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[masonmontz]

hellooo everyone :) so i tried to write something different and this one is supposed to be funny, it's embarrassing and i had fun writing it, i hope you guys enjoy it

REMEMBER: english is not my first language

funny word count: 1,1k

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

You woke up excited on your birthday, excited for the dinner Mason promised you would have at a new restaurant, but you had new plans before dinner.

Mason had training during the day and you agreed on a time that you would go to his house, so around four thirty in the afternoon you were at the mall looking for something to give Mason, even though it was your birthday.

You already knew what you wanted when you walked into a lingerie store, you chose a very sexy red lingerie, the fabric had lace and was transparent, you could see everything through the fabric.

Mason would go crazy when he looked at you. 

You've left the store with the lingerie on, just the loose dress on top, and you also bought a robe of the same color and transparent to wear on top. That was the plan, you would surprise Mason with sexy lingerie and then you would go out to celebrate your birthday together.

You arrived at Mason's house and while you were in the car you took off your dress to put your robe on top, leaving your clothes on the floor of the car. You also put on black high heels, which looked very sexy and Mason loved when you wore them. 

You couldn't wait to see his reaction when he saw you.

You grabbed Mason's house keys and texted him to let him know you had arrived. You ran to the door so no one on the street could look at you too much, after all, you were wearing see-through lingerie.

You opened the door to his house smiling, and when you turned on the living room light-

“SURPRI…”

There were at least twenty people in Mason's room, and you could see all of their smiles fade, just like yours, when they looked at what you were wearing.

You couldn't breathe anymore when your eyes saw Debbie and Tony, or your mother and father staring at you in terror. There were so many shocked faces, you couldn't count how many.

Mason was the most shocked of all, and he had a shocked expression as he held the birthday cake.

You would rather die right now.

“What the fuck?” you said to yourself as you slid down the door to the floor. Anything would be better right now, a lightning bolt to the head, passing out, going back two minutes and forgetting about this crazy idea of ​​surprising Mason with new lingerie.

“What the hell, Y/n?” that was your dad, incredulous that his daughter would be capable of doing something so naughty.

“I can’t breathe” you muttered, and now some people were starting to hold back their laughter because of the situation. Mason was still standing there staring at you. 

Your mom, dad, Debbie, Tony, Lewis, Jaz and the girls, your siblings, your nephews, some of your friends, and some of Mason's teammates who had become your friends. Your grandma and grandpa were sitting on the couch.

Lewis had his phone turned around and you have no doubt that Stacey, back in Australia, had seen the scene. 

“Someone kill me now” You groaned and put your head on your knees, wanting to crawl into a hole and disappear, never to face any of them again. Ever again.

How would you live from that day on? The most shameful day of your life. The day you ruined your reputation.

Your father would tell everyone that you are not his daughter, and your mother would die of shame forever if she found out that her daughter loves to wear lingerie for her boyfriend.

“Y/n… why- why are you using this?” Mason asked, still holding the cake that was now starting to fall out of his hand. You could see when your sister walked up to Mason and took the cake from his hands, and half of their faces were still shocked.

“Why is everyone here?” you retorted, feeling your face hot and probably as red as a tomato.

“That's the whole point of a surprise party” your mother spoke and you swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. 

You heard a loud laugh and were surprised to see your nanna laughing, and then you started to hear other laughs, realizing that everyone was having fun because of your embarrassment.

It's a real horror movie, and it doesn't even need death.

“Remember when the same thing happened to me?” she asked her grandfather between laughs, and he laughed in agreement. “It was the worst day of my life.”

Your grandmother was crying with laughter and you took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself as you thought about what to do. Mason walked up to you and you could see the panic on his face.

“Why did you wear that? It's four thirty in the afternoon.”

“Well, I didn't know you were throwing a party for me at four-thirty in the afternoon.”

“That's why we call it a surprise party.”

“I'm moving to Alaska tomorrow.”

“Come, you need to change your clothes” Mason pulled you in and held you against him. You were so nervous you could barely walk because your legs were shaking so much that Mason held you all the way to the bedroom.

Luckily you had some clothes at his house, and you didn't say anything as you put on a pink dress, nothing immodest.

You were ready to go downstairs when Mason started laughing, and he laughed so hard that he had to lie down on the bed, holding his stomach because of the laughter.

It's not funny at all.

Mason had tears streaming down his face from how hard he was laughing, and when you realized what had happened, you couldn't help but burst out laughing, then another, and then you were sitting on the floor laughing with Mason.

“Never again” you tried to speak between the laughs. “I will never wear lingerie for you again.”

“You had to see your face” Mason shouted, shaking with laughter. 

“Well, I saw all of your faces and now I have no family left.”

“Stacey was on the call.”

Mason could barely breathe, and it was great that you guys turned such an embarrassing moment into something funny, but it would take a lot for you to be able to face your in-laws and parents again.

“This is the worst day of my life, Mason.”

“Oh shut up, I've never laughed so much in my life.”

“It's good that you're having fun, from today on I'll only wear pants and jackets.”

“No ma'am, you will wear that lingerie tonight.”

“I'm going to throw myself into the river with this lingerie.”

“You need to get down now.”

Mason helped you up while still laughing, and you took a deep breath before opening the bedroom door and hearing people talking in the living room.

Everyone has to face the walk of shame at some point.

[dracaelus]

Hello!

Got any headcanons about Bruce and Khoa's training years that hasn't been shown in the sacred texts (a.k.a. comics when they're good)?

Feel free to ramble, I look forward to reading everything you write <3

You’re gonna make me blush, seriously. Accept this humble offering 😳🌹:

They used to exchange clothes a lot (half homoeroticism, half they just didn't care that much), so usually, when they were on good terms and traveling together, none of them bothered to pay attention to whose clothes belonged to whom, they just took whatever they liked, bitched about any piece that wasn’t to their tastes and made sure everything was packed when they left.

That made their separations a lot more embarrassing ‘cause they could either just take the first bag they saw and leave dramatically (running the risk of ending up with no underwear and no pants ‘cause they were all in the other bag) or have to stop to rearrange and separate the clothes, and THEN leave dramatically.

Can’t decide which one of them would get angry enough to just leave all the clothes, take only the equipment (the only thing they maintained separately) and go away. Probably both. And probably at the same time, leaving the clothes to be taken by their landlord/last mentor

I think they were constantly working on some project to improve the technology and equipment they had. Most often than not they would be making a competition out of it, but when they wanted to, they could work really well together, and since they didn’t have anyone else, they were the only ones they could go to when they needed help or a second opinion on something

I like to think bruce helped khoa to develop the fabric he uses on his mask to see through it even when it covers both his eyes, just bc of the angst of khoa carrying this proof of what they could accomplish together everywhere he goes

They probably stopped at all those technology fairs and stumbled upon each other accidentally more than once even when they were actively avoiding each other just because they couldn’t help being such huge nerds

Once they were in Australia and encountered one of these fellas:

and this is how khoa knows bruce is afraid of bats. <- also probably one of his fondest memories, ‘cause bruce was having the worst time of his life and he was laughing his ass off

The first time they went out to test their abilities fighting crime, khoa was already using his signature mask, but bruce (who refused the spare one khoa so magnanimously offered him) just made them stop at a random store and bought a zorro halloween mask ‘cause a) he couldn’t be bothered, b) he has a morbid sense of humor and c) he knew khoa would get pissed (on top of making fun of his name, I bet bruce also made fun of him insisting on covering his eyes with the mask for no good reason other than to look cooler).

Even when they were feeling an achillean rage towards each other, standing side by side or back to back in a room full of other people brought a sense of calmness and security to both of them, ‘cause they knew that if anything went bad in whatever situation they were in, they would be dealing with it together <3

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[she-wolf09231982]

Chapter 1-Dynamite

Summary: Growing up in Chicago, Kate hasn’t seen much outside the city limits, except maybe Wisconsin or Indiana. After the Pearl Harbor attacks, WWII was announced across the country. Not long after she found herself with her brothers resisting temptations after they stumble upon two military recruiters encouraging them to join the Army or Marines to make a difference. 

A/N: Character Intro, Mature audience, BillHoosierSmithx!FemMedic, WW2, OCIntroduction/Kate Danaher, Female Pronouns, Cursing/Swearing, Derogatory Slurs, Womanizing Comments, Military and Medical Terminology, Inappropriate Nicknames, HBO The Pacific References, Mentions of Weaponry, Smoking.

Story takes begins Episode 1/Chapters 1-4 Guadalcanal/Leckie

*These stories may not fall entirely in accordance with the TV series timeline. I do not know the real Marines the actors portray in this series, so please understand I show no disrespect. Some or most of historical events and character interactions in my fanfics are fabricated purely for the sake of the enjoyment of fiction*

~~~~~~~ 

December 7th, 1941 

Chicago, IL 

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I am speaking to you tonight at a very serious moment in our history. The Cabinet is convening and the leaders in Congress are meeting with the President-”  

Kate listens intensely to the radio one evening with her family in the parlor. 

“-In fact, the Japanese ambassador was talking to the president at the very time that Japan's airships were bombing our citizens in Hawaii and the Philippines and sinking one of our transports loaded with lumber on its way to Hawaii.” 

Kate's mother obviously in shock sitting next to her father on the loveseat, reached for his hand as her other hand slowly rests over her mouth. 

“In the meantime, we the people are already prepared for action....Preparation to meet an enemy no matter where he struck. That is all over now and there is no more uncertainty. We know what we have to face and we know that we are ready to face it.” 

When the announcement ended and the regular scheduled program continued, her father walked over to the radio and turned the volume dial down. Kate, her two brothers and mother waited for him to speak. 

“Well, all we can do is wait.” he said with finality.  

The following day, newspapers all over the U.S. had “WAR DECLARED!!” across every headline. 

So, this was it. World War II has begun. 

~~~~~~~ 

Kate and her two older brothers, Peter and Tommy, walk through Sears, Roebuck & Co retail store trying to find Christmas gift ideas for their mother. 

“I heard they’re sending guys all over! Britian, Australia, Philippine's, Italy, Germany-” Tommy said excitedly. 

“Yeah, that’s what I heard, too.” Peter confirmed. 

Her brothers walking ahead gossiped about war details between them, not bothering to even look around for a gift.  

Kate huffed irritably, “Why did you guys even come with me if you’re not going to help me find something for mom?”  

They looked back and chuckled, “Ah come on, Ace, ma will love anything we get her.” Pete dissolved with a wave of his hand. 

Kate rolled her eyes then continued to search for something worthwhile. 

As her eyes scan the decorated windows of each shop, two uniformed men were standing in a storefront entrance each next to a military recruiting poster. One bearing “I WANT YOU FOR THE US ARMY” and another “WANT ACTION? JOIN THE U.S. MARINE CORPS!” 

“Hey, get a load of this!” Pete nudged Tommy when he saw the two posters. 

The uniformed men saw that her brothers’ interests were peaked. 

“What do you think, gents, wanna do your part for your country?” The Marine asked. 

Pete and Tommy shot eager glances at each other while walking closer to the two men. 

“Your country needs you, boys, we’re always looking for good, strong men.” The soldier added. 

“See the world and get paid for it!”  

“-an extra $50 if you join the 101st Airborne!”  

Kate's brothers’ eyes lit up, so she decided to intervene. 

“Excuse me, gentlemen, I think these two-” she began. 

Each recruiter redirected their attention to her as she approached. 

“Ma’am, we’re looking for abled women as well.” the soldier interrupted. 

All of Kate's thoughts dissipated at this statement, stopping her dead in her tracks. 

“Ever thought about becoming a nurse?” the Marine asked. 

“That’s actually what she’s always wanted to do!” Tommy verified for you.  

“Shut up, Tommy!” she snapped. 

“Well then-” the soldier began, “-sounds to me we have three new U.S. Army recruits!” 

“More like three Marine Corps recruits.” the Marine countered with a sly grin. 

~~~~~~~ 

Kate convinced her brothers to revisit the idea later when more was known about where the war was heading. It’s only been a week since the start of the war was announced, and they were already jumping into the snake pit feet first without looking.  

But she had internally thought about it herself. Was it really such a hasty idea? The military would pay for all her training to become a nurse. And it’s not like she’d be on the front lines, right? So, she’d be safe. 

Kate wasn’t sure who she would be trying to sell the idea to more: herself or her parents. They’d be more against the idea of her joining than Pete and Tommy. The more she considered it, the more she was inclined to join. But which branch?  

Tommy and Pete were already dead set on becoming paratroopers for the Army. The idea of $50 more per check was more than enough to motivate them. 

Kate discussed the idea with her best friend, Blanche. 

“I mean, financially it makes sense.” Blanche agreed. 

“They’d pay for me to become a nurse AND pay me while I go. Other than being away from my family, I can’t see why I shouldn’t do it.” Kate reasoned. 

“Well, you would be without your best friend.” Blanche eluded. 

Kate laughed, “That’s right.” she agreed with a slight look of disappointment. 

“You know what, I’ll do it with you!”  

A look of surprise appeared across Kate's face. 

“Do what?” she queried. 

“I’ll join with you and we’ll both become nurses in the military.”  

She studied her best friend, “Really? You'd join because I’m going to?”  

“Of course! We made a pact, remember?” Blanche reminded. 

They each had promised eachother as children they’d always stick together and be best friends forever. 

Kate smiled, “Ok! But let’s wait til after the holidays to go see a recruiter. I don’t want to ruin my parents’ Christmas and New Years.” 

“Good call.” Blanche concurred.  

~~~~~~~ 

The holidays came and went, and before Kate knew it, her, her brothers, and Blanche had enlisted as service members of the U.S. military. Tommy and Pete signed up as paratroopers for the Army, while Kate and Blanche decided on the U.S. Marine Corps. Needless to say, this news didn’t go over well with any of the parents. Especially for Kate and Blanche being women. 

Kate and her brothers sat at the kitchen table across from their mother, Elaine, who was weeping, while their father, Mortimer, paced behind her. 

“So,” Mortimer began, “-all three of you signed your lives away.”  

They all remained silent with only the muffled bawls of their mother filling the room. 

“You see what you’re doing to your mother!?” their father scolded, gesturing towards his wife. 

“Pops, we just-” Pete began. 

“Do you understand what you just did? The government owns you now. You’re just a number to them. They don’t care if you live or die over there. Who know what will happen to you!” their dad continued as he ran his hand through his disheveled hair. 

Tommy, Pete, and Kate looked towards the floor with the weight of guilt weighing upon their backs. 

Their mother finally straightened up and composed herself. 

“Mortimer, what’s done is done. Shaming the children won’t do any good. Only thing we can do is support them now.” she defended. 

Their children exchanged confused glances. Their father turned to her with a look of shock painted across his face. 

“Elaine?” he questioned. 

“Mortimer, they’re grown enough to make their own decisions. The least we can do is be there for them every step of the way.” she responded. 

Their mother looked each of them over with a weak yet genuine smile.  

“You will all be outstanding. I am proud of you all.” she added. 

~~~~~~~ 

August 7th, 1942 

After Kate and Blanche completed basic training, they surprisingly found themselves aboard a battle cruiser heading for Guadalcanal with well over 1,000 some male Marines. The Corps decided to assign two medics to each platoon, regardless of gender. When they ran out of men to assign, they resorted to placing females.

Kate was just thankful to be paired with Blanche, so she wasn't alone with all these unfamiliar faces. She wasn't one to enjoy too much attention in big crowds. Blanche, however, relished the spotlight. Especially when most of the attention were from men. 

“Just look at them! So many handsome ones.” Blanche whispered as she nudged Kate. 

“Mmhm.” Kate hummed unamused, looking around the mess hall below the main deck of the ship. 

The kitchen prepared a special meal for the Marines today, so the men were buzzing, quite eager to eat something tasty for once. Kate and Blanche (being the only women within hundreds of miles) were usually allowed to get their meals beforehand to avoid unnecessary interactions with the males. Usually, they were able to finish their meals and leave before the guys would get there, but today seats filled up rather quickly upon hearing about the exclusive meal that was prepared. 

The only encounters they usually had with the men were when they visited the aid station in one's and two's within the ship to receive medical attention as needed. So, to see them all at once in the chow hall was very overwhelming...specifically for Kate since most of them watched her and Blanche’s every move. 

They were pushing through the crowd, trying to get back to their sleeping quarters when a Marine accidentally bumped into Kate with his arms cradling a bunch of oranges, causing him to drop a few. 

“Oh! I’m sorry ma’am!” the boyish blonde Marine offered. 

Kate crouched down and picked up the two oranges that fell to the ground. 

“It’s ok, Private, no harm done.” she assured trying to place the two oranges strategically back on the pile in his arms. 

“Oh no, please take them. A gift for two pretty ladies.” he added winking at Blanche. 

“Why thank you, Private..?” Blanche began waiting for him to introduce himself. 

“-Phillips. But call me Sid.” he insisted. 

Blanche and Sid shared a brief moment of staring until it became too painful for Kate. 

“Thank you again, Private Phillips. Try not to drop anymore, it would be a shame to waste those.” Kate said as she pulled Blanche in the opposite direction. 

“See you around, Sid!” Blanche called out as she waved at him. 

Sid made it to his table with the rest of the fruit unscathed. 

“Dessert!” he announced to the guys seated as he distributed the oranges onto the table in front of them, “Make sure you save one of those for me!” he added. 

“I just wanna get off this goddam rust bucket, I can’t hear myself think!” PFC Wilbur Runner complained. 

“Yeah, at least they give you a good meal before your send-off" PFC Lew Chuckler justified. 

“Yeah, like the electric chair.” PFC Bill ‘Hoosier’ Smith interjected sarcastically before continuing, “But you, Runner,” placing a hand on the seated man’s shoulder, “-you have won a trip to a tropical paradise called Guadal-Kenel...Guada...ken...I still can’t pronounce it.” He dismissed with a laugh. 

The table laughed collectively. 

“Hey Sid, who was that doll you were chattin’ up?” Chuckler asked. 

“Her name is Blanche.” Sid replied. 

“Weren’t there two of ‘em?” Runner questioned. 

“Yeah, but I didn’t get the other one’s name. She was a looker, too. She didn’t seem interested, though.” Sid proclaimed. 

“Maybe you ain’t her type, Phillips.” Hoosier teased. 

“Oh yeah, and you think you are?” Sid shot back with a snicker. 

“Guess we’ll see, won’t we?” Hoosier returned with a confident smile. 

“Not if I get to her first!” Chuckler chimed in. 

“Ok, you’re on.” Hoosier said shaking Chuckler’s hand officiating the bet. 

~~~~~~~ 

Kate sat on her bunk trying to concentrate on reading her anatomy and physiology research journal while Blanche drummed on and on about Sid Phillips. 

“Blanche, please. That was an hour ago.” Kate resounded. 

Blanche rolled her eyes at her, “You’re such a book bug!”  

“Excuse me?” Kate chuckled back at her. 

“We’re surrounded by strapping handsome Marines and you got your nose stuck in that book.” Blanche teased as she snatched Kate's book from her hands. 

“Blanche! Be careful with that! It’s old-”  

“Please, quit being sucha crumb. You’re always reading or studying.” 

“Well, my brothers don’t call me ‘Ace’ for nothin’.” Kate explained. 

“Just live a little, ok!? Look beyond the hard covers and enjoy the boys.” Blanche insisted. 

“I’d say you’re a little slack happy, Blanche. I’m here to make sure these boys make it through the war alive. Not to find a boyfriend.” Kate clarified. 

Blanche laughed, “Well, some things are out of your control. Because let me tell you something, you may not have been noticing all the hot bodies on this ship, but they absolutely been noticing you.”  

Kate flashed her a bored and surly glance then snapped the book back from Blanche's hands. 

“I’m not the least bit interested.” Kate finalized, flipping back to the page she was previously on. 

“Not yet,” Blanche purred, “but you will.”  

Kate ignored her comment and continue reading. 

~~~~~~~ 

“Wrap it up now! Get your gear! Everybody topside for the pre-landing briefing! Let’s move!”  

Kate heard the officers calling out in the slim hallways of the ship. 

Kate and Blanche began collecting their medical supplies and duffels. 

“Don’t forget your brassard.” Kate reminded her best friend as she pinned her own white armband donning the red cross to her left arm of her own uniform. 

Soon, they stood on the deck with the rest of the Marines as an officer projected his voice as far as he can to brief everyone. 

“Forget all the horseshit you’ve heard about the Japs. They had their turn, now it’s our turn!”  

Kate and Blanche side eye each other with wide eyes. 

He proceeded, “They may have started this war, but I promise you, we will finish it!” 

“YES SIR.” The men responded outloud in unison. 

“Hit the beach. Keep moving to your rendevous and primary objectives. When you see the enemy, kill ‘em all!” he ended. 

“YEAH!” the men collectively roared together. 

“Go! Let’s go get ‘em!” 

All the men started to stir, each either tightening their helmet straps or adjusting their web belts. 

Kate looked to Blanche to ask her if she has everything but discovered she had wandered off somewhere leaving her alone. Kate tried to look over the swarm of Marines then saw her talking to Sid. Kate shook her head and started to push through the crowd to get to her. 

It was like swimming against a current walking through the sea of men. 

“Excuse me.” Kate called out to no avail.  

She suddenly felt a shoulder deliberately check her, knocking the strap of her duffel off her own shoulder. 

“Hey, asshole, watch it!” Kate snapped. 

A rather tall and broad Marine turned around staring her down. 

“What the fuck did you just say to me?” he dared. 

“I said watch it.” She repeated emphasizing the last two words without flinching. 

He started to approach her as a devilish grin started to stretch across his face. 

“I like ‘em feisty.” he whispered inches from Kate's face. 

She stood her ground, not giving him the satisfaction he can intimidate her. 

“You’re not getting anyone with that breath.” she replied with a grimace. 

The large man fisted the front of her uniform practically lifting her off the ground. 

“Hey, Bennetti! That’s enough!” a voice barked out from the crowd. 

He doesn’t let Kate go but does allow her feet to touch the ground again. She looked to the side and saw another Marine pushing past the others with a few members of his squad close behind him. 

“What’s it to you, Hoosier?” Bennetti retaliated. 

“Well, that there is our medic, so get your meat hooks off her. Do you not know how to treat a lady?” Hoosier asked smoothly.

“I can think of a few ways to treat her.” Bennetti stated winking at Kate. She strained to get out of his grip as anger started to boil over from within her. 

“Let her go. Now.” Hoosier warned as Chuckler, Runner, Sid, and Private Bob Leckie line up ready to square off in case Bennetti decided not to comply. 

Bennetti sized up his competition, then let her blouse top go with a bit of a shove, slightly projecting her into opposite direction. With her chest heaving, Kate spat at Bennetti’s boots, then turned on her heel to walk away. 

Hoosier and the rest of the boys “oooo-ed” then laughed impressed by her gumption.

“She is feisty, isn’t she?” Leckie acknowledged. 

“Yeah, like a firecracker.” Chuckler added. 

“More like a stick of dynamite...I think I’m in love.” Hoosier confessed while his eyes were glued on Kate disappearing into the mass of men. 

~~~~~~~ 

Kate and Blanche boarded a Higgins boat with H Company. Almost forty people were packed like sardines in the floating metal box, not allowing for much personal space. Blanche conveniently sat herself next to Sid for the ride to the island, once again leaving you to fend for yourself. Fortunately, Kate found herself in better company next to the Marine that defended her earlier from the brute, Bennetti. 

She side-eyed him awkwardly, knowing she hadn’t properly thanked him for helping her yet. Hoosier sensed her apprehension to speak first so he took initiative. 

“You alright?” Hoosier asked. 

Kate's breath caught in her throat before she spoke, “Oh, uh, yes. I’m fine.”  

He smiled, “That’s good.”  

She looked down at her boots, swallowing hard before she spoke again, “Thank you. You know, for before.” she muttered. 

Hoosier’s smile increased, “Don’t mention it.” he replied admiring her shyness. 

Another moment of silence passed. 

“I’m Bill Smith. But my friends call me Hoosier.” he said extending his right hand. 

Kate coyly smiled at him then grab his hand to shake, “Mary Kate Danaher. Call me Kate.”  

Hoosier raised his eyebrows, “Irish?”  

“How did you know?” she asked mockingly. 

He chuckled, “Just a hunch, I guess.”  

They remained quiet for the rest of the journey to shore while explosions tore through the air, as hundreds of C47’s soared over them in flocks. The water was choppy and rough, causing a lot of the men seasickness and lose the meals they had just eaten. Kate wished she could help them, but they could only just push through until they all reached land. 

She began to hear indistinct shouting. 

“Standby!” The driver shouted. 

“Hoof it up to the beach! Spread out! GO! GO! GO!”  

The hatch of the boat drops and Marines hit the beach running forward each yelling profanities as they find themselves knee deep in water trudging to get through the sandbar. Many suddenly slow down to take in the scene before them.  

“What took you so long?” a random Marine called from the beach, leaning against a palm tree relaxing in front of what can only be described as a campfire. 

“Welcome to Guadalcanal.” another added sarcastically seeing the confused looks on the new arrival’s faces. 

Leckie, Chuckler, Hoosier, Sid, and Runner collectively laugh, amused by the laid-back atmosphere that they weren’t expecting to experience. 

~~~~~~~ 

Kate sat close to where H Company settled on the beach. Blanche checked in with her before rejoining Sid on a makeshift bench made from beached driftwood. Kate decided to make use of this time by reorganizing her medical supplies. 

Kate was startled when she heard Chuckler repeatedly beating a coconut against a stone. She laughed to herself imagining him as a caveman. As he successfully breaks through the shell of the coconut, he becomes disgruntled to find there’s another solid layer.  

He shows Leckie, “Hey, now what do I do?” he asked. 

“I think the islanders us a machete or a rock.” Leckie responded with a smile. 

“Try using your head, Chuckler, it’s big and rocklike.” Runner added. 

Chuckler grabbed his machete.  

“If you do get that open, you might not want to drink too much of the juice right away.” Kate advised Chuckler. 

He looked over at her and smirked, “Oh yeah? Why's that?” he asked flirtatiously. 

“Coconut water has mild laxative effects if you consume too much at once.” she clarified. 

Chuckler tilted his head eyebrows drawn together confused. 

“You’ll get the shits if you drink too much of the stuff inside.” Leckie simplified. 

“Ah ok...” Chuckler comprehended while looking disappointedly at the fruit on his lap.

“But the coconut meat is very good for you, so you can eat that.” Kate expanded to cheer him up. 

Chuckler smiled at her, “When I get in this son of a bitch, I’ll bring you some.” he offered with a wink. 

She only smiled and return to packing her supplies. 

Leckie walked over to Kate, “Yeah, you kinda have to dumb it down for him. He’s a great guy. Great Marine, just not that bright when it comes to big words.” 

She looked at Leckie and snickered. 

“Bob Leckie.” he offered his right hand. 

“Kate Danaher.” she took his hand firmly. 

“Strong Irish name! Good to meet you. So, you’re assigned to H Company?”  

“I am. And I already have a good feeling about it.” she stated. 

“Yeah? How’s that?”  

“Well, you all came to my rescue when that bum had me dangling a foot from the ground. You guys didn’t even know me, and you stood up for me anyway. Speaks volumes about you guys.” she illustrated. 

“Oh, we knew you long before that happened.” Leckie confessed. 

Kate looked at him befuddled. 

“Yeah! You and your friend, um, Blanche, is it? Yeah, you two have had these guys’ heads spinning since you boarded that carrier to get here. Of course, we all had to asked around about you.” he explained with a dismissive shrug. 

Kate's eyes widened, “Weren’t there more important things to worry about?” she questioned. 

“Uh, like?” Leckie returned. 

“Oh, I don’t know. Battle plans perhaps? Maps of the beach and the rest of the areas we’re about to trek through?” she listed. 

“I don’t know about the rest of these guys, but I write more than I read. Would’ve brought my typewriter if I could.” 

“Leckie, you’re going to bore her to death.” Hoosier teased sitting on a fallen palm tree right next to Kate. 

She beamed at Bill. 

“Well, Bob Leckie, since I love to read, and you love to write, perhaps we can exchange some literature sometime. I’m always looking for new material to read.”  

Leckie looked at Hoosier with a cocky, triumphant smile. 

“Absolutely, Kate Danaher.” Leckie replied with a slight bow. 

She nodded and occupied herself with the project at hand. 

Leckie raised his eyebrows at Hoosier. 

Bill presented Leckie his middle finger then waved him away mouthing, “Get lost.”  

Leckie trotted off laughing to himself. 

“So, what do you like to read?” Hoosier started. 

“Mostly medical journals. Medicinal studies, anatomy and physiology, physician dissertations-” Kate glanced at Hoosier noticing his furrowed eyebrows, “-um, sorry, I’m what Blanche refers to as a ‘book bug.’”

She winced looking down at her medic satchel embarrassed. 

Hoosier chuckled as he scooted closer to her, “No need to be sorry. Only thing I read is the newspaper or Dick Tracy comics. Not exactly a disser-uh-dissrat-” 

“Dissertations.” Kate corrected him with a nervous giggle. 

He laughed, “Yeah, that.” He started to rub the back of his neck. 

Chuckler abruptly walked over to Kate handing her a half-gutted coconut filled with sliced coconut meat. 

“As promised, doll.”  

“Oh my, thanks Chuckler.” she praised as she accepted the coconut. 

“Anything for you. And call me Lew.” he implored with a proud grin. 

Hoosier rolled his eyes at Chuckler’s intrusion and sickening attempt to seduce her. The moment was short lived as the meek voice of Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class Lewis chimed in. 

“Hey, for what it’s worth, Col Dobson said the Japs might’ve poisoned the coconuts.” he announced nervously. 

The group looked at him perplexed. 

“They poisoned…a billion coconuts?” Runner asked him. 

Lewis shrugged his shoulders, taking a second to think about how silly that sounded until he heard a man cry out in pain behind him. 

“Excuse me!” Lewis pardoned himself from the conversation to run towards the injured man. 

The group exchanged amused glances, enjoying a good laugh together. 

Lieutenant Corrigan appeared, stomping through the camp. 

“Intelligence has it the Japs moved back into the jungle. Clean the sand out of your weapons. We move in three minutes. Let’s go find some Japs.” he bellowed. 

Hoosier stood up and walked past Kate to where his gear was.

“See you around, Bill.” she called after him. 

Hoosier met Kate's gaze with a gleam of excitement behind his own. 

“You bet you will.” he called back. 

She smiled then redirect her attention to packing up. 

Blanche came skipping over. 

“See?? I told you!” 

“Ugh! Told me what, Blanche?”  

“You got yourself a beau!” she tittered poking Kate's ribs. 

“Unlikely. I was just gettin’ to know the guys we’ll be taking care of, that’s it.” 

“I saw how you looked at him. You can’t fool me.” 

“Can we focus on getting our gear and supplies together before the LT snaps his cap?” Kate warned. 

“Sure thing, Ace.” Blanche squeaked as she walked off. 

Kate shook her head, “She’s going to kill me.” she huffed to herself. 

~~~~~~~ 

[military1st]

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Hazard 4 Poncho Villa might be just what your next adventure needs!

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[purringfayestudio]

Faux Fur Sources

I sometimes get asked where I get my faux fur fabrics, so here's a list of sources, and a little about each. They are US based unless otherwise stated, and I have purchased from all of them.

BigZFabric

A great affordable place to get both realistic and solid faux fur. I use a lot of their animal and wolf furs, as well as their half-shag/beaver (1/2") and short shag (1"), but they have lots of cool things. As a company they're great about listening to the needs of their customers and several fur and minky lines are a direct result of community requests.

Howl Fabrics

My favorite place to get solids, which come in matching beaver (1/2"), teddy (1"), shag, and luxury fox. There are sometimes realistic furs in their fox section as well. They also recently started carrying minky. They're a great small company to support!

Mohair Bear Making Supplies

Where I go for realistic faux furs in small quantities, as you can buy anything from 1/16th all the way up to by the yard. You need an account to purchase, but it's super easy to sign up. Based in the UK.

FakeFurShop

A huge selection of faux fur, both solid and realistic, high quality or economical. Based in the Netherlands, so shipping to the US is painful, but worth getting what isn't available in the US. This is my most expensive source, aside from specialty things on Etsy.

Honorable Mentions:

FursuitSupplies: They have some good quality solids. I don't use them too often because they're so popular that the things I want are rarely in stock.

Fur Addiction: Based in Australia, they have some neat high quality stuff sometimes.

Etsy: There's a ton of faux fur and other fabrics available on Etsy, sometimes some really unique stuff. You just have to search for it.

Less Used

Mendel's: sometimes carries different things, but sadly with Shannon Fabrics discontinuing faux fur, their selection has fallen drastically.

Fabric Depot: Some weird niche stuff, but sometimes I get something interesting from there. Some of my old furs are from them before they shut down and then popped back up.

SY Fabrics: Some old stuff on there which is neat, but they keep messing up my orders and their return window is too small to matter. But may still be worth the gamble now and then.

Fabric Empire: lower quality furs, but much of what they have can be found on BigZFabric.

Joann: I have one locally that I've gotten a few things from. It's really hit or miss though.

Fabric.com: this site no longer exists, sadly. I list it only because it's where I got a great number of my furs over the years. It sounds like they may eventually be absorbed into the main Amazon site, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm not a fan of supporting Amazon anyway.

Don't forget to check your local small business fabric shops! As well as second hand stores for faux fur pillows and coats in good condition. Sometimes cheap blankets from discount stores work great as well.

I hope you find this useful! I'm also always happy to help someone hunt for a specific fur if you can't find what you're looking for, too.

Happy sewing!

[eastcoastfabric]

[fishrpg]

Prepare Yourselves For September, Because It's Time For...

I finally decided how I'm going to approach September's Hexplore challenge. Instead of going all-in on a more gonzo approach to a variety of vintage cartoons in the Merry Melodies and Looney Toons eras, I opted to reframe this month's cartoon as something from the early 1990s that was trying to capitalize on the success more established cartoons like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This is a show that is a blatant cash-grab that hopes to carve out a foothold in toy store shelves for a season or two before moving on to something else. As such, I felt it fitting to modify only slightly a promotional image for the cartoon Street Sharks.

Through the magic of a bunch of arbitrary dice rolls, here's a little bit about the show:

It's set mostly in Fresno, California, in 1992 and designed to appeal to the 8-12 year-old boy demographic. Like many other shows designed to sell toys, the continuity is nearly non-existent between episodes. I have never been to Fresno, and thus the plot points will likely lean into fabrications and poorly-informed constructions because the "show's writers didn't have time to research during the tight production timelines." However, I'd like the show to have some pro-environmental messages like Captain Planet to offset the cynical marketing of such a show.

Because I don't know anything about Fresno other than reading a few paragraphs of the the city's wikipedia page, I made a series of random tables to tell me where the primary location of the episode will be set. And because it's a cartoon that is not constrained by film crew logistics or real-life geography, a good chunk of episodes will take place in various locales that are decidedly different from Fresno (also described without research to really get into the thrall of unchecked capitalism).

For each episode, I'm going to roll to see if it takes place in/around Fresno, somewhere else in the world, or in an exotic/unusual location like a moon base. Here are the tables I've created to tell me where to set the episode:

Fresno

Construction Site

Mall

Sewer

City Hall

Skyscraper

TV Station

Bank

Factory

Garbage Dump

Sierra Nevada Mountains

Museum

Forest

Subway

Zoo

Stadium

Bad Guy’s Hideout

Theme Park

Army Base

Airport

Restaurant

Elsewhere

Ocean Depths

Pirate Ship

Volcano

Haunted House

Laboratory

Beach Resort

Castle

Japan

The White House

Australia

Mount Everest

France

Racetrack

Tropical Island

Scotland

Graveyard

Antarctica

Hoover Dam

Mount Rushmore

Lake Superior

Exotic

Space Station Mir

Alternate Dimension

Moon Base

Center of the Earth

Atlantis

Alien Planet

Time Warp (Future)

Time Warp (Past)

Inside a Monster

Inside a Computer

Magical Reality

Genre Crossover Episode

North Pole

Mount Olympus

Valhalla

Hologram/Virtual Reality

Secret Superhero/villain Base

Giant Robot

Alien Spacecraft

Bermuda Triangle (of cryptid/conspiracy fame)

[a-queenoffairys]

Ok so there's been some confusion around the new Mini Brands Fashion (series 3) and I'm here to share my discoveries. The videos and photos I've seen from American collectors show a collection with 60+ minis to collect, whereas the ones I bought yesterday here in Australia have 80+ to collect. The thing the American ones are missing? Shoes. One pair in every capsule.

Honestly the shoes really make this set for me, they all look really nice. Some are made of plastic (similar to most Barbie shoes) with real laces, some are a leather-like material with plastic soles, and the strappy heels have different materials like fuzzy fabric, ribbon or tulle added to them.

And they're pretty suitable for Barbie dolls. I tried them on an original MTM body and a curvy MTM, and they're a bit loose on the original but fit quite well on the curvy! Which is cool, since curvy-sized shoes are kinda hard to come by where I live. Here are some comparison photos, the leg on the left is original body, the one on the right is curvy.

Out of all the shoes I got, the exception to that was the red leather boots (pictured further below with the red bag), which have thicker fabric around the top. I found it hard to get them on and off an original body, and couldn't get the curvy foot in there without risking damaging the shoe.

Some of the shoes balance well enough for the doll to stand alone, particularly the flat shoes or ones with shorter heels. I tried some on Rainbow High and Monster High G3 and they were too small. They fit the newer Miraculous Ladybug dolls but they're a bit loose.

Another thing is how the sets are sometimes colour co-ordinated. Like with previous series, the accessories aren't random; depending on the bag you get, there are different set combinations of accessories that will go with it. And in the capsules I opened, a lot of the accessories were picked to match the colour of the bag. That made them a lot of fun to open up.

I got 16 capsules and 1 was a duplicate. Here are the photos!

So if you're looking to collect series 3 and you want the shoes, keep an eye out for the capsules that say 80+ instead of 60+ to collect.

More information and observations under the cut.

I didn't get a photo of the capsule before I opened them all, but I got mine for $10 each from Kmart, which is the same price as the previous series (usually $12 at other stores but I've only seen series 3 at Kmart so far). They were displayed in boxes of 12 which didn't have a sample collectable displayed in a little window.

The American ones I've seen seem to have a sheet of press-on nails in every capsule, and I assumed that was how they were going to replace the stickers from series 1 and 2 but still keep the price down. But for the capsules I opened, the thing you got in every one was a pair of shoes. A single shoe seems to count for one of the five surprises, so each capsule contains one bag, two shoes and two other accessories (a pair of earrings counts as one).

I guess my main issue with some of them is that the leg part is on a bit of an angle instead of pointing straight up, so you get a bit of stretching/wrinkling if you try to stand the doll straight.

Oh and some of them don't have as much detail as they do in the photos from the collector's guide (like the thigh-highs and short tan boots) but I'm not too bothered by it.

I'm also not game to try and thread the straps on the blue fuzzy heels through the buckle, the hole looks very small and I feel like I'd strip off some of the fluff trying to squeeze it through. So I'm not sure how that one would go, even as a collectable for display instead of as a doll accessory.

The pink flats in the last photo aren't a great fit on Barbie, they're very long compared to the doll's foot. The strap is supposed to fold up and wrap around the ankle, which was a bit awkward to try and do right.

[craftyladybug]

Our aboriginal dot art fabric neck lanyards 🪡 available at our Etsy store

[sepelios]

[ olivia cooke, cis-woman, she/her ] look who just landed! WREN PALMER, i sure hope you packed all you need. perhaps you’re not worried as an X CODER at X ACADEMY & INFORMANT for THE GREY LILIES. the city has plenty of spots for a 32 year old HUMAN like you. you’ll be known in the city soon enough as THE TRAITOR, being INQUISITIVE and ANXIOUS.

.ACCESSREQUEST record; employee number 039278 authorising... ACCESS GRANTED

EMPLOYEE NUMBER 039278 <BASICS>

full name: wren palmer

nickname: none (but is open to them!)

date of birth: 12th march, 2373

gender: cis woman

pronouns: she/her

sexual orientation: bisexual (women/nb)

romantic orientation: biromantic

current age: thirty two

modification: human

affiliation: x academy the grey lilies

birthplace: melbourne, australia (earth)

current neighbourhood: akumu

occupation: x coder, specialising in android programming

known languages: english, indonesian, japanese

<PERSONALITY>

positive traits: inquisitive, compassionate, observant, just

neutral traits: analytical, intelligent, unassuming, inhibited

negative traits: anxious, sensitive, impatient, obsessive

peeves: being interrupted, people who don't apologise, doors left ajar, code that doesn't work, gum chewing

fears: getting caught as an informant by her employers, confrontation in general, hospitals, feeling lonely for the rest of her life

skills: coding and programming, going unnoticed, problem solving, listening attentively

goals: help expose the true nature of x academy, find some sort of closure for the death of her brother

<APPEARANCE>

faceclaim: olivia cooke

height: 5’6”

eye colour: dark brown

hair colour: auburn

clothing style: best described as dark academia reimagined by someone who works in tech — typically soft, loose fabrics in warmer earth tones, wide-legged trousers, oversized shirts and knitwear, graphic tshirts, boots or sneakers

jewellery: small hoop earrings, a simple gold necklace with a small star pendant, a gold signet ring

tattoos: a bird in flight on the back of her right shoulder

marks/scars: none

modifications: none

scent/fragrance: violet, musk, bergamot

<INSPIRATIONS>

quote: "i learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."

label: the traitor — a person who betrays someone or something, such as a friend, cause, or principle

tropes: cowardly lion; amateur sleuth; fighting from the inside; the atoner; taking up the mantle; beware the quiet ones

parallels: elisa esposito (the shape of water); mabel mora (only murders in the building); peeta mellark (the hunger games); klaus baudelaire (a series of unfortunate events); allison cameron (house)

song: the body is a blade — japanese breakfast

<FAVOURITES>

likes: waking up early, the ritual of a coffee and a pastry every morning on her way to work, burning candles, oversized knitwear, avoiding social obligations, antiques

dislikes: sweltering heat, having her photograph taken, ketchup, large crowds, frequent feelings of overwhelming dread

hobbies: visiting the cemetery, cooking for herself, people watching, long runs, weekly phonecalls with her parents that she always tries to avoid

habits: stress smoking, tucking a pen or pencil behind her ear, spending hours walking around the grocery store, cracking her knuckles when nervous

cherished item: the gold ring she wears at all times that belonged to her brother

<SUMMARY> death of a loved one tw

the palmers moved from earth to new jakarta with their two children, having bought into the propaganda of there being a better life available for everyone on mars. as it turned out, this better life was out of reach for them. the only place they could afford to live was the slums in akumu, and the well-paying jobs that they had been promised failed to materialise, forcing them into blue-collar labour for minimal wages.

wren grew up wanting to live a more comfortable life, and when she developed an interest in tech, she used this to drive her, aspiring to one day work for x academy. her twin brother, robin, took a different path, instead growing bitter about the disparity of wealth in the city and wanting to punish those in positions of power who exploited the lower classes.

eventually, wren was accepted at the university in sora around the same time her brother was inducted into the grey lilies. though she didn't judge his choices, and even empathised with him, she didn't engage with that side of his life, though he repeatedly told her that her skills in coding could be useful to the gang. they maintained a relationship, even as she was offered a job at x academy after her graduation and he begged her not to take it, even as he repeatedly put himself in more danger and she tried to get him to stop taking risks with his life. this back and forth, endless worrying about the other, last for several years.

when robin told her that he thought there was a link between the golden tears and x academy, wren dismissed it as a lie designed to get her on his side. the two fought bitterly over it, and she stormed out of his apartment. several days later, wren was notified that he had been killed in a clash with the golden tears.

after taking as much bereavement leave as she was allowed to take, wren returned to work at x academy with her brother's warnings echoing around her mind, and decided that it was finally time for her to hear him out. incrementally, and without drawing attention to herself, she began to look into this where she could, only to discover that he had been correct. horrified at the company for its association with the gang, and at herself for living in denial, she approached the grey lilies with an offer to be their informant, replacing robin.

[beardedmrbean]

A disorienting and blinding fog connected to a store's alarm is a relatively new security measure to stop would-be thieves as organized retail crime spirals out of control.

The technology, which was created by DensityUSA, is already in use in several countries in the European Union and Australia but is becoming more prevalent in the U.S., said Mike Egel, president of DensityUSA.

Stores lost an estimated $86.6 billion to retail theft in 2022, and projections indicate that amount may reach $115 billion in 2025, according to Capital One Shopping Research.

"I think the COVID-19 pandemic tore the social and economic fabric of America," Egel told Fox News Digital. "Pre-pandemic, crime was on the decline. But when the nation shut down and the economy stepped backwards, common sense went to an all-time low. And sadly, crime rose and continues to grow."

Businesses have been forced to hide products behind registers or lock them up in glass cases to protect their inventory.

That hasn't stopped orchestrated smash-and-grab robberies in which thieves execute intricate plots to grab as many items as possible and leave before witnesses get a good look or police respond.

DOLLAR TREE TAKING ‘VERY DEFENSIVE APPROACH’ TO SHOPLIFTING, CEO SAYS

Egel said there was one instance in the United Kingdom where a truck took out the entire front of a jewelry store, but the fog covered the 900-square-foot space in less than five seconds.

"Once it's activated, the DensityUSA system creates a dense fog with near-zero visibility conditions in just seconds," Egel said. "The fog is designed to be dense and disorientating to deter an intruder from following through with their intentions."

In the case of the U.K. jewelry store, the thieves came away empty-handed, he said: "Thieves can’t steal what they can’t see."

The company is based in St. Louis, but the European Union was the first to approve the fog machine as a crime deterrent.

After seeing its success, Egel said he and his business partner, Scott Bader, introduced their security measure to the United States, which is used in stores in a handful of states.

"After seeing the rise in crime across the United States and billions of dollars lost to intrusions, including burglaries, riots and looting, we partnered with our colleagues in the European Union to bring Density Global to the U.S. as DensityUSA," Egel said.

"The system can be used in all retail settings, from clothing stores and pharmacies to cannabis stores, from convenience stores to gun shops."

A 2022 report from the Retail Security Survey found $94.5 billion in losses in 2021 because of shrink – losses coming from causes other than sales – which includes shoplifting and damaged products.

That's up from $90.8 billion in 2020.

"The study found that, similar to the last five years, the average shrink rate in 2021 was 1.4%," according to the study.

Organized retail crime, which increased on average by 26.5% in 2021, is the driving force, the study says.

Retailers, on average, saw a 26.5% increase in organized retail crime (ORC).

"Eight in 10 retailers surveyed report that the violence and aggression associated with ORC incidents increased in the past year," the 2022 Retail Security Survey says.

"The current climate of active assailants and gun violence add to retailers' concerns about being able to keep employees and customers safe."

[akorah]

As a USAmerican, I heard of the ham bag all of 8 hours ago, and I might actually be sold on it. I'm curious if this is a thing outside of Oceania and North America just isn't aware.

(This is coming from a place of genuine curiosity, not to poke fun at one side or the other.)