#poor george map

[vuelode-irbis]

Been wanting to draw some fanart for Poor George MAP since it's my favorite one, and because it was its anniversary recently, I finally did it :>

ID: A digital drawing in two panels with characters from Warriors. In the panel above, there's Yellowfang watching Brokenkit play with a moss ball, she looks endearingly at the little kit; they're in a green environment and plants surround them. In the panel below, Yellowfang is in the same possition, looking down at an adult Brokenstar at her feet, already dead, she looks sorrowful. Fireheart is by her side, looking at her with compassion. They're at ThunderClan's medicine den.

[cashlin1114]

Going insane, your honor. I’m going crazy. Mad, if you will.

More people need to watch the Poor George Yellowfang MAP. I’m begging. It’s my favorite one of all time, it needs more attention. I’m clawing desperately at the bars of my enclosure.

Yellowfang’s story is so fucking tragic and heartbreaking.

Also, fuck Lizardstripe. All my homies fucking hate Lizardstripe. I hope that foxhearted bitch chokes on crowfood. If she hadn’t raised Brokenstar, I fully believe that he wouldn’t have turned out the way he did. Who knows, maybe he would have become an amazing medicine cat with how he was shown to be interested in herbs.

Anyways, watch Poor George by bread cat. Omw to do that this second.

[nightly-ruse]

Raggedstar!!! Unpopular favorite cat she’s just so interesting to me and can be used incredibly well in au’s. More fleshed idea of her in my head makes me go rabid absolutely love this lady (not canon Ragged we don’t talk about that)

-She’s red! I think it suits her a lot more then brown and how I see her in my head. Also gave her golden eyes instead because they are a lot more striking especially with her coat

-Her stripes are like claws, thin and sharp with scars all across her pelt from various events. She’s also really big coming from her kittypet roots as most Shadowclan cats aren’t too tall

-Leader mark is right on her nose a clear and bright mark. Thought since it’s so clear it sorta shows her pride of being leader.

-I fully hc Ragged as trans fem using she/her and a lesbian. She is the ex wife of Yellowfang and mother of Russetfur with Foxheart, though Brokentail was always her prized kit

[falling-hand-in-unlovable-hand]

what do they put in those wc maps bcs holy shit some of those are fucking fire

[valeechtine]

Sobbing profusely over Yellowfang again

[oflgtfol]

hoenstly i think starclans chosen might be better than five giants and thats bc starclans chosen was just so ambitious with the editing and the overall narrative (when i realized it was split into two halves, the first one being the original leaders, and the second half being their respective successors, i lost my shit) like idk its been five years since five giants its had its time in the spotlight. truly sad seeing barely anyone talking about starclans chosen in comparison to how five giants swept through the fandom at the time

[luvvyouforever]

headcanons : harry potter boys x keeper!reader

↳ harry, ron, draco, neville, fred, george, remus, and sirius with a partner who can wield ancient magic (hogwarts legacy style).

↳ requests are open! submit ideas, drabbles, headcanons, or one shots to the link in my bio! don’t be shy <3

.・。.・���✭・.・✫・゜・。.

harry potter:

-thinks it is the coolest shit ever! when you're in a fight together and you protect him by shooting a powerful blue bolt towards the enemy that disintegrates their very beginning, he feels so proud to be your partner!

-on the other side, he also knows it feels like to have a lot of pressure and power on your side. he worries about what it must feel like to wield ancient magic and be the only living person who can see it. every time you use it, he checks on you after, ensuring that you don't feel too exhausted and can continue fighting.

-supported you so much through the trials. he didn't need to know every detail of what you did and went through but he would hold you so tight when you came back, praising you over and over for being so strong and brave.

ron weasley:

-he's a little jealous, ngl. like his partner can use this sick magic and is responsible for keeping the magic safe and alive out of the wrong hands?? why can't he do that???

-i also feel like ron would be confused, if not a little angry, that you refuse to share the power and attempt what others have before (such as isidora using the magic to remove pain). he doesn't really understand the problem and feels like the keepers are suspicious.

-he'd brag about you alllllll the time though! like oh my god every second he would find some way to bring up the fact that you can do really awesome things and that you are his awesome partner forever!

draco malfoy:

-draco loves you a lot and finds your magic incredibly cool, don't get me wrong, but i think his family swayed his pursuit of you because wouldn't it be so grand if the malfoys had a keeper in their family? someone so powerful and knowledgeable? who would pass down the truth and their magic? yes please! (every time narcissa brings it up, it irks draco but also he pats himself on the shoulder for choosing you)

-wants to know every detail about the trials and the past and the memories you're viewing! you'll come back from a trial, sweaty and tired, maybe bleeding, and he'd help you first then ask hundreds of questions after.

-your use of ancient magic is not necessarily unknown and makes you quite popular among the students of hogwarts. this, however, makes draco really jealous. if he could, he would follow you everywhere, glaring down anyone who tries to make a move on you. before you go on adventures, classes, or just to the common room, he'll drape you in his slytherin scarf as if he was marking you.

neville longbottom:

-poor thing gets so nervous when you have to complete the trials or do something incredibly important for the sake of keeping the magic safe. he knows he can't go along with you but he'd stay by your side until the very moment you enter the map chamber, whispering praises and support the whole time.

-would heal up all your wounds and take care of you if you exerted too much during a fight. he knows how much everyone depends on you and the least he can do is take care of you properly! he would run you a bath, apply soothing balms to your skin or use his plants to heal you up, and cuddle you tightly!

-tries his hardest to not feel useless but sometimes it's hard when you're so strong and he's so...not. of course you'll always reassure him and give him the confidence he needs but very frequently, he gets really down on himself about it.

fred weasley:

-every day he comes to you with a new scheme that involves your magic. could you make a portal that leads from the dungeons of hogwarts to the top of the astronomy tower? it's important. snape is gonna get really mad when he goes into his office? can your magic fix that?

-begs, and i mean BEGS, you to let him come along on your adventures and battles. he wants nothing more than to support you and fight along your side! as long it's not a trial, you can't help but let him come along. you usually end up saving him after he pays a little more attention to the way your whip around the battle, taking down everyone effortlessly.

-speaking of paying too much attention to you, he thinks it is so attractive than you can do what you do! he gives you some time after fighting to recuperate but then immediately he is ON you. he's kissing you and telling you how hot it is when you turn someone to just particles.

george weasley:

-he wants you to teach him everything you can. there are some things that are just simply innate and can not be taught but all your tips and tricks when it comes to fighting will now be all of his tips and tricks. you two would just find some field away from the burrow and go at it, sending spell after spell at each other. georgie is just overflowing with adrenaline and it's a great way to get it out.

-deep down, a part of him wants to be protective of you. he wants to keep you from going out into danger and taking on dangerous tasks all for magic and some old people telling you what to do. but he knows better, trust me. he knows you can defend yourself just fine but he just wants to put you in a little bubble and never let anything hurt you.

-just like ron, he will brag about you whenever he can. everyone is sitting around the great hall table, talking about how it's so cool that you defeated a troll in one fell swoop and he just wraps his arm around your shoulders, a glimmer in his eye as he proceeds to say "yeah, aren't they just so amazing?"

remus lupin:

-fears for your health and safety so much! when you come back from a trial, he's hushing you and putting you in bed, feeding you chocolate and brewing tea until you feel better!! you are bearing the weight of centuries old magic all alone. the least he can do is take care of you!

-supports your decisions throughout your entire journey as a keeper. if you truly believe that releasing ancient magic to the world and using it for more than the original keepers intended, then he understands. if you want to continue to keep it hidden, he will not question your judgement.

-this is so fluffy but i feel like you figured out how to manipulate your ancient magic to floating, bright blue scenes and pictures. around remus's time of the month (said lovingly), you'll lay in bed with him and use your wand to paint pictures of animals, lakes, waves, stars, or, in more sappy moments, your future.

sirius black:

-he thinks it is SO hot that you can take someone down without barely blinking an eye. his favorite move you do is when you lift someone into the air and slam them down repeatedly. gets blushy and turned on excited every time.

-once followed you down into the map chamber only to be very harshly yelled at by one of the keeper's portraits. he just wanted to see what it looked like and to know where you go on dangerous missions!! who can blame him, truly? definitely grumbled the whole rest of the day.

-when you two get married, he refuses to let you take his last name and instead will either take yours or say screw it and come up with one! he doesn't want his family to have the gratification of having a keeper with the black family name. he wants you to shine for who you are and in another century, he wants your name to be yours, not his.

[lobey-scribbles]

Playing Dumb - Fred Weasley X F!Reader

summary: Fred Weasley has always had his eye on you and when Professor Flitwick sits you next to each other in Charms, he can hardly believe his luck. In a desperate attempt to get close to you, Fred decides to play dumb in Charms class.

word count: 1.1k

themes: just fluff

warnings: none

a/n: happy birthday to gred and feorge! might do a part 2!

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

Fred Weasley stumbled into Charms class, out of breath and dishevelled. It turns out that despite staying up all night with George and wandering the castle with the marauder's map being one of his favourite activities, it didn't exactly mesh well with being a punctual student. Professor Flitwick paused his lesson, and gave one of those Fred-Weasley weary sighs, “Late again, I see, Fred.” he said in his usual squeaky voice.

“Very sorry, Professor,” Fred replied, giving Professor Flitwick the most apologetic smile he could muster. Before Fred could make his way to his seat, he stopped dead in his tracks. Peering around the room, he realised that Lee Jordan was no longer sitting in his usual seat. Instead, he sat next to a Slytherin student, Miles Bletchley, and was giving no effort to hide how miserable he was about it. Had Fred not been so devastated about being moved away from Lee, he would have found his predicament rather hilarious, but now he needed to figure out where he was sitting.

“Oh, Fred, can you please go sit next to miss Y/N L/N please?” said Professor Flitwick, noting the bemusement on Fred’s face. “Maybe you'll finally get some work done,” he muttered to himself under his breath before he resumed his lesson.

Fred Weasley scanned the room for his empty seat, his stomach lurching ever so slightly when his eyes landed on you.

Fred sauntered over to the empty seat next to you, determinedly ignoring the way his heart began to race in his chest. He’d noticed you in the corridor before, but he'd never had the chance to speak to you. Now, he was sitting right next to you in class, and he was determined to make the most of it.

“Hey there,” Fred said, flashing you a grin. “I'm Fred. Nice to meet you.”

You looked up at him, gave him a small smile and introduced yourself, but you didn't seem very talkative.

He really couldn't explain it, but you being as shy and reserved as you were, only made Fred’s need to be closer to you even stronger.

Fred tried to strike up a conversation, cracking a few jokes here and there, and making light of Lee’s unfortunate new seat in class. “Well, Y/N, I hope you feel lucky to be sitting next to me now instead of poor Lee. He's stuck with Bletchley, you know.” he chuckled, desperately trying to get a laugh out of you. Instead, you just gave him a polite nod and turned your attention back to Professor Flitwick.

As the class progressed, Fred tried his best to focus on the lesson and keep his eyes firmly on the textbook in front of him, and Merlin’s beard, was it impossible! It seems like no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help but steal a glance at you, admiring your unwavering concentration and the way your fingers twirled your hair absentmindedly.

Finally, the class came to an end, and Fred and Lee met up with George and strolled to the Great Hall together for break time, plonking themselves down at the Gryffindor table. Fred’s mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of you, barely noticing Lee’s rant about his new seat, only half-heartedly piping up to express his sympathies, agreeing that it was such a shame to be separated from his best friend. George noticed his brother’s distracted state and nudged him, “What about your seat, Fredster?”

“Don’t call me Fredster!” he snapped, kicking George underneath the table, and then continuing as though he couldn't hear his brother yelp out in pain and a howl of laughter from Lee, his violent reaction being less to do with the stupid nickname and more to do with the fact that George had interrupted his daydreaming.

“Not too bad, I suppose,” appearing as nonchalant as he could about the whole thing, acting as if his stomach didn't perform backflips at the very thought of being beside you.

As the weeks went on, Fred persisted in trying to tempt you out of your shell. Fred wasn’t bad at charms by any means. In fact, he'd probably be great at if he put in the same amount of effort as he did with wreaking havoc amongst the castle. Yet, he took every opportunity he could to ask you questions in Charm class, acting as though he were struggling to get you to help him. You'd give him a look and scold him for not listening properly, turning to help him, and as you did so, your leg would brush his and a jolt of electricity would shoot through his entire body.

In the Charms class that followed, Professor Flitwick had the whole class on their feet, practising a bubble-head charm. Fred fumbled with his wand, making a complete pig’s ear of the movement, purposefully of course, and cried out in frustration, “What the bloody hell am I even doing wrong?”, his eyes darted quickly over to you to make sure you had heard him.

You rolled your eyes at him, walking over to his side, “Let me help you, Fred” and you placed your hand on top of his. If brushing your leg against his made Fred nervous, it was seriously nothing compared to how the touch of your hand on his made him feel. You directed his hand, mimicking the correct wand movement. “See, like this.”

“O-oh yes, I get it now, thank you.” he stammered, swiftly pulling his hand away from yours as if he'd just touched something scorching. He prayed that you didn't notice how hot and bothered he was and desperately tried to regain his composure.

As you were all packing up for the end of class, Fred asked Lee to wait up for him outside. Then, he turned to you sheepishly, scratching at the back of his neck and asked, “I’m sure it's no secret to you by now how hopeless I am at Charms.”

“Oh, well you're not really-”

“Don’t sugarcoat it, Y/N, I'm a mess.”

You giggled, making Fred’s heart soar, he might get addicted to hearing you laugh, especially when it's because of him.

“So, with that in mind, do you think you would mind tutoring me in Charms? I completely understand if you're busy-”

“Oh, no I'm not busy at all!” you interjected, eagerly, “Of course, I’ll tutor you, Fred!” you smiled at him kindly, “Does next week sound good?”

“Yes, that's brilliant, thank you!” unable to hide the elation in his voice, “You’re amazing, you are. I owe you my life, seriously, Professor Flitwick glares at me as if my days are numbered,” drawing out another one of your melodic laughs.

Fred bid you farewell and walked out of the classroom with an undeniable spring in his step, and a goofy smile plastered across his face.

Fred stepped out into the corridor, unable to shake the giddy feeling that lingered from his conversation with you. He spotted Lee leaning against the wall, waiting for him.

“Hey, Lee!” Fred greeted his friend enthusiastically as he walked towards him.

Lee raised an eyebrow, “Don’t know what you’re so cheery about, mate, we've got Snape next.”

[roxygen22]

A sick Lee maybe on a road trip to a vacation spot and he starts feeling unwell during the drive and he worries about ruining all the fun they are supposed to have but Reader reassures him and they still end up having a good time even though Lee is ill

Thanks 😊 love you 😘

Love you, too!

Anywhere

You were walking along the corn field's edge, stretching your legs after the long hours in the truck, when suddenly you felt strong arms grab you from the side and pull you into a near crushing hug. Your shriek was cut short by a hand over your mouth.

"Gotcha!" the source of your favorite voice in the world teased. Lee pecked you on the cheek, then let you free. You playfully scowled at him and punched him in the arm as you caught your breath.

"You really ought to pay more attention to your surroundings. I could have been a predator, you know," Lee continued. He let out a cute growl and crouched like he was about to pounce. But instead, he grabbed your hand and pulled you down to lay in the tall stalks and stare at the clouds. The two of you spent several minutes in companionable silence, hidden from the world, just holding hands, before he rolled over on his side to look at you.

"If you could go absolutely anywhere in the Lower 48, where would you go?" he asked, twirling a finger into a strand of your loose hair.

You bit your lip and looked up at the clear blue sky in thought. A wave of excitement flashed across your face and disappeared just as quickly.

"You made your idea face. Where is it?" he prodded.

You sat up and hugged your knees. "It's too far," you lamented.

"Just tell me." He looked up at you with an irresistible pout.

"Well...I've always wanted to see Niagara Falls since I was a little girl and saw it on a postcard."

Lee flashed a big grin and ran to the passenger side of the truck, all but ripping the glove box open to retrieve his map. He buried his face in it on his walk back and nearly tripped over an uneven patch of ground. You giggled, and he glared. Once Lee settled back into his spot next to you, his long, thin index finger set to work tracing the lines of the interstate highways from your current spot in the Midwest.

"We could be there tomorrow if we leave now, just in time for your birthday!" Lee exclaimed.

"Really?!" you replied in disbelief.

"Anything for my girl." He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on your lips.

You blushed and dropped your head onto Lee's shoulder. You felt him rest his cheek on your hair as he let out a quiet, contented sigh.

<><><><><>

Soon, the two of you were back on the road. Lee was singing along with George Strait's "Amarillo by Morning" when he was interrupted by a cough. You pulled out your bottle of water to let him have a drink.

"Thanks. Just got a tickle in my throat." He cleared his throat several more times over the next hour or two. When the coughing flared again, you took over driving.

"Are you feeling okay?" you asked worriedly when he got back into the truck.

"I'm fine. Just tired." You thought you detected some congestion in his tone.

"Here. Drink more water," you instructed as you handed him the bottle once more.

"Yes, ma'am," he quipped sarcastically. He sank down in his seat, though, when you pursed your lips and raised an eyebrow at him. He then proceeded to take a swig.

As you drove, Lee's coughing worsened and his nose began to run. The poor thing shivered in his sleep as he leaned against the passenger door despite the summer heat. He didn't wake until he felt the truck come to a stop three hours later.

"Why are we at a motel?" he asked groggily and rubbed his eyes.

"I need to stop and you need to rest," you replied.

"We should keep driving."

"No, you can't get good, recuperative rest while sitting up in the truck, even if I drive. And I am dangerously close to dozing off. Give me the stash of money so I can go get us a room."

Lee just stared at you. He was used to making the plans and calling the shots.

"Give. Me. The. Stash," you repeated in a stilted tone.

His deep huff sent him into another coughing fit. He wordlessly caved and handed you the wad of cash from his boot as he caught his breath. You left him in the truck to walk into the office to retrieve keys.

One bright side of your lifestyle was traveling light, so you could focus on helping Lee inside without making multiple trips to the truck. He collapsed on the bed, fully clothed. You worked the boots off his feet and pulled the covers over his body. Your hand instantly recoiled at the heat radiating from his forehead when you checked for fever. You quickly grabbed a washcloth from the bathroom, wet it down, and gently wiped his forehead and neck to provide him with some cooling relief.

Lee's eyes fluttered open, and he greeted you with a strained half smile. "We need to get back on the road early in the morning to stick to our timeline," he rasped.

"Let's worry about that in the morning," you whispered. You sat beside him on the bed and ran pushed the damp hair from his forehead. "We're not going anywhere as long as you are feverish."

"But-" he started to argue.

"But nothing. And if you are about to bring up my birthday, it's just another day."

"You only turn 20 once. No longer a teenager." He grinned and gently tapped your nose with his finger before letting his arm flop back to the bed.

"Only you are worried about that, old man," you teased. It had been a personal point of moral contention for Lee that he, a man in his 20s, was dating a quote-unquote teenaged girl. But he was enchanted by you ever since he met you at the county fair last year, right before your 19th birthday.

Lee feigned offense by narrowing his eyes at you, but his playfulness was overriden by another round of coughing.

"I'm going to walk over to the grocery store to get you some cough drops and cold medicine," you said in response, tucking him in tightly under the blanket. "Just lay here and try to rest more while I'm out."

The trip to the store was quick, but Lee was already sound asleep when you returned. You let him rest and snuggled up beside him in bed. Every now and then, you felt him shiver as his fever flared, and another round of chills shook his body. You were grateful, though, that his coughing subsided for a while, allowing him a few hours of solid rest until he woke you from deep slumber with his violent hacking around 2am.

You dosed him with cold medicine and turned on a hot shower in hopes that the steam would ease his breathing. He sat in the bathtub floor as you lathered shampoo and rinsed his hair and did your best to wash the sweat off his body. He weakly toweled himself off with your help.

"How are you feeling?" you asked from your perch on the bathroom counter as he sat on the edge of the tub. You scanned his face and observed the dark purple circles under his eyes and shakiness of the hand that ran through his hair.

"A little more human than earlier," he replied quietly. His voice was a little less gravelly thanks to the humidity in the bathroom.

You smirked. "That's good. I got us some snacks at the store. You should at least nibble on something before you go back to bed to keep up your strength."

"I feel wide awake. We can get back on the road and drive for a while."

"You should really get more rest, Lee. Otherwise, it may catch up with you while we're out in the middle of nowhere."

"I can't rest knowing that we have somewhere to be. Besides, I can either be miserable in bed, or miserable and at least making progress toward our destination."

You just blinked at him and sighed deeply. "Are you sure you feel up to it?" You felt his forehead. At least he wasn't running a fever. He simply nodded in return and leaned into your touch.

You narrowed your eyes at him skeptically. "Okay. Fine. But if we have to stop in the middle of the forest because you get worse, I swear you are never going to hear the end of it."

Lee chuckled and stood from his seat. "I would expect nothing less." He placed a hand on your cheek and kissed your forehead as he scooted by you to open the door. You crossed your arms and shook your head, though you temporarily distracted from your ire when Lee's towel dropped, revealing those perfect buns of his.

He walked out of the bathroom and noted the time on the alarm clock by the bed. He turned back to you and grinned. "Happy birthday, love."

<><><><><>

Thanks to your lack of luggage, the two of you were back on the road quickly as soon as Lee was dressed again. He opted to drive so you could get some more sleep since you had stayed up caring for him. You didn't argue because you could barely keep your eyes open.

A few hours later, you woke to the sound of Lee coughing again. You squirmed in your seat and blinked the sleep from your eyes. "Where are we?" you asked groggily.

"Ohio. We just crossed the state line a few minutes ago," Lee replied. The hoarseness had returned.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'll be fine for a little while longer, then we can just switch out driving."

"If you want to pull over, I can drive now after a short bathroom break."

"No offense, but you drive too slow. That's fine most of the time, but right now we are on a deadline."

"Wha- my driving is just fine!" You crossed your arms and pouted. He looked over at you and pulled a face, which broke your ire and made you laugh. You could never stay mad at him for long. He laughed, but the exertion instigated a coughing fit.

"Pull over," you demanded.

"Not yet," he replied once he recovered his breath.

"You need to rest. Otherwise, you won't be able to enjoy the falls with me. That matters more to me than seeing them alone." Ha. You knew that would play on his feelings.

Lee paused and released a deep sigh. "Fine. But we keep going. I can rest just fine in the passenger seat."

"Deal," you replied, flashing him a grin.

He pulled over into a wooded alcove so you could both get out and stretch. You tossed the cold medicine toward him. He winced.

"This stuff tastes disgusting, you know," Lee complained.

"Anything for your girl, right?" You winked, and he grumbled - but he complied.

You took over driving for the next stretch of the trip. Lee quickly fell asleep, hugging his legs and using his knees as a pillow. Before getting back into the truck, he had shown you the upcoming turns on the map, but you wouldn't need to turn for at least 100 miles - long enough to forget the specifics. You unknowingly took a wrong turn and followed the highway south, when you should have been traveling northeast. Lee came to a few hours later and asked how far you had gone.

"I'm not sure. The last town I saw was Fremont."

He frowned and snatched the map, frantically searching for the grid coordinates for the town. His face dropped. "[Y/N], we are heading away from New York now."

"B- but I took the road you said."

"We needed to turn off this highway about an hour ago."

You felt the blood drain from your face. "Oh," was all you could muster. You pulled over at the next driveway, jumped out of the truck, and slammed the door. Lee met you at the tailgate.

"Please don't yell at me." You cringed as you saw the disappointment in his face.

"Yell? Oh, babe, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself. If we hadn't stopped at the motel last night, we would be making great time. And if I hadn't been asleep, you wouldn't have missed your turn. I have single-handedly ruined your birthday." He kicked the tire to release some frustration.

You laid one hand on his arm and the other on the opposite cheek to encourage him to look at you. "Shouldn't I be the judge of that? Anywhere you are is exactly where I should be. We may not be where I hoped to be, but that doesn't matter as long as I'm with you. It's okay if we don't make it by midnight. I'd rather get there late than get there stressed. I'd like to enjoy all the places along the way that I've never been."

The two of you continued on at a much more leisurely pace, stopping when one or both of you needed to rest. You hit the New York state line right at midnight, marking the end of your birthday - but seeing Niagara Falls at sunrise more than made up for the delay. You stared out over the chasm and took it all in. The oranges and pinks of the skies were like a painting that belonged in a museum. The falls roared, and the mist tickled your face like thousands of tiny carresses.

"It's surreal. So beautiful," you whispered.

"Yes, it is."

You felt him take your left hand, but when you turned to look at his face, it wasn't where you expected.

He was down on one knee.

You gasped and covered your mouth with your free hand. You started nodding fervently.

Lee laughed. "I haven't even asked the question yet, love."

"Well, hurry up!"

"Oh, so *now* you are in a hurry," he teased, then cleared his throat. "I don't have a ring yet, but I can't wait another day to ask if you will be my travel companion for the rest of our lives."

You sniffled, and the tears overflowed from your eyes. You continued to nod. "Yes, Lee. Yes! Wherever you go, I go." He picked you up, spun you around, and planted a yearning kiss on your lips...

...and then started coughing. You laughed and guided him to the nearest bench.

"We got an early start on putting 'in sickness and in health' to the test," you teased.

<><><><><>

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[boxboxblog]

How Do F1 Cars Work?: Setup pt 2

Okay, so this is the second part to my post on setup. In that one I discussed the components that are altered as part of the setup and the basic setup types, in this one I will things more surrounding the circuits and driving styles around setups. Enjoy!

Track Specific Setup Requirements:

So, certain tracks need parts of the aspect to be certain ways. While these setups may still be within one of the basic types, most tracks have slight differences. It all depends on track style, the pavement type, and even elevation

Street Circuits - So, street circuits tend to be a lot slower, with complicated, twisty turns, tight corners, and just a general need for precision and strong handling (Monaco for example). For setup, teams usually go high downforce, soft suspension, less tire pressure, an open differential, and more rear brake bias. These all help maintain strong grip and take corners faster.

High-Speed Circuits - These circuits, often called classic, need a lot less precision and a lot more pace. They have very long straights and much less sharp corners (Monza for example). So here teams will go for low downforce, minimal drag, stiffer suspension, high tire pressure, locked differential, and more front brake bias.

Balanced Circuits - Simply, these are circuits that combine sharp corners and long straights, as well as slow areas and fast ones (Spa for example). They need a mixed set up, and going to far one way would make a car lose speed in certain areas of the track. this calls for balance across all elements.

Bumpy Circuits - The pavement type is actually also quite important for setup. Some circuits (like Interlagos) are well known for having rather bumpy pavement, so the cars must be prepared to handle that. This calls for usually an altered ride height, softer suspension, and usually a stronger tire pressure.

High Elevation Circuits - Circuits like these are up in thin air, which has a massive effect on the car (Mexico for example). This lower air density massively effects the tires, aerodynamics, engines, and cooling systems. To compensate teams will choose unique engine maps, lower tire pressure, maxing out downforce, and rider height is changed.

Driving Styles Effect on Setup:

It is more than just circuits, or weather, or elevation that effect the setup. The way drivers drives also has a major impact, and so teams try and tailor it to each driver. Some of them perform extremely well with one setup, then very poor with another. It's all about knowing the driver's style and preferences.

Aggressive Style (Max Verstappen) - With this style drivers tend to push the car harder and take corners sharper. Their cars tend to be set up to be much more sensitive, have a rear brake bias, a softer suspension, and open differential. They seem to prefer this because these types of setups allow for higher risk driving and taking corners particularly fast.

Smooth Style (Lando Norris) - These types of drivers lean toward a more consistent and calm type of style. They often prefer a more stiff/stable suspension, locked differential, a very balanced brake bias, and in general higher downforce. This helps them take corners the way they prefer, and keeps things steady and smooth. Technical drivers (like George Russell) also tend to prefer this setup.

Late Brakers (Lewis Hamilton) - These types of drivers take a very unique racing line and brake much later than other drivers do (helpful on overtakes and defending). They lean toward cars with setups with a rear biased brake balance, stable suspensions, and a balanced differential. These things help them keep the car steady after they brake so late in corners.

Strategic Style(Sergio Perez) - This style is categorized by a driver who lacks aggression but instead waits for the right moment. In this case they tend to prioritize tire management above all else, because they bide their time until the latter half of the race in the hopes that their opponent will burn out their tires. They opt for a setup with a softer suspension, and lower tire pressure. This all helps extend tire life.

So, in general, these are things to know about car setup, It is very complicated and a bout a thousand things can effect it, but when the setup is correct you can see some magical races. We actually saw this very recently, in Brazil. For this race the Alpine team clearly picked a fantastic setup, and showed us unbelievable results. Whatever they did, it matched the drivers styles well and the conditions they were racing in, which is what the perfect setup should do. All in all, setup matters. It can make or break any race.

I hope it was informative and answered any questions surrounding this topic.

Cheers,

-B

[347-emeraldbitch]

Bill: Percy was a menace his first year. He wouldn’t listen because he thought he knew better, was always talking back to me, and he even snuck into the other common rooms.

Charlie: He solved the riddle for some Ravenclaws a couple of times, so he was allowed inside. Poor kid thought he could map out the whole castle by himself too.

Bill: I was consistently stressed. I had to check every single night to make sure he made it back alive.

Percy: *rolls eyes* Oh honestly William, don’t be so dramatic.

Fred, George, Ron & Ginny: Fuck, we are related.

[desideriumwriter]

Late Night Escape

just a simple fred weasley blurb thats been sitting around for awhile, reader gets called "Ms" once but other than that no pronouns used, 0.7k

It’s been another restless night. The stress of your O.W.L.s being only days away has kept your mind racing.

So now, instead of being in bed, you sat on the ledge of one of the windows in the third floor corridor. 

You needed a change of setting, and this was surprisingly more peaceful rather than the common room, where you could hear the snores of knocked out teenage boys from their dorms.

“What are you doing roaming the castle this late, Ms.Y/L/N?” A voice came from behind you, it sounded like a poor imitation of Professor Snapes.

You whipped your head around, only to be met with a tall, ginger haired boy slowly walking towards you, both hands behind his back, eyes narrowed and his soft lips pursed together. Giving you his best impression of the school's potions master.

“I should be asking you the same thing, Mr.Weasley.” You quirked.

“Business reasons. It’s classified, only known to me and George.” He made a motion of zipping his lips together, locking them, and then throwing away the invisible key. It earned an amused scoff and eye roll from you.

“Sounds serious.” You quipped. “I wonder if it has anything to do with your tricks, I've overheard the two of you planning to pull some new ones soon.” 

“I may or may not need to make a stop at Zonko's. There’s a possibility I could be running low on Stink Pellets.” He shrugged and looked to the side as he sat on the ledge next to you, only to look back at you with an intrigued look.

“You never answered my question. What’re you doing out of your dorm?” 

“I can’t sleep.” Your voice is quiet and you avoid his eyes, there’s a sudden sad demeanor to your tone.

Fred’s face softens in response, he can see your face clearer now, your features being lit by the moonlight pouring through the window.

“Well, would you like to come with me?” He tilted his head down, trying to look into your eyes.

“What?” Your eyes shot up to his.

“Would you like to come along with me to Zonkos?” He tapped his fingers along the stone edge you were both sitting on. 

“We could stop by Honeydukes first, maybe swipe a few cauldron cakes...” He sang, adding persuasion to his offer. He knew those were your favorite.

You didn’t respond. Only sighed, trying to figure out if you were willing enough to take the risk of sneaking out of the castle, especially this late.

"Come on! Breaking the rules for one night is no sin, right?" A mischievous smile lit up on his face.

“That’s easy for you to say, you break them everyday.” You nudged him with your foot.

“And you’re not already breaking a rule right now?” He cocked a brow at you. You sighed in defeat, he was right.

You weren’t supposed to wander around the grounds at this time, you shouldn’t even be up at this time. You should be in bed. Or at least be in your common room. However, this was better than lying awake or pacing around in the common room.

“Fine. But how could we possibly get there?” 

“We just take the secret passage.” 

“There’s a secret passage?” 

“Absolutely there is!” He sat up straight. “And I know all seven of them.” He said proudly. “Got them all mapped out up here.” He brought a finger up to point at his head.

You took a minute to think. 

“What if we get caught?”

“When have I ever gotten caught?” Fred scoffed, you cheekily smiled at him, knowing you couldn’t even count on your hands the amount of times you’ve seen him and his brother get dragged off by Flich. 

“Don't answer that.” He shot up from his spot, standing tall and excited.

“Well, are you going or not? Better make a decision soon.” Fred held out his hand, waiting for you to place yours in his as he looked around, making sure there was no sight of Flich roaming near.

“Fine, I guess I’ll come along.” Your voice trailed off as you slowly got off the ledge.

“Hurry up then!” He laughed, “We can’t get caught!” Fred shouted, yet his voice was still at the level of a whisper. 

He tried to sound stern, but the excitement in his voice overtook everything else.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” You chuckled and shook your head, happily grabbing onto his hand, letting him drag you along as you both sped towards the one-eyed witch statue. You shushed each other, trying to keep your feet and giggles quiet. You were right. This was much better than lying awake.

tell me what you thought!

[gameo-archive]

"My ?s for George Rexstrew were not that great, but he was still patiently trying to give each of them a proper answer. He answered my submissions OOO though. 1st vid but 2nd sub.

Mirror hop w/ the livings in bag of tricks

Crystal's passport & full name

#DeadBoyDetectives"

Is the show YA or adult?

Can you mirror hop with people by putting them in the bag of tricks?

How did Crystal international travel but was not aware of her full name/passport, or no passport and she uses her power?

"1st submission but 2nd video. (The order doesn't really matter. I just want to keep everything straight for myself.)

Charles & Crystal's goodbye kiss. Edwin's thought & feeling.

Did the out of order filming affect the scene?"

When I saw Charles and Crystal's goodbye kiss I thought, poor Edwin! How cruel of Charles to do that in front of him after the confession. It reminded me of that famous panel from the comics. I get that Charles thought it was the final goodbye but still. I want to know Edwin's thought and feeling in that moment. And also, do they change after inviting Crystal into the group?

Did the out of order filming affect the scene?

"A bit more info on the notebook.

Asked about the crossed out "Do not ring" for the Limbo's bell. (I'm still confused about his answer. Shouldn't it be NOT crossed out if it's correct to not ring?)

How DBD would deal w/ non-western cultures' monsters, myths, beliefs etc."

You said the maps of Hell have existed for a long time, so did Edwin draw them as soon as he got out?

How did they acquire the notebook and bag of tricks?

How was Edwin able to get the family emblem on it?

Why was 'do not ring' crossed out next to Limbo's bell?

How would DBD deal with non-Western cultures' monsters, mythologies, beliefs, etc.?

"(final Cameo)

Cut due to him mentioned my bday date. He was so wonderful about everything. Really appreciated this opportunity he's given us. And for a great cause as well.

Asked for fun facts/bts he hasn't shared with the press"

Can you share any fun facts or behind the scenes bloopers you haven't shared with the press?

[kaileedraws]

Just had the Marinette profile cross my dash and it's an interesting looking AU! I had a couple of questions (before I get invested 🤣) Is this AU 'canon is more like guidelines' or 'Trying to recreate canon but better' style? I've seen many of the later end up bogged down trying to justify/recreate moments they think they have to hit. I'm thinking it's the 'guidelines' I just want to be sure. Do you have a concrete background/ideas for Chloé's character/intereactions with the others? I've seen hints and bits. If not no worries. I've just found that good/bad, hero/villain, friend/enemy, agree/disagree, whatever role she has, the way Chloé's character is handled in an AU tends to map with my broad enjoyment of even things unrelated to her. Maybe it's writing styles, or approaches to emotional concepts. It's hard to explain exactly. It seems to be a reliable barometer for me personally though.

Hi thank you for the ask!

I think this AU is more like ‘the canon is the guidelines on the basis of characters,’ I think it might feel a little boring to just recreate the show with the same specific events; 1. Because if you like the events of the show, just watch the show and; 2. Because they’re older and wiser, events would transpire a lot differently. I’m starting to realize I’ve changed a lot more than I thought I would and because of that, the storyline is going to be a lot different.

About Chloe, I think there are a few things that I’ve taken from the show that could be developed

1. For an idea about how Chloe is going to be in the beginning, here’s a small excerpt from an idea I had. She’s super manipulative, fake, and popular — like a Regina George.

“Baker girl.” Chloe fakes a smile.

“Chloe.” Marinette doesn’t even try to hide the distaste she has for the girl.”What are you even doing here? I thought you left Paris for good a few years ago.”

“I should ask you the same thing.” She glances at her up and down with a flash of disgust in her eyes. “This place is way too sophisticated for someone so… unprivileged. I mean look at you, you don’t even have enough money to buy designer clothes, you poor thing."

Marinette looks down at herself and fidgets with her skirt self-consciously. A light blush spreads across Marinette’s face in embarrassment as Chloe smiles down at her and places a hand on her shoulder. The blonde girl is still smiling despite the ice in her words and in her piercing blue eyes: "It's so cute that you tried though. As long as you know that you'll never ever come close to someone like me. We’re just in two different leagues, you know?”

Marinette blushes deeper in embarrassment and anger, shrugging Chloe’s hand off of her shoulder. Chloe feigned surprise, even though Marinette knows that she knew exactly what she was saying.

“Awe c’mon Mari, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. Despite our obvious differences, I’m willing to be generous and still be your friend.”

Marinette grimaces a little. She hates the nickname ‘Mari.’

“Chloe I don’t know. You used to be really mean to me and a friendship between us would be meaningless if it continued like it used to.” Marinette says skeptically, folding her arms before Chloe holds her own face, dramatically.

“I can’t believe you’re judging me for something I did in the past! You can be mean sometimes yourself, you know.” Chloe pouts, and suddenly, Marinette feels her emotions shift to guilt and embarrassment. Was she being the mean one or was Chloe?

“I’m. . . Sorry?” Marinette tilts her head, speaking her words hesitantly. Chloe shakes her head dramatically and fixes her hair.

“I guess I can find the kindness in my heart to forgive you. But heed this warning, Marinette.” Chloe pulls Marinette into what is supposed to look like a hug, but whispers in her ear: “Disrespect me or try anything funny and I’ll make sure your life here is a living hell, OK?”

For a moment, Chloe’s ditsy exterior melts away to reveal a chilling center, one only Marinette and a few others have seen. Her true colors are a side that the teachers or the select few that Chloe calls her ‘friends’ don’t see. Most people are two brainwashed by her manipulative tendencies - even Marinette sometimes finds herself confused by Chloe’s manipulative conversations. But just like before, she knows that Chloe is a compulsive liar and overall just a mean girl - and she believes that girls like that rarely ever change.

Marinette feels a chill down her spine as her embarrassment blossoms into fear; resentment. She had learned very early on that no one is going to believe that - miss teacher’s pet, beauty queen, dumb blonde - Chloe is anything but just a dumb rich girl with no manners. Knowing that she has no power over Chloe here, except for maintaining her own pride, Marinette plasters a fake smile onto her face as Chloe lets her go. The only way to combat fake people is to kill them with kindness.

2. Adrien and Ladybug are the only two people she actually listens to, so these two characters are probably going to be the reason she changes.

I had it written that — because in the show she’s literally all over Adrien without his consent — to maybe exploit that into an unconsentual situationship. He’s a people pleaser and in an emotional state because of his mom’s death so it could make sense. However, when Adrien opens up to her later and tells her that he doesn’t want to do it anymore, that he never has wanted to, and alludes that she was pretty much was just forcing herself onto him and manipulating him — she has a moment of “oh fuck” because she had no idea that she was hurting him or taking advantage of him. This would hit her hard. As for the ladybug side of things, when she has her miraculous, I’m thinking ladybug doesn’t save the day. Instead, Chloe causes mass carnage and starts freaking out because it’s not what she wants. Only then does Ladybug and Chat Noir fix things.

3. Chloe does everything she does because she’s deprived of attention and tries to copy her mother because she idolizes her. If she starts to realize that she’s hurting the people she loves, and Ladybug shows her a compassion that she’s never known before - I’m thinking that Chloe is capable of change. Especially if she starts to idolize Ladybug. It wouldn’t be super evident at first, but it would start to appear like it did in the episode of Zombisu — starts doing things for others but pretends to not be happy about it. She is still dramatic and quick to accuse others but that just becomes her charm. She insults others, but in a way like “you big dummy, why are you crying alone?” Or “Your pastries are really good— for a baker girl.” Like she catches herself giving a compliment and then covers it up with an insult.

I don’t think she’s going to be 100% flipped - she is still a little sour and a goody-two-shoes - but she’s not the villain either. Sort of neutral? That’s one thing about her that I’m not sold on with other interpretations - I don’t think she’ll completely change into a nice person, she just won’t be a bully anymore, admits her mistakes and actually shows she cares sometimes.

Also, there’s no reason why Ladybug couldn’t try and trust her with another miraculous when she’s ready — which would negate the effects of season 3 when Chloe feels betrayed and relinquishes her friendship to ladybug. I could see it in her character that she would have a villain arc early on, but Ladybug forgives her and tells her that she’s still redeemable, even if Chloe doesn’t. Maybe she stops taking shit from her mother too, especially when she learns that her mom cheated on her father to have Zoe lolll.

So for Chloe, some things that could potentially change her is

1. Realizing she is unintentionally hurting the people she loves with her behavior

2. Accidentally becoming the villain and causing mass carnage when all she wanted was attention and recognition

3. The image of her mother is destroyed and she doesn’t want to be like her anymore - a change in idolization

These are just ideas! I’m still trying to psychologically dissect her. I’m still trying to think of a scenario that would really push her to abandon her narcissistic ways. Maybe I’ll do some psychology research. If anyone else has any ideas about how to change a narcissist I’m all ears! Also sorry about the tangent, I tend to go into too much detail sometimes lol

Babes is just an abandoned little girl that wants her mother’s attention - and she thinks that in order to get it, she has to act like her.

[akane171]

I've searched for Easy Company in Hell's Highway - so you don't have too.

Hell's Highway: A Chronicle of the 101st Airborne in the Holland Campaign, September-November 1944 by George Koskimaki

Just before the jump: “Colonel Sink, who was in plane#1, had been looking out of the door when something shook the plane and he saw a part of the wing whip loose and dangle in the breeze. He turned and said: ‘Well, there goes the wing.’ But nobody seemed to think much about it as they figured by now they were practically ‘in’ it”.

The Son bridge. Oh, look who is here: “A few minutes after the first groups headed on their missions, a Dutchman approached 1Lt. NORMAN DIKE, the assistant S-2 for the regiment and informed him that the two auxiliary bridges had been blown by the Germans several days earlier”.

Eindhoven. T/4 Donald G. Malarkey’s recollection of the advance by the 2nd Battalion is as follows: “We came into the city from the northeast with scattered resistance but rounded up a lot of prisoners on tips from the Dutch people. In fact, at one time, we had so many men going after holed-up Germans that we had to stop following their leads.”

Easy’s 1Lt. Robert Brewer being wounded. Hewas ordered by Capt. Clarence Hester (S-3 for the 2nd Battalion) to flank some Germans. He questioned with his poor French the school kids who asked their parents in Dutch and then translate it to French again about German positions (what a comedy, lol). He’s learnt Germans were sitting in some orchard. As he said, he had a little time to study the route, so he had map and bincons out as they were approaching.

“At the moment I was hit. A round entered my right jaw and exited my left neck. Both holes, just below the third molar from the back, spouted blood immediately and blood flowed from my mouth like a fountain. I knew I was going into shock. (…) I heard one of my men yell ‘Lieutenant Brewer’s dead! Get going to those trees ahead!’ and I remembered feeling good about that order. Someone was taking over.”

Sgt. Al Mampre (surgeon from 2nd Battalion) was the one who patched him along with Pvt. Holland (from E). “I was in the process of administering plasma to Brewer, which was very difficult because his veins had collapsed, when we were fired. Holland shouted that he was hit in the heel and scooted back to E Company in the ditch. Dirt was kicking up around and I heard the sharp crack and thought the plasma bottle was shattered. I looked up and found it intact in my hand, so I lay down beside Brewer. He was yellow in colour and not moving at all. In my best bedside manner, I said to Brewer ‘Are you dead? If so, I’m getting out  of here!’ He croaked back , barely audible and just understandable ‘No, but I don’t know why not.’ I said ‘Good, I’ll stay with you”.

Right after he was wounded too. Three Easy men came to help them but they were shot. In the end they were saved and taken to safety by some Dutchmen.

The 2nd battalion was sent to Helmond. Lipton: “When we got there it was seen that we were over-extended and outgunned, so after a forced march of several hours, we were immediately marched back toward Eindhoven.”

Generally speaking, there were a LOT of enemy tanks and they were fucked.

Don Malarkey: “We joined British tanks to attack toward Helmond where major German forces were reported. The German panzers and infantry had set up a semi-circle defence ,well concealed, on the west fringe of the city. The British tanks on the flanks and the 101st infantry were allowed to penetrate deep into the throat of the positions before the Germans opened up. We were well in front when all hell broke loose. We had several people hit – our platoon leader, Lt. “Buck” Compton, the worst. He took machine gun blast through the butt as we were told to pull back to Eindhoven. Compton, who had been a guard on the UCLA football team, was too big for a couple of people to move. He wanted to be left for the Germans and told us to get the hell out of there. However, we tore a door off a Dutch farmhouse, rolled him on it, and four of us dragged him up to the ditch along the road until we got him back to where he could get him on a British vehicle.”

Highway between Veghel and Uden

When the Germans cut the highway between Veghel and Uden, part of E Company was in Uden with Colonel Chase and Regimental HQ.  Captain Winters and 1/Sgt. CLIFFORD Lipton (I always forget this was his first name XD) were part of the advanced element. Sgt. Don Malarkey, a member of S/Sg. Bill Guarnere’s platoon, was caught in Veghel during the heavy shelling.

He said “The E Company members wondered about Winters and the rest of Company. The size and depth of the attack was so heavy we thought the rest of the company on the Uden side of the block would be wiped out as we assumed the enemy force had also sent a column to the  north. Captain Winters, in Uden, thought a similar fate had befallen us. He had positioned the rest of the company near a street intersection in shop buildings on the south side of the town waiting for the German tanks turn to the north. They had been able to view the assault on Veghel from a towering church steeple located near their position. Winters thought Veghel might be overrun so he discussed the possibility with the remaining elements of the company. Winters then decided they would make their stand, even if it was their last. Although the next 24 hours were tense, the Germans forces were routed and a last ditch defence of Uden did not have to be made”

Lipton recollected: “We set up a defensive plan and set booby traps and kept up fire from different positions so the Krauts would think we were a large force. Some British were there, too. Captain Winters told me to organize as many men I could find into one defensive position. I tried to manhandle one Britisher into the defence when he seemed to be reluctant and he stopped me short by pointing out that he was a major and not accustomed of being ordered by a first sergeant – even American.” – that’s our mama Lipton, people xD

St. Oedenrode

Lipton remembered how they were sent to find main Germans body. They were in a spread formation and were fired on in the middle of large open field. “We hit the ground, which was slightly rolling, and gave some cover to the men. I heard Bill Guarnere yelling and setting ip the 2nd Platoon machineguns and mortar in the middle of the area to fire on the woods. The tank fire was skipping right over me so I crawled for the woods we had just left when suddenly I saw someone standing right by me. I looked up and It was captain Winters, trying to pinpoint where the Kraut fire was coming from. Feeling somewhat foolish, I stood up and together we tried to evaluate the situation.”

Behind Americans, were Sherman tanks manned by British troops.

Lip continued: “The tanks could see the German positions and three of their tanks on the far side of the field, we yelled to our tanks to come up to fire on them. The British lead tank left the road and came forward through the trees.”

They yelled to the British tanks the Germans were right across the field, but for some reason the Shermans continued to move forward to open field.

Lip: “Within 15 seconds, a 76 mm shell from one of the German Panther tanks slammed into the British tank, hitting the shield around its 75mm gun and deflected up without penetrating it. When it hit, I was standing right by the tank and I must have jumped six feet and dove for cover in a ditch. I knew there would be more shells right away. They weren’t long in coming. The second shell came about 15 to 20 seconds later. The Sherman was open throttle in reverse to back into the woods again but it was too late. That second shell hit below the 75mm gun shield and penetrated the armour. The tank’s commander hands were blown off and he was trying to get out of the hatch using his arms when the third shell hit the tank, blowing him out and killing him and setting the tank on fire. It burned all night with its ammo exploding intervals.”

The same situation from Don’s perspective: “We had five tanks attached to us. We got the tank commander and took him to a sandy knoll where the Tiger could be seen clearly through a small opening in the trees. He brought a tank up, spun the tracks into the knoll so they could lower the 75mm cannon enough to get on the turret of the Tiger."

"When that was accomplished he suddenly decided he didn’t want to fire from that position because he would only get one shot and, if he missed, the Tiger would take him. About a hundred yards to the south there was a finger-sized trip of 25-foot tall pine trees. The strip was about 40 yards wide and ran for a distance of 200 yards. The tank commander decided to line his five tanks behind the trees and move through them together with all the Shermans opening fire from the edge of the pine trees prior to breaking out into the sandy field.”

“The 2nd Platoon spaced themselves between the tanks moving through them assaulting across the field to the Veghel road. (…) The Tiger, in rapid succession, poured 88mm shells into the woods, knocking all five tanks out in a minute or so. We were able to pull some of the crew  members out of the tanks. Several were on fire and we threw sand and blankets in them to douse the flames.  When the first machine gun fire rattled, our new platoon leader stuck his head in the sand and so ended his career with the 101st.”

“Platoon sergeant Bill Guarnere and squad leader Joe Toye controlled the men and completed the crossing. I had the mortar squad and was busy getting fire on a German machine gun position. Once the Shermans were knocked out, the Tiger jauntily pulled out. Its machine guns were of no use as they were below the crown of the road, which was fortunate for 2nd Platoon.”

Lipton concluded: “We set up a defensive position for the night and Captain Winters told us that he would personally see that anyone who knocked out one of the German tanks that night would get a silver star. We couldn’t find them, however, and the next morning when we attacked the German positions, we found they had all withdrawn.”

Meanwhile:

When General Tylor was wounded, after picking himself from the ground he said: “The sonsabitches got me in the ass!”

It was also mentioned when Major Oliver Horton was killed by a shrapnel as he approached the railroad station near Opheusden in the midst of the heavy fighting in the morning of October 5th. I got an impression from the book that he was really liked among the soldiers.

Operation Pegasus

Screaming Eagles were aided by British airborne engineers and Dutch underground members – jfyi.

E Company men were in the most suitable position on the line, that’s why they got the job.

David ‘Mad Colonel of Arnhem’ Dobey was absolutely fucking mad: wounded, taken a prisoner, escaped from hospital, contacted the Dutch underground, crawled the German lines at night and swam across the Neder Rijn to reach allies.

Malarkey: “In mid-October I was taken to Division HQ by my company commander, 1Lt. Fred Heyliger, for a meeting with G-2, the purpose unknown. We were escorted into a room that contained large wall maps and aerial photos. There were several British officers, together with our G-2 personnel, Lt. Heyliger and myself.”

“At the time of the meeting, I was the sergeant of 2nd platoon, having succeeded Bill Guarnere, who had been injured. Part of our platoon responsibility during the period included the night-time out-posting of an orchard and complex of farm buildings on the bank of Rhine, due north of the island village of Randwijk. It was one of the few areas the Division occupied that had Rhine River concealment. I was asked if mall British assault boats could be concealed in the orchard, so as not to be visible by the Germans across the Rhine of from the air. Also needed information on whether these boats could be brought in one night and used the following night. I responded to both questions in the affirmative and explained that there was a deep, high water overflown ditch that circled the  south edge of the orchard. It was 6 to 7 feet deep and 8 to 10 feet across. The bordering fruit trees spanned the ditch with their limbs, blocking visibility from the air.”

“Following the preliminary discussion, a somewhat dishevelled red-bearder British colonel was brought into the room and introduced. It was explained that he had worked his way through German lines and swam the Rhine the night before into the Division sector. He related that he had been working with and aided by the Dutch underground. They had a plan to effect the escape of as many as 140 allied soldiers, mostly British paratroopers, from German territory west of Arnhem. He laid out a detailed and elaborate plan that was to culminate in a river crossing through the 2nd Platoon sector a week later.”

“Dobey stated that all the troops were secreted in various Dutch homes, barns and buildings, some as far as fifteen miles from the projected crossing point. They would move each night toward the Rhine, led primarily by Dutch women. The line of direction was to be identified by firing each night, at midnight, of ten rounds from British 40mm gun from atop the dike, across the orchard, into the high ground west of Arnhem. The British assault boats would be placed in the orchard ditch the night before the crossing, which would occur at 0100 hours, the following night signalled by a flashing red light. Two men from 2nd Platoon, with rifles and tommy guns, would ride in each boat in the event German opposition was encountered.”

The following Monday night was set as the rescue attempt. Further precautions called for a machine gunners and riflemen from the 3rd Platoon to be positioned both east and west of the orchard on the banks of the Rhine for additional supporting fire. Two machine gun teams would accompany the rescue craft and set up position on both flanks on the enemy side of the river, to ward off any German troops who might rush forward to interfere with the landing operation.

Don: “All personnel were to be positioned in the orchard before midnight, at which time the Bofors gun would be fired for the final time. Following this, a corps of British artillery would blast the high ground west of Arnhem with incendiaries which would provide background light for the boast making the crossing. Then they were to be abandoned on the bank of the Rhine.”

“Colonel Dobey was asked how many soldiers could be oved in weeks’ period, to a specific assembly point. He stated it would be done by Dutch women travelling at night by bicycle. German forces were apparently not very suspicious of the Dutch women. Driving to our company area, I remarked to Lt. Heyliger that the plan seemed almost too perfect to have a chance. He said the British were exceptionally resourceful when they were concerned.”

Cpl.  Walter S. Gordon was one of the machine gunners involved in the flank operation: “One day while positioned on the bank, 1Lt. Fred Heyliger called a company formation and asked, or rather stated, he needed men to accompany him on some sort of mission. I don’t recall him asking for my volunteers but rather pointed to a number of us and that was that. He required two machine guns and a number of riflemen. PFC Francis J. Mellet was designated as one of the gunners and I was selected as the other. I recall we were later transported to a rear area and introduced to the canvas boats which were part of the British equipment. They were fragile and had plywood-like bottoms. We were asked to familiarize ourselves with the operation of the boats by paddling about on a small pond.”

48 hours before the operation the Dutch informed Dobey that Germans had ordered all able-bodied men in the village to report Monday morning to dig defences. For the British and Americans to appear for this detail would mean almost certain discovery and capture. Dobey decided to set the rescue ahead 24 hours.

Malarkey: “So far, all the pieces of the British colonel’s puzzle had fallen into place. ”

“At about 0100, Ed Joint who was with me on the boats, and I were sitting with our backs against a tree on the edge of the orchard, looking intently across the Rhine. Ed remarked that he did not see how everything could work without a hitch. I said he might be right. About two minutes later, Joint said ‘Look Sarge, a light!’ The red light was flashing as planned. I yelled at the crew and we shoved the boat into water. We were the first boat to cross.”

“I was in the bow with my tommy gun, fully expecting that some kind of opposition would be encountered. I was crouched down, so that my eyes could see over the bow. The fires in the distance provided a good background for any silhouette that appeared. About ten yards from the north bank of the rhine, I saw figures milling in the water and above them, a huddled group. I jumped in the river and met a British sergeant. I told him we would take ten men in each boat that was to be in the crossing.”

Sink: “Heyliger was in charge of fanning out his troops after he reached the other side, gathering in the fold, or inside the box, these people that were over there, corralling them toward the boats, putting them abroad, getting them back across the water, then gathering his men and getting them back, also.”

Cpl. Walter Gordon: “The idea was to establish two lateral outposts flanking the route which was to be used by the men rescued. The machine gun I manned was set up and rifle-men were stationed nearby. We lay there quietly and guarded the front which had been assigned to us. I do not recall how long we were posted but eventually we were summoned back to the boats which had transported us over the river.”

Malarkey: “I brought ten paratroopers in my boat. The most interesting one was a sergeant from the British 7th Armoured Division, who had escaped from German prison camp. He said, ‘Sarge, I’m all through. My wife has been a widow five times now, and she is not going to be again. He was from the famed ‘Rats of Tobruk’ and had been reported MIA several times in Africa and for the last time on the continent”

Cpl. Walter Gordon: “In spite of the fact we had been admonished to be quiet, we did a bit zealous on our return and paddled like demons. Each time a paddle made contact with the wood frame of the boat, it had the sound of a kettle drum. I was astonished that we were not heard in Berlin. Not a shot was fired.”

Malarkey: “The next morning all hell broke loose at the orchard and the bank of the Rhine as heavy German artillery devastated much of the orchard, buildings and all of the boats.”

And there is a nice memory of Sergeant Taylor from F Company about Strayer.

Taylor and a few other soldiers were on a patrol that went bad, they ended in the water on cold day and when they rerurned to the S-2 Battalion: “Gosh, it was cold riding back in the jeep as we were soaking wet. Colonel Strayer was back there. He gave us a cup of coffee and I think it was the best cup of coffee I ever had in my life. We were told to take off our wet clothes. Strayer threw a blanket around us.”

And that’s all about Easy and other familiar faces but there are some memories of other paratroopers that caught my attention:

Before jumping. “Pvt. C.D. Kreider had a feeling of impending doom. Sgt. C.D. Edgar related:  Kreider gave me his watch and wedding band and told me to  send them home to his wife as he was not going to make it. I told him: If you don’t make it, I’ll be with you and I won’t make it either. Kreider responded: Sarge – you are too mean to die!” It seems he was indeed too mean to die, because he survived the war xD

It was never mentioned in BOB, but a lot paratroopers came by gliders. Cpl. Michael J. Friel, medic for the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, was in the co-pilot’s seat of Hillyard’s glider. He wrote: The pilot gave me instructions on how to land a glider in case he, the pilot, was disabled. This lesson occurred while the fight to Holland…

In Eindhoven, memories of Bert Pulles, a young Dutchman. He noticed soldiers passing by and asked ‘Are you English?’ Someone said: ‘No, we are Americans!’ My answers was ‘Even better!’. “I was so excited that I did not notice anything – just so happy to see American paratroopers that I could talk to. I am sure that I never noticed their ranks, if they had any, I just saw 12 or 15  young ‘gods’ who came to liberate us. The only thing I noticed was the proudly-worn Screaming Eagle patch on their left shoulder – a badge I will never forget”. 

Cpl. Pete Santini: “Pvt. Floyd Ankeny, a man who has been in the company almost since its beginning, gave his foxhole to one of the new men who had never been under fire before and calmly began to dig himself another hole. I questioned him later and asked him why he did it. His answer was: I thought the new man was a little frightened.” Who wasn’t?!”

Veghel

Cpl. Chester E. Otsby: “I felt a tug on my leg and there was a little boy with a red wagon. He was trying to tell me to put my radio in the wagon and he’d pull it alongside. I was trying to tell him as the best I could that I had to carry the radio. All of sudden it dawned on me that since the radio was broken what the heck,, it wasn’t doing an  good on my back so I obliged him by putting it in his little agon and we marched along. He was about the happiest little Dutch boy in entire country”.

Eerde

Pvt. Jesse Garcia, form G Company: “We were  dug around a perimeter and I was short distance from the captain Kraeger. Evidently I was dug in too deep. I didn’t hear him calling me. He crawled out of his foxhole and looked down in my position. I remember looking up and seeing the captain. He said: Garcia, if you dig that foxhole deeper, I’ll consider you AWOL!”

Another memory of that Captain. Pvt. Garcia accompanied him to the HQ, where the Captain talk to Colonel Ewell and Colonel Griswold. They came under a fire. Garcia wrote: “I don’t know if we were spotted by a few Krauts or not but they opened small arms fire. I hit the ground immediately. Neither Captain Kraeger or the Colonels ever flinched or jumped. I remember Colonel Ewell saying in his southern twang ‘Well, I guess we better take cover.’ They were real men in combat.”

PFC Monaghan: “Warren Reudy and I were down in a very small ditch when a shell exploded so close it covered us with dirt. After seeing that neither of us was hurt, I looked up and there on the road, just as calm as could be with not care in the world, was Captain Kraeger. I said ‘Hey, Captain, when are we going to get out of this mess?’ He replied very calmly ‘Don’t worry Monoghan, I got you in and I will get you out’. Well, that was all I needed, and he did get us out. He was one of the greatest leaders I ever met.”

And now, my fave story form the entire book:

Sergeant James E. Breier and the most hilarious action during whole Market Garden. He and a few other soldiers were on a patrol and noticed Germans waving a white flag, like they wanted to surrender. The Americans approached them to realize that the flag only appeared in the sun as white, but was orange in reality. They were taken prisoners but… they started to argue that the Germans were the prisoners not them xD Breier even argued with a German lieutenant xD He was even warned they were going to shoot him, if he would not shut up. The best thing? He bitched so hard, the Germans finally decided he came to them voluntarily and was not really a POW. So the next day, they took him to American lines and let him free xD

Conclusion of the whole Market Garden operation:

„The cost had been high again, just as in Normandy where 1,098 had been listed as killed. The KIA’s numbered more than 858 in Holland, 2,151 were listed as wounded and 398 were counted as missing or captured during the campaign.”

It's a very good book and if you are a fan of military non-fiction and memories of soldiers - highly recommended.

I've also read book 1 -> here.

[willboland]

A dumb little thing about who i think the f1 boys would main in overwatch based on my own perception of the idiots.

Max - Absolutely the annoying Genji main who spams I need healing but will also get a 5 stack on his own when he's on crit bc he's just that good.

Sergio - Mercy bc he'd just pocket Max all game and heal NO ONE else and get angry messages from the rest of the team about him not healing them. There's two healers for a reason in his eyes.

Carlos - Reinhardt but he's very chaotic and charges in swinging his hammer on his own and then kicks off when he immediately dies.

Charles - He'd play Echo and always flank the enemy healers when they were out of position so the rest of his squad can capitalise on capturing the point.

Lewis - Sombra bc he loves hacking everyone and pissing them off and then just yeeting out of there with his translocator. Absolutely stands invisible next to the enemy team spamming boop

George - He'd be that annoying Lucio that just wall rides everywhere and boops everyone off the side of the map and then do the dj emote he paid 8 quid for.

Lando - Widowmaker for sure. He's got a really good shot on him and would terrorise the poor enemy Mercy and snipe them out of spawn all the time.

Oscar - Junker Queen. Half bc she's an aussie and half bc no one else will play a tank. He only hopped on the game one time with Lando and now he's 400 hours deep.

Daniel - I think he'd like Orisa. He's definitely played a few different tanks bc he hates playing healer and Lando and Max would always hog the dps roles.

Yuki - Definitely DVA. He loves getting play of the game with his DVA bombs that he definitely just yeets into the enemy team and hopes to get a few kills.

Kevin - Torbjorn. He'd run around with his little hammer trolling his team and the enemy team and get no kills himself whilst his turret has 100.

Nico - Moira but a dps Moira. He hates playing healer but its the only role left so he picks the most dps healer and is a nightmare. Gets the most kills on the team and has 800 healing in a 10 minute match.

Esteban - Wrecking ball. He's actually good at him too but will still just swing around a point and keep hitting the enemy team off to stop them contesting.

Pierre - A really REALLY good Tracer. He jumps around everywhere and knows exactly which target to go for and when to back out and use his recall.

Zhou - Life weaver bc he isn't the best at aiming and wants to help the best he can so he plays healer. He's pretty good at prioritising his tank and other healer and lets the dps just do what they usually do.

Valtteri - Symmetra. Definitely spams the sentries outside of spawn so the squishes will just instantly die and the team gets staggered. Actually pretty good and skilled with her.

Lance - Junkrat bc he's annoying af and he loves just standing behind a wall spamming his bombs into the air in the hopes he might kill someone. Would only end up with like 3 kills too.

Fernando - Mauga. Man's a machine and so is Fernando. You know he loves terrorising tf out of the enemy team with his massive machine guns.

Alex - Reaper main through and through. He's really good too which makes it even more annoying bc he can wipe a full team on his own if he really tries. Definitely in a mini war with Max to get the most kills in a game.

Logan - Soldier 76 sorry not sorry. He's not very good at OW and is more of a COD boy so picks the most generic easy to play hero he can.