#so you don't NEED more infantry.)

[doolallymagpie]

ooh, wargames atlantic is selling british commandos (and more germans) soon

might be useful for pulp wargaming, that

[squirrelsqwirow]

HC: househusband!reiner x fem!reader

a/n: I have so many ideas and just cannot seem to write them all down properly cw: just fluff, no smut, modern au

househusband!reiner who had been in the infantry since he turned eighteen, and now seven years later, after almost a decade of what seemed like endless bloodshed and horror, he's happily married and retired from the military

househusband!reiner who didn't know what he wanted next, everything was moving too fast and he felt left behind - civilian life was hard to adjust to, and he was grateful that you let him relax and take it easy for the first few weeks

househusband!reiner who quickly fell into a productive pattern while you were away at work - early morning rise, self-made schedule for house-hold duties, flipping through cooking books and preparing meals - he never liked wasting time

househusband!reiner who one day concludes after searching for jobs online that he doesn't want to go back into the workforce - he is completely happy staying home and doing all the household chores, in fact he recently found that he enjoys cleaning and putting things back in order

househusband!reiner who cautiously approaches you with the idea, unsure of how you'll react as it isn't too common for a man to be a fulltime househusband

househusband!reiner who is so relived to hear your agreement and support, as you just want him to be happy and you already make enough money to support you both - it would be nice coming home to a clean house and homecooked meal, too

househusband!reiner who awakens early every morning just to plant a sloppy, loud kiss to your cheek before he gets up to make you breakfast - and he had gotten incredibly good at cooking - eggs benedict, cilbir, pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, english breakfast

'mwah!' a smooch against your forehead. 'mwah!' a peck to your cheek. 'mwah!' a long wet kiss to your lips. reiner grinned above you, feeling fuzzy as your face scrunched with small laughs with every kiss he gave you. the white sheets were twisted around you both, creasing as reiner flopped down and dug his face into your neck, a final 'mwah!' to your jawline before he got up for the day.

househusband!reiner who packs your lunch with a content smile, scribbling a quick note of love that he stuck to the container of food - some of your co-workers tease you for it, others fawn over his adoration and wish their partners would do the same

househusband!reiner who will closely trail you as you walk towards the door, arms around your waist as he lathers one side of your face with quick kisses - he'll whine and look pained if you push him away, so don't do it - pull him in for a deep kiss to make up for it, one that will make him sigh through his nose and have him keep his eyes closed for a few more seconds

househusband!reiner who'll look gloomy as you walk out the door, but his hardened soldier expression returns when he sees the large pile of dishes on the bench and a carpet needing to be vacuumed - big man will roll up his sleeves and crack his knuckles as if it's a life-or-death mission

househusband!reiner who's army habits never left him and now treats everything as an operation

in the garden, between bushes of pink roses and lavender, reiner was kneeled and yanked the weed from the soil. it's dirt-laced roots hung like vines. he tossed it into the wheelbarrow behind his back, and shuffled to the next weed. beads of sweat were caught between the furrowed lines on his forehead, and his scowl was deep as he glared at the weed. he pulled once, and it didn't move, so he pulled again, yet it was stubborn and strong. reiner snatched the gardening knife to his side and spun it in his hand, before he dug it into the soil and hooked it under the weed. he pushed down the knife and pulled the stork, and the weed came free. there would be no weeds in his garden.

househusband!reiner who does that 'harshly flipping the dish towel onto their shoulder when doing the dishes' thing

househusband!reiner who has a 'kiss the cook' apron

househusband!reiner who'll spray you with water when he watering the garden, laughing at the way you squeal and run back inside behind the safety of the floor-to-celling glass windows

househusband!reiner who has you on his arm as you both walk down the shopping street in the city, drinks in both your hands as you laugh at each others terrible jokes and gossip about the drama in your neighbourhood

househusband!reiner who hears all the latest gossip from the older ladies down the street, and immediately goes straight home to tell you

househusband!reiner who takes brisk morning walks with these older ladies - they often compare their husbands to him, giving a whole 'if I was young again' speech, and all they talk about is drama, so he is always up to date on everything that's happening

househusband!reiner who will give you a 'did you hear that?!' look when over for brunch at a neighbours house and someone says something outrageous

househusband!reiner who occasionally shows up to your work to take you to lunch - some of your co-workers blush while he's there, but all reiner is focused on is you and the weird painting in the lobby

reiner stood with his arms crossed, completely focused on the mismatch of colours and shapes and human features on the large canvas. it was vivid against the white walls of your office tower, but oddly comforting. "what is it?" "I dunno," you said honestly and you both tilted your heads to the side. "gary bought it in." "of course it was gary." "it's always gary," you said. "but we like gary." "we do like gary." "I like gary too," said your co-worker susan. she stood a little too close to reiner's side and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. she looked up at reiner as she spoke, red dusting her cheeks. "he's a good boss." you poked out from beside reiner's chest and said: "nobody likes a suck-up, susan!"

househusband!reiner who isn't completely oblivious when it comes to people staring at him - his career needed him to read people's body and facial expression, so he knows when someone is taking too much of a liking to him - so that is why he always shows at your work wearing a matching outfit and greats you with a kiss

househusband!reiner who keeps himself entertained by completing diy projects - he's grown found of gardening, wood carving, construction, painting and clay

househusband!reiner who renovated a small extension from the house into a work station for himself, and it's where he completes his clay and painting projects - garden pots, vases, little sculptures, cups

househusband!reiner who uses pinterest as inspiration for many of his projects - he has multiple boards for paintings, clay, garden accessories, diy project ideas -

househusband!reiner who always melts when you join him and make clay pots together, and especially loves to paint them with you once they're dry - he always uses them in the garden, and takes good care to maintain them

you were seated in reiners lap as you both painted dried clay cups. he was delicately painting a small penguin with a scarf and wool hat, his tongue poking from the side of his mouth as his eyes were almost crossed in concentration. you smiled at him and placed a long, chaste smooch to his cheek. he blushed and tilted his head to rest against yours, a subtle grin on his face.

househusband!reiner who's gotten really good at painting with watercolour, and many of his paintings hang in the house

"you don't have to put it in here..." he trailed off as you held his latest painting - a soft-coloured village over-looking the sea - against the wall. "it's not my best work." "i want it above our bed," you said and stumbled over the pillows as you tried to find the flat point. "can you go get the- the, y'know- that flat-bubble-in-the-middle-thingy, please?"

househusband!reiner who crafts handmade gifts for you - a paper-flower bouquet, a jewellery display, a bedside table you've been wanting for a while, unique real-flower bouquets from the garden which he wraps - anything you want because he loves crafting and he loves you

househusband!reiner who teaches gabi and her friends how to make clay cups and paint them - gabi loves to pain little faces onto her cups and will proudly show them to everyone - she once showed it in class and the teacher was so impressed that he asked if reiner could make small plant pots for her class so they could paint them - he said yes, but refused to take the money offered

househusband!reiner who lays on the patio couch with you asleep on his chest almost every evening, admiring the orange-yellow-blue sky as the sun sets behind the treeline

his head was rested on a propped up pillow against the patio couch armrest, and his arms were firmly wrapped around your waist. he stroked your back as you lay asleep on his chest, the gentle rise of your back as you breathed lulling him to sleep. reiner felt his eyes droop and his head nod, but he refused to submit to sleep. you looked too peaceful against him, too beautiful and perfect with your hair skewed over your face - he'd be damned if he missed such a sight for something trivial such as sleep.

househusband!reiner who despises the mosquitos that come out a night with all the hatred in his heart - he'll swipe at them and spray them whenever he gets the chance

househusband!reiner who - with your help - transformed an unused room into a home gym because he likes working out and feeling fit, but he doesn't like other people all too much

househusband!reiner who has cleared out a room over a few weeks and had been dropping hints about something he'd been wanting for a while now

househusband!reiner who had been crafting a unique crib while you were at work, painting it soft colours and making it as safe as possible, hoping one day soon that he goes from househusband!reiner to stay-at-home-dad!reiner

[blingblong55]

Stay professional- 141

A/n: I have no idea what picture to use…

Based on a request:

Doctor reader who has incredibly dark humor that most times their patients/the guys think their serious --- GN!Reader, doctor!reader, platonic!relationship ---

A/N: Just the jokes ig because my head is a mess rn

The first time meeting you did scare them. "You have very little time," You told Price as you fixed his arm during the flight. His eyes widened, "what?!" Gaz, Ghost and Soap swore the injury was minor. "What?" you asked and Price swore it was the morphine messing with him. "Oh, no…you aren't dead…dead.whatever I said, I meant, with the scar…you have very little time with this scar, it'll heal fast," you reassure and he breathes a sigh of relief. "Who the hell got us this doctor?" Ghost asks the team and you shrug. "I'm not even a doctor, just an infantry soldier," you casually mention and Price nearly faints.

"Oh, I'm kidding!" you laugh. "Y'all need to have some humour," you nudge Gaz who was beside you. "Humour? Humour?! Look 'ere you little-" Ghost gets stopped by Price. "Not now, they have a needle in their hand." Your hands working fast to get Price ready for the long way back home. Now and then check on him and then glance at the others. "Weather is nice out there?" Soap and Ghost glare. Gaz stays silent. "Not a friendly team?" You look at the three men. No one said a word. "Good thing I showed up, huh," you once more try and make the flight back to baseless awkward.

---

It was months since the initial welcome they gave you and now they've gotten used to you. Well, not really but you just believe they are.

You were sent back for them on a different occasion. More men in the team as they had just come back from another long and deadly mission. You were fixing a patient when one taps on your shoulder. After some conversation, you tell them, "Take one for each day of the week," the pills sit on your palm. "But there's only three pills," the soldier said. Price sighed. "Exactly." The man's life flashed before his eyes. "I'm just kidding, these three will help until we get back," You pat his back and the man's life comes back to him.

---

Price and his men were in the infirmary when you walked in. White attire on you as you walked to a man who had been waiting for results. His file on your hand as you walk to him. Ghost listened to whatever bull shit would come out of your mouth. "So, what's the problem doctor?" the ill soldier spoke. "What's your zodiac sign?" You casually ask. "Uhm…cancer I believe." You nod, "what a coincidence no?" The man was about to tear up when you walked away and to the next patient. Ghost was beyond bewildered as he watched you leave the man.

---

Another time when the team was left with a gasp was when you had to inform a child that their parents had died in combat. The little girl didn't know where to go or who to until they tugged on her white coat. "Excuse me, doctor, can you help me?" The little girl said. You knew well who it was, and out of nervousness, you said, "I wish I could, but I'm currently helping families and you're an orphan."

Price was left with an audible gasp from his sergeants and a deep chuckle from Ghost.

---

A soldier who was known to be the barracks bunny got tested and you had to deliver the news. Once more, 141 was there for a routine checkup when they saw you walk to the person. "I have your diagnosis," you carefully said. "Well what are the results, I don't have all day." The soldier said. "Well it's a clear positive for being a slut, but you go and slay your way on their infected dicks, honey," you walk away from the patient and to them. "Gaz, you're up next, then Soap, Price and then Ghost, we need a serious talk sugar," you walk into your office.

"Seriously, the rookie?" Soap looked at his lieutenant.

---

On another mission, Chimera and 141 worked as allies, and Soap got injured. You walked to him. "Hi, how are you?" You ask as you sit beside him. "I'm fine, thank you." He says politely. "So why the fuck did they say you need medical attention?" Price rolled his eyes as Gaz chuckled when he understood the joke. "To work, doctor," Price's gravelly voice said.

---

A young recruit needed serious medical attention after a bomb exploded by him. After hours of working on his body, Price who commanded the soldier came up to you. "Is he okay? The bomb exploded by his left side-"

"He's all right.." you chuckle and then apologise. "Sorry, uhm..yeah… stabilised" ---

It was time for you to end your shift, the men after some time got used to you and just waited for you to walk with them. "Night, doc," Soap walked his way with Gaz to their rooms. "You have some dark humour, doctor," Ghost comments. You grin, "Well you know what they say," you shrug. "What do they say?" Price made the accident of asking. "Dark humour is like food-" Price walked away when you said that. "R/N, don't you dare finish that sentence," Ghost commanded but gave you a fist bump. "Good one though," he chuckles.

[jmdbjk]

White Bear Artillery Brigade.

I'm not here to share anything earth shattering or reveal new information. I'm just going to elaborate on what I know and how I see it. Feel free to form your own opinions.

Ok so, from everything I know, this is how I'm understanding it (long ramble)...

Republic of Korea (ROK) Armed Forces is one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world. At any given time, it consists of about 600,000 active duty soldiers and approximately 3 million reservists.

Soldiers are automatically transferred to the Reserve Forces upon discharge from their initial active duty service and serve four years in the Mobilization Reserve followed by four years as a Homeland Reservist. No one ever talks about this. They are not "free" following their active duty service. They are still considered reservists.

Jimin and Jungkook are in the White Bear Artillery Brigade of the 5th Infantry Division of the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA).

ROKA itself, the Army, is the largest of the military branches. The other ROK military branches are ROK Navy and ROK Air Force. The ROK Marines are part of their Navy forces.

It might be difficult to fathom the scope and size of ROKA. Here is an outline of the structure. You will need to scroll down a ways to see where the 5th Infantry Division falls. It is under Army Ground Operations and then under V Corps (Corps 5).

The White Bear Brigade consists of the: 195th, 196th, 205th and 988th Field Artillery Battalions. The 196th is also called YELLOW DRAGON.

I do not know which Field Artillery Battalion Jimin and Jungkook are assigned to.

Each of these Field Artillery Battalions are scattered in different locations but tied to the 5th Infantry Division. The 5th Infantry Division's top general controls these Field Artillery Battalions.

And the term "field" only means they are not located at the training base where Jin is.

It means they are out in the "field" in another remote, secluded strategic location, away from the main base, where if necessary, they and their artillery, can be deployed efficiently and rapidly should this action be required.

They don't see Jin any more. He is at a separate location.

The front line between South Korea and North Korea is lined with hills and low-lying mountains, they will be nestled up in there somewhere.

"Field" does not mean they are living in the middle of a farm field in tents, cooking food over campfires. It means they are at a base somewhere in the hills and mountains. This base will hold lots of other soldiers, though not as many soldiers as there are at the original training base where Jin is because that's sort of a hub where they deploy the newly trained soldiers from.

Simple terms: Jimin and Jungkook are out there in the middle of nowhere near the front lines at a base where they take care of weaponry like tanks and the ammo for tanks in case they have to quickly respond to an attack. Heaven forbid.

Anyway. How many ways can I explain that? Obvs a bunch.

Military jobs.

There are probably dozens of jobs that an Army base like theirs requires.

Cooking food to feed all the soldiers is one of those jobs. Cleaning the kitchen after cooking is part of that job. There were rumors since January that Jungkook was a kitchen worker. Those in the K-military call it Kitchen Police. And then JK just said he is cooking rice and cleaning up to the ceiling so that pretty much confirms he is indeed a Kitchen Police.

In the context of him being enlisted in the military and him coming to tell us he is doing good in the military, he is telling us he cooks rice and cleans up afterward.

He didn't mean he sometimes randomly cooks rice in his room. Nor did he mean he made himself a snack. It doesn't mean he also has a second job of cleaning. Everything he does will be associated with the Kitchen Police.

Their days are very regimented and structured. He will be one soldier on a team of soldiers tasked with creating enough food 3 times a day to feed the entire base. It is a full time job.

The rumor for Jimin is that he might be in a role that involves maintenance. Maintenance of what? We don't know. But what we know about Jimin is that he was on the robotics team in school, he has leadership skills, and he made a bunch of LEGO kits and a miniature house model in front of us during several weverse lives. Is he putting together computers? Is he reassembling machinery? We don't know.

The Companion Enlistment Program.

The buddy system was created in 2003 in order to foster better outcomes and psychologically stronger soldiers. It allows those who choose to enlist under this program to be with someone who they can gain this support from throughout their enlistment. That's the whole point. To be together during their enlistment.

The age range is dynamic. Every year this range progresses one year.

For 2023, the age range for this program were those born between Jan. 1, 1995 and Dec. 31, 2005. For 2024, the age range will be those born between Jan. 1, 1996 and Dec. 31, 2006. And so on.

The reason is because only Korean men between the ages of 18-28 are conscripted. 2023 was the last year Jimin was eligible for this program.

The criteria is very specific when choosing this type of enlistment. You can't "game" the system by enlisting in this program for reasons other than the ones the military has set for this type of enlistment. It's the military... they are masters at the "game." Strategy, out-thinking the enemy, creative warfare... that's their gig.

The barracks where Jimin and Jungkook sleep will be the same. The bathroom where they wash up will be the same. The cafeteria where they eat will be the same. Their recreational facilities will be the same.

It's the same base, same facilities. They may not be in each other's faces while they perform their jobs every day, but they see each other EVERY DAY. They sleep together EVERY NIGHT.

Delulu time.

Every time I say that I go "hammer time" and think of MC Hammer and the song starts in my head...anyway... I'm a dork.

I can imagine Jungkook's day starts a little earlier than Jimin's because the kitchen will need to be ready to serve breakfast for the rest of the soldiers.

There might be other teams/groups who also begin their day earlier than others. Perhaps they all gather and do some sort of brief, early morning drills or general chores before heading off to their respective posts/jobs for the day. I don't know, just guessing.

The kitchen team would do things like take in supplies, store the supplies correctly according to regulations, place orders for more supplies, gather the ingredients to make that day's menus, prepare the foods according to specified recipes, serve the food, maintain and clean the serving area, maintain and clean the cooking appliances, cookware, cooking utensils, clean the food trays and eating utensils, clean the kitchen from floor to ceiling, plan and prepare for the next day's menus, doing any preliminary prep like thawing frozen food, etc.

Menus are not decided on a whim. The Army will have set daily menus and have contracts within the country's food industry to provide ingredients and supplies in bulk.

I used to think it was slightly odd to obsess over the food they were being served in the military. But now I'm keenly interested. Is there a jikook food tray account on X?

As I don't really know the details of Jimin's job, I can only guess that he reports to his job, carries out his duties just like Jungkook and just like all their fellow soldiers. His duties may be similar in that he inventories supplies, orders new supplies/parts. Or he might be training for a specific skill like polishing glass for gun scopes or something. I just made that up to use as an example.

Of course, duty on base would be vastly different from combat if they were to actually be activated to fight. I don't want to think about that.

Perhaps during the course of their week, they all attend classes or lectures or informational meetings or whatever. I don't know. That's just a guess. But somehow, information would need to be shared and continuing training would need to occur.

At the end of the day, they'd head back to their own barracks and enjoy their evening of free time. They'd get their phones for a short period of time. From what I understand, depending on their location, their wireless signal may not be reliable or strong.

Maybe they work out. If so, they do it together. They are accustomed to doing that so there's every reason to think they'd also work out together while enlisted.

They can decompress in the company of each other, relaxing, being themselves in the comfort of familiarity. They can talk about things that they accomplished, things they learned or situations they got embarrassed about.

They can make jokes with each other, poke fun at each other, commiserate, empathize, laugh, express frustration or joy with each other.

If they have enough moments of privacy, they can vent about assholes they had to deal with or they can hype the nice people they interacted with during their day.

Or they can just relax in the company of each other in silence and nothing else.

You know... all the things you do with the person you are most comfortable with... the person they wanted next to them sharing the ups and downs of this period of their lives. It works out wonderfully for them.

Then lights out and go to sleep and do it all over again the next day.

Anyway. I send up my thoughts every day that they are safe, healthy, eating well, and that their bodies and minds are strong. I am thankful they have each other. It is day 97 into their service. 451 days remaining. FIGHTING!

[she-whatshername]

Slight October shenanigans with Bodhi

A very small Bodhi shenanigans that turned into more of a oneshot. I cannot wait until we get into the NSFW of it all with Bodhi in drifted, lolol. Its coming soon!

Again, no real facts here, but I think Bodhi (and all the Marked Ones in some fashion) get a little turned on when their S/O or crush defends their honor in some way. I feel like for Bodhi, its a 100% turn on

Walk with me here

No one really fucks with Xaden in the quadrant. Scary dragon, scary shadows, scary wingleader authority. Yes, he has looks that could kill but he actually can kill so if someone was foolish enough to speak down upon him, Xaden himself or the other Marked Ones would just mop the floor with them

And then Garrick. Same thing, he's huge as fuck (lolol), strong, has a very classified and probably dangerous signet and is Xaden's right hand. Same thing, I assume very few people are going to speak down upon him

And then there's Bodhi. Our sweet lil angel of a human. I could absolutely see some cadets thinking he's the weakest link (bruh, are they wrong) and want to go after him instead. I also imagine he'd be the person who would just take it because he doesn't care enough to fight someone over words. But, if he sees you stand up for him, I bet he's fucking smitten over it

ANYWAYS back to the shenanigans

Picture it. He's walking in the quadrant and pauses just short of the arches to glance over at you and another female cadet in what seemed to be a serious discussion

"You're kidding. Durran? A Marked One? I'd rather take my chances with anyone else from First Wing." The blonde haired girl huffed.

You're eyes narrowed while you stepped forward slightly, "We need a strong team if we're going to beat the infantry unit in The Games. Why are you being so weird about this?"

"I know cadets like you get so smitten with what you've heard about people like Durran and the others. You can whore yourself out to them but I'm not going to be on a team with a fucking traitor. Its a disgrace to Navarre that people like him and all the other Marked Ones get to even step foot in this quadrant and bond with a dragon. If you put him on the team, I'm out."

"Well then, you're out." You said with a shrug of your shoulders. "Bodhi is a top ranked cadet with one of the fastest gauntlet times and top scores in class. He helped Marehaven to the infirmary when she tore a ligament in sparring sessions, he's kind. That's everything we need to win The Games this year and you're willing to risk our squads record because you can't get over a stupid relic?"

"You don't understand-"

"There's nothing traitorous about him, or any of the Marked Ones. They're cadets just like us. And what I am understanding is you're to distracted to think straight and I can't risk that on my team for The Games. You're out." You spoke the last two words with extra emphasis. So much so the female cadet across from began screaming profanities at you for the better part of a minute before she stormed away in the courtyard.

And Bodhi across the way is just staring at you like Amari herself has appeared in human form.

He doesn't need the protection from the glares and threats of the cadets. He has his own strength, and Garrick and Xaden when he needs it but, there was something enamoring about how angry you got at his name being mentioned with such distain

Oof. He's smitten

dangerously smitten

Later that afternoon when you ask him to join your team for The Games he accepts, not mentioning that he overheard you defending him

NSFW Begins here

And when your team does indeed win the The Games against the infantry unit Bodhi guides you to one of the secluded rotundas, capturing your lips in a heated kiss before dropping to his knees to worship your body in celebration of your victory and in admiration.

Like, he's pulling at the leather strings of your flight leathers with his teeth just to get to your skin.

His breath and mouth are hot on your skin, his fingers slightly chilled due to the crisp air. Its an unexpected temperature play and its amazing

You're finished in a matter of minutes. Yet Bodhi is relentless and by your third he's catching you when your legs give out.

Somehow he's managed to get his own flight jacket off and on the ground so when he sets you down your bare ass isn't hitting the stone floor. He's pulling you in his lap to kiss your lips. When you offer to return the favor he's shaking his head, "This is your victory. Let me celebrate you."

[bookaddictedrose]

You all know I'm a huge Halden-Tauri-is-Violet's-Ex theory fan, and I just found an amazing reddit post explaining exactly why I think so.

The purple are my additions!

To summarize:

Violet seems to be very familiar with dating nobility and being associated with them

It's mentioned Violet had exes in infantry, and where does royalty enroll? Infantry.

Assuming the two did have a past relationship, it never could've been serious as Halden was royalty and Violet wasn't, which could've added on to Violet's insecurities about Cat and Xaden, because they were both technically nobility, and she wasn't and considered herself inferior.

So what will happen in the book?

Halden comes looking for Cam/Aaric. Either he covered for him, or is trying to find out where the hell he went.

There, he meets guess who? Violet! His ex! Where she's now a badass dragonrider with two badass dragons, lots of daggers, and lightning.

And so he's like wow! because she isn't a soft book loving scribe anymore. So now he thinks she's "worthy" to be in a relationship with him, and that the kingdom would be much more likely to accept her. Possible betrothal?

Which I personally don't find really reasonable, because at that point Violet's already a known traitor to the country, sooo...

So then Violet's like, no, obviously, cause she already has Xaden, and he only wants her now that she's strong, etc.

Violet is understandably tired of Xaden lying and hiding shit from her, so she's really trying to Figure Shit Out with him. She's determined to make it work out.

Xaden will clearly be struggling with being a venin, and be very frustrated when he messes up.

This leads to him even (begrudgingly) encouraging Violet towards Halden, thinking he's the safer, "better" option.

Reminder that Xaden only broke off his betrothal with Catriona because she was a toxic asshole, not because he was against a political maritial alliance.

Prepare for very, very, VERY jealous Xaden. Overprotective, lose-his-shit, "he's better and you should pick him but I'm not letting you go" kinda Xaden. Which we will all love, obviously.

At one point Xaden will try to play the heroic noble sacrifice and leave, but Violet will chase after/find him and they have a long angsty talk.

Remember that scene when Violet's trying to make Xaden jealous and she's talking about him and one of her exes fighting on the mat, and Xaden's like, _not likely, they're all in infantry and I'm stronger"??

THAT SCENE PISSED ME OFF SO MUCH. Like, Violet was trying to get Xaden to understand her situation and feelings with Cat, and then he's just being so smug and self-assured and completely disregarding her feelings?

I'm just saying, I love Xaden but he REALLY needs humbling. And I would cheer the entire time. Loudly.

[rottenpumpkin13]

The random things the firsts + Zack and Cloud end up doing are so silly from a continuity standpoint. I just imagine Lazard assigning them to these things either as a way to get them out of the tower for a moment of peace (at the cost of double paperwork that will inevitably occur from whatever chaos they cause) or as a (usually failed) PR thing. "These upstanding SOLDIERS (+ token infantry cadet) are just like you! Just normal people who do normal things! I know First Class Hewley just launched First Class Rhapsodos through a wall, just listen-!" Anyway, all this to say:

The boys are all gathered in Lazard's office.

Lazard: "Listen up, SOLDIERS and Cadets, I want no more shenanigans from you lot. This next mission is very important and I can't have you chucklefucks messing up. I've signed you all up for a ham curing class."

Angeal: Director, surely you're joking. We have more important jobs to do.

Zack: Yeah, we need action and adventure!

Genesis: Don't let our talents and skill go to waste for the sake of some silly PR thing.

Zack: What kind of PR even is this?? Do you really think the Sephiroth will be caught dead at a ham curing class?

Sephiroth, raising his hand: Will we be able to eat the ham?

Lazard: Yes.

Sephiroth: Then I have no complaints.

Zack:

[mrsbuckybarnes1917]

Request from @captainswintersoldier: Can you please write a story where reader goes back in time and meets her boyfriend Bucky in the 1940s?

Word count ~3.3k

Warnings: smut, p in v, mild fingering described, angst, mention of blunt force trauma and cardiac arrest (of original characters) and some comforting Bucky at the end.

A/N: shoutout to @samodivaa for your help and support! Love you!

The mission was simple: go back and gather intel. It was a small change but the team hoped it would correct a lot of wrongs.

You were nowhere near Brooklyn, no chances of anyone recognizing you. The risks were negligible. Or so you thought. You had infiltrated the barracks under the guise of a trained nurse. It wasn’t a tall order, you had almost completed your training and you knew your stuff, but occasionally your imposter syndrome would make you feel a little anxious about your activities.

It wasn’t something that concerned you too much tonight though, as you danced at the center of a throng of burly WWII soldiers. You’d completed your mission and you could relax until the time came for you to return home. There had been multiple offers of drinks but you needed to keep your wits about you. You had duties to fulfill and a cover to maintain.

Duty did call halfway through the evening.  Two inebriated soldiers had fallen victim to their own drunken rambunctiousness and one of them needed stitches to their temple. You had to tear yourself away from the festivities to suture up the intoxicated infantry recruit and now had to clean up the mess he had made in your infirmary.

As you worked you sang quietly to yourself.

“The good old days, the honest man,

The restless heart, the Promised Land,

A subtle kiss that no one sees,

A broken wrist and a big trapeze.”

You were in the process of replacing your supply of gauze supply and in your eagerness you'd picked up more than your arms could handle.

“Oh well, I don't mind if you don't mind,

'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine.

Before you go,

Can you read my mind?”

You might have been a little too enthusiastic with your hip swaying because without warning you had stepped back and stumbled over the leg of the examination couch. Several packets of gauze went flying in every direction as you fell backwards. You expected to find yourself lying on the floor, but a strong arm was wrapped around your waist and lifted you back up slowly. 

A green uniform came into view and you steadied yourself on a sturdy chest before you came face to face with a pair of dazzlingly familiar blue eyes. A gasp slipped past your lips as you took in the features of the handsome young soldier holding you upright. His eyes were the same as the ones you knew and loved, except they lacked the haunted look you’d come to know. Instead you saw glimmers of mischief and excitement, and was that lust?

“Well hello there, gorgeous. You trying to read my mind?” Bucky flashed you a glittering grin.

“I- what are you doing here?”

Confusion painted your features and you extracted yourself from his arms.

This wasn't supposed to be happening. You'd checked, he wasn't supposed to be here!

“See the thing is, I couldn't just let a gorgeous woman just spend all her time here alone while everyone else is out there enjoying the party.”

His words had you blushing like a schoolgirl.

“You're not supposed to be here, Sergeant Barnes.”

“You know who I am?” His eyes lit up. 

You rolled your eyes but your smile gave away the fact that you were charmed. 

“I've seen you around,” you lied but your tone said something different altogether.

Stop flirting! Everything about him brought out your playful side.

“And I've definitely noticed you. I've never seen anyone as stunning as you.” He took your hand and lifted it to his chest, just around his heart.

A soft blush stained your cheeks and you could feel your heart fluttering wildly. How was he having such a powerful effect on you? This man in front of you was maybe ten years younger than you were, yet here you were swooning and melting into his arms.

“Say, if you're stuck in here, how about I bring the party to you?”

“Oh? What do you suggest?”

Bucky sauntered over to the window of the infirmary and pushed it open to let in the sound of music.

“May I have this dance?” Bucky put his hand out to you with his palm facing up as an invitation to you.

You couldn’t resist the temptation to take his hand, letting Bucky snake his arm around your waist and pull you into his chest. He smelled exquisite and you closed your eyes to take in his scent. It was only then that you realized that the fingers that he had pressed into your waist were made of flesh and bone. Bucky still had his left arm and he was holding you with it. You ran your hand along it.

“You like what you feel?” he smirked at you.

You shook your head with incredulity at how much confidence and sex appeal that was oozing off the man. It was like he was a totally different person from the man you loved. He probably was. Your Bucky had been through a huge transformation, lost everything he knew and loved. The man in front of you now was the caterpillar version of your boyfriend, but you couldn’t help but be captivated by him. Silently you let him lead as you swayed to the distant music.

As the music finally faded away, Bucky stilled but didn't let you go.

“So are we going to stand here all night?” you asked.

“It's just… I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as beautiful as you.”

“And what are you going to do about it?”

Ordinarily, you would never have been so bold as to speak to a man you’d just met in this sort of tone. But you knew Bucky, even if he didn’t know you. Now you were just testing his boundaries. And true to his form, Bucky leaned into you, holding you close, he pressed his lips against yours. His kiss was exquisite, familiar but different all at the same time. It was exciting and somehow terrifying. For the briefest of moments, you wondered what your boyfriend would think, before you put the thought to the back of your mind and let him kiss you again.

*

A few days later, you found yourself in the midst of a crisis. One of the new recruits was in the middle of a training session when he was slammed in the chest with a shield as he was brandishing a bayonet. The kid went down like a tonne of bricks, lying unconscious on the floor.

You were walking past when you heard his fellow cadets’ panicked shouts. In a flash you were at his side assessing him. A few shouts in his ear, your ear to his mouth and your fingers on his neck told you that he wasn't breathing and his heart wasn't beating.

“What happened?” you demanded from the scared men standing around watching you as you started CPR.

A few stuttered words and you extrapolated the rest. It was a long shot and you'd only ever seen them successfully perform the maneuver on television, but what the hell!

You lifted your hand and made a fist and brought it down forcefully in the center of his chest. The reaction was immediate, the young boy opened his eyes, gasping and coughing.

Your legs collapsed under you from the kneeling position you'd been in, Your heart wasn't the only thing that was pounding and you thanked your lucky stars that you'd had the guts to make the move. But your job wasn't done yet. The recruits had gathered themselves together and fetched a stretcher and carried their teammate to the infirmary. It took you around an hour to make sure the newbie was stable, but as you worked you could see Bucky hovering around out of the corner of your eye.

“Hey you.” You smiled at Bucky as you closed the door to the now stable and sleeping cadet. “You don't need to worry about Simmons, he'll be just fine.”

“Yeah, I'm sure he will be.” Bucky approached you slowly. “How’re you doing?”

“I'm alright,” you answer, finally noticing the predatory look in his eyes.

The blue of his eyes was darker than you remembered them. It made your heart skip a beat and you wondered if you too needed to be hooked up to an EKG machine like poor Simmons.

“I'm glad.” 

His hand came to rest on your waist. Bucky stood in front of you. When had he gotten so close?

“Bucky?” you questioned his subtle approach. 

“Hmmm?” he hummed, his other hand was on your hip.

He took another step forwards, pushing you backwards. Again and again until you were inside your office. As soon as the door closed he had you up against it, one hand on the small of your back and the other cupping your face.

“Bucky,” you muttered breathlessly. “What-”

There wasn't time for you to finish your question as his lips claimed yours with a hunger that you'd not seen from the young man before. Until now he had only been sunshine and roses with his words and demeanor.

But here and now, there was no doubt in Bucky's mind what he wanted from you. He was desperate, he was hard, he needed you. His thoughts were different, dirty, downright sinful. They poisoned his mind, like a plague. He was going to take what he wanted, right here against the wall of your infirmary. 

You moaned as his lips moved down to your neck.  Hands roamed your body as his hips thrusted into yours. There was no mistaking the erection he was sporting. He was making you feel like Niagara Falls under your skirt. Bucky slipped a hand underneath it, pulling aside your panties dipping his fingers inside you.

“Buck-” you tried to suppress a moan. 

He answered by spreading his fingers and stretching your walls, making you whimper and whine into his neck. You dug your nails and teeth into his exposed skin as his thumb found your clit. The way he growled your name had you teetering on the edge of an orgasm and your walls fluttered around his fingers expectantly.

“Now why'd ya have to go get ahead of yourself, huh Doll?” Bucky pulled his fingers out of you and licked your essence off them.

“Bucky,” you whined. You started unbuckling his pants, pulling him free from the constraints of his briefs.

His fingers ran over your bare ass and down your thighs as you prepped him with a few pumps. He moved closer so you could line him up to your dripping entrance before he slammed into you with relative ease. You arched your back as he ran his fingers through your hair and tugged at the strands. Even after all this time, you couldn’t get used to his size. Bucky shoved his fingers in your mouth, filling it and muffling your carnal moans. His mouth was close to your ear and you could hear him mumbling a string of profanities into it along with something about how tight you were and how ruined you’d be when he was done with you.

He removed his fingers from your mouth to grab your hips again, pulling you towards him as he slammed into you repeatedly. He lifted your leg, opening you up before pushing deeper inside you. Then his tip brushed over that perfect spot inside you and your mouth was open but no sound left it. You wanted to scream but all you could do was gasp as he fucked the air right out of your lungs.

“Pleeeease.”

“Please what, Doll? Use your words, darling.” His mouth was on yours, swallowing your moans like they were the oxygen his body craved.

“Right there, Bucky. Please.”

You could feel the smirk on his lips as he thrusted his hips to hit your g-spot. And you knew the pace he was keeping would be your undoing.

“Faster Buc-”

Your young soldier had no more smart mouthed comments for you, just rocking his hips faster, his rock hard member filling you completely. Your body quivered dangerously as your orgasm built up, his cock twitched inside you. He was close too, every wanton sound pushed you closer and closer to your release, until you finally climaxed. Your walls clenched around him, legs shaking uncontrollably as he growled curses and filled you up with his white hot cum. You clutched his shoulders tightly as you both rode out your highs, panting until you felt like you could breathe again.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” Bucky put a finger under your chin and tilted your face up so you were looking into his eyes.

Why did his dazzling blue eyes have this dumbfounding effect on you? Slowly and gently he pulled out of you, pulling your panties back into place.

“Don’t want to spill anything, right?” he grinned at you before turning slightly to tuck himself away.

His words made you flush in a way that you hadn’t done since he had strutted into your infirmary. Present Bucky had never spoken to you like this, he was so much more restrained than this rapscallion in front of you.

“I have to go.”

He surprised you with a deep but gentle kiss before disappearing as quickly as he had arrived, leaving you feeling a little unsettled.

The next time he came to find you was under different circumstances.

*

“Hey you,” you greeted him fondly, picking at the collar of his uniform jacket.

He pulled you to the side, one of his hands grazing your back while the other hand wrapped around your arm to guide you around the corner. The absence of his usual swagger should have alerted you to the oncoming storm.

You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss. “Mmm, Buck!” you murmured as you felt something hard pressed against your leg. “Not out here!”

“Well it just so happens that I have a bottle of pretty good rye in my pocket.” He smirked at you.

“Oh and here I thought you were just happy to see me.”

“I’m always happy to see you, Doll.” The smile on his face didn’t quite reach his eyes and you were well versed in reading Bucky’s face, he hadn’t changed as much as you’d originally thought.

“What’s wrong, Bucky?” you asked tentatively.

“What makes you think something is wrong?”

You run your fingers over the small ridges on his brow and around his eyes, the ones you’ve seen far more often than you ever hoped to. And now you could see them on the young soldier’s face.

“I feel like you know me better than I know myself.”

“Maybe I do,” you whispered against his lips.

The gesture was intimate but you’d suddenly been gripped by fear and you wanted to keep him close. He looked down at the floor, not making eye contact with you, his hands were stuffed in his pockets and he shuffled his feet nervously. When he finally looked back up at you, sadness shining in his beautiful blue eyes, you knew why he had come to you.

“Don’t go,” you shook your head.

Bucky sighed. “I have to, Doll.”

“Please,” you begged.

“I gotta go help my friend out, my unit.”

“I’m sure they’d manage fine without you. Stay here with me.”  You were clutching at straws.

“When Captain America asks for your help, you can’t say no.”

“You can. I’m sure Steve would understand. He’s your best friend.”

“That’s exactly why I have to go. Someone needs to keep that punk’s nose out of trouble.”

Words failed you, you knew he wouldn’t stay. Not even for you. You flung your arms around his neck, your whole body trembling with fear and anxiety. “Please,” you whispered into his neck, over and over.

Bucky held you close, his hands wrapped tightly around your back until you fell silent. Eventually he pulled your arms down from his neck so he could see your face. His palms cupped your cheeks and he brushed your tears away with the tips of his thumbs.

“Don't worry, Doll. I won't be gone long.”

Fresh tears leaked from your eyes at his words. You knew the truth, what future waited for him. There was nothing more you could say that would change his actions. It would be like a leopard trying to change its spots. Not that you would try, Bucky's loyalty to his friends was one of the things you loved the most about him.

“I'll be back soon. I promise.”

You wanted to tell him not to make promises he couldn't keep but you just stood there, relishing the feeling of his left hand on your face. It felt as though time was standing still, you didn't want things to change. 

But just as the thought formed in your head, the moment was interrupted by a distant yell. Bucky turned to the sound of his name being called.

“I gotta go, Doll.” He pressed his lips against yours one last time before backing away slowly until the hand he was holding couldn’t stretch any further.

He flashed you a sad smile. You closed your eyes to blink away your tears and when you opened your eyes again he was gone.

It felt like hours that you stood against the wall, it was the only thing holding you up as you reeled from the loss. The reverie you'd lost yourself in was broken by a strong vibration from the hidden device in your pocket. 

It was time for you to go home.

You stumbled into your office and activated the device that would take you back to your own time.

*

The journey was tumultuous and you staggered out of the other side of the wormhole, collapsing straight in your boyfriend's arms. Sobs wracked your body as he held you tightly and you mumbled muffled apologies into his chest.

Bucky looked around at the others bewildered by your reaction. He felt your arms and legs looking for signs of injuries that might have upset you.

“I'm here, Doll. I'm here. Everything’s gonna be alright.”

He cradled you into his arms and carried you away from the other watching Avengers. Finally your breathing slowed and your tears dried up. You looked up at Bucky’s anxious features.

“Hey.” Bucky smiled down at you. 

“Hey,” your voice squeaked as you answered him.

“Wanna talk about it? ‘Cause not gonna lie, Doll, I'm kinda worried. What happened?”

“You weren't… you weren't supposed to be there.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were there, Buck.”

“I was?”

“You don't remember?”

Bucky shook his head. “You saw me?”

“Yeah. You were pretty cute.” You smiled shyly, wondering how Bucky would take this.

“Did I hurt you?”

You hated the fear behind his words.

“No, Bucky, of course not. But I-”

“What?”

You felt ashamed of what you were about to tell him and you looked down at your hands when you made your confession. “I knew that if I stopped you leaving, that I'd lose you here. I'm sorry. I was selfish. Everything you've been through is my fault.”

Bucky sighed, he hated seeing you so upset, especially over something that you were never responsible for.

He took your face in his hands, the same way he had done in 1940. The only difference now was his cold vibranium fingertips against your flushed cheek. “Look, I still have a lot of gaps in my memory from… before. But one thing I know for a fact is that you aren't responsible for what happened. Got that?”

You sighed and let your boyfriend envelope you in his arms. Maybe one day you'd believe him. 

[esamastation]

Part thirty-four of Shizuroth, aka, the SOLDIER General's Self Saving Shizun.

Ao3 link.

Previous parts: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three

-

Sephiroth feels a little better after an evening of meditation and a full night of sleep. Things look a little better in the light of day, and though the question of what the fuck he'd going to do about the war is still there, it has been put off. In favour of monster hunting!

"You seem… excited?" Angeal comments as they prepare to go.

He is! "Mn," Sephiroth answers, and carefully doesn't bounce with eagerness.

Even if the monsters of Final Fantasy can't hold a candle to the convoluted, messy and lazily put together nature of the monsters in PIDW, they're still interesting! Especially since he isn't sure what they actually are and how they work. Advent Children and Crisis Core really make it so unclear, because, like, everything turned into energy sparkles when it died? And he thinks in the movie one of the Sephiroth copies - weird to think about them now - summoned some monsters with magic? And then there was Zack in Crisis Core. Who turned into sparkles when he died!

Not everything can just disappear into energy, right, you need living things dying and rotting and composting to make up soil and stuff! If plants just disappear when they die, what do people eat, what were all these buildings made from? Plus he distinctly remembers coal being a thing in this setting, there was a whole town that got shafted because of it and everything, so fossil fuels exist, therefore stuff must leave behind physical remains! Except when it doesn't?

So! Is death like instant ascending here? Or like it descending, since all energy returns to the Planet? Sephiroth is pretty sure that Aerith left behind a body, and there were definitely corpses in the original game - but again, in the prequel it was really unclear. Enemies in combat disappeared, but cutscene death left a body. Except when it didn't!

Ah, the limitations of technology.

Still, he's interested in seeing how the creatures would look and feel and compare them to those he knows from PIDW. Final Fantasy VII had some really weird monsters, and he has a bet going with himself about how much they resemble awakened beasts or yaoguai. 

Angeal looks at him and then smiles, hoisting the Buster Sword to his back. "Ready to go, then?"

"Ready," Sephiroth agrees.

"We're going to have to talk to the Colonel first, but don't worry - I'll handle the talking," Angeal says. "He's an… old-fashioned soldier." 

Sephiroth arches a brow. It sounds like a warning. "Which means…?"

"He doesn't like SOLDIER, he thinks we're stuck up and get our abilities handed to us, we don't deserve our reputation, the usual stuff," Angeal shrugs. "Just ignore it and let me handle it."

"... If you say so."

They head outside together, and Sephiroth takes a moment to look around and try to be an objective observer. This place isn't really anything like the towns back home, in PIDW - the aesthetics are mixed, and though they're more like home than Midgar was, it's as if the place was squeezed through a funhouse mirror. It's just a little off.

And of course, there are no locals anywhere to be seen for a full comparison - just Shinra troops, infantry men and SOLDIERs. Who, the moment they notice him and Angeal, stop to stare and point and whisper.

Has the… incident in Midgar already spread this far, or is this really what it's like being Sephiroth all the time?

Depressing.

"Here," Angeal says and leads him to another house, apparently being used by the Colonel. "Remember, let me do the talking. You just stand there and look imposing, okay?"

Sephiroth snorts. "I think I can manage that."

The Colonel didn't look happy to see them, but then, he doesn't look like a man that's ever really happy. He sizes Sephiroth up and then scoffs. "It's about time. I don't know what kind of discipline you SOLDIER Firsts enjoy in Midgar, but this is a war front, sir, there are rules here."

Does that mean Sephiroth isn't a General then? 

"Right, you're right, of course, sir," Angeal says placatingly. "Well, we're here now, and we already have missions lined up, so -"

The Colonel ignores him and comes around his desk and to Sephiroth's face. "You've been in and out of Wutai for most of this war, isn't that correct, SOLDIER?"

Sephiroth blinks at the man, slowly. "I suppose so." Behind the Colonel Angeal looks panicked.

"What was that?" The Colonel asks dangerously, narrowing his eyes. "You suppose so?"

Sephiroth narrows his eyes back.

The Colonel continues. "When talking to an officer of superior rank, you answer yes sir, or no sir. You do not suppose! Now, do you have experience in the war or not, SOLDIER?!"

Oh, someone is feeling very insecure in their boots, aren't they?

Now, Sephiroth could handle this with all the tact and delicacy of Shen Qingqiu… but even Shen Qingqiu wouldn't have swallowed that kind of spiel without biting. The original definitely wouldn't have! And Sephiroth is supposed to be a villain… well.

Sephiroth smiles - the Colonel recoils.

Last night he'd reread everything there was on his phone about Wutai, going through all his missions again, trying to get as much intelligence as he could. Funny, the things the tutorial left out. 

"I'm sorry," Sephiroth says sweetly. "Who are you?"

The Colonel goes a little red. "Excuse me, SOLDIER?"

"You're barking at me as though at a private, expecting me to go yes sir and no sir," Sephiroth says mockingly. "And yet I have no clue as to who you even are."

Behind the Colonel Angeal gapes and then lifts a pleading look to the ceiling.

The Colonel sputters. "You, you - How dare -"

Ah, you gotta love zero IQ bullies.

"I was given a whole slew of missions and orders," Sephiroth says softly. "All are very vital and high priority. I'm to slay monsters that have killed your men, I'm to hunt down spies you've clearly failed to find, I'm to clear a guard station you haven't been able to get near, I'm to weaken a fortress you cannot even touch, and ten other things besides. All my mission files are very clear. And you know what they all have in common?"

He leans a little closer to the Colonel - right in his purple face. "Not a single one of them mentions you."

Then, before the Colonel can recover, Sephiroth turns on his heel with an imaginary mike drop and saunters out, feeling a whole lot better about everything. The sun is shining, the troopers are scattering at the mere sight of him, and the air is fresh and sweet with natural Qi.

Already this day is looking up.

Angeal, clearly deciding that evasion was the better part of valour, hurries after him. "We're going to pay for that later, you know," he says, sounding defeated.

Of that Sephiroth doesn't have any doubts. What good is a one-time bully? There'd either be a horrifying scene of comeuppance to bring home the realities of war, or a heartfelt discovery and understanding about how they're not so different after all, or whatever else. 

"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it," Sephiroth says cheerfully. "Now. I was promised monsters."

Angeal sighs, glancing back at the house commandeered by the Colonel. "... I guess we better clear out anyway. Alright," he motions. "Right this way to the monsters."

Sephiroth grins at his bitchy tone, and together they head out.

-

SY can have a petty bully scene, as a treat.

[dollzcomix]

the enemy once experimented with automatic infantry. thinking that even with bodies of metals and minds made up of ones and zeros, their soldiers would still be more human than whatever you are, in that gigantic body of yours.

you don't need anything beyond your brain. not when you're hooked up to the you that matters.

the you that towers buildings.

the you whose footsteps make the earth tremble.

who cares about else but instinct when your Handler whispers the oh so sweet orders that allow you to live.

it's not like you're capable of understanding mortality when you're under Her command. the binary you function with is the difference between a red square on your hud and a blank interface. death isn't a factor. you don't even get off to the killing anymore.

it's about the pushback of the artillery piece mounted on your body. it's about the crunch of the soldier now reduced to paste under your feet. it's about the lights dancing in front of your eyes.

and then, when it's all over, you're kept in artificial sleep until the next sortie. because you don't tuck a gun into bed, you holster it.

[howtofightwrite]

How well would a claymore mine field fare against troopers of a late medieval army (say, Swiss halberdiers in half armor)? How far away do the troopers need to be in order to have a good chance at survival? And how would a medieval army like that react to their leader hitting a landmine and getting blown up? Would they turn back and flee? Disperse away from the road? Or would they freeze up and lose unit cohesion?

In the words of the esteemed Dr. Farnsworth, “to shreds you say?”

So, for those unfamiliar, claymore mines use a shape charge to propel the shrapnel in a fixed cone (most the shrapnel is propelled in a roughly 45 degree arc, with almost all of it landing within a 90 degree arc of where it's pointed.) These can be rigged up with tripwires, or remote detonators. This is achieved by placing a fairly heavy plate behind the explosive, while the primary payload of eventual shrapnel is placed in front of it.

You don't technically hit a claymore mine. Again, these are shape charges, and designed to propel the destructive force (mostly) horizontally, so, you'd hit the tripwire, or a sentry with a detonator would activate it, possibly without even being detected by the people in the mine's kill zone.

Claymores have an optimal range of about 50 meters, with a maximum range of ~250 meters. So, “exactly how good do you consider your odds?” Because at 50m, the chances of being hit by fatal amounts of shrapnel is estimated to be about ~30%. (Obviously, in other circumstances, such as if you've got claymores set up in a confined concrete bunker, they're going to get a lot more dangerous.)

Also, we don't generally keep tight marching formations the way that early modern troops used, because modern weapons are horrifically effective against them. That Futurama quote is on the nose, because against a densely packed group of soldiers in early modern armor, the blast will likely hit almost all of them, and will, quite literally, blow many, if not most, of them apart. To put this more simply, using early modern military doctrine, they'd all be in the mine's kill zone when it went off, and their armor would do absolutely nothing to help them. In fact, this might be a case where their armor would further contribute to the shrapnel.

As for how they would react? I suspect most of them would take the ignoble option of dying almost instantly in the initial blast or shortly after from blood loss and extreme trauma. Would the survivors who could break and flee? Quite possibly. They also, quite likely, wouldn't even really understand what happened, simply because they'd never seen destructive force on that kind of scale before. “Would they lose cohesion?” My brother in Alfred Nobel's exploding cocktail lounge; they'd be losing biological cohesion with themselves. There wouldn't be a surviving unit.

There was a paradigm shift in the first World War. The stage had been set in the late 19th century, but most European armies didn't realize what had happened (and in fact, military leadership of the time stayed willfully ignorant) until after it came home.

Before this point, there was a concept of being able to “trade hits.” The halberdiers were expected to march into melee combat against other melee forces. This even survived the introduction of gunpowder units, and was still dominant military doctrine through the 19th century, where soldiers were expected to march in rank and file out onto the battlefield before shooting at each other in tightly packed formations.

What happened in the late 19th century was the development of weapons that were able to deal death with such speed and efficiency that getting into melee combat was no longer possible. The old, tightly packed, formations went from being an effective way to get troops into combat, to an effective way to see your troops completely eliminated by a single conscript's heavy machinegun fire.

The effective paradigm of infantry combat is now that your foes have the ability to end your existence, so you need to avoid their weapons (and preferably their detection) completely, until you can end them. (Yes, armor still exists, yes, it does work, but it's contingency you hope you don't need, rather than protection you expect to use.) Combat today is about controlling line of sight. Marching a squad of troops out onto the battlefield in tight formation wouldn't work, because a couple snipers with mediocre positioning could decimate them.

The claymore is part of this new paradigm. If you're in the kill range, unless you're in some radically more advanced armor than it was designed to deal with, you're going to have a bad day when it goes off.

We don't wear the same kinds of armor that those halberdiers used, because modern handgun rounds will perforate those. Modern armor does, sometimes, use steel plates (or, Kevlar, ceramic, or some polymers), as inserts but, the kind of steel used is significantly more resistant to modern bullets than what those early modern soldiers wore.

So, blown to shreds.

-Starke

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[suratan-zir]

I wanted to say that I see all your messages. Thank you. I don't deserve your condolences, even though it hurts like hell. S. had a husband and a mother, they were her only family, her world, and causing them pain was her only regret in the event of her death.

I'm putting my useless feelings and ramblings under the cut

Some of you knew her as Mathilda from her old blog, though it wasn't her real name nor her callsign. I will call her S.

Yesterday morning, on one of the military telegram channels I follow, I read that the russians went on the offensive on the part of the front where S. was. Infantry with tank support. S. went on duty just two days pryor, so I knew she's there, in the thick of things.

I immediately texted her asking if she's alive. She didn't answer because she wasn't. I saw that my message went through (meaning there is an internet connection), but there was no repsonse… So even though it shouldn't have been a surprise, I still can't believe it. Not even a month ago, she was sitting on this same couch eating pizza. She looked out of this window as I showed her the view of the Dnipro river. If I had known that the last hug she gave me would be the last hug from her...

S. was so tiny and strong at the same time. She was so proud of the muscles she had gained during her time at the front.

S. told me that my chances of being killed by a missile are extremely low, because it would need to hit exactly the roof. "Even if it lands right next to your house, you'll survive," she said. Yet she monitored air raids in my town and was still worried anyway. She, being in literal hell on earth, worried about me. That's the kind of person she was.

The whole motherfucking country of russia isn't worth a single hair on her head. Good russians, bad russians, average russians, I hope they all rot in the hell of their own making.

I promised her to be more angry than sad. I lied. I'm neither. I only feel pain and that's it. I'm crying, drinking, trying to sleep and crying some more. To think that she was going through it regularly, messaging me only short "X. died today, he was my roommate", "he chopped wood for me", "he was such a nice guy, only 23 years old". She was losing friends almost every day and managed to stay sane.

I haven't lost people to death before. Only elderly relatives, in their 90s. This is a brand new kind of pain. It gives you a perspective…

I know that her death wasn't in vain. She saved so many people during these two years. But I don't care. I'm not like her. If I could turn back time and prevent her from coming to Ukraine, I would. But it was her choice, the one she was proud of.

I want the last ten years to be a twisted elaborate nightmare. I can't…

[auraisereigh]

"Assembeling an Assembly"

Chapter 5

Brennan Sorrengail x Riorson reader Blurb: Now that Star doesn't want to see Brennan, she has to find another way to occupy her time. Making an Assembly. wc: 4.5k ☆ SPOILERS FOR THE EMPYREAN SERIES. Not much else. Typical Star humour. Flashback. Let me know if i missed something. Uses pronouns: she/her. i use Star as a nickname as y/n sounds weird, and i'm awful with names. Brennan Sorrengail x Riorson reader

Star's masterlist main masterlist

"get out of my house." My voice is quiet but sharp as I look at Brennan. His face falls immediately. "Let me explain-" he tries but I cut him off. "Out. Now." I bite out and this time I don't wait for his response, I get up from the table, take the scroll and walk out the mess hall.

It hurts. I got along with Brennan, found comfort in him. But he's her son. She killed my family. She burnt my home.

"Please, wait." Brennan begs as he stops in front of me. Damn his longer legs. "She's your mother." I say, my voice holding a hint of hurt this time.

"Yes, she's my mother." His voice holds a hint of, wait is that.... Disgust? "She lied to me, let me live a lie, fight for a lie." He's quiet for a while, most likely gathering his thoughts. "I refuse to live the lie." His voice holds a hint of anger, something I haven't heard from him, not even during the two weeks we spend in a cave hiding from everyone.

"You lied." I try to make my voice sound harsh but the hurt in it is undeniable. How could Naolin save someone like him? Someone who will become just like his mother? Ruthless and merciless. So at odds from what I've seen from him. The caring gentle soul... That just tore out the last remaining piece of my heart.

"You would look different at me." He says softly. He holds a point there but if he would have just told me it wouldn't have hurt as much. "Don't even try to deny it, you would and that's okay. It's understandable. She did horrible things, I could never blame you." Why does he need to be so caring. Why does he look at me like he cares so much about me.

"Get out." My voice sounds defeated now. I don't want him to leave but I can't even look at him anymore.

He places his hands on my shoulder as he inches closer. I keep my eyes on the ground, I can't look at him. Then I'd let the tears fall that are building up. "Please, I have nowhere to go... You're all I have." He pleads. My heart cracks even more than it has in the last few weeks. When I don't respond he comes even closer. I can feel his auburn curls softly on my forehead that's how close he's come. "Please." He pleads again, I can hear his voice crack.

"Stay out of my sight." I respond after a while. I get myself out of his grip and walk to my room. He doesn't protest or plead further. Something in my heart starts stitching up that I haven't fully lost him. But the trust we build up is gone and rebuilding that seems impossible.

The moment I'm in my room i let the tears fall, not as bad as when I found out my family had been executed or all the times after that I cried in Brenna's arms...

I take some tape and stick the roll on the wall next to my door.

☆

The next day I sit in my dad's office. This was the best way of getting Brennan out of my head for now. The Assembly idea is slowly coming together. Felix suggested that seven to eight people, including me would be a good number. So far I have:

1. Myself

Of course.

2. Felix

Because he gives good advice. It would be foolish not to include him.

3. Ulices.

He comes from Navarre, he's a rider and knows a lot about battles. He could help lead with what is left of the Infantry.

4. Trissa.

She's nice, I like her.

5. And Xaden.

When he comes back. It's only fair.

So two or three more people. There are some good options, Felix has been helpful with choosing and guiding me. It helps when your mind is a complete mess and thinking straight isn't my strong suit now.

The door opens and Felix walks through. Two mugs in his hand. Talk abou the devil.

"Good morning." He says as a greeting. I give him a soft glare. I don't hate him by any means, but I do hate mornings. "Morning."

He sets one of the mugs down in front of me. Coffee. "You know I don't drink coffee, right?" I ask him with a raised brow.

"You sure look like you could use it." He says back fast, almost like he already knew I was going to ask that. "What do you have for me?" He asks much softer. I give him the list of names, he'd seen it last night when I started but I threw some people out of the options and kicked one from the list of 'people I chose already'. He looks it over, he doesn't even look like he's judging, just interested.

He puts the paper down and scratches his beard. "Have you thought about Suri?" That's not what I was expecting. I thought he'd judge my choices, like my dad always taught how people would respond if I were to become Duchess. "She's a rider, knows a lot about battles and leading armies as she was in higher ranks at Basgiath. She'd have a good position in the assembly." He reasons. He holds valuable points. I snatch the paper back.

6. Suri.

Felix lets out an amused chuckle and slides me a small piece of paper with a few other names on. "Go through those too. They might surprise you." He says as he takes his mug and leaves again.

My eyes go down the list, some names I recognize some I don't. It's the name at the bottom that draws my attention.

Brennan Sorrengail, he's a skilled strategist and a phenomenal rider.

I take my pen and scratch through the name. Again and again untill you can't make out what was written to begin with.

☆

Hours later I might have a full Assembly. All eight people. Felix, Ulices, Kylynn, Trissa, Aethan, Suri, Xaden and me.

The list has been made and approved of by Felix, though I did notice the frown when he saw Brennan's scribbled name. I haven't seen him all day. I know I told him to stay away but I didn't think he'd actually do it. According to Felix he's been questioned and confined in his room since the news spread about his actual identity.

Maybe it's better that way. Maybe he is like his mother, if he is... lord knows what he came to do here. But he probably didn't plan to die either....

Letters has been sent out for the first meeting tomorrow, even if we do all live in the same house, still we sent letters with all the information needed.

By night time I make my way to the family quarters, right next to my dad's office. It still looks untouched, over the week I've been back I've either been in my dad's office or my own room.

There are still small things left from my family, books from my aunt, old papers from my dad, his favorite pillow still in place from the last night we spent together.

☆

I'm curled up against dad, his arm over my shoulder as Sylas, Garrick's father fills another glass with scotch. Auntie is on the other side of the couch, going through her books.

"any updates for Xaden and Catriona?" Sylas asks as he sips his drink. "I think it would do Xaden some good to visit Cordyn again. Just to take some of the stress off his shoulders." My dad responds.

I look at the cover of the book my aunt is reading, it's an old love story, I've read it once.

"I don't like her." I mutter under my breath. I'd never liked her, she was arrogant, all she wanted was a throne, she didn't care for my brother.

Dad lightly slaps my shoulder. "You don't have to like her. Just don't try to stab her again and all will be fine." His tone is lighthearted and I can't help but let out a soft chuckle at the memory.

After a while I yawn and decide to go to bed, after all it's been stressful and busy lately with the Rebellion. Dad thinks we're close to winning, but I can't but doubt that, though I will never show him that. "I'm gonna go to bed, it's late. I'll see you all tomorrow morning." I announce.

"Goodnight sweetheart." My dad says back, just like Sylas and auntie say their good nights.

I sit on my bed once I make it to my room. I haven't cleaned it up in a while, I barely have the time lately. I change into something comfortable and lay in bed, the soft sheets are a nice presence. A strak contrast with the harshness we live in currently.

I look over to my bedside table, filled with all kinds of things, some things shouldn't even be on a nightstand.

My eyes fall to the sleep potion my dad bought for me when sleeping became increasingly difficult.

☆

I look at the same bedside table, still messy and the potion still in the same place.

Dad always made things simple when It came to potions or medicine. A few small droplets in some water should be enough to let me sleep throughout the night. Dad would always prepare it for me from beforehand.

I stare at it, more memories pouring into my mind as I fall asleep to a deep, dreamless sleep.

☆

Taglist: @honethatty12 @smashee0789 @awkardnerd @randomperson1234sblog

[blingblong55]

She's my Collar- Simon "Ghost" Riley nsfw

F!reader, nsfw, Stalker!Ghost, Military!reader

This is based on a request.

But first, let me give you a little back story:

You are a highly trained sniper, and expert in hostage situations. And for obvious reasons, you keep yourself off the radar when off duty. Your age is redacted mainly for your own privacy. The nickname came around your first deployment, and everything went south real quick. Your team for hours looked for your body. Soon they heard a bullet pass through them, your third kill, and from the stinking dirt you rose. (referenced Ghuleh/Zombie Queen-Ghost).

----

"Ghuleh!" your captain called out. You looked up. "sir?"

He showed you the file, a reassignment. "Good luck." your teammate spoke. You stood up and went into the office. "What's the occasion sir." your monotone voice vibrating on the walls. "A captain requested you, congrats Ghuleh, you have been reassigned to Task Force 141, give 'em hell." he placed the file on the desk and patted your shoulder as he exited the room.

On the other side of the world, Brazil. The team was in need of a sniper, and after much searching, Price found you.

----

Full name: r/l/n, r/n

Age: [REDACTED]

Alias: Ghuleh

Rank: Sergeant First Class (SFC), ACTIVE DUTY

Sgt. R/l/n, who was involved in Operation: SEVEN JAWS, was among the five only survivors from a team, of 17.

She is a highly trained soldier, by far one of the toughest I've worked with. No matter the time, day, week, she's there. She's fast, silent, no remorse. Loyal and highly deadly.

Combat ready.

Skills: Sniper, infantry, insertion specialists.

----

Price hands Ghost your file. He scans through some pages. "Don't think she's ready for us." he tosses your file on the table. Your file sits high on the pile of many other operators. "Laswell says she's more than good enough, other teams even the enemy have asked for her. She's been bribed before. Think we aren't the ready ones." He stands up and makes the call.

13 hours later, you arrived at the base, Price, Soap, and Gaz, waiting there as you got out of the helicopter. You walked to them, you sniper and bag in hand. A smile plastered on your face. "Sergeant." his hand reached out. "Captain." you shook his hand. For the next three hours, you started to talk to your new teammates. "Ghost is busy at the moment, but he will meet with you later. Now what's with the name?"

"Classified." You looked up, your hands cleaning the snipe. He chuckled.

And for two weeks, you only saw Ghost passing by, then after hours on the shooting range, he was there. "Nice shot." his remark made you turn. "You must be Ghost." You returned back to your position. "What gave me away." his voice hinting at a slight chuckle.

Headshot.

You left your gun and turned to him. "So what can you bring to us? Just snipe?" "No, but I'll definitely surprise you, sir."

"Mind sparing with me?" he broke the awkward silence that fell upon the room. "How 'bout a no for now. But whoever can give the poor wall the most headshots gets a sparring match after the mission?" You loved playing around with your old teammates. And knew that soap and Gaz were already welcoming of you. He took out a knife and threw it at the target, headshot. You wiped out a pistol from your belt, headshot.

"Why the nickname?" he asked, he pulled a gun from his boot, another headshot. "Why the mask?" you look away from the wall, headshot. "Shit face." he answered, this time he missed his shot. "tsk tsk. s'no good," you shook your head. "Rose from the death, allegedly," you added, another headshot.

And for about an hour, you and him asked and answered. For about an hour, this man was looking at you. Studying your face, trying to read any emotions. He liked the games you played. How you dodged certain questions by shooting at his target. When he ran out of bullets, there you stood, smiling, "Guess no sparring for you sir." You walked away, content with your actions.

----

Three weeks after that day at the shooting range, he followed you closely and noted any quirk of yours. When you and the team were training, Ghost would watch from afar. He had a notebook of all you liked and disliked, and when he passed through the small gym of the base, he'd write down the music you listed. (For personal reasons: you listened to the band Ghost. Ironic ik). At times he would try and sneak behind you, trying to see if you were texting someone. To his luck, you weren't.

After week four, he, although perceived as cold and heartless, had slowly fallen for you. It was obvious you tried to be on his good side. And it was clear you were in the team for a reason.

Mere infatuation, he would tell himself. But when you consumed his last thoughts before he slept, when he imagined times when he was inside of you, pleasuring you, making you his, it was more than infatuation. He wanted others to understand, you were his. His special soldier, only his.

"r/n, time to train." He approached you, taking your scent in. "Be my partner?" your voice rang through his ears. He looked down. "hm?" "You want to train with me sir?" your innocent eyes staring at his. He nodded and followed along.

He started to think of how you'd look. Completely naked, crying for mercy as he penetrated every inch of you. How your whimpers would fill the room around. How he would part your legs, eating you out, making you scream his name.

But soon that picture faded, and he felt his bulge growing tighter around his pants. You stood at the mat, waiting for him. "Scared you'll lose?" your smirk laying high on your lips.

God those lips, the same ones he imagined would eventually be wrapped around his throbbing cock. How you would be on your knees, taking all of him in that small mouth of yours.

"Got a death wish?"

"Maybe I do."

He soon took his gear off. His muscle shirt revealed the tattoos. "Need a picture?" his ego speaking before he could form any other word. "Perhaps I do." You tried to make him nervous, just so the match could end soon. It was something you tried with Gaz, which worked perfectly, he was so nervous around you, that he couldn't think straight.

"Ladies, when in doubt, use your femininity, men will go crazy, military men are dogs when it comes to us. They get nervous, so use that against them. R/n, you have a good shot at getting the enemy on his or her knees."

You struggled to keep him down. His body weight was more than yours, but you were much faster. Soon his body lay under yours. He tried to bring you down, or at least to flip you both. "So what did I win?" you joked. "Me." uttered. Thankfully no one was around, your eyes looking for some lie. "Pfft, good one sir." now it was you that was nervous.

You had found him attractive, but geez was that a comment. "M'serious." his voice softened. Your grip on him loosened. And that was your mistake. He flipped you both over, now he was on top, your bottom with your chest rising and falling rapidly. "What d'ya say? let's get out of here and go to yours?"

It was a dangerous play if he said his.

In his room, pictures of you sat on his bedside table. A sweatshirt you left on the bench hung on a rack. The notebook he dedicated to you lay on his bed. And the small shrine he had of you in his closet, exposed if you opened it.

"Wouldn't this be inappropriate?" you asked, he got up, extending his hand for you. "Just frowned upon," he answered. Your hand on his, he lifted you up with no hesitation. And you both made your way to your room.

----

He looked around. Taking the details in. But soon, small kisses on his neck made him lose all concentration. He lifted his mask, just enough for his lips to be exposed. He grabbed you by the neck and guided your lips to his. You smiled once your lips met. Melting under the kiss, he knew it was time to make all his dreams come true.

He travelled down to your neck, his hands meeting the ends of your shirt, he lifted it up, your arms raised and felt as the clothing left your skin. He laid you on your bed. His hands hungry, traveled around your now exposed skin. You tasted better than he imagined. Your soft moans leave your lips. With one hand on your back, he unclipped your bra and threw it across the room. Your nipple piercings looking back at him, he smirked.

Fuck, the things he was about to do to you. He kissed and softly bit your nipples. This made you moan even more. He flicked your now-hardened nipples with his tongue, his eyes never leaving your face. He loved to see your reaction.

You giggled. In a matter of seconds, his shirt came off, and he trailed down your pants, impatiently trying to take them off. "Take off yours, I'll do mine," you said, and he did as told. When you two stood there, somewhat naked, you laughed.

Sex can make humans crazy. You two back in bed, and he played with your throbbing cunt. "s'ready for me. Like a good whore." he said, your lips never leaving his. "S'mine."

Moans filled the room as he rubbed your now wet panties. He lifted your legs up, taking your panties off, he liked the view. Looked down and smiled. Desire mixed in between touch.

He got on his knees and he dragged you to the end of the bed. His hands parted your thighs. He was leaving wet kisses as he went closer and closer to your throbbing parts. "please" you moaned, wanting him to stop the teasing and just finger you. "please what love?" he eyes looking at yours, a smirk planted on his lips. "please, just fuck me" you let out as frustration left your voice. "Jus'because you asked kindly." he chuckled against your now sensitive skin.

His tongue pumped in and out of you. Your hands made their way to his head, and you pushed him more in. His fingers made their way in. He fingers you so much that you start squirting. He licked the liquid that was leaking. "Taste s'good" he complimented. "Fuck!" your hands burying more deeply on his mask-covered hair.

When he knew you were ready for him, he grabbed a pillow and tossed it under you, he rested your legs on his sides. His hands touch your face. His thumb made its way to your mouth, and he made you suck it. "Spit on it," he said as his palm opened. You obeyed, he rubbed his hand on his already hard cock. And when you least knew, he went inside you.

In response to him, you moaned loudly. He rapidly covered your mouth. "Don't want them to listen just yet," he said and he deeply thrusted inside you. Your walls gripping on him. He moaned and soon he got desperate for the speed. "Can I?" he asked,

"Can I fuck you harder now?"

"Yes, please."

You grabbed the nearest sheets and covered your mouth, your moans still loud although muffled. "Now they're ready," he said as he moved the sheet from your mouth, you gripped the sheets, feeling your climax come. And once it did you grew more sensitive, your legs started to shake, but the noise and cries of pleasure fed him more.

"Please sir, I can't...I-cant take it any longer." you cried, your back arching and your nails digging deep on his arms. He liked how you were slowly leaving your mark on him.

It drew him wild. "You can take one more can't you?"

And with tears slowly falling down, you nodded. "Good," he said. He was rougher, his fingers went back down. He loved how you came on him. His fingers rubbing your now dripping wet cunt. He licked his fingers, and he dove back in. Only to come back with more of you on him.

"Taste yourself, love," he ordered.

You opened your mouth and licked around his fingers, he moaned. "obedient little whore"

And as your tears made your mascara melt, he was more than full. This was the image he needed for today. You a wreck, wrapped around his massive cock. Your body is all marked by his hands.

He came, very deep inside you. He pulled himself out and gave you a deep passionate kiss. "You did so well." Now his voice was low. A smile from both of you grew bigger the more the kiss deepened.

"Can we go again?" your voice still filled with lust. "Maybe later, don't want the others to ask why you can't do drills tomorrow" he laughed a little.

He walked to your closet, grabbed the nearest towels and started to clean you and his mess that still dripped from between your thighs.

"Don't worry, I'm on the pill," you said panic settled in his eyes. "Wise choice." he soon finished cleaning, he even wiped the now dry dark tears from your face. He grabbed one of your water bottles and handed it to you, his hands covering you and him, who now lay on your bed. His arms around you, holding you close. You two passed the water to one another.

"Next time I won't be so kind."

"don't want you to be."

----

A/N: I had a lot of fun doing this one, took shorter than I expected. also tell me why as I was writing this and a old lady walked up behind me and legitimately said "she needs some piercings like yours." MA'AMMMM HOW TF DID YOU EVEN TELL I HAD SOME!!! so shoutout to someones nan , she deserves an award for the piercing part of this story.

<333 Thank you anon!

Tags: @lialacleaf

REQUEST ARE OPEN!!

[elumish]

keeping in mind the strategic/operational/tactical failures discussed in your earlier post, what would be the major failure point of the worldbuilding in iron flame? feel free to spoiler tag. is it the nature of the enemy and the common public narrative about that?

Okay so even though I finished Iron Flame fairly recently, I have also read a lot of books in the interim, so this may be a little general and may not get every detail totally correct. I'll stick all of my thoughts under a Read More, so if you don't want Fourth Wing/Iron Flame spoilers, just skip this post.

Strategic: To be totally honest, I didn't have a huge issue with the strategic-level worldbuilding of the Empyrean. I think the question of why dragons take part in this whole thing and also why dragons vs. griffins are totally neatly divided by country borders that are relatively new is not clear and sort of a problem, but I could mostly suspend disbelief there.

It definitely is not the most well built out/robust strategic worldbuilding, but I was basically fine with it. My feeling basically boiled down to "it didn't make me actively annoyed so I lived with it and can't currently think of a major issue." Also I like dragons.

Operational: Okay! So!

I found the entire organizational structure/setup of this entire world absolutely baffling to the point of being incomprehensible.

This probably doesn't need to be said, but I will anyway: a major goal of a military is to have as many trained fighters as you can. Attrition is one of the biggest issues faced by militaries (other than logistics) and the more people you are starting with, 1) the more you can do in general and 2) the more people you can afford to lose.

This means that you really want as close to 100% of your potential fighting force to survive training. Even if you only view people as cannon fodder, literally the point of cannon fodder is to put them in front of the cannons, not kill them in training.

I know the argument presented in the series by Violet is that it inures them to death so they can keep going when their teammates die, but that is terrible for a military. Yes, people need to be able to keep going when their teammate dies, but the training system has them killing each other. They are incentivized to kill each other! And so this school is literally training them to commit friendly fire incidents. Do you know what happens in a military that trains its soldiers to commit friendly fire incidents? They all kill each other and can't work effectively as a team. And being inured to that? That's just PTSD! You are just fucked up!

So having this military school system where they need to kill each other to win makes for a dramatic story but is an absolutely awful military training setup.

But also these are (or should be, if they had a non-awful system) highly trained members of the military, which makes them extremely valuable and also extremely expensive. People who fail out should just get stuck in a different part of the military instead of basically being killed.

And actually to that point, this whole setup would make much more sense if they had the equivalent of basic training and then had people specialize, the way they do in the real military. You absolutely want your military forces to be interoperable, and they are not even a little bit in this world.

Also why the hell don't these people use more ground forces? The number of dragon riders is limited to the number of dragons, but you can just have as many infantry as you can logistically sustain. Set up an effective border defense.

If you look at the traitor people (I can't remember what they're called right now), sticking them in the elite fighting force school also doesn't make any sense. I know they gave some in-universe reason for it, but especially because of the incomprehensible "if more than three of them are near each other then we can't magically surveil them" system if they were actually viewed as a security risk, they shouldn't have been allowed anywhere near the military, much less in the dragon forces.

They're a literal flight risk! There is absolutely nothing keeping them from defecting en masse. They can't be surveilled when they're together! Also they could commit friendly fire attacks! None of it makes any sense!

I also never really understood why they were keeping the real enemy a secret and why there was such a concerted effort. It didn't seem like the military leadership/king got any real benefit from maintaining a massive conspiracy to...kneecap their own military force.

The funny thing is that since finishing Iron Flame I've read basically all of Rebecca Yarros's other books, which are basically all contemporary romance, and she writes a lot of military-adjacent books, and they generally don't have this problem. Her husband was (is?) in the military, and she seems to have a decent understanding of it, so I'm not sure why she threw that all away for this.

Tactical: Okay so this is a lot related to the issue of "why are the trainees incentivized to kill each other" but Violet's ability to poison her way through her sparring didn't make any real sense if they was any point to the sparring. She should have just been made to spar with some instructors. And also they should have had some real fighting training. Though again that's more an operational issue.

Violet definitely had a lot of Plot Strings (the plot "coincidentally" moving her to the right place at the right time to do something only she could do): especially, that she (the person who happened to have the father who knew all of the plot-relevant things for some reason) happened to get magically soul-bonded to Xaden (the person leading the group that happens to know the truth about everything). I understand the whole situation with her mother, but her mother didn't control the soul bonding.

Overall the issue on a character level was more of a "wow this person just happens to have/be exactly what we need at this time" (the prince! who was just there! until he was extremely plot relevant coincidentally just when we needed him!) but each character was mostly believable taken in isolation.

[kremlin]

what did he mean self propelled gun vs tank ??

oh, yeah, so let me preface this by saying that the whole "what is and isn't a tank" is somewhat of a meme in the same very annoying vein as "is a hamburger a sandwich". especially so because the army is doing something very silly i'll talk about later.

what is and is not a tank really doesn't really matter to someone who isn't really into tanks and the annoyance comes from all the tiny odd details the differentiate them. the following completely different vehicles could all be mistaken for the same thing:

light/medium/heavy tank

main battle tank

infantry fighting vehicle

tank destroyer

armored personnel carrier

self propelled gun

self propelled howitzer

the vehicle i mentioned, the taran, looks exactly like a tank.

but it isn't. it's exactly as described, a self propelled gun, a gun that you don't have to tow around on a truck or something. it's meant to shoot tanks in an ambush situation or more likely just blast down emplacements from a safe distance

it doesn't have any armor. it has enough to stop stray .50 cals fired from afar, but nothing more, and this isn't a dealbreaker, nobody said tanks have to be armored, the modern type 10 (japan's latest+greatest tank) is famously unarmored due to the fact the efficacy of tank ammunition has rapidly outpaced armor's efficacy in modern times. not a dealbreaker, but not exactly supportive of "being a tank".

the more relevant fact here is the enormous goddamn gun. 153mm, not that bore diameter is the be-all-end-all, but its good for rough estimations. especially in this case. 150ish mm is as big as they go. that is way bigger than any tank today, that is around where only the largest artillery sits. but not all 150mm's are made the same, and brother, this one is nuts. look how friggen long the barrel is. that mofo would be so hard to maneuver around. and the ammo suits it, it's dual-component, meaning you load in the warhead first and then the (perhaps multiple to adjust for range) propellant rounds behind it. and the HE shells for the taran were something like over 80lbs individually. the single loader's job sucked ass, and this type of configuration does not make for an effective tank. fine for a SPG though.

the thing that stands out to me is the lack of machine gun. tanks need MGs. no pintle mounted .50 cal, no coaxial .30 cal, nothing. if it was there, it would never have anything to shoot. unlike a tank. and the precious interior space in the hull and turret is occupied by the enormously sized main gun ammo.