#what do you think is better - latvia then or latvia now

[silovsmenot]

Foreign Language | Artūrs Šilovs

SUMMARY: A first meeting with a certain Latvian goalie, a surprise that leaves him thinking of you ... And an unexpected reunion thanks to injury. WARNINGS: So much fluff, poor Latvian language - if you're a Latvian native, please excuse me, I'm still learning. PAIRING: Artūrs Šilov & reader (f!reader implied). NOTES: This was the very first idea that I had, and it's been a brainrot ever since. This could very easily be a multi-part, because the brainrot is real. Okay so little Latvian lesson: 'sveiki' is an informal form of hello and 'piedodiet' is sorry. WORD COUNT: 2147 FIND PART TWO HERE

New job, new city — you were beyond excited to get started with your new life in Vancouver. It was a dream come true, a sports photographer for the Vancouver Sun. You’d be covering everything from soccer to basketball, and your personal favourite, ice hockey. It couldn’t have been better.

It had only been a few weeks and you were still pretty starstruck by the whole situation. The smile had rarely left your lips for everything felt so right. As you drove to the Abbotsford Centre, your music turned to loud as you sang along to your favourite song — life was good. And today promised to be another good day. You were helping to cover a story of the Vancouver prospects in Abbotsford and how they were developing within the AHL affiliate, while your partner would be interviewing players at the rink side and in changing rooms, you’d be snapping the shots of the training session.

It promised to be a lot easier than your usual days, training sessions were a lot more relaxed than game photography. Even with their game against playoff rivals looming, you knew it would be a calmer atmosphere than the alternative.

With the heavy camera bag upon your shoulders, digits scraped back your hair as you walked, tied back as you always did while working. Nodding across to your partner who stood waiting at the large rink doors, he held out a coffee to you, which you gratefully accepted with a quiet ‘thank you’. You two were close, like siblings — natural partners and you always delivered high tier work together.

“The boss wants some focus on the goalies, see what you can do, y/n.” He muttered as you walked, both sipping quietly at the hot liquid. From where you were, you could already hear the shouts of training, the crash of the puck against glass and the slapping of sticks upon the ice. It was a sound you knew and loved.

And as your partner pushed open the door, the bright lights of the rink lit everything up. You both moved quickly with a light tapping of both coffee cups in luck, your partner immediately gravitating to the head coach who lingered beside the boards, while you would weave onto the bench and begin your setup. Lens mounted onto the camera body, fixing your settings to this particular arena until you were happy with your picture. It was simply second nature now.

You stood beside the boards, camera switching from player to player with smooth motions as the camera clicked. Turning to each goalie, your camera would linger with the rhythmic clicking — you didn’t need to know all of the story, but a focus on the goalies was always a popular one. Players being called up to the NHL happened so regularly, it was hardly a story, but goalies? Now that got people ticking.

As the session progressed, you watched your partner question each player who came to the bench for water before they’d even had a chance to breathe. You would simply smile at each person, almost sympathetically, and do your job with the clicking of the camera.

Even as the young goalie skated over, angling toward the bench where you stood with a hand outstretched for a bottle, your lips presented a small smile as you waited for your partner to pounce. But as he was too wrapped up with Tolopilo, this goalie was left in silence … for a moment at least. You knew a little about him, of course. A young guy from Latvia, drafted a few years ago now, with a bit of a rocky start to the season. His eyes met yours as the blue and green mask was raised from his face, lips curled into a smile at the first glance.

You spoke without a second thought. It had been some years now since you ended things with your ex, but you’d spent a few years learning Latvian for them — it had been years since you had any reason to use it. 

“Sveiki…” 

Artūrs blinked. The smile on his lips disappeared as confusion was etched in its place. He’d been in Canada for a while now, with only the occasional passing player conversation to give him that little piece of home. He’d never expected this woman to come out with that.

“Sveiki.” The goalie quietly replied, leaning his weight forward upon the boards beside you. “You’re Latvian?”

You shook your head, a quiet laugh slipping through your lips as the camera lowered, your body turning to almost mirror his as you leaned upon the boards.

“I’m not Latvian, but my ex was. I learned some from when we were together.” 

As you spoke, he watched you closely as the smile returned to his face. A smile that you couldn’t help but find contagious. He nodded slowly, thinking silently to himself before his blocker hand began to shake. The glove removed, his hand wiping upon his jersey before it was offered across to you with a grin.

“I’m Artūrs,” He spoke with a little more confidence, capturing your gaze beneath his dark eyes. They were easy to get lost in as you looked at him. “But this lot mostly call me Arty.” 

“Y/N, it’s nice to meet you, Arty.” You hummed as your hand came to meet his, a slight look of amusing disgust at the sweaty hand of the goaltender. Needless to say it was enough to make the young goalie laugh.

Releasing his hand with a playful swat, you too would wipe your hand upon your jumper as he laughed. You couldn’t blame him, and you too found it funny, but a sweaty hand was not  what you wanted.

“Piedodiet.” He spoke through the laughter, head cocking as he watched you. Your eyes narrowed playful in response to his apology.

“I’m not sure that I believe that you’re sorry.” You found yourself teasing in response, the camera growing heavy in your hands as it sat idle. If your partner looked over, it would look as though you were helping him with his job — but far from it. You were enjoying yourself, more than you realised at the time.

He gave no response, just the rising and falling of his brows. A cheeky grin at his lips as the hand returned the blocker, the bottle returned to it’s place on the boards.

“Will I see you around here more?” Arty called out as he took a few strides away from where you stood. He hoped, silently, that you’d say yes. That you’d be back to photograph and chat more. For whatever reason, he wasn’t quite sure yet, he wanted to see more of you.

It was your turn to stay silent, shrugging with shoulders and hands. You had no idea if your job would bring you back to the Abbotsford Centre, but you hoped that it would.

And as the training session came to end, your partner returned to you with a notepad full of notes and a voice recorder full to burst, you gave a lingering glance back to the goalie as he took his first steps from the ice, and met your eyes with a smile.

Months passed and you had often thought of the grinning Latvian goalie of the Abbotsford Canucks. Your job hadn’t taken you back to the little suburb of Vancouver, though you’d occasionally catch the games on TV. A little curiosity peaking as you’d remember the conversation with him — sometimes, you’d catch yourself smiling as you thought about it. You’d watch his games when you could and read the news in which he featured.

You couldn’t say that you missed him, you barely knew him, but you wanted to know him … You wanted to be able to miss him.

March rolled around, the end of the regular season was in sight and you’d taken the lead in photography coverage of the Vancouver Canucks for a while now — you’d become a regular at the Rogers Arena, and knew most of the faces of players, staff and partners. You’d even become friends with a number of the wives and girlfriends. You were a familiar face to all.

And you were one of the first on the scene, with your partner in tow, at the announcement of the press conference. Demko’s injury was the worst kept secret in the city, and you’d all been waiting for them to announce it. To know which lucky goalie was getting the call up from Abbotsford.

Journalists and photographers piled into the large room with whispers and nods of acknowledgement. Everyone waiting for Tocchet to make the announcement, and your heart skipped a little beat when he did … for the grinning goalie, Artūrs Šilovs would be taking up the role of back-up in Demko’s absence. 

You wasted no time in getting down to the rink following the announcement, you knew that all the reporters would be clamouring for a word with the captain and the rookie goalie. As the flood of journalists began through the arena, the players were already leaving the ice with only the two goalies remaining with Clarkie. Many left to find the captain and coaches, while a few photographers, yourself included, would snap what shots they could of the two goaltenders.

Your stomach did a spin to see him again, the grin seemingly stuck with glue upon your lips — it had been months, surely he wouldn’t not remember you, you thought. But as his eyes glanced across to the wall of photographers, his gaze did linger upon you. Beneath his mask, he did grin. He’d spent months hoping to see you in Abbotsford, at his training or his game. It was a bitter disappointment when another photographer had been sent down in your place.

And as the nod was given for both goalies to leave the ice, little else mattered to him than making a beeline to you.

“Sveiki.” Arty immediately said as the helmet was raised, drifting on his skates just in front of you. Your smile spread instantly, quietly returning the hello with a hum. “I need to change, but please don’t run off.”

With a curious look etched upon your features, you silently nodded. It was the end of your working day anyway, you needed to sort through the photos of the day, but you could do that while you waited.

So sat upon a chair in the stands, laptop open and photos running through, you edited and submitted your best to your partner who would return to the office to write his piece. Gaze would snap up at the first sound of movement up the steps, it was strange to see him out of his goalie gear and in normal, casual clothing. A pair of jeans, a jumper, and glasses? There was something unexpected about that, but they suited him well. You liked the glasses' look.

“You didn’t come down to Abbotsford again.” He quietly said, the disappointment clear in his voice and on his face. And you felt the sting — but you also felt the twist in your stomach of excitement … he’d wanted to see you again, he’d thought about you.

“They moved me solely to these guys. I’m barely away from this rink now, Arty.” You sighed, hand closing the laptop which rested in your lap. You’d hold it there, fiddling with the corner as you thought. “I watched some of your games from home. I should’ve come down for one or two … to watch.”

“Do you want to go for a coffee, y/n?” Artūrs interjected, impatiently and abruptly. It was almost like he had to get it out before he could stop himself, and he was noticeably nervous as he waited for an answer.

You took a moment, watching him fiddle with the hem of his jumper as he waited — yet his smile never wavered. It was stuck, just as yours was.

“I’d like that.” You finally spoke, returning the laptop to your bag without breaking eye contact. The weight in his chest lifted immediately, a heavy exhale parting his lips as he nodded. You rose with a struggle, the camera bag always seeming to be heavier in that first moment, and Arty was quick to assist. His hand offered out, collecting the strap from your hand as it was slung onto his back with ease.

You walked from the arena together, both grinning wide with occasional glances at the other. A comfortable silence between you, it was simply a nice feeling to walk at each other’s side.

“Es priecājos jūs atkal redzēt.” He finally spoke, breaking the silence with words you didn’t quite know. Your Latvian limited to basic phrases that you learned to speak to your ex’s family during the holidays. 

“What does that mean?” You whispered, leaning a little closer.

“I’m glad to see you again.”

And your heart skipped a little beat.

[malk1ns]

sidgeno, 32, things you said right after hello

thanks for this one! prompts are here :)

“Wow, you’re huge,” Sid blurts out, Malkin's hand still clasped in his. “You must have grown, what, two inches since I saw you in May?”

Immediately, his face goes hot. For a brief minute, he clings to the hope that maybe he hadn’t actually said that, but over Malkin’s shoulder he can see Mario wince and Sarge bite back a laugh, so no—he really just said that out loud, and oh god, he’s still holding Malkin’s hand.

He drops it quickly and takes a large step back, mustering up the most normal-feeling smile he can manage. Based on Malkin’s quizzical, slightly amused gaze, he’s not quite managing.

Sid hadn’t told anyone what happened in Latvia.

He’d made a point to seek Malkin out—Zhenya, he’d asked to be called, but Sid’s been trying to get back to something slightly less incriminating whenever he thought about Malkin this summer—wanting to actually meet him, now that they were going to be teammates. He’d heard Mario talking about the situation with Metallurg, the pressure they were putting on Malkin to re-sign and stay in Russia, and Sid thought that if he could just talk to him, get to know him a little off-ice, he could convince him to come to Pittsburgh in the fall after all.

They’d gotten to know each other more than just a little.

Before Sarge even opens his mouth to translate, Malkin steps forward, closing the distance between him and Sid, and claps him lightly on the shoulder. “Yes, now you’re even shorter,” he says, poking his tongue between his teeth.

Sid remembers that, how Malkin—oh, hell, how Zhenya—always made that face when he was pretty sure his joke was going to land. He’s doing better now than he had at Worlds; Sid remembers how hard they’d struggled at first to talk.

It got easier later on.

Sarge makes a surprised noise, and Sid starts. He’d almost forgotten they weren’t alone. “You didn’t tell me you’ve been practicing,” he says to Zhenya, continuing on in amused-sounding Russian. Whatever he’s saying, it’s making Zhenya blush.

Mario’s eyebrows are so high they’re practically in his hairline, but once Sarge stops his teasing diatribe, he clears his throat. “Dinner’s ready,” he says, gesturing to the hallway that leads to the dining room. “We can keep talking there, Nathalie won’t be happy if the food goes cold while we’re all standing around by the door.”

Sid cringes a little and moves to fall in line behind Mario and Sarge, but Zhenya grabs his arm, holding him in place as the other two exit the foyer.

“Sid,” Zhenya murmurs, reeling him in. “I miss. Four months, it’s a long time.”

Against his better judgment and everything he’d sternly told himself all summer when he caught his mind wandering, Sid melts in Zhenya’s grasp. “Yeah,” he says, putting a hand on Zhenya’s waist. “It was too long. I wanted to call, but the long-distance charge…”

“Same for me. I think, maybe I ask JP to call for me, but then it’s problems with the contract, and…” Zhenya shrugs, frowning a little before refocusing on Sid. “But now I’m here.”

“Yeah,” Sid says again, breathless this time, pressing them closer together, until he can feel the heat from Zhenya’s body. “I thought—well, I saw the news, and I wasn’t sure, but I hoped you’d come. I thought about you so much.”

The corners of Zhenya’s eyes crinkle. He looks exhausted, and his suit is wrinkled, but Sid’s never seen anything better. “I tell you I come for you,” he says, and his voice goes sly, even as he widens his eyes in feigned innocence. “You tell me to, I do. You forget?”

Sid swallows. He didn’t forget a single second of it—the tentative first conversation, the beers they snuck into Sid’s hotel room when his roommate was out and they both had a day off the next day, which turned into Zhenya’s mouth on his, Zhenya’s dick in his hand. Every single stolen moment for the entire tournament had found them tangled up together, and Sid couldn’t forget it if he tried.

Zhenya’s still watching him, and his eyes have softened. He reaches for Sid’s face, ghosting his fingers over Sid’s cheekbone before thumbing over Sid’s mouth, tugging his lower lip down.

Sid lets him. He’s standing in Mario Lemieux’s front foyer, and his newest teammate and god willing the missing piece that will bring the Penguins success, God willing, is practically groping him where anyone could see, and Sid lets him.

“You should stay,” he says, darting a glance at the hallway and stepping back. “After dinner. I know you’re tired, but we…maybe we could say you want to see my Playstation. It’s in my room upstairs, we’d be alone. I can drive you back to Sarge’s later.”

“Yes,” Zhenya says, practically before Sid’s finished speaking. “Yes, I want to stay with you.”

[paikothecateater]

Chapter #2

Sweden had been trying, and failing, to keep the atmosphere quiet. Though, with Denmark around, it would be easier to go deaf instead. He just went on and on about things Sweden couldn't care less about, until something he said caught his attention.

"wait... What did you say?"

"Are you kidding me? You weren't listening the whole time? Svi, you suck."

"whatever, just repeat what you said."

"I said that Norway's been getting a lot more sleep lately. It's not that big of a deal."

"don't you think it's weird? Norway's getting more sleep, Iceland's getting less."

"well it makes sense. Have you heard Norway's snoring before? If I didn't know better I'd think the Germans were back."

"you shouldn't joke about that."

"oh lighten up, Svi. It's just a joke. Anyway, why are you so invested?"

"dunno... Just curious."

"yeah sure... Listen, my personal opinion, just drop it. They don't like people who get overly fussy with them, especially Iceland."

Sweden almost retorts, but is interrupted by the sound of a frustrated groan.

"do you have to be so loud in the morning, Mr. Denmark? Oh! Su-san! You're up too?"

Denmark laughs apologetically.

"sorry about that, Fin."

"no, no, it's not a big deal. What were you two talking about anyway?"

Sweden looks away awkwardly.

"nothing important."

"oh we were talking about how Norway is annoying to sleep with according to Iceland."

"what if he wakes up and hears you?"

"bit too late for that."

Norway glares from the top of the stairs.

Denmark laughs at how ridiculous the situation is quickly becoming.

Norway begrudgingly descends the stairs and sits down at the table.

"I'm not annoying to sleep with."

"Nor, you're my best friend in this entire world. I'd gladly jump in a volcano for you, so I say this with all the love in the world, you snore worse than I do."

"that's besides the point. It's not the reason Iceland can't sleep."

"oh? Then what is it?"

Norway sighs looking down.

"I have the ability to project my thoughts to allow them to reach someone without ever needing to speak. I've used it countless times in world meetings to avoid stuttering and be able to express my thoughts without losing my train of thought. Usually... I have really good control over it but for some reason, I've been accidentally projecting in my sleep. Iceland can see my dreams... And because I'm hyper-aware of it, I've been trying to avoid dreaming about anything that I don't want him to see. It backfired and now it's all I can think about, I can't stop the projection, I can't wake up. I know I've definitely been thrashing a lot more, because I'm just trying so desperately to wake myself up. "

"uh... Don't you think this is something you should maybe tell him?"

"no. I can't. None of you can either. If I tell him I don't want him to see it, he'll only want to know more... The best thing I can do is let him think they're just nightmares... Better yet, maybe one of you should let him stay in your room until I can figure this out. "

Sweden puts a hand on Norway's shoulder.

"are you okay?"

"no, and I'm about to get even worse. Iceland also has magical abilities, if he really wants to know, he can find out. That's why I need you all to swear you'll keep it a secret."

The three nordics quietly promise him.

Denmark gets started on making breakfast for Finland and Norway.

Iceland was already on his way back. He had recounted the dream he'd had to Latvia. The dream in which he was standing in a body that wasn't his, in a field that was his.

[council-of-beetroot]

maybe the real eldritch horror was bureaucracy all along. no but fr i love when hima shows like tolys holding his paperwork. whats on the paper? probably nothing, but he better get it done soon! theres so much to do! and ivan sitting at his desk. wtf is his job title? who would let him sign off anything important? wasnt he like digging up oil 2 seconds ago? now he has an important Office Job? also love when its a modern setting but they do nothing online, just still walking around with paperwork

Unironically Yes, indeed.

"fuck you Janet! I'm not going to your cousin's baby shower"

Lietpru: office politics like never before

I mean take this segment of Hetalia fantasia 3

Liet (Lithuania): Ah, I’m so, so busy. Just when I think the economy’s recovered a little, I end up being this busy! Ohh, I just want to relax and spend an entire day eating the pointy portions of Sakotis right now…

Liet’s Boss: Hey! Make sure you send all these documents overseas too!

Liet: All right! Ugh, more work… Maybe I should build a tower out of this mountain of documents just like that thing in France’s home.

And then we have Ivan who basically has one insane boss after another saddled with really whatever job the government sees fit, mining, paperwork, managing the eastern bloc and making sure they don't kill one another,

And Ivan like any middle management immediate gives most of the work to someone beneath him.

Latvia would be that fresh out of college intern who is really wonders how the how operation stays a float

Gilbert is Gilbert

Feliks is like that secretary or person at the front desk whose only job is to point you in the direction of whatever meeting your supposed to go as well as dish out all the hot gossip.

It's honestly such a good setup for real

But yeah I usually in fics will have Tolys be assigned the most mundane or pointless tasks by Ivan. I wrote an office fic and gave him a mound of paperwork from Ivan and in my latest fic I had him rearranging furniture for Ivan just for Ivan to decide he wants it back the way it was.

Ivan is so extra in his ways I swear 🤣🤣

[canmom]

l'aventure de canmom à annecy épisode DEUX - lundi 2 - cats and pigs

So this one's going to be a little chaotic in terms of order of events but hey. Let's gooo.

First up! I saw Flow, as mentioned earlier. Director Gints Zilbalodis from Latvia was the very first person to win the Contrechamp award at Annecy in 2019 for his solo-animated movie Away. Now he has a team, and they decided to make a totally wordless movie about a cat. Honestly I could leave it at that - this is a movie which you should watch unspoiled and just let it take you on a ride - but for a more detailed summary...

Our adorable little cat is living alone in the forest, surrounded by statues left by their former owner, when the world abruptly gets flooded, sending the cat on a journey to try to find higher ground and survive. The cat falls in with a group of other animals - over the course of the film, this group grows to include a capybara, a ring-tailed lemur, a secretarybird and a dog. It's the story of the struggles of these animals as they try to navigate the rising water towards higher ground, dealing with both outside threats and conflict within the group. I won't tell you where they end up but things get a tad mystical.

The thing is this film is totally wordless. The animation has to do absolutely everything. And it does so with aplomb. This is hands down some of the best character animation I've ever seen in a CG movie. Every animal moves naturally and expressively, their relationships shown with humour and clear expression. I honestly don't know how they did it so well.

It's also gorgeous on a rendering level. I'm not entirely sold on the posterisation effect used on the animals, but their environments are so vivid and richly detailed, looking natural even as they enter stranger architectural zones. Under water, over water, in storms... it looks absolutely great. It makes me so happy that this was done in Blender, it's like, that's what we dreamed of back in the day on the blenderartists forums.

The film already got a Cannes nom, which is wild for animation, and honestly while I haven't seen the other features yet, this is gonna be a tough act to follow and I think it has a pretty good shot at winning. I have no insight into the mind of the annecy jurors though! Regardless, spectacular film, makes me really want to make shit in blender lol.

I got some photos of the team getting a standing ovation at the end but it's super late so I'll have to upload them later lol.

Later I saw the premiere of The Pig That Survived Foot and Mouth Disease, a new Korean film which makes a much better case for using mocap in an animated horror movie, also in the midnight specials slot. Impressively all the roles of around 30 characters were played by one mocap actor, which is wild. It's a classic Korean style of film - a spiral of death and trauma rooted in social violence, particularly military hazing and animal agriculture.

A pig, surviving the mass slaughter of pigs during the foot and mouth epidemic, eats the body of the farmer who raised him and transforms to become more human and becomes something of a cult leader for wild boars; a military deserter becomes a yeti-like creature but finds new hope when he rescues a girl from her suicide attempt, but is she even real?

It calls to mind films like King of Pigs and The Fake, and it's no less uncompromisingly bleak in its view of society - but by comparison to those films, it's shot very stylishly, with a cool nonphotorealistic shader and a frequently gorgeous forest setting. It's not as fancy as something like Flow, the models looking a little videogamey at times, but it's definitely solid - the rigs detailed enough to capture the acting. The style works very well for the film, and there's a couple of really standout stylised sequences, playing with religious iconography or dream sequences.

The film it reminded me most of is actually Unicorn Wars, another violent story of transformation and people going a bit nuts in the woods. But it also gets a bit Shakespearean with all the stabbings by the end.

Whatever you compare it to, it's a compelling drama, unblinkingly facing the cruelty of society. The two directions of escape - the human who wants to live like the animals, free from social cruelty, and the animal who wants to live as a human, free from the imminent threat of death, present a strong contrast and a good pincer movement on the theme of what it means to be human.

Sadly it didn't have nearly the turnout as WSDIB, but I did get to tell the director and mocap actor I liked the film - unfortunately I don't know enough Korean to really ask the questions I wanted to (though I learned they used Unreal for rendering) but the director did very kindly run over to his friend to give me a little postcard with some art.

I wish the crowd had been more enthusiastic tbh, this was a good movie!

I also watched a bunch of XR stuff today, and another WIP panel for Canadian film Death Does Not Exist which is looking real cool, more on that in a mo... and I met Malaysian director Suresh Eriyat in a comic book shop and bought his art book direct from him which he fully signed for me, bless him...

seriously how adorable is this?

[lilcindy]

Yandere Tolys Laurinaitis

Warning: obsessive behaviors, Poland is mentioned, mentions of wars, mentions of Word War II, historical events

Disclaimer: This can be cringe-worthy since this is the personification of a country, reduced to some anime trope, what I am indulging in can be harmful. Also, I go after comic events in the manga, not historical

━ A healthy relationship consists of two healthy individuals who acknowledge and accept responsibility for themselves, and Lithuania is a magnet for toxic ones.

━ His victim must be a nation, It takes a lot of time for Tolys to get used to someone, he's even willing to ignore the people who actually respect and appreciate him ( Estonia & Latvia) for his longer relationships.

━ Tries to be helpful to everyone, especially to his victim. Like helping them with legal issues, and giving them food and protection, If Lithuanian is not the official language of the Nation! darling, if we can say that, he will translate his most famous books, into their official language(s), which will be in vain since he never asked your permission in the first place. It doesn't matter, he LOVES helping/working for you.

━ As a yandere, Lithuania feels pretty threatened by his victim's independence, mainly due to a lack of security within himself, but doesn't really do anything about it. Finds it embarrassing to feel that way and he hates embarrassing stuff! ( attempts to restrict your choices many times)

━ He always overthinks his relationships with his obsession.

━ He is genuinely a kind person, unlike the average Yandere, he wouldn't wish to harm his love rivals. 

━ Too infatuated with his obsession that he can't see their flaws.

Before the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth:  

━ He used to control Middle and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages. He's a great leader and will always give you his best strategies. Since you're a Nation, he's not that overprotective despite being a Yandere but if you clearly are in danger, he won't hesitate to cut some throats.

 ━ It says that 'he used to be awesome before but he hasn't been blessed by his bosses'. I think Lithuania is willing to joke around, however, I don't think he will actively seek a romantic relationship with them. 

━ Why? He's born in the middle of a war, and as I said, he always overthinks his relationships with you, It may sound awful, but if you're not Poland, he will often hyperventilate when he puts scenarios in mind, where you and he had to war with each other.

━  Poland often calls him out for his obsession, calling it creepy, and weird as hell. Though,

After the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth:  

━  The time when he was taken by Russia, well...he gets less time to be with you since Mother Russia overworks him to the point of exhaustion, Don't worry, he is Russia's favorite!

━  That is why Russia overworks him to the point of exhaustion. If You had bad blood with Russia in the past or currently, he will ask, in a forceful way, Lithuania to stop his yandere tenancies, after all, he is his property. ♡

━ If not, he still doesn't have time for you...he always sheers a tear while thinking about you. Lithuania will ask Poland for his news about you while drowning in alcohol. 

 ━ If you are also Russia's subordinate. He will always be concerned for you, like extremely, literally handed three handmade documents that tell how to please the Great Fearful Russia with being bullied.

━ While hesitated to cut some throats, since over time he developed a weak stomach, and couldn't handle the gore too much. 

Modern Days:

━ Now that Mother Russia is gone.  

━ If he was asked oh-so-aggressively by Russia to stop his obsession, he would immediately rush to your house, clean it, and cook for you, as I said before he loves working for you.

━ If you guys are both subordinates of Ivan, he will boldly ask you to get rid of stuff that reminds you of him. He will NOT insist if you rightly so refuse.

━ He has a better relationship with Poland, and this one doesn't approve of this relationship and constantly reminds Liet that his obsession isn't normal.

━ He will never let go of his unhealthy crush.

[gamergirlbonestaskforce141riot]

Chapter 8 Part 1: Metus Obscuritatis (Fear of the Dark)

Previous / Masterlist / Next

‘‘You sent my Sergeant there with no clue, and now you’re pissed that she’s not listening to you? What did you think it was going to happen?’’ He slammed his fist on the table again, but a bit softer this time. ‘‘Do you fucking want her to become another Ghost?’’

‘‘She already is’’ Laswell shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. ‘‘Has she told you how she got out? After Transnistria?’’

Price’s blue, cerulean eyes narrowed dangerously, and the Captain crossed his arms. Dealing with one Ghost was tricky enough even in his best days, and if he had to worry about two of them, he’d go grey faster than he thought.

‘‘No. She said she broke out’’

‘‘Oh, she did. Through the front door. Leaving ashes behind’’ She sighed again, seeing the situation getting out of hand without Price’s backing. ‘‘I sent a team to clean afterwards. It was a carnage.’’

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47442772

‘‘Confirm, Wolf 7’’

The air seemed colder somehow. Even with the sun timidly appearing over the trees, painting the sky with delicate red brushes.

Riot was looking at her comm as if the device was a venomous snake, eyes narrowed and the ice in them darker, the rest of her face inscrutable beneath her half balaclava. Ghost could tell she was tense though, the fabric was tight enough that he was able to make out her clenched jaw.

‘‘Hey’’ He muttered, closing the distance between them until he was towering over her, so close that he could feel the brush of her arm against his vest each time she took air in. She looked up at him, eyebrows together, conflicted.

‘‘I asked her not do this. She sent me here to make sure I recognised him. He’s one of Rico’s lieutenants.’’ She whispered, her hand gripping one of her knives. ‘‘I should have known. I knew.’’

Ghost looked around once, and then his hand grabbed the back of her combat belt and pulled her closer until her side was pressed tightly against his chest, still looking down at her. She didn’t protest, and her free hand slowly laced her fingers around one of the straps of his plate carrier.

‘‘Wolf’’

‘‘Some years ago I was called to join a Special Operations temporal group to support a couple of MI6 agents abroad.’’ She sighed. ‘‘We never saw each other and worked alone, but to communicate used the codename Wolf and a number. After that one, each time I’ve been sent on a solo mission they have used that code to ‘activate’ me, so to speak.’’

‘‘Nothing any of us haven’t done before’’ Ghost’s voice seemed unfazed, his hand still gripping her belt to keep her close. ‘‘I’m usually just Ghost, or Bravo 0 7’’

‘‘You’re not just a ghost’’ Riot muttered, and looked up at him. ‘‘I was done with secret shit. Secret shit killed my squad. I just want to… I should have known better. I knew she wouldn’t keep her word, and still…’’

‘‘All of us have made that mistake, some more than once. People you know can hurt you the most.’’ He shrugged, looking down at her, his brown eyes locked on hers. ‘‘Don’t be so hard on yourself, lovie. There’s a silver lining to this shit’’

‘‘Which is?’’She smiled sadly under the balaclava. She had to. His tone, even gruff, was comforting somehow. Lovie. She even felt pathetic feeling so comforted.

‘‘You’re not doing this alone’’ Ghost kept his eyes on hers. There was something there, in her eyes, in those blue irises with grey tones. He still didn’t know what it was. He just knew he wanted it. Not for the first time, he felt thankful for wearing the skull mask when her eyes narrowed in a smile. Not for the first time, he wished to rip that mask off.

‘‘I wouldn’t want anyone else’’

-

In Latvia

‘‘The fuck are you doing, Kate?’’

Captain Price’s voice could cut rocks when angry. That was something Ghost had told Gaz and Soap long ago, and now, both of them were enjoying to not be on the receiving end of his anger. In silence, both of them watched the scene from the corner of the room.

‘‘Wolf 7, confirm’’ Laswell insisted on the comm, receiving only static. ‘‘Riot!’’

‘‘You better start talking or i cut you from the feed right now and order them back’’ Price slammed his hand on the table, next to Laswell, and stared at her hardly, his blue eyes promising a fucking storm if she didn’t comply. ‘‘And I assure you I am absolutely positive about whose orders they are going to follow’’

‘‘I needed her there to confirm the HeadHunter’s presence, John’’ The Station Chief looked at him, unfazed at his anger, she had seen it many times before. ‘‘And I need them to bring that man back here, he can take us to Captain Rico, and Rico could give us Shepherd… Riot, answer!’’

‘‘You sent my Sergeant there with no clue, and now you’re pissed that she’s not listening to you? What did you think it was going to happen?’’ He slammed his fist on the table again, but a bit softer this time. ‘‘Do you fucking want her to become another Ghost?’’

‘‘She already is’’ Laswell shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. ‘‘Has she told you how she got out? After Transnistria?’’

Price’s blue, cerulean eyes narrowed dangerously, and the Captain crossed his arms. Dealing with one Ghost was tricky enough even in his best days, and if he had to worry about two of them, he’d go grey faster than he thought.

‘‘No. She said she broke out’’

‘‘Oh, she did. Through the front door. Leaving ashes behind’’ She sighed again, seeing the situation getting out of hand without Price’s backing. ‘‘I sent a team to clean afterwards. It was a carnage.’’

‘‘Good girl, I’d say’’

‘‘You adopted her already?’’ Laswell rolled her eyes, trying to think how to salvage the situation. ‘‘Ghost, do you copy?’’

‘‘No’’

From their corner, Soap snorted loudly at Ghost’s dry answer. Price shot him a warning look, but before he could say anything, Riot called him.

‘‘Price’’ God, she sounded cold. The image of a younger and broken Simon Riley flashed in his memory again. Price, I can’t do it anymore.

‘‘I’m here, kid’’ Like hell am I going to allow you to become another Ghost.

‘‘Confirm’’

‘‘I have given you an order, Sergeant’’ Laswell insisted, but knowing already it was getting nowhere.

‘‘Price. Confirm’’ Riot ignored her completely, her intentions and loyalty clear.

‘‘Hunt that bastard down and then you two come back’’ Price didn’t even try to not sound smug, ignoring Laswell’s eyes. ‘‘Ghost, provide support’’

‘‘Roger’’

‘‘If we want to find Shepherd we need Floyd alive, Price’’ The Station Chief was clearly not happy, jaw clenched and arms crossed, but tried to keep her composure. ‘‘I need…’’

Price turned abruptly to put a finger right under Laswell’s nose, leaning in closer until their eyes were close.

‘‘Don’t give me that shit. Don’t try to sway me your way when you have sent someone that you yourself said was deeply traumatised to come across someone responsible of her torture without warning’’ He let out a deep grunt, pacing now next to the desk. ‘‘Yesterday you told me to keep her on a leash, and now you’re setting her loose and want her to bark at your command’’

‘‘We do whatever is needed to protect our countries, John’’

‘‘Yeah well, I hope that comforts you when she hunts you down for this’’

[iced-coffeebean]

Had this sitting in my drafts for a hot second and I'm bored while I wait for the college week to end soooooooo I decided to work on this <3 _______ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘɪᴄᴋ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴜꜱᴇ(ꜱ) ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ?

-

I'm not really sure tbh.

I've been in the Hetalia fandom since for a good while now but I never really gave the micronations a second thought. But as of recently, I've just been SO intrigued by them.

I got attached to Molossia cause he's a micronation in Nevada and I'm a Nevadan so I guess close proximity to him geographically??

I figured, "You know, since he's a micronation from my state, I should probably put in an effort to try to get to know him." So I began to do a bunch of research and stuff and I eventually started vibin with his character and then I was just "...Jesus christ, we are practically twins-"

Slowjamastan is another muse of mine because of his connection with Molossia. His possible backstory and upbringing is also just a really interesting thing to unravel so. He is in the brain at all times too ❗️❗️❗️

He's a relatively new character but he's already managed to snatch my heart <3

ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ?

-

Anything I just don't really vibe with or that makes me uncomfortable. Usually, dead dove items unless I'm going INSANE and I want to emotionally wreck people but yk.

If you really want to know, you'd probably have to ask me 1 on 1 and I'd tell you. Just tell me your list and I'll tell you if I wouldn't vibe with it or not.

I also don't really like Russia all that much so I try to avoid writing him or mentioning him if possible. It's probably the Latvia kinnie in me but Russia gives me the ICK and Russia enjoyers also seem to spook me just a bit. Usually the people I've been around that like him don't end up being the best of lads so... Sorry </3

I'm also not a big fan of horror so, don't expect that much from me either </3

ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ?

-

I'm not really sure tbh. I like the aspect of building out a character is possible and seeing them go through changes and such.

I really like writing AUs for things.

I also love writing Molossia and his relationships/interactions with other micronations, Slowjamastan in specific.

I'm slowly opening up to Ladonia and he already has a lot of canon interactions with him and even seems to be on really good terms with him so that I'm taking that and running with it.

I love werewolf AUs SO MUCH but I haven't yet to write one. Hopefully one day <3

ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴꜱ?

-

They come to me in dreams-/j

Joking joking but tbh, I just exist tbh and they come to me.

I normally do a lot of research on characters and adapt their way of being/personality into how I think would fit for them based on the info I got for them.

For characters I'm really passionate about, I try to consume as much of their canon content as possible while reading fics available about them and trying to get into their shoes, yk?

I try to BE the character for a hot second to understand them better. It just helps thing imo.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ɪɴ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏʀ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ?

-

I ALWAYS HAVE MUSIC PLAYING

I need it. There are very few times I've tried writing things in silence but I don't usually get very far </3

I always try to listen to music or songs that fit the mood of what I'm writing. It just gives inspo and drive for the writing <3

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇᴘʟɪᴇꜱ ᴏʀ ᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ?

-

I usually do things in the moment but depending on who I'm talking to, I try to better plan things out when I respond so I sound like a normal human being rather than the feral, impulsive mf I am.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ꜱʜɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ?

-

I love shipping <33 It makes things fun but I do enjoy characters and interactions between characters without the need for romance.

I just like how you can play around character in ways you probably couldn't before when you add a dash of romance or romantic uses into the mix.

ᴡʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀʟɪᴀꜱ/ɴᴀᴍᴇ?

-

I'm some variation of Iced-Coffeebean on social medias and I usually go by Coffee. My 2p name (for shits and giggles) is Tea <3

I jokingly call myself *insert kinnie name* kinnie on discord.

I'm also called Mythos due to that being the main DnD character I play.

So I go by Coffee, Tea, and/or Mythos <3

ᴀɢᴇ?

-

I'm 19 but sometimes I feel like I'm a 28-year-old stuck in a teen's body from how hyperindependant I am and how that makes me stress over everything and makes me hella overthink. I'm surrounded by people that are older than me but act so childish and it makes me wanna rip my hair out sometimes </3

ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ?

-

I'm an Aquarius <3

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ(ꜱ)?

-

I FUCKING LOVE GREEN!!!! GREENS LIKE MY TUMBLR PAGE SETUP AND DISCORD BANNER ARE SO ❗️❗️❗️

I also love navy blue, grays, tans, blacks, and lavender!

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴏɴɢ(ꜱ)?

-

Shooting Star by Owl City is an ALL TIME BANGER But I have top 5 songs that are ROTTING my brain rn (no specific order):

Pedastal by Aiko

Roméo by Pierre De Maere

Zari by Marina Satti

Luktelk by Silvester Belt

Daughter of the Sun by Aiko

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ?

-

Breathless (1960) by Jean-Luc Godard

Had to watch it for my film class. It was okay.

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ?

-

La Casa De Los Famosos for a reality show I've watched recently. Aside from that, probably either YGO or Hetalia. I don't remember. It's been a second.

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱᴏɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ?

-

Appetite of a People-Pleaser by Ghost and Pals cause I'm going feral </3

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜰᴏᴏᴅ?

-

I'd honestly kill for some pupusas de queso con chicharron. That with a non-alcoholic sangria and MMMM.

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ?

-

Probably Spring or Fall.

As Nevadan, anything that isn't 116 F/46.6 C is WONDERFUL. But anything lower than 45 F/7.2 C is COLD for my desert ass </3

So naturally I enjoy the months that aren't actively trying to kill me. I've only seen snow twice in my lifetime in my city so if it starts snowing (despite me liking the idea of snow), I'd actually just combust into flames and explode.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ?

-

I guess you could say that @starfishes-and-watercolors is my Tumblr bestie <333

We met via AO3 and then chatted on here before moving to Discord. But she has seen the best and worst of me fandom wise and IRL wise.

She helped me stay motivated with YGO GX content, specifically Anikishipping content or Shou/Syrus content. She just deals with me being a Hetalia thot now but yeah, I still really care about her and I'm glad to have met her.

______ I was tagged by @heta-micronomics

Tagging: @starsmadeinheaven, @starfishes-and-watercolors, and @stardust-revolver

[gaymer-hag-stan]

Okay, a few thoughts on the Semi Final 1 acts

1. Norway 🇳🇴 - Alessandra was kind of a let down. Maybe it's because she was opening the entire Contest and the show got to her but her performance at her national final remains superior. More energy, more passion and you could tell she was actually enjoying it. The crowd went crazy when they still hadn't announced her as a qualifier though so, obviously, she's still gonna do okay. But I saw a tweet that next year's Contest would definitely be held in one of the three Nordics of Semi 1. Not in Norway, I don't think.

2. Malta 🇲🇹 - Such a shame honestly. I can't see why this song never got the hype it deserved. It's peak Eurovision, it's fun and The Busker gave their everything on that stage. It's made even more frustrating because y'all know this would have qualified in the second Semi 🙂

3. Serbia 🇷🇸 - Wow. The crowd went absolutely crazy during Luke's performance. They even chanted the "secret" 'bitch' part 🤣 He really was great. I expect perhaps a bit more in the final now that's he's secured his place in it.

4. Latvia 🇱🇻 - I said it last night too, the last few seconds were they all sing / mouth the Latvian part were haunting. I almost teared up. But, yeah, ultimately I can also see why they didn't make it. Maybe a jury would have saved them but I don't think they would have gotten an overwhelming amount of points from them either because Remo would have syphoned them up, and as we saw he was still able to qualify on televoting alone so yeah.

5. Portugal 🇵🇹 - WOW. Miss girl. Miss mother. She brought her A+ game alright! Everyone has been hyping up her performance style since Festival da Canção and the pre parties. Because the song is only ok but her performance really elevates it to new heights. I only started feeling really good about this after her rehearsal footage but wow. It was even better! Mimicat really ate that stage up. I don't wanna say she was a pleasant surprise because we knew she would qualify, but she did even better than expected is all in saying.

6. Ireland 🇮🇪 - I liked the song but yeah the performance was not on par with everyone else's. I felt he may have been kinda nervous? Idk.

7. Croatia 🇭🇷 - I have been watching them perform this song ever since their national final and I was still not ready for... that. I can't imagine people's reactions seeing them for the first time 😂 Amazing. This is how you do a political song. Zoran's vocals were also better live this time.

8. Switzerland 🇨🇭 - Remo's vocals were really good. We were pretty much guaranteed to have that but even I was pleasantly surprised. Out of all the sad slow songs his was definitely the best and the juries are gonna eat him up. I gotta say his message is a tiny bit tone deaf though like, he keeps saying that he's in an age that usually Swiss guys get drafted in the army and that he couldn't imagine being in an actual war like... Sweetie, what are you saying 🤣 I doubt comically neutral Switzerland is gonna send you to war anytime soon, and if the Swiss army is anything like the Greek one, you're just gonna do lots of chores, maybe some desk work and a couple of patrols. You're gonna be okay trust me! But then again, Europe is pretty tone deaf on most issues so this is ultimately a good fit.

9. Israel 🇮🇱 - The second disappointment of the night 😬 Like, you don't understand, every day at the gym, her and Alessandra usually come back to back on the playlist and they literally give me so much energy boost 😂 I didn't get that last night. The song is still messy, it's like BLACKPINK and she, apparently has the questionable vocals to match. Yay 😬 She killed the dance break of course so at least she's got that on BLACKPINK but she's no Eleni Foureira, no Chanel. They both danced throughout their performances as well but were still able to give good vocals, Chanel even hit a high note after her dance break. If she doesn't fix her vocals by the final the juries are gonna vote her down. Hard.

10. Moldova 🇲🇩 - Like Mimicat, Pasha also did better than expected. I honestly don't remember his 2012 entry, other than it's title, but this will stay for years! Yes it's this year's Shum, just like Fulenn was last year's, but Europe clearly enjoys pagan rituals in the forest so I hope someone continues to perform them each year. Maybe it's a secret EBU rule; someone has to do the ritual to appease Martin Osterhdal otherwise he'll invite America or sth.

11. Sweden 🇸🇪 - Miss Queen killed it ok. When I saw her Melodifestivalen performance I wasn't sure about the weird LED sandwich thing and I honestly couldn't understand what the fuck she was saying, and when I saw rehearsal footage of the smaller Liverpool LED I felt her staging got fucked a bit but they actually found the proper camera angles to make it work. Loreen sounded amazing, probably the best female vocals of last night, so yeah I can honestly see this winning again.

12. Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 - They were cute. Wholesome. But that's about it. This was such an inoffensive performance but I feel like it was ultimately not memorable at all too.

13. Czechia 🇨🇿 - Oh my god, the Vesna ladies KILLEDT itt!! So happy and proud of them. They became my favourites during rehearsals not only because Austria didn't bring it as much as I wanted but also because their act itself is amazing. Nothing more to add. Very happy.

14. Netherlands 🇳🇱 - Wow. I feel so sad for them, because they got a lot of shit in the last few months about their vocals and I guess it was kind of justified based on this performance, Dion's at least because Mia kind of kept it consistent but... Yeah 😬 I hope they still had fun though because they look like genuinely nice people, all of them this year. I honestly don't think there's any annoying contestants this year so losing any of them genuinely feels crushing this year, but I feel extra sad for Mia and Dion because, after Blanka, I feel like they might have been trashed the most this year.

15. Finland 🇫🇮 - He's bringing it alright. The performance is really nice and it's basically what I expected of him. The dances are also very much into this. They're giving a lot of drama and I love that. At times I was actually focusing on them instead of Kääri. The crowd went absolutely crazy too. Probably the loudest response. However... The vocals during the end 😬 Oof. If he doesn't fix that by the final the juries are gonna go after him hard.

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2003 - Wrap Up

2003 is an iconic Eurovision year. They year that ended the dark period. The year they fixed the voting. The year the girl bops broke through. The year the right song won (sorry Belgium). The hosts were fun, the small budget was spent in the right places, the controversy was confined to a single delegation whose outrages seem to me, more and more like a politically confected response to the problems and allegations surrounding the voting in 2002 - and even they had a good song.

Look at how many of the Eurovision qualifiers made it into my list this year. The winner hasn't been this high since 1993! In the current songfestival.be top 500, there are 6 songs from 2003, up 3 from 2003 - a 100% increase!

That's not to say that the national finals weren't good. They were and they chose well. Melfest (and the Nationaal Songfestival) alighted on its modern structure and stuffed itself with what Sweden loves most. Iceland and RÚV outdid themselves by organising a national final that was filled with Icelandic musical talent that could only have been bettered if they'd managed to get Björk and Sigur Rós. Poland put on its first national final with Krajowe Eliminacje and instantly had national flavour and quality as if it had been going for many year.

Around Europe, several names, who would come to be synonymous with Eurovision over then next two decades, were entering with their débuts. There was disco, there was indie, there was Europop, there was jazz and metal and schlager and folk and experimentation. There were even songs in made-up languages. Wherever you look around Europe in 2003 there's improved quality and huge variety.

The voting sequence of 2003 is possibly the best one ever. There were few technical problems and the ones they did have didn't effect the outcome. The hosts have a few moments of the usual cringe, but their styling and looks cannot be beaten. Latvia is a very, very cool country and despite a lot of criticism before hand, the evening itself was a triumph.

The inventive set design and the magnificent green room would set the minds of future production design teams alight with ideas and possibilities. If any year demonstrates what can be achieved with creativity on a budget - even if the first thing that comes to the mind of the average Eurovision fan thinking back to 2003 is modelling clay.

So many things went well. Even better for 2004, the EBU are letting everyone in. Announced prior to the final, the semi-final era is upon us. No more relegations! Everyone can take part now - even Europe's small countries and microstates who left during the 1990s. Eastern Europe can finally be properly welcomed to the Eurovision family. Everything is awesome again!

Goodbye Riga, we'll miss you. It's onto Istanbul and the third first time winner in a row. Türkiye, show us what you can do.

[eurotastic]

Eurovision reviews 2023 - Semi final 1

Eurovision week has officially started, and that means it's about time I write my reviews for Eurovision 2023. I went to the London Eurovision preparty in April, and I had the best time, and for that reason, my opinions are partially based on the live performances that I saw there. As usual, I'm primarily basing my reviews on the song quality (do I want to listen to it outside of the competition?), and the preview videos for the staging - The full package that we're getting in the actual show. I'm also taking general fandom opinions into consideration with some of the songs, in case I think the fandom is overhyping or underrating an entry. I feel like I'm overexplaining the way I judge the songs, mostly it's just based on vibes, but the bottom line is that these are just my personal opinions and you're all free to send me anonymous hate mail if you disagree.

Norway: Queen of Kings - Alessandra

It's one of the catchiest pop songs of the year, so it's the perfect song to open the semi final with. I just wish the staging would have been improved from the NF, because right now it's looking cheap and unimaginative. It's a fast paced europop song with some pirate vibes, it has so much potential for camp but we're getting nothing visually. Cute whistle note though.

7/10

Malta: Dance (Our Own Party) - The Busker

I understand what they're going for, I really do. Introverted nerds need party songs too, but the song isn't good just because the idea for the song is good. The guy says "do you wanna dance", but the song is too slow and low energy to dance too, it just flatlines. At least they're giving us a strong staging gimmick, and Eurovision always needs an epic sax guy, so this entry isn't a complete failure.

4/10

Serbia: Samo mi se spava - Luke Black

The instrumental is fantastic, and the singing is… Is he even singing or is he just doing some sexy moaning and breathing into the microphone? This is definitely a case of style over substance, but it looks so good on stage that I don't care if the songwriting is a little weak.

7/10

Latvia: Aijā - Sudden Lights

I respect this song way more than I actually enjoy it. It's obvious that these guys are really competent musicians, but that doesn't matter when the song is this forgettable.

4/10

Portugal: Ai Coração - Mimicat

This feels like something out of the early 2000s, for better or for worse. I like how Mimicat is doing her own Moulin Rouge type of thing, but that's the problem, it's just a cabaret performance. Once the competition is over, it's not something I'm going to keep listening to.

5/10

Ireland: We Are One - Wild Youth

"We might be different, we might be unique" - No you're not, you're the most generic band on earth.

2/10

Croatia: Mama ŠČ! - Let 3

First there's the authoritatian version of The Village People singing about tractors and morons, then Lenin shows up with some missiles, and then they start singing about a "crocodile psychopath"…It's so beautiful I could cry. It's completely ridiculous and stupid, but it's obvious that it was made by smart people just playing stupid. Also, this does a better job denouncing Putin and the war than any world peace song ever could. It's the first truly great troll entry of the 2020s.

10/10

Switzerland: Watergun - Remo Forrer

This song makes me feel like the type of conservative right wing American who gets really intense about supporting the military, and I don't like it. It's 2023, and in case you haven't noticed, a country participating in Eurovision has been forced into a war for survival. At this moment, the Ukrainian military is the only thing keeping the country from getting wiped out of existance. In case you haven't noticed, it's an ongoing attempt at genocide. With all that said, it looks like someone didn't notice, because here's some Swiss bitch getting on his moral high horse singing some cutesy, whiny little song about how he doesn't want to be a soldier because he doesn't want to "play with real blood"…..Guess what, you're from fucking Switzerland, nobody's ever forcing you to be a soldier, unlike the Ukrainians who don't have a choice! It's a completely tone deaf choice for 2023, especially coming from the country that's using neutrality as an excuse to avoid solidarity with the rest of Europe. I'm getting the same vibe from this as the shitty world peace songs that Russia would send in the 2010s. I hate hate hate hate hate hate this.

0/10

Israel: Unicorn - Noa Kirel

At first I thought this song was the most annoying thing in the world, but after hearing it in approximately 500 recap videos on Youtube I think I got Stockholm syndromed into loving this. It's literally phenomenmenmenemnal.

8/10

Moldova: Soarele și Luna - Pasha Parfeni

Nobody does weird better than Moldova.

Nobody does weird better than Moldova.

7/10

Sweden: Tattoo - Loreen

Loreen is the greatest artist in the history of Eurovision and she deserves to be the first woman to win the whole thing twice.

10/10

Azerbaijan: Tell Me More - TuralTuranX

It's refreshing to get something this completely uncompetitive from Azerbaijan. There's a lot of good songwriting ideas here, I like the laidback vibes, but at the same time it's too bland to stand out.

5/10

Czechia: My Sister's Crown - Vesna

This song felt a lot bigger when it was released a few months ago. I love the aggressive rap parts and the defiant attitude in the beginning of the song, but then there's the "we stand for you" parts…This song is trying to be everything for everyone, and think it would have benefitted from focusing on just being angry without any lines about world peace and holding hands and whatever else. The production is incredible though, I can never get enough of this Eastern European folk hip hop thing.

8/10

Netherlands: Burning Daylight - Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper

This is the kind of song that I usually can't stand in Eurovision, since it's basically just a bland easy listening radio song. Somehow I don't mind it, it's very well written despite being basic. I'm definitely not voting for it though.

Finland: Cha Cha Cha - Käärijä

It's crazy, it's party, and it's officially my favorite Eurovision song of all time. I love it more than I love Shum, Wild Dances, Rhythm Inside and whichever other song I have called my all time favorite over the years. My favorite things in life outside of Eurovision are professional wrestling and Rammstein, so the music video alone was enough to make me a huge fan of Käärijä. If I see a guy inside a wrestling ring with a huge Rammstein tattoo, obviously that's the guy I'm voting for. It's my most played song of the year on Spotify, and I feel like this whole thing was created in a lab specifically for me. 11/10

[aijamisespava]

10 Eurovision 2023 Songs as...Taylor Swift Albums?

Yes. You heard that right. It was just a silly little idea that came into my head as we say goodbye to the 2023 songs (or not since a lot of them have found homes on our playlists!) and get ready for the 2024 season. It's still early (no songs, and only 2 artists have been announced), so if I do it now, it won't interfere with all the 2024 content we will be prepping for come the new year! So, I've picked 10 songs from the 2023 list and assigned them to a Taylor Swift album (solely based on my opinion, and I just choose the songs without thinking of my personal ranking).

Debut: So...the first album...the hardest one for me to come up with one for. But then, I thought that "What They Say" by Victor Vernicos from Greece kinda fits the bill. Aside from both Taylor and Victor being 16 when they released their respective pieces, "What They Say" gives me some minor "Tied Together With A Smile" vibes, which match the first album rather well.

Fearless: With a song like "Mr. Perfectly Fine" being such a sassy breakup song, I feel that the United Kingdom fits the Fearless bill here. "I Wrote A Song" by Mae Muller would fit onto Fearless perfectly. With the lyrical clapbacks (that could also work on Speak Now), it fits on an album with songs like "Mr. Perfectly Fine" or even the confessional NOT breakup song that is "You Belong With Me"

Speak Now: Speak Now is probably as close as Taylor has gotten to a rock album. With songs like "Better Than Revenge", "Haunted", and even the recently freed from the vault "Electric Touch" have these rock elements...kinda like how "Promise" by Voyager from Australia has those elements too...plus it's one of my mom's winners with her favorite Taylor album.*also taking this moment to wish Danny a speedy recovery!*

Red: I've thought of a couple of songs that would match this album. As Eurovision has as many heartbreak songs as they do love songs. And what's better than Cyprus' "Break A Broken Heart" by Andrew Lambrou for the heartbreak album? I mean, it just works! Right?

1989: I spent some time thinking about this one with it being my favorite Taylor album. And while I almost picked Finland's song, I decided to go for Käärijä's friends over in Slovenia. Joker Out's "Carpe Diem" is fun. It's parties with friends. It's perfect for big cities. What else is those? 1989.

reputation: For this one, it was probably the one that inspired this blog. I chose Serbia's "Samo Mi Se Spava" by Luke Black for reputation. Aside from the specific animal imagery that both the album and the song have (the lobster for the song and snakes for the album), the electro elements are similar to me. Plus, I've called "Samo Mi Se Spava" by villain song and people say you go into your "reputation Era" when you're in your villain era.

Lover: This one was another easy pick. Armenia's entry has the album title in the name! Brunette's "Future Lover" fits the overall theme the Lover album has of...well...love! It also qualifies because a song for your future lover can 100% count....I've written a piece to mine in my vault!

folklore: It's no Eurovision 2023 post without me mentioning Latvia's "Aijā" by Sudden Lights. While the soft rock elements would be better suited for something like Speak Now or Red, I chose folklore for one reason and one reason only. folklore is my favorite album to write to. Sudden Lights has three albums of songs, plus Aijā, plus a couple of post-Eurovision releases that are literally perfect writing music. I've tried it, and their album "Miljards vasaru" ranks up there as a favorite writing album.

evermore: Yeah...I've thought it through. And Moldova's "Soarele Si Luna" by Pasha Parfeni just gives me evermore vibes. Plus, it's kinda cool that I put my winner and my sister's winner as the sister albums. It's just cute.

Midnights: This is gonna sound like a bad joke but hear me out, The Netherlands' "Burning Daylight" by Mia and Dion would fit on Midnights. It sounds and feels reflective, which matches the theme that Midnights was trying to portray. And yeah...the title works too...

So, that's only 10 songs. If a favorite of yours didn't make it, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to assess it! In fact, I'd be willing to do a song not from 2023 if you're dying to know about one of those!

[purecommemasolitude]

Thoughts on Eurovision second rehearsals

Because I love self-sabotaging and looking at esc videos instead of doing homework 🤪

I'm lowkey getting scared for a lot of countries I thought were safe ngl

Norway - The LED on the floor is neat, but her vocals and energy seem a bit off? I still think her pre-party vocals was just cause she decided to have fun at them, which, fair, and I do think a lot of this will be fixed by the energy a live audience brings (depending on the audience it make elevate one's performance tenfold), but we'll see

Malta - This seems a bit less fun than the first snippets seemed, but once again I bet a lot of that is the lack of live audience. I bet it'll look great for a first-time audience, though, and I think they're going to do much better than I initially expected

Serbia - This is either going to place very well or incredibly flop, and I'm soso scared as to which one :(. I don't mind the word projections so long as they don't over-use them, but I'm scared the graphic on the LEDs will discourage people from voting :((. The lighting and everything looks great I am just full of fear

Latvia - This looks great!! Honestly, at this point I'm convinced they're qualifying (and will be soso sad if they don't). I was right when I predicted camerawork would make this, and I'm relieved the camerawork does seem to be good. Hoping they have now found their costumes elemayo, and also I'm really happy they managed to bring the lights!! The blurry shot right before it cuts off also looks intriguing and I'm sososo excited to see their final performance

Portugal - This is another country I'm getting worried about-- she seems tired, and I can't tell if that's true or if I'm just looking for things to be scared about, but I'm hoping this will once again be solved by live audience. The dress is doing the opposite of growing on me, but the rest of her styling looks good!

Ireland - I like Conor's costume here better than the last one by far (I'm pretty sure they're different but I can't bring myself to check), however I'm not as much a fan of his vocals :( I'm by no means a vocal expert, but his particular rasp sounds unhealthy and bad vibes, even if it actually isn't. I don't know, we'll see how he sings the night of the semi-final. I really like the gold into multi-colour in the chorus decision though!

Croatia - Their staging actually looks really clean and good, I'm intrigued as to what their full performance will look like. The cut-off being right after Lenin with his bombs and the lightning is really funny

Switzerland - I'm actually really scared for their staging now :(( the pyro and the smoke and the rapidly shifting lighting and the everything is just So Much visual stimuli and I'm scared it'll take away from their actual song by a lot. Still don't really like his outfit, but that is way overshadowed by my staging worries. The last second right before the cut away looks good though, so I'm hoping the rest of it is still okay

Israel - The more I watch this, the more I actually like the choreography for the dance break less, which I wasn't expecting. However, I'm sure Noa will sell it even more with the energy from a live audience yadda yadda yadda. My main complaint is the far-away shots, especially the one when they do the fancy spin-- it's such a cool moment, and making the audience not look at it is such a baffling choice??? Israel don't you want to do well. But overall I have no doubt they'll place high

Moldova - Not much to say here again, other than that it's very very well-done and that it bugs me that he's ever-so-slightly off-centre in the circle

Sweden - Ohh no :(( I knew something would be lost with the downsizing of the platforms, but it seems to fall so much flatter now-- hoping it will still look cool for first-time viewers. I'm really not a fan of the lighting, it washes Loreen out and makes everything so much less atmospheric IMO. Also I think there was smoke in her Melfest performance that's missing here? If so I wish it were back. Overall it is still good, and I hope she pulls off the semi performance

Azerbaijan - This might??? Qualify???? After all????? Or I may just be losing it. I really like the staging, the lighting especially is great, the camerawork adds a lot, and if they pull off everything just right, they miiiiight just qualify

Czechia - I have gone from very optimistic to oh so scared again. Their vocals seem off a little, I mislike a lot of how they're using the LEDs, I'm baffled by some of the choreography choices, and overall I just really really hope it looks better in the three minutes than it does here (I am also being overly pessimistic about them because I am so so scared). At least the sound for the rap part is finally not awful though!

The Netherlands - They might qualify?? Maybe??? It's pretty nice, Good camerawork (mostly), the costumes are still nice and it's pretty atmospheric, which is needed for a performance like this. I don't know if it would've worked better had they gone with strictly lights instead of LEDs, but overall it's a decent job

Finland - I mean obviously the beginning of this is going to bring the house down come semi-final. I'm very excited, the staging seems great. Again not much to say here, other than the first shot amuses me (he's just a little guy) and that live audiences bla bla you get it by now

[council-of-beetroot]

Tag Game To Better Know You! Send this to people you’d like to know better!

tagged by @kyuhu aww! thank you! 💕

And @hetagrammy as well! Thank you!💕

What book are you currently reading?

I don't know if this counts but still Diamond in the Rough and I'm having a great time. There is so much I didn't catch the first time I read it!

Always have some book on history that I'm currently reading as well.

What’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this year?

Did I go to the theatre this year? Or watch any movies? All I know, is that I have been meaning to watch Encanto because I feel legally obligated to as a Spanish speaker and have a special place in my heart for magical realism.

What do you usually wear?

My red dress coat. A ribbon or bow in my hair. Jeans and a sweater.

How tall are you?

156cm. Yep! I am really short. I can really relate to APH Latvia in that respect.

What’s your Star Sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event? 

Gemini. and probably I mean statistically speaking there's probably something. Okay, I looked it up and there is a lot. But, I feel weird telling you people my birth date I don't know why.

Do you go by your name or a nick-name?

I usually go by my name but will usually answer to whatever someone calls me, even if it's by accidentally calling me by my twin sister's name. I usually respond to them with out mentioning the mix up and it takes a few minutes for the person to come to the realization and ask me "Wait did I called you your sister's name?" usually they are confused as to why I didn't correct them.

No, we are not identical. We look very different.

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child?

Mmm, probably because I have no idea what I'm doing which as a kid I had no idea what I wanted to do and figured I would probably figure it out. But small me would probably enjoy the fact that my major involves taking like 15 geography classes.

Are you in a relationship? If not, who is your crush if you have one?

Nope and Nope! I'm not really interested in having one at the moment.

What’s something you’re good at vs. something you’re bad at?

I am great at data analysis and bad at remembering to do things.

Dogs or cats?

Cats! all the way! I have a cat and I love him. I was terrified of dogs as a small child to the point where I wouldn't go to people's houses if they had a dog in proximity. Of course, now I can be around dogs now fine but, I still am always somewhat uneasy around dogs.

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favorite picture/favorite line/favorite etc. from something you created this year?

"What are they gonna do, fire me? I'm freakin' Poland!"

Because you guys just took this and ran with it.

What’s something you would like to create content for?

more Hetalia content. I'm slowly gaining the confidence in my ability to create okay content so I want to see where I can go from there and learn. Dang it you people encouraged me!

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with? 

Hetalia, but that's just part of my larger obsession with geography and history that's been going strong for over a decade.

What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year?

Nothing really. Usually I expect nothing and get surprised at things I wouldn't have expected to go well that end up going well.

What’s a hidden talent of yours?

Genealogy. but only in very in a very few distinct regions of Northeast Poland.

Are you religious?     

Surprisingly, I'm somewhat religious (Jewish.) I come from a mixed religious background but none of my immediate family is really religious. I have grown more observant as I have gotten older. It has helped me in low many points in my life.

What’s something you wish to have at this moment?

The ability to travel to Europe! Oh! and a pack of slightly sweetened iced tea.

Thank you for tagging me!

I think all my mutuals have been tagged at this point...

[unhonestlymirror]

"If you say Baltarusija in Lithuanian today, it means Lukashenko, it is a people under a dictatorship, which does not resist like Ukrainians. "Baltarusian" does not sound proud and good. Look in the Lithuanian language dictionary: the word "gudas" has several meanings there. There are negative and positive values. Among them is "plain, experienced," the one who knows what to do. I believe that the longer the tradition of using a word, the more nuances there are."

.

Gudė́ti [Lithuanian] - ‘imti kita tarme šnekėti’ - to speak another dialect.

.

He notes that the word gudas is in the first dictionary of the Lithuanian language by Konstantinas Širvidas, which was published at the beginning of the 17th century. And this word goes through centuries. Yes, even in the interwar period, when the Lithuanian state existed, on the maps issued at that time, Belarusian territories were marked with the word Gudija.

"The word Baltarusija did not exist in the Lithuanian language before World War II. It appeared in the post-war period: On the one hand, there is a very strong inertia. People are used to the word Baltarusija, and it is difficult to change it. But on the other hand, "Gudija" about Lukashenka sounds wild. In my book, I use the word Gudija for normal, light periods. And where there is a Soviet period, a dictatorship, including Lukashenko, I use Baltarusija. If this tyranny collapses, I think it will be necessary to make a second attempt in Lithuania and change the name to Gudija."

"After the war, Soviets came who wanted to turn Belarus into "White Russia". The word Baltarusija appears then in the Lithuanian language as part of the integration of Belarus into greater Russia. The word Gudija is thrown out altogether, disappears from our vocabulary, and is only revived in the late 1980s. And this word both then and now sounds much better than Baltarusija"

.

I knew that Belarus wasn't Belarus about hundreds of years ago, but I didn't know it was Gudija for Lithuanians (Lietuviai). Belaruthians used to call their land Litva. Cool.

.

Rūstis Kamuntavičius believes that there is great value in the fact that there are different views of history. "Only one interpretation can be only under totalitarianism. It is the freedom of interpretation that unites us. What we have in common is that we are different - and that's what makes us who we are."

"Unlike Lithuanians, whose identity is built in opposition to others (for them, almost all neighbouring nations are enemies), Belaruthians strive to live in harmony with everyone. Lithuanians always have some kind of limitation, a division between their own and foreign. And it doesn't work like that for Belaruthians." Therefore, Kamuntavičius believes it is more difficult for Belaruthians to organize themselves"

.

True. Especially funny is that Belaruthians are VERY good at organising material stuff: events, work, weekends (Ukrainians often made fun of them for that). Belaruthians are bad at radicalism - and that's what paradoxically kills them slowly. Radicalism is destructive in long-term action, but in short-term (10-20 years for Latvia and Lithuania, 1 year for Ukraine) it can be life-saving.

Also, WOW HAHA I DIDN'T EXPECT A LITHUANIAN HISTORIAN ADMITTING "for Lithuanian history, enemies are all around". We have kinda same in Ukrainian history, but we always tried to choose neutral words. At least, I've never seen the word muscovites mentioned in my 2018-2020 history textbooks, they always said "russians" while admitting russian war crimes. That's why I was quite surprised opening a Lithuanian history textbook (in Lithuanian) for children, and the first word I saw was "muscovites", they are very straightforward. XD.

[gamergirlbonestaskforce141riot]

Chapter 6 Part 1: Agmine Consectamur (We hunt in packs)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47442772

Previous / Masterlist / Next

5am

The briefing room was emptier than usual, with only the core group present, and Laswell on video-call. The Lieutenant and the three Sergeants had dragged their chairs closer to the Captain’s desk, alert in spite of the early hour, some of them with the help of a cup of coffee.

‘‘You are going to fly to the UN base in Adazi, Latvia. From there, you will be taken by helicopter to the North of Belarus, to the banks of the Dvinar river’’

Sergeant Vega’s eyes were locked on the screen, memorizing the journey depicted there on a map while listening to Kate Laswell’s voice. As usual, she was sitting on the left, with Ghost to her right. Those had been their normal positions for the last months, with Soap on the other side of the Lieutenant and Gaz next to MacTavish.

‘‘Once on the ground, you’ll move northeast towards the Russian border’’

‘‘We’re entering Russia?’’ Ghost asked, arms crossed.

‘‘Negative. The place we want you to investigate is right next to the border but in Belarus’ territory. We don’t have satellite images and the drones have found nothing, that’s why we’re sending you in. Our informants have said there’s a camp there, of whom, we’re not sure. The reports vary from a private mercenary group to arm dealers. In any case, we need to know.’’

‘‘What do they need to do, Kate?’’ Captain Price inquired, his hands holding a mug of the coffee he had brought from the mess hall for his team, given the early hour.

‘‘Improvise, mostly. The basis of what I need, is locate the camp, study the numbers, try to gather as much information as possible and come back in one piece’’

‘‘What’s the plan for RTB?’’ Riot asked softly, her eyes still studying the map. Laswell shrugged in the image.

‘‘Ideally, same way as you came. The chopper will get you at the river and bring you back to the UN base in Latvia. You will have to communicate ETA though, from the point where we’ll leave you to the coordinates you’ll have to walk around three to four hours avoiding roads’’

Sergeant Vega nodded, exhaling the breath she had been holding without realizing. She was nervous, but she hoped it wasn’t too evident. She had even managed to keep her knee in check, and she was completely still, holding her cup of coffee and her free hand on her lap. Nervously twirling the hem of her t-shirt, alright, but it was better than other days.

‘‘We are not sure of their nationality, but I reckon given the geography, you’ll find Russian speakers you could interrogate. You do speak Russian, Sergeant, don’t you?’’

As if she didn’t know. Riot almost rolled her eyes, but just clenched her teeth, looking directly now at the face of the woman to whom she had entrusted her life and sanity months ago.

‘‘Da ya govoryu po russki’’ (Yes, I speak Russian)

‘‘Good, that settles it… I need to speak with Sergeant Vega, gentlemen’’

Something in Laswell’s tone set Riot’s anxiety ablaze.

‘‘What about?’’ She blurted without thinking. Ghost didn’t move, but his eyes turned slightly to watch her. Her knee had started jumping up and down again. He silently spread his legs to press his left thigh against her, and the jumping slowed down, but didn’t stop.

‘‘It’s about the investigation on your old unit and Captain Rico, nothing of concern to them, Sergeant’’

The jumping started again. Ghost frowned under his balaclava, and looked at Price, who was observing Riot’s reaction and then shaking his head at Laswell’s image on the screen. Both Gaz and Soap were staring ahead, unsure of what was happening, but Soap’s knee was starting to jump as well, much to Ghost’s chagrin. He looked over to Riot again, and she was looking at him, eyes slightly wider. He didn’t need to hear her to understand, and his thigh pressed harder against her leg.

The disband of the HeadHunters BlackOps unit had been a well kept secret, so of course everybody knew about it. And everybody knew Sergeant Vega had been transferred from there, and that made people talk, and distrust. And when the news about an investigation of the commanding officer of the unit had spread, there were comments and looks and in some cases, plain insubordination. Price had booted at least two people from the unit for refusing to be placed in Sergeant Vega’s drill training squad. No one else had dared to complain, but it was clear they were determined to make her life more difficult of what it already was.

‘‘Sergeant Vega is part of our team, Kate, so it is of our concern’’ Captain Price declared gruffly. ‘‘No one is leaving so start talking’’

‘‘As you wish then… The investigation is getting closed’’

‘‘What?’’ Riot straightened up in her chair, her empty paper cup almost flying. ‘‘What do you mean, closed? Why?’’

Price and Ghost looked at each other briefly before returning their attention to the screen, where Laswell looked less than happy, but collected as ever.

‘‘Captain Rico made a deal’’

‘‘Cabrón hijo de puta (arsehole son of a bitch)’’ Riot swore in her mother language, and for the first time, her voice wasn’t soft, nor calm. Pure venom dripped from her mouth below her mask. ‘‘What did he promise to achieve that? Who did he sell?’’

‘‘That’s classified, Sergeant. Let’s just say, thanks to that all members of HeadHunters are free to keep serving or be discharged from the military without prejudice or fear of being prosecuted, such as Rico requested’’

‘‘He killed my men’’ Vega’s voice was back to her usual tone. Soft. Calm. But there was a pang of sorrow in it. He killed ME.

‘‘I know. He’s gone AWOL right after the deal, as half of the unit, so now they’re regretting it. I have eyes looking for him though. Just wanted to let you know that you don’t have to go in front of the investigation committee anymore’’

Riot looked like she was going to say something, but chose to remain silent. Price sighed and placed his mug on the table.

‘‘Alright, you lot are dismissed. Get ready for the trip, I want you on the tarmac at 8am sharp. Laswell, stay right there, I want to speak with you’’

Gaz stood up first, leaving the room muttering something about finishing some paperwork before leaving. Soap and Ghost left after Riot, with the lieutenant shooting a glance back at Price, who nodded at him, before closing the door.

‘‘Kate… there’s something else, I bet’’

‘‘There is. Riot was right, Captain Rico sold someone, but when we knew it was info we already knew, he had fled’’

‘‘Alright? So?’’ Price crossed his arms, sighing deeply and leaning back in his chair. ‘‘I have the feeling I’m not gonna like it’’

‘‘I suspected it before, and Rico’s words are not proof enough but… he declared to have been working for Shepherd’’