#military pouches

[oliveplanet1]

Essential Gear: Military Pouches, Rain Ponchos, and Surplus

When it comes to outdoor adventures or survival situations, having the right gear is crucial. Three essential items that can make a significant difference are military pouches, military rain ponchos, and military surplus gear. In this blog, we’ll explore how each of these items can enhance your experience in various environments.

Military Pouches :

Military pouches are designed for functionality and durability. These pouches come in various sizes and styles, making them perfect for storing everything from tools to first aid kits. Whether you are hiking, camping, or in a tactical situation, military pouches keep your essentials organized and easily accessible. Look for pouches made from high-quality materials that can withstand rough conditions and provide reliable storage.

Military Rain Ponchos :

Weather can be unpredictable, especially during outdoor activities. A military rain poncho is a must-have item that ensures you stay dry. These ponchos are lightweight, easy to pack, and can be quickly thrown over your gear. They provide excellent coverage and are designed to keep you protected from rain and wind. Many military rain ponchos are also made from durable, waterproof materials, making them suitable for extended use.

Military Surplus :

When searching for military gear, consider exploring military surplus stores. These shops offer a wide range of high-quality products at affordable prices. You can find everything from military pouches to rain ponchos and other essential items. Buying surplus gear is a smart way to get reliable equipment without breaking the bank. Plus, you’ll often find unique and durable items that are perfect for outdoor activities or everyday use.

Conclusion :

In conclusion, having the right gear can make a world of difference during outdoor adventures. Military pouches help you stay organized, military rain ponchos keep you dry, and military surplus offers a budget-friendly way to equip yourself with high-quality items. Consider adding these essential items to your gear collection to ensure you’re always prepared for whatever nature throws your way!

[salty-software-engineer]

It really sucks that military, tactical, and similar stuff is so cool and frequently very useful because not only do their fandoms suck but they're also inherently tied to systems of oppression.

[yewelshtabby]

Counter-Sniper

I’ve recently done promotional imagery for a new set by NeoDement and OverlordLettuce, this one being a 2 piece Sniper set based on the uniforms worn in CS:GO. It includes:

Cranium Cover (Visor Down style)

Cranium Cover (Visor Up style)

Preventative Measure

If you like the set, please vote for it here!

[military1st]

10% OFF Maxpedition 

Attention adventurers and tactical enthusiasts! Maxpedition, renowned for its military-spec tactical gear, is now available at Military 1st with a 10% discount. Shop now and save! 

Whether you're in the military, law enforcement, or love the outdoors, Maxpedition has got you covered with user-friendly designs, top-notch materials, and outstanding craftsmanship present in each of the tactical packs, bags, and cases, accessories and MOLLE pouches. 

Don't miss out on this opportunity to gear up with the best! Explore the collection now and elevate your adventure with Maxpedition's hard-use gear. 

Find out more at Military 1st online store. 

Enjoy free UK delivery and returns! Swift delivery to Ireland, the US, Australia, and across Europe.

[cicadaknight]

Rehashing a pain point with the Horizon franchise…

Why is there no mention of any real tribal nation in the game? No reference at all. The erasure of APOLLO didn’t remove the visions at the Grove, or any of the artifacts Aloy finds in her exploration. You’re telling me it makes narrative sense to have 30 minutes of Dutch artwork analysis and its historical significance, but not a single mention of any indigenous society? There are ZERO datapoints or ruins related to native people throughout the entire world that could have influenced Horizon-era culture?

😒 SIDE EYE 😒 It is that way because the devs made it so. Everything in a narrative is a choice.

[jackkandersonn]

In the unforgiving world of Special Forces operations, a misstep can mean a life-or-death situation. That’s where the essential medical pouches become a vital piece of equipment.☺️

[alexthetrashyracoon]

Simon loves you. He adores you. He worships you.

You love Simon. You adore Simon. You worship Simon.

That’s one thing you two have in common.

The other thing is that you two hate your own bodies.

You hate the fat on your belly and the fat of thighs that make every jeans you wear too tight. You hate how slabby your arms are when you wave at someone and wear a t-shirt. You hate the stretch mark on your stomach and under your arms, around your thighs. You hate the little double chin you’ve gotten over the years and can’t get rid off, no matter how hard you try.

Simon on the other hand hates how rough his body is, how firm and hard. He hates the scars all his years in the military had left behind. He hates how there is always a reminder of a bad past, one where you didn’t have a place just yet. He hates how calloused his hands are, from years of punching people or holding weapons. He hates that no matter how hard he tries, he always is a bit too rough, never too much to hurt you, but it’s not easy to relax.

So one of these days, your parents invited you and Simon over for brunch and you agreed to go. But now you’re standing before the full body mirror and stare at the tight shirt you chose to wear, you swore the last time you had it on it wasn’t like this. Tears gather in the corner of your eyes as you squeeze the pouch of fat on your belly.

That’s when Simon walks inside. He’s dressed casually, jeans and shirt. He looks good, handsome. But as always he hides most of his body behind long sleeves and pants.

“You’re beautiful.” He whispers into your head, wrapping his arms around your waist to take your hands away from the small pouch. “You’re gorgeous, sweet, sexy. There are a million words I could say to describe you, but they won’t be enough. You’re perfect, the way you are.” Simon says softly, looking into your eyes through the reflection of the mirror.

You believe him.

Because you might hate yourself but you love Simon.

Simon is the same. He believes you when he stands at the sink and looks at his scarred hands. Those hands aren’t made to love someone, they are made to kill and destroy. Those hands aren’t meant to touch someone as pure as you.

That’s when you walk into the bathroom. You see him, hate and disgust in his blue eyes.

You place your smaller hands on top of his before taking them and placing his hands on your cheeks. Smiling softly.

“Your hands are made to protect, you save not just me but many people. They are gentle and kind. You are gentle and kind. You aren’t a machine that’s made to kill. You are perfect, just as you are.”

And Simon believes you.

Because Simon might hate himself but he loves you.

[undeadcannibal]

Can I have some funny/cute Headcannons with if the 141 men, Konig, Alejandro and Ruby walked into saw their s/o wearing some of their  military gear and checking themselves?

Summary: Headcanons for how the Task Force 141 crew, Alejandro, Rudy, and Konig would react to catching you wearing some of their gear.

Genre: Headcanons

Warnings: none!

A/N: Thanks for the request, Anon! I hope you enjoy these~ uwu( Gif credit: xxx )

Ghost ―

He’d be fine with it so long as you don’t touch any of his masks. That’s one of the parts of him that he doesn’t want you connected to in any way.

Instead, you’d try on his thigh holsters and tactical belt, having always enjoyed the way they accentuated his waist and thighs.

You do your best to mimic the pattern you’ve seen him use them in. Strapping them snugly around your hips and thigh, pausing to admire them on your person afterward. You’re so caught up in checking yourself out, you don’t even notice Ghost in the doorway.

He’s been leaning against the door frame, watching you go about trying on some of the safer gear he’s left out here and there.

He’d never thought he’d like the idea of a partner of his wearing his gear, worried it’d bring up some memories he’d hoped to keep buried. Yet, after he checks you out sporting his belt and thigh holster, he can’t help but shaking his head. Laughing softly when you finally catch sight of him and whip around to face him.

“I-I can explain!”

“No need.”

As you’d begin to stammer and try apologize to him, he’d roll his eyes at you before settling a heavy hand on top of your head. Ruffling the hair there till it was a mess and you were pouting up at him.

“They look good on you.” He’d comment, stepping in and looming over you as he reached down to tug at one of the straps around your thigh, delighting in the way it wrapped around your leg. He wouldn’t say it aloud, but now he understood why others had a kink for their gear. Ghost thoroughly enjoys the way the straps accentuate your thighs, ending just below your backside.

May ask you to wear some more of his simple gear more often just to see how good you look in it. Has to will himself out of thinking of you whenever he’s wearing the same pieces you’ve tried on. Knowing he looks nowhere near as good as you do despite what you say.

Soap ―

Johnny’s busy cooking breakfast when your curiosity hits.

Quietly entering the room you share so you can sneak over to the spot you know where he keeps his military gear at. At the ready just in case he ever needs to leave in a hurry.

Your fingers trail over tan polyester and vinyl as you stop to examine his tac vest. Glancing over the numerous pouches and compartments for all sorts of tools he used in situations.

With a quick glance over your shoulder, you carefully pick it up. It’s obviously heavier than you expected, but that doesn’t come as a surprise. Soap mentioned the grueling training they went through to get adjusted to all of the weight they had to carry out in the field.

As your mind continues to wander, you find yourself slipping the vest on your person. Turning and marveling at the sight of yourself in Soap’s own vest as you strike numerous ‘strong man’ poses. Knowing that if you had to carry the same amount he had, you’d probably fall to the ground and need help getting back up. Not that that stops you.

While you’re still busy practicing numerous goofy poses with his vest, you hear a familiar chuckle from behind you. Turning to see Soap grinning at you cheekily.

“Aw, why’d you stop, lass? I was enjoying the show!” He’d joke before mocking you by repeating some of the same poses you were doing earlier.

Gaz ―

He was in the shower when you saw some of his gear on top of the table in the living room.

Most of it was stuff you knew you were better off leaving alone, yet... as soon as your eyes laid their sights on his headgear. His cap was well faded and sporting a UK flag patch on the front, as well as having what looked liked a communication system attached at the sides.

Carefully sneaking the cap on and pulling your hair through the back of it for a more natural look, you turned around and promptly made your way to your bathroom so you could check yourself out properly.

After knocking and letting him know you were entering the bathroom, you stepped in and swiped at the mirror to get a better look at yourself.

Of course, the cap was loose on your head from the size difference of you two, but the more you turned around and admired yourself in it, you couldn’t help but grin. Turning your head when you heard Gaz exiting the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Although his eyes widened in shock seeing you in his cap, he didn’t seem put off in any way. Instead, he laughed softly and stepped closer to get a better look at you sporting his cap.

“How’s it feel?” He asked, grinning at you.

Reaching up to the headset, you pretended to use the comms attached. “Sergeant Garrick reporting for duty!” You exclaimed, offering a mock salute in exchange.

Gaz playfully rolled his eyes at your impression of him.

“Next time Price has us doing drills, I’ll make sure to send you in my place, love.”

Price ―

He’s out picking up more cigars he enjoys when you were cleaning up around the house and noticed a tan scarf and hat you’d seen before. Recognizing it as the same two that John often wore when he was out on the field.

You knew you should have left them alone. Or, at the very least, put them away with the rest of his things, yet... You didn’t. Instead, you glanced around - as if you’d be caught and punished - before grabbing the scarf and hat.

Arranging the Boonie hat on your head before the scarf went around your shoulders, neck, and the bottom of your face, you glanced at yourself in the hallway mirror. Noting that the scarf smelled exactly like him as you admired the dual feelings of familiarity and anonymity of the combination.

You can picture Price in your place... His face shielded from both the wind and sand during his missions. Or, having to resort to using it as a pillow in a pinch in some safe house in the middle of nowhere.

The secret knock he’d informed you about could be heard before the sound of the door unlocking and opening afterwards. “Sweetheart! I’m home!”

When you faced him, Price didn’t look displeased or upset with you for wearing some of his gear. Instead, he walked over to you and dropped his shopping bag at his feet. Leaning down to meet you halfway as you leaned up towards him.

“Playing ‘dress up’, are we?”

You’d nod affirmatively up at him before delivering a swift kiss directly to his lips.

Alejandro ―

 It was the morning of the day Alejandro had to leave for work again.

You were helping him pack when you noticed you’d were holding the black sweater he often wore for casual missions. Noting the worn look of the black material that carried the briefest scent of his cologne and detergent now. Having once smelt like musk, sweat, and gunpowder he’d washed it.

He’d left to take a call not to long ago, so you figured now was the best time to act on your impromptu plan. Unzipping the jacket, you slipped your arms through the sleeves and tucked it closer to your form before closing it, the size difference between you two evident now more than ever as you stood there in his baggy coat.

“Mi amor!”

Guess his call had ended just in time.

Alejandro entered your bedroom, pausing for a moment in the doorway as he took in your appearance. The moment it sank in that you were wearing his jacket, you saw his eyes slowly rake over your body. Clearly admiring the view.

“As much as I love seeing you in my clothing...” Alejandro appeared to have snapped out of his stupor now that he’d walked over to you, reaching down to pull you into his arms with a devious grin. “Unfortunately, I need that for work. Mind if I have it back?”

“Hm...” You hummed softly as you pretended to mull the thought over before you suddenly looked up at him with a devious gleam in your eyes. “Nope! If I keep your jacket, that means you’ve to stay home with me. Hah~”

Giving a little growl in return, you gasped as you found yourself being lifted into the air by Alejandro reaching down and grabbing you, settling his hands right beneath the curvature of your ass.

“We’ll see about that...”

Rodolfo ―

“Rudy,” You questioned, slowly walking your fingers over his chest.

“Si, mi vida?” He replied casually, not evening bothering to open his eyes while he rested beneath you.

As sneakily as you could, you’d reached over to the gloves he’d discarded the moment he’d arrived home. Doing your best to quietly pull them on over your slimmer hands before he was peeking at you through his lashes. Smiling when he’d noticed you grinning down at him with a mischievous smile on your face.

“What’s that look for, huh?”

Miming aiming the sights of a gun down at him with both hands, you giggled as you did your best to fake an intimidating voice. Kinda like the one you’ve heard Alejandro use on occasion.

“Special Forces, hands up!”

Scoffing and shaking his head, Rodolfo slowly raised his hands in mock surrender before he suddenly turning his head towards you. Grinning like a mad man before pouncing. Wrapping his arms around you to pull you in for a sudden kiss that had you squealing in surprise.

König ―

wearing a spare mask of his he has back at home

Sitting on top of the edge of König’s desk, you casually swung your legs, eyes closed since he was busy switching out masks. Having mentioned something about his current one being too worn for daily use ever since his last mission.

You could hear the rustling of fabric before something being tossed onto the desk to your side.

“You can open your eyes now.”

After you’d opened your eyes, you couldn’t help looking over to your side to see that he’d tossed his old mask onto his desk. Glancing over to König, he seemed busy adjusting his new mask to his liking. Too busy to notice you grabbing the old, raggedy mask he’d rid himself of.

Unsure what possessed you to do so, you found yourself slipping the mask over your own head. Positioning the stretched out holes where your own eyes were so you could see out of it. Now that you were wearing it, you couldn’t help but have an odd feeling of déjà vu. Walking over to examine yourself in the same mirror König had been using.

Watching you approach, he stared down at you curiously with bright eyes.

“Is that my old mask, Schatz?”

You nodded in agreement. “Yeah, quick question though, hon...”

“Hm?”

Hesitating before asking your next question, you tilted your head to the side curiously. Squinting at him with your reflection in the mirror. “Is your ‘mask’ actually an old t-shirt?”

. . .

“. . . Yes.”

[pattern-recognition]

military uniforms now: thanks to our patented SLAPCOCK™️ Technology™️ you can open this mag pouch .0000356% faster, which could cost you YOUR LIFE. order your america first faggotblaster now for only $88.14 (it is a single strap of nylon)

military uniforms 80 years ago: we’re sending you into the bloodiest conflict in human history wearing a tie

[oliveplanet1]

Buy Top Military Surplus GearP Ouches & Rain Ponchos Online

When it comes to military gear, having the right equipment is crucial. Among the must-have items are military pouches, military rain ponchos, and military surplus products. Each of these components plays a significant role in ensuring you're well-prepared for any situation.

Military Pouches :

Military pouches are designed to keep your gear organized and easily accessible. These pouches come in various sizes and styles to hold everything from ammunition to first aid supplies. Made from durable materials, military pouches are built to withstand tough conditions and ensure that you have what you need when you need it.

Military Rain Poncho :

A military rain poncho is an essential piece of gear for staying dry in adverse weather conditions. These ponchos are made from high-quality, waterproof materials that protect you from rain, wind, and even snow. They are lightweight and easy to pack, making them perfect for both military personnel and outdoor enthusiasts.

Military Surplus :

Military surplus refers to surplus gear and equipment from military stockpiles that are available for purchase by the public. This includes a wide range of items such as pouches, rain ponchos, and other essential military gear. Military surplus products are often high-quality and durable, providing excellent value for money.

Conclusion

Whether you need military pouches for organization, a military rain poncho for protection against the elements, or are looking for military surplus items to enhance your gear collection, these components are indispensable. Investing in quality military gear ensures that you are well-equipped for any challenge that comes your way.

[panimoonchild]

Caring about animals is an emotional outlet for Ukrainians

Ukrainian military provides shelter to any animal. A soldier of the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade rescued two baby boars in the forests of Kharkiv region. Their mother and three other cubs were killed by shelling. The rescued animals were named Tisha and Tosha. The boars turned out to be very affectionate. They even learned to obey commands.

- Tosha - in the trench!

- They are digging a trench, looking for miners.

A fighter with the call sign "Sladkiy" took in a Red Book peregrine fox. The animal received the call sign "Soledar". The soldier jokes that his pet also wears a pixel. The kid turned out to be very active and playful. In times of danger, Soledar hides in his rescuer's pouch. The rest of the time he explores the trenches.

A soldier with the call sign "Bob-Ukrop" brought a raccoon to his unit. The soldiers named their new comrade Slavko. Slavik loves tasty treats. He jokingly calls the four-legged friend a raccoon assault dog. The mischievous fellow keeps things in order in the dugouts. In his free time, Slavik washes his favorite toy.

Ukrainian military often feeds wild animals. They even rescue them from traps. Four-legged animals easily make contact with the military. After all, animals always feel good hands.

🎥: New Voice

Some hopeful and kind video meanwhile I'm sitting without electricity. Sweet and safe night everyone, except Russia and Russian supporters (China, Iran, and North Korea).

[rileyslibrary]

Your opinion isn’t part of the recipe, Sergeant.

Synopsis: After a successful mission, you and the boys decide to spend a day at the park, celebrating with a picnic. Ghost is barbecuing with Price while Soap and Gaz are annoying the living hell out of them. You? You’re looking at the havoc taking place in front of you.

Relationships: 141 x GN!Reader / Simon “Ghost” Riley x GN!Reader (brief and near the end)

Word count: 1,176

Notes:

I’ve had this image in my head for quite a while, and I wanted to put it in writing.

There’s a scene involving a sausage. If any of you filthy minds associate it with anything other than what it really is, I swear to Freud, I’ll grab you by the ear and drag you to the naughty corner. 

Platonic and fluffy

Want more?

———————————————————————

It’s amazing how they haven’t ripped each other’s heads off yet. 

You all get along so well on missions, that you wonder if it’s the military institution that makes you so well-behaved and orderly. Because what you’re witnessing right now is nothing more than a circus.

You’re sitting on the picnic bench, sipping an ice-cold beer and munching on some thinly sliced carrots you prepared at home. You sprained your ankle on the last mission, and it’s making it difficult for you to participate in anything happening around you. Thank God, you think to yourself.

Soap and Gaz are playing football about twenty metres away from you, which is dangerously close, given the velocity with which they kick the ball to each other. They’ve already hit the table once, launching empty beer cans into the air and shouting “STRIKE!” as if they invented foot bowling. Ghost gave them the death stare and Price politely asked them to keep “the fuck away from anything alive, especially when it’s already injured.”

Ghost is barbecuing. He’s wearing that stupid birthday present you all got him—a tactical vest shaped like an apron with the word “chef” written at the top. It had the same loops a conventional military vest had for attaching pouches for bullets, knives, and walkie-talkies. The loops on that apron, however, were used for organising one’s tools, sauces, and spices while barbecuing. It was a funny gift, and he smiled when he opened it, but you never expected him to wear it. Look at him now, rocking that bad boy as if he was the one who chose it.

Price is standing next to him with a beer and a cigar in his hands. He’s looking at the grill but not touching anything. Ghost clarified that if anyone else touches it, we will eat their fingers along with the sausages. And, even if he didn’t mean the threat, you wouldn’t dare to put his abilities to the test. Especially after seeing what he’s capable of doing at work.

You try to eavesdrop on their conversation, but Soap and Gaz’s shouts drown it out. An F-16 would pass over your head right now, and you’d still hear Soap screaming, “That didn’t count; it was out!”. But, despite the chaos, you can make out some words. They’re reminiscing about the good old days, talking about their first deployment together, their comrades, and only using salt and pepper on steaks.

Price is Ghost’s companion throughout... everything. Whether that’s on a mission or a day out. He can’t seem to bear the entropy that the other two are causing, and he’s not comfortable talking to you yet. Price is as calm and talkative as Ghost desires. Or, perhaps, Price knows what Ghost wants.

Soap and Gaz appear exhausted from football and return to the picnic area. Gaz sits across from you, apologising for being “too sweaty,” and you start laughing. You’ve wiped the blood off of that guy during an enemy attack, and yet, he worries about sweat. 

Soap, on the other hand, isn’t much of an etiquette expert. He’s creeping up on the grill, and Ghost threatens to mark him with the spatula if he gets closer. “I’ve already salted the steaks; I don’t need your sweat,” he says.

Soap ignores his warnings and stands there, hands on the sides of his hips, looking at the grill. He gives unsolicited advice about the cooking time and when to flip the pork chops. Ghost tells him his opinion isn’t part of the recipe but turns the pork chops anyway.

Gaz murmurs that he’s hungry, and you offer him a carrot. He makes a disgusted face and asks Ghost—who is taking his sweet time with cooking—when the food will be ready. Ghost then turns to Price, warning him to get a grip of him before he does, and dares Gaz to come close to see for himself. You smirk and nudge him to go, but he shakes his head, telling you he hasn’t gone crazy just yet.

At some point, Ghost becomes distracted by something Price says and leaves the spatula next to the grill. Soap seizes the opportunity and uses the spatula to poke at the meat. Ghost notices him, but as Soap attempts to run away, he catches him by his maw-hawk and draws him closer. Instead of hazing him, he gently touches his shoulder. He explains why pressing on meat while cooking drains it of its juices. Soap crosses his arms in front of his chest and nods like a student.

Price takes up the football and challenges the two sergeants to a game so they’d leave Ghost alone. He says two against himself, and they make a snide remark about his age, saying he smoked an entire cigar and drank five cans of beer. In response, he throws the ball up and shoots it midair with his foot, demonstrating his abilities. Soap and Gaz run after it like dogs playing fetch, and Price joins them.

Ghost turns to face you. He asks if you’re okay, how’s your ankle, and if you’re enjoying the “rabbit food.” You tell him that everything is fine and smile at him. He drapes a towel over his shoulder and gets a fork and knife. He cuts a piece of sausage and hands it to you, whispering not to tell the others. You take the sausage off the fork, thank him, and pop it into your mouth. He looks at you with curiosity and concern as if trying to judge his creation based on your facial expressions.

“It’s delicious, Ghost.” You compliment him, and he puts his hand in his apron pocket, standing taller than before. When you ask him how he made it, he begins reciting every detail of the recipe as if it were a poem he wrote by heart.

He wipes his brow with a towel and whistles with his fingers for the three self-proclaimed MVPs to end their match because the food is ready. The sergeants bolt, and the captain pants in exhaustion. “It’s that fucking cigar,” Gaz says, and Price reminds him that he beat “the living shite” out of both of them in that match.

The four of you sit down and invite Ghost to join. But he refuses, claiming that the grime from the meat is still fresh and now’s the perfect time to clean it off the grill. He encourages you to begin without him.

You start eating, complimenting Ghost’s cooking as you go. He tries to be humble, but he looks so proud of himself. Proud of being able to provide in ways other than giving orders, shouting, pulling triggers, and hurling knives. He enjoys feeding others, even if it means cleaning up afterwards. He might not be full of food, but he’s full of joy, and that faint smile on his face is a dead giveaway, as he cleans the barbecue grill.

———————————————————————

[tobiasdrake]

Can you elaborate on the broly cheelai leemo dynamic? I could see what they were going for but thought it seemed a little underdeveloped

It's definitely underdeveloped but for what we get in the film, it works for me.

On their own, what makes Cheelai and Lemo interesting is that we rarely get to see rank-and-file Planet Trade forces. We've gotten to know Saiyans and their mutant elites, but ordinary Frieza Force troops are rarely in focus.

So far as the writing goes, Lemo is basically a purse for Cheelai; He goes where she goes. She's the one that drives the plot of DBS: Broly. An irreverent car thief who stole a cop car and then got ID'd by the police. She didn't really join the Frieza Force; She's using Frieza as a shield.

This woman gives zero fucks.

She's right, too. As Jaco: The Galactic Patrolman clearly established, there's a limit to how much Galactic Patrol can interfere with Frieza's operations. Capitalism is far more powerful than law enforcement.

In any case, this makes Cheelai an interesting figure in the whole conflict. She's not so much with Frieza as she is a wild card in the mix. She's scrappy; She goes where she will, does what she wants, and problem-solves her way out of the trouble she lands herself in through whatever means are available, even if they're unconventional. That's a good setup for a protagonist.

And make no mistake: Cheelai, Lemo, and Broly are the protagonists of this film. In much the same way that Infinity War is more Thanos's film than anyone else's, this is their movie, without a doubt.

For his part, Lemo's an old-timer with the organization. One thing I really like that this movie does is acknowledge that an organization like the Planet Trade requires the existence of staff beyond the direct military. We even see it with the Saiyans, as this same film introduces us to the Saiyan mechanic Beets.

Like Goku's chef of a mom Gine, Beets exists to demonstrate the existence of Saiyan infrastructure. Saiyans may be the most powerful race in the universe but even a warrior race needs bread-making Saiyans and mechanic Saiyans and stuff.

The same is true of Lemo. By his own admission, he's been with the Frieza Force for a long time but he is not a soldier. And, y'know, neither is Cheelai; She's a car thief in hiding.

Leemo's main job is to be Cheelai's sounding board, and to Me Too Me Too every choice she makes with Broly. This serves the purpose of keeping Broly and Cheelai's dynamic from seeming romantic. They're certainly shippable, of course, but the film never crosses that line of making them a canon ship.

This is good because actively trying to thrust Broly into a romantic relationship with the first non-parent person he ever met would seem unbelievably predatory and kill the sweet vibe of their dynamic. Cheelai is not here to be a Love Interest, so the film uses Leemo as a chaperone to keep their scenes from coming across like she is.

They're out here scouting the universe for recruits to join the Frieza Force but having difficulty finding people who can meet the standard requirements for enlisting in the main army. Until they go to pick up Paragus's distress signal and stumble upon the jackpot of their lives.

Once we get the Dragon Ball Minus portion of the film out of the way, so much of the first act is just setting up and developing the chemistry between Broly and Cheelai.

This is the first conversation Broly has ever had with someone who wasn't his abusive father in his entire life.

When they introduce Broly to Frieza and we get an explanation of his tendencies, the animation on Broly is so good.

Paragus explains that he cut off Broly's tail because Broly would lose his mind whenever he became the Oozaru, and lets slip that Broly still sometimes loses his mind and becomes wild and unstable. When Frieza naturally takes issue with such a person being on his ship, Paragus quickly clarifies that he has Broly under control.

As he removes the controller to Broly's shock collar from his pouch, we get to see Broly's eyes go wide with fear, and then he starts grasping at the collar and pulling at it in panic. Pure Pavlovian terror just at the sight of the remote.

With the scene calling attention then to Cheelai and Lemo, horrified by what they're both seeing and hearing.

"It is not a strong current," Paragus assures Frieza while Broly is having a full-blown panic attack behind him.

Lemo and Cheelai collect a very generous payment for finding Broly. We have no idea how galactic currency works but they both react like "OH MY GOD SO MUCH CASH" so we can assume this is a lot of, uh, cosmic cigar cases or whatever.

Admittedly, the "Lady asked you to leave her alone" cliche where the likable male protagonist beats up an asshole harassing the likable female protagonist at the bar is pretty old and tired at this point. But I will note two things I like about this scene:

1 - That Broly isn't the one who escalates. He's not the one who started this fight. Lemo tries to intervene first, attempting de-escalation by offering to buy the thug a drink. It's only after the thug gets violent and decks Lemo that Broly then steps in.

2 - And also, the main point of development that Cheelai, Lemo, and Broly have isn't "Broly stepped up to defend Cheelai". This is just a mechanism for bridging the gap between the important stuff. That is, Cheelai seeing how controlling Paragus is....

And Cheelai getting to see for herself what the "mild current" of Broly's collar looks like in action.

God, if the visuals of Broly writhing around in pure agony don't make you feel for the guy, the sound of him screaming bloody murder for like fifteen seconds straight sure will.

Paragus declares that he had to do it because Broly would have killed that guy if he hadn't. Cheelai retorts by calling Paragus's parenting into question which. Like. Yeah.

We tend to just kinda take Paragus's word for it that Broly's a raging uncontrollable beast purely by nature and it has nothing to do with his failings as a dad. "That's just how the boy is, nothing to be done about it, gotta torture my kid," says the father who tortures his kid while also weaponizing him for personal gain. Why are we trusting him?

The thing this movie did for Broly that makes it so fascinating is that it asks those kinds of questions. It dares to ask, "What if the abusive father's interpretation of his child is actually full of shit?" It reinvents Broly as a character by condemning Paragus, but doesn't have to condemn Paragus any more than the original Z film already did. All it really does is take away the meta-narrative's vindication of his abuse.

The domineering Paragus barks at Cheelai to stay the hell away from his boy. He doesn't even notice Cop Carjacker Cheelai solving this problem herself.

Fun fact: In this moment, Cheelai kills Paragus.

It's a bit of a walk from here to Paragus's death, when Frieza hysterically murders him in order to motivate Broly to become a Super Saiyan.

But this only occurs because the fight between Broly, Goku, and Vegeta has continued to escalate beyond the point when Paragus would have stopped it. His fate is sealed when he reaches for the remote to stop Broly's fight and finds it missing.

The highlight of their relationship-building is, of course, Broly telling the story of Ba's ear after Leemo introduces him to water for the first time. The heartbreaking tale of the first and only friend he had before these two.

Broly wears Ba's severed ear so that he'll always remember what it felt like when he had a friend. Oh my god. Are you shitting me with this. That is the most heartbreaking thing. How dare you make me want to wrap Broly the Legendary Super Saiyan up in blankets and give him hugs and chocolates.

Broly doesn't even like fighting; His dad forces him to train. Which sure makes it really fucking interesting when Paragus turns around and goes, "I have to use a shock collar because my violent and uncontrollable child is violent and uncontrollable!"

Then, as the fight goes on, we keep checking back in with Cheelai and Leemo to get Cheelai's assessment of what's happening. Cheelai sets the tone for how we should be feeling about Broly's fight with Goku and Vegeta.

I love how, when she says Paragus raised Broly to be "the kind of warrior that he wants him to be," the shot isn't of Broly looking fierce or menacing, or beating down Goku or Vegeta. It's the shock collar. This is the visual expression of what Paragus wanted Broly to be.

And that, in turn, is the tone of Broly's fight with Goku and Vegeta. This isn't awesome, it's tragic. They don't even know. They legit have no idea who this guy is. Frieza showed up with a super cool warrior and went "FIGHT THIS STRONG GUY" and so they're doing that.

They have no idea who he is.

And they're probably going to kill him in this fight.

All of this context is what makes the finale of this movie work so hard. Because this is Cheelai, Leemo, and Broly's movie. Cheelai by this point has been firmly established as an irreverent thief who does whatever she feels like. She has no loyalties to anyone but herself and whoever she cares about, she makes dangerous choices, she's young and impulsive, and she's emotionally invested in the wellbeing of this abused boy who deserves better.

Consequently, the triumphant climax of this film isn't when Gogeta defeats Broly, but when Cheelai fucking robs Frieza to save Broly.

This is the emotional climax of the film, offset against the tragic action climax where Gogeta is utterly destroying our boy in a predictable but heartbreaking fashion. The magic of this movie is that by the end of it, it has you rooting against Goku and Vegeta, and utterly distraught when they pull ahead and find the answer in the third act.

This character relationship is underdeveloped. It could have used a lot more fleshing out, and honestly I would never say no to more of these characters.

But for what we got, I love it. Cheelai and Broly are the best characters that DBS ever came up with, and Leemo's cool too.

[basilknell]

Vasily's Rank

I've seen it pop up a couple times that people point to Vasily's cockade and say that he's canonically low-rank because of it. I've addressed this before in previous blogs, but I figured I'd separate out the information here for a better, more in-depth discussion.

First and foremost: Vasily has more evidence he is an 'officer' than that of being a low rank enlisted man.

It's prudent for me to go ahead and say that, as this blog is in English, Imperial Russian military ranks are categorized differently from how you see the military organized in England and the USA. I will, however, try my best to lay things in terms without one needing to know much about any of these military rank systems.

For ease of sake, I will be splitting Imperial Russia's rank system into three categories: Enlisted Men (EM for short. This refers to those who had no prior military schooling when entering the military, and are colloquially 'low ranking'), Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs. These are enlisted men who have risen through the ranks to become officers but have no military schooling. They are officers technically, but are more simply called NCOs), and Officers (those who have completed military schooling and begin as a second lieutenant).

So, to start with the most commonly cited piece of evidence, is Vasily's cockade.

Below, I've attached the three sperate ways the cockade is illustrated between the anime, manga, and Noda's detailed illustrations. Since there is only a single image of the latter, I'd like to state that the design of the cockade is consistent across the anime to itself, and consistent across the manga to itself.

An equally important thing I'd like to note -- Vasily's cockade was not added into the manga until his 'resurrection'. Additionally, when the official volume that first contained Vasily (Volume 16) was released in 2019, only then did Noda go back and heavily edit Vasily (and the other Russian soldiers') designs. From adding Vasily's eyelashes and changing his equipment, to his papakha gaining a cockade. Hence, when reading non-volume scans of the border crossing event, is why Vasily missing his cockade and looks a tad different.

So, one might argue the manga has the most correct design of the cockades, as season 3 of the anime (the season in which Vasily first appears) was also announced in 2019. While the season did begin airing in 2020, there could be a couple reasons for why his cockade appears different from the manga. Firstly, it could be the animators were given the uncolored panels and told he wears an Imperial Russian cockade, of which search results would give the cockade design Vasily does wear in the anime. Secondly, and the more likely case, is animators were given the outfit reference Vasily's almost entire outfit is based upon: Johan Somers' Imperial Russian Field Uniform and Equipment 1907-1917.

Having the book myself, here's a quick photo of someone that might be a bit familiar:

Of course, there are some minor changes between Vasily's design and the one in the book. But, surprisingly, Noda changed Vasily's design to be more towards the WWI time period (such as giving him model 1916 ammo pouches). Regardless, while you can't see the cockade on this mannequin, other outfits displayed on its surrounding pages have that same cockade design that Vasily has in the anime.

So, it could have been that the animators were handed an incorrect design, and Noda either did not care or forgot about doing so, as it is quite an insignificant detail in the long run. After all, given the problems with Vasily's outfit and gear I will not specify in this blog, he did not have too much care for making Vasily's outfit completely correct. Regardless, this would explain the discrepancies between the anime's cockade design, and the one in the manga.

But is there actually a significant difference between these two (three) cockade designs? Actually -- yes!

[Photo belongs to RDSTRPV]

Cockades were a way to differentiate between ranks from a distance when it was hard to see shoulder straps. The cockade on the far left is one of an EM. As you can see, it most resembles the one Vasily wears in the anime, and the most common design to find in general because there were so many EM in the army. The design in the middle is an officers cockade. While one could argue Noda's illustration of Vasily looks an an artistic rendition of this cockade, it otherwise bears no importance. The third cockade is that of an NCO, and resembles manga Vasily's cockade the most with its large ring of silver. Again, an argument could also be made that illustration Vasily has a stylistic choice to appear most similarly to this cockade as well. At the very least, illustration Vasily's cockade looks the least like the EM cockade.

This is all to say: the manga and illustration Vasily appear to be wearing an NCO cockade. There exists argument and reasoning for why the animators would accidently be drawing an EM's cockade as well. However, this is not the sole evidence towards Vasily being an NCO.

Let's examine some of his other equipment: namely his Nagant revolver and his binoculars.

To be quite frank -- Vasily should have neither of these things if he was an EM. Even if he was an NCO, he'd need to be of a certain NCO rank to be issued a Nagant as well.

Vasily is either infantry or cavalry, the latter of which is only likely if he is a Cossack (refer here for Cossack Vasily discussions). Regardless, for both divisions, a single-actioned Nagant was only issued to NCOs of Feldwebel rank, an NCO rank that is three ranks above counting as an EM. Just as well, binoculars were also only issued to those of Feldwebel or higher ranks. While one might be able to argue that, as a marksman, Vasily had special permission to have binoculars, this does not explain why he owns a Nagant either. Even if Vasily proclaims in the series his revolver is a back-up for close combat, it would not justify supplying it to a soldier who technically does not have a strong need for a sidearm.

The only feasible explanation for why Vasily could be an EM and have both these items is that he stole them off a dead officer (in the case of the binoculars particularly -- he could have also stolen the revolver off certain division EMs such as artillery). But the more likely scenario is that he is, at the very least, a Feldwebel NCO and was issued these items.

Now, on to one-off evidence.

For whatever reason in this singular panel below, we can see Vasily wearing a double-breasted overcoat, something only officers were issued. However, we never see his coat drawn like this again so I don't think it is solid evidence. Also, at times soldiers often bought their own clothes when their own wore out, but it'd be strange for a non-officer soldier to pay so much more extra for a double-breasted coat at the risk for being berated.

Vasily's bashlyk is also of a unique point. The embellishing of it is of a brown-tan consistently through his illustrations and anime. However, bashlyk were not issued with this type of embellishing color. EM were issued bashlyk with gray embellishments, NCOs with silver embellishments, and officers with gold embellishments. Obviously, this brown-tan is closest to gold in appearance, but its still most definitely not gold, nor would it make sense for Vasily to have been high ranked enough of an officer to receive a gold-trimmed bashlyk when that would have required military schooling for him.

This leaves us conjecture evidence based on circumstance.

We can, at the very least, assume Vasily is not a private because he is stated to have served in the Russo-Japanese War. Unless he committed some grave offense during or post-war, and seemingly was not removed from the military for it, he perhaps could have been demoted back to private. Otherwise, there was only one other EM rank above private: Gefreiter (Yefreytor), loosely equivalent to private first class. It is not a stretch to believe he'd at least ranked up twice during the war if he was as excellent of a marksman as Vasily holds himself to be (and that Ogata states him to be as well). If he had ranked up at least twice, then he would count as an NCO.

Following that, it would be odd of the Russian government to have sent a group of EM to apprehend a known Tsar assassin. For the same reason they didn't issue Nagants to lower ranks (they believed EM couldn't be trusted not to waste ammo), why would they trust a group of EM to capture the assassin? Though, conversely, one might argue that Vasily's group were the only soldiers around, in which case they were the governments only option to send to the border.

Conclusion

Of course, even after all of that, Noda strictly avoided rank shoulder straps on both Vasily's overcoat and gimnasterka (his undershirt). Whether this was intentional or he either didn't want to do the research or did not realize shoulder straps were needed, I'm unsure.

Much of what I stated and pointed out has reasonable counters against the facts. Thus, one can easily still headcanon him as an EM if they so wish. However, the strict evidence does stack in favor of Vasily being an NCO -- particularly one that is at least of Feldwebel rank.

Anyways, have fun with this information! I just was surprised at the amount of people I've seen claiming him to be canonically an EM based solely on his cockade, which isn't quite right.

[sleepyy-27]

Little chain

Chapter two! :D

(Ao3 version ^-^ )

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It was evening now Link was sitting by the fire making dinner for the other heroes, from what Legend smelled it was edible, thankfully—he didn’t know what he was going to do if he ever had to eat his or the others cooking again.

They still weren’t sure if they should call him Link, it was likely that kid was Wild from what Legend had caught from a conversation Warriors and Time were having on their walk today.

Another problem that seriously pisses Legend off is that whatever era that kid was from they had been cowardly enough to have a child fight in battles, they expected a child to give up his own life—Hylia forbid it ever happens—if it’s ever required. Just those few thoughts alone pissed Legend off. Just like what they had expected of a majority of us to do. Legend thought to himself trying to keep his face neutral. When will those cowards realize that a child can’t fight all their battles for them just ‘cause of a title they give them.

Whatever idiot allowed that to happen I’m gonna‘ beat their ass. Legend declared to himself. If the child was his brother but younger, then he might end up doing more than beating the crap out of someone. Now that he thought about it he might want to tell Warriors or Hyrule what he plans to do if they ever end up in the kids era.

There was a whistle loud enough to be overheard from the others conversations. The kid had been standing by the cooking pot, made sure everyone was paying attention then signed ‘Dinner’s done.’ He knew there was about to be some chaos by the pot so he took off and out of there. After he had been gone from the pot for a second several others rushed over there letting hunger win over the ability to think clearly. They had lunch about 6 and a half hours ago, but even Legend admitted that this kids cooking was better than Wild's cooking, and if Legend’s being honest he never thought something could beat Wilds cooking but somehow something did.

After some of the others got their food legend had gotten his portion, it would be a lie if he said he wasn’t excited to eat whatever the kid said he was making.

“This tastes amazing. Link, who taught you how to cook?” Wind asked, putting another bite of the food in his mouth. ‘I just would study cookbooks when I had free time, I guess I picked up a thing or two from them.’ Link replied in sign stoically, Warriors placed a hand on Links shoulder, the kid straightened then slightly relaxed realizing the hand was Hylian.

“You can loosen up some if you want too. You’re not actively on duty right now so you can relax.” Warriors said to the kid, it wasn’t uncommon for a few of the chain members to forget Warriors was a captain with military experience. And if the kid really was a knight then maybe Warriors could at least help the kid relax.

The kid hadn��t loosened up though, his back was still straight, he hadn’t even taken off one piece of his armor. The most understandable thing the kid left on his person was his sword, shield, bow and item pouch. Warriors sighed, he walked away from the kid and started talking to Time. Legend wondered exactly what made Warriors’ give up so easily like that, none of them knew what kind of fighting the kid had been capable of even though the kid said he was knight, but being a knight didn’t mean much in terms of power for almost all the Links.

It seems Link caught a glimpse of the master sword, eyes immediately widening. “What the fuck?” Link said quietly brows furrowed in confusion. Those first words anyone in the chain heard this kid say all day. Sky, still getting himself a serving of food, noticed the kid staring at the master sword. Then the connection became clear in the Skyloftians eyes. “Oh you know what the master sword is?” Sky asked curiously, giving the kid a gentle smile. The kid stopped staring immediately and looked at Sky, he nodded at the man, he looked like he wanted to say or sign more but didn’t.

Sky sat back over at his spot around camp and made a motion for the kid to sit by him, he took the offer but the kid sat pretty far away from Sky. “Is the master sword well known where you’re from?” Sky asked. At this point anyone who is in this camp of people has figured out that they are pretty far from home, for the kid specifically had noticed Time had the triforce of courage mark on his hand and Wind had the same thing.

The kid shook his head as a reply to Sky. ‘No, hardly anyone even knows it’s even a thing.’ The kid signed, Sky sighed at that. The kid started to sign again ‘I actually found it, I just didn’t pull it, no one where I’m from even knows where the master sword is. You can call me crazy for this but, the only reason I knew where it was was ‘cause I heard it calling to me from the forest.’ He signed, he noticed how Sky shared a look with a few of the others, it was very quick but they all seemed to understand what exactly was happening. It was a silent agreement. ‘Well since you have it I guess you pulled it?’ That was kind of shocking that Link had asked a question that hadn’t really been important to ask.

“I didn’t exactly pull it, I act-“ “he had forged the master sword.” Four interrupted Sky, Sky just looked confused then betrayed. “Four! You didn’t need to say it like that!” Sky said looking over at Link trying to make sure that wasn’t an overload of information. Link looked at the ground then put a hand on chin, he looked like he was thinking for a solid second. ‘That sword is thousands of years old. You don’t look like some sort of ancient being, so is that sword a fake then?’ Link signed, eyeing Sky suspiciously.

“Of course it’s not a fake, it’s hard to explain how I’m here.” Sky said, he didn’t want to overload the kid's head with all this timeline nonsense, and the portals, and the shadow, okay maybe he was overloading himself while thinking of it but he didn’t want to straight up lie to the kid, so he only mentioned himself and not others, Link didn’t look like he was buying it though, and honestly no one could blame him.

‘Okay then, just let’s forget about this.’ Link signed, Sky had tried not to make a thankful face at the kid for just dropping it instead of arguing. ‘I’m going to bed, good night.’ Link signed, then walked over to a tree, climbed into it, and sat there, resting his arm against his leg resting his head in the palms of his hand and closed his eyes.

“I’ll take first watch.” Sky said abruptly. “I’ll take second then.” Hyrule said after Sky, then Time spoke up. “I guess I’ll take thi-“ “ohh no old man, you’ve taken too many watches this week, let me take this one.” Warriors interrupted Time, Time gave him a slight look but Warriors shrugged it off. Time sighed. “It’s settled then.”

Everyone settled in for the night and so far into first watch there was no disturbances, when Sky gave Hyrule second watch neither of them could shake the feeling of something bad, then there was a crash coming from Link's direction.