#oc: rfis

[paradoxbeta]

sometimes its a little funny to put a character next to their old design

[frameshiftworks]

Testing the range of Frame limb patterns. After all, why can't one of my little guys lay down whilst doing his wacky alien piloting shit? He might need a nap.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Rage Fire Institution.

Confessional. 3.

The school forum was more trouble than it was worth, and that was Maki’s official opinion on it. Li’s headset was ancient. The response time too slow for his patience. He’d gone to make an account, only to find he already had, sticking himself with the user name “MakingGood”. If he could have gone back in time, he would have hit his past self. The name was beyond cringeworthy, and Li had been delighted when he’d bemoaned it.

Still. The Professor was right. He was much more of a hot topic than he’d known. Girls he couldn’t imagine were out there commenting on his every move, while guys were also commenting… though not as nicely. It really seemed as if they true believed him an unfocused and unintelligent pilot, despite his taking of the medium level course and keeping a constant relatively high mark in said courses.

Now he was on the forums, the alpha found himself in a whole new world. The rumours he could live with. Judgment wasn’t exactly foreign to him. What he hadn’t expected were the extra doors open to him. Survey’s and quizzes that paid money. School mech teams for almost every subject. Class chat rooms. He hadn’t signed up for anything to do with his classes purely because of his lame username. No, he focused on the quizzes. Everyone knew that without money they’d be as stuck as everyone else. He’d found if he was on at 3 am, he had the best shot of hitting up the quizzes and surveys that paid more. In addition to that, he’d found a ground that held regular games for student pilots. It was all virtual through the headset, so the better the headset the better the game and the more money that could be won. The Professor might not have set out to turn him into a gamer, but as soon as the first lot of Official Space Dollars hit his account, his chaotic sleeping schedule became worse.

Slipping into the mech training hall, given he couldn’t pilot, Maki didn’t see the point in being punctual. His lessons consisted of working on calculations followed by cleaning up the training hall before the next class came. When he entered to find the students standing in front of a mech, he assumed he hadn’t missed much.

Noticing his late entrance, his semi-friends quietly made their way over to him. With his track record in piloting, when the pair had first approached him, Maki thought them ready to mock him. Instantly he was on edge, looking for a fight. Instead, the pair boxed him in, one complaining “How the mechs were so poor they wanted to go back home”, and the other complaining that “Skylark was an insufferable tyrant”. The called themselves twins, despite Silva Colm being a beta from the northern autonomous zone and Fleur Randall being an omega from an upper class family in the city. Where Fleur was somewhat squat and as wild with her wolf cut her as the institute allowed, Silva was tall with a buzz cut so sharp Skylark would be envious. Any and all talk of the pair dating would make both of them gag, with Fleur already engaged to a fellow omega who worked a corporate job, and Silva too in love with mechs to give anything else the time of day. He may have been picked up as a pity case, yet Maki had to admit that the pair were less annoying than Li.

Shepherding him across to blend in with the group, Silva stood behind him, while Fleur looped his arm through his, scolding him in a whisper

“You’re late again. You know Skylark hates you as it is”

Skylark had been their instructor in their first year, and now only came in for certain subjects, not that his replacement, a hard ex sergeant from the front named Devlin Anse was any better

“He’s not supposed to be here. What’s happening?”

“Anse is laid up. Skylark had this all prepared when we came in. We’re doing combat today, even you. He said he found someone he thought would make an excellent target. None of us are allowed to leave until we’ve all done two and a half minute matches, and written a reflection on the battle analysis. We all think Anse is in that mech. It’s not even a standard training mech for our year”

Now that Fleur mentioned it, the mech was one designed for fourth year students, much more advanced than the ones they fobbed off on the second years, though just as lacking as it wasn’t intended for front line use. Other than the change from a yellow to orange front plate over the sternum, the main difference was the extra metre in height.

Silva leaned in between the pair of them, adding his bit to the conversation

“You can’t tell when the pilot is half hunched like that, but that thing’s got one hell of a kick on it. Fourth years are allowed minor changes to echo their own combat styles. It’s be a good match for you and your kick boxing”

Maki felt the dig. He’d knocked a guy out once completely accidentally with a kick to the shoulder that had hit his opponents head when they’d gone to duck. Personally he preferred a good fist fight, but some thing would never be erased from his image

“Says you. It doesn’t matter what year it is, we’re all stuck with the same shitty delays in relay. That extra height means greater concentration from the offset to counter the amount of pressure on those leg joints”

Silva let out a breathy laugh

“Who would have thought, the class failure knows a thing or two. It’s a 10km run around the school for all those who don’t last the required time. Skylark’s already got the first year class complaining about it on the forum”

“He put first years against this?”

“From what they said, his plan seemed to have been to punish that pilot more than them, then it backfired. Whoever in there’s already been in their since first class”

Maki’s eyes widened by a fraction. That really did seem like the poor bastard inside the mech was the one being punished. Knowing their teacher, he would have them all up at dawn to start his day nice and early with some torture

“What the hell…”

Fleur hugged his arm tighter, nodding his agreement

“Yeah. Hold on, he’s looking at us. Are you sure you’d didn’t insult his ancestors or something?”

Skylark was indeed looking at them. His smile icy cold. The three of them knew that he knew Maki had not only been late, but now that they’d been talking instead of listening. Even if they were students, there should have been some damn law against this. Instead of lecturing him, Skylark’s smile grew as he barked

“Alright class, pilot’s 6 through to 13 go suit up. Everyone else, pull up a spot and try not to get too comfortable”

***

Maki wasn’t sure if going first or going last would have been better for his nerves. He might not get along with his fellow pilots, but even the schools hardest delinquent had a tough time watching his fellow classmates being thrashed. The pilot of the mech was on another level. When a normal mech fight could take half an hour, watching his fellow students fall one after the other over the last two hours seemed to really drive into them that they were nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Bitter laments were whispered across the room. Silva included as he’d wound up nearly losing his mechs arm, despite holding on the longest at a less than staggering time of 1 minute 40 seconds. Fleur hadn’t done any better. Ever on the attack, retreat was not an option. He even liked to call it an idiot move coupled with critiquing the advance in the opposite direction. At this rate the whole class would be joining the first years, and while Maki didn’t so much mind running, he also didn’t want to be wiped out in 30 seconds flat.

With a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, the alpha felt like a lamb to the slaughter as his turn finally came around. Under Skylark’s following glare, he crossed the floor to climb up the back of the waiting mech, scrunching his nose at the onslaught of sweat left by the students before him. Fellow students, who’d normally avoid acknowledging his existence, had banded together, calling out word of encouragement as the rear panel slid smoothly into place and the onboard display lit up. Synching his suit with his mech, his specs appeared on the bottom right hand of the screen. Out of these, the only one he cared about was the synchronisation rate as that was the only one that mattered. As soon as the number started dropping, a pilot knew strain would start putting pressure on not just his body, but his internal organs and more importantly a low rate could cause irreversible brain damage.

Taking a few seconds to let his rate level, he could feel the resistance in the machine around him. If Skylark had had the mech running on short bursts all day, there’d be too much play in engine fluctuation which would slow the systems down as it prioritised cooling. Skylark truly was a grade one arsehole, and the alpha wished he could have just sat out the whole fiasco as he knew the man simply wanted to see him fail.

Taking their positions, the mech in front of him seemed all the more imposing. It’s stance lower than he’d expected, with both hands brought up in a standard boxers pose. Maybe the gods above were looking out for him after all? He hadn’t relished the idea of having to kickbox his way out of the trouble he was in, not with a mech with such poor balance. Whoever was inside the mech couldn’t have been a student, as no student would take such delight in seeing fellow students eliminated with such ease. The whisper about Anse came back to mind, at the same time the thought that maybe the mech was remote controlled came nudging its way in. He wouldn’t put it past Skylark to pull a shitty prank like that.

Above them the light turned from red to green, indicating match start. Cockily, the pilot of the mech across from him gave a nod of his head, indicating to attack. However, that wasn’t what Maki did. Instead, he watched. Holding his posture. He wasn’t the first to try this approach, but he also wasn’t about to throw a punch blindly and end up thrown from his arm extension. He’d thought as he watched that it was entirely possible that student in front of him had front line experience. They seemed to know and preempt each attack effectively. Mechs carried a generally blank expression, yet it felt to him the whole device was looking down on them from more than height.

Having decided 10 seconds was enough, the mech charged him. The speed the first thing Maki felt. He didn’t know how to word it, other than akin to a rushing bull. Leaping back, he positioned himself for that throw he’d feared was coming his way, intending to use the mechs one propulsion. What he didn’t expect was the nimble was the mech leaped over him, landing lightly behind him and slamming him with a roundhouse kick before he could turn entirely.

Yes. He was definitely being looked down on. Gritting his teeth at the force of the blow, it was all he could do to remain standing. Redness bloomed in his cheeks at the cheeky lesson he’d just been taught. As he righted himself up, he found his opponent had already resumed his stance. This was utter bullshit to put a student against a superior mech. His temper got the best of him at all the worst times and if he gave into the alpha part of his brain, he’d be attacking stupidly. Before he could give his opponent any credit for politeness, he was charged again, this time dodging back, only to be caught by the arm. Cutting his mind from his left arm, he focused on twisting his body, driving his right hand up and under the joint of the opponents mech arm knowing it wouldn’t succeed in cutting control, but hoping for even a seconds reprieve.

It didn’t come. Unlike him, his opponent wasn’t prepared to sacrifice his own arm for mobility. The grip on his mech increasing as his left leg was driven out from under him. Having not been in the control room, he couldn’t hear the collective groans of his fellow students, nor could he hear the stilling of their breaths as he used the the leg sweep to redirect his momentum, forcing the opponent mech to leap backwards in order to avoid being taken down with him. He’d made his chance by accident. Redirecting power back to his arm, he pulled it free in the split second his opponent’s grip slipped, following it through with a hard upper cut.

The next thing Maki knew, he was on his back. He knew he’d never gotten the upper hand, yet he didn’t know the move that had taken him down. In a normal situation he’d have 30 seconds to rise to his feet before the match was called. However, he’d barely caught his breath when the light turned from green to red. Their fight hadn’t lasted long, still, it’d been long enough for sweat to appear along his hairline and his alpha blood to start boiling. He didn’t care how many times it took, he wanted to get back on his feet and knock the smile off the face of his stupid opponent. Not that he could say that out loud and seem like a bad loser.

Returning the mech to an upright position, Maki walked it over to the starting line. His synch rate hadn’t dropped below 89% meaning he shouldn’t be injured once he got out of the mech. All of it was so unfair. The damn principal of the school had to know about the lack of maintenance. The only outcome from the situation should be the man himself hauling his arse out his cushy office and down into one of the student mechs, then maybe he’d feel a fraction of his students pain. Disconnecting himself, the hatch to the outside world opened allowing stale air into the cockpit. It wasn’t much, but after being trapped in a stinking mech, the outside was far favourable.

With the match over, Maki descended the ladder to the training room floor. Little did he know at the time that being beaten that day would make its rounds all over the school forum as students would bad mouth him over that one good hit he’d gotten in when they’d all struggled far harder for less results.

[randomfandomimagine]

Home Again (Jaskier x Nissa)

Characters: Jaskier, Nissa

Fandom: The Witcher

Tags: Whump, hurt / comfort

Warnings: Angst, and spoilers for 2x05!!!

Word Count: 1,1k words

Summary: After Jaskier gets in trouble and returns home to Nissa, she finds him hurt and frightened.

A/N: After watching a certain episode, I just wanted to write some hurt / comfort for our beloved bard and I thought it would be even better to write it with my OC Nissa from my Witcher series Soul of a Warrior. Enjoy!

AO3: Link

Things hadn’t been easy for them lately, but at least they had each other. And while Nissa despised staying at home like a maid, she understood Jaskier’s need to do something he thought was worth it. Her time to shine would come again. For now, they would stay at Oxenfurt.

As she absently cleaned the plates, her lips perked up at the sound of the door opening behind her. Rolling her eyes in amusement, Nissa tilted her head at Jaskier already before even turning to face him.

“If it isn’t my darling bard” She playfully said. “How lovely of you to finally return to-”

As soon as she turned around and saw him, Nissa gasped and completely froze. The plate that she still carried slipped from her fingers and fell, noisily breaking on the ground by her feet.

Jaskier looked sweaty and exhausted, disheveled and startled. There was dried blood down his nose and on his chin. His long hair, that she had made fun of so many times before, was messy and dripping with sweat. His bottom lip trembled, and like they desolate look of dispair in his blue eyes wasn’t enough, they were filled with tears.

“J-Jaskier!” She reunited with him in one long stride, immediately taking him by the arm just as he stumbled. “What happened, my love? You’re hurt!”

“I...” He stuttered, too shaken up to utter any coherent words. All he did was take a deep breath and stare into her eyes.

“Come here, sit down” Nissa urged him, feeling her stomach turn with the look of helplessness he dedicated her. “Who did this to you, Jaskier?”

Once he was sitting down, it felt like the full weight of the world finally fell upon him and he broke down in sobs. The fresh memories of that traumatic event still haunted him, but at least he was home now. He was safe. He was with her again.

“Talk to me, please...” Nissa begged, taking him by the chin until he peered at her. “What happened to you?”

All he could manage was to shake his head. Noticing how his lip trembled uncontrollably and tears were at the verge of falling, he bowed his head down.

Despite his feebleness, Jaskier now made such a sudden movement that he startled her. Urgently wrapping his arms around her frame, he pulled Nissa into his lap and clung on to her.

“Jaskier...” She muttered, paralyzed when he shoved his face against her shoulder and sobbed there. Her voice was once filled with fear and concern, but now it was burning with anger. “Who the fuck dared do this to you?”

“L-Later...” He weakly whispered. His voice was hoarse and trembled. “Now... hold me, alright?” 

Nissa took a deep breath, forcing her unexpected thirst for revenge to subside. Jaskier was hurt, and some miserable son of a whore was responsible for it. But for now, he needed her help. He needed her comfort.

“Of course” Not losing another second, she delicately wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed him against her chest. “I’m here, Jaskier, it’s over now”

He sobbed again, clinging on to her tunic. Taking deep breaths, he focused on what she said, reminded himself that he was safe now. Jaskier deeply breathed in her scent. Lavender. It soothed his anguish slightly.

“Are you badly hurt?” Her voice acquired a rare tender tone that he only heard from her during the sleepy hours of the night. “Do you need me to heal you?”

“No...” He uttered another shaky whisper. “I think I’m... I-I’ll be alright”

Nissa paused, watching him and not knowing what to do. Jaskier kept his gaze down, now observing his hands in deep thought.

“Stay right here” She softly stood up. “I will be right back”

“Alright...” He uttered, sighing and rubbing his hands.

Rushing as much as she could, Nissa went to pick up a rag and soaked it in water. As soon as she did, she returned by his side and occupied her spot on his lap.

Jaskier remained silent. Although her mind burned with anxious questions, she let him shield himself in that silence. Instead, she gingerly pressed the wet rag against his skin, gently wiping the dried blood off his face.

“T-They’re after Geralt” Jaskier whispered, gulping and daring to look up at her.

“What?” Nissa stared at him in awe, halting her movements for a moment.

“This... man... h-he...” The bard took a second to breathe and push away the memories of his torture. “He was looking for Geralt and for his child of surprise”

She was now the one to remain quiet, not knowing what to say. Was it good that they hadn’t seen Geralt in so long after they had another falling out with him?

“Should we...” Jaskier held her hand, stopping her as she diligently cleaned his chin. “Should we warn him?”

He seemed lost, at least judging by the look in his eyes and the urgency of his grip. Even after Geralt broke his heart, Jaskier still couldn’t wish ill on the witcher. Because of course he couldn’t.

“I bet he already knows” Nissa reassured him, showcasing a comforting smile. “All you need to concern yourself with right now is resting, alright?”

“You’re right” He slowly nodded, holding her hand again, this time to caress it. “I love you, Nissa... I love you so so much...”

“I love you too, Jaskier, my stupid bard” She lovingly smiled, pushing the hair away from his eyes. “And I promise you, you’re safe now. Whoever even thinks about touching you again will taste my blade”

Jaskier breathed like he hadn’t been able to in so many long hours. He managed something resembling a smile, even through the exhaustion and blood.

On her side, Nissa was gritting her teeth. The way Jaskier had said ‘I love you’, like he had feared he wouldn’t be able to say it again...

Despite knowing it wasn’t the witcher’s fault, she cursed him for getting them in trouble once more. But yes, it wasn’t Geralt’s fault. If anything, he was in even more danger. She prayed that he remained safe wherever he may be.

For now, Nissa focused on her dear bard. She kissed his head and held him tight, patiently waiting until his sobbing completely subsided and his breathing evened. She kissed his fingertips, willing the chaos to heal them as they seemed to have been a big focus on whatever he was put through.

Without moving his head from its comfortable spot on the crook of her neck, Jaskier reached out to touch her face. Her soft skin, her silky hair. He breathed out once more, forcing scary thoughts off his mind.

Everything was alright, he was with Nissa now. He was home again.

Reblogs and comments are appreciated!! // Masterlist

Tag list: @call-me-harley-quinn​ / @wonderlandfandomkingdom / @fandomxreaders​ / @sortzz / @dancingwith-sunflowers​​ / @golden-guide​​ / @alwayshave-faith​ / @this-is-whump-dammit​ / @legallyblindgamer727 / @lilyevans1​ / @kingniazx​ / @molethemollie​ / @a-somehow-functioning-dumbass​ // Send an ask if you want to be added to the tag list for this fandom!

[kickasstransdumbass]

Here’s the first chapter of Roll For Initiative!

(Image box text

1. This situation is......less than ideal

2. I got seperated from my friends not too long ago so it shouldn’t be hard to find them

3, top text. Of course, I was unconscious for a bit, but the suns still up so it can’t have been long since I was taken

3, bottom text. So the ship can’t have gotten that far....I think....

4. It doesn’t help that I’m barefoot and covered in mud either

5. Ugh, I just showered this morning too!

6. Hopefully they’re still nearby

7. Because.....

8. We really need to get back home soon

End first chapter).

The summary of the story is that

A group of friends playing dnd are sucked into the world they’re campaigning in, and while they are stuck in between worlds a sorceress pulls them all the way through and casts illusions on them to keep them disguised.

They’re not sure why they need to be disguised, but they’re told—while still in the in between—that they will likely end up dead if they reveal they’re not from this world, and also shrouded by a cosmetic illusion. They cannot see their own illusion, and can’t see through the other members illusions unless they’re five feet from each other, so a few of the ones who got seperated don’t know what they look like as they weren’t told by their friends before seperated.

A few of them are seperated from the main group almost immediately, which makes it 10000 times harder for them to find the sorceress that pulled them through because now they have to find their lost friends.

The main character is illusioned as a half goblin/half orc, the same race as their character was, and they were captured onto a boat by bounty hunters from another kingdom soon after arriving, which is why they are seperated from the others.

In the next part they will say hello to the camp in the second to last panel (not their friends) and try to convince the group to help them out.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this press release from the Department of the Interior:

The Department of the Interior today announced its intent to assess potential opportunities to advance clean energy development on the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This significant milestone is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal to create thousands of jobs through the deployment of 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will publish a Request for Interest (RFI) in the Federal Register on Friday, June 11 to assess interest in potential offshore wind development in the OCS. The RFI will be focused on the Western and Central Planning Areas of the Gulf of Mexico offshore the states of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama. Although the primary focus of the RFI is on wind energy development, BOEM is also seeking information on other renewable energy technologies.

To date, BOEM has leased approximately 1.7 million acres in the OCS for offshore wind development and has 17 commercial leases on the Atlantic, from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras.

[dynamotoon]

Redesigns again. Most probably going to start drawing the characters like this. (If I ever get started on the comic again, nyuk nyuk.)

[whatelsev-blog]

OCS Test Prep

As you probably know by now, Academics play a HUGE role at OSC. From what I've been told there is much time to review material and it can be challenging to stay alert during lectures. At the end of Mini-OCS my Captain created a mock exam for the candidates  to get a feel for the real thing. I've recreated it below for my over achievers out there, best of luck. xo

Complete the 5 paragraph order skeleton: (click here to review!)

Orientation

Situation

______________

______________

______________

______________

_________

Friendly

T:_____

S:_____

U:_____

A:_____

L:_____

E:_____

Concepts of Operations

_________

_________

_________

_________

B:_____

B:_____

B:_____

B:_____

_________

_________

2. Weapons Safety Rules  

Treat every weapon as if it were ________.

Never ________ at anything you do not ________ to ________.

Keep your finger ________ and ________ the ________ until you are ready to fire.

Keep the weapon on ________ until you ________ to ________.

3. List the typical ranks for the following billets:

Rifleman: _________

Squad Leader: _________

Platoon Commander: _________

Company Commander: _________

Battalion Commander: _________

4. Match the Fire Team symbols

Rifleman

Automatic Rifleman

Fire Team Leader

Asst. Automatic Rifleman

5. Name the following Fire Team Formations

______________

______________

6. The Core Values of the Marine Corps are:

_______________

_______________

_______________

7. The Commandant of the Marine Corps is now:

Major Samuel Nicholas

General A. Lejeune

General Robert B. Neller

Lt. General Lewis "Chesty" Puller

8. The Marine Corps birthday is:

July 4, 1776

November 10, 1775

July 4, 1775

November 10, 1776

9. The birth place of the Marine Corps is:

Tun Tavern

Parris Island

8th and I Marine Barracks Washington DC

Marine Corps Quantico

10. The attack on New Providence, Bahamas was the first _____ conducted by the Marine Corps:

Foreign engagement

Aerial assault

Amphibious landing

Offensive combat

11. In what battle did the Marines receive the nickname Tuefelhunden (Devil Dogs)?

Iwo Jima

Tarawa

Hue City

Belleau Wood

12. Write-out any three General Orders:

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

13. Which are the 5 major terrain features used in land navigation:

Water, Ridge, Mountain, Saddle, Road

Hill, Ridge, Valley, Saddle, Depression

Roadway, Field, Hill, Water, Valley

14. Using the acronym for assistance, list the 14 Leadership Traits:

J_______

J_______

D_______

I_______

D_______

T_______

I_______

E_______

B_______

U_______

C_______

K_______

L_______

E_______

15. Fill in the Enlisted Rank structure:

E-1 ___________

E-2 ___________

E-3 ___________

E-4 ___________

E-5 ___________

E-6 ___________

E-7 ___________

E-8 ___________

E-8 ___________

E-9 ___________

E-9 ___________

E-9 ___________

16. Fill in the Officer Rank structure:

O-1 ___________

O-2 ___________

O-3 ___________

O-4 ___________

O-5 ___________

O-6 ___________

O-7 ___________

O-8 ___________

O-9 ___________

O-10 ___________

17. There are 11 Leadership Principles, name 2:

_______________________________

_______________________________

18. The 6 Troop Leading Steps (BAMCIS) are:

B: ___________________

A: ___________________

M: ___________________

C: ___________________

I:  ___________________

S: ___________________

19. What are the four main components that make up a MAGTF:

___________

___________

___________

___________

20. Write out each of the following Marine Corps acronyms/abbreviations:

MEU: ___________________

MEU (SOC): ___________________

MEF: ___________________

MEB: ___________________

CASEVAC: ___________________

CAX: ___________________

EGA: ___________________

FARP: ___________________

FMF: ___________________

FRAGO: ___________________

HQMC: ___________________

LZ: ___________________

MAGTF: ___________________

MOUT: ___________________

SNCOIC: ___________________

OCONUS: ___________________

PMO: ___________________

PX: ___________________

MCB: ___________________

MCAS: ___________________

RFI: ___________________

TAD: ___________________

VTOL: ___________________

21. "From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli..." is the beginning to what?

_________________________________________

22. True of False: The Marine Corps Service A uniform is allowed to be worn on liberty in public:

True

False

23. Do the following uniforms call for medals or ribbons?

Dress Blue A: _________

Dress Blue B: _________

24. Utilizing the map and each option in the word bank, identify the Marine Corps unit at each lettered location:

A: __________                     A:__________

B: __________                     D: __________

C: __________                     C: __________

D: __________                     E: __________

F: __________

*Answer Key

1. Complete the 5 paragraph order skeleton: (in-depth review is here!)

Orientation

Situation

Mission

Execution

Admin & Logistics

Command & Signal

Enemy

Friendly

T: time

S: size

U: unit

A: activity

L: location

E: equipment

Concepts of Operations

Task

Coordinating Instructions

TCMs or Security

Timeline

B: beans

B: bullets

B: bandaids

B: bad guys

Signal

Command

2. Weapons Safety Rules  

Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.

Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.

Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire.

Keep the weapon on safety until you intend to fire.

3. List the typical ranks for the following billets:

Rifleman: Private / Private First Class

Squad Leader: Corporal / Sergeant

Platoon Commander: 2nd Lieutenant / 1st Lieutenant

Company Commander: Captain

Battalion Commander: Lieutenant Colonel

4. Match the Fire Team symbols

Rifleman - D

Automatic Rifleman - C

Fire Team Leader - A

Asst. Automatic Rifleman - B

5. Name the following Fire Team Formations

Wedge

Column

6. The Core Values of the Marine Corps are:

Honor

Courage

Commitment

7. The Commandant of the Marine Corps is now:

Major Samuel Nicholas (traditionally known as the first Commandant.)

General John A. Lejeune ( "The greatest of all Leathernecks)

General Robert B. Neller

Lt. General Lewis "Chesty" Puller ( had the longest tenure as Commandant )

8. The Marine Corps birthday is:

July 4, 1776

November 10, 1775

July 4, 1775

November 10, 1776

9. The birth place of the Marine Corps is:

Tun Tavern

Parris Island

8th and I Marine Barracks Washington DC

Marine Corps Quantico

10. The attack on New Providence, Bahamas was the first _____ conducted by the Marine Corps:

Foreign engagement

Aerial assault

Amphibious landing

Offensive combat

11. In what battle did the Marines receive the nickname Tuefelhunden (Devil Dogs)?

Iwo Jima

Tarawa

Hue City

Belleau Wood

12. Write-out any three General Orders:

5th General Order - To quit my post only when properly relieved

7th General Order - To talk to no one except in the line of duty

9th General Order - To call the Corporal of the Guard in any case not covered by instructions

13. Which are the 5 major terrain features used in land navigation:

Water, Ridge, Mountain, Saddle, Road

Hill, Ridge, Valley, Saddle, Depression

Roadway, Field, Hill, Water, Valley

14. Using the acronym for assistance, list the 14 Leadership Traits:

Justice

Judgement

Decisiveness

Integrity

Dependability

Tact

Initiative

Enthusiasm

Bearing

Unselfishness

Courage

Knowledge

Loyalty

Endurance

15. Fill in the Enlisted Rank structure:

E-1 Private

E-2 Private First Class

E-3 Lance Corporal

E-4 Corporal

E-5 Sergeant

E-6 Staff Sergeant

E-7 Gunnery Sergeant

E-8 Master Sergeant

E-8 First Sergeant

E-9 Master Gunnery Sergeant

E-9 Sergeant Major

E-9 Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

16. Fill in the Officer Rank structure:

O-1 2nd Lieutenant

O-2 1st Lieutenant

O-3 Captain

O-4 Major

O-5 Lieutenant Colonel

O-6 Colonel

O-7 Brigadier General

O-8 Major General

O-9 Lieutenant General

O-10 General

17. There are 11 Leadership Principles, name 2:

Keep your Marines informed

Know your Marines and look out for their welfare

18. The 6 Troop Leading Steps (BAMCIS) are:

B: begin the planning

A: arrange for reconnaissance

M: make reconnaissance

C: complete the planning

I:  issue the order

S: surprise

19. What are the four main components that make up a MAGTF:

Common Element

Ground Combat Element

Aviation Combat Element

Logistic Combat Element

20. Write out each of the following Marine Corps acronyms/abbreviations:

MEU: Marine Expeditionary Unit

MEU (SOC): MEU- Special Ops Capability

MEF: Marine Expeditionary Force

MEB: Marine Expeditionary Brigade

CASEVAC: Casualty Evacuation

CAX: Combined Arms Exercise

EGA: Eagle, Globe and Anchor

FARP: Forward Arming and Refueling Point

FMF: Fleet Marine Force

FRAGO: Fragmented Order (change in op order)

HQMC: Headquarters of Marine Corps

LZ: Landing Zone

MAGTF: Marine Air Ground Task Force

MOUT: Marine Ops on Urban Terrain

SNCOIC: Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge

OCONUS: Outside Continental United States

PMO: Provost Marshal Office (police)

PX: Post Exchange

MCB: Marine Corps Base

MCAS: Marine Corps Air Station

RFI: Request for Information

TAD: Temporary Active Duty

VTOL: Vertical Take-off Landing

21. "From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli..." is the beginning to what?

Marines' Hymn

22. True of False: The Marine Corps Service A uniform is allowed to be worn on liberty in public:

True

False

23. Do the following uniforms call for medals or ribbons?

Dress Blue A: Medals

Dress Blue B: Ribbons

24. Utilizing the map and each option in the word bank, identify the Marine Corps unit at each lettered location:

A: 2ndMARDIV (NC, Camp Lejeune)         A: 2nd MAW (NC, Cherry Point)

B: HQMC/OCS (VA, Quantico)                    D: 1stMAW (Japan, Foster)

C: 1stMARDIV (CA, Pendleton)                  C: 3rd MAW (CA, Miramar)

D: 3rd MARDIV (Japan, Smedley)              E: USN/USMC FLIGHT SCHOOL

F: __________

[rizukinocte]

update on RfI ch 3: I may have been make a mistake here

Like I just wanna write narrative in broad strokes about Nana's life but somehow it morphed into her love life?? with?? TLJ???

And I shot myself on the feet with my insistent to translate their JP name into CH name and now I can't even write OC citizen names without trying to make a coherent CH names too

[paradoxbeta]

River Flows in Spring

[paradoxbeta]

for the iterator asks,,

1, 7, 22 and 24 for bfiwr

1 and 24 for nata and rfis as well :3

(feel free to veto any of these, this is kind of a lot)

absolutely not a problem anon i love getting tons of questions! putting this under a cut so it doesn't get too long

BFIWR 1. Does your iterator's name mean anything? In their lore or symbolically? If so, what?

Blooming Flowers in Winding Roads doesn't actually mean anything, but i named him that because his placeholder name was originally “blue.” he's blue as hell..

normally im more on top of name symbolism but this time around it escaped me X) if it counts, the antagonist of the story (blind eyes see in rage) does have a symbolic name. he's harmless ("blind"), but when chaos happens he takes advantage of people's vulnerable mental states instead of being decent. more on him another day, there is a Lot going on with that motherfucker 

7. Does your iterator have any specific quirks or niches unlike "typical" iterators? Special jobs, equipment, etc.? If so, what?

surprisingly, no! in fact, it's an oddity for my iterators to be anything other than a standard iterator. rfis is an exception to this because he's gigantic

22. Where does your iterator live? Describe the region.

bfiwr’s surrounding region changes dramatically over the course of his plot timeline because oops, iterator warfare. at first it's a friendly, unremarkable region similar to outskirts, but ends up a toxic wasteland almost completely devoid of wildlife

24. What do your iterators overseers look like?

NATA + RFIS

1. Does your iterator's name mean anything? In their lore or symbolically? If so, what?

Natural Ambition Tells All’s name means so little it's actually funny, her placeholder name was “natalya” and i got so attached to that i made up her acronym for the name. seriously, you don't know how many acronym sites i was on scrambling to cobble together a name for artfight. she is an ambitious individual though!

River Flows in Spring was named before his story was established. his entire design arc is less of a hot mess and more like a boiling scalding garbage pile that somehow resulted in a decent character but i digress the name rfis is a remnant from when he was completely different both design and personality wise: it's pretty much the only thing that makes him the same character he was when he was first created. i think i came up with the name in an olive garden. 

wait i half take that back, the metropolis city plan from rfis’s original concept still exists, but im still working stuff out with city layouts so it might end up getting moved to eoc and ill make a new city for rfis. regardless of if the metropolis design stays with rfis or not it, will likely still exist in some capacity

24. What do your iterators overseers look like?

[paradoxbeta]

one (1) person wanted to see the enormous tangent spawned from this post and thats good enough for me

i like to meme on my ocs (and all characters) a lot, but nata is one of those guys i just Cant mention without talking at least a little. she's such an incredible tactician, and very good at boiling down complex dynamics and difficult situations into a formulaic science she can master. but then her mentor dies. her friend dies. he goes into a long dwindling insanity spiral, and she watches it all happen powerlessly (and she has NEVER been powerless before, not like this, but that is an entire other story). and goddamnit she was so close to processing her grief like a normal person. BUT THEN FUCKING BESIR had to become public enemy number one and wildly disrespect the dead guy in the process and also all of his friends. no biggie or WHATEVER. so now nata's had the mother of all wrenches thrown in her nicely laid out future plans. she has a daunting purposed organism to design and an entire local group is in a panicked frenzy around her. there's a gaping hole of grief in her chest and her anger makes it feel deeper. she has to be extra extra careful with her words because conversations have become battlefields. she has ONE friend she trusts enough to confide in, and shes hesitating on that too because he's entered the tweakathon 5000 and is flying off the fucking wall. and yeah! with all of this going on, she starts biffing some quick time events! she locks up emotions that Shouldn't have been suppressed. she makes brash and aggressive decisions and even indulges in a couple instances of (gasp) hypocrisy. she struggles to keep her head above water, not because there are no right decisions to make, but because shes in no state of mind to make the perfect best-outcome-possible decisions every damn time. ESPECIALLY considering she doesnt know the full extent her actions could have, because shes not a mind reader or an oracle and can't know what's going on in the brains of her peers. her faltering and losing her trademark flawless functionality and analytic prowess is really just a testament to how Fucking Bad the river flows in spring situation is/was. and most importantly, even though it was her compassion, concern, and alliances that got her into so much mental turmoil, her mental takeaway isnt “kindness and friendship is a tactical weakness”, its “woah besir that was a dick move." and also “greed and insensitivity result in misery and complication for everyone involved”, and also "its important to keep others in mind especially before you fucking ATTEMPT TO TAKE SOMETHING THAT WAS BEQUEATHED TO SOMEONE ELSE and start AN ACTUAL PHYSICAL WAR THAT INVOLVED THE (ATTEMPTED) CONSTRUCTION OF A MISSILE LAUNCHER"

nata is such a perfect blend of machinelike, pristine strategical analysis and overwhelming gentleness for her friends and her community. it makes me physically ill. its the pain of her love that fucking SHATTERS her worldview, and yet through it all... even though she's easily one of the people suffering the most out of the entire RFiS situation, she grits her teeth and narrows her eyes and pushes through. she deals with everyone's bullshit. she makes bad decisions sometimes, but shes one of the few people with the sheer force of will to stand up and be proactive and not let this blow over. she is leagues more virtuous than the people who never did the "wrong" thing because they were too afraid to do anything at all.

after everything is said and done, and everyone is humiliated, grieving and quiet... and iterators are dead, and entire regions are ecologically devastated, and blood has been tracked up and down and there is no place where the filth does not invade: she brushes herself off, huddles everyone together, holds close the little dignity she is left with, and says: "okay, everyone, let's try again."

she has such a specific personality that i have struggled with encapsulating for months because she really does feel like a whole living person in my brain and trapping that complexity and nuance is so hard to do even in thousands of words. shes so.. sharp. intelligent. resilient. intimidating. KIND. watching bereavement and extreme emotion interact with someone who is so good at self control is like watching an unstoppable force meet an immovable object. it is a FASCINATING battle and the fallout is devastating, and this is just ONE CHARACTER in the RFiS related story.

as taken right from the words of the fantastic book, memory called empire by arkady martine: NATA, she whose gracious presence illuminates the room like the edge shine of a knife.

anyway... hi everyone.

[randomfandomimagine]

Love Spell (Jaskier x Nissa)

Characters: Jaskier, Nissa (OC), Geralt

Fandom: The Witcher

Series: Soul of a Warrior

Tags: Original character, hardcore fluff, mild angst, sorcery

Warnings: None

Word Count: 4k words

Summary: While Geralt goes on a witcher job, Jaskier and Nissa wander around the woods. When they stumble upon a strong magic, it comes to Jaskier to help Nissa overcome the spells that falls upon her.

A/N: I wanted to give this a try, so here’s a Jasnissa ficlet because I love these two nerds. This is set after Soul of a Warrior, but has no spoilers, just a few references. I might write more stuff like this if you enjoy it, and maybe even take OCs requests if anyone’s interested :)

Written in Jaskier’s POV!

_

Oh, the way the sunlight falls on her, shining down on her silky raven hair, stealing the light off her emerald green eyes. Oh, the way her smile brings more life to the world than the sun above us itself. I should put this in a song. What rhymes with perfection?

“You’re staring again, stupid bard” Nissa tells me, despite the delighted grin in her enticing pink lips. 

Something about her disarms me at this very moment. Perhaps it is the resigned fondness and adoration in her eyes, or the way she tilts her head and smirks in smugness at the smitten manner in which I admire her. 

“How could I not?” I sigh, grinning when she laughs at my dramatic tone. “You have enchanted me, you cruel goddess” 

Nissa’s hand tugs at mine. Her gaze falls on the ground, and there is that flush on her cheeks, the one that makes her seem ever so beautiful. More so than usual, that is.

“That’s your punishment” She glances up at me, wrinkling her nose. “For being so insufferable” 

I am tempted to retaliate, though I only admit defeat and drop my head in resignation. Her eyes linger on me in expectation. 

“Well… love will do that to you” I blurt out, and the sound I was waiting for follows: her genuine guffaw of laughter. It makes my heart sing. I can overcome anything as long as she is happy.

Still laughing, Nissa stops on her tracks and throws her arms around my neck. I wasn’t expecting that part, but I am certainly not complaining. My hands immediately move to the small of her back to keep her close. We move to kiss, though something in the distance gathers my attention. Our lips are already grazing, though Nissa looks over her shoulder to whatever has caught my eye behind her.

“What is that?” I utter in fascination. Before us is an empty yet untouched building.

“A temple? It seems abandoned” She retrieves my hand before heading there. Our fingers play with each other as we advance together and soon reach it.

The temple, made of faded white stone, stands in ruins. Despite it all, there are no weeds clinging to its structure, no flora whatsoever. An eerie atmosphere surrounds the building, settling an unpleasant feeling in my gut. However, I am not worried as long as Nissa is by my side. 

Our footsteps echo across the temple as soon as we trespass the big arch at the threshold. The inside is incredibly spacious and the distant sound of water dripping somewhere fills the silence that we dare not break as we continue on our way, tightly holding the other’s hand. I can hear Nissa breathing next to me, trying not to let it show how restless she is. Nonetheless, I know her too well and merely taking a look at her expression I can tell how she’s feeling.

“Who goes there?” A voice erupts from nowhere, bouncing against the walls of the temple. I nearly jump out of my skin at the sound, and so I press my side against Nissa’s.

We turn to the noise, finding that a figure stands there in the distance, behind a white marble table that delimits the end of the long corridor we are on. She is a woman with long brown hair and piercing black eyes that lurk into my soul, like a black hole that threatens to swallow us whole if we get too close or stare too long. Her skin is white and smooth like porcelain, and I find myself attracted to her in a way I can’t explain. It is definitely not the way I am attracted to Nissa, this is quite like looking at an eclipse: I can’t stop staring yet fear something bad will happen if I linger. Something in her makes me shiver. Perhaps it is the fact that she reminds me of someone else. My free hand instinctively moves to protect my jewels.

“You dare break into my home?” The sorceress says, and eyes us with disinterest and contempt. “Leave, before I kill both of you”

I open my mouth, unsure of what will come out. Perhaps it will be a defensive statement, or a complaint, or a nervous apology. Whatever the case, Nissa takes a step forward and bluntly retaliates against the mage’s nonchalant warning.

“We were doing nothing wrong” Nissa assures vehemently. “Don’t-”

“Shush!” The woman quiets her, and I can feel how Nissa seethess next to me. “One more step and you will drop dead”

“Are you threatening us?” I gasp when Nissa steps before me and pulls out her dagger. “I won’t stand by and-!”

“Uh… Nissa, love?” I mutter, tugging at her hand pressed against mine. “I don’t think you should-“

“And you defy me” The smirk the sorceress dedicates us causes my stomach to churn in anticipation. Oh god, what is she going to do? We didn’t actually mean any harm!

“Alright, everyone calm down!” I exclaim, noticing how they watch each other. The energy is dangerous and electric and I fear what might happen next if I don’t intervene. “Nissa, we can just leave, can’t we? Yes, of course, we didn’t mean to break in. We didn’t know someone lived here”

Nissa stops, glowering at her while she slowly saves her weapon. The woman’s black eyes languidly fall over me. I gulp. I really genuinely don’t like mages. Her gaze is piercing me, seeing deeper, I can feel it. The imposing expression fades from her face, being replaced by a smirk.

“I see” She briefly glances at Nissa before staring at me once more. I don’t like it… I don’t like it at all. “Perhaps you will think twice before doing anything of the like again”

“I… Y-Yes, absolutely” I squeeze Nissa’s hand as I restlessly step back, hoping she will follow after me. “We will be more careful, that’s for certain. Isn’t that right, love?”

Nissa doesn’t reply, only lets her head fall forward. I could be hearing wrong, but I swear I heard a strangled noise escape her throat. I frown in concern, confused as to what she is doing just standing there. Why won’t she move?

“Thank you very much, we are on our way” I insist, tugging harder at her. Moving my gaze, I realize the sorceress’ smirk has widened. “Come on, Nissa, we… Oh, god!”

A movement out of the corner of my eye gathers my attention away from the mage. I move just in time to catch a falling Nissa. My breathing is suddenly erratic as she limply lies in my arms. I swear I am having several heart attacks at once as my mind races with reasons why she has suddenly faltered. Is she conscious? Is she ill? Can it be that she was frightened enough to faint? No, that doesn’t seem right. What has happened then?!

“I have dealt with enough people seeking power and fortune” The sorceress is unfazed as she watches us. “Fear not, bard, if she truly harbored no bad intentions nothing will happen”

I gape at her as the recognition slowly settles in. This is her doing, isn’t it? Shit. I hate mages.

My hands are shaking as I adjust my hold on Nissa. One arm firmly wraps around her frame as she rests against my torso. With my free hand, I nervously move the curtain of soft dark hair away from her face. Her emerald eyes are indeed closed. There are no signs that betray her unwell, instead she seems to sleep peacefully. She would look beautiful if it weren’t because I am still worried out of my mind that she might not wake up.

“W-What did you do to her?!” I exclaim, in my fervor causing Nissa’s head to tilt to the side. The weight and inertia causes her body to lean off as well, and she would fall were it not because of my grip on her. “Y-You, sorceress! Undo this right now! She was only trying to protect me, I-“

“Save it” She rolls her eyes, and I pay no more attention to her as I try to shake Nissa awake. She still doesn’t respond. The mage continues speaking. “You will find a way, now leave”

“A way to what?”

“Leave!!!” Despite her furious roar that echoes against the walls like a bad omen, I glare daggers at her. She did this to Nissa, whatever it is. No one should dare touch her, not my Nissa…

Alright, calm down, Jask, or you’ll make it worse for her. I clench my fists, ignoring the bubbling anger heating me up from the inside. I can’t retaliate, for Nissa’s sake. Enough harm has been done to her. Leaving is the only thing I can do.

Still gritting my teeth, I maneuver with Nissa’s limp body until she is scooped into my arms. I tenderly cradle her, lingering as I fear that abandoning this place will somehow mean her doom. Though I know not what to do, I decide to walk away. Who knows what this unstable sorceress might do if I disobey and stay. In any case, I have no reasons to remain in this place for myself, yet I doubt it would help Nissa.

Gingerly leaning her frame against my torso so her head falls against my shoulder, I begin to move. My footsteps echo around the temple once more, now bearing the anger and fright that I try so hard to conceal. Her weight on my arms seems to be nothing compared to the one that has established in my heart, sinking it into my stomach.

“Shit…” I mutter as I exit that wretched place.

As I walked hand in hand with Nissa, the sound of the birds chirping and the warmth of the sun in the back of my neck felt like a blessing. Now it all feels wrong as my light has faded and I hold it in my arms, desperately trying to keep it alive. Hoping I can keep her alive. Gods, I don’t even know what she has, how am I to look after her?

Wait… Geralt! He is a witcher, surely he knows about the subject and can find a remedy to whatever ails her. My heart had been racing ever since Nissa fell, but now it follows a crazed pace as I start moving faster.

“Geralt?” I shout to the void, looking around searching for a burly figure with silver hair or a bay mare. “Geralt, are you back yet?”

Where is this witcher? Surely he must be done with his hunt soon… we had the time to endlessly walk and wander around the woods. Time had flown by, of course, being by her side, but now… Shit. How long could it possibly take him to return? I can’t stand this helplessness for much longer, it is torture. I move to one side and the other, but realize there’s nothing I can do until he gets back. There is no way I can help her, not this time. Hence, I slowly kneel down and carefully lay her on the ground. I fear she might grow cold, and so I take my doublet off and put it over her. Is it my imagination or does she look a bit pale now?

Wanting to kill the time, I lean closer to her and check her vitals. After traveling so long with her as our medic, I must have caught on to some things. Her pulse under my fingertips seems normal, and so I gently let go of her wrist. Her breathing seems calm and paused when I lean my ear close to her mouth. Nothing seems wrong with her. Again, it is as though she merely sleeps. My anguish comes from the question of when she will wake up, or if she will wake at all.

Though I know it is in vain, I shake her shoulder. I tirelessly call her name as well as any and all of the terms of endearment I have addressed her as ever since we met. Love, delicate flower, sweetheart, my dear… None seem to work as she remains unconscious. I tap her cheeks, I move her head and her arms and yet nothing works. I even squeeze her sides in the hopes that she will move away as she has done before, lecturing me about tickling her. She doesn’t.

I let a big timorous sigh out as I restlessly sit down, passing a hand through my hair. If only she could open her beautiful green eyes and look at me that way she does, playfully and with a fond exasperation. I want to see her breathtaking smile once more, even if it is as she laughs at me in amusement to my foolishness or smirking with superiority and smugness. I would give anything to hear her call me stupid bard again, or to say my name angrily like the time I first kissed her, back then when I didn’t know what it truly meant to her.

“I need you, Nissa…” An unexpected sob tears my throat as the panic sets that she might not wake from this mysterious and magical slumber. “Come back to me, love… please…”

Tears are already welling in my eyes when the sound of hope comes to rescue me before I completely give in to despair. Two pairs of hooves rhythmically hit the ground as the horse’s rider urges his mount. I jump to my feet and turn my body to the sound, breathing once more when I recognize the witcher’s black leather clothes and silver hair.

“Oh, Geralt, thank the gods…” I stutter, gulping as I also stumble over my own two feet. Negative thoughts haunt me, and I try to ignore the possibility that he might not know how to aid Nissa either. “You’re here, I need… Geralt, please, I…”

“What happened?” The witcher jumps off Roach. He quickly hangs a creature’s head from his belt to the hook that his mare carries in the saddlebag. I don’t even pay attention to the monster he slayed, and he barely does either as his amber eyes fall upon me.

“It’s Nissa…” I drop to my knees beside her once more, clutching her hand in mine as I peer up at him with pleading eyes. “She has fainted and won’t wake up”

“Suddenly?” His deep voice grows near as he crouches by my side to look at her.

“N-No, we were in a…” I have to pause, forgetting to breathe and needing to focus on it for a moment. “A temple, we found it nearby and… this sorceress…”

“Sorceress?” Geralt interrupts my feverish ramblings. “So this is the work of magic”

“Yes, exactly. Or at least I think so. Oh, god… Geralt, please tell me you know how to reverse it”

I notice he clutches the wolf medallion hanging from his neck, though his amber eyes are fixed on her unchanging face. His other hand falls on her cheek as he moves her head from side to side as though examining her like a medic would.

“It depends” He only says, frowning in concentration as he stares at her. “Did this sorceress say something?”

“She did, she said…” Trying to recall the exact words, I stop to think for a moment. “That if she didn’t harbor bad intentions it would be alright”

“Bad intentions?” Geralt glances up at me, and I do not like the way he watches me. “What the fuck did you do, Jaskier?”

“Nothing!” I exclaim in outrage. “She is the one that cursed Nissa! My poor dove was only trying to protect me”

“Hm…” Oh, that is a frustrated and vexed grunt for sure. Geralt’s gaze lingers for a bit until it eventually falls on her again.

“Talk to me, Geralt” I beg of him, squeezing her hand tightly in mine and pressing it against my chest. “What did that bloody witch do to her?”

“Judging by what you said, it is a spell” He rummages through the small satchel hanging from his hip, though seems to find nothing useful. “From what I know, it searches within her heart and will kill her if the magic finds ill intent“

“K-Kill her?” I suddenly feel light-headed and have to lean on his shoulder not to fall flat on my ass, even from my kneeling position. My hand flies to my forehead. “Geralt…”

“Calm down” He brushes my hand off him in exasperation. “She had no ill intent”

“I know, but…” Remembering how Nissa brought out her dagger, I wonder what the so called magic considers ill intent. “How do we wake her? Will she be alright?”

“Did the sorceress say anything else?”

“Uh… she… she told me I would find a way, whatever the fuck that means”

That seems to inspire Geralt, as he quickly tilts his head up and glances from me to her and back to me. I frown, confused as to why he stares now. Nonetheless, I can nearly see the wheels in his brain turning. Perhaps I have had the solution all along without knowing.

“Kiss her” He blurts out, and I roll my eyes at him in exasperation. What a moment to tease us about our relationship, no matter how much it usually upsets him.

“I won’t do such a thing, Geralt!” I shout in anguish. “This is serious”

“So am I”

“No, this is no time to be sarcastic. This is not a fairy tale”

“All fairy tales have some truth in them”

It seems to me like he is actually being genuine. He is a witcher after all, he must know the intrincacies of magic. I frown and stare at my friend. Geralt deadpans as he stares back at me. I hesitate.

“Are you sure?” Honestly, I am so scared. When she was wounded, we at least knew how to help her. Nnow I feel utterly useless as she just lies there with no way of waking up. The witcher nods, and so I sigh. “Alright…”

I reach forward, puckering my lips until they make contact with her forehead. Her skin feels slightly cold, and I hope there is nothing actually wrong with her. If it is, that sorceress will suffer my wrath, I don’t care that she has powerful magic, I don’t care if she threatens me like Yennefer did. As I expectantly stare at her, I promise myself to get back to that temple and give that witch a piece of my mind. If she has somehow hurt Nissa…

“On the lips, Jaskier” Geralt tiredly tells me, abruptly bringing me out of my obsessive thoughts.

“Oh” I only say, leaning forwards again. However, his hand urgently presses against my chest and pushes me back. “What? What’s wrong?”

When I peer at him, Geralt is frowning. He clutches the medallion hanging from his neck.

“The magic intensified when you kissed her” The witcher gravely says. “It is a love spell”

“So I should kiss her again, right?” I hesitate, fearing that something might go wrong. “Then she will wake up… like in the fairy tale”

“If your love is strong enough” I know by his tone that he is only teasing me, but for a moment I panic at Geralt’s words. However, I recover the faith quickly. No, our love is strong and resilient. After all, it has withstood all these hardships we have lived together.

I take a deep breath and lean closer to her. My breath catches in my throat and I freeze. Concerned, I lift my head to look at Geralt. He sighs impatiently.

“What if it doesn’t work?” I point out, absolutely terrified by the idea. “What will I do if she doesn’t wake up, Geralt?”

“She’ll be fine” Though there is only determination in his voice, I read the worry in his features as well. He speaks only to convince himself, as he is just as frightened for her as I am. “Kiss her already”

“But what if it makes it worse, what if-“

“Jaskier, this will be the only time you hear me ask this of you”

Although I don’t know whether this is some sort of display of his strange humor or not, I roll my eyes in any case. Witchers make unique friends, that’s for certain.

“Alright…” I nervously breathe in, leaning closer to her once more. Her lovely scent fills me, reminding me of flowers. This appears to be enough to give me the courage to finally press my lips against hers. The feeling that overwhelms me is no different from other times.

My heart picks up its pace in euphoria, just like when I’m playing a tune to a welcoming audience or when I make Geralt laugh. It is the same sensation that envelops me whenever Nissa interacts with me, one of pure joy. It doesn’t matter what she does, a mere glance from her beautiful eyes in my direction makes my heart sing the most wonderful ballad I have ever composed. When she smiles, the feeling multiplies. When she holds my hand, I struggle to stand.

I lean back, closing my eyes to linger in the sensation of the kiss. There, I have poured all my love for her in that gesture. Hopefully the magic wil work, although if we needed any magic to fight the one that falls upon her, we need to look no further than the one Nissa possesses herself. Despite it all, I had never felt this tingling in my lips at the graze of someone’s, only hers, not to mention the way it spreads through my body and settles in my stomach.

“Nissa?” Geralt calls her, bringing me back to reality as I try to anchor myself to these sensations she produces in me… perhaps because I fear they might have come to an end.

“Come on, love…” I whisper, carefully watching her face in search for any changes.

Nissa’s eyelids suddenly flutter, and her eyelashes seem butterfly wings as they separate. Once I am received with the sight of her stunning green eyes once more, I let go a breath I had been holding ever since she collapsed. Intense relief floods through me, and a strangled noise leaves my throat, though I don’t know if it’s a chuckle or a sob.

“What…?” She whispers, and I smile when she gazes at me. “Jaskier, what happened?”

“Thank the heavens, it worked” I throw myself at her, being careful as I lovingly wrap my arms around her frame and bring her as close to me as possible until I feel her torso pressed against mine. “You’re alright”

“But…” Nissa mumbles. Her voice sounds drowsy as she clumsily puts her arms around me as well.

“Welcome back” Geralt pats her shoulder, moving us both under the force of his strong hand.

“What the fuck happened?” She insists, yet despite it all she allows me to hold her still. Good, I don’t plan on letting go of her anytime soon.

“A sorceress put a spell on you” The witcher replies, for I am too busy burying my head on her shoulder and holding her still.

“Oh…” My lovely Nissa hesitates, though in the end chuckles as she pats my back. “You can let go of me now, Jaskier”

“Don’t do that ever again!” I reluctantly pull away, bearing a grave expression as soon as we are face to face once more. “I thought we had agreed you wouldn’t scare me like that”

It had been awful to see her crumble soon after we met. It had been worse to witness how she got gravely injured that one time, the one I truly feared for her life and Geralt and I had to attentively tend to her for days. My fragile heart simply cannot take that uncertainty and pain again.

“I’m sorry” Her words are gentle on top of her sweet voice, and her hand is delicate as she presses her palm against my cheek. “I will be more careful next time”

“I certainly hope so” I dramatically put a hand against my chest, theatrically throwing myself backwards as though I am swooning. “Or else I might perish from such tension to my poor hummingbird heart”

In reality, my poor heart is actually racing. It doesn’t matter, my attempts have been successful and Nissa laughs. Geralt grunts next to us, but I pay no mind to him.

“I will make it up to you, dear bard” Nissa takes my face in her hands and gifts me with a chaste kiss.

For a moment I tense up, still fearing that the spell hasn’t quite been broken and the exchange will somehow undo what mine magically cured. However, I sigh once more when I see her still lovingly gazing at me, awake and well. What a scare… but the anguish is over.

I stare into her eyes, knowing what she is thinking of. We possess a special magic that exposes each other’s thoughts. She regrets worrying us both, yet at the same time she understands my jokes are a reassurance that everything is alright. By now, Nissa understands that I will comfort her as I have all this time. Grateful for this, she smiles with the power of a dozen suns. That is enough to heal any damage done to my heart.

“That was too fucking close” Geralt complains, now having returned to his blatant dislike for our affection.

“I agree” Taking her by the hands, I pull the both of us up to our feet. “We know better than to mess with sorceress”

“Yeah…” Nissa grins, looking from the witcher to me.

“Next time, Nissa…” He pauses to drop a hand on her shoulder. “Try not to threaten a sorceress”

We are so surprised by his rare and unexpected joke that we break out in laughter. It is the ultimate test to show the positive end of this particular tale. Sleeping beauty has awakened. Nissa is alright, and so everything is alright with the world again.

Tag list: @x-joie-x / @x-jodi-x / @bravelittlesunflower​ / @golden-guide / @alwayshave-faith / @this-is-whump-dammit / @legallyblindgamer727 / @lilyevans1 / @kingniazx / @molethemollie / @a-somehow-functioning-dumbass // Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list for this series!!

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Sunshine in the Moonlight | Final Fantasy XV Fanfiction Series

Tag: Sunshine in the Moonlight

Characters: Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum, Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicita, Alexandria Adelaide (OFC), Regis Lucis Caelum, Ardyn Izunia, Aranea Highwind, Cindy Aerum, Cid Aerum, Cor Leonis, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Ravus Nox Fleuret, Talcott Hester, Jared Hester, Iris Amicitia

Ship: Prompto Argentum x Alexandria Adelaide (OFC) [M/F]

Warnings: Mentions of anxiety and panic attacks, spoilers

Categories: Fix it, friends to lovers, slow burn

Genre: Fantasy, adventure, romance, drama   

Rating: Teen

POV: First person

Setting: During the videogame storyline

Status: Complete

Themes: Friendship, love, self-acceptance, courage, sacrifice

Word Count: 100k 

Links: Read it on Wattpad and AO3

Summary: As a part of the Royal Council, Alexandria Adelaide is used to being surrounded by politicians. That is, until King Regis tells her she must accompany Noctis and his friends on their journey. As they travel, she finds herself making some great discoveries, which involve discovering herself and a new perspective of the world around her, as she finds many things in her life come naturally, including unexpected love.

If you enjoy it, please reblog and leave feedback!

CHAPTER INDEX: 

Prologue: Departure

A Bump on the Road

First Day

Galdin Quay

Realization

Another Ignis

Respite

Sword in the Waterfall

Weakness

Unknown Feelings

Stronger

Family

Sunshine

Loss

Fall

Absent

The Truth Revealed

Gone

Darkness 

One Last Battle

Epilogue: The Big Day

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2021诺贝尔文学奖得主：坦桑尼亚小说家阿卜杜勒拉萨克·古纳  RFI - 法国国际广播电台

诺贝尔文学奖赔率榜：“万年陪跑”村上春树登顶- 人物  cnBeta

坦桑尼亚小说家古纳获颁2021年诺贝尔文学奖  联合早报

旧酒还是新人？今年诺贝尔文学奖得主将在斯德哥尔摩揭晓  RFI - 法国国际广播电台

诺贝尔文学奖揭晓 阿都拉扎古纳获奖  China Press

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澳大利亚迎法国大使返澳，称捍卫澳利益只能伤害法国，但两国合作大过潜艇合同  RFI - 法国国际广播电台在Google 新闻上查看完整报道