#is it petty? yes. is it warranted? also yes.

[koifishhies]

(via @aq2003)

I do generally agree with op’s point about queercoding villains in media; it hasn’t stood the test of time because with growing acceptance we’ve just come to see those characters as cunty or whatever. it kind of devalues what actually made that character a villain. however I have to lean more toward aq’s point here; I don’t think “taking the gay out of” richard would really work in this instance… because he’s not a villain?

I mean, he was a shitty king and an asshole, but the whole play kind of revolves around the fact that they humanized him by the end.

I’ve said it enough times and so has aq2003 here, but “the point” is that richard goes from unsympathetic to extremely sympathetic. not because he does some righteous action to warrant this change of heart, but due to the way shakespeare frames the narrative. he purposefully gives you an obnoxious bitch you should hate, but then doesn’t give you the satisfaction of seeing his downfall. instead, by the end, you’re left feeling sad for him.

I think it’s interesting to consider how that puts the queercoding in a slightly different perspective. shakespeare baits in the stereotypers with the stereotype, and once he’s got them where he wants them, hits them in the face with these raw displays of humanity. he forces them to confront the fact that, gasp, they are sympathizing with the queer character.

in a social climate (england ~400 years ago) where queerness was seen as nothing but sinful, richard ii subtly made the audience sympathize with a queercoded character!

the whole switch up also makes you stop and confront how you actually feel about the guy. all those reasons you thought you hated him, whether it be his arrogance, his pettiness, his fail twink swag; they don’t actually matter. after all, he didn’t get more sympathetic because he stopped being a gay little freak. he got more sympathetic as he lost power. the real problem was power.

while I agree that this doesn’t work as well for modern audiences because we probably like him a little too much right from the get go, I don’t think the modernized equivalent would be to make him a nepo baby, or a tory, or whatever. I don’t know about you, but if I saw a play that had the objective of making me feel bad for a tory, I would gift the playwright a box of my own shit in the mail. the play needs you to hate him at first, yes, but also to have the ability to sympathize with him by the end. and I feel like in this social climate, no one’s getting sympathetic for a republican.

am I making sense??? do you get what I mean?????

also there is something to be said about the fact that half the reason they deposed him in the first place was because he was too “queer”!! that’s a whole other angle of analysis in which him being queercoded is literally essential to the plot. but I’ll leave that analysis to someone else.

one last thing, though: let’s not forget, this is a historical play at the end of the day. you can’t really take queerness out of this story, because, drum roll, the real richard was probably a bit fruity! robert de vere is often named as a potential lover of his. this is still kind of debated, but even if it isn’t true, him being deposed for being too “queer” very much is. they literally didn’t like him back then because he was too “effeminate.” he tried to stop the war. he prioritized the arts in his court. he was born in france.

so I guess the real fail twink swag… was in our history books all along…

I know that Richard2Shakespeare is played as an obnoxious little twink for political and drama reasons (you’re telling me a queer coded this tragedy etc) and to let the actors chew the scenery a bit, and the indecisiveness is a tragic flaw that sets him apart from the clear penetrating masculinity of eg Bolingbroke etc etc. it’s great that there is a whole play about “the deserved downfall of cunty little maximalist who changes his Starbucks order 3 times with a huge line behind him.” However, I have forgotten what I was great revelation I was going to write here, so here are some richard2shakespeares I found while trying to remember

[dragonanon]

I will say right now that I am a petty ass bitch. And I have PURPOSELY chosen NOT to cut off any friends or family that voted for Trump, for the SOLE reason that I’m playing the long con here. When shit goes sideways, I want to be the one who looks them all in the eye and say “Oh, you’re suffering now? Good! I fucking TOLD you this would happen. Now suffer. Asshole.”

I know for a FACT that once things start getting bad, those people are going to be the FIRST ones to bitch and moan about it. And I want front row seats to it so I can CONTINUOUSLY throw it in their faces that they were fucking wrong, and the current situation is ENTIRELY on them.

I’m going to be the smuggest, most insufferable, little shit about it. I will be sitting there with my iced mocha, listening to all their bitching, with the biggest grin on my face. And when they ask me why tf I’m so happy, I’m going to respond “Yeah it sucks, doesn’t it? I’m happy because now that you see it, I get to remind you that you CHOSE this. This entire nightmare is ENTIRELY your fault, and I am going to remind you of this fact each and every time this topic comes up, until the day I die. Now either choose something else to talk about, or STFU. Because I have NO sympathy for you. 😎💅”

[weirderscience]

transition so good it makes a guy realize he's bi like 20 years later

[zindagood]

Like who is looking at all the heartwrenching moments in the show and saying that this was just a job to the writers and actors and they didnt care about what story they were saying, as if they didnt clearly put their entire soul into it. Be so fr rn

[holmesianlove]

Chapter 4 - Hats

“I look ridiculous!” John cried out.

“John this was the best I could think of, to cover up the green. You know I need you with me on cases.”

“You don’t, though,” he snapped. “You could take that bloody skull from the mantle and set it down on the ground and just yap away to that while you do your deductions, for all the use I am,” John scoffed.

“John Watson,” Sherlock scolded. “If you really think you are no better than a lifeless skull to me, I’d be disappointed. I think I’ve proven otherwise many times. But I can take you back home if it’s what you really desire...” Sherlock knew perfectly well that John was going nowhere but he made the offer and then left the silence to drift between them.

John said nothing, which Sherlock knew was a firm confirmation he was staying. Despite everything. Sherlock knew he was too stubborn to let a skull actually take first place. Or for Sherlock to win this green-bodied stand-off. And besides, John would be just as desperate to see a good crime scene. It had been far too long.

They stood in silence looking in the mirror. “Well in any case, not this one,” John finally said. “And if I’m wearing a stupid hat, so are you.”

“I will follow your lead,” Sherlock said kindly with a gracious bow of his head - a risky move given John’s current mood. But a necessary one.

John wandered the store, picking up options and looking at them, holding them up dramatically to observe the hats at various angles. Sherlock was sure he was milking it on purpose. Finally he settled on one. “This,” he said with the beginnings of a smirk.

Sherlock opened his mouth to argue and thought better of it. He grabbed it from John’s hands and put it on. He mumbled angrily to himself, under his breath. John managed to catch “ear hat,” and “death frisbee” amongst the grumblings but waited, brows raised, giving Sherlock space to get used to the idea.

“That one actually comes with a matching cape,” the shop assistant called out from the side of the room.

“No—“

“We’ll take it,” John said loudly ignoring Sherlock’s pained expression.

“Now me. The cover all makeup is helping but—“

“Wait, I know!” Sherlock rushed over to the counter and had a quiet word with the assistant. They perked up and then disappeared into the shelving and returned with two items.

“Ah it seems this one has an accompanying garment too,” Sherlock said excitedly, as if he didn’t already know.

John simply glared at Sherlock. “You’re really that petty? Because you have a cape to wear?”

“Not at all, John. it’s just a little strange to wear a face covering without any explanation. Unless you want to become the new wife I’ve acquired in the Middle East… I thought that one looked quite fetching on you earlier,” he teased.

John blushed and was once again thankful for the green colouring. “Don’t be ridiculous. Give it here,” he said with great annoyance reaching out for the garment and disappearing into a change room.

Minutes later he surfaced in a full beekeeper’s outfit.

“Oh that’s perfect!” Sherlock cried out excitedly, clapping his hands together. “Do you have a large shotgun?” he asked.

“Shotgun?!” John cried out.

“Not a real one obviously. But yes, if I’m dressed like hunting gentry on the royal estate… and you can be my… beekeeper…” he said, clearly trying to piece together the ensembles and their backstory. “Then I will need a gun.”

“I’m fairly certain that isn’t going to throw them off the scent. I suspect just telling them we were on our way to a costume party will be sufficient Sherlock. We don’t need a backstory,” John reassured him.

Catching a glimpse in the mirror, he could appreciate that, while they did indeed look ridiculous, the skin coloured make up and the mesh from his hat did indeed cover the fact that he was green. And the gloves helped, since his hands had also taken the brunt of the product responsible.

“What kind of party warrants this kind of costuming?” Sherlock asked, fussing with the hat’s position on his curls.

“Oh I can think of five theme options already,” the assistant called out, with no remorse for how invested they were now in this adventure. “You’d be surprised at some of the themes people tell me when they come in. Perhaps “a weekend in the Sussex countryside?” he suggested.

Sherlock smiled. “That would be nice. And these would fit there.”

“Fine,” John said impatiently. “I suppose… if we’re really doing this…?” He lifted the netting and raised a brow at Sherlock, who took one final dismayed look in the mirror and nodded.

They grabbed their belongings and paid to hire the outfits for the day and walked back to the cab which was thankfully still waiting. John did not enjoy the looks they were getting from passers by, though he supposed it would have been much worse if he was green and walking about.

The cabbie had a good laugh as they got in. “Well, I suppose if you both look ridiculous no one will question it,” he said.

“On to the original address,” Sherlock directed, his tone blunt. John was back to silent gazing out the window which Sherlock didn’t particularly like. He much preferred his doctor feisty and communicative. He reached out and put a hand gently on John’s knee, surprising his friend.

“Sorry,” he said gently. “I really am sorry, John.”

John looked down at the hand on his knee, Mrs Hudson’s well meaning, but confusing advice swirling around in his head.

“It’s fine;” he said simple and returned to his window gazing.

——

Thanks for reading. Let me know if you want to be tagged!

@notjustamumj @lisbeth-kk @helloliriels @totallysilvergirl @221beloved @safedistancefrombeingsmart @givemesherbet-blog-blog @naefelldaurk @a-victorian-girl @phoenix27884

[fruitsoxs]

can we get some jealousy blurbs for astarion and/or gale?

Of course!! I love a good jealousy blurb

pairings; astarion x reader , gale x reader warnings; none notes; I was pumped up about this request i did it within a day lol. also rolan mention because i love him

Astarion

When you’ve got a little tadpole in your head that could very well be the end of you, little things like jealousy should be the least of your worries. Yet, here Astarion stands with one arm crossed over the other, pouting at the scene in front of him. He watches as his partner frets over another man who seems to keep showing up on their journey. Of course he should’ve known Rolan would be here at this stupid magic store that Gale so desperately wanted to visit. Astarion had heard you talk about how the tiefling was planning on becoming an apprentice for Lorrokoan. Pity that the grand wizard had turned out to be such a massive asshole. Yes it’s horrible he was mistreating Rolan (Astarion could always sympathize with any poor soul who suffers at their master’s hands). However, that doesn’t warrant you leaning in so closely to the man to look at his bruises. It doesn’t mean you can smile so fondly at him-

It takes you laughing at something Rolan said while the man stares at you softly before Astarion has had enough. The vampire clears his throat rather loudly, grabbing everyone’s attention. Once you are looking at him he opens his mouth to say “Shouldn’t we get going? We’ve been in this dreaded place too long.” Your smile drops as you tilt their head, giving Astarion a confused look. Astarion simply looks away. He knows it’s petty, but he doesn’t care. Getting the hint, you nod. “I guess it’s time we get out of your hair Rolan.” you express.

Rolan's smile falters, but he nods in understanding. “I do have a lot of work to do now. Of course, if you should ever need my assistance, just call for me. I’ll lend my magic in any way that I can.” the magic user tells you. Astarion huffs and starts to walk away. He knows full well Rolan’s help would be useful, especially with the coming battle you must fight. Once again though, he doesn’t care. There’s something about this situation that has made him feel uncomfortable, and he’s quite mad about it. 

When you finally exit the massive building, Astarion’s anger subsides. He feels himself grow a little ashamed by his outburst. He wraps his arms around his chest and stops. You stop with him, locking onto his gaze with a sense of curiosity. The others have kept going, opting to give the two of you a little privacy.  

“Were you jealous? Of Rolan?” You ask seemingly humored by the entire ordeal. Astarion wants to deny it. After all, he’s never been one to care much about what you do- and who you do it with. Despite being in a romantic relationship with you, he doesn’t own you. He loves you, and he knows you love him. You’ve proved it time and time again. That should be enough. For some reason though, this situation has deeply upset him. “And what if I am?” he asks defensively, sending a glare that looks more like a pout. 

“I’ve never known you to be the jealous type.” You joke, smiling. When you notice the seriousness in Astarion’s eyes, your grin drops. “You’re serious?” you ask, inching closer. The vampire doesn’t need to say anything, his expression explains it all. You simply reach out and put your hand on his arm. You do it slowly, giving Astarion a chance to pull away if he wants. “Star…” you whisper, eyes meeting his. “You are the most important person in my life. Never forget I love you. So much.” 

He knows this, but hearing you say it makes his negative emotions melt away. “And besides, you don’t need to be jealous of Rolan. Yes, I worry about him- but we’ve saved him so many times it’s hard not to.” you sigh, shaking your head like a worried parent. A small smile makes its way onto Astarion’s lips. “Bad luck does seem to follow him.”

Gale

Gale has had a rough few months. After being ripped from his home, given a tadpole in his head, and forced to adventure with a bunch of …colorful people, he’s been craving one good thing. He didn’t expect that one good thing to be the fearless leader of his adventure party, you. Along the journey, you showed the man you had a great heart. Your habit of saving others, and doing the right thing made Gale swoon. He hadn’t expected to meet such an amazing person during such a trying time. Somewhere along the way, the wizard had fallen for you and your kind hearted nature. The only problem? Sometimes you were a bit too kind.

Gale’s smile fades as he watches a man strut his way over to you, confidence in every step. After finally making your way to Baldur’s Gate, your party had decided stopping at one of the taverns to grab a drink wasn’t such a bad idea. The circumstances may be dire, but taking a little time to relax is important. That’s how you ended up here, with a bunch of people following your tail. Gale had severely underestimated how many drunkards would have the guts to hit on someone like you. Now, his mind is swimming with that funny little green monster known as jealousy. 

“So, do you come here often?” The stranger asks you, leaning against the bar between you and Gale. Gale wishes just this once you would get angry, and react in a way unbecoming of you. Of course you don’t. You simply smile at the man and shake your head. “No. Not really.” you answer, aura radiating with kindness. “Well then, allow me to fund your next drink.” The man’s speech is slurred, clearly egged on by the alcohol in his system. 

Gale watches the scene on the other side of the man, his eyebrows lifted in a way that makes him look like a kicked dog. When you don’t deny the drink, Gale feels his chest grow tighter. The thing that made him fall for you, is the thing he hates most right now. He hates that feeling. After all, it’s his fault he has yet to confess his feelings. He finds himself turning away, glancing at his drink with uncertainty. What should he do? 

“Hey…maybe after this we could go out back-”

Gale snaps his head back over to the man. “No.” he says out loud cutting the man off. Suddenly fueled by anger, he stands up, walks over to you, takes your hand and begins to pull you away. You stumble along behind him, but don’t pull form his grasp. He leads you away from the confused man at the bar, and outside into the cold air. Once he stops, he turns to look at you. You don’t seem angry, just a little confused. 

“Is everything okay Gale?” you ask. You seem a little concerned, and it makes his heart twist.

“I- No. Everything is not okay. I just...I’m..” he groans, unable to fully express what he’s trying to say. He doesn’t want to confess like this. He wants it to be romantic, not awkward and uncomfortable. “I do not like watching people take advantage of your kindness.” He decides to say.

You smile at him, and squeeze his hand. The hand he forgot is holding yours. “Thank you Gale.” you mumble. You then lean forward, and before he knows it you’re pressing your lips against his cheek. “That’s very kind of you.”

His cheeks heat up, a dumb smile stretching across his lips. “Anything for you.”

[girlwithamissingpearl]

I understand things have been dry in Outlander land but even desert dry has me smh. Ladies, if you have to try that hard to shit all over SH, I’m not saying it makes you a hater but it sure as shit doesn’t make you a liker.

Back after a bit- admit it, we all need to occasionally take a break- I feel I needed to pace myself during the drought. But after a bit of scrolling, I felt compelled to dive right in. Isn’t this fandom about fun, entertainment and guilty pleasure? That’s why I’m here. So why the endless posts from the SH haters? Do people dislike SH, enjoy the snark or just think the man is stupid?

So just for fun (or insomnia) I thought I would play a short game of SH: Stupid, Smart or just SMH?

1. SH and Cons/Private events for $

Why do people have such a problem with SH trying to make a living? Most if not all actors part of a series or movie franchise participate. In my opinion SH is doing it now, so he won’t need to in his 60’s to pay the rent. While most fans are priced out of the more exclusive events, all I can say is the paying fans are the only ones that never complain. Supply and demand. If any charitable component is part of the deal, great. So can we finally put a line under this?

Verdict: Smart as hell

2. SH always “Shilling” SS to his Fans and on SM

Uhm, he is the brand. It’s his company. Can it be a bit much? Yes. Promotion to the fan base and the use of sm is marketing 101. In order for people to try the product they need to know about the product. We can disagree as to his methods or success to date, but fans are not the only ones buying bottles. As for the constant and consistent presence of AN with SH during events? Suddenly they are a couple? WTF. AN is a business partner. He owns part of the business. They both work hard promoting SS, and so far it looks like they will continue to release more SS. Ladies, don’t put your lawn chairs away yet!😉

Verdict: Smart

3. SH and boundaries with his fans

Regardless of the letter you attach to SH, he is a recognized actor around the world. Definitely a people pleaser, in imho, he will happily take a selfie with anyone. Obviously, he never wants to disappoint any fan, but his lack of boundaries and security at events can be cringe worthy at times. If a female actor was touched, mauled, or asked to sign fans boobs or t-shirts it would be a #me too moment. Someone, anyone in security or a handler needs to be bad cop if he won’t. How far is too far?

Verdict: Stupid with a side of SMH

4. SH as a Philanthropist and Charitable Causes

This one really bugs me. MPC has raised over $6m for charity. SH’s name attached to any cause raises awareness and $. The BS from the haters who discount this based on the fact SH apparently never donates his own money is petty nonsense. Gentleman’s ride is one example. Agree it was his female fans that made it happen. And? This is my only fandom but SH is held to an impossible standard. Apparently he is a hypocrite in his support for clean oceans because someone on his team had a catered lunch using single use plastics. Great topic for discussion, but the man didn’t throw the containers in the ocean. Also let’s not judge a person’s commitment based on sm posts. SH can literally, yes ladies literally never win. Thankfully the causes he supports do. I dare you to disagree.

Verdict: Smart

5A. SH’s dating life

According to an extremely ardent part of this fandom, SH has dated😉 every fit blonde 👱‍♀️ within a 250 mile radius of everywhere. I wish that someone would keep track of all the mysterious initials and lack of any literal proof of these women. This is where I separate the snark from the hater’s. While I’m in owe of the investigative skills of some, and enjoy the gossip-even though mom thought gossip was a sin, sorry mom- not all women aka initials welcome the attention. Any woman save CB that SH is remotely warranted or not attached to, has an avalanche of hate comments and 💩emoji in their future, welcome or not. Personally, I believe SH, goes out of his way to protect the people he cares about, and perhaps even those he may not. I think we can agree he is not a monk. However an actor is entitled to privacy. Ginger Jesus included.

5B. SH ‘s Sexuality

From the beginning, 3 years for me, I’ve read posts about someone who knew a friend of a friend of a bartender’s friend who knew for a fact SH had a boyfriend. WTF. You know the drought is real when this bullshit gets recycled. We all know the question has been asked and answered by SH. More than once. Next.

Verdict: SH keeping his private life private: Smart as hell.

6. SH and the use of all things Outlander related

If you don’t get it, I don’t have the time and am too lazy to explain it to you.

Verdict: Smart. Smart as hell

7. SH and CB

The only real problem here is obvious. And I don’t know why the fans or even the haters- btw, I use the term haters like I do profanity- perhaps not the best word, but like GFY, FU, MF, C, etc. I’m lazy and it saves time and no confusion to whom I address. So where the actual f&ck is the audition tape we all want to see? You know the part of which I speak. If only the fandom investigators could put aside any petty differences and uncover the SH, CB chemistry kiss tape? I’m not saying it will be a unifying and CTJ moment, but it would give SH fans something to make the drought less….thirsty.

No verdict necessary. 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨😚😉

And last but definitely not least…

8. SH and Thirst Traps

Ladies, because of Outlander and all things Outlander related, we’ve had the pleasure to observe SH from every view and lovely angle. Come on, if you 👀 closely it’s all there. Why the actual f&ck people in this fandom have a problem with his shirtless posts is beyond me. Not only is he promoting the results a good fitness regime can produce, he is literally, yes literally giving his fans something they want. And don’t even try me with- you’re treating him like an object. This is a 100% consensual relationship. And if the word “hater” seems harsh about the same gang that complains and shits all over his shirtless thirst traps, then please find me a better name.

Verdict: Smart as hell and thank you

So for those who may not get it, this post is silly and something for my handful of friends or any SH fan to have a laugh. If anyone has the patience to read the entire thing😉 So any comments are welcome, but to the people or person sending awful and cowardly anon messages: save your time. Or GFY. See what I did there?🤓

[ouijabard]

WC Fandom Callout/Hot Take Time!

(I would like to preface this by saying that I am a member of the Warrior Cats community myself; I love it here and there are so many amazing and talented people. This post is by no means saying that everybody here is guilty of this, nor is it meant to be an attack or show of ill will on those who are. <:])

Okay, so I have a small grievance to air:

Never, in all my years on the internet, have I ever seen a community that matches the sheer amount of negativity and petty spite the WC fandom has, especially towards its own creators.

Exhibit A:

WC fandom:

The Erins: *actually give us the most pretty, fun, and unique canon design we’ve ever gotten, which CLEARLY IS A CHIMERA AS THEY INTENDED DUE TO HOW HER BLACK FUR IS LONGER THAN HER ORANGE FUR (LOOK AT HER CHEEK FLUFF)*

WC Fandom:

LIKE. Y’ALL.

(I would also like to mention that while yes, the inbreeding is gross and warrants criticism, when you have such isolated populations interbreeding, it was always bound to happen, especially with such complex and forgettable lineages (of feral cats, no less (y’know, animals that form family trees like that naturally?)). Honestly? It’s been an issue for so long that I really think we should just stop pointlessly whining about it, accept it (as long as they aren’t too closely related/it isn’t immediate family incest), and move on.)

I get constructive criticism and civil discourse is healthy in a fandom, but there’s no need to be so blatantly and endlessly petty and spiteful, especially towards the people who try so hard to give you the thing you enjoy in a consistent and timely manner and live up to its legacy. I agree that there are definitely things they’ve messed up on or could do much better with and that they should prioritize quality over quantity more, but c’mon. Honestly, y’all will just find anything to bitch about. 😭 Besides, enough with the pessimism and belittlement! Fandoms are supposed to be fun, and trust me, you will have much more fun if you just let yourself be excited and see what happens. Even if it does feel somewhat like toxic positivity to say so, there's no joy in just being a critic all the time. :]

Anyway, sorry for the exasperated ramble, and thank you for coming to my TEDtalk. 🙏

[meduseld]

Please drop the Fairholme party composition please

Lol okay so bear in mind this is part grounded part me being unhinged. But, if you go back to episode 3, we get some firm details: the party is repeatedly refered to as being an 8 member party (there is a shot of them later that only appears to show 7 men but one could be scouting ahead, more on that in bit) and it takes its shape from Crozier's original idea with of course Fairholme taking his place as lead and crucially, Crozier says specifically to "swap in two marines".

That gives us a very clear head start when narrowing down. 8 men, one of which is Fairholme and two of which are marines. Given the real marines manifest AND the show giving eliminating all but two candidates (all the others still living are either shown or mentioned with the ships AFTER episode 3) it has to be Privates Joseph Healey (29, from Manchester) and William Reed (28, Bristol). Which working backwards can be justified narratively, they are both Erebus marines thus familiar with Fairholme and his command, as well as older despite being privates. Plus their boss just got brutally murdered, oof.

So what about the other five? We can infer a couple of things. First in the script Crozier was considering taking both Hickey (a petty officer) and Wentzell (an AB) which means both petty officers and ABs are up for grabs. Second, the composition of Gore's party was pretty similar so we can use it as a template. Gore was also 8 men, himself, ONE marine (Bryant), one officer (CDV), one petty officer (Peglar) one medical (Goodsir) and three ABs (Best, Morfin and Tartnell).

With that in mind, we can pretty much confirm he'd be given another 3 ABs, which brings us to six members of Fairholme's party. These were likely whoever Crozier had picked (in the scripts he decides against Wentzell, who we know stays on the ships, and as expanded on below, he wouldn't be able to take them from Erebus). There are enough not accounted for directly in show or shown post ep 3 to pick from. Lets assume Crozier would give him men that were experienced but not "old" so in their late 20s, early 30s.

I basically picked these bc with that starting point: William Jerry (29, Pembroke and veteran of Ross' Antartic journey thus likely on Crozier's list), John Handford (28, Sunderland) and Charles Johnson (28, Halifax. Yes Nova Scotia. That's why him).

For the final two we know that he wasn't spared any medical officers, and that he almost certainly was not spared any other non-petty officers even warrant ones for two reasons: we see the fate of a lot of them in the show but also Erebus just lost a ton of their command structure: Sir John, Gore and now Fairholme as well as their highest ranked Marine. Crozier needs officers, and especially JFJ needs officers and some kind of sense of normalcy on Erebus so they would probably want to minimize taking even more after a Lt and TWO Marines. Not to mention, Sir John's funeral looks to be attended by enough non-petty officers to support this.

So two petty officers, and for balance let's assume one from Terror and one from Erebus. I assume JFJ would have lobbied for this as well. Presumably you would want to minimize the psychological impact or fighting that could happen from the men thinking the break up was "unfair". Four men a ship tracks, even if there were likely still grumblings about who (Erebites were probably pissed as hell Terror mostly lost ABs and so on). Then there is another factor. We pretty much know that at this point Crozier has 0 hope they are getting out via ships, and that petty officers like Peglar are pretty much idle since their jobs depend on them actually sailing. Factor in that they need to be men we don't see after ep 3 and my votes are for, after checking who is around and their ages-experience:

The Erebus Captain of the Foretop (Peglar's opposite number) Robert Sinclair, 25, of Kirkwall.

The Terror's Captain of the Forecastle (in charge of the anchors as well as the head sails) Reuben Male, 27, of Woolwich.

Despite their ages, both those men had years of service aboard ships. Not to mention it's a relatively balanced pick in similar positions that they can spare. Also keeping the repeating and similar names that this show is so famous for.

Finally, look it:

Fairholme seems to be hauling w his men, a good officer like Gore. There are only seven men in the image which could just be an error but. Let's assume they sent someone ahead to scout, possibly Jerry. I almost would have assumed the other Marine, but one of the haulers looks to be in Marine dress so. By the by, historical Sinclair was apparently only 5'5'' so let's assume he is the short king at the end of the right hand side haulers.

Thank you for joining me in my descent into madness, see you next time

[barb-l]

“Vaggie would do numbers in the fandom if everything was the same except she were a white boy.”

Yes. Yes. YES! You get it, my guy/girl/person. The hate and vitriol that Vaggie receives from this fandom is absolutely disgusting and ridiculous. As a GIANT Vaggie fan, this is something I can go on and on about because what the actual fuck did she do to warrant so much disdain from people?

Vaggie haters really baffle me; they'll excuse any wrong done to Vaggie as long as she doesn't retaliate, and they call her out for shit that other characters do while giving the other characters a pass. People hate on her for being the ‘grump’ 24/7 (which isn’t true at all), yet give Husk laughs and hype him up for doing the same; people hate on her for being a simp for her girlfriend, yet they think it’s cute when it’s Lucifer; people hate on her for being violent, yet it’s perfectly fine when it’s Lute and Adam and Alastor and— you get the point.

People character assassinate/bash her for no reason at all other than they hate her. On AO3 and Tumblr, there’s this person that has multiple fics and posts just bashing Vaggie. They deadass made Lute and Vaggie switch personalities in a few of their stories - like, legit made Vaggie a jerk and Lute a saint out of petty, unreasonable hatred for Vaggie. Their excuse? They said and I quote: “I hate her. 🩷” If you hate her so much, maybe just say it once and move on because that obsession you have with ‘hating’ her says otherwise.

This person and others simply do not give Vaggie the same grace that they give other characters.

People call her boring despite her having a very interesting backstory that the show hasn’t deep-dived into yet. These same people take interest in Vox’s overrated ass even though we know fuck all about his past. People will also do deep analyses on characters with very little info on them, yet turn around and call Vaggie ‘underdeveloped.’ I’m not understanding. Is it because she’s a woman? Is it because she’s not a villain? What is it?

Sorry for this long rant, I’m just so tired of Vaggie getting mistreated by this fandom. It’s soooo frustrating and annoying.

No need to apologize. I had a good time reading this whole thing lol

[ataraxiasflame]

Did Aemond want his brother dead?

(That scene from my pro-Aemond perspective.)

I’m still struggling to severe ties between the book-version and show-version of the characters, so I think that also influenced my interpretation of the scene (and I’ve tried my best to focus on the show-characters here).

Personally, I don’t think Aemond wants Aegon dead, necessarily. I actually think Aemond doesn’t really give a shit about what happens to him anymore.

Aemond was, however, clearly pissed that his brother showed up unannounced, especially given that Aegon has been portrayed as incredibly incapable in both strategy and battle.

But from a battle perspective, Aemond is warranted in his reaction because Aegon compromised the strategy they had to lure out a TB dragonrider and eliminate them while gaining control of Rook’s Rest. Aemond (just like Aegon) has his own motivations driving his need for glory, but at the very least, his brother was forcing Aemond into submission and obedience as the expected reaction would be to abandon the original strategy and save the King.

We see his frustration when he sights Aegon’s arrival. Though it does appear he delays joining the battle to let Aegon ‘suffer’, I personally interpreted that as Aemond deciding to stick to the original strategy and defy the expectation to go to Aegon’s aid. He doesn’t allow Aegon’s arrival to change the decisions they made (and when the signal is given, that’s when he and Vhagar finally take to the sky.)

Aemond doesn’t respond well to Aegon compromising his plan, and due to their brotherly-feud, he stubbornly disregards saving the King and instead focuses on what he came to do, making Aegon collateral damage.

Personally, I interpret this look as more “You should have stayed out of my way” rather than “now I can be King.” (But that’s just me.)

Is it stupid? YES. And that’s one of my several issues with the changes in the show. Book Aemond (even if he was feuding with Aegon) would not have eliminated one of their dragons when they were already specifically strategising how to eliminate TB dragons to gain some advantage. Aemond is should be smarter than this (thanks Ryan Condal).

However, I think his loyalty to Aegon is now non-existent and he has his own priorities, and Aegon was basically in the way of those priorities, which started with eliminating Rhaenys and Meleys. And given the way that the show is portraying Aegon, I wouldn’t be surprised if the narrative becomes that ‘he was pretty useless as a dragonrider anyway, so no real loss if it means the target was eliminated’. Collateral Damage.

Many people are convinced that Aemond was about to finish Aegon off but in fact he was actually sheathing a sword, not removing one. If you ask me, he was ready to have the same moment with Aegon that he had after killing Rhaenys, but in a more powerful and triumphant way because now Aegon has to live with knowing that even has King, Aemond was and is more powerful than him. To me, that is far more impactful for Aemond than killing his brother. He will relish that his brother will have to live with the truth of this outcome, especially given that he will now likely be named Prince Regent in his brother’s place.

I don’t really like it, tbh. It’s petty and theatrical and I personally feel like they could have gone several other ways which still left both these characters on the same path as they are now. I still feel that, had this feud been inevitable, it should at least have been done over the course of the entire season, not in the space of 3 minutes 3 episodes, and this should not have been the place for Aemond to exert his dominance and power over Aegon. As their first real battle with TB, it was vital that TG prove their power and unity (even if faked) in this battle and rise as a true threat to TB, but not even the audience sees them as a threat now.

Because the way Aemond looks on his dragon after killing Rhaenys is a clear sign that this side of him has been unleashed and his is now a potential liability to TG if not contained.

So where do they go with Aemond from here? If he is already appearing to be willing to sacrifice his brother for his own priorities, how does this arc continue? What does he do next that is even more shocking? I fear what the showrunners will have his character do to stay on this path they’ve only just started him on.

I’m obsessed with how Ewan Mitchell is portraying Aemond but unfortunately I’m just not sold of the rewrite of his character if the rest of his arc continues with this overt characterization.

[damnpotatoe]

is it just me or is the lando hate getting out of hand? and i say this as someone who let's say, doesn't particularly like him. criticising his driving or calling behaviour that crosses the line, is fine. but theres no need to call him conceited entitled brat, among other things. i mean he is still a person yk? this might be the case on tumblr but he sees the comments you make. even if he possesses somewhat of an ego it doesn't warrant the hate he receives. death threats for what stealing another drivers catch phrase? was it petty and childish as fuck. yes. but rlly death???? are the people who write these comments/posts aware that this is cyber bullying? and this doesn't only affect lando. esteban ocon, lance stroll, george russell are the drivers that get a ridiculous amount of hate, for their personalities???? not even their driving??? (except stroll) or ofc hamilton or verstappen but they also have huge toxic fan bases.

[troubledeafhaven]

Also literally anytime someone cheap shots her it is span to somehow make her an aggressor, racist and what not as if she's not the one being shoved to the ground, yeah part of basketball in a way, but you can't expect for people to not have a reaction to that, and then people will expect Caitlin to defend people that are targeting her like bffr

Racism is never a warranted reaction no matter the outcome of the game.

Yes I expect people to not react in a racist manner because CC got shoved to the ground. That is a fair expectation for me to have from other humans. Am I supposed to EXPECT racism now?

And it’s unfair she’s painted as a racist if she isn’t a racist which is why I’m confused how her being outspoken against the racism and continuing to talk about it would at all make her look bad? If anything it would shut up the people that paint her out as a racist wouldn’t it?

I agree that some players are petty but bro, yes I expect her to speak out against racists attacks EVEN towards those players because racism is NEVER warranted. I expect that from her, from me, from you, from the league, from the media, from regular people walking down the street, from the fucking mailman, from everyone. You think that her calling out racism means she’s defending people targeting her, if anything it’s her defending herself and her claimed morals and beliefs.

[adhdnojutsu]

Fugaku sucks.

Fugaku Uchiha was a fucking moron.

That is the only explanation for his delusion that his coup would succeed. Unless he knew it wouldn't.

Real Life Parallels

I'm Israeli with a dual citizenship for Germany. As a result, I was able to wander the West Bank for the better part of a decade. I also have family and friends not in high places, but with access to the latter. I'm also not illiterate. So I know things.

It's why I know just how fucking stupid the coup idea was. And before you tell me to check my privilege: I agree the Uchiha were right to want to revolt. I agree they were oppressed. And yet, you can't conflate an unsolicited dickpic with a r*pe, assault the sender, and call self-defence. Both are wrong, both are harmful, but only one is an immediate threat, and Konoha was not an imminent threat to Uchiha lives before the coup became a thing.

Here's what Konoha did to the Uchiha: 1. put them in a clan-exclusive compound like all the other clans. I'm aware the latter was a pretext for the previous.

2. cut police budget

3. deny Fugaku Hokage candidacy (and nobody can prove why they did, but he revealed himself to be unqualified due to his conditional loyalty)

4. surveillance of public spaces within the compound

All of these measures are unjust and come from a place of bigotry. None of them kept a single clan member from thriving. None of them constituted an imminent threat. None of them made diplomatic solutions impossible, even if it meant waiting for the council of elders to die.

All oppression is not equal, because let's see what happens with a real life ghetto like the Gaza Strip:

you can only leave through armed check points with special permission - or get gunned down

amenities are regularly shut off, including water in summer or electricity in hospitals

whenever one person steps out of line, their whole neighbourhood gets bombed

the oppressor fabricates scarcity and poverty while sabotaging the delivery of relief or establishment of a stable economy

anyone can be kidnapped and tortured at any time for any reason

Once that sinks in, their occasional missile or car ramming attack becomes pretty understandable. Now imagine the Uchiha police force firing missiles at random Konoha targets over comparably petty measures. The rule of appropriate force in self-defence also applies to systemic oppression. Yes, the system is ableist, yes, you're disabled, but no, that doesn't make it reasonable to put an aircraft through the Capitol and endanger the lives of not only government officials, but civilians and your own kids. That's the issue here. Fugaku's coup would not have happened in a vacuum. It would have gotten innocents killed.

Saying all oppression is the same and should be met with the same ruthlessness, is like saying verbal sexual harassment should be met with a taser because forcible r*pe would warrant it. It's like equating the refusal to serve kosher food to a whole pogrom. Both come from the same mindset and one can lead to the other if left unchecked, but that doesn't mean both warrant equally harsh measures off the bat.

Now here's where Fugaku being a moron comes in. The daily cruelty Israel commits against Palestinians (individual killings, demolitions, blackouts, denial of water etc.) do not only pursue the immediate goal of whatever effect those things have. The main goal is provocation. We all KNOW Hamas is gonna fire missiles over that demolition, kidnap, or "accidental" shooting of a civilian. And that is exactly when Israel can say "welp, it's self-defence time, we feared for our lives" and carpet-bomb Gaza. This is also why they provoke escalation during West Bank or Jerusalem rallies. They WANT Palestinians to (seemingly) cast the first stone, so Israel has an excuse to cast lead. Portioned genocide. I documented a Palestinian protest once. I saw the Israeli side actively aiming for escalation, going as far as running police horses into produce booths to destroy livelihoods.

Konoha did the exact same thing. Put the Uchiha in a situation that is humiliating, but not life-threatening, so when they predictably snap, Konoha can say it had no choice but to wipe them out. And Fugaku played right into it by announcing the coup, aka a violent uprising, in retaliation to non-violent (as in, violence that threatens life and limb) discrimination.

Fugaku stans need to learn the difference between victim blaming and common sense. While most retaliation is justified, some specific manners of retaliating can be predicted to harm the victim more or involve innocents, and that's where common sense shouldn't be shot down as "victim-blaming".

The coup failing, or the Uchiha massacre, each entailing pointless loss of life, were absolutely predictable outcomes and here's why.

Common Sense

Remember the planned Wagner uprising that ended before it began, because a handful of people marching on Putin is a bad idea no matter how justified?

I don't know what people base their numbers on when saying Itachi killed hundreds or thousands of Uchiha. I counted the people attending mandatory-for-all clan meetings, and while I don't remember my exact top count, the clan cannot be more than 60 strong, and that's including non-combatants. I mean, ANBU surveillance would have caught hundreds or even thousands of people all disappearing in that shrine that doesn't outwardly seem able to accommodate that many.

Fugaku depended on Itachi to help with the coup. No matter Itachi's abilities, just how bad are your odds when you feel compelled to put your 11-year-old child in the line of fire? Basically, Fugaku knew the coup stood and fell with that child. If a tween running his mouth is all it takes to bring you down, you never stood a chance.

But let's say the initial stage of the coup had worked out. The Uchiha kidnap the Hokage and Fugaku takes power. Then what? Unless the Uchiha rule Konoha with an iron fist and in doing so, become the new oppressor, how is Fugaku going to hold power? Who would his successor be? Uchiha nepotism forever? Because only then can they be reasonably sure some future administration won't turn on them.

What are less than 60 people gonna do about all the ANBU, Root, and various jonin? How will they secure the people's genuine loyalty after 4 generations of Hokage brainwashing Konoha into always siding with the status quo? There is NO WAY the Uchiha could rule in a way that isn't a dictatorship with nocturnal disappearances of dissenters. The other shinobi nations won't stand for it either. So we have a 2 digit number of Uchihas up against the 5 great nations. The Sharingan isn't that great, or else 2 men couldn't have wiped out the whole clan in a matter of hours. "But they were sleeping" no they weren't, and even if they were, Uchihas have to sleep eventually, and that's when the five nations can strike. That's no way to run a village. "But Konoha would understand" okay so why didn't Konoha express solidarity with the Uchiha clan, like, ever? Konoha was NOT going to accept a violent Uchiha takeover!

So even without Itachi's betrayal, the coup was doomed. When you act out of (righteous) humiliation for immediate relief but with no long term strategy, the word you're looking for isn't revolution, it's tantrum. In the case of an armed uprising, it's a suicide mission. A last hurra, except they dragged innocents into it. Because your anger can be righteous and you can actually be oppressed, and still be wrong in how you're handling it. The moment Fugaku dragged his children into what could be predicted to ruin or end their lives, he was wrong. His idea of a bloodless revolution was short sighted and delusional and hence wrong, end of story.

But also.

Fugaku: "Hey Itachi, look at all these bloody corpses, war is terrible!" Also Fugaku: "Hey Itachi, help me wage war." The man was a loose cannon with 0 common sense. What the fuck was he doing leading a clan and raising kids. The man was incompetence incarnate.

[terrence-silver]

Would Terry ever hurt beloved?

Yes.

And you have to comprehend he understands it's bad and wrong to do so, but that he doesn't have moral quandaries against it anyway. In fact, it seems that bad things are precisely the sort of stuff that delight Terry Silver the most because they're bad.

To the point nobody's off limits.

Heck, not even a kid freshly out of highschool.

Look at this? Does this seem like the type of man who has any regrets when faced with the prospect of hurting someone? A stranger, mind you, he's never even met before? Honestly, now? Man seems like he's about to enter a manic meltdown at the very notion.

But, I also don't think he's the type of man who enacts sadism and dishes out hurt senselessly and randomly. Not against foes (his motivations, however petty, batshit and crazy to someone else, always make total sense to him and they're meant to make sense only to him anyway, because Terry just about respects his own rules the most) and certainly not against people he deems his. There's a method to the madness here. Very precise, direct, calculated and premeditated method. Agendas, if you will. He's not an unhinged, topsy turvy villain in spite of his mannerism tending to be unhinged and topsy turvy at times, or even very often. No. When he decides to to deal someone a lesson in pain there's always motivation and clear cut reasons behind it. Reasons that can span back decades or even a whole lifetime, at times, because this isn't a man who lets anything go. Closure and forgive-and-forget doesn't exist in his dictionary. Does Terry understand it's unjustifiable to hurt someone even when you've a reason, weak or strong? Yes. He gets it and again, he doesn't care and it might just perversely amuse him how much he doesn't care. It's like he's mocking the very fact that he's meant to have an innate sense of moral outrage by being so gleeful that he does, in fact, not. The part of him that generates casual guilt just isn't there in the way it's there for most people, but to make up for it, the side of him that gets enflamed, affected, pumped up on bloodlust and riled up is more than pronounced and tends to guide his sadistic actions.

So, if he hurts beloved, Terry always feels his hand was somehow pushed into it and that he's entitled to reprisal like it's a natural law he's meant to enact, rightfully so. His payback is due and he's here to collect because nothing's for free. An eye for an eye. Be it due to conflicting loyalties, Terry feeling his control slipping, beloved disobeying him, jealousy issues, betrayal, heartbreak, revenge, evening scores, abandonment, sexual or emotional frustrations, or any other reason --- you name it, Terry hurting beloved comes about when he feels he has an incentive and it's a bit like witnessing an angry child destroying their best friend's toy because they're envious that the toy gets more attention and is played with more readily than they are. And so, it is only righteous revenge (and he's aware it is revenge; he doesn't pussyfoot around by calling it any other name) that they hurt their friend smash up all their legos, plastic trucks and dolls. It's the same for Terry. It's not that he loves beloved any less...in his own messed up, Terry way. It's just that he's so overinvested in every part of them that an obsession of that magnitude can fester at times, and seep over, rotten, riddled with maggots. And he can hurt them for any number for reasons; due to them backstabbing him in the worst ways imaginable or doing something as harmless as looking at someone who isn't him for longer than two seconds.

Both injuries will somehow warrant hurt galore.

[alonahawk]

Note(s): This is part 2, I hope you enjoy it!

I made a little bit of a parallel universe ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights on this picture.

Word count: 1,909

Changes

Chapter 2: Time to prove

Summary: The first deployment is coming up, time for you to prove to Bravo. Can you convince them?

As we arrived in VA Beach, we had to introduce ourselves to Commander Blackburn.

I knocked on his door.

"Come in."

We saluted.

"Commander, we are ready to start our duty."

"Ah, Petty Officers (Y/L/N) and Franklin. I was expecting you. You are the new sniper and spotter. Let me see... I've got two vacancies in Bravo team. This will be your new place. Here is a barracks plan. We are here and there are the quarters of the Bravo team. Contact Master Chief Hayes for further instructions. Any questions?"

"No, Sir."

"You're dismissed."

We went over to the quarters of our team and knocked on the door.

The door flew open.

"Master Chief Hayes? We are the new sniper and spotter, Petty Officer (Y/L/N) and Petty Officer Franklin."

"Oh, right. Commander Blackburn told me about you. Come in."

We walked in and looked around. We were really excited, but tried our best not to show it.

"Guys, this is Petty Officer (Y/N), our new sniper. And this is Petty Officer Drew Franklin, the spotter. (Y/N), Drew, these are Chief Warrant Officer Raymond Perry, Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Omar Hamza, Special Warfare Operators First Class Sonny Quinn, Trent Sawyer and Brock Reynolds."

Sonny raised his eyebrows.

"A woman? Did you have the same requirements as everyone else?"

"Yes, Sir."

"We call ourselves by our first names. I have to say, that's actually impressive."

"Thanks, Sonny."

"Guys, get your gear, we're going for urban warfare training. Drew, (Y/N), you're Bravo 6 and Bravo 7. I will take a look at your training level. Let's go."

"Yes, Boss."

The training took the whole day and it was very demanding, but it it made a lot of fun and it was a really good feeling belonging to a team now.

"Hey Boss, let's go to the Bulkhead, the newbies have to pay a few rounds for their arrival."

"That's a good idea, Sonny. Bravo, in one hour at the Bulkhead."

We showered and then Drew and I headed to his van.

"This is gonna be a hard evening, especially for our wallets."

"Oh yes, I think so, too."

"But maybe we've got a little time for a beer before the Bulkhead?"

"That's a great idea (Y/N), let's get one."

After the beer we went to the Bulkhead.

I looked around and saw the rest of Bravo team.

Drew went to the counter and ordered beers for all of us.

There were another two women sitting at the table.

"Hi, I'm Mandy, Jason's girlfriend. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Lieutenant Lisa Davis. But in private call me Lisa. Nice to meet you. I heard you were really good at the training today."

"Yes, such capable newbies are indeed rare."

"Ray, you and your enthusiasm. They are good but we will see when we're on deployment."

Drew and I looked at each other. Jason did seem to be very critical. But we would make it, we were sure about it. I got another round of beer for all of us and we played darts and talked a lot. Late in the evening we all went home very drunk.

As we got to the van Drew dropped the key and almost stumbled over his own feet.

We both began to laugh so hard that we got tears in our eyes.

"Wait, let me get it before you stumble again."

I leaned with one hand against the van and with my other hand I tried to pick up the key but Drew gave me a slight nudge. I fell over and grabbed his hand, he also fell over and there I laid on the floor with Drew over me.

We couldn't help but laugh.

We looked each other directly in the eyes. For a moment time stood still. I saw something in his eyes that I've never seen before. I couldn't tell exactly what it was but it felt so warm and good. I took a deep breath and inhaled Drew's fragrance, it was as if everything else around was gone, as if it's just the two of us on the whole world.

"You're ok, (Y/N)? I hope I didn't hurt you."

"Yeah, everything is fine, don't worry. But we should get up, this floor isn't really comfortable." I smiled and blinked.

"Oh yes, you're right." Drew stood up and reached me his hand.

"May I help you?"

"That'd be great, thank you."

Finally we made it to get the key to open the van.

Time to sleep.

I was so damn tired and drunk but I couldn't stop thinking about what happened moments before.

'We're just buddies, close friends, aren't we? Anything else would be complicated, we're on the same team. Hell, can't I just close my eyes and sleep?'

Somehow I eventually managed to get a few hours of sleep.

The next day began with a run in full gear. Great. My head felt like it could explode any second. But somehow I made it to finish.

"Good job, Bravo. Take a short break, afterwards we will train at the shooting range."

None of us seemed to be really sober, except for Jason and Omar. Omar didn't drink any alcohol but Jason? How could he be so fit after this evening?

"Is Jason always like that after such evenings?" I asked. Sonny smirked.

"Yeah, but we got used to it. After all, it's up to yourself if you're drinking too much. You can bet that the next day is going to be demanding."

"Yeah, right. Good to know."

We emptied our water bottles and headed to the shooting range. Jason was already there, waiting for us.

"Alright, first we will train with our assault rifles and pistols. Then, Sonny, (Y/N) and Drew, you will train with your special weapons."

The training was intense and took about three hours. After that we had to run one mile again, do 50 push-ups and then it was Sonny's, Drew's and my turn. Our special training took another two hours.

"Good Bravo, that's it for today. In 10 we're going back to base."

As we prepared for marching back, I heard Jason talking to Ray and Omar.

"(Y/N) and Drew seem to be really good and resilient. I'm excited how they will prove at the next deployment."

"See, Jase, like I told you."

"Okay, okay, Ray. But nonetheless we have to wait until deployment. They still have to prove themselves."

"Of course, you're right. But things are going to be good, believe me. Should we go back?"

"Yeah, it's time. Guys, let's go."

We marched back and prepared our equipment for the next day.

After a hot shower, Drew and I went back to his van. I told him what I heard Jason saying at the shooting range.

"Wow, that sounds great. So I think after our first deployment we will be fully integrated to Bravo."

"Yep, but we should keep it to ourselves, I don't think that Jason knows that I've heard it."

"Of course. This will be our little secret." Drew winked. "Wanna play cards?"

"Oh yes, let's play a round."

One round turned into several and after a long evening playing cards we eventually went to bed.

The week went over very fast and the weekend stood ahead.

Finally we found an apartment not too far away from the base. Every evening we worked a little bit on our new home, so we could move in on time.

It was Friday afternoon, so Drew and I decided to hit the gym. We were training for about an hour and then our phones rang.

Man, I was so excited. I checked my phone first.

"Briefing in one hour. This is gonna be our first deployment. Time for proving, buddy."

"Hell yeah, let's go!"

One hour later we were briefed by Commander Blackburn.

"Your destination this time is Sweden. I know, it's different than usual but we suspect an act of terror. And you will prevent it. Coordinates will follow. Departure in 30. Good luck."

As we arrived at our safehouse we got our orders from Jason. Drew and I had to observe our target person and secure the surroundings.

"Everyone else follow me. We have to check every building if there are evidence or other persons who are in contact with the target person. We're starting at nightfall. Go and get some rest."

As the night began to fall, Drew and I headed to our observation post. Jason and the rest of our team walked towards the city.

"Bravo one, here Bravo 6. Everything is clear."

"Understood, Bravo 6."

They went into the first house. I checked the building while Drew went on checking the surroundings.

As the boys walked into the fourth house, I saw a person through a window on the second floor.

"One, here seven. One person on the second floor, be careful."

"Thanks, seven."

Omar neutralised the person and they went on.

Next building.

They splitted and Trent seemed to find some evidence.

"Bravo one, here four. Here's a laptop and it's on. I can see a plan with markings."

"Good four, take it with you."

"(Y/N), look. Tangos over there."

"Shit. This is going to be nasty. Bravo, here seven. Fourteen tangos on their way to you, prepare for it. We will neutralise as much as we can."

"Seven, here one. Negative, keep your cover. Only intervene if necessary."

"Understood, one."

The gunfight began and suddenly I saw Sonny getting into trouble. The tango grabbed Sonny at his throat. I took aim and fired. Hit.

"Thanks, seven."

As the gunfire silenced, I heard Ray through the radio.

"Bravo, here Mako. I got some information about our target person, he should be three streets ahead."

"Mako, Bravo, here Bravo one. Understood, let's get out of here and get this shithead. Six and seven, I'll send you the coordinates."

We got the coordinates and we shifted to the designated position.

"One, here seven. In position."

"Understood, seven."

They entered the building where the target person should be. I could see movements on the third floor.

"One, here seven. Movements on the third floor."

"Can you see details?"

"Just silhouettes, three, maybe four persons."

"Thanks, seven."

We saw muzzle flash.

"Bravo one to all, jackpot. We're going to exfil."

We left our observation post and met the rest of our team.

Not far away from our exfiltration point we were attacked again. We all took cover and shot back but this time Jason got into trouble. He was shot in his arm and one tango sat on him, holding a knife in his hand.

"(Y/N), cover me. I'll go and help Jason."

"Understood, Drew. Be careful!"

Drew shot the guy and helped Jason to get cover.

Meanwhile the rest of us shot the rest of our enemies and secured the area.

Trent went over to Jason and treated his wound.

"Thanks, Trent. We can go. Guys, let's get outta here, we're done."

We made it to our exfiltration point, without any further interruptions.