza

[CONT] certain injuries among them. One of the martyrdom fighters rose in the operation, and two of the heroes withdrew safely

It's actually really hard to keep up with everything that is happening in Gaza.

It has also been very intense in the other fronts too - namely Hezbollah at the Lebanon border and militia groups in Iraq and Syria

Btw a bill meant to withdraw 900 US troops from Syria failed to pass to expect more operations like this as long as Gaza is being destroyed.

[rainbowsky]

Sorry I've taken so long to address this, I've had a very busy day and didn't have time to finish this post (which I started yesterday).

I'm talking, of course, about the incredibly controversial situation surrounding DD right now. I've gotten some messages about it so I figured I'd give my thoughts in a bigger post so that I don't have to keep repeating myself.

(CW: racism, spoilers FPU)

I know that by now most people are aware of the situation, but I'm going to start from square one for those who are just catching up on the topic.

There is a scene in Formed Police Unit where Chinese UN peacekeeping troops need to rescue a group of citizens who are surrounded by terrorists. In order to accomplish this they disguise themselves as people from the community. This being Africa, the troops were disguised using blackface.

Yes, I am saying that DD and his castmates appear in the film in blackface.

I am not going to post a picture of that here. It's just something I can't post on my blog. I understand that many of you will want to see for yourself so I'll link a clip of the scene, which was posted on Weibo. Please be aware before clicking - this is full-on blackface. Always take care of yourselves, and if you think it might be upsetting to you don't click. You don't need to see it to be a 'good fan'.

Background

For those who may not know, this movie was filmed years ago, in 2021. During those years I have seen many anti attacks against DD, claiming that he is racist and has worn blackface. Here's the photo that was circulating back then.

At the time I thought the makeup that he was wearing was likely anti-reflective black paint or camouflage paint such as is used by snipers (which he played in the film). I assumed that he was wearing his own hoodie over part of a military costume, because he was wearing a cammo shirt and what might have been combat trousers.

I was certainly not expecting full-on blackface from this movie.

There's no getting around it - this is extremely difficult to look at.

Blackface is widely viewed as offensive and racist. It shouldn't be hard to understand why. Putting on another person's ethnicity like a costume is deeply insensitive, particularly when you consider that BIPOC (black, indigenous, and other people of color) are so frequently targeted, exploited and marginalized. For those in positions of privilege and power to put on the appearance of the people who they oppress and exploit... it's just shocking and awful.

Blackface is most frequently talked about in an American context, but it's actually a problem globally - including in China. More on all that here.

The film

I have not actually seen the film, so I don't know much about the context beyond what is being discussed in the fandom. As I said earlier, in the film a group of UN police officers need to infiltrate an area in the community, and they take on disguises in order to do so.

In promotional media this film is being presented as based on true stories from real missions*. It seems the situation in question really happened on a Chinese peacekeeping mission, and the UN troops disguised themselves as black citizens in order to infiltrate and extract the endangered captives.

*I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt on this because it doesn't change how I feel it should have been handled.

This is important context that is being conveniently left out of much of the backlash about this situation. People are outright claiming that DD plays a black person in the movie - that he wore blackface to perform a role that a black actor could have played. This simply isn't true, and people making these claims are antis and liars. There's simply no excuse for not knowing the full context.

Having said that, I don't really think it matters how it ended up in the film. I do not think there is such a thing as a palatable or appropriate use of blackface. In this day and age it is nearly universally understood to be racist, and it's extremely controversial.

I can understand if they were trying to be accurate to the mission that they were portraying, but surely there are other ways they could have accomplished this scene (perhaps with the clothing but not the blackface). 'Historical accuracy' isn't as important as cultural sensitivity, not by any stretch of the imagination. In the interest of respecting audiences they could have adapted the scene to make the use of blackface unnecessary.

I really see no excuse for anything like this in 2024.

Audience reactions

Chinese sensibilities around these topics are very different from what we are used to in the West.

According to fan repos audiences initially didn't recognize any of the actors, and once it became apparent that they were in disguise, laughter erupted around the room. In fact, most fans are laughing a lot at the photos and video even on social media (although some Chinese netizens have been upset by it and have voiced complaints to various stakeholders).

It is also being widely discussed on Chinese social media as an exciting scene of heroism in the film.

I feel the need to point out that the laughter and mockery is a huge part of the harm, here. As if it's not bad enough that these actors are performing in blackface and presenting a perversion of black ethnicity, it also becomes an opportunity for audiences to mock and disrespect black people. It's become an opportunity for social media to be filled with racist jokes and mockery.

Roadshow statements

There have been some clips circulating of PR and roadshow moments with black cast members and some black audience members who have spoken up in support of the film and to thank the cast and crew for telling the story. Here's one example.

International fans have been dismissing those statements as ignorant or coerced, which I think is offensive and deeply fucked up. There's no planet on which I'm going to - with a totally straight face - say that a black person's response to the movie is not legitimate just because it doesn't comport with my own view.

This is a complex issue and there are inevitably going to be a lot of different perspectives. I hope people won't exacerbate the problem by supplanting black voices on this issue with their own, no matter what's being said. If there's any manipulation going on, let's assume it was in their choosing supportive black figures to speak for the film rather than claim that the black spokespeople are insincere.

China has a lot of issues with racism, there's no doubt about it. It's a huge part of why so many people try to whiten their skin, or why they mock each other when their skin gets tanned/darker. There is a lot of sinister, fucked up stuff going on in China around race - both in the country and in their dealings with other countries.

But we can't claim to speak for black people in China, particularly when they are speaking for themselves! I would hope this is extremely obvious!

Where's DD in all this?

It's understandable that bystanders will react to what they're seeing and might immediately deem it unacceptable - and DD along with it. Their reactions are valid, but as fans I hope that we can look at him with a bit more empathy. I hope that we can take a moment to try to see things from his perspective.

DD has been interested in and an avid fan of black culture since he was a small child. We've all seen how much he immerses himself in hip hop, street dance and the accompanying music and fashion. And yes, he's been accused of cultural appropriation in the past for wearing locs and durags.

However, I think fans need a bit of perspective here to get a sense of where DD might be coming from. Here's a guy who loves black culture, who has close friends who are black, who regularly works with black artists and who supports black artists, in a culture where racism against black people is prevalent and often extreme.

I think DD would probably be amazed to hear the accusations of racism against him. He likely has very few people in his orbit who are anywhere near as supportive of or as closely connected to black people as he is. He likely stands out in his circle as being particularly into black culture and connected with black artists, and probably regularly faces ignorant questions or digs from people around him about his close association with black artists and culture.

Not just because of racism alone, but also due to the racist parallels the government tends to draw between black culture, street dance, hip hop, etc. and criminality/moral degradation*. It's likely that ignorant people in his orbit have expressed concern or wariness toward him because of these associations.

*That is, until breakdancing became an Olympic sport, then they were suddenly onboard with some of it.

I'm not saying that he doesn't have a lot of learning to do (and if this situation becomes what I think it might become, he'll have a big opportunity to do so), I'm just saying that his ignorance isn't mean-spirited. He's coming at this from a totally different angle than any of us are, and he is immersed in a totally different cultural perspective than our own. In his world, his interest likely makes him a bit of an anomaly.

So those painting him as a horrible racist... it's just not how I see it.

The element of choice

I've heard many people say that DD 'didn't have any choice' about this role, that turning it down would not have been an option or that he would be under some kind of threat if he didn't take this role. I don't agree with that characterization of things. I don't think it's quite as 'gun to the head' as a lot of fans paint it.

I think it's more likely that he simply didn't realize that the role would involve blackface when he accepted it, or that he thought that blackface in this context - to infiltrate a terrorist cell and save civilians - would be fine. We don't need to depict China as forcibly compelling actors to take unwanted roles if we want to make sense of this. There are simpler, more logical explanations.

DD wouldn't have been the one deciding how to depict the scene - he didn't have that power in 2021 - but I also doubt he would have had a major problem with it given everything we know.

We must overcome our Western tendency to see things only from our own perspective. This has a totally different cultural context in China, and the voices we listen to about it should not be issuing exclusively from white faces that are not at ground zero of this situation.

Final thoughts

This film has had me worried from day one. I think most people have been expecting it to be full of offensive portrayals and propagandistic fuckery. There are so many ways in which a Chinese film about the UN is potentially a sticky, tricky mess. This blackface thing is likely just one problem on a towering pile of problems.

However, I'm not going to sugarcoat this - this has the potential to be a real shitshow for DD, and I am concerned. Especially if this film gets an international release.

We need to brace ourselves, because I don't think this is going to just disappear. DD has endorsements with international brands, and this could definitely cause backlash for those brands unless the issue is addressed and the scenes removed. There's no planet on which brands like Chanel and Lacoste can afford to have one of their spokespeople plastered everywhere in blackface.

If this film gets an international release and those scenes are left intact, it's possible he will lose some brands.

Let's hope it doesn't come to that, but let's face it - things like this have consequences, and that's why it's so important for producers and artists to be sensitive about what they're portraying.

While I think there's some endorsement risk here for DD, and the potential loss of some international fans, I want to be clear about one thing: I don't think this will threaten his career overall. In China this just isn't an issue in the way it is internationally.

I do hope the film team addresses this issue in some way, ideally by removing the scenes. They just finished doing a massive edit to remove ZZH from the film, surely they can handle something like this. But let's not hold our breath...

Everyone has the right to make up their minds about DD. As I've often said, being a turtle isn't for the faint of heart. That's not just because turtles are frequent targets for bullies, or because we have to constantly live with uncertainty and doubt.

Being an international turtle also isn't for the faint of heart because there are a lot of cultural and political minefields to navigate, and many ideological differences to adapt to. There's a huge learning curve and a lot of unknowns, and turtles who want to survive have to make peace with the fact that we and the boys are from different worlds in many ways. We may never know where they really stand on issues that are important to us.

However, in this case I feel confident that I know where DD's heart is on this issue. He simply doesn't hold hatred, disrespect or disdain for black people. Quite the contrary.

I think we'd all just feel a lot better if he had a good grasp on how to be a better ally.

And while we're waiting for that, I think we should put our money where our mouths are and learn more about these issues ourselves, both in China and locally at home. We want DD to be a better person; let's be better people too.

Edit: more on this here.

[lonely-ey3s]

With All My Love : Chapter 1 | paper, pens, stamps

Pairing: joel miller x f!reader, no outbreak

Series warnings: mentions of war/combat, violence, mentions of blood, angst, flashbacks and mentions of abusive relationship between an ex and also family, smut 18+ MDNI (each chapter will have more in depth warnings), eventual fluff, flirting, small age gap (Joel is mid 30’s, switched POV, reader is late 20’s), mutual pining, any additional warnings will be listed in each chapter.

Summary: You enlist in the army as a way to escape your abusive ex-boyfriend. While you are in basic training and eventually deployed as a medic in the army, you participate in a pan pals program that your bunkie convinces you to do with her. What you don’t expect is to be paired with Joel Miller, a single dad in Texas, who you find great comfort and motivation in writing back and forth. As each letter comes to you from him, and to him from you, you both realize ‘warm regards’ turns into ‘with all my love’. 

Banners by: @saradika-graphics

Main Masterlist

Chapter 1: Pens, Paper and Stamps

Word count: 5.3k

Chapter warnings: mentions of abuse, flashbacks and nightmares of abuse, small age gap, flashbacks, mentions of being in basic training for the army, start of mutual pining, switched POV's.

Reader’s POV

You need to get 3 things at the camps commissary, or at least at a minimum 3 things. Your bunkie, Maria, signed you both up for this pen pals program and she said that you need at least pens, paper and stamps as she already had envelopes. 

You had just finished a grueling day of training, every muscle in your body aches. The last thing you want to do is write a letter, but if you two were going to do this thing together, you needed to write something this evening as the mail was sent out from your camp only once a week. You could say it was now or never (or at least another week). 

You paid for some general Bic pens, a small notebook with lined paper and had the choice of choosing either stamps with the American flag or with birds. You chose to not shove that you guys were in the military down your pals throat, and chose the birds. Birds could maybe be a conversation starter right? But what did you know about birds? Nothing, but who cares. You also opted to grab a Fort Jackson post card to put in the envelope. You loved postcards but this program was weird about solely sending just that, so you thought you’d sneak one in just for your own joy and amusement. 

When you got back to your bunkhouse, Maria just about leapt out of her bed to come grab supplies from you. She was a lot more eager to do this, and also a lot more energetic than you in the sense of most things. She had that ‘glass half full, grass is greener’ personality, whereas you were somewhat the opposite. You chose to live in reality and if things were shit, things were shit. You didn’t want to focus on what they ‘could be’, you wanted to focus on what they were so you could fix it. Maybe that’s why you were going into the medic program, you knew that if someone in the field was going to die, you weren’t going to waste precious time trying to save them, instead focus on those you could. Was that harsh and cold? Absolutely but that’s just how you were programmed and that’s the only way you knew how to live. However, regardless of your opposite personalities, you two were thicker than thieves, bonded. She annoyed you with her sunshine attitude most of the time, but she kept you grounded, and you saw her as a great friend, and somewhat of a sister figure. She was a good man in a storm, and you needed that. 

“Birds? Wasn’t there anything else besides birds?” she looked at you a little disappointed as she sat back on her bed with some paper, a few pens and half of the stack of stamps you bought. 

“Girl, we live on a military base, I was surprised there was something other than the flag to choose from..” you chuckled as you thought how you could have come back with the American flag stamps, how that would have thrown her panties in a bunch as she also noted before you left to not get any ‘Uncle Sam’ stamps. 

“Fair enough. Thanks for getting all this. Maybe when we are in town next time we can get something more exciting.” she said as she started to lay out her paper and start writing.

All you did was slightly nod and hum. You didn’t really care much for all the frill and customization of these letters like she did, but thought maybe that who you were writing to once you heard back from them, that may change your mind. 

All you had was a name and address for who you were writing. You thought that wasn’t much to go off of, hell with a name like ‘Joel’ you didn’t know if you were writing to someone closer to your age or an old man eating jello from a cup in a retirement center. 

You wrote the address and return address on the envelope that Maria had left on the desk for you and placed a stamp on it. You thought of what to write… do you do things like an introduction to yourself, ask questions, what the hell were you going to write? 

Maria must’ve sensed your hesitation to write because she just casually guided, “Just start by introducing yourself and go from there.. It’ll be easier when they write back to us back.” she said with a soft smile as you peeked over your shoulder to look at her. 

Maria didn’t just sign you both up for this program for the hell of it, she knew you needed more people, someone besides her to open up to. She hoped that by participating, it would help you not feel so alone, which she knew was a thought that consumed you more than you liked to admit.

You turned back around and let out a small sigh before starting:

‘Dear Joel, 

Greetings from South Carolina!’ 

No - fuck, that’s stupid, who the hell says ‘Greetings!’...? You tore the page out, crumpled it up and tossed it into the waste bin. Maria softly giggled “Let me guess, did you say something like ‘Greetings’?” 

You scoffed and smiled over at her “You know what? Shut up..” you both let out a small laugh before you turned back to your page, pen in hand fiddling it between your fingers, thinking. 

Ok let's try this again. 

‘Dear Joel, May 14, 2004

It seems like you and I have been paired for this program together. Congrats to us? If I am being honest, my bunkie is making me do this, so I’m not sure how to write letters, so you’ll have to mind me warming up to the process. 

I could start with a little bit about me? I am writing to you from Fort Jackson, SC. My name is _____, and I am currently in basic training to be a medic in the United States Army. I was born and raised in Washington, but moved to Augusta, GA a little over 5 years ago. However, now I am here in the humid as shit state of South Carolina, and can’t wait to be done with basic in a few weeks, this state with its giant ass bugs from hell can kindly bugger off. Have you seen the bugs they have here? They should be deemed a danger to society with how big they are… no thank you. 

I don’t really know what else much to write about myself, as I believe I am not the most exciting person to learn about, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I don’t really have a picture to send or I would,  you know- like to give you a face to connect with the letter. I’ll try to have Maria (the bunkie) get a Polaroid of us or myself at one point to send in my next letter. Maybe by then I could take one at graduation? We’ll see. 

I guess some questions I have for you is, what do you do for a living? Any hobbies or interests? Birds? Do you like birds? Dumb question, I know but I chose the bird stamp versus the American flag at the camp commissary, thought maybe it could be an ice breaker? Not that I know jackshit about birds - shoot sorry, pardon my language. I’ve been living in close quarters with men that have mouths of sailors for the past 3 weeks, I’ll try to catch myself if you aren’t ok with swearing. Where was I? Birds. Yeah I don't know a thing about birds but if you do, tell me an interesting fact? Or if you can pick a more interesting stamp, maybe we can talk about that :) 

Well, I am not sure when this will get to you but if you don’t write back for a couple of weeks, you could catch me while I am possibly deployed? I’ve been told after graduation a lot of the medics get assigned pretty quickly overseas, but who knows? I guess what I am trying to say is I’ll try to write as often as I can, you know, put as much effort in this relationship? Is that too weird to say, relationship? Oh well. I’ll know if you don’t write back - it was too fast. ;)

I look forward to getting to know you more Joel, until next time, stay healthy and well. 

Warm regards, 

Y/N’ 

You wrote on the postcard:

‘I guess something about me is that I am a sucker for a postcard, so expect one in each of our letters, since the program won’t let me write solely on one to send you. Sorry this one is so boring, I promise to get one that has something more unique next time!’

You folded up the paper into thirds and then stuck the letter and postcard into the envelope then looked back and found Maria spritzing some perfume on her letter and letting out a chuckle while rolling your eyes “Jesus, why the perfume?”

She looked up and turned a little red, “You weren’t supposed to see that. Let a girl live. Who knows, maybe me and my pen pal will fall in love, you know, like those hallmark movies?” she looked into the distance longingly, clutching the envelope to her chest. 

You just let out a belly laugh, “I’ll let you live out that fantasy, and I’ll just hope for your sake you didn’t just awaken an old man in a nursing home's sex drive…” you teased. 

She slapped you with her envelope as you walked by to get ready for bed. “Don’t you dare manifest that!” she said with a slight giggle. You just looked at her and shook your head, “What’s your pals name again, Reginald?” chuckling as you tried to think of some older man’s name to tease her. 

She looked over at your annoyed, “No smartass, his name is Tommy.”

Joel’s POV

Joel wasn’t one to do a pen pal program, in fact he still didn’t want to do it, but he promised Sarah, his 13 year old daughter, who was doing it in her school’s homeroom class, with kids outside the country, he would do it too as Sarah wanted something for them to bond over. Sarah though, also she hoped her dad would make a friend or find joy in whomever he wrote as she knew he was lonely ever since her mom left them. 

Regardless of his agreement, that didn’t stop him from tucking your name and address he had received from the program 2 weeks ago away. He felt intimidated by making the first move and hoped that whoever he was paired with would secretly be the same, and nothing would come of it. That was until Sarah ran in from the front door with the mail in her hand, waving it about excitedly, “They wrote! Dad, your pal wrote to you! Look!” she shook the envelope in his face and then spun in a circle. 

Joel couldn’t help but smile, obviously Sarah was excited and happy about the letter, maybe he should give it a chance? What’s the worst that could happen?

“Alright, calm down kiddo… let me open the damn thing. Goodness.” he took the envelope from her and lightly chuckled as he leaned up against the counter and opened it, and started to read quietly to himself. He liked the part where you mentioned the bird stamps and trying to find an ice breaker. He could tell by your rambling writing you may have been just as nervous and intimidated by the process too, and that set his mind slightly more at ease. His eyes widened slightly reading you were going to be deployed as army medic. He knew from his brother serving that put you in a very dangerous situation and that tore as a small part of him. He didn’t want you in danger, but he also knew you were making an incredible sacrifice and that earned you a bucket load of respect from him. 

He looked in the envelope as he felt something else in there and then smiled warmly pulling out the postcard you additionally sent and read the small message. He also enjoyed postcards more than letters, and found joy in knowing you felt the same. Something about postcards felt more unique and authentic to him, and he knew he would be sending you one back, it was something you both had in common, and he liked that.

Sarah watched as he read through everything, eagerly waiting to see when he would finish, then she started to bombard him with question after question, “So? What did they say? What are they like? Did they send any pictures? Sam sent photos of him and his family, did yours? What’s their name, how old are they? Do they like baseball like you?...” 

Joel looked at Sarah and softly chuckled “Here, you can read it, it’ll answer most of those questions.” He pushed himself off the counter and left the letter for her to look over. 

He wanted to write you back, as he knew it took about a week for your letter to get to him, if his timing was right, he could get his letter to you in time, before your possible deployment. However, he needed to run to the market to pick out some postcards to send you, but also Sarah reminded him the other day, they needed more stamps. 

Sarah had a paper due tomorrow so while she did that, he ran to the store and grabbed what he needed. He also grabbed some film for Sarah’s polaroid camera as he wanted to send you a picture of him and Sarah, give a face to the writer as you put it. 

When he got home, he could hear some music from up in Sarah’s room so he sat down at the kitchen table so he could be as distraction free as possible and began to write:

‘Dear Y/N, May 22nd, 2004

I wanted to get this letter back to you before your possible deployment, and if I do the math right, it should arrive to you either right before or right after your graduation, so with that being said ‘Congratulations and thank you for your service’ or thank you for the service you’re about to do… god I’m not good at this. 

He sighed heavily and rubbed his fingers into his scruff thinking what to write next. 

Ok, changing subjects, I also enjoy postcards more than letters, so I’ve also added one to my letter package. However, mine will be quite boring as they will all be from Austin, unless I travel for work, but still, majority will be from Austin as I won’t be traveling like you, but still, I’ll do my best to get a variety for you. You’ll be an expert on Austin, TX - we can say that. :)

You asked what I do for a living- I own a construction business with my brother, so I am a contractor. We are currently working on a shopping plaza which has been a lot of work. My knees and back are killing me, but it is always worth all the hard work in the end. Hobbies? I enjoy watching sports, baseball specifically, but other than that, I work long hours and am a single dad, so hobbies just don’t really happen. I’m sure with you being in the army, you understand that. But before the army, what were your hobbies and interests? Sports fan by chance? 

I don’t know jack about birds either- and don’t worry about cussin’ - I don’t mind. After all, I am a contractor. I'm sure at least half of what you hear from those men with mouths like sailors is part of my daily vocabulary. But birds - yeah, don't know much other than what I learned on Animal Planet when Sarah was little and went through a 6 month phase of that damn channel and only that channel - but those random fact only spur on whim. 

Also, don’t worry about sending a bird stamp. Hell, the only stamps we have in our house are the state of Texas. So exciting, right?

You mentioned those bugs they got you where you are. I’m with you there, those things can go back to the hell they came from. Don’t they fly too? Now that right there - that just ain’t natural. 

He heard Sarah’s bedroom door open, which meant he needed to wrap this up if he wanted to finish it without her sticking her nose in his business. 

I’ll wrap this up by saying, I know we both aren’t keen on the idea of this right now from the sound of it, but knowing how deployment can be lonely, feel free to write as much as you’d like, we can be each other's tie outside of our daily routine. You can tell me about life wherever you’ll be and I’ll tell you about all the ‘fun’ here in the states. 

Stay safe out there and congrats again on graduating.

Joel’   

Sarah came bouncing down the stairs humming to herself while the music she was playing in her bedroom still played upstairs, nose in a book. Joel looked at her and stood from his chair, “Hey, could I borrow your Polaroid camera? I wanted to send y/n a photo of us in my letter back.” 

Sarah looked up from her book, and smiled softly, “Sure dad, one sec!” she put the book down on the counter while she ran back upstairs to grab her camera. Once back down, the two of them took a few photos together at the table, one smiling, one making a silly face (in which Joel just stuck two fingers behind Sarah’s head to make bunny ears and laughed in her direction sweetly). Joel settled on 2 photos that came through not too blurry and tucked them into the envelope along with the postcard he grabbed and wrote, ‘Can’t wait to see your next post card! -Joel

He then put it on the entry table to put in the mailbox tomorrow morning when he left for work and then started making dinner for he and Sarah. 

1 week later 

Reader’s POV

You and Maria graduated from basic on a beautiful day in June. As expected, it was a busy day filled with everyone’s family and friends that came to support their soldier. 

Maria’s parents and brother both came for the ceremony. You didn’t have anyone come, which was of course by choice and Maria knew that. Your parents had passed a few years back, but even if they were alive, they wouldn't have come either. They were part of the reason you left Washington, they also were never ones to support you in anything. You supported yourself growing up, never could ask them for a thing, and without them, you didn’t have any other family to come support you and you didn’t want whoever else had been in your life up until this part to be there, being alone, having no one there meant you were safe. 

Maria’s mother gave you a small hug and smiled “Where’s your family, dear?” you smiled and were about to answer some vague bullshit answer when Maria interjected, “Mama where did dad go? I wanted to have a picture with you two!” she looked at you and winked knowing not talking about it was better than lying about it. 

Maria knew the situation of why you joined the army, and knew that you were pretty much on your own when it came to your civilian life. It started when she saw the bruises and marks on you on the first day of boot camp. She heard the whimpers and cries in your sleep when you’d have nightmares of your ex-boyfriends abuse. She saw the sheets that were soaked with your sweat caused by your night terrors, or when you would try to wake early in the morning to make your bed to hide the evidence of your trauma, she knew how hard you tried to hide the pain. 

However, that changed when one night she attempted to comfort you as you mumbled ‘Please stop, no please, I’ll do anything, don’t hurt me!’ in your sleep. She put a hand on your shoulder and gently whispered your name, coaxing you to wake up, pleading that you were safe, but it was met by you waking up, not knowing your reality and shoving her to the ground, pinning her down, eyes crazed with fear. When you finally realized where you were, and what had happened, you jumped off her, profusely apologizing and begging her to not say anything to your commanding officer, as you both knew that you could possibly be thrown out due to your mental and emotional state. She insisted you tell her everything, and you did, you told her it all.

You opened up about the years of mental, emotional and physical abuse your ex, Charlie, did to you. How isolated you were, how he cut off old friends and tried to keep you under his grasp. Explained he would hit you when you did something wrong, or what he considered wrong, and how on the night you left, he had beat you within an inch of your life for not having dinner on the table when he got home from work and then to top it off, finding there wasn’t any beer in the fridge as well. You explained that going to the cops did nothing, they were all his buddies from school and that each report seemed to disappear. You decided that night that once he was passed out asleep you would leave. That if the law wouldn’t help, you needed to leave. You explained how as you were driving out of town, you happened to pass a recruiting office for the army, there was some bright light or gravitating feeling, ushering you to go inside, how you couldn’t explain it but it felt right. You signed up right then and there, bought a bus ticket with what money you had left in your wallet and then the rest was history. 

Maria knew from then on, you two would be each other’s family in service, she knew you’d need someone to lean on and she felt an urge to protect and support you, so that’s what she did, and you felt the same towards her. 

You two were unstoppable as a team. Every drill, test, scenario you proved time and time again you were both meant to be there, as well as meant to work together. She had an instinct to solve complex issues, and you had a skill of how to compartmentalize and work fast. You passed your finals with high marks and one within a record breaking time. You both took pride in what you were about to do, and wanted to be the best.

“Oh speaking of photos, that reminds me, will you take our picture ma’am?” you handed your polaroid camera to Maria’s mom and looked at Maria, “I promised Joel I’d send a picture in my next letter…” you hugged Maria at your side ready to have your photo taken.

“Who’s this ‘Joel’ and why isn’t he here?” Maria’s mom asked, confused as she lined up her eye line to the camera. 

You blushed lightly and chuckled “No, it’s not like that ma’am, Joel is my uh, Maria and I are doing a pen pal thing, he’s my pal. I told him I’d send him a photo in my second round of letters.” 

“Ah, so no boyfriend then?” she waved her hand for you and Maria to scooch closer to each other, “Ok say cheese on 3! 1…2…3!” 

You both smiled and a small laugh boiled up from you when Maria goofily said “Cheese!” 

You smiled at her mom when the photo started to dispense “No ma’am, no boyfriend.” Her mom gathered the first photo and then looked up at you “No you stay right there, Maria come over here! Y/N I’ll get one with just you for this… Joel” she said with a smirk. 

You rolled your eyes and chuckled “It’s not like that..” but chose to amuse her, you didn’t have to send the photo to Joel, you could keep it for yourself, right? He won’t want one of just you. 

She just pursed her lips together and narrowed her eyes “Mmhmm…” she lined up her eye line again. “Just because it’s not like that now, don’t mean it can’t be, now smile.” 

You straightened up your uniform and cap then smiled into the camera. 

When you and Maria finally got back to your room after her parents insisted on taking you both out for dinner, you found a letter on your pillow, which had the return address and name from Joel. 

You smiled and picked it up, taking off your cap and setting it on your pillow. You took off your button up and turned on the table top fan on your desk. Jesus, no matter how low your A/C was turned, it was still so damn hot here. 

You opened up the envelope and found the postcard from Austin first. You smiled and read the message Joel had left. He had nice handwriting, legible, and better than you thought a man would write if you were being honest. Every other man in your life has chicken scratch writing, so it was a relief that you’d be able to read his letters with little to no struggle. 

The next thing that you pulled out was the two photos he and Sarah took. The first was the two of them smiling nicely. He was handsome, very handsome as you noted. He had kind eyes and an even kinder smile. He looked no more than a couple years older than you. He must have been young when he had his daughter, you thought. You sifted through the second photo and let out a small chuckle seeing the silly face Sarah had pulled but something tugged at your heart when you saw how adoring and loving Joel was looking at Sarah. He loved that girl with his whole heart, that was clear as day. 

You smiled and then pulled out the letter he wrote and read it quietly to yourself. 

You let out a snort when he mentioned the flying bugs, Maria came into the room with a towel around her head as she had come back from the shower, “Something funny?” she asked while walking over to her bed. 

You jumped slightly, her presence startling you, “Oh, um, no. Well kind of.” you smiled at your letter. “Joel wrote back, and just said something he said was funny. He uh, he said the flying bugs we have here can go back to hell..” 

She came over and saw the photos he sent “Damn, is this him?” she looked at the photo closer, gawking at his obvious good looks.

You quickly grabbed the photo back and tried to hide your small smile and blush “Yeah that’s him and his daughter.”

Maria saw the smile and poked at your side softly as you stood up, “Don’t try to hide it, you think he’s cute!” she teased.

You swatted her hand away gently and chuckled as you walked away, “He’s good looking, yes. But that’s all. He… I… it’s… that’s all it is, he has nice features.” you scrambled to get out as you put the letter, post card and photos back in the envelope and hiding them under your pillow. 

Maria laughed loudly and pointed “You have a crush!” mockingly. 

You rolled your eyes and started to gather your shower tote “Whatever you want to believe Maria..” and walked out of the room towards the showers. 

By the time you were back from your shower, Maria had already fallen asleep and the lights were shut off for the most part. She left one on to help guide you without tripping, and it was the desk light. You weren’t very tired and after your shower felt a burst of energy surge through you. You put your shower tote away and then put on some loungewear before grabbing the envelope with Joel’s letter and began writing:

‘Dear Joel, June 2nd, 2004

You beat me to putting a face the letter writer! Lovely photos, thank you for them! I’ve also taken some at my graduation today for you. I’ll take more if I remember to. 

Your daughter is beautiful. She has your eyes and smile. How old is she? What does she enjoy doing? If she’s the age I am guessing she is, around early teens, I am guessing the mall is something she enjoys… at least that’s what I did around that age. 

I’m glad we found some common ground on postcards! I will be lucky to get a variety of sorts from where you are in Austin. :) 

I agree with you also about the damn flying bugs here. I hope that wherever I go, the bugs aren’t any bigger than they are here… watch me get assigned to some tropical area where there are spiders as big as my fist! Good lord, pray I don’t get that assignment. 

You asked about sports, I do love watching baseball and have been to a few games. If I had to choose a team, I’d say Go Cubs! I also love football, grew up in a town where football was like a religion. I am assuming since you’re in Austin that you’re a Cowboys fan? I don’t mind them, their defense could use a little work, but other than that, they are a fun team to watch. I grew up as a Redskins fan, but watching the league without state influence, I have been liking the Vikings or Broncos lately. (I feel this might be a sore spot for us, lol). 

Hobbies, I’m like you, I was always too ‘busy’ for hobbies, or just never got around to taking time to myself to discover any. Now that I’m about to be deployed, I don’t see that changing any time soon either. However, I don’t mind taking photos with my Polaroid and before I enlisted, took some on a digital camera, but lost it in the process of leaving my last place. 

You said that Sarah went through an Animal Planet phase? If you can’t spit out a fact, at least tell me, what’s your favorite animal? I’ll go first, to make it fair- whales. I love them. I think they are so cool and would love one day to go whale watching. 

I don’t know where I’ll be next when you hear from me, you caught me on my graduation night, which is the perfect way to end such a crazy day! Thanks for writing back. I look forward to more. 

Talk to you soon. Stay safe, healthy, and heat your back and knees, or if you’re like me, get a brace so you don’t fall apart ;) We are too young for these issues! 

Warm regards, 

Y/N’ 

You folded the pages in three, picked out a new post card that you had found when you went out a week ago that had a vintage photo of Main Street on it. You wrote 'Tried fried okra and sweet tea for the first time on this street the other day, ya’ll are up to something in the south with that kind of food! Damn! -Y/N'

You also slipped in both the photos Maria’s mom took into the envelope and sealed it shut, no chickening out you told yourself. 

You placed the stamp and wrote his address out before grabbing his letter and photos and getting into bed. You pulled out the photo of him and Sarah smiling nicely and thought just for a sliver of a second how you didn’t feel so alone. 

Maybe this pen pals thing wasn’t so bad.

Next chapter

this is my first fic ever so please like, comment, share if you'd like more! If you'd like to be a part of the tag list, lmk! thx luvs!

[jmdbjk]

Privates First Class Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook: Our first real look.

Jimin and Jungkook. I know, I'm being insufferable but I can't NOT dwell on them a little more. Festa activities will make us move past this so fast as things always do in BTS Army life.

But you don't realize how much is bottled up or how starving you've been until you finally get to feast on that one thing you've been missing. That didn't sound very appealing and I'm not really that pathetic (its mostly the busy-ness inside my head) but you know what I mean, right? I've missed them soooo much!

Military life seems to have been going well for them. Since January we've had very little news about them. Just military blips here and there... training with U.S. Marines... kitchen police... cooking rice... cleaning from top to bottom... learning to aim big-ass missiles and hitting targets and living on rations for a week. Even receiving recognition for outstanding service.

Almost every day I imagine them doing their daily duties and all... but there was little to go by. And that's fine. Some of those things I don't want to think about. But that's what they are doing every day.

Seeing them in real time in the flesh is very reassuring.

One thing that was noticeable to me is that Jimin and Jungkook did not look like their usual sleepy-head selves they are at that time of the morning. But they both looked strong and composed. Going to bed every night like a normal person and getting a good night's sleep is a healthy habit they will probably break the moment they are discharged.

Jimin... just wow. His hair grew out. No more buzz cut. But also, the duality continues:

Someone posted a comparison pic of Jimin's painted nails and a close up of his hands which now have what look like healed spots on his hands and knuckles and scuffed nails... I don't have the pic but it shows how he's fully immersed in his military duties. Hands do get beat up somewhat when you work with them a lot.

Jungkook looked amazing.

Jungkook's little burn scars... that damn edge of the oven or hot pan will get you when you least expect it! Got him twice too! Ouchie! I hope it didn't bother him for too long. To the infirmary!

He'll get Polyc to cover that up with a new tattoo. Or maybe design one around it to highlight Jungkook's battle scars he received while an enlisted man.

One thing they are most likely gaining now is self-confidence in the ability to do something NOT in their wheelhouse. Leading people or working with people who are not the ones they used to see day in and day out for ten years. Learning new skills, being part of a different team, doing different things can be enriching and will enhance other parts of their lives.

Not being with the people who are paid to be there to make sure they look good and every whim is taken care of....the isolation had to be culture shock for them. Knowing they are together, that center of familiarity when they are faced with something new, is a great source of comfort.

Jimin and Jungkook showed up to Jin's discharge in full uniform. I will assume they arrived together straight from their base, where they must remain in their uniforms at all times.

Hugs all around. Jimin's are the best, most heartfelt hugs.

Jimin and Tae's hug... I felt that shit. The squeeze, the "no, don't let go yet," the fullness of it. They mean a lot to each other. I know they've always been close, they've told us so, they've reminded us they speak to each other often even when they weren't working as a group.

And I'm sorry but the awkward side hug between Tae and JK was not "tHeY jUsT sPeNt TiMe ToGeThEr." Be for real. Are you fucking blind? That was Tae saying "bro, didn't realize you walked up behind me, are you not gonna hug me too?" And JK going "oh, well, ok if you insist, bro (since you won't let go of my wrist)."

No, Jimin and Jungkook did not hug each other... they just got out of the car that they rode in from their base where they live together. Where they showered and got dressed and ate breakfast together before getting in the car. It is perplexing how that is even a question I see people put out there.

There was curiosity as to whether Jimin and Jungkook were on day leave or what and initially seeing them in uniform the first assumption is that they might be only on temporary day leave and would have to return to base that evening. But then we got the group pic at the Hybe building and Jimin and Jungkook had changed clothes. From what I understand, when a soldier is on day leave, they must remain in uniform AT ALL TIMES during that day. No quick change into some other clothes for a while. REMAIN IN UNIFORM AT ALL TIMES NO MATTER WHAT. So them being in civvies tells us they are on vacation/days off. We don't know how much time they took off but perhaps they won't go back to the base until Monday.

During their days off they will probably separate and go do their own thing. Maybe they will take time to go to Busan and visit fam. Most likely, Jungkook will go check on the progress of the Itaewon house construction (the exterior of JK's new house is black and it will have a tiny balcony that faces the street and appears to have some livable rooftop space). Jungkook may visit Bam. They may visit their other friends. Since the entire group was there, they most likely shared how they were doing and most likely talked about next year.

The delulu mode has activated...

[leavemealoneplsandthx]

THIS IS A RANT ABT COD FICS

Guys lmk if you share this same opinion because it drives me crazy. If you enjoy this just ignore it because it obviously isn’t aimed at you please don’t be dim.

But does anyone else hate when a fic is labelled as cod x reader and the characters spend most of the fic being gay with each other 😭

Like I’m not into throuples and I’m also not into gay men like when I read an x reader fic I’m expecting me to be the centre of attention yk unless the fic is literally supposed to be a throuple. Like say for example the entire fic is about you joining ghoap or smth that’s fine because I already know what I’m getting into. But when I read a story and they’re all gay for each other when it’s supposed to be about ME pisses me off 😭😭😭

I also really hate it when people make the 141 boys just absolute pussies. Like these are British military men they will likely be cocky assholes not shy or emotional.

And when a fic is an x reader and the characters nationality has nothing to do with the story but they make you American 😔😔😔 it acc really throws me off and makes me not enjoy the story anymore because if there’s no need to add it why add it? Also what is an American doing on a British military base anyway? Sometimes the story NEEDS the reader to be American if they work for the CIA or something but why add it if it’s not relevant because now I am thrown off balance and if there’s anything a British person fears it’s being forced to be an American

Thanks for reading my rant guys 💙

Edit: hey guys I see some people seem to be getting upset over this post and I’m here to say IDC!! If you see it’s a rant and decide to get mad over that then that is simply YOUR problem!! I never said other people couldn’t enjoy these tropes but I am allowed to dislike it and actively talk about my dislike of it because it is 💖my opinion💖 and you trying to say I can’t have an opinion is very Adolf hitler of you uwu

Anyways, cry all you want but if you comment I will laugh about it <3

[certaincollectionlandblog]

Domestic life with the book guys featuring the Twisted series by Ana Huang

*In honor of the fact that I have been so stressed my period came a whole two weeks early (live, laugh, love) please enjoy the absolute outpour of content this following week :)

Alex Volkov (Twisted Love by Ana Huang)

If we are going strictly off of Alex's character in Twisted Love it can be safe to assume that he is not going to be warm and mushy. This does not mean that there won't be any larger than life proclamations of love (I mean this man dropped 40k easy on a painting just because his girl wanted it), but he isn't going to be doing anything over the top in public

Following the previous point if you are expecting PDA I hate to tell you the most you'll be getting is maybe some light hand holding and a very quick hug

If there is a book man who is the definition of introverted I so see Alex fitting that description

He may not tell you he loves you verbally, but there are other ways he shows you. He might keep your favorite snacks in stock at the house so you never run out. He is going to have all of your favorite games and movies at the house so if you ever want to stay in you're able to.

Now if we're going off of Alex's character development throughout the Twisted Series and further on we can tell Alex is slowly coming out of his shell. He is still severely introverted, but he clearly is getting better at mild PDA.

Alex is as Taylor Swift would say Midnight Rain and he honestly just needs someone who will either be an absolute ray of sunshine or loves to dance in that rain (metaphorically speaking of course he would never actually want to dance in the rain for fear of getting you sick)

As we can clearly tell that man is constantly dropping a pretty penny on whatever you want. Looked a little too long at the purse in the window and boom it's wrapped up on the table when you get home. Mention wanting to read a book ONCE and he has it delivered in hardback (it's also autographed duh)

As far as like living together domestic life this man is spotless. He doesn't leave dirty dishes, dirty clothes, literally anything behind. He keeps control of his life in the form of keeping everything clean, orderly, and planned out.

This clearly follows into the bedroom because this man is never ever going to give over control. "Oh he might be a switch" No. Nope. Never. Don't see it happening sorry.

Alex is clearly not a very words of affirmation person, but quality time seems important to him. He will never admit it, but he is a cuddler like big time. Short of it being a quickie this man is not having sex with you and not getting his cuddles afterwards. Would he rather die than admit this to anyone ever? 1000x yes However as clean as this man is he is not laying in dirty sheets.

He wasn't given a proper upbringing and spending time with you doing mundane tasks around the house heals part of his inner child. You need to go to the grocery store? He's right there pushing the buggy. You need to wash dishes? He is ready to dry and put them up.

Rhys Larsen (Twisted Games by Ana Huang)

This man is about as protective and possessive as they come do we need to revise the chapter on him threatening to burn down parliament? *enter swooning here*

He is a sucker for safety because if anything happened to you that he could have prevented everyone better be praying

PDA is all based on timing. Rhys can read a room and he knows when he gets to let them know you're his and when it's not appropriate

Rhys is former military and he has gone through a lot. This man is a shell of who he used to be and the book clearly showed us that, however Rhys is the perfect example of how if you are broken once before that you won't remain broken forever. He struggles with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), technically it's known as C-PTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). He is so used to giving up control to follow orders that sometimes he just needs to be reminded he's human and that regardless of the outcome everything will be okay.

He loves going on vacations where you can just get away from the world for a while and turning off the buzz of everything going on

As a way to cope with his C-PTSD Rhys uses drawing to relax. You'll often find little scraps of paper around the house with his sketches on them.

It's hard for Rhys to open up, but when he does you understand it was well worth the wait

Say what you want, but I firmly believe Rhys is a switch. This man could truly go either way and I think it depends on the situation. He doesn't have very many "no's" but if anything could seriously hurt you he is not down for it. He is covered in enough scars left by others that he would never want to take a risk that could leave you with that same lifelong reminder.

This man is the kind to show up at 3am with a dog he found on his way home and how he's only allowed to stay for one night and you end up keeping the dog forever

His phone screensaver is literally a photo of you and the dog because let's be real he can't pick a favorite

This man is a slut for emotional intimacy

If you told him "Oh I got you this cause I remembered you liked them", "I heard this song and thought of you", or "I thought you might like this" he is going to be thinking about it for forever

Rhys is going to make it well known that you're his girl

Josh Chen (Twisted Hate by Ana Huang)

*I have to say Josh is my least favorite, but I will try to do him justice*

This man is a doctor (and a bit of an ass tbh) so he would not trust anyone else to take care of you, if you get sick it's Dr. Chen to the rescue

He loves bringing you random food at work, but he also has a really tight schedule being a doctor and all so if he can't deliver it in person he will have it waiting on you when you get home

Let's be real Josh's personal life is a little bit of a mess and I wouldn't expect anything different from him on how he would keep a house. There would be rumpled clothes all over and the bed might never get made. He would pick up his trash, but if the dishes didn't make it in the dishwasher they were simply waiting till next time to get done.

Now Josh is nothing short of a playboy for the most part so the idea of him settling down will definitely be an adjustment.

Due to Josh being a doctor and still working to pay off his student loans he can't really afford fancy vacations or expensive gifts. Josh really loves just eating cheap takeout with you and watching movies

We all know Josh isn't the best with his words and is really hot headed, this often leads to Josh more so apologizing and a rather decent amount of makeup sex

Josh is the definition of all out rough, break your back like a glow stick sex. He's going to degrade you and yet have you coming back for more every single time. He's cocky and quiet honestly he has a few good reasons to be

He is more likely to fuck now and ask questions later it's just the Josh Chen way

Emotionally intimacy? Josh doesn't know her (maybe a little) but this man is more likely to have you open up to him before he ever opens up to you. He's been betrayed by some people who were incredibly close to him before and he will be damned if he makes that mistake ever again

Christian Harper (Twisted Lies by Ana Huang)

Rhys and Christian are big buddies so it makes sense that they are going to be extremely similar, but different in their own little ways

Christian has little use for moral code and much less what society deems as correct, but if you deem it correct than he is going to break his back bending over backwards to make that happen for you

Christian is the grumpy cat of the group. Sassy, grumpy and yet just the perfect combo of attractive to have that attitude forgotten (almost)

He runs his own security company and if you think he goes overboard for his clients you have no idea how overboard he will go for your safety

He is the definition of a German Shepard boyfriend; looks scary, fiercely protective, and is willing to chase down the mail man if he threatens you

Christian is a make his own rules type of man. If you're uncomfortable or upset he doesn't give a single crap he is going to do what makes you happy

You know this man makes note of everything single thing you like; your favorite drinks, your favorite movies, which friends annoy you the most and why (Christian is an honorary girlie he loves all the tea)

This man is petty to the T

If something small annoys him he is going to remember it until the day he dies

Opening up is hard for Christian and I think it would take a lot to get the point where he is open to freely sharing information with you

He is more likely to tell you about something that bothers him on a small day to day basis than telling you the big stuff from his past

Christian knows that he is the physical embodiment of big dick energy and does not disappoint

I really don't ever see Christian not being dominant, but hey I could be persuaded to think otherwise given the situation. I just don't personally see it

This is a man gives off the vibes of being downright obsessed. If you made cookies that tasted like straight up saw dust he would eat them all to see you smile before you would be able to pry the truth about how bad they were out of him

[sexydoffyman]

Ik it's like many days from now but for the age gap could you do price👀?

(x male)

With soft gentle smut, nothing too wild, a bit of angst, and lots of fluff

Please and thank youuuu

day 29 - AGE GAP

John Price

male reader

navigation

genre: smut

mdni

A/N: Sorry for the late post. Also, didn't know how to add angst in there, but I can make a new fic with some fluff and angst.

You were quite a young lad to join such a dangerous task force as the 141, but you were exceptionally skilled. Price has a tendency to adopt strays to his team. People who don't really fit anywhere. People who joined the military in search of a way to forget their past.

Laswell saw your file and immediately knew that you'd be the kind of person John would want. He was given your files first, getting scared that Laswell would even think of putting someone so young to such a dangerous task.

She only asked him to go see you for himself. He did as she told him and understood. You were a balloon packed with emotions that were ready to come out in the form of fuel to your never-ending energy. He had seen a lot of soldiers who had been bottling up their emotions, but none of them were able to use them in such a creative way.

He took a liking to you, and eventually, you were assigned to the task force. You weren't all cold. You just needed your time to find out if you want to be around a certain person or not.

You warmed up to them and were happy that you could share a laugh with someone. Although you loved it there, you noticed a certain someone staring in a different way than others. John was staring at you like he wanted to spend the night with you.

It amused you for many reasons. You never imagined that he'd be gay, but what was bugging you a little more than that was his age. You were in the belief that older men liked more mature people than people like you. You chuckled at the fact that John had a taste for the young blood.

Thanks to your young spirit, you decided to fuck with him a little. Giving him smiles every now and then. Patting him on the shoulder more often. And touching his hand, then winking at him when you were in the mood.

He realised what you were doing pretty quickly. He was a little annoyed, but holy shit, you don't know what you're doing to him. He is unable to focus with his hard-on. He has you on his mind almost all the time.

You enjoyed every second of it. That playful young mind inside of you wanted more. You wanted him to do something. Anything. You didn't want it you needed it. You wanted him to flirt back. Or to order you to fuck off.

It was excruciating that you weren't able to get a single reaction out of him. And at the same time, it made you want to chase your goal harder. You were really ambitious when it came to Price. You were chasing his approval like you chased the approval from your dad. The one you never truly got.

He noticed your chase and found it strangely adorable. Even tho he always gave you the cold shoulder, you never gave up. That was what attracted him the most.

It was a cold night, a very cold night. The heating system at the smaller base where you and the task force were stationed was broken. Hell, it probably never worked in the first place.

You were just at the smoke pit alone. You held a cigarette in your fingers and sat there on a rusty old guardrail. You were looking deep into the cold, dark night. You suddenly heard his voice.

"Aint ya too young for that?" He asked in a cocky tone. You ignored him completely which was fairly surprising since normally you'd be going at him already.

He observed you. You were shivering and all you wanted to do was to find a warm place to rest. He sat down next to you, flicking the cigarette out of your hand. You looked at him annoyed and he just laughed.

"You cold?" He asked you as if it wasn't obvious. You rolled your eyes to which he responded "I can make you warm." He even whispered it. That asshole. You shivered as a blush appeared on your face. You never expected him to make the first move. You were the one who always went to lick his feet.

You finally understood. He enjoyed it. Before you could think about it more he got up and said "Common now." He walked away and you ran after him, trying to catch up.

You were in front of his room, which he opened for you to get in. You waited for him to get in, not wanting to be rude. "Common, don't be shy." He was always able to turn people's actions against them due to his profession. What was different was that it wasn't him being an asshole. It was more of a teasing way.

You sat on his bed, and he sat next to you. You were still shivering, unable to control your body. He found a perfect opportunity to act. He pulled you down on the bed, pulling a blanket over you. He warmed you up by rubbing his hand on your arms.

The blanket caught the heat, and since you didn't want to be cold again, you were basically stuck with him. Not that you minded it or anything. He pulled you into his embrace, his hand exploring your thighs.

It got hotter very quickly. You decided to also make a move rather than just staying completely still. You moved your leg for him to have better access to you. He immediately took the hint and went for your belt.

He softly unbuckled your pants and put his hand inside them, feeling around your boxers. He played with you, and you could do nothing, then melt into his arms. He knew what he was doing. He doubled you in age, after all. (I believe his cannon age is 35, but let's pretend that he's 40+. Just for the sake of the fic.)

He knew right where to touch you, using only your almost unnoticeable reactions. He used his leg to pull your pants down completely and moved on top of you. He put his fingers under the waistband of your boxers, lifting them up.

"You ever done this before, darlin~?" You shook your head. You weren't a virgin, but this was your first time with a man, so you didn't know what to expect.

He chuckled, whispering "Tell me when it hurts." He said it like he knew it was not gonna be all sunshine and rainbows. You got prepared with his statement.

He pulled down your boxers and unbuckled his own belt. You tried looking him in the eyes since you didn't want to make things awkward. He teased you, "You sure you don't wanna take a look?" You eventually beat yourself to look down, seeing his size. You got startled but remained courageous.

He slipped into you, thrusting lightly. You expected a lot, but you never imagined this. He stretched you perfectly. He pushed his body down onto yours, whispering "Good boy~" and groaning every so often.

You finally understood. Price was waiting for this moment.

[my-my-my]

How would Aizen’s house look like? Would he be super organised? What aesthetic would it hold? Would he allow his partner to decorate the house too or not? Would he prefer small or bigger house?

Oooo a somewhat meta ask!! So I’m going to do some interpretations based off what we’ve seen in canon.

This will get image heavy, so I've put this behind the read more!

CW: none! This is a meta post.

The first aspect that comes to mind is minimalism. Both in Las Noches and his personal quarters in the Squad 5 barracks, there are minimal to no personal effects of his that we the viewer/reader can see. If Aizen were to own a house, I would expect this to continue.

While his kingdom in Las Noches is large, massive even, I would argue this was for a military function rather than his personal preference. It's also interesting to note that Las Noches physical design resembles the Hagia Sofia in Turkey! Whether this was Aizen's design or Kubo's preference (since most of the Espada were named after different architects), who's to say!

Another thing to note is the massive couch Aizen has in his room at Las Noches. I'm still trying to wrap my head around why he would want a massive couch like that - possibly a self-inflicted reminder of how lonely he is? He doesn't keep much company when he isn't having his meetings with the Espada, so it (personally) seems out of place. Or maybe it doubles as his bed! I don't know, but yeah - maybe this is a question for Klub Outside.

I can see Aizen with a modest sized home/town house, leaning towards a Western, modernest design (vs Seireitei which was Japanese traditional). To answer your last question, I can see him with a modest sized home - nothing large like a mansion unless it served him a purpose to have a large home.

Some of these images were taken from my personal interior design board on Pinterest (LOL).

As well, I think Aizen would view things/objects similar to how he viewed people: what function do they have to him? If it isn't necessary to him, he won't have it. Personally I think Aizen would even remove the greenery in the above images I've shared. He seems to want simply designed things - plants might not be necessary.

I would also think Aizen is super organized - even though his space was minimal, it was incredibly clean. His room in Seireitei didn't look dusty at all.

That being said, Aizen seemed to love to read, so I would assume he would have several bookshelves filled to the brim (or maybe he's a library kind of guy!).

As for a partner designing a living space for the both of them, I would think his partner would make the home they have "lived in." But it also depends on how much value Aizen puts on personal space and objects - we don't really get that sense of how he views physical material in the manga.

My opinion would be that he would be ok letting his partner decorate their shared home together, but his personal office space will be more of a reflection of him than the partner. Maybe he keeps a trinket or two that they wanted him to have in this space, but other than, I can see it being similarly designed like his space in Seireitei.

Thank you for asking!

[averagewriter-inthedark]

You Got It Bad 🏸 | Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd Headcanon

Edit posted on 2 Sep 24: omg when I posted this a few days ago America had yet to win a medal in badminton (Olympic & Paralympic) and today Team USA’s mixed doubles in badminton won the silver medal!! Congrats to Jayci Simon & Miles Krajewski for their win and making history!! The first ever medal in badminton for USA!!

Being married to Bob & becoming Olympians for the sport of Badminton would look like:

You and Bob met in flight school following your respected commissions into the Navy in 2011, became friends and colleagues, which them bloomed into lovers about a year later. You were the pilot, and he was your back seater---so it is no surprise your relationship worked so well considering you two were partners in the sky. After about two years of dating, Bob popped the famous question and you guys were wed within the year--the Navy sending you guys to bases as a package deal.

As most military instillations, there's a community gym and recreation center where active, reserve, and their families go to participate in intermural sports and activities. Many go for the typical bowling league and softball team or try a hand at flag football and ultimate. For you and Bob, badminton called yall's name.

Originating in British India and popular among countries in Europe and Asia, badminton made its Olympic debut in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain. Now while at first glance badminton may look easy in comparison to other court sports with a net like tennis and volleyball, but badminton requires just as much speed, agility, and precision. Especially when the shuttlecock is flying at record speed from one opponent to the other. The better the motor skills, the better you are.

Of course in the beginning you guys were a little rusty. Figuring out the rules and the best way for you and Bob to coordinate moves. You were the better server, but Bob was better handling the back while you stayed close to the net.

What started as a fun, leisure activity became more serious as you continued to play. Like we're talking you put up a net in your backyard. Whenever you hosted gatherings, you can expect that at some point in the night people migrated to the backyard to play a game or two. And boy would it get intense whenever you and Bob were on opposite sides of the court. "I hope you enjoy losing, pretty boy." "Darling, I know you're always right....but tonight you are wrong."

Not only did you build a sweat when a game got intense, but you looked forward to spending time with your husband outside of work. Not having to deal with the stress of flying or anxiety of running missions. Badminton was a great way to relive the tension and stay active. After every game you shared a sweet kiss with your husband, exchanging praises of 'Great job,' and 'We'll get 'em next time."

You both were competitive and roughly a year after playing you drew attention when you decided to join a local circuit outside of intermural on base. Winning match after match, you guys came in second in your first tournament. A great introduction to the start of your athletic career in mixed doubles badminton---which by the way, shoutout to RedBull and Dunkin Doughnuts for the caffeine supply when balancing a military and sports career.

Now the Olympic Games....the greatest sporting stage the world has ever scene...was never something you envisioned when you and Bob picked up your rackets for the first time. You'd only been playing badminton for a few years, having started in 2014. By the time the Rio Games came around, you guys were no way in Olympic level standings. Sure you'd been in a handful of local tournaments, making the podium in all, but you'd only recently won your regional title for mixed doubles, set to compete in nationals. You had yet to play an international tournament.

That time would come in 2017, and while you came home with third place at you guys were motivated to do better. You wanted to win a World title. Especially to prove to people who thought badminton was not a sport of high popularity like tennis or volleyball--and something you only play as a unit in high school P.E. You and Bob were motivated to bring more eyes to badminton in America. And what better way than to dominate a world tour.

So, when you guys weren't in the sky you were on the court. In the gym. Coaching each other, studying competition, working on technique, rewatching matches from previous Olympics. The Tokyo Games became a goal. And you were determined to make them. The pressure was on considering the United States has never won a medal in any event in badminton. "So, the Olympics...pretty darn big if you ask me." "Baby, you should know that when we put our mind to something, we make it happen."

It got to the point where your family members and friends were asking y'all about progress and even buying you equipment as birthday presents. And with the amount of shuttlecocks you go through monthly it was a blessing to a whole bucket of them in your garage. Your rackets had y'alls callsign's on them and of course you had matching outfits. And soon you guys had to invest in a nice cabinet to display your medals, plaques, and trophies from your competitions. Having the 2018 BWF World Championship right in the center.

You and Bob became a household name in the sport in the American circuit. Not only because you two were dominated the competition, but also the fact you guys were married and Naval officers brought a lot of attention. People who followed the sport became fans and viewed you guys as a love story out of romance books. Friends/coworkers-to-lovers who become teammates and an unstoppable duo in their sport. Yeah, it wrote itself.

When the 2019 detachment came though that became the priority. As much as it pained you to put training for the Sudirman Cup on hold, you had an obligation to the Navy. Nonetheless, you packed up your equipment and made the drive down from Lemoore to San Diego. Once settled, you both were spending any free time at the base rec center, practicing even for 30 minutes if you had it.

Soon the rest of the team picked up your love for the sport and became intrigued. Natasha especially, who became invested in watching you two play against each other. Shocked to see how heated it got and the fact you were able to move so fast to save a rally. "You guys are really into this, huh?" "Yeah. We just started for fun years ago and well..it took off."

After the whole shit between Jake and Bradley where Mav did damage control by taking y'all to the beach for dogfight football, you and Bob whipped out the equipment and soon all 12 of ya paired up to play games. It pretty much turned into a bracket situation where duos were eliminated until two remained for the final round.

And who's suprised....you and Bob won. And because you guys were so good, the team practically interrogated you two to which the reveal of your side career surfaced.

"You mean to tell me," Jake squinted against the sun, "You two are pretty much famous badminton players and are on the road to making the Olympics next year?" "Yep, that's about right. We want to be the first Americans to win a medal in the sport."

Fast forward to the success of the Uranium mission and unexpected world pandemic that followed, you and Bob are homebound due to the Navy restricting all work to remote settings, leaving you all the time in the world to perfect your craft. You won the Sudirman Cup, putting your names once more as contenders for the Tokyo Games and had one more year to train due to the postponement. In that time you and the rest of the Top Gun detachment transferred to Fightertown permanently, further bonding the friendships formed and the team became y'alls biggest supporters.

Qualifying for the Olympics had to have ranked in your top three moments in life. Right in the middle between marrying Bob and the Uranium mission. You jumped in his arms, screaming in joy while he spun you around and let the tears flow, bringing his lips for a passionate kiss not caring who watched. Never had you thought picking up a random badminton racket to pass time and relieve stress after a long work day would lead you to competing in the greatest sporting event alongside the love of your life. Experiencing it with Bob made it all the better. "We're going to the Olympics, baby!!'

Stepping onto the court in Tokyo officially titled you and Bob as Olympians, and while you competed for the gold across the pacific, back home your friends and family gathered to watch it unfold decked in red, white, and blue. The Hard Deck, your hometown, Bob's hometown, the rec center back in Lemoore where you first began playing badminton, the entire damn Navy was cheering you on.

Goal #1: Become Olympians - Achieved. Goal #2: Become the 1st Americans to win a medal in badminton - Achieved. Goal #3: Become the 1st Americans to win a gold medal in badminton - Achieved.

Yeah, you read that right. Not only did you and Bob accomplish everything you set your eyes on, but you cemented yourself in history as the first Americans to win a medal in any event in the sport of badminton and it was the gold. You guys became Olympic champions. And you can best believe the whole world was shocked to their core during the intense, heart pounding, sweat inducing, on the edge of your seat gold medal match against the #1 team in the world. You had already proven yourself to be the team to watch out for after knocking out the other leading pairs in the quarter and semi-finals, but to walk away with the gold after losing the first match, winning the second and tying the score each time until it ended with you scoring the golden point of 30.

Put it in the history books.

And three years later in a sold out crowd with your friend and family in the city of love, you and Bob continued your romantic journey of love, dedication and partnership when you defended your gold medal, adding a second to your cabinet with the promise of a third when the Games return to the Los Angeles 😉

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Robert Reich:

Friends, Some say if he loses, that’s the end of Trump. Wrong. We’ve been through this before. When Trump lost in 2020, most Republican insiders thought he’d be toast after January 6.

[...]

The Republican Party is more MAGA now than it was in 2020. More congressional Republicans are election deniers than they were in 2020.

If Trump loses by a small margin, he’ll almost certainly contest the outcome once again. At least this time Trump is not the incumbent president. He won’t be sitting in the Oval Office receiving recommendations from his staff to send in the military to seize voting machines and “rerun” the election, as happened in December 2020. He won’t have power to pardon anyone and won’t be able to claim presidential immunity. And instead of Trump’s vice president presiding over the counting of Electoral College votes on January 6, 2025, this time it will be Vice President Kamala Harris. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump and his lapdogs created post-election chaos at the precinct, county, and state levels, where votes are counted and the results certified. Trump loyalists in key districts will almost certainly try to manipulate the process and withhold certification.

I expect the federal courts will become involved. Some of this litigation may make its way to the Supreme Court. Raise your hand if you trust the current Supreme Court to rule impartially. Even if Trump loses these battles, there’s nothing to keep him from meddling in 2026, or even running again in 2028, when he’d be 82. I’ve heard from a few Never-Trump Republicans that they hope he wins in November so he can serve his final term now, and then disappear for good. But he won’t disappear. Trumpism will live on, regardless. But if he loses in November, he’s very likely to do some time in prison — in a special wing of a prison in New York state or a federal prison secured by the Secret Service. This will slow him down but also make him a martyr in the eyes of his loyalists.

If Trump loses in 2024 and is unable to run again due to physical or psychological decline — or a prison sentence — JD Vance will be his heir apparent for 2028. In the short time Vance has been a vice presidential candidate, he’s shown himself just as bigoted and unconstrained by facts as Trump. Trump sons Donald Jr. and Eric will also continue to fire up the Trump base. Fox News, Newsmax, and other right-wing outlets will continue to distort the truth. Trump’s billionaire backers such as Peter Thiel and Elon Musk will continue to finance Trumpism’s shambolic politics.

I doubt a majority of Americans will support Trumpism after Trump, but Trump’s base will continue to be a significant force in America. They have remained remarkably loyal and resilient for eight years — consistently 42 to 44 percent of American voters. If Trump loses, some proportion of them may turn to violence. Even a relatively small portion could threaten social stability. Apart from the immediate aftereffects of a Trump loss, many of his followers will remain wedded to the isolationism, xenophobia, racism, and misogyny he has stirred up.

Robert Reich gives valuable insights on the future of Donald Trump and Trumpism should he lose the election to Kamala Harris. Trumpism will be here to stay even after he leaves the scene.

[mirai-e-jump]

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger Character Book: Trails of the Kings and Retainers Main Cast Member Interviews (translations below, LONG POST)

Other pages

Sakai Taisei (Gira) x Morioka Yutaka (Douga)

"First, please introduce the character the other plays."

Sakai: At first, Douga was the kind of person who would cause tension and confront Gira, but after Gira ascended to the throne and became a close presence, I think Douga became a nice person who's always by Gira's side. The same goes for Morioka-san, who plays the role, as he's a dependable person who I respect very much.

Morioka: Thank you so much. Gira-sama grew up in an orphanage, and I think Douga was surprised to see that this young man, who at first seemed so unfamiliar to him, has become more and more involved as the backbone of the country. He became the current king, and Douga serves as his retainer, but Gira-sama has grown remarkably. In my mind, Gira-sama and Taisei-kun overlap, so I see him as a man that I'd like to serve sincerely, even going beyond our roles.

"Were there any surprising developments or settings for your role compared to when you were first cast?"

Sakai: I think the fundamentals of Gira have always remained the same. Rather than Gira, the exit and reappearance of other characters…I think the surprise of those developments were greater.

Morioka: One thing that remains consistent about Gira, is that he understands other people's feelings and pain better than anyone else.

Sakai: That's right. Even for main episodes of the other kings, Gira would stand next to them and inspire them. As the episodes went on, I realized that he was a person who could relate to what other people were thinking.

Morioka: Douga on the other hand has recently been referred to as an "interesting person" on SNS (laughs). Around episode 9, a celebrity from Chikyu, a genius boy named Kiito-kun with an IQ of 20,000 appeared, and Gira, who was a fugitive at the time, looked just like him in his disguise. Since Douga was there, I was asked to do a performance that showed a different side to him. For me personally, I was surprised, was it okay for Douga to approach and press some celebrity for an autograph?! (laughs).

Sakai: It's hard to imagine from Douga's early appearance.

Morioka: That's right. First of all, it was there that I was able to find a direction for my role. And thankfully, in episode 21, the main episode where Douga is on the move job hunting, I was able to "break out" again.

Sakai: I was also surprised, did you really expect to see Douga like this from the dignified appearance he showed in the first episode?! There was a comedic element to it, and I really think Morioka-san is amazing at portraying so many different sides to him.

"How would you describe the strength of Douga, who serves as the king's sword wielding retainer in the "strongest country" of Shugoddam?"

Morioka: Including in the spin offs, there were quite a few scenes where Douga gets blown away with a single attack (laughs). So, I thought he might be surprisingly weak, but he had an action scene in episode 40, and he was moving relatively well, so I thought that he was a person who could be in charge of the military.

Sakai: I feel that if there were a fight against the kings who aren't armed with the royal armor, Douga definitely wouldn't lose.

Morioka: You think so? I'm really grateful filming action scenes, they're fun to do.

"What are your thoughts on the relationship between Gira and Douga?"

Morioka: Douga was originally the retainer for Gira's older brother, Racules Husty, so there were times when I felt that it was very difficult to determine his position, but things have now been sorted out. Of course, he still has feelings for Racules, but I play Douga based on the idea that Gira-sama is the one who should come first.

Sakai: In most countries other than Shugoddam, the king leads their retainer, but since Gira is new to being king, I feel that he and Douga are growing together, and I think that relationship is a charm that the other countries don't have.

"Please tell us about any particular scenes between Gira and Douga that moved you."

Sakai: For me it's episode 29. There's a scene in which Douga says to Gira, "What the people need, is none other than Gira-sama!" I was so moved by this scene, that I felt emotional while performing.

Morioka: During filming, Taisei-kun said, "Morioka-san! Just now, that really hit me!"

Sakai: I became more aware that I was king, and I was moved by the way Douga's thoughts were conveyed.

Morioka: For me, it's episode 21, which I had mentioned earlier. In this scene, Douga, who had been job hunting in every county on Chikyu, eventually returns to Shugoddam and asks Gira-sama, "Will you let me work here?!" and Gira-sama empathizes with Douga. The combination of Gira-sama's kindness and Taisei-kun's kindness really touched me.

Sakai: That makes me happy!

"Starting with episode 27, the new chapter is set two years after the previous one. There's also a change in that Gira is now officially the king of Shugoddam, but were there any changes in the performance plan?"

Morioka: Yes. At first, I thought that although it had been two years, Douga was of a certain age, and that there would be little change in him, so I acted with the same expressionless face I had before. Then, Kamihori-san (Director Kamihoriuchi Kazuya) asked me to be alittle more softer, saying, "Douga-san, let's have a slight smile here." With that one comment, I interpreted that Douga had become more mature, or maybe more tolerant in the past two years since his partner changed from Racules to Gira-sama. He's been smiling alittle bit, and showing the various sides to him.

Sakai: Director Kamihoriuchi told me, "You don't have to change your performance just because it's two years later." However, in the prison scene in episode 29, the Director created a scene in which Gira bursts into laughter at Douga. When I saw that, I realized that when the Director said I didn't have to change my performance, he meant that I didn't have to think about anything complicated, and that he just wanted Gira to grow alittle. After that, I started to casually do things that I hadn't done in the beginning, such as saying my lines with a slightly lower tone of voice.

"In the variety show "Sokkin Sentai Sokkinger" which is distributed through the Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club (TTFC), Morioka-san mentioned, "In order to not to diminish king Racules's status, I keep my appearance neat," but is there anything you're aware of as Gira's retainer?"

Morioka: Basically, it's the same, but while he was more respectful of Racules, I feel like he's genuinely and sincerely in love with Gira-sama. When he was serving Racules, I thought that Racules had picked him up and put him in his current position, but with Gira-sama, he wants to support him from the ground up and raise him to be a real king. However, I feel that he's drawn in by something Gira-sama has hidden within him, and is prepared to sacrifice his life in a different sense than when he was Racules's retainer. That's why, even though he's a retainer, there are times where he clearly expresses his opinions to Gira-sama. To the viewers, he may seem like a fatherly figure, but I myself think it's different from the feeling of parent and child.

"Do you remember the first time you two met each other?"

Morioka: I remember it well. I'll never forget, it was at the beginning of filming. As I remember, we were filming the scene where the kings came to Shugoddam with their retainers and begin the meeting of the five kingdoms. Taisei-kun came to the scene even though he wasn't supposed to appear.

Sakai: It was the first day of filming after all, so I thought I'd like to greet everyone and look around…

Morioka: Then, I think it was during a commemorative photo, that I noticed a slender, cute boy with silky hair standing next to me, and he greeted me by saying, "I'm Sakai Taisei, I'll be playing Gira." I said, "Oh, it's you!"

Sakai: Ahahaha!

Morioka: A kid with such sparkling eyes…I could already tell that he was a good kid.

Sakai: No, no (embarrassed). What I remember very clearly is the scene filmed at Kiyosumi Shirakawa BASE in the first episode. At that time, I think I was overly enthusiastic and was trying to, "Absorb everything I could!" But, Morioka-san gave me advice in a kind and gentle way, without a hint of looking annoyed. So, from the very beginning, I've had the impression that he's a "bundle of kindness."

Morioka: Haha. Also, the scene where Gira-sama appears for the first time inside Caucasuskabuto Castle and pleads for help with, "If you have this (the OhgerCalibur), you can save everyone, right?!" and, "That's why you (Racules) have got to use it!" was very memorable.

Sakai: It was the most difficult scene…

Morioka: It was the first important scene, a crucial point in the story.

Sakai: I ended up doing about 20 takes for one cut…However, Morioka-san didn't look annoyed and just went along with it.

Morioka: It wasn't just me, everyone who was there, including Racules (played by Masato Yano), was like, "Do your best!" I thought Kamihori-san's direction was amazing, and I was moved by how humble Sakai Taisei's earnest efforts to respond to them were.

"Over the past year, do you feel that Sakai-san's performance has changed?"

Morioka: I feel that it really has.

Sakai: Really?!

Morioka: Not just with Taisei-kun, but I feel this way about the entire cast. Well, Kaku So-san who plays Kaguragi Dybowski has alot of experience, so he's abit different. But, I really think Taisei-kun has changed the most. When we were filming the first episode that was mentioned earlier, Taisei-kun had alot of work to do. Even though he could've approached things from a different angle, he listened exactly to what the Director told him, responding with, "Yes!" and, "I see!"

Sakai: So embarrassing…

Morioka: Now, I can feel that he's listening to what the Director wants, and is trying to break it down so it can be put into the performance

Sakai: Over the past year, I've gradually become able to do this, but there are still many challenges.

Morioka: If anything, I don't have much time left as Douga now (laughs).

Sakai: Stop that! I once previously said directly to Morioka-san that he seems to enjoy acting more than anyone else. Do you actually feel excited as you perform the role, thinking, "What should I do here?"

Morioka: I do. It's fun to think about what I'm going to do. However, I'm very nervous, so I try to be well prepared so that I don't have to worry about how the others will react during the actual performance. So, it's always a battle between "fun" and "nervousness."

"If Douga were to arm himself with royal armor, what kind of warrior would you want him to be?"

Morioka: I'm also a boy, so I think a cool bug would be nice, however, the name Douga apparently comes from the cupreous chafer beetle (douganebuibui).

Sakai: Eh, Is that right?!

Morioka: I was told by fans that it might be so, but I don't know if it's really true or not (laughs). Ah, in episode 25, since Douga rode in Guardian Hercules when the retainers piloted God King-Ohger, I also admire warriors with a hercules beetle motif.

"If you have any questions you'd like to ask each other, please do so."

Morioka: If we were to meet in another production, what kind of show would it be, and what kind of relationship would you like us to play?

Sakai: I'd like to do a yakuza story. I'd like to be Morioka-san's henchman and say something like, (in a low voice) "Aniki!"

Morioka: That's good! It sounds interesting.

Sakai: On the other hand, what kind of production would Morioka-san like to work on with me?

Morioka: Taisei-kun plays the role of a heroine's lover, and I play the role of the heroine's father. I think a production that depicts everyday life would also be good.

Sakai: Sounds good!

Morioka: There's one other situation I'd like to try! I'm a lawyer and Taisei-kun is a suspect, and he'd be like, "Lawyer-san, I didn't do it!"

Sakai: (acting realistically) "Lawyer-san, I didn't do it!"

Sakai & Morioka: Ahahaha!

Sakai: I really want to work together again, so from now on, I'll continue to do my best!

Morioka: Same here. This is my wish, but I want Taisei-kun to become a popular actor who can play a wide range of roles. I think the most important thing for an actor is honesty, and Taisei-kun is a really honest person who absorbs things like a sponge. If he continues like this, I think he'll become what I consider to be the ideal actor.

Sakai: Thank you very much!!

"Finally, please give a message to the fans."

Morioka: The Producers, Director, production team, acting department, and fans have nurtured this program and given us strength. Personally, I've learned alot from the opinions on SNS. I'd be happy if you could continue to support me even after this production is over.

Sakai: King-Ohger is a production that the staff spent a long time discussing and working on to create. Every day, I feel that the cast and staff are working together as one to tackle this work. There are only 5 episodes remaining to air, but there are still great developments waiting to happen, so please look forward to it!

Watanabe Aoto (Yanma) x Chiwata Yuhei (Shiokara)

"Please tell us your impressions of each other's character."

Watanabe: My impression of Shiokara, played by Chiwa-san (Chiwata), is that, "The kinder the person is, the scarier they are when they're angry."

Chiwata:…Hmm?

Watanabe: In episode 35, Yanma and Shiokara's past was depicted, but there's a pretty big gap between Shiokara's current character…In the past, Shiokara was the type of person who was quick to get his hands on something and had a sharp personality. However, he had a gentle gaze toward his own friends, and I think that's still true today. Until that episode, only Shiokara's friendly side was depicted, but I realized that when he gets angry, he's really scary! At the time, I was afraid of interacting with Chiwa-san…

Chiwata: You liar! (laughs).

Watanabe: (laughs). Still, I thought that gap was really cool.

Chiwata: I see. Of course, I’ve had the impression from the beginning that Yanma was cool, but since entering the new chapter, I've come to think that he can see what's going on around him better than anyone else. It's like he has foresight. Within Yanma, I think he has a well established logic that says, "This is what will happen if I do this," where he's able to easily figure out what choices he should make at that moment. Once again, I think he's a very smart person.

"Do you see any similarities between your characters and the person playing the role?"

Watanabe: Shiokara plays the role of the "pipe" that connects Yanma to the citizens of "N'Kosopa's Three Magi," being Minami Hokuto-kun's Akka, Okano Kaito-kun's Usuba, and Hayakawa Nagisa-san's Mayuta. Chiwa-san is also good at communicating with everyone, so I think they're similar. That impression hasn't changed since the beginning.

Chiwata: The similarities between Aoto and Yanma are that they both have cool visuals.

Watanabe: Well, they're both me (laughs).

Chiwata: I see (laughs). Aoto is very direct. I think his humanity is similar to Yanma's because he has a firm core and doesn't bend his beliefs. Aoto, he can sometimes show his cute side. I traveled to South Korea for the first time in Summer of 2023, and when I talked to Aoto before I went, he said, "Nice! Chiwa-san, I like this Korean brand." I thought, "Does that mean you want me to buy it for you?" (laughs).

Watanabe: Wahaha! At that time, I said, "I'll buy it when I have time," but while in Korea, Chiwa-san sent me a picture of a paper bag from that store. It was sent with the message "kneel down" (laughs).

Chiwata: Still, I think that kind of honesty is typical of Aoto.

Watanabe: I received some really nice clothes. It made me really happy!

"You're good friends even in your private lives. This time, you appeared in the costumes for the new chapter that started from episode 27. The new chapter is set two years after episode 26, but did you change the way you played your roles?"

Chiwata: At first, I was conscious of wanting to express the fact that two years had passed. However, there was no drastic change in my performance.

Watanabe: When I discussed Yanma's hair style for the new chapter with Director Kamihoriuchi Kazuya, he told me, "I definitely don't want to end the pompadour." So I decided to change my hair color, and went with a blonde pompadour. At first, I imagined that Yanma would be alittle more mature two years later, but when I decided to go with the blond pompadour, I realized that he was still in the process of developing. Immediately after entering the new chapter, when I noticed TomboOhger's actions, his movements were faster and more frequent, making for a very aggressive fighting style. Also, the jacket, which is Yanma's costume before the transformation, has had the length shortened and the sleeves can be slipped through more easily, making it easier to move around.

Chiwata: In the beginning, because you often had to hang the jacket over your shoulders, you used to complain that, "The action is too difficult…"

Watanabe: That's right. So, for me, I try to be more active in my performance, with the awareness that "Yanma's peak has yet to come!"

"As of the publication of this book, episode 45 will have aired, but compared to when you were first chosen for your roles, please tell us about the setting or development that surprised you the most regarding your role."

Watanabe: In episode 35, the Royal Sentai failed to take back N'kosopa from the enemy, Hilbil Leech of the Uchu Five Jester, and the episode ends in a very bad situation. However, the subtitle for the following week was "Hymeno's Matchmaking Strategy," and Yanma was happily going on a matchmaking trip (laughs).

Chiwata: Ahahaha! Even though N'kosopa was in ruins.

Watanabe: I was surprised when I read the script, but I also thought it was really cool. As a man, I thought it was cool that he could be so devoted to the girl in front of him, even if it means he humiliates himself. Besides, when something negative happens to me, it's not as if I can solve the problem by just staying inside and thinking about it. When I find myself in such a situation, I'm the type of person who thinks about it and tries to live my daily life properly, so I empathize with Yanma.

Chiwata: This is also connected to the story of Yanma's foresight that I mentioned earlier. There's no point in crying over the loss of our country, so we should just do what we can do now.

Watanabe: This is probably due to the fact that Yanma became a member of the Royal Sentai, and the area he's supposed to protect isn't just N'kosopa, but also the entirety of Chikyu. It's helpful that Yanma is good at choosing which one to prioritize.

Chiwata: When I read the script for episode 35, I was really impressed. When I started this production, Director Kamihoriuchi told me, "I want Shiokara to be an innocent, energetic and lovable character" and that's what I kept trying to achieve. And then, episode 35 let me do the exact opposite! I was very happy that we were able to show the background of our characters. Actually, Takamina-san (Takano Minato), who wrote the script, also talked to me about episode 35. This included Shiokara's pronoun.

"In the variety show "Sokkin Sentai Sokkinger," which is distributed through TTFC, Chiwata-san said, "When the Director asked me to distort my character, Shiokara's pronoun was changed to Oira."

Chiwata: Yes. At first, in the script, Shiokara's pronoun was "Ore". However, in the opening scene of the first episode, I consulted Director Kamihoriuchi and said, "I want to change the pronoun," and it became "Oira." However, since it was an on set exchange, most of you didn't know about it, and it remained "Ore" in the script.

Watanabe: That's right.

Chiwata: Later, when Takamina-san came to the set, I apologized and said, "I'm sorry for changing the pronoun," and he said, "Don't worry. We'll change it to Oira in the next script." However, in episode 35, there was a mixture of "Oira" and "Ore," and I was told that, "This is intentional, so please act according to the script." I also felt it was rewarding to play the role of Shiokara because I was able to show the gap between Shiokara's current character and his past as a delinquent.

"Please tell us about any particular scenes between Yanma and Shiokara that moved you."

Watanabe: It has to be episode 35.

Chiwata: Yeah, that's mine too.

Watanabe: What Hilbil was targeting was the "I'm on top computer," which controls all of N'kosopa's systems, and is normally operated by Yanma. Hilbil brainwashed the people of N'kosopa by whispering to them to destroy the computer, and Shiokara accidentally took out his earplugs and was brainwashed, but Shiokara desperately fought against it. Seeing Shiokara's desperate resistance, Yanma decides to destroy the computer himself in order to break Shiokara and the others brainwashing…However, I think this is a scene where he becomes much more aware of his role as a king, that he's living together with his people, including Shiokara.

Chiwata: I've been curious about it for a long time. In that episode, Yanma was forced to choose between the country and Shiokara, right? Did Yanma choose Shiokara right away, or did he think about it until the last minute?

Watanabe: Right…To be honest, I thought that Yanma in that scene was naive. The Yanma I know could've sacrificed Shiokara, and I don't think he would've chosen Shiokara from the beginning. After hearing Shiokara's feelings about N'kosopa, I think he destroyed the computer thinking that he was responsible for everything. This is just my guess though.

"When Shiokara woke up, he asked him what had happened and, charmed by Yanma's manly spirit, decided to follow him for the rest of his life."

Chiwata: In Shiokara's mind, there was no choice but to follow Yanma. That's why Shiokara doesn't go against what Yanma says, but at the same time, Shiokara also has a desire to pull Yanma along. That's why when Yanma was brainwashed by Hilbil in episode 44, I really wish Shiokara had been there for him.

"Now then, please tell us what you think makes the combination of Yanma and Shiokara unbeatable compared to the other countries kings and retainers."

Watanabe: Compared to the other countries, I think the amount of time we spend together is second to none. Also, Shiokara knows what Yanma was like when he wasn't king.

Chiwata: That's true. I sometimes think about the age of the characters. I wonder, who's older, Yanma or Shiokara?

Watanabe: It's not clear.

Chiwata: I've never really asked Takamina-san, but I feel like Yanma and Shiokara are closer in age than the other pairs, I also think they give off a stronger feeling of siblings than the other pairs.

"Are there any scenes you'd like to play as N'kosopa's king and retainer?"

Watanabe: The past was depicted in episode 35, right? I'm curious about the story of how Yanma became king after Shiokara and the Three Magi became Yanma's friends.

Chiwata: I'd like to see that! Like how N'kosopa was founded.

Watanabe: There needs to be an "Episode Zero"!

Chiwata: Because, how is it possible that a city so devastated became a country of cutting edge technology in just a few years?

Watanabe: Still, until Yanma became king, he couldn't equip the TomboOhger royal armor…

Chiwata: Wouldn't it be better to depict Yanma taking the throne and arming himself with the TomboOhger royal armor for the first time in the ending?

Watanabe: Oooh! That sounds good.

"Speaking of, if Shiokara were to be armed with royal armor, what kind of warrior would he be?"

Chiwata: Would the motif be based on the Japanese white tailed skimmer (shiokaratonbo), which is also the origin of his name? When Shiokara became a pilot of God King-Ohger in episode 25, he was piloting a pill bug (rolling hammer), so there's also a pill bug motif. For the color, something closer to blue would be good…maybe a light blue?

Watanabe: Cute! (laughs).

Chiwata: But, if the retainers were to arm themselves with royal armor, I think the most exciting thing would be for them to become weapons and have the kings use them. For example, Shiokara could become a gun, and when Yanma uses it, it becomes even stronger.

Watanabe: Sounds interesting!

"Since we have this opportunity, would you be willing to ask each other questions?"

Watanabe: King-Ohger will continue to host shows and other events even after the TV series wraps up, but is there anything you'd like to try?

Chiwata: I want to go around the country on the Final Live Tour and meet the fans of our work. Also, it'd be nice to have character songs for the kings with their retainers of each country.

Watanabe: That's good. Staff, please hear us out!

Chiwata: Well, my question to Aoto is…in the future, what kind of actor do you want to be?

Watanabe: Suddenly it's a serious topic (laughs).

Chiwata: Sometimes we talk about acting, and I think Aoto is really good at performing, so I wonder, what kind of actor do you envision yourself becoming?

Watanabe: I want to be in productions that inspire the viewer. For example, after seeing a work that focuses on family, I think to myself, "I should value my family," or "Maybe I should call my family." I want to appear in works that make people feel happy or take positive action after watching them.

Chiwata: I see. In terms of entertainment, what about action?

Watanabe: I admire it!

Chiwata: You also box, don't you?

Watanabe: Yes. I'll continue to work hard to achieve my goals!

"Finally, please give a message to the fans."

Chiwata: I often receive compliments from various people in the entertainment industry, saying, "King-Ohger is amazing." This is thanks to all the fans who have supported and encouraged us so far. We will never forget our gratitude, and will do our best to make this a work that'll be enjoyed to the very end!

Watanabe: This production also involved alot of extras. In that respect, I feel that this work was created together with the viewers, and I'm grateful for it. There are only a few episodes left, so please follow us until the end!

Murakami Erica (Hymeno) x Yoshimitsu Hiroto (Sebastian)

"This time, it's a character book featuring the kings and their retainers, so we'd like to hear from both of you."

Yoshimitsu: Thank you for having me. (to Murakami) Ah, I've got some candy.

Murakami: Wow, I'll have some if I'm tired of talking. This is the kind of thing about Yoshimitsu-san that's just like Sebas himself. He once gave me a souvenir from when he went to the countryside, and his thoughtfulness is really wonderful.

Yoshimitsu: I have to try to make a good impression. There are alot of young people on set.

Murakami: There you go again with that~ (laughs).

Yoshimitsu: The cast members who play the kings are all around the same age as my children, so I can't help but find them cute. They all have good personalities. The actors who play the retainers also have good personalities, but they all have their own quirks. I guess you could say they're unique.

Murakami: Even the kings are unique (laughs).

Yoshimitsu: The six of them have their own individualities and are considerate. Hyme (Murakami), in particular is flawless. She's extremely positive.

Murakami: That's not true~

Yoshimitsu: You never give up. In the beginning, even though Kamihori-san was very strict with us, she would say, "This gives me a good foundation for the performance I'll do tomorrow." That's amazing, isn't it?

Murakami: Fufufu. I can ask Yoshimitsu-san various things, and he teaches me. When we're filming together and I say, "I don't understand this part…" he immediately makes a suggestion saying, "Why don't you try it this way?" I like our relationship, and I think that kind of thing is very similar to Sebas.

Yoshimitsu: I don't know if my suggestions are right or not.

Murakami: I'm always learning, and it's the kind of stuff that I actually use! (laughs).

"Alot of things were revealed about Sebastian in episode 36, but what kind of explanation did Yoshimitsu-san receive about Sebastian in the beginning?"

Yoshimitsu: Hymeno doesn't usually carry the OhgerCalibur, so I was told to always be there carrying the sword tray. Even if I didn't have any lines, I would come out with the sword tray. I thought to myself, "I don't have to memorize lines, lucky~" (laughs), but thought about various ways of holding the sword tray. For example, after handing over the sword to her, I would quickly pull the tray back. Well, around the middle of the show, I became more resourceful in the way I brought out the sword, and didn't hold the tray as much.

Murakami: Lately, there've been alot of instances where Hymeno is suddenly holding the sword. As for my own narrative, the sword is supposed to come out from the ribbon on her back.

Yoshimitsu: I see. By the way, when playing Sebastian, I often pay special attention to how I stand while holding the sword tray. They changed it halfway through, but the first sword tray was so heavy, that it was difficult for me to stand holding it. However, if my back is bent, it doesn't look like Sebastian, so I was very conscious of taking a step back with my right leg, keeping my back straight, and standing straight like a dancer.

Murakami: Regarding Sebas's performance, when Yoshimitsu-san and I were at the first script reading, Kamihori-san suggested, "Give me one distraught gesture. For example, touching your mustache." I remember when Sebas's iconic pose was born.

Yoshimitsu: Hymeno asks Sebas to do some pretty reckless things, doesn't she? Saying things like, "Create a flower garden overnight." Each time, Sebas would think, "Hmmm, how troublesome." As a gesture for such occasions, he would start touching his mustache. I also consulted with Kamihori-san as we put together the performance.

"Please tell us about your impressions of the character the other is playing."

Yoshimitsu: She's cute. However, I can't help but view her as my co star, not as her character.

Murakami: I see! (laughs). I don't usually talk to people like this directly, so I'm kind of happy!

Yoshimitsu: I look at you (Murakami) from a father's perspective, but if you were my real daughter, I wouldn't marry you off! And yet, I'd also worry that you wouldn't get married…She's so cute and has such a nice personality, that I think it'd be a big shock if someone saw something they didn't like about her.

Murakami: You definitely show your dislikes on a regular basis (laughs).

Yoshimitsu: Really?

Murakami: Things like acting recklessly…

Yoshimitsu: As your character, yes. But, there really isn't anything I dislike about Murakami-san herself. Even after filming for King-Ohger ends, if you or any of the other kids who play the role of kings ever have any problems, you can come to me for advice. Invite me out with, "Let's grab a drink," that's okay too.

Murakami: Thank you very much! Going beyond the relationship between Sebas and Hymeno's characters, I'm glad that you care about me too.

"Murakami-san, how do you feel about the character Sebastian?"

Murakami: I feel a sense of security. When Sebastian appears, I feel like Ishabana is able to maintain peace, and just having him by her side calms Hymeno down. Even in episode 14, when Hymeno mistakenly thinks that Jeramie Brasieri is the enemy of her parents, Sebas tries to calm Hymeno down by gently suggesting some tea.

Yoshimitsu: Hymeno responded with, "I don't need it," and Sebas made a sad face. I feel like that exchange went well.

Murakami: Yoshimitsu-san took the lead, so I felt comfortable playing the role.

Yoshimitsu: Now, it's the opposite. Murakami-san has grown so much in one year. At first, she would ask me, "Is it okay to do this?" and I would reply, "Do whatever you like," however, the other day I asked, "Is it okay to do this here?" and she replied, "Do whatever you like."

Murakami: (laughs). At that time, I was putting all my effort into my lines.

Yoshimitsu: That said, I've become able to respond to improved movements with improved lines, so those kind of interactions have become natural.

Murakami: I no longer get anxious.

Yoshimitsu: I'm getting better at it.

Murakami: In the beginning, I'd often think, "What'll happen if I do this, or if it doesn't work out, will I cause trouble for everyone…?"

Yoshimitsu: She's a very considerate person, isn't she? When the extras were standing on set, she said, "Since everyone is standing, I'll stand too."

Murakami: During filming, you have to take care of yourself, but the extras hesitated to sit down and stay hydrated. That's why I wondered what I could do.

Yoshimitsu: As for the Ishabana scenes, Murakami-san is the leader, so if the leader acts like that, the extras will feel more comfortable filming.

Murakami: I was also anxious about putting a burden on so many people, but I started to think, if something were to happen, as long as Yoshimitsu-san was there, everything would be okay!

Yoshimitsu: Lately, I've been thinking about becoming a candidate for Murakami-san's manager. The pay will be higher though.

Murakami: (laughs). I'm grateful that you'd choose me, even if I cause you trouble.

Yoshimitsu: You can cause as much trouble as you want. Just try doing a performance that you like! If they say, "That's annoying, pass," you can just try again.

Murakami: I'm gradually learning to rely on those around me, but if I rely on them too much, I won't be able to rely on myself. From now on, I'm going to have other jobs in this field.

Yoshimitsu: Right. Sebas won't always be by your side.

Murakami: I'd feel relieved if you came to my side like you usually do…

Yoshimitsu: You don't really intend to make me your exclusive manager, do you? (laughs).

"Were there any particular scenes between Hymeno and Sebastian that left an impression on you?"

Murakami: At the end of episode 36, when Hymeno asks Sebas, "Do you ever wish you could go back to being Romane Dearborn?" He answered, "Only when I hide my true face could I live my life the way I wanted to. Now, Sebastian the butler is who I am." I was impressed by that scene.

Yoshimitsu: You know, it didn't feel like I was saying the lines. It just came from my heart. Before we started filming, I was thinking alot about whether it would be better to do a performance based more on Romane Dearborn, but since I've always played Sebastian, it was an easy decision.

Murakami: Upon hearing that, Hymeno smiled and said, "Thank you." Both Hymeno and I were very happy.

Yoshimitsu: In that episode, there's a scene where the special makeup was applied for the first time by the waterside, and the script said "his eyes tear up." But when I was looking at Hyme, even if I didn't consciously try to cry, I just thought, "This kid, she's doing her best…" and I was already starting to tear up from the rehearsal (laughs).

Murakami: I didn't know that (laughs). I also like that waterside scene. As Hymeno puts on his glasses, she says, "Having compassion for others. That's the most beautiful thing you have, and the only thing I want."

Yoshimitsu: It was a performance that tugged at my heartstrings, or rather, it tickled my heart.

Murakami: It's good that Yoshimitsu-san can lift me up on this set, but that won't happen from now on. I think doing a single person performance…it worries me.

Yoshimitsu: Don't worry. You're fully qualified. It's not for me to say though (laughs).

"During the matchmaking episode, there were alot of highlights from both of your performances. The expressions on Hymeno's face when she was being impersonated by Kamejim Unka of the Uchu Five Jesters were also wonderful."

Yoshimitsu: Takano Minato-san, the screenwriter, is relentless. I thought, "How can he make us do such unpleasant things?!" The body swap scenes in episode 28 were also amazing.

Murakami: There are alot of lines, and it's not Jeramie, but it's a scenario that makes you read between the lines.

"If there's a spin off in the future, please tell us if there's any situations you'd like to perform."

Murakami: Hymeno tries to wake up in the morning, but can't, and when Sebas comes to her room and makes her morning tea, she feels relieved…I wanted to film a scene like that. Things like afternoon tea are usually elegant scenes, aren't they? I'd like to perform a tea scene that isn't like that.

Yoshimitsu: I was thinking of doing a backflip. I thought that if I, a 63 year old, did a backflip, I'd be able to convey Sebastian's true youthfulness. However, I don't want to injure myself and inconvenience everyone, and I haven't practiced in awhile, so I decided to stop.

Murakami: I definitely want to see an agile Sebastian.

Yoshimitsu: It'll be fun to do someday…but, will there ever be a "someday"?

Murakami: I don't know~ you might be doing backflips in 10 years.

Yoshimitsu: No, no, you might be a big actress 10 years from now, but this old man will have had enough…

Murakami: Fufufu, I'm looking forward to it.

"Could you please ask any questions you'd like to hear from each other?"

Yoshimitsu: I'd like to be invited to Hyme's wedding, but do you plan on getting married?

Murakami: I have a desire to start a family, so I'm sure I will someday…

Yoshimitsu: If you want to have a ceremony, please reach out to me. I'll provide a proper celebration.

Murakami: You got it! Well, I'd like to ask you a question as well. Yoshimitsu-san is very knowledgeable and knows many things regardless of the subject, why is that?

Yoshimitsu: I've lived a long life. Also, I like to talk, so I talk to alot of people and learn alot from them. Even if I don't know everything in depth, if I know even alittle bit, I can say, "I heard something like that back then," and use it as a basis for my performance. Also, sometimes I go out to eat and treat myself to traditional sushi (not conveyor belt). If I lived a normal life, you have no idea how nervous I'd feel going into a prestigious restaurant. I've never been in first class on an airplane, but I've heard that all the chairs are electric.

Murakami: That's cool. You've got a "let's give it a try" spirit.

Yoshimitsu: Yes, I have to try everything. If I were to play a role where I had to move to a first class seat, I'd be nervous if I had no experience, but if I had experience, I'd be able to do it easily and look like I'm used to it, you know? That's why it's good to have experience in everything.

Murakami: It's a great source of artistic talent. I guess it's all connected to acting.

"Finally, please give a message to the fans,"

Murakami: We've been walking together with the fans of Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger, and I hope we can enjoy it together until the end. We'll be facing off against a powerful enemy, The Uchu King, but one of the strengths of Super Sentai is our unity. Everyone will work together and do their best!

Yoshimitsu: A year goes by so fast. It's sad. As Hyme just said, there's a powerful enemy standing in our way, so the kings, their retainers, and their people won't be able to win unless everyone is united. In episode 25, we were able to combine the 20 person God King-Ohger, but it has to be even better than that, so I feel like it's going to be something amazing. I didn't know much about the Super Sentai series, but I was moved by the fact that it touches so many people. It was a great experience, and I met some great friends. I never thought I'd meet such young and pure people at my age. It's truly been a treasured year for me.

Murakami: I hope you look forward to it. I don't think the Royal Sentai have ever failed our expectations.

Yoshimitsu: In the last spurt, I'll run until my heart stops.

Murakami: Don't let it stop! (laughs).

Hirakawa Yuzuki (Rita) x Hasegawa Kasumi (Morphonia)

"First, please introduce the character the other plays."

Hasegawa: Yuzuchin (Hirakawa) plays Rita Kaniska, the king of Gokkan. In the new chapter starting from episode 27, two years have passed, and their hair and the length of the jacket they wear have become shorter, and their slender legs look much better now. They're super cool!

Hirakawa: Is it just about looks? (laughs).

Hasegawa: I'll also talk about what's within (laughs). At a glance, because they're quiet, they may seem like a scary person, but at heart they're very kind, and they love the character Moffun that appears in the animated series "Together with Moffun." Although they're abit clumsy when it comes to socializing, because they're so bound by the principle of "fairness and equality," they're a king overflowing with love.

Hirakawa: Kasumin (Hasegawa) plays the role of Morphonia, Rita's retainer. Basically, work is tedious for her, but she doesn't slack off, and even if she complains, she gets the job done right. For Rita, she's not only their retainer, but also their emotional support. Rita doesn't say this directly, but her existence is one of a kind.

"Please tell us why you think the combination of Rita and Morphonia is unbeatable compared to the king and retainer combinations of the other countries."

Hasegawa: I think it's the fact that they're not bound by the "ruler and ruled" relationship present between a king and retainer.

Hirakawa: That's right. It feels like they're independent from each other. All the retainers from the other countries seem to be serving their king.

Hasegawa: If you think about it, compared to the other kings, Morphonia just calls them "Rita" (laughs).

Hirakawa: Yeah. Rather than "king and retainer" present in the other countries, what's different is that they interact with each other as individuals. Also, they can communicate their feelings without words.

Hasegawa: Rita doesn't say much. In episode 45, the story of Rita and Morphonia was depicted, and it feels like they've always been together since childhood. I think that because of that experience, they're able to understand each other so well.

Hirakawa: I don't know if it's a harmonizing thing, but they give off a strong feeling of being a duo that knows what they want to say without having to say it out loud.

Hasegawa: I think the attitude for the retainers of the other countries is, "I'll follow!" whereas with Morphonia, it feels like she's trying to walk together.

Hirakawa: That's true. It's not like Rita's in control of everything, and Morphonia isn't the type of person who needs to be shown the path to walk. The Gokkan duo may be the only ones walking side by side.

Hasegawa: Right. She lets Rita walk in front of her as much as possible, but when she want to stand next to them, she just stand next to them without hesitation.

Hirakawa: I guess the key point is whether it's in public or not. When attending a meeting in Shugoddam for example, I imagine that Morphonia is behind them.

Hasegawa: Morphonia is someone who understands TPO. (*being aware of what is/isn't appropriate)

"At the time of this books publication, episode 45 will have aired, and every character has been revealed. Apparently, Rita's parents are still alive and they've met up."

Hirakawa: I never really thought about Rita's parents until it was revealed in episode 38. Even if the setting was that they were dead, it wouldn't change my performance plan as Rita. Rita separates their private life from their professional life on and off, and if they became the presiding judge because they were separated from their parents, that would mean bringing their personal feelings into their work, so I didn't think such a scenario was likely to happen. That's why, when I read the script for episode 38, I just thought, "Ah, they have parents."

Hasegawa: Still, I can't imagine Rita talking to their parents.

Hirakawa: I think it's the same with my own family. Members of my family also take part in legal practices, so I come from a strict family…is what it seemed like.

Hasegawa: Was curfew at 4 p.m. or something? (laughs).

Hirakawa: I don't think that was quite it (laughs). The image of Rita I had in my mind was that of an only child, whose childhood friends were books and dictionaries…or so I felt. In episode 45, Morphonia's past was revealed.

Hasegawa: She's a child born between two criminals. I thought, "I knew it," so even after learning about it, I didn't change my performance plan.

"Please tell us about any memorable scenes between Rita and Morphonia. In the interview for, The Bonds Connected by Moffun and Racules?!, released in November 2023, you mentioned episodes 10 and 38, but has it increased since then?"

Hirakawa: I still think it's episode 38.

Hasegawa: The idol episode was memorable. Rita showed off their glittering idol look, and they cheerfully responded to Minongan Moth of the Uchu Five Jesters with, "Yes~!" We saw a different side of Rita than usual.

Hirakawa: Those scenes were nice, but the last one was good. Gokkan, where it snows throughout the entire year, was depicted with clear weather.

Hasegawa: That's right. That one was good.

Hirakawa: Actually, it seems like that last scene was almost cut.

Hasegawa: Eh?!

Hirakawa: Takamina-san mentioned it on SNS, but during a meeting discussing the scenario, Takamina-san was desperately defending it, saying, "It's absolutely necessary! Please keep it!"

Hasegawa: I see. I'm glad we got it~. In the end, we still improvised the performance.

Hirakawa: The final back shot, where they're walking together under the clear sky, was all improvised.

Hasegawa: After filming finished, I was unusually satisfied.

Hirakawa: The relationship between them also became closer.

Hasegawa: Well, Morphonia didn't understand Rita was doing undercover work, she completely misunderstood them (laughs).

"After watching the actual broadcast, what did you think?"

Hirakawa: I was just relieved. Rita has many "closed" parts, both physically and in terms of their character, so until it aired, I was nervous, wondering what kind of reaction we'd get if they opened up about it. Would be okay? Still, Rita's a character who will have to break down those walls someday, and after episode 38, I felt that their possibilities had expanded. And as expected, I watched the episode air with excitement, wondering if the dancing and singing scenes turned out well. When we were filming, all I could do was put on my best performance, so I was concerned about how the scenes would turn out. How about Kasumin?

Hasegawa: I was really looking forward to the broadcast.

Hirakawa: That's what we kept saying before it aired. We'd say, "It's almost time for the idol episode!"

Hasegawa: I couldn't wait to watch it! I was looking forward to seeing Rita in action, but I was also looking forward to seeing how funny it'd look when Morphonia and the kings try to reason with Rita and find out why they become an idol.

Hirakawa: To put it simply, it was really annoying (laughs). Even more so, everyone's performance was so convincing….

Hasegawa: Everyone was annoying. But that was our role.

Hirakawa: Even when we were filming, I was acting thinking, "You're doing something so extra," but the broadcast was filled with that atmosphere (laughs). Like the look on Morphonia's face when she was appealing to Rita with, "I'm the only one who'll always be with you!" (laughs).

Hasegawa: I also thought I looked too desperate myself, which was really funny! (laughs). I had a fun day on the day of the broadcast. Thank you.

"Was there ever a turning point in your performance plans?"

Hasegawa: Our characters changed in episodes that would trigger a change. Specifically, episode 10, 25, 38, and 45. But, I didn't consciously try to change it.

Hirakawa: When filming an episode where the characters get closer emotionally, naturally, things change. The fact that the actors have gotten to know each other over the course of a year of filming also has an effect. This is a good thing, as it's a production that'll broadcast for a year.

"We think that the distance between them has become closer, and their understanding of each other has changed, but how do Rita and Morphonia view each other now?"

Hasegawa: Aren't they partners?

Hirakawa: That's right. I think it's a position that only Morphonia can hold.

"She stays neutral next to Rita, so she's a comfortable presence for Rita."

Hasegawa: Even though they've always been together, they don't seem to interfere with each other. They have just the right amount of distance and trust.

Hirakawa: Everyone has their own worldview and purpose, so they don't go into it any more than necessary. But, they can't replace each other.

Hasegawa: To begin with, if Rita wasn't the king, Morphonia would've run away. She didn't originally want to work as a retainer.

Hirakawa: Rita's the king, so I guess she does it even though it's an intense job. She must've fallen in love with Rita's personality.

Hasegawa: I think so. I think they can be together because she respects them as a person.

Hirakawa: I’m just imagining it, but when first meeting Morphonia, do you think the impression of her was, "What an interesting person"?

Hasegawa: She's changed gradually, and now you'll think, "This person is amazing, she should be king after all."

Hirakawa: Even though she started working as a retainer with that feeling, it's amazing how she's actually helping Rita. Morphonia is excellent!

Hasegawa: She really is!

"If you study seriously, getting a score of 100 points isn't a dream, but we also have the image of her being satisfied with scoring 90 points. Rita on the other hand is always scoring 100 points."

Hasegawa: This is just me imagining, but even though she complains, I think Morphonia is secretly studying behind the scenes. That's why I think she'd score 99 points.

Hirakawa: She can't quite reach it.

Hasegawa: Rita's perfect, but Morphonia isn't. Although she's gotten the hang of things and is able to do her job, she doesn't think she's fit to be a king.

Hirakawa: Is it a mental thing?

Hasegawa: Rather, and I'm not talking about Rita's family from earlier, but Rita can make fair judgments about family matters when it comes to work, but it seems that Morphonia can't do that. I think she'd rather try her best not to judge.

Hirakawa: I can imagine that.

Hasegawa: There's a difference, and I think that's why Rita is the presiding judge.

"In episode 25, Morphonia also participated in battle as a pilot for God King-Ohger, but if she were to arm herself with royal armor, what kind of warrior would you want her to be?"

Hasegawa: If the motif were based on the morpho butterfly, which is the origin of her name (morufochou), the color would be blue…

Hirakawa: You'd become a citizen of N'kosopa!

Hasegawa: I think it'd be good if the characteristics of Gokkan's people were to show.

"We understand that the two of you have become closer over the past year, and we'd like to hear about what you've been doing in your private time."

Hasegawa: I want Yuzuchin to teach me how to make delicious coffee.

Hirakawa: Of course! When it comes to coffee, I can be abit talkative. I'm always going on and on.

Hasegawa: Alright! I want to learn how to make hand drip coffee.

Hirakawa: In that case, I'll have to train you at my house.

"Hirakawa-san, are you particular about coffee?"

Hirakawa: I love it, and am very particular about it. The beans, the equipment, and even the way it's poured.

Hasegawa: The other day, I happened to have a cup of coffee that tasted so good, that I was impressed by how different the same drink can be. Then, I found out that someone who was as immersed in the coffee obsession was so close to me!

Hirakawa: I'm thinking of becoming a certified Coffee Meister, would you like to study with me? (*certification by the Japan Specialty Coffee Association)

Hasegawa: I do, I do!

"Previously, when the two of you visited the King-Ohger booth at the Tokyo Toy Show 2023 event, it seems that nobody noticed you, but do you have any stories of being called out to on the street?"

Hirakawa: I do. When I went to see a stage play by a senior from my agency, one of the audience members noticed me. However, I didn't notice their voice, and a staff member told me about it as I was leaving.

Hasegawa: There's a rumor that I didn't realize that I'd been noticed before. When I went to see a stage play, someone said to me, "Aren't you a Sokkinger?!" and I thought it was a novel comment. I was at a loss for words, and I'm sorry for not giving a proper answer. I want to apologize to the person who approached me at that time.

Hirakawa: It's funny that you're apologizing here (laughs). I may not be able to provide much service when people call out to me in public, but it makes me happy to know that people are watching our work.

"Please give a message to the fans."

Hasegawa: Are you enjoying Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger? I hope you enjoy watching it until its conclusion, because there's going to be an unexpected twist at the end.

Hirakawa: It'll be over soon, but I think you can feel the growth and change both as our characters and as individuals. I think the kings will have the opportunity to meet fans directly at the hero show at Theater G Rosso, but first, I hope that you'll join us to see how the TV series will end. And even after it ends, I hope that this will be a show that is loved for a long, long time.

Kaku So (Kaguragi) x Kanzaki Hajime (Kuroda's actor)

"First, could you please introduce the character the other is playing?"

Kaku: There are many kuroko serving the Toufu lord, Kaguragi Dybowski, who I play. Among them, Kuroda is a special person who's close to Kaguragi. The name Kuroda was revealed midway through, but episode 37 depicts that he was a good friend of Kaguragi even before he became lord. Although he can be a bit clumsy at times, his movements are light. This is some behind the scenes info, but sometimes he uses a trampoline.

Kanzaki: Toufu's lord Kaguragi, who Kuroda serves, has unshakable feelings, but he doesn't show them to those around him. It's unknown if Kaguragi revealed to Kuroda the exchange he had with the previous lord, Iroki, 17 years ago, which was depicted in episode 37. My guess is that he hasn't revealed it…but, since they've been together for a long time, I think he trusts him.

Kaku: That means it's a strong relationship of trust, because even though he doesn't reveal everything, he still follows him. I think he wanted to have the person he trusted the most by his side, so when Kaguragi became lord, he made Kuroda his retainer. However, he wouldn't be able to become the castle's kuroko if he was incompetent in various aspects, so Kuroda must've worked really hard to train and become strong…is what I think.

"Until the past story of episode 37 was depicted, how did you imagine the two of them would open up to each other?"

Kaku: In the beginning, Kaguragi always called him "Kuroda-san," but in episode 10, he calls him "Kuroda." I was talking with Kanzaki-san about the fact that they probably didn't have a master and servant relationship to begin with. I imagined various things, like maybe Kuroda was older than Kaguragi, and that he had taken care of him like a butler since he was a small child.

Kanzaki: Since that part of the story hadn't been depicted, we acted without making a clear decision. However, in the past, Kuroda dressed as a farmer and was seen calling out to Kaguragi in a rough tone, so I think Kuroda is alittle older than him.

"In the early days, Kuroda didn't have any lines, which made his character more imaginative."

Kanzaki: I was thinking he wouldn't talk until the very end (laughs). Compared to the retainers from the other countries, I get the impression that Kuroda takes a step back and looks at his surroundings, which is similar to myself. I often participate in tokusatsu productions as a Suit Actor, but in King-Ohger, I'm in a position between the action department and the actors, so when I see the young cast members talking so lively, I take a step back and think, "How cute" (laughs). Kaku-san is also older than the other regulars who play the kings, but he has alot of cute moments and sometimes acts alittle silly inbetween performances (laughs).

Kaku: That's true (laughs).

Kanzaki: As a member of the action department, I continue to assist the cast members on set even after they've finished their performance, and conversely, I stay on after the action department's performance is over if Kuroda has a scene. That way, I get to see the cast and crew at work, so it's a very fulfilling time for me. Although it's through the kuroko mask, whenever I see Kaku-san's acting up close, I always feel that Kaku-san's performance as Kaguragi Dybowski makes the scene even more intense.

Kaku: That makes me happy (laughs).

"What's the charm of Kaguragi and Kuroda that makes them unbeatable compared to the king and retainer combinations of the other countries?"

Kaku: I don't know what they're going to do. Just the scenes where Kaguragi and Kuroda have a secret conversation and split up is enough to make you feel like they're up to something again, and I think it's exciting.

Kanzaki: I also think that being physically fit is one of their strengths.

Kaku: Definitely, For example, if the kings were absent and their retainers fought each other…then Kuroda might be the strongest. Another key point is that they captivate you with their gorgeous movements.

"In episode 26, when Toufu's crops were being harvested by Ishabana's Shugod, and the people were suffering from heatstrokes, it was interesting to see Kuroda rush in and roll in front of Kaguragi, who contained Hymeno's soul."

Kanzaki: Kamihori-san said, "Please do it. You'll do it, right?"

Kaku: You make an impressive appearance in a way that the rest of the retainers don't.

Kanzaki: Since I can't show facial expressions, I tend to rely on movement. When performing the actions of a monster, even the slightest breathing has to be expressed in a loud voice for it to be conveyed, but since Kuroda's costume is normal, I've made adjustments so that it doesn't come off as over the top.

Kaku: Also, Kuroda has a nice voice!

Kanzaki: Toriumi Kosuke-san's voice is wonderful!

"We'd like to ask you to look back on any memorable scenes between Kaguragi and Kuroda."

Kanzaki: In episode 28, the body swap episode, there's a scene in which Kaguragi, who had Hymeno's heart, makes medicine for the people who have collapsed from heatstroke, and Kamihori-san gave him various orders.

Kaku: When I first read the script, I thought it was going to be a more rushed approach to nursing. However, the Director seemed to want it to feel more calm. I struggled with it alittle.

Kanzaki: It was difficult to find the "pause" to move and give medicine to a sleeping person. Also, in the movie (Adventure Heaven, released in Summer 2023), the scene where Kuroda interrupts Kaguragi and Iroki when they're facing each other is very memorable. I used a trampoline to do some moves that I had little experience with, but the moment it was given the OK, Kaku-san said, "You did it! That was cool!" How kind of my lord…is what I thought.

Kaku: It was really cool, so I definitely want you all to pay attention to that scene. In episode 10, when Kuroda bows, Kaguragi says, "Kuroda, what are you…?," calling him that for the first time. From that scene on, Kuroda became a character that Kaguragi felt closer to, and the image I had of them began to come forward. Until then, I could only vaguely imagine the extent of their relationship, but after that episode, I was able to imagine it clearly.

"Two years passed between episodes 26 and 27, and each character grew two years older, but was there anything you changed about your performance?"

Kanzaki: Kaguragi was absent during the beginning of episode 27, and I was confused when the Director told me, "Kuroda will wear Kaguragi's haori and take his place as lord." I thought Kuroda couldn't wear it because of his character…I told Director Kamihori the same thing, but he encouraged me by saying, "Everyone so excited, saying, Kuroda's the only one who can take Kaguragi's place!" So, I put my mind into it and acted it out. However, the performance itself didn't change.

Kaku: I haven't changed anything since the two years passed, but in the beginning, I was exploring the character of Kaguragi as I played him. At the time, I thought I was doing my best not to let my doubts show, but looking back on it now, I often reflect thinking, "I should've done things in this direction more, huh?" In the beginning, I could only get a vague idea of Kaguragi's personality, but as filming continued, as it became clear how he outwits people and what kind of soul he had, my perception of him changed. If I had my way, I'd like to reshoot from episode 1 in his current state! If I had atleast been given the scripts up to episode 20 before we started filming, I think my performance plan would've been quite different.

Kanzaki: For example, in episode 4, there's the scene in which Kaguragi is armed with the royal armor for the first time in the series, and his face looks completely different now than it did then, as he looks much more sturdy. Like all the actors playing the kings, I thought it was amazing. Of course we in the action department work hard, but to see young actors grow by playing the same character in front of the cameras for a year is something that's rarely seen in other productions, and I think this is the real thrill of being involved with Super Sentai and Kamen Rider, both of which air for a whole year.

Kaku: It's true that it's rare to have the opportunity to play the same role for a whole year.

"Now then, could you tell us what you like about each other's performance?"

Kanzaki: Kaku-san gives off a profound feeling, in terms of power, I like the gap between slow and fast. Also, as I mentioned earlier, despite being an older member of the cast, I find him cute. And then, I don't think there are many people who'd look good in Kaguragi's costume, hair and makeup, so I think it's amazing that Kaku-san has made it his own.

Kaku: Thank you very much. Kanzaki-san is always thinking of various gestures for the shoot, and his large reactions, which easily convey his emotions to the viewer, are interesting and appealing in a way that the other retainers don't have. Then, including Toriumi-san's voice, I think it's a luxury. The character of Kuroda was created by combining the work of action and voice professionals, and every action and voice performance makes it more interesting.

"As of the publication of this book, episode 45 will have aired, but are there any scenes you'd like to perform in a spin off?"

Kaku: I'd be good if there was a depiction proving Kuroda's strength. Kanzaki-san is the one doing the movements, and I believe that Kuroda is strong, but there aren't many depictions that establish that. Also, a scene where the two of them do some farm work would be nice (laughs).

Kanzaki: Everyday scenes are nice.

"You say you want to see a strong Kuroda, but if a Kuroda were to fight armed with the royal armor, what kind of warrior would you want him to be?"

Kanzaki: The people of Toufu have names with a bee motif, right? Some viewers thought that Kuroda may have been derived from the name of a bee with "kuro" in it. Kaguragi's younger sister Suzume Dybowski is from the vespinae wasp (suzumebachi), and Iroki is from the Japanese yellow hornet (kiirosuzumebachi), so he's got to be a bee warrior. Kaku-san tells me that Kuroda seems strong, but I also like the idea of a cute worker bee with a honey bee motif (laughs).

Kaku: That sounds good. There are alot of kuroko in the castle, so they fight in groups. Let's have Kuroda take on the role of the leader.

"Could you please take this opportunity to ask each other some questions?"

Kanzaki: To begin with, Kaku-san, why did you enter this industry?

Kaku: I was originally interested in theater. Because my parents were athletes, I devoted myself to playing baseball and rugby, but I had to give up these sports due to an injury. However, since I was still young and full of energy, I decided to pursue a career in theater.

Kanzaki: I didn't know that. Even so, you have a really good physique. How tall are you?

Kaku: I'm 185 cm (6'1"). Fujita Yohei-san, a Suit Actor for King-Ohger, is also tall.

Kanzaki: He's 187 cm (6'2"). Although he's the largest in Japan Action Enterprise (his agency), Kaku-san is sturdier. If Kaku-san were to join our agency, he'd be in charge of the Super Sentai Robos (laughs).

Kaku: I adore the Robos! Kanzaki-san, how did you end up where you are today?

Kanzaki: At first, I wanted to do motorcycle stunts. Motorcycle and action stunts are different from performance stunts, but I gradually began to think that acting would be interesting as well. When I looked into how I could study, I found out about the agency I work for now and joined.

"It's already been a year since this production started filming. It might be alittle early to ask, but how do you feel looking back?"

Kaku: It was a very short but intense time. All the regulars are really nice kids.

Kanzaki: Agreed.

Kaku: I think it's a miracle that we've made it this far without incident. This is a production that's deeply touched my life. However, it's not over yet. There's the hero show at Theater G Rosso, and maybe, just like with "Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger," which we had a collaboration with during this production, it'll be revived 10 years later!

Kanzaki: Just the other day, Yuzuki-chan was talking about that on set and said, "I'll be in my 30s then, huh…" When Hachisuka Yuichi-san (PapillonOhger's Suit Actor) heard that, he said, "I'll be 70!" (laughs).

Kaku: (laughs). If there's a 10th anniversary work, I'm looking forward to seeing what the setting will be like. What's going on with the kings? I wonder if they'll get along or split up (laughs).

"Finally, a message to the fans."

Kanzaki: I think the last part of the show is going to be a wild ride, so please keep your eyes peeled. Also, I'll always be a fan of Kaguragi Dybowski, Kaku So, and Teramoto Shogo, HachiOhger's Suit Actor. I'm personally looking forward to seeing how the Directors will "spice up" Kaguragi in the end.

Kaku: Thank you very much. Just reading the script makes me feel excited, but I'd like you all to see what Chikyu's future will be like. Please watch until the very end!

Ikeda Masashi (Jeramie) x Seki Tomokazu (Gerojim's VA)

Ikeda: Nice to meet you, I'm Ikeda Masashi. It's a pleasure!

Seki: Nice to meet you.

"What the? Is this the place for a conversation to be "nice to meet you"?!"

Seki: Afraid so. I had met the other five kings at the production press conference and on the variety show that I'm a regular on, but at that time, Jeramie still only appeared as the narrator.

Ikeda: I'm glad to finally meet you.

"Getting into it, we'd like to ask you about Jeramie and Gerojim. Could you please introduce the other and the role they play?"

Ikeda: Gerojim is a kind character who loves Jeramie more than anyone else, and tries to understand Chikyu and other people more than anyone else. He's a mysterious being who can disappear like haze or disguise himself as someone else, and there's something about him that I haven't fully grasped yet.

Seki: Gerojim was once treated like an "incomplete" Bugnarak, and a staff member explained to me that he felt sympathy for Jeramie, a half human half Bugnarak. If I were to introduce Jeramie…he's white (laughs). I feel that he's mentally mature, but I also feel that he puts up with alot and forces himself to hold back, so I'm afraid that he'll bottle up too much and eventually explode.

"Seki-san, what other information did you receive about Gerojim's character?"

Seki: Well, nothing in particular…Originally, there were no plans for me to appear. However, at the production press conference, I jokingly said, "I'm going to be in the main story, right?!" but after awhile, they asked, "Even if it's a weak role, it's better to play a role that lasts a long time, right?" I answered, "That's right" and got the role of Gerojim. I thought he'd make his introduction in episode 8, but then he was injected with poison by Racules Husty and was defeated, so I thought, "Huh?" (laughs).

Ikeda: Didn't they tell you about future developments, such as becoming a retainer to a king?

Seki: I didn't hear about it. But after that, I felt like I was going to keep up with Jeramie because of how many times he appeared. For the first recording session, I created my role based on the motif of the mayfly insect and the fragile image that I felt from reading the script, but when I saw the footage, I was surprised to find that the visuals looked quite rugged, and that the movements were powerful. Still, I thought it'd be more interesting to have a gap, so I decided to go with a whispering voice.

Ikeda: No kidding. When I first saw the footage of Gerojim with Seki-san's voice during the recording, I wondered how such a voice came from his body (laughs). The cast members playing the kings who were present had a variety of reactions, including bursting into laughter and being shocked. He has a way of speaking that makes you want to imitate him, so all the staff and cast members have fun imitating him on set.

Seki: That makes me happy! Being imitated means being loved.

"It seems difficult to express emotional intonation in that fragile, weak voice."

Seki: It's difficult during combat.

Ikeda: That's true.

Seki: I can't help but feel abit clumsy. However, especially in a situation where he has to fight to protect Jeramie, he can't afford to remain timid. Even during the recording, they told me, "Make it sound alittle more determined," but doing that would make him sound out of character, and it was surprisingly difficult to make that adjustment. Even in the early stages, it was difficult to say brave things with that voice. After I started working with Jeramie, I felt like I was following him, which suited his personality, or rather, I could play him naturally.

"Although his appearance hasn't changed, he's starting to look cuter."

Ikeda: He's really cute.

Seki: That's also thanks to Jeramie. Because he takes care of Gerojim, the viewers have also come to think of him as a "cute guy."

Ikeda: Seki-san added lines that weren't in the script, right? I'm always surprised when I hear this during recording, but I always think it's amazing how even tense scenes are funny and cute, and how they don't destroy the atmosphere of the scene.

Seki: Thank you very much. However, it's not like I'm just having fun and talking on my own. The staff gives off a feeling of, "We'll leave it to you, so please make it interesting," so I try to respond to that. Even if there are no lines in the script, such as scenes where he's alone with Jeramie, I'll sometimes be told, "Gerojim is shown here too, so maybe you could add some lines…" If someone says that to me, I have to include some dialogue, which makes me feel motivated.

Ikeda: I see.

Seki: I'd like to take this opportunity to say that I've been surprisingly following instructions (laughs).

Ikeda: The staff is also tempted to ask for more because they get more than they expected in return.

"Although this is abit of a departure from Gerojim's story, Seki-san also voices Minongan Moth, one of the Uchu Five Jesters. Minongan's role as an idol producer in episode 38 was also great."

Ikeda: I definitely want to hear about that episode!

Seki: With Minongan, I wasn't just doing whatever I wanted (laughs). First of all, when I was offered the role of Minongan, it was a character that was just grunting, so I thought it would be easy to differentiate him from Gerojim. However, when I read the script for episode 38, I found that he was talking alot, so I practiced using Minongan's scratchy voice before going into the recording studio. Then, the movements of Minongan in the video were completely like that of a certain Producer (J.Y.Park), and the Director told me, "Forget all of Minongan's acting up until now, and make him resemble that certain Producer," and he also said, "You can change the lines in the script to make them more interesting." So…

Ikeda: Ahahahaha! So that's how it happened.

Seki: I did the dub as I wanted, and when I said to Iko Marina, the idol played by Ikoma Rina-san, "If that's the case, Omori-san won't be satisfied!," Producer Omori Takahito, who was present, had allowed me to do all the adlibbing up until that point, but that was the only thing I couldn't do (laughs).

Ikeda: Is it because you specifically mentioned his name? (laughs). What an interesting story!

Seki: In any case, I was eager to respond to their unreasonable demands.

Ikeda: When we were doing the dub for episode 38, I saw footage that included Seki-san's voice, and it was so funny that when it came time for the actual recording, Rita couldn't stop laughing and said, "I can't concentrate!" There's also an episode where he "turned off" Minongan's voice (laughs).

Seki: Oh, that's right (laughs).

"Thank you for the behind the scenes info. Now, let's go back to these two Bugnarak…What do you think is the strength that makes them unbeatable compared to the other countries kings and retainers?"

Seki: It's difficult to tell whether he's alive or dead, but Gerojim seems to be immortal. Jeramie has also lived for over 2,000 years, so the amount of time they can spend together is the best part.

Ikeda: What I find charming about Jeramie and Gerojim is their "preciousness." When I see scenes of them having a conversation, I feel as if I've seen something irreplaceable. This is mainly due to Gerojim's character and Seki-san's voice, but it's what makes them an unbeatable combination compared to the other countries. They're also a combination with a strong desire for world peace. Bugnarak used to fight against humanity, but they inherited the kindness of caring for others from the previous king, Desnarak VIII, and have a dream of coexisting with humanity. They're really wonderful characters.

"As of the publication of this book, episode 45 will have aired, but please tell us about any memorable scenes or lines between Jeramie and Gerojim."

Ikeda: In episode 25, there's a scene where Gerojim persuades Jeramie with, "What you lack, is determination!" I was touched not only as Jeramie, but as myself.

Seki: I enjoyed playing Gerojim in that scene because it not only showed that he wasn't just a yes man, but that he was a good retainer who could express his own opinions. I was also impressed by the scene where the two of them talk to each other on the roof.

Ikeda: That was episode 29. The people of Chikyu had fallen for the Uchu Five Jesters strategy, and in order to stop the people of Chikyu from fighting with the people of other countries, they decided to become villains together…

Seki: I also liked the last scene where they walked away together. But since then, we haven't really seen Gerojim, have we? Where is he now? (laughs). Still, even though he doesn't appear much in the show, I think he's fun to play, as I'm able to create heartfelt scene with Jeramie

Ikeda: For scenes where Jeramie's emotions are stirring, he's often with Gerojim, so I try to imagine Seki-san's voice when filming.

Seki: But, didn't they mute my voice during recording because things got too noisy…?

Ikeda: That was Rita! (laughs)

Seki: I also like episode 25. Didn't the kings and all their entourage ride the God King-Ohger? I love the Super Sentai series, and have appeared in quite a few of them, but only carefully selected members can ride the Robos. This time however, I was able to ride in it. I'm grateful to Jeramie for recognizing Gerojim as his first citizen. Jeramie has made my dreams come true, so I'll also serve him (laughs).

Ikeda: (laughs). I'm glad your dream came true.

"As a professional voice actor, what does Seki-san think of Ikeda-san's voice, who also serves as the storyteller and narrator?"

Seki: For awhile after it started, I thought the narrator was Taniyama Kisho-kun, who does the voice for items such as the OhgerCalibur.

Ikeda: Eh?!

Seki: In the case of Super Sentai and Kamen Rider, the person in charge of voicing the transformation items often doubles as the narrator. But as the episodes went on, I started to feel this wasn't the case, and the staff told me, "The sixth warrior is also the narrator." So that was their direction! I think I would've been really surprised if I had been watching as a viewer. Ikeda-kun's voice is gentle and fits the atmosphere, and I think it's very good for narration.

Ikeda: That makes me really happy. I've never been confident with my voice. I'd never been aware of how my own voice sounded, so when I was chosen to play the role of Jeramie and was told that I would also be the narrator, I was very nervous.

Seki: I think you have a lovely voice. Something like that I don't notice myself.

Ikeda: Through this production, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to receive compliments on my voice, and I've gradually gained some confidence.

"We think Gerojim and Minongan's performance is unique, but did Ikeda-san learn anything from Seki-san's voice acting?"

Ikeda: Everything is a learning experience. I usually lend my voice to the movements of Takada Masashi-san, the Suit Actor for Spider Kumonos, but in the beginning, I couldn't get it right at all. When I heard Seki-san's voice, which perfectly matched the movements of Gerojim and Minongan, I was overwhelmed by the intonation of his performance, it was so amazing that I wondered where I could learn from him….

Seki: It's difficult. The first character I played in Super Sentai was Prince Buldont/Kaiser Buldont in "Chouriki Sentai Ohranger." I became friends with the Suit Actors, and I strongly felt that they weren't just fighting, but also performing as actors. I think we learned alot from discussing how to create the role at that time, sharing our opinions, and creating the role together. When you feel like you're not only playing a character, but also merging into the character as an actor, the words come out naturally.

Ikeda: I think it's important to match them up. I also admire your skill in conveying emotions with just your voice. Because we show our faces and perform, we can convey the message through our facial expressions, but when it comes to just our voices, it becomes very difficult…What do you keep in mind when performing?

Seki: You might think, "Does that change anything?," but one of my key points is to imagine the other person's position in a concrete manner. Your voice will sound different depending on if you act towards an indistinct space or towards a clear point. Instead of "approximately here," try to imagine, "Here I am!"

Ikeda: Thank you so much! I'll keep this in mind from now on. Listening to you talk like this, I realize once again that it's the power of Seki-san's voice that has made the combination of Jeramie and Gerojim so well loved.

"Finally, please give a message to the fans."

Ikeda: In the endgame, we have the unfathomably strong Uchu King, Dagded Dujardin. The main highlight is how the Royal Sentai will defeat him. As for Jeramie's highlight, I'd like you to pay attention to how he concludes the story as the storyteller.

Seki: Gerojim hasn't been seen for awhile, but don't worry. He'll stay by Jeramie's side, never leaving. When you really need him, he'll come right away, so please support him. And also, please support and take care of "my" king.

Ikeda: From now on, as Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger's Jeramie and Gerojim,

Ikeda & Seki: Thank you!

[l4zyb0n35]

I’M OKAY

PAIRING: Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley x F!Reader

SUMMARY: Ghost has came back from a harsh mission, most likely beaten to the core, and his S/o arrives worried sick. But, Simon can reassure her that everything will be alright.

WARNINGS: Implied Relationship between Simon and Reader, Reader’s gender is female, Injury and Medical Descriptions, Hospital Setting, Emotional Distress, War/Military Themes, Angst (comfort at the end).

NOTICE: please don't copy or steal or translate any of my work or you will be haunted in your dreams and i will spawn something unpleasant at your porch the next day. But...thanks for liking my work !! >.< Property of @l4zyb0n35 and @genderlessdude92

Requests are open, support is highly appreciated!

〰ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭ ..。.:*･ﾟ♫₊ ♪ *♬‧₊enjoy!~

Nor Simon Riley or Ghost were a man of feelings. She was never a man of reassurance and all the ‘little things’ like that.

That is, until he met Y/n.

Y/n, who introduced him to feelings, who introduced him to reassurance.

And today was a day for both of those things.

Simon was laying in a janky hospital bed, drenching in what he learned to be called, ‘guilt’, after he received a call from his s/o, panicking over the phone on how he didn’t call her sooner.

He knew she would be worried sick, furthermore mad. And truthfully, so was he- well, not mad. Just worried sick, terrified even.

The mission was going somewhat smooth at first, just to catch some intel from a base in the coast of Mexíco. But, with that being said, he hadn’t expected to fall into an inferno along the way. After two days, he managed to dig himself out, covered in burns, most of which where on his body that wasn’t currently under direct sunlight. His bones ached, he head hurt, and even in the hands of the surgeons and doctors taking care of him post-mission, nothing is comparing to the guilt he has to this moment.

And then the door slammed open, emptying out a troubled Y/N and a slightly annoyed, slightly worried doctor following behind, trying to inform her of the injuries listed on his clipboard.

Simon noticed her presence as soon as they walked in, letting out a heavy sigh before the doctor started talking, the worry clearly written all over her face as she listened.

When the doctor left the two of you alone, finally, Y/n tugged a heavy sigh out her bones and turned to Simon.

“…It’s my job.” Simon said, already knowing what she’s going to say. He turned his head back to the wall in front of him he quite fondly stared at often.

“…I know, I just…” Y/n began, trailing off as she stood beside his bed anxiously. Her eyes fell to the clipboard she held in her hand, a small amount of reading material with his list of injuries still popping out to the couple in bold, almost mocking them.

“It won’t happen again.” Simon assured her, reaching out to gasp her hand in reassurance.

Y/n scoffed, putting the clipboard aside on the bedside table, “Si, we both know that…you’re gonna get hurt…on a lot of more missions…” Y/n said, trying get some eye contact with him as she turned his head towards hers softly. She looked sad, and he didn’t like that.

“…Well, then…” Simon began, rubbing her palm with his thumb, “…Think of it as…i won’t not call again. So you’ll know sooner, yeah?” He Explained. “Since we both know that there’s no getting out of…um…getting hurt.”

Y/n let out a tired chuckle, dragging a chair over to the side of the bed and sitting down, laying her head on the edge, just near his thigh.

“I’d like that.” She replied.

The silence fell between them as Simon began to rub her scalp through her hair, broken only by the soft, gentle beeping coming from the machine beside the bed. Y/n silently dozing off from all the stress, and Simon silently thanking the workers outside this room, roaming the hospital.

Those workers, somewhere in this god forsaken building, just doing their job, and Simon was alive because of it. And he thanked the heavens above for it.

As long as his dear S/o knew that everything would be okay.

¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸♬·¯·♩

END NOTES: This is really short and i don’t like things being short so…smut for part two i guess. But don’t get mad if i go on a 2 month hiatus again. 👅

-Lynn ¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸♬·¯·♩ Masterlist Link

[wordstome]

now that we don't talk

I cannot be your friend, so I pay the price of what I lost And what it cost Now that we don't talk

alpha colonel König x beta ex-lover reader

2nd person, no y/n, she/her pronouns, reader's callsign is Eden, reader speaks French, omegaverse, exes to lovers, fraternization

2.2k words

tw: none

I swear to God one day I'll write something that doesn't involve that big hooded freak. But today is not that day.

Shoutout to loganlermanstanaccount here on Tumblr, who I won't tag. The bullet point headcanons with written parts interspersed format is from their excellent college roommate Miguel O'Hara post, which became their fic Rigor Mortis. I highly recommend both!

Also, excuse the absolutely butchered military content. I'm sure none of this is how it works in real life, but alas, this is fanfiction, not a research paper. Reader serves a Laswell-like role, but I refrained from labeling her as CIA even though I do call her a station chief. For the purposes of this fic, she's the voice in the operatives' ear during ops. We're playing a bit fast and loose with the terminology here.

You’re a highly skilled intelligence agent and operative handler.

You’ve spent most of your life dedicated to your career: moving through the ranks, proving yourself, refusing to let anything stand in the way of your ambitions.

You’ve done some things you aren’t proud of, but always for the right reason. Or the reason that made the most cold, logical sense. Even when your heart tells you otherwise. Nobody in this line of work has clean hands, after all.

You’ve always done what needs to be done. For everyone’s best interest.

Today marks the first day of your collaboration with a PMC called KorTac. You’re hunting down a homegrown cult turned out-of-control terrorist cell.

You haven’t had much experience working with mercenaries, but in terms of hardened war criminals, KorTac’s people are quite well mannered.

Not that you had expected them to be rude and discourteous, but, well. You are an outsider. They haven’t necessarily embraced you, but their reception was nice enough.

You’ve got a meeting with their commander, but you can’t quite find the room you’re supposed to be meeting in. Not a great first impression to make, but luckily, someone takes pity on you.

He introduces himself. Korean. Callsign Horangi.

“You’ll get used to the layout of the base,” he says as you follow him through winding hallways.

“I hope so,” you reply. “I’ll be here for a while." You study the walls, the signs and numbers on the doors, trying your best to memorize everything.

"Do you know your commander well?" you ask. You're not the world's biggest fan of small talk, but you may as well know what you're walking into.

"König? Yeah, we've been close ever since he joined up." Horangi says, leading you into a long hallway. "He's a good guy. A little intense, but don't let that get to you. He's just getting the job done."

"We'll get along if he's competent." You can respect a man who forgoes pleasantries for making sure the shit gets shoveled.

"You don't have to worry about that." Horangi stops and holds the door open for you. "After you."

You study him for just a moment before entering the room. He's curt and to the point. Not bad-looking, either. Hopefully you'll get more chances to—

Your heart nearly stops.

KorTac's commander is facing away from the doorway, shuffling through some papers by the looks of it. But you would know him from any angle. The set of his shoulders, the way his stance is at ease but never truly relaxed, the way his hair curls at the nape of his neck.

You have to force yourself to step into the room. And when you do, he turns around.

You're vaguely aware of Horangi stepping around you to get into the room, but that's happening somewhere far away from the headspace you occupy right now. By the way König's eyes widen as they meet yours, he's in the same place too.

He hasn't aged so much as he's gotten more tired. He never did sleep enough, but now he looks like he hasn't gotten a sound night's rest in a long time. He's put-together, but there's a haggardness to him that probably wouldn't be noticeable to anybody but you. Someone who knew him when he was younger, and in the prime of his life. Someone who used to know every scar on his body, every crease of his brow, and now hasn't seen him in more than a decade.

The man who broke your heart stands on the other end of the room, staring at you as if he's seen a ghost.

The two of you stand there for a while before Horangi's voice shakes you back to reality. "Brought the station chief, sir."

"I...see." König—you suppose that's what he calls himself nowadays, the arrogant prick—clears his throat. "Thank you, Hong-jin."

"No problem." Horangi takes a seat. "The others will be in soon."

Horangi seems like a perceptive enough guy. Can he tell that the room feels several degrees colder? You pull a chair out, the furthest one from König's position possible, and ignore the hurt that briefly flashes across his face as you sit down.

The meeting goes well. It's just an opportunity for you to formally introduce yourself to the KorTac operators you'll primarily be working with for the next few months.

You can tell they're a close knit group by the easy way they interact with each other: they've worked together for a while.

König, too, is part of them, which must be how they pick up on the chilly dynamic between the two of you. Some of them are just puzzled. For most of them, it raises their hackles.

It doesn't matter to you. You can barely focus on getting through the meeting without feeling like you're going to faint.

It's absurd. You're not some delicate Regency-era lady. You're a hardened military officer. But it makes no difference.

It doesn't matter how long it's been, it seems. He's still the only one who can make you feel like this.

You can't get out of there fast enough after the meeting has concluded. Not only are the others shooting you suspicious looks, but you've spent too long in his presence. Any longer, and you don't know how you're going to keep your composure.

But you can't escape him. Of course not. Why did you ever think otherwise? You hear him call for you, and you walk faster. But it's futile.

This hallway is smaller, narrower, less open. Nobody's around to watch when he slams you against the wall to stop your hasty retreat. Nobody's around to see the way you sway in his hold, overwhelmed by the smell of him all around you. You're bathed in it, the overpowering presence of him.

"We need to talk." he demands.

"We just did. Meeting's over," you shoot back, making a paltry attempt to wriggle out of his grasp. He loosens his hold on you, but you're still trapped between him and the wall. No exit.

"I didn't plan this, in case you're wondering."

"That much was obvious." He's let his hair grow out longer, you notice at the most inopportune time possible. It suits him, you think.

He sighs in frustration. "If we're going to work together, we have to be civil."

"Don't worry. I wouldn't expose how much of a scoundrel you are in front of your precious squad," you bite.

You feel a twinge of smug satisfaction as regret settles into his expression. Too little, too late.

"I don't want it to be like this, either," he murmurs. "Ignoring and avoiding each other."

"You don't get to tell me how to act."

"You're right. But it's been a long time. Can't we try to get along? Not for my sake, but...yours."

"Well that's not condescending at all."

"That's not what I meant. I know my team. If you're walking around resenting me openly like that, they won't trust you. And they need to, if you're working with us."

He's right, and you know it. But there's that deep instinct inside you, older than your bloodline, waking up after a long slumber. It wants him, snapping at the bit to give into him and do whatever he asks of you. The urge will consume you if you don't fight it every step of the way.

You glare up at him, hoping you come off as brimming with resentment instead of desire. "As long as you and your team stay professional, I can too."

He's not satisfied with that answer, but it's all you're going to give him.

"Fine." He steps away from you, and you pour all your willpower into commanding your body to stay still. To not chase after his closeness. You sway on the spot, dizzy with his scent after having gone so long without it.

"This hallway is a dead end, by the way."

You try, you really do. But it's hard to be around him without feeling the urge to touch him, to press yourself against him and inhale him like the most destructive drug possible.

Your only recourse is to stay as physically far away from him as possible.

You do your best to ingratiate yourself with the other operators. You and Calisto are fast friends: she's got a breezy confidence to her that's quite refreshing. It also doesn't hurt that you speak French, as well. There's a bit of kinship felt whenever the two of you are holding a conversation none of the others can understand.

Horangi's a different story, though. The initial courtesy he showed you is a bit more clipped, now that it's clear something is up between you and König.

You can't believe you missed it the first time, the way König's smell is all over him. It really has been too long.

The two of them must be pretty close. You give up trying not to fixate on the idea.

You didn't mean to eavesdrop on them, but you were curious. Even more curious when you hear your name mentioned.

"It's pretty clear you and Eden know each other. None of us are stupid."

You freeze in your tracks. The door is closed, but you can hear Horangi's voice, loud and clear in the room behind it.

"It's not relevant. She's just here to do a job."

"I think it's pretty relevant that she gets up and leaves whenever you enter a room, regardless of what she's doing. She can't get away from you fast enough."

You give a surreptitious look at your surroundings, then lean down slightly, pressing your ear to the door.

"You're not going to give this up, are you?"

"Hell fucking no."

You hear König sigh. "Fine. We knew each other before I joined KorTac. Back when I was in the Jagdkommando."

Do you want to hear this? Your painful history, relayed to a near stranger? Horangi's not a stranger to him, that's for sure.

"And?"

"We were...involved."

"You and a beta? Never took you for the type."

"Well, neither did I. But she was...special. Smart, pretty, deadeye with a knife. Wouldn't give me the time of day, of course. I was obsessed with her."

"Naturally."

"Give me a fucking break, okay?"

"Can't wait to hear how this ended."

"Not...great. I was a total dick."

You can say that again, you think.

"I was young. Real dumbass who thought he was hot shit."

"You still aren't."

"Shut the fuck up." Something twinges inside you at the hearty laughter the two of them share. You missed that laugh.

"Despite everything, it was the most stable relationship I've ever been in. We looked out for each other. She knew me better than some of my family does."

"How did you fuck that up, then?"

"I got too comfortable. Started thinking I could do better. God, what a fucking idiot I was. I loved her like crazy, but I didn't realize how good I had it until it was gone."

"She left you?"

"No. I was the one who ended things. In the worst way possible, too. I told her the relationship wasn't going to go anywhere, that we were never going to be a serious thing."

"Ouch. Why not?"

You squeeze your eyes shut. You remember that night, like a shard of glass buried in your chest. As hard as you tried to forget, you'll never forget the way you felt. Like the world was ending.

You'll never forget the decision you had to make.

"I told her I couldn't see myself with a beta long-term."

"...that's fucked up."

"I know. I know. I was too caught up in that shitty macho alpha mindset. I was fucking ravenous back then, and I thought only an omega could give me what I needed."

"I get it now. If I were her, I would have quit on the spot seeing you in that meeting room."

"Yeah. She's a better person than I can ever imagine being."

Well. It's nice to know he regrets it, you think. Not that it does you much good now. Quiet as a mouse, you make a quick exit before you can get caught.

You make it back to the the room you've been assigned to. They were nice enough to give you your own private quarters, something you deeply appreciate when you need to be alone with your own thoughts. Like right now.

It's a strange feeling, to sort of get closure like this. Not at the end, but at the beginning of something new. You still have to see each other. Does it help that you know how he feels? Maybe, but it doesn't ease your own guilt. In fact, it makes it worse.

You're not mad at him for telling Horangi. You're glad he did, actually. There are some secrets that cause more harm to keep than not.

You open a drawer and pull out the pill bottle, hidden underneath your other possessions, and stare at the label.

WARNING - SUPPRESSANTS. NOT TO BE USED BY ALPHAS. ONLY CONSUME UNDER PHYSICIAN SUPERVISION.

You would know.

BOOM! There you have it. (In case it wasn't clear, the suppressants are for omegas.)

@sprout-fics's omegaverse 141 headcanons series inspired me to write something based off the idea of an omega disguising themselves as a beta in the military. Please check out her series, it's great.

I was really into exploring how omegaverse dynamics can make complicated relationships even messier. I did consider writing this story without the omegaverse, but I think now it's kind of an essential element. (I also just. Want them to have crazy nasty omegaverse sex. Sue me) I can't picture König ever breaking up with someone he deeply loved and was obsessed with, unless he had a reason like that. Still not a great reason, but a little bit understandable. Eden being a disguised omega also adds a bit of spice to the exes-to-lovers arc, too: she could have just come out and told him she's not actually a beta, but she chose not to for the sake of her career. Oof. Ruthless judgement calls were made on both sides.

I put this out because this idea had me in a STRANGLEHOLD, and I just had to get it out before I burst. Hopefully my writing's still up to par 😅 As for Kingdom Come, part iii may take a little while longer because a lot is going to happen in it, so I hope this can tide you guys over until then.

As usual, comments and feedback are always appreciated! I would love to talk about this au more. And again, if you'd like to be tagged, drop a reply. And if you're in the taglist and would like to be removed/only tagged for Kingdom Come, please let me know!

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