#I'm setting boundaries around being available to work on my days off

[greppelheks]

I think I'm slowly starting to understand that me being constantly exhausted is just because I'm finally safe and my body is no longer running on adrenaline and cortisol all the time. I've been fighting against the exhaustion for over a year but I haven't actually allowed myself to rest without feeling guilty.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for not watching my sick goddaughter and then not wanting to watch her sick brother

*fake names used obviously

Two days ago I got a message from my goddaughter's mom, Nancy, saying that my goddaughter, Natasha, had thrown up at school. The reason Nancy let me know was because her husband would be picking up Natasha's little brother, Dennis, who I watch from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM most days.

Anyway, I have an extreme, irrational fear of throwing up. So after Nancy let me know Natasha was sick, I was afraid Nancy would then ask if Natasha could come over to my house the next day along with Dennis. Nancy works the night shift so she sleeps during the day and her husband works from 8 AM to 4 PM. I've watched both kids since they were infants. I love them as if they were my own, but when they're sick with a stomach bug, or just throwing up for whatever reason, I would prefer they stayed home away from me so that I can avoid getting what they have lol.

I've always felt bad about this, because they're little and I feel like at my grown age I should be okay with being around them if they've thrown up. Yet, I find myself internally freaking out about getting sick AND I get so paranoid I swear I make myself sick sometimes. Nancy knows this about me.

Sure enough, Nancy calls me and nonchalantly asks if Natasha can come over the next day with Dennis because the school told her Natasha couldn't return for 24 hours. Usually I would give in and say yes because I feel bad saying no, but recently my brother's have reminded me that Nancy only pays me 200 dollars every two weeks to watch Dennis four days a week, eight hours a day. Nancy has acknowledged that she'd have to pay way more at a daycare, so she appreciates what I, and my family do for them.

I love the kids, I really do, but despite having known their parents for so long it feels as though Nancy and her husband only really see me and my family as the help and almost expect us to always be available. Or maybe I'm just projecting my insecurities onto them about not feeling appreciated enough? Which I know is bad, but it's instances like this that have bothered me in the past. You wouldn't take the children to a daycare if they've thrown up right? Or if they're sick with something like covid (which they gave us like two years ago), or if they have a fever, but they've brought them over anyway. It feels mean, you know? Like I love the kids, but I don't want to get sick. Maybe I'm just a horrible, paranoid, awful person and I do think that sometimes. Ha ha, is this an instance in which it would be ok to set a boundary🤔😭

On top of that, I don't charge Nancy extra (nor does she offer to pay) when she asks me to watch the kids on the weekends for a few hours or when she's got time off of work and wants to bring them over. I know this is my fault, because I do not charge her, but again I feel bad asking for more money. My biggest fear for a long time was that she would stop bringing the kids over if I did ask for a little raise or asked her not to bring them over if they were sick, but was always reminded by my brothers that Nancy didn't want to pay for daycare. Still I felt too ashamed to ask for more babysitting money or for Nancy or her husband to keep the kids home sick, and again I feared she would find someone else to watch the children.

Anyway, I told Nancy no. I was very apologetic and reminded her that I get really paranoid when someone is sick throwing up. I told her I just didn't want to get sick because then I'd be out for one to two days. Which would mean I wouldn't be able to watch Dennis and she or her husband would have to miss out on a day of work. Nancy sounded let down, maybe annoyed? I'm not sure, I can't remember. I am kind of spiraling about it  as I'm typing this out now. I feel really bad that I said no, especially because Nancy called me from her car so Natasha heard me say no. Luckily, Natasha was happy that she would get to go spend time with her mom at work. Nancy works in an office as the manager of a warehouse, so it's not like Natasha had to wait in some break room or alone somewhere.

Then tonight I get a message from Nancy saying Dennis threw up, and the panic set in all over again. I feel bad telling her to keep him, even though she eventually offered to keep him home after my many questions: what time did it happen; did he only puke once; does he have a fever; how is he feeling now? I'm sure she's annoyed that I might say "Yes, please keep him." Because that would mean she would either have to stay awake with him and not sleep before work tomorrow night, or that her husband would have to stay home. I think I'm going to tell her to keep him. I feel bad, but I guess not bad enough, huh? I'm trying to justify it to myself, I know, but that's why I'm here. Am I the asshole?

What are these acronyms?

[elfhunk]

hi! i just wanted to say that all of your stuff on exercise and having a good relationship with your body has been really nice to read on my dash.

i've been trying on and off for the last few years to get myself back into a consistent exercise routine that i enjoy (COVID happened, stuff in my life happened, etc.) and i think that both your perspectives + obvious love of the gym are really helpful as motivation.

if i can ask a question: do you have any advice on developing a consistent, realistic schedule and sticking to it? (of course, while still being okay if things come up and change what you can do.) for me, i think one of the reasons i fell out of my routine is that my work/social/life obligations have changed a lot in the past few years. so i've been struggling to figure out where to slot in time for exercise when it feels like there's always something else i could or "should" be doing.

also, thanks for all the fun warframe stuff! i haven't played in ages because of the aforementioned obligation time crunch, but it's also really cool to see what you're doing in the game. my playstyle and preferred warframes were pretty opposite to yours, so i really had no clue that you could do a lot of the things you've shown off.

thank you! i'm glad it's having the desired impression on the other side. i used to think posting about it or deigning to enjoy brief moments of self-indulgent flexing was gauche when i've only put in the bare minimum of effort since i started lifting in 2020... but... uh...

when we only see images of people who have been kissed by perfectly specialized genetics and have dedicated a huge amount of their time, money and resources to it and have these immaculate perfectly proportioned bodies?

that only makes the body dysmorphia madness worse for all of us? especially when so many of those images aren't given context... or disclosing who is and isn't using certain drugs. 🫠

anyway, my handy tool in all of this is a thing i picked up as a habit from sexologist and all around wonderful woman dr. lindsey doe a long, long time ago:

a want, will, won't list.

although in this instance of teaching it was being used to discuss sexual activity, it's how i end up thinking about basically any major decision or lifestyle change.

time just is not infinite! you cannot do it all! there is going to be compromise!

these kinds of tools are a great way to help your brain organize your conflicting thoughts and set boundaries for yourself.

so, i don't know your brain or what accommodations you need, but i hope this framework might help you start figuring it out?

how many hours, total, do you want to spend a week?

how much time on strength training?

how much time on cardio?

how many individual days a week?

what are you willing to change about your existing schedule?

what won't you change under any circumstances?

would you be willing to buy some home equipment?

pay for a different gym that's closer by?

would you want to take a class or pay for a trainer?

do you have friends who would want to pursue this with you?

there's a ton of resources published by actual personal trainers on how to structure a full body workout into a given week for people with every possible permutation of schedule availability if you look for them.

as mentioned before, i've actually been having a horrible time at the gym this year. my appetite is shot, my energy is gone, and i've just been unable to prioritize it. part of my own journey with this has been acknowledging where there's necessary compromise. i've had to spend more time working on my brain than my body this year, and that's okay.

i can show myself kindness while still trying to problem solve. i can make cooking meals easier, i can budget for more accessible options, i can go maybe 2-3 days a week instead of 3-4 like i used to.

to facilitate this, i've also been trying to focus even more on the immediate benefits of this work.

focusing on minor aesthetic differences you won't see payoff for months or years just isn't particularly motivating?

but when i've had a long day and i just desperately need an hour or two to focus on something physically demanding that requires my full attention? where i get to walk away feeling physically exhilarated and accomplished, even if i was no where near my PR?

that's self care, baby! we all understand how important that is!

your body is truly just too stupid to care about the long term goals. it will just feel really good, and much better than it did an hour before even if the actual performance of that session was mediocre.

apologies for another full essay a response!

again, i truly just don't know your life or your circumstances, so i can only provide broad strokes... but i hope this at least gives some scaffolding to begin tackling the issue with some kindness to yourself as you re-calibrate.

[northern-passage]

Hey, about the whole representation matter, I think one of the issues some authors - especially newcommers - have is fear.

It may seem strange, but what I mean is that I think they are scared (perhaps even subconsciously) of writing some types of characters - trans among these - because they are afraid of the backlash if some people are hurt or offended by their depiction, and they sort of try and avoid it altogether. I don't think it's necessarily something to hold against people, but I guess it's a form of lack of confidence so to speak?

I'm not talking from experience though, just an observation. I know I am subject to that kind of fear in some cases, though not in these specific circumstances, so I can sort of understand where such a mindset can come from.

i do understand but i also think it's a cop out?

in the original post i think i put this in the tags but specifically with IF, a huge part of this community is sharing your first draft and updating it as you write. it's Extremely easy to get feedback during this process, For Free, from readers.

if you're unsure about something, you can ask. just be transparent. that's not to say that i think the onus should fall on readers to correct authors (authors should be doing their own research to begin with), but a huge part of writing is being open to criticism and being prepared to make mistakes. i feel like in recent years in this community there has been a huge shift in regards to criticism where now most people just blow it off with a cheeky comment or respond viciously because they interpret every single negative comment as a troll or a personal attack (which is not true) and imo this is what leads to that big backlash that you're talking about, not the mistake itself.

and i think you're right, it is also a confidence thing. if you're sharing your work online, if you're writing to publish to an audience, then you're going to have to be prepared for people to not like what you write, you have to be prepared for people to point out your mistakes, and you should be willing to do research and correct yourself when that happens. it's part of the process. this is not meant to be mean but genuinely if you're not prepared for that, if you don't have the confidence to handle that, then i don't think you should be sharing your work publicly yet.

authors should be allowed to set boundaries around the feedback/interactions they receive & i always think an author is within their right to disregard certain criticisms (especially when it's something subjective like writing style or someone demanding something silly like more ROs/changes to the narrative just because they want it, etc) but i also think it's important to be able to tell genuine criticism apart from trolls/entitled anons and to be receptive to that criticism.

on the other side, i do agree that some people definitely tend to zero in and dogpile (Especially on tumblr but this happens on other social media platforms as well) though i hesitate to generalize here because i think it honestly depends on the situation, but i do also think there needs to be more nuance and more space for people to breathe and ask questions without being met with hostility. but i also need to reiterate my previous point which is that this responsibility should not fall on readers (or other authors) to "educate" someone, and that the people that are hurt, even if it's a mistake, are within their right to feel that way. the best you can do is apologize and listen to the feedback people give you, rather than being defensive and dismissive.

and at the end of the day, you should be doing research. there are so many resources available online now, there are people within the community that offer advice, there are entire tags compiled on interact-if solely for writing advice on these specific topics, there's the writingwithcolor blog, and also just googling can answer so many questions before you even get to the point where someone else has to correct you.

writing is hard. you will have to do research and you will make mistakes and be corrected and i think, generally, if you handle it with grace and understanding, people will be forgiving. i definitely think in the end it's way worse to treat an entire group of people as "unwritable" because you're afraid of making a mistake and being criticized. to me it comes off... as someone victimizing themselves while also dehumanizing an entire group of people because you think they're "too hard" to write and "too mean" in their criticisms, if that makes sense, and i just don't see it as a valid excuse.

[horrornvnfan]

Maria Fielding in Visual Novels

A 💘 will indicate who in the game is Maria's love interest.

Restart Heart:

Backstory Changes: Scrap her whole family story, she is Maria Dust, adopted as a child, and has a little sister, Sarah Dust. Also, the whole Kenneth debacle happened.

It should be noted I'm basing this off the game content that has been released and a few posts of lore from the official blog. There is a lot I do not know about these characters, and I can change this post accordingly as I learn more!

(Note: there is no set love interest 💘 for Maria in this universe yet because I want to see how this story progresses and learn more about the characters!)

Relationships:

EZRA: "They're. So. Cool." Maria likes Ezra, they're always considerate and friendly with her. But Maria also finds him very intimidating because he's just so confident and composed all the time. Maria isn't insecure, but she can be dorky and nervous, so she wouldn't say she's on Ezra's level of cool. She would be stunned if she learned they wanted to date her.

BLAIRE: "Blushing? Who's blushing? Not me." Maria has a little crush on Blaire but hides it well. What can she say, she appreciates outgoing people and is a sucker for beautiful women. Maria sincerely likes Blaire a lot platonically as well, and is more than happy with being friends, but if she has the chance, she's shooting that shot. She just needs to work up the nerve.

SAMMY: "We get along!" Maria likes Sammy a lot! They don't talk often, but she loves history so they like to discuss their common interests whenever they see them. Sammy is certainly someone Maria would like to be friends with.

CHRIS: "My buddy!" Maria likes to spend time with him! They talk about sports, movies, and their day-to-day lives, and they live together well, but they're not particularly close. If he asked her out, she'd consider it. If Maria learned about his "secrets," the fight will be enormous. Maria can get angry when a boundary is crossed.

STEPH: ".....It's Steph." They've been best friends since they were kids. But when Maria began dating Kenneth towards the beginning of college, they had steadily less contact, and basically lost it completely when Kenneth proposed. Maria constantly reached out to Steph during the engagement to no avail. Now that it's off and Steph is suddenly back, Maria is hesitant, not wanting to push them away but also not really comfortable. She would still do anything for them, and she still wants them around, she just doesn't know how to resolve this discomfort about their friendship.

BESS: "My boss!" Maria greatly admires and respects Bess, and looks up to her a bit. They are friends!

KENNETH: "He's dead to me." They were friends growing up, and dated throughout college. The proposal was sudden and Maria felt pressured, so she agreed and focused all her energy on planning the wedding. She punched him in the face when they broke up. Maria honestly doesn't know if she loved him or not, now that she has time to think things over. She's... angry everything she worked for fell apart, and angry that he betrayed her after being in her life for so long. But she's not sad that she won't spend her life with Kenneth. Either way, she never wants to never see him again.

SARAH: "If it had been anyone else-- anyone else, Sarah, I would've been there for you." Maria adored Sarah growing up. But then their parents tried to pit them against each other. Maria refuses to compete with Sarah because she can't understand the reason to. Maria doesn't want to be better than her. But she also refuses to be treated as worse. The sisters have been distant most of their lives. Maria is devastated when she learns Sarah is pregnant with Kenneth's baby. She's much more hurt by Sarah's actions than Kenneth's, because it feels like a direct and purposeful attack. It would take a lot for Maria to consider forgiving her and being in her life.

[omegasmileyface]

The Forest, the Trees, the Fire I: CATALYST

Chapter 7

chapter 6 was also posted earlier, so go check that one out if you missed it! Authors: @attackradish, @ectolemonades, me. Artist: @/crunchysart

For the full characters list, word count, content warning, and a directory to all the currently available chapters and related content, see the Table of Contents!

full summary: The world outside of Amity Park has learned about the existence of ghosts, and the time for first impressions has arrived. The delicate public consciousness could be disrupted by the slightest ripple. Danny Fenton is being ripped apart from all sides, and when he finally breaks, the ripples will be very big indeed.

warnings: references to racism and classism

words: 2467

AO3 link

first chapter

previous chapter

next chapter

===

January 16, 2007

Jazz was trying very hard to focus on her dinner and not the growing anxiety around her new syllabi when her phone chimed. She had tried to set a boundary that she would never check her phone during meals and take that important rest period away from herself, but it was the first time it had gone off since Christmas. She couldn't resist!

Tucker Foley: (17:20) dannys missing. havent heard frm him since th 5th

Well. That certainly ruined the mood.

You: (17:20) Crap. R we sure that he's not just busy? 11 days is a lot but he's weird like that from time 2 time

Tucker Foley: (17:22) c thats the thing. hes been MIA a lot recently. several days at a time. but im more worried this time bcuz the portals gone

Oh. Oh, shit, that was new.

You: (17:22) The portal is GONE? How do u kno? What happened?

Tucker Foley: (17:23) whole ectomap is diff. not sure. phone call? i can get us some better communication

Jazz was shaking in her dining hall seat. Danny was gone, with no reliable way of getting between realms? Mom and Dad were alone, in the middle of an anti-ghost government incursion, and with their life's work inactive for whatever reason?

Maybe everything added together in the ways she feared, maybe it didn't. Either way, something terrible was either happening or about to happen. She could already feel the guilt weighing on her for not thinking to go back home before now.

You: (17:25) Maybe. I'm coming over tho.

Jazz managed to clean up her dinner and start heading back to her dorm before Tucker called.

"You're coming, for real?"

"Yeah. Clearly stuff's going on in Amity, and I need to be there for it."

"Yeah, but, like, don't you have classes that you can't miss?"

Jazz double-checked that her roommate wasn't in before continuing. "Tucker, my baby brother is missing, while my parents are working with the group that's getting his existence criminalized across the whole country. Why would that not be worth pushing my degree back a bit?"

"Just feels like a waste of loan money, is all."

Jazz shrugged. "I'll just loot Vlad's house and sell all his Packers merch."

"I imagine the feds already beat you to that. Good luck, though."

At least five outfits and two pairs of pajamas, check. Toiletries, check. "What'd they do with all his money, anyway? Maybe it's still out there and you could wire me some of it."

"Why do you think I can do that? I'm not a comic book character, Jazz, I'm a teen with a piracy hobby."

Jazz hesitated for a moment before packing Bearbert Einstein. "Worth a shot. So, what's been up with you?"

"What's been up with me? Oh, you're chatting. We're chatting. You really must not have any friends of your own."

"Tucker!"

"Sorry, just an observation. I'm sorry. Well. I made a little system people in town can use to plan pro-ghost protests and stuff, but otherwise I've been trying to stay out of it, even though it's been a little lonely."

Jazz hummed. She'd better pack a towel. For all she knew, the extras back home had been sewn into some kind of ectophobic parachute.

"Lola got in trouble at school for defending Phantom in front of the vice principal. Like, she had to stay after school while he checked with the GIW to make sure they didn't have to write her up or anything. Fuck that guy, honestly. So my parents have been on edge, and they don't want me drawing any attention. Lola's eight years old, and pretty fuckin' cute too! If she gets in that kinda trouble, imagine what'll happen if they think me or my parents are pro-ghost."

Jazz cringed. "That really sucks."

"Yeah. I know."

She gave the room another quick once-over to be sure she didn’t miss anything she'd need for the next month or two. "How's Sam?"

"Couldn't tell ya. Her parents were pissed when they found out she was leading all those protests, and they moved away."

"Oh. Haven't you been talking?"

"Not really. What would we talk about, anyway? She's still mad because I wouldn't join her on the front lines. She doesn't get it. If she gets arrested protesting, she gets an embarrassing picture in the newspaper and her parents pay a fine and life goes on. If the same thing happened to me, my future would be ruined, forget that I'm not eighteen yet. Nobody employs a Black kid who has a criminal record before graduating."

"I'm really sorry that's something you have to worry about."

"Whatever. It's Sam! I'm sure she'll figure it out in a couple months and immediately pivot to doing the exact opposite. She never turns down self-sacrifice when it makes her look good."

Jazz gathered up her backpack and duffel by the door. "Wow, sounds like you really haven't been getting along at all lately."

Tucker sighed on the other end of the phone. "Honestly, we never would have been friends if Danny wasn't there. He made it make sense somehow. Not that I don't like hanging out with Sam! She manages to keep up with our humor and stuff. But it's hard when there's nobody there to buffer her. …Or me. Probably shocking to hear this from Too Fine himself, but I know I can be kind of a hassle when I lose my impulse control."

"That's a really intelligent thought, Tucker. Maybe it'll help you build new friendships, if you want."

He scoffed. "You really therapy-talking me at seven PM? You must miss Danny bad."

"Could you give me a sec? I need to write something."

"She's deflecting now!" The line went quiet.

Jazz gathered up her roommate's sticky notes and pen. Sorry, Lin. I'm gonna be gone for a while, at least a week. Family emergency. Not sure when I'll be back, but if you see a ghost who looks like me and she asks for my stuff, let her take it. Thanks!

"'Kay. Anything else to say?"

"Not really. I honestly wasn't expecting a conversation. I guess, um… how have you been?"

"Eh. College. Hey, I'll be back in Amity by… midnight. Make sure it's not up in flames by the time I get there?"

"You're driving now? I knew you got your dad's bad road habits! Please don't fall asleep at the wheel, okay? I'll do my best to keep everything un-up-flamed until you get here."

Jazz clipped the seatbelts over her bags, just to be extra sure they wouldn't fly around. "Of course! I've got my soundtrack. Later, Tucker." She shut off her phone and stuck in her favorite hip-hop CD she kept hidden under the passenger seat. Time for a very reasonable amount of speeding.

===

"Huntress!"

Valerie looked down from her latest capture to see the Doctors Fenton, waving their hands like little kids to get her attention. She went down to meet them.

"Yes?"

"We've always been really impressed with your efficiency at dealing with ghosts," said Maddie.

Val thought back to all the times the Fentons had shown up to a ghost sighting already yelling, plotting their every move out loud. Sure, she had better tech nowadays, but she was pretty sure her greatest weapon against ghosts was common sense. "Thank you." Still, not bad to kiss up when it came to making connections. "That means a lot, from professional hunters such as yourselves."

"You may know that we've been working with the Garrison Irving Walker Commission recently," said Jack.

She didn't, but it didn't particularly surprise her.

"Well, we've been wanting to have you come in so we can talk business!"

"And by we," chimed in Maddie, "he means the Commission."

Mentally, Valerie prepped a fake signal to go off on her suit so she had an excuse to leave if she needed. She knew the GIW weren't after her, but she had been sort of avoiding them recently. Just in case. "Business?"

"We're all wondering how you make it look so easy!"

"And how you made that flashy suit!"

"It's not an interrogation or anything, we just want you to share some tricks of the trade if you've got time."

Valerie wasn't sold, so she used a technique she'd picked up when applying for jobs. "I'll have to make some time. Could I contact you later with a schedule?"

"Sure! The FentonWorks phone number—"

"Maybe a GIW number would work better? Since it's set up with them."

"For sure!" Maddie grabbed a business card from her utility belt. "If you just press 0 a bunch, you'll get to the receptionist eventually."

"We look forward to hearing from you!"

===

"What would they do if you said no?" Damon Gray asked. He handed Valerie another soapy plate.

She let the water finish running over the plate before she spoke. "I almost don't want to think about it. I mean, I want to think that they'll just respect my privacy as a fellow ghost fighter, but they didn't really have a lot of reason to look into Mr. Masters, did they? If they're that paranoid, won't they look into me too?"

"Well, let's think about it this way." Damon hung the dishcloth back on the faucet. Nice, sub-ten-minutes dishes! "What's the worst outcome if they do look into you?"

"Well, they find my secret identity."

"And then?"

"And then… they get mad at me for doing vigilante stuff. They arrest me for the property damage I've done in fights, and take my suit away because I'm a kid."

"Is that it? Could be worse. I'm sure the people will be on your side because of how much you've helped the cities before. Will they look into your suit at all?"

"Ooh, yeah, if they can. It's sort of bonded to me right now."

Damon frowned but didn't interrupt.

"They might find out that I'm using tech that came from ghosts. I bet they wouldn't like that."

"They all use ecto-technology stuff too, right? I'm sure they wouldn't mind too much, since you're human."

Valerie didn't respond.

"…Well," said Damon, "I'm gonna go get the mail. Let me kn—"

"What if I wasn't?"

"Sorry?"

"I mean— not that I'm not human! And I'm definitely not a ghost. But what if there were some ghostly things about me?"

"Sweetie, what aren't you telling me?"

Valerie turned away. "…Weird ghostly stuff has been happening to me for a few months and I think it's because of my suit."

"Valerie Gloria Gray!"

"It's not that bad! Like, y'know, sometimes when I'm embarrassed I'll get kinda see-through for a sec. O-or when I want my suit to do something, it does it before I tell it to."

"No, as a matter of fact, I do not know!" Damon sighed. "But I'm glad you're okay."

Valerie nodded.

"I'm going to want to talk about this later, but right now I'm getting the mail. I'll just say this before I go; the GIW is supposed to be protecting humans, right? If they're any good at their job, they won't do anything drastic because you're so human."

"Okay. Yeah."

"Love you."

"Thanks, Dad."

Still… better safe than sorry. Valerie was going to find a phone booth tomorrow and schedule the meeting for Saturday.

===

Danny hated the basement of the Keep. He hated it, even more than he hated the rest of the place. Even when it was updated with shiny black and white stone and glass like the rest of the building, it still felt old and foreboding.

When people called the building a "keep", they usually meant it more metaphorically, or they just didn't know that keeps were short-term military hideouts. Most of the structure was more like a palace, enduring and luxe. The basement, though, was the site of a permanent last stand. It had morphed out of the old throne room and kept all the miasma from before, without most of the deathtraps. It was the heart of the palace, in the way that a fear response starts in the heart and radiates outward.

And here Danny was, trying to open up old wounds.

The Fright Knight's resting place was exactly where it had been before, dutifully beside his old king, even if they were both cursed to sleep forever. It was sort of romantic, almost. Like poetry. If you squinted.

But when Danny took the sword out of the pumpkin, the Fright Knight only had to look around for a few seconds before he kneeled, seemingly having figured out the whole… situation. Not that he had expected any serious loyalty out of the knight after his previous escapades, but that was sort of sad.

It didn't seem like the knight was going to stand up unless Danny said something.

"Um… hey. Hi. You can stand."

He stood.

"You have a lot of military leadership experience, right?"

"Yes, my King."

"Alright. Have you ever dealt with passive defense? Like, not going out and fighting so much as preparing to only defend if necessary?"

"Of course. While it is not a responsibility I've had particularly often, it is something I've studied and practiced."

"Okay. I think the entirety of the Infinite Realms are going to be attacked soon."

The Fright Knight valiantly concealed a look of skepticism.

"Honestly! There are humans with a lot of technology, a lot of brainpower, and an unthinkable amount of hatred. I'm going to be doing all I can to prevent things from getting that bad on the diplomatic side, but... I don't want to ignore any possibilities."

"That's very intelligent, my King. Would you like me to suggest strategies on defense?"

"Yeah! I'd like to talk through any thoughts you have on defense and anything else, if that's okay. You have way more experience than me."

"Understood. Would it be possible to bring me something on which to write? I believe it would make the explanation easier."

"Of course. We can do whatever makes you most comfortable. I'm not planning on putting you back in there any time soon— I mean, unless you do something terrible— so you may as well get cozy."

The pair moved into the library and before too long, talk of a general ghost defense movement turned into full lectures on the possible  ways to handle the humans' anti-ghost shift. Tactic after tactic came back to one thing.

"We will only have negotiating power if you tell the humans that you are prepared to destroy them and mean it."

Danny weighed that thought in his mind for a bit. He turned the idea around, considering its taste. He didn't like it.

"And will you mean it, Phantom?"

"Mm… I think I will."

[northeastern-soul]

I am taking space to work on things I need to work on. That doesn't mean you can't occupy a portion, but I need boundaries that are healthy and so do you.

I am okay with taking a step back, how big i dont know. I think it's a good idea until we can further work on ourselves. That doesn't mean I don't love you or that I've thrown away my investment in you or us. I do hope eventually we can get this right.

Part of me is worried you're gone and chose him, but that's something I'll have to accept and support if that's the case.

I am identifying things that I'm not okay with, in how i act, I think I got alot right in how I treat you but also some stuff wrong, regardless of your perspective on it. Some of it might of effected you, some maybe not, but I need to heal and if it makes me better for you, cool. if not, then yay for me for self improvement.

The other day might not of been a big deal for you, with my panic attack telling me the world was ending and to call you and find you.. That's my trauma and my past. My past tells me something bad happened and you need to react. That's finding my ex dying on the floor of our hotel room with my son in the crib. I reflected and I'd absolutely hate to wake up or exist with someone absolutely blowing up my phone, let alone my friends. I'd be beyond irritated and somehow it was okay to do in the moment when my brain was stuck in the spiral. I'm not okay with that, and I need to figure out how to change it.

^I also need to remember that the world isn't ending unless someone says the world's ending, it's not a crisis and a crisis isn't lurking around every corner, normal people will call me back when they're ready or wake up, once or twice is enough.

Me being available is one thing, but having my availability as instant as it has been is not healthy. I can't wait around the phone all-day regardless of how much I love and enjoy someone. I need to learn some self worth and boundaries there.

I need to work on understanding that just because I'm not the constant priority, that everything's okay. There's some insecurities and possibly abandonment issues there that I need to sort though. It's okay for me not to be the priority of the day, and it's something I need to learn.

I'm a bit obsessive, and I gotta learn to fill my time with other things and not just wait around, its not my fault if others miss out. Plans can be remade, schedules figured out etc... Its not my responsibility to make sure things work out, and I feel I took on a bit too much of that, partially due to my own fear or pain from disappointment.

I gotta take things for face value too, I overlook too much and tolerate alot that I shouldn't always tolerate, I think its part of setting boundaries, healthy ones. Boundaries have been a bad word to me in the sense of being used as punishment. I think they can be healthy and I want to experience healthy boundaries. You taught me alot about that.

^I want healthy, regardless of what happens next. Looking back, I also really wish we had taken a moment a set ground rules, just some hey, I don't appreciate xyz.. or I need abc.. so here's how I need you to navigate and act in these situations.

I can't control you, and im not interested in it either. I value you deeply, and I was truly excited to start doing the fun stuff and living. Who knows, the future is crazy. You know love is there, and the relationship is wanted, but regardless of if that was a choice set in stone, or a reaction, I really gotta heal too, so best case, we take some time. doesn't mean we need to be fully out of contact, but babysteps. 🧡 I want to give you the space you asked for too.

You're unblocked on everything except Facebook for now. Snap, insta and cell are back.

Please do not abuse me. You know my schedule, it's my Monday tonight. please save big talks if they were ever to arise for off duty moments, preferably at the start of my weekends, not right before bed going into my monday. I Don't mind messages here because it's my choice to open the app. I am working hard to not fixate on the phone, so if I don't answer immediately I'm processing or not available at the moment.

[nihilisticgenesis]

Here Lies Caine - The Mun

Name: Caine Age: 27 Pronouns: He/They Timezone: US Central Time

Hello! Nice to meet you! My name is Caine as I said. I'm pretty new to the whole cannon rp/tumblr rp scene so please bare with me if I'm a little extra anxious and quiet. I'm still working my way through trigun maximum I am a slow reader. Legato's a dark character and I like darker things but I just want to say that I also REALLY enjoy chatting and doing fun silly stuff too! So I hope the tone of this little set up doesn't scare anyone off.

I tend to prefer longer para rps, however short chat-style rps are also welcome though sometimes I can get a little stuck on what they'd actually say lol. I also really enjoy linking music to my posts when I find it pertinent! Its not required to listen but it would make me very happy.

If you see me doing anything that's not cool or something, let me know about it in dms! Or if you have any tips and suggestions on how to like... function on tumblr would be appreciated~

Discord will be available to mutuals upon request in the future, as it is the easiest way to get ahold of me.

If at any time you want to cause harm or like sort of metagame damaging a muse of mine, don't worry about it! Just do it! Beat them up they usually deserve it! Rolling with the punches is super fun! As long as it is in good will and not a creepy sort of thing I guess, but like I'll let you know if one of my boundaries is crossed y'know? That being said no psychic/telekenetic powers will be used vs muses unless we talk about it! Its one thing to say "He pushes X to the ground and grapples him" and an entirely different thing to literally take agency away from someone else's character and I don't vibe with that.

Triggers: Not many to speak of but Gaslighting, and NICHE body horror are squicks. [and i'm not talking about the bodyhorror in trigun so we good lol]

The Blue Wind of Death - The Muse

Name: Legato Bluesummers Age: Around 27-30 ; Birthdate unknown Height: 5'8" [173 cm] Gender: Cis Male [he/him] Species: Modified Human Sexuality: Asexual Occupation: Un-numbered Gung-ho Gun [assassin] Weapons: Wires contained within a skull shaped torture device on his left shoulder. Abilities: Telekenesis, Psychic Visions

Legato is a mysterious man who was at one point saved spared by the angel millions knives. This single act would change the course of legato's life from then on, instilling him a blind devotion towards fulfilling said angel's every desire, to see a world for plants blossom from the soil, and to end the era of man once and for all.

Legato harbors no love for humanity, including himself. He has seen its depths and has accepted every rotten truth they made for themselves, and has chosen his path accordingly. It was a plant who had broken him free, the light in his dismal existence, and in his mind it only makes sense that it shall be them who inherit the earth.

After all what good has humanity even done? Live another day just to hurt each other again? Drain their home dry and then have the audacity to beg god for a second chance and kill another?

Resolved he will take on the visage of all humanity's darkest truths, and spread the blessed gospel of the twin angels, through blood, betrayal, and hurt. Just as it was shown to him.

Themes: Religious Guilt ; Repressed Trauma ; Nihilism ; Revenge ; Self-Hate ; Personal Acceptance ; Humanity ; Metamorphosis ; Psychic Visions ; Locked Cages ; Trapped ; Cannibalism ; Body Horror ; Torture + Manipulation ; Falling Through the Cracks ; In ability to Heal ; Getting a little too silly and getting put in timeout

[ Disclaimer: phew legato is kinda a dark character when you write it out like that huh.... please still feel free to take things in a lighthearted direction lol I PROMISE its possible. ]

[darklordofthesimp]

Flustered (Din Djarin x Reader)

The creed was in the past and Din was freed from his oath to hide his face, except he still hadn't allowed you to see him helmetless. That's until a chance encounter in the refresher gives you more than you bargained for.

Request by: Multiple Anons- #31 Wait, did you just call me cute?

A/N: This is post Season 2, so helmetless Din is a rarity but it's a thing.

Also this is dogshit quality, written horrendously off my phone at work. Please no judgement

Category: Mutual Pining, Angst, Happy ending

Warnings: Swearing, Suggestive Themes, Reader throat punches a half naked Din.

You watched Din carefully from the makeshift chair you'd assembled.

There was a growl of discontent from beneath the helmet and he smacked the bench lightly. "It's a pile of junk."

You pretended to inspect your nails as he spun in his chair, acting as though you hadn't just been staring at him. "So was the Razor Crest."

There was an indignant pause before a simple, "no."

You rolled your eyes, leaning forward to rest your elbows on your knees. "You can't just say no, Din."

"I can."

Since the bounty hunter had created his own starfighter with Peli and yourself, you had both run into multiple problems. One of them, and the most prevalent issue, being it only had two seats and there were three of you.

So, the solution was to find another gunship that could carry both the fighter and still have a heavy arsenal to hold it's own if separated.

You'd so tenderly named the one Din was bagging out: Bolts.

Only because you found a new bolt on the floor every morning from some mystery panelling- you figured it wouldn't be a mystery anymore if they fell off.

The hunter stood to his feet, gloved fingers rubbing the back of his neck firmly. "I'm sick of working on ships."

You felt a smile tug at your lips, "that's why I'm here."

"Well," he waved his free hand lazily at the flashing warning lights, "you fix it then."

"Oh no, I've been busting my ass all day. I'm on break," you mused, watching him beneath your lashes. "Besides this is prime entertainment."

He said nothing, choosing to stifle his words rather than take the bait.

There was a soft groan and your ears perked at the sound. The helmet was in his way, he wanted nothing more than to massage the stress from his head.

The creed was in the past, after Din had come to realise it was not a requirement for true Mandalorian's to hide themselves. He still wore the helmet around you and you'd only managed to catch a glimpse of his side profile when he revealed himself to the Child.

Since then, Din would only ever unmask around his son.

You playfully pulled your fingers over your eyes, "you can take it off. I won't look."

The air stilled and Din's fingers twitched. He slowly moved to face you front on, hands falling by his side.

"It's not like that anymore," he murmured so low that you almost didn't catch it.

You shrugged lightly, although your breath rattled in your chest, "sure."

It was meant to be comforting, but the word fell sour from your tongue. You couldn't help it, you had been under his employment for so long that you had thought yourself to be part of this little clan.

You were happy with the boundary he had set previously, it was none of your business and you had no entitlement to his face. But as time went on, his creed had been broken then discarded. Others had the pleasure of seeing him when he deemed necessary, the child could see him whenever he pleased.

You?

You got nothing.

The man you had jumped in front of a blaster for, the man you had gone to war for, the man you had calmed down from fear fuelled nightmares;

That was not enough.

You were not enough.

"You're upset," he said gently.

"I'm not upset," you winked at him, recovering quickly. Standing to your feet, you stretched your arms over your head. "I gotta get back to Bolts before I get fired for being lazy."

____________

You smacked on the refresher door again to no avail. Had you known the entrance was jammed you wouldn't have spent so kriffing long on that random ceiling panel.

Your back burned from the awkward positions you'd contorted into throughout the day, the ventilation shafts were large enough to fit into for maintenance. There was no hope of Din squeezing in there so the job automatically fell to you.

Speaking of, the hunter had taken himself and the child for a supply run in town. The least he could have done was warn you about the refresher door, you needed a shower immediately.

You beat against the unrelenting steel once more before resting your forehead against it. The cool of the metal was comforting to your sweaty demeanour- but the positives of the situation ended there.

"Only me," you complained beneath your breath, "it's only ever me."

Everything seemed to always work for the fucking Mandalorian but never the goddamned mechanic.

As if on cue, the refresher door suddenly hissed open. Your body fell straight through the doorway, the support you had been leaning on now non-existent.

A yelp ripped from your mouth as you flailed into the steamy room.

Hot hands burned into your skin, gripping both arms in a slick but firm grip. You dug your heels into the ground to regain balance, supported by the tight hold of the intruder.

Your eyes shot upwards immediately, heart racing between your ribs. Gaze skimming across the tanned, male and very naked chest before you, a whimper of terror fell from your mouth.

Hooded chocolate eyes watched you with the same shock mirrored throughout their expression.

You launched yourself backward before you could think twice and the man's grip hardened. He wore nothing but a pair of long pants and a towel that quickly fell from it's place over his shoulder.

"Let go!" Your voice was a desperate cry as you manically tried to shake his hold.

The intruder's dark hair fell into his eyes as you jostled against him, mouth contorting into a grimace. "It's okay! It's okay!"

His voice was a deep rasp and had you not been in a petrified stupor, you would have realised it was familiar.

"Get off me!" The scream was supported by your frenzied fists beating against his chest.

"It's me! Stop-" the man was cut off by a fluke punch to the throat. He wheezed and his handling became rougher. Herding you into the refresher, he pushed your back against the steel hard enough to knock the breath from you.

You gasped for air, tears spilling from your lashes as he pinned your hands beside your head. Powerful thighs pressed against yours before you could even think about kicking out at him and your arms ached beneath the pressure of his forearms.

There was a stunned silence for a moment, as you tried to regain your breath. Ugly, heaving, rasps from your chest, indicative of your terror. Your eyes were squeezed tightly shut, face turned away in preparation of whatever onslaught was to come.

"It's me, it's Din. You're okay, Mesh'la," the man's voice was a rough whisper. He said your name gently, almost as if pleading with you. "You're okay."

Your body was shaking terribly, both from the scare of a possible intruder and the words you were confronted with.

"Din?" You said, teary eyes widening. You kept your gaze downcast and although you had just seen his face it felt forbidden to look at him again.

"Yes," it was a reassuring croon, "yes, it's me."

Your shoulders heaved as a relieved sob racked from your chest, "Maker, Din, I thought you were going to- I thought..."

Your hunter eased his grip, releasing the pressure on your body to allow you to breathe. "I know, I'm sorry."

There's another silence as you swiped the tears from your eyes and leaned your head back against the steel.

You found the courage to finally look up at him, breath hitching at his proximity. His hands were by his side now, the tell tale twitch of his fingers a symptom of his anxiety.

He was beautiful, genuinely breathtaking. Damp, chocolate hair curling around his brows and his ears, you wondered how he managed that beneath the helmet. He had a strong nose, something you had always pictured, leading towards his slightly parted lips.

Then there was his eyes, deep earthy colours beneath a dark, hooded gaze.

One that was observing you just the same.

You felt heat simmer beneath your skin, rushing to both your face and your core. Is that how we watched you from behind the visor? Your heart raced at the prospect.

He was so fucking close.

And half naked.

Immediately that warmth turned to electricity. It sparked down your spine and across your fingers as you forced your eyes to stay up.

"I'm sorry, I should have told you I was home before I got into the refresher," the words fell from his lips in a breathless ramble. "I couldn't find you and I thought I'd be quick-"

"You're lucky you're cute or I'd kill you right here, Din," you snapped, anger running rampant through your tone. "I thought you were an intruder here to murder me!"

He winced guiltily, and distantly you were in awe of his expressions. He was so animated, obviously he never learnt to school his expressions and it was evident in every pull of his brows.

"I know, I should have-" he paused, the words choked into silence before he could finish. You waited for him to continue and he tilted his head downward to eye you confusedly. "Wait, did you just call me cute?"

Your mouth dried and butterflies flocked together in your chest. Gulping thickly you raised an eyebrow, "what you've never heard that before?"

"No."

He said it so quickly that he startled himself.

"Well," you say slyly, ignoring the shake in your voice. "It's hard to call you cute when you're covered in beskar. Usually, intimidating is the best descriptor."

He nodded softly, his brows lifting in agreement. Din watched you carefully for a long moment, appraising how close you both stood. When he made no move to step away, your stomach tightened.

"And now?" He asked gently. "I'm not intimidating without the helmet?"

Of course he was. The hunter was tall and impossibly broad with strong features. He'd still make anyone cower.

But you didn't say that, you simply shook your head. "Not in the slightest."

Din snorted and the small smile that graced his lips made your heart trip over. "I don't know," he mused playfully, "you looked pretty intimidated a few minutes ago."

You frowned at him, "I wasn't intimidated."

"No?" His tone was sarcastic but his eyes danced with mirth.

"No."

He pushed off the wall lightly with a smile, leaning to pick the towel up from the floor. Din turned his back, showcasing the litter of scars stretched across hard muscle.

"Whatever you say, Cya'rika."

[jt-artsandfics]

Jealous and protective pt3.

This one's gonna be a lot longer then normal just becuase it has alot more charcaters but since Bi-han already has his own with this I'm leaving him out of this lot. (As much a it pains me) I'm keeping these all with the gender neutral them becuase I find it easier writing that in a whole unless someone partially ask for a set gender. So without further delay enjoy.

Warnings: swearing, curssing, gore (it's mortal kombat), nsfw hinted in some spots, Sex. Talk of sexual harassment.

Rain- Jealous and protective

-Rain despite what he believes, he is a very jealous man. Not to mention he is very over protective borderline possessive.

-He as killed people for the fact he does not like them nesr you and has made it clear on multiple occasions to others. But Rain can be quite sweet when alone.

- he may be egotistic but he also has a soft spot of his S/o.

-He loves showing his partner off but at the same time wants no one to know about them. It was very much a learning curve with his S/o very different cultures, life experiences and such.

-This man hasn't had the best experience with lovers, has been turned down on multiple occasions.

-So once he has you, your gonna have a hard time getting him to let go of you.

-this man gets it many fight becuase of you.

-does not like other Kombations being near you, and has made it very clear to everyone to stay away from what is his.

- for someone known for being a traitor he's loyal as fuck to you as long as you do not betray him.

- man radiates bratty bottom energy an the knows he does.

-------

" Hello my treasure" Rain whispers as he pulls his lover into his embrace. They smile lightly as he rest his head in the crock of their neck.

"Hello my Prince, where have you been off too?" They ask lightly running their hands up to his masked face and slowly remove it. He smiles lightly as his lover runs their hand over a bruise in the side of Rain's face.

"Babe did you get into another fight?" He lets out a huffed breath while trying to look away from his lover only to have them grab his face and force him to look back at them.

"Rain baby, look at me" they say softly as his eyes flick to then. They smile lightly at him and press a soft kiss to his lips. He hums in contentment arms snaking around his lover. His lover pulls away gentle running their hand up to pull away the rest of his head gear.

"So.. who pissed you off and how badly do They look now?" They ask lightly making him laugh gently. His S/o runs their hands thought his hair pulling at the soft strands

"I discarded his body, you will not find anything left of that wretched man." He huffs pulling them closer as he holds them.

"Now what did he do to piss you off so badly Rain?" They ask pulling him in for another kiss. He hums lightly once again enjoying having ha I lover in his arms and indulging in the moment.

" he called you my Whore, and he bragged about how he could make you scream, as you can guess. I did not take kindly to that" it's quite between them again as she sighs into their shoulder.

"I do not enjoy degenerates who do not know their places, they will learn to respect you or end up dead" he said moving away and grabbing his lovers hand. They walk thought the quite corridors together.

"Rain, thank you. I know you might not understand it from my side but thank you for telling me. I know I'm not the easiest to love and I know you are trying your best too. So knowing that you're willing defend me over something like that, it.. it means alot to me" They say to their lover. Rains eyes flick over to his treasure. Pride filling him.

"No one gets to touch you, you are mine. To love to make scream and to claim" he can see their face go bright red at his comment.

"Love you too my Prince"

Johnny Cage - jealous and protective

Younger Johnny is alot more jealous then older Johnny. But older Johnny is more protective.

Young Johnny- this man could rival Rain with his Ego. He gets jealous when people take your attention away from him.

-He is kinda an attention whore.

-he likes making sure people know you are his weather that be thought leaving marks on you, giving you gifts or always hanging off you.

-he's very hyper, he does calm down as he gets older but this man is very energetic and wants to fight any and everyone who flirts with you.

- man radiates the " I'm a kick your ass becuase I want to show off and so they can stare at my ass"

Older Johnny - older Johnny has alot more life experience, he doesn't get jealous as easy as he used to but he is very protective.

-Man's a Dilf he's knows what he wants and knows how to make people back off and leave you alone.

-will wrap a protective arm around you, place a kiss on your cheek and as you if this guy is annoying you.

-unlike his younger self he radiates "if you hurt my S/o I'm going to deck you into next Tuesday"

-------

Young Johnny

"Johnny!, Johnny are you ok?" The man looks up and smiles his face bloody. He pulls them into a hug kissing their forehead as he stands victorious.

"You know you don't have to fight every person who talks to me babe" they sighs wrapping their arms around his shoulders. Johnny laughs lightly as he picks his partner up and heads for their seats.

"Baby!, that guy slapped your ass what else what's I suppose to do, stand back smile and wave?" His lover gives him a worried smile. He leans down to kiss them into for them to push him away a little.

"Nuh uh your lip is busted you have a black eye, before anything, I am patching you up you gonk." They say to him as the pull out a handkerchief and begin to wipe the blood off his face.

"You know one to these days Johnny your gonna get into a fight that your not gonna win, and I'm gonna have to pick you broken and blooded body up and put you back together" they sigh givign him a quick peck on the lips. Johnny smiles brightly pulling them closer and deepening the kiss.

"Well as long as I have you to put me back together sweetheart then I'll happily enjoy every moment of it" he says which earns him a punch to the shoulder from his s/o

"Hey what was that for!" "Becuase your an idiot, but I guess your my idiot huh?" Johnny gives a lopsided smile to his lover pressing another kiss to thier lips.

"My hero huh?" He asks earning a snort from his lover before they cover their mouth.

------

Older Johnny

Music plays in the background of the little area that had been converted into an office for Johnny. Both himself and his S/o are working away filling out reports and fixing up files for his daughter.

"Baby do you have those report for me?" Johnny ask turning around to face his S/o. A small smirk crosses his lips as he sees them bent over a desk digging thought some boxes. He gets up quietly making his way over to them.

" already on your desk hun, along with the incident report from yesterday" they call back to him. They only forward feeling a set of hands grip their hips.

"Hum.. well I see another incident report coming up soon" he chuckles pulling them closer as the stand back up.

"Oh well you, get to do the paperwork this time babe" they say giving him a kiss on the cheek as they continue working thought files.

Johnny pulls them away front he table gentle and spins them around to the music softly dancing and swaying hips.

"Johnny, holding out on the good moves are we?" They ask with a chuckle pulling him in for a gentle kiss. He picks them up and sits them against the table hands roaming lightly.

" Yo!, I didn't know older me was getting it on with that hottie!" A very familiar voice calls out front he door way making both johnny and I groan.

"Kid you have five second to get the fuck out or I'm decking you into next tuesday" he says turning around and giving his younger self a death glare of a life time. His younger self take the hint and disappears but can be heard in the distant going off about it.

"God i hate him, he so insuffable" Johnny grumbles earning him a laugh from his partner. "Is that jealous I hear baby, do you miss your golden days?" His lover says trying to get under his skin.

"Not a chance, besides I doubt he'd be able to keep up with you" he chuckles. "Well I do have to say younger you is very much a brat. Glad to see you aged like fine wine" they reply pressing another kiss to his lips.

"Keep that up baby and I'll be railing you into tomorrow, this old man still have some life in him" he jokes earning him a look from his lover.

"Bring it on then hot stuff"

Kabal- Jealous and protective.

- kabal gets jealous when people over step their boundaries when it comes to his lover.

- he doesn't take shit from any one who wants to try and flaunt their good looks. He knows he looks like shit but he'll be damned if someone takes the one good thing he still has.

- he loves showing his S/o off. And spoiling them, but some people (Kano) decided to make cracks about it and he loses his shit at them.

- he loves cuddling with his partner to make sure they are safe.

- he hates having to leave for missions becuase he worries about them.

-has and will beat the shit out people who don't back down from flirting with is S/o even after they have stated they are claimed.

-been in to many brawls with Kano over the mans foul mouth when around his partner.

-sweet beef jerky man. You look after him and help him with things and he's gonna be puddy in you hands.

- please give him love man's been thought alot.

-------

"Sweetheart! Have yo uy seen my moisturiser?, I'm starting to flake again and it ain't pretty" Kabal yells our from the bedroom. His s/o quietly makes their way to the door way.

"Big box on the top shelf has a collection of them in it, I got a whole lot for you when I was shopping so we don't have another accident" they say walking up behind him and pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

"What would I do without you" he says leaning back into them lightly. They laugh lightly pressing a kiss to his neck and pulling away.

"Trip crash and burn, no pun intended baby. But that's mostly how it would go" they chuckle. He shakes his head and heads to the shelve with the box of lotions, moisturizers and pretty much any available skin care thing in it.

"Would you mind doing my back while I get what I can reach?" He ask lightly even tho he knows they would never pass down the opportunity to touch him. He strips off his shirt leaving on only what was necessary of his gear.

His s/o hovers over his back gently pouring moisturiser onto his back and lathering it up. Kabal sighs feeling his lovers hands gentle run over his back pressing into sore spots and flakey areas.

"Hey babe, I have some of the guys coming around tonight, just let me know if any of the bastards step out of line ok?" He ask looking over his shoulder to them.

"Ok baby, I'll let you know if I need you to knock Kano out again" this makes Kabal laugh as his lover continues to take care of his back.

After finishing up on his shoulders and back Label roles over onto so that he can face his lover. "Gods I love you, you know that" he says pulling them down to lay on his chest.

"Baby let me finish doing you moisturiser then you can cuddle ok" they say beginning to repeat the process again.

"Kabal you Cunt!, where you at?" Kano yells put from the kitchen before malign his way to the bed room to find Kabal laying down with his S/o on top of him. Kano leans against the wall taking a mouthful of beer before staring them down again.

"Your beers shit, get something decent like fucking XXXX gold or Iorn Jack becuase ethos is like drinking piss" Kano huffs as he finishes the bottle.

"Good to see you too Kano, you only one here so far?" Kabal as he sits up. His S/o moves from his lap and gives Kano a small wave.

"Hi Kano" "hey love, and yea only me here so far other fucks are probably pissed out of their guys, might show don't know wirh them fellas" Kano replys before heading back to the kitchen.

Kabal throws on a shirt and he and his S/o make their way to he kitchen to find Kano making himself at home.

"So you gonna break anyone else arm tonight becuase boys and I have bets it being Wade who has a go at em" Kano says, he opens another beer and puts his feet up on the table.

"Kano, feet off table. And if he decided he's gonna try it he's gonna get broken. Y/n is already aware" he explains earning a smile from his S/o.

"My bets on James, man's been getting hands. Remember Kano if he has a go and I break his nose you'll owe me" Y/n says wirh a bright smile.

"Hahah Kabal you got yourself one of a kind"

--------

Hasashi Hanzo- Jealous and protective.

-when Hanzo gets jealous a part of scorpion shows it's head. He's death glare is a killer.

- he tends to distance himself more becuase he does not wish to hurt his S/o

-other times he with become clingy becuase he just want to be close, he wants to tryvand prove to Himself that he is aloud to be happy again.

-his jealous stems from a few things but mainly his own thought. Nightmares and dreams cause him the most pain with it.

-and after all who wants to try and hit on Scorpions S/o other then Johnny. (Man ahs no care for his life)

-very beefy and warm man, needs a good hug and to be told he's doing well. He just wants someone to tell him he's doing great.

- man's a grumble blanket, his glare tells people to fuck off as it is. And not only that it's very well known that you are the partner of the Grandmaster of the Shirai Ryu.

-------

Hanzo's brow twitches as sweat roles down his face as he sleeps. Eyes flickering under his lids as he fights in his sleep. His S/o peacefully asleep beside him as he fights his dreams.

The room begins to heat up more then normal. Blankets scatter as Hanzo shoots ups his eyes glazed.

"You will not touch them!" He yells. His s/o shoots up blanket throw off them as they look to their lover.

"Hanzo!, baby, hey it's just a dream your ok" they say moving to him. His head shoots to them. His glazed eyes focused on them.

" Scorpion?, scorpion I need you to let Hanzo come back to me ok?" Their voice is gentle as they place their hands on his chest.

"I can not, you will get hurt, we must protect you" he says voice filled with pain as he continues to scan the room.

"Babe, we are in the fire gardens, in your room. Come back to me honey. What are five things you see?" They ask, scorpion twitches under their touch.

"I see you, Satoshi's baby blanket, the walls, our blankets, Harumi's orchid" he says as he pulls them closer his lover rest against his chest and his eyes fade back into the sweet chocolate brown.

"Now handsome four things you can hear" they say kissing thier lover softly. " I can hear cicadas, your voice, the wind and my heartbeat" he whispers. His lover runs thier hands thought his hair untangling small knots and curls in his hair.

"Now three things you can feel baby" they whisper to him as he pulls his lover to lay on his chest as he falls back onto the bed.

"Your lips, your heartbeat, your skin" he says curling up around his lover. "Baby, talk to me are you ok?" They ask kissing Hanzo softly on the cheeks and then his lips.

"Forgive my sweet love, I did not mean to scare you." He replys, they move to lay on top of Hanzo straddling him. "Hanzo, baby you don't very have to apologise for something like that, understand. You have been thought so much and I am never going to hold that against you. They are both quite for a moment.

"My dream, you were taken from me, forced to love another. I became jealous that someone had taken you from me, I let scorpion take over. But no matter how close I came to you I could never reach you" Y/n can see the tears shimmer in his eyes.

"Its ok hun, I'm not going anywhere, I'm right here with you. And I know you will fuck up anyone who tries to take me from you." They smile pressing their lips to his. Both humming in contentment.

"Let's go back to sleep baby, I'll keep away your demons" they whisper as he rest his head against their chest.

---------

Kuai Laing- Jealous and protective.

- Kuai out of the lot is a lot more closed off to jealous, he does experience it but stays quite about to msot times.

- he becomes very cuddly for the fact he doesn't wish to lose his lover.

- man can be scary when needed.

- he really is the definition of a polar bear. Cute cuddle but also ready to rip someone's face off if they hurt his family.

- kinda man who is really shy in person but is a monster in bed.

-him being jealous transfers to that he may not say it with words but his actions speak very loud.

--------

"Kuai, I've been looking for you" the cryomancer peaks up hearing his lovers voice. He turns to see them walking towards him. He's smiles lightly patting the spot beside him.

"Forgive me I've been meditating most of this morning" he says lightly. His lover moves to sit close to him, they place themself in his lap and wrap their arms around his shoulders.

"Now a little bird told me that you might be feeling down, am I correct?" Kuai smiles shaking his head.

"My live I have you now why would I be feeling down about the most precious thing I love" he says pulling them a little closer.

"Hmmm... well then I believe your shadow of a brother has been spreading rumours babe, sad you were a little jealous of him being back" at that Kuai sighs leaning his forehead against his lovers.

"I do not knwo why he spread rumours, I am quite happy to have him back, I do not particularly like the way he 'whores' himself out" the cryomancer replys earning him a small giggle.

"Has he tried to make a move on you?" It hurt him to ask, he didn't believe his beloved would go for his brother after choosing him for his personality and enjoying his company but he still wished to be sure.

"He's made a few.. comments but no hasn't tried to get in with me baby, besides I happen to enjoy my cryomancers shy, easy to rile up and a sweet kisser" they remark leaning down to pull him into a kiss. He returns it before pulling away.

"As much as. Would love for this to continue beloved, I do have work that had to be done." He sighs.

"I'll see you tonight them my handsome, strapping and gorgeous man" they say giving him one last kiss before disappearing.

"Bi-han we need to have a word"

[clever-and-unique-name]

My supervisor's supervisor told me I could call her any time today to talk, since I'd emailed her asking if we could touch base about some things. This morning I (well, the work blob) worked up the nerve and "script" to call her and unfortunately went to voicemail.

I'm off work today and don't have any plans. Technically I have open availability to take her return call, assuming she makes one. But the idea of waiting 8+ hours in uncertainty, waiting for her to call back, was. Excruciating.

Now, I'm much more at ease about talking on the phone in general these days. I spend a significant amount of time at work answering and making calls. So feeling crushing dread and anxiety about taking a call was.....odd.

And then I realized: I'm anxious because the part(s) who need to take that call have a VERY difficult time sticking around outside of work. For them to be "on deck," so to speak, all day at home, waiting for that call, would be unpleasant at best. Even just waiting an hour was enough to twist my guts into a mess. They were trying to cling to the front so we would be ready to communicate the very delicate and important things that needed to be said, but it resulted in being frozen, unable to do anything else but worry and plan.

So I emailed my supervisor's supervisor and set a time limit. I told her I'd be available to talk until 2pm today, after which I'd be busy. She'd already offered to meet in-person sometime next week when I'm working, so I said we could go that route if today's call didn't work out.

Well, 2pm passed, and I put my phone on DnD so there'd be no chance of a stressful surprise. Now the work parts are contentedly at rest again, and I'm not feeling anxious anymore.

Paying attention to limits and setting appropriate boundaries of access.....surprisingly effective.

[missmentelle]

Hey, I'm going through a difficult time with my sister right now, and I was wondering if I could get some advice, as you seem to be good at that.

I feel like I've messed things up with my sister. She barely ever talks to me anymore, and when she does, she criticizes something I'm doing, usually raising her voice, but when I tell her to shut up and leave me alone, I always feel horrible, and I'm worried that I may be driving her away because of that.

The other day, she found out about my boyfriend, and she criticized me for being with him. I tried to ignore her, because I didn't want to hurt her, but it just hurt her more, and she told me off for my behavior.

She's always jealous of me because I get more attention from our parents, even to the point she'd accuse me of being selfish and not caring for her.

I feel like I can't do anything to mend our relationship, as anything I try to do just makes her yell at me and give me the cold shoulder. Is there any advice you could give me for this? I care about her a lot, and I don't want her to hate me.

My first question would be, how old is your sister?

I know it's cliche, but if your sister is in her teens (and it sounds like she is) that could be a potential source of your problem. Sometimes teenage siblings just.... don't get along. Being a teenager is a generally overwhelming experience - you're old enough to want independence, but you're not old enough to actually have it. There are a million pressures on you, but you have very little freedom or power over your circumstances. It's a lot to deal with. Taking out your frustrations on friends, classmates or authority figures isn't really an option, which usually just leaves siblings - as weird as it sounds, the fact that teens often feel safest and most secure with their siblings is the reason that teens often take out their frustrations and insecurities on their siblings. To be clear, though, that definitely doesn’t make it okay. It’s an explanation for her behaviour, but it’s not an excuse. 

You mentioned that your parents give you more attention than they give to your sister - I’m curious about that. Is there a particular reason for it? Have your parents ever shown you direct favoritism or directly compared you and your sister? Have they ever told your sister to be more like you, or presented you as a role model? Do you and your sister get unequal amounts of praise? It sort of sounds like your sister has been put in a position where she has to compete with you for your parents’ love - from her perspective, you are sort of an obstacle standing between her and your parents’ attention. If you weren’t around, she’d get more attention, and it sounds like she might resent you for it. Again, it’s not okay for her to take it out on you, and it’s not your fault that your parents aren’t giving their children equal attention, but it sort of shows where she’s coming from. Feeling invisible, feeling like you have to “earn” your parents’ affection, and feeling like the “least favourite child” are all really shitty feelings, and it’s easier for her to take them out on you than to confront your parents directly. 

As far as mending the relationship goes, I think it would be a good idea to have a direct conversation with your sister. Pick a time where she seems calm, and isn’t obviously upset about something. This doesn’t have to be a big formal speech - just tell your sister that you’ve noticed things aren’t good lately, that you care about her a lot and that you want to be close again. “Hey, I’ve noticed we’ve been fighting a lot lately and I’m sad about it, I really love you and I don’t want us to fight” is a decent way to start. If face-to-face conversations are tough, you can try talking to her over text or messaging if it’ll make it easier for you both to be emotionally open. If you think the parental favoritism thing is an issue, don’t be afraid to address it directly - “hey, I know mom and dad sometimes pay more attention to me and I know it’s not fair to you”. Be honest about how you’re feeling, and give her space to share her feelings. This doesn’t have to happen all in one conversation - ideally you want to start an ongoing dialogue to get all your issues out in the open and mend the relationship over time. 

I think it would also be a good idea to take a genuine interest in her life. It sounds like she’s feeling kind of ignored or second-best, and that sucks. Show her that you are interested in her life - ask her about her day. Remember details of the things she tells you. Ask her opinions on things, and take her opinions seriously. Send her articles or videos or memes that you think she might enjoy. Try to make her feel seen, and like she matters to you. Don’t be overly syrupy or condescending - you don’t want to make her feel like she’s being talked down to or pitied. Just try to be genuine. You don’t have to take everything she says seriously - if she’s being cranky and mean, you don’t have to stand there and agree with her, you can and should just walk away - but try to find time in each day to seek her out and just have a regular conversation with her about something. 

I think it’s also important to be patient here. Sometimes these things take time. My younger brother and I hated each other for a few years when we were teenagers, but we’re very close as adults. It seems like we had a lot of the same issues that you and your sister do - I got much better grades than he did in school, with much more involvement in extracurriculars, and he understandably got tired of having parents and teachers constantly compare him to me. Friends, dating and hobbies came a lot easier to me, and it left him frustrated and looking for someone to take it out on - he got in trouble for lashing out at school peers, which basically left him to lash out at me. But things got better for us. We both grew up. He found things that he excelled at, he found healthier ways to get attention, and he developed an identity beyond “MissMentelle’s screw-up brother”. When our relationship was at its lowest point, it seemed like it would never recover, but it did - we grew out of our teenage insecurities, we moved beyond fighting for our parents attention, and we found things to bond over. 

Relationships with siblings can be complicated - they are the longest relationships we have in our lives, and they move through many phases. Sibling relationships aren’t like friendships - they are permanent relationships, which means they are the place we end up testing boundaries. If you lash out at your friend, they will stop being your friend. Your sibling can’t stop being your sibling. Sometimes that means we can be much harsher with our siblings than we should be - they’re not going anywhere. Keep working on your relationship with your sister. Don’t let her be mean to you - set boundaries, disengage, walk away - but try to remember that this is something a lot of siblings go through, and remember that your sister’s anger probably isn’t really about you. It sounds like she’s dealing with some stuff right now, and needs an outlet for her feelings - unfortunately, you are the best outlet available, especially during a global pandemic that has limited her contact with her friends. Take care of yourself, try not to let it get you down, and keep trying to have normal conversations with your sister - in all likelihood, this rough patch will pass.  Best of luck to you! MM

[jubesy]

I heard you wanted to write matchablossom (specifically joe stealing cherry's food off his plate/fork/mouth which I wholeheartedly support) into your next drabble, so could I request 29? 🤣

(Also, no. 19 of the drabble prompt hits different after watching sk8 ep 7... I'm still ugly crying over it T^T)

Why, thank you, my friend! Yes, I would very much like to write that, hehe~

I had so much fun writing from Cherry’s pov this time around. And, yeah, it went long again, haha. (And oh gosh #19...I’m going to have to save that for later. The pain!)

Matcha Blossom #29 “I told you this would happen.”

Also available on Ao3.

Request a drabble here! 

Sakurayashiki ‘Cherry blossom’ Kaoru was no fool. He knew that Joe liked to push things -- like Cherry’s buttons -- to see how far he could get. It was his thing. Just as Cherry strove to advance his expertise in areas in which he was naturally gifted.

But Cherry’s efforts didn’t negatively impact others the way that Joe’s did.

For example, most recently, Joe had been positively tormenting Cherry with his kleptoparasitism. To put it in layman's terms, he liked to steal Cherry’s food.

That wasn’t to say that Joe hadn’t been doing it for years. Stealing bites of Cherry’s ice pop on hot summer days, claiming it was melting and Cherry hadn’t been eating it fast enough. Or swiping the best parts of Cherry’s bento while eating lunch on the school’s roof -- despite having made it for him! -- claiming that he was a growing boy and he needed more calories than him.

So, yes, Joe had made a habit of sneaking bites of Cherry’s food for ages. But he was upping the ante as of late.

Joe’s first offense had been during a work meeting. One of Cherry’s clients had taken him out to Joe’s restaurant as a thank you. And, when the man was distracted, Joe helped himself to a grape tomato. Right off of Cherry’s plate! During business hours! He was shameless, the oversized, over-muscled dolt.

But it seemed as though that was not enough, because it only got worse. Not while the restaurant was open, at least. But during a meeting with fellow ‘S’ skaters.

Yes, Cherry had invited them over unannounced and with zero notice. And yes, Joe had provided food for all of them, free of charge. But during their meal, as Cherry was answering a question Snow had asked, Joe leaned in and took his bite of ravioli. Right off of Cherry’s fork!

The audacity! The utter gall! 

And when Cherry turned to bark at him, Joe just flashed a smug little grin, his stupid, dopey eyes shining with mirth. And against his will, Cherry’s heart skipped a beat. That great, imbecilic ape!

However, that was not the worst of it. No. Joe continued to test the boundaries with his brazen eating habits. And Cherry should have seen it coming. And, in a way, he did. At least they were alone this time.

It was late and Sia la luce was empty, the doors locked and only a few lights on. Joe was finishing up his order, his chef coat hung over the back of one of the chairs. He’d plated up the night’s special for Cherry, but hadn’t bothered to prepare anything for himself. Which led Cherry to believe that if he didn’t scarf down his food, he’d be putting himself at risk of once again being victimized by the hungry assailant.

But Cherry did not inhale his food. That was crass and suited for someone more like his childhood friend. Still, something had to be done.

“Are you going to eat or do you plan on letting it go to waste?” Joe asked, breaking Cherry from his thoughts. “You know how I feel about food waste.” 

“I was waiting for you to finish,” Cherry lied, averting his gaze.

Joe chuckled. “Liar.” Damn him. “What’s wrong, Kaoru? Wanna share?”

Cherry snapped his head up and grabbed for his plate, pulling it just out of Joe’s reach. “As if I would,” he bit, narrowing his eyes.

At that, Joe raised his hands in surrender, that stupid, smug little smile curving his lips. “If you say so.” He turned his head, not stopping until Cherry heard a satisfying crack, and then took a seat beside him. “Well, go on.” Joe placed his elbow on the counter and cradled his chin in his palm. “I would like to get out of here before dawn.” 

Again, Cherry shot him a withering look -- though he should’ve known by now that Joe was immune -- and set his plate back down. He reached for a fork and picked up one of the perfectly identical potato dumplings, popping it into his mouth. “Mmm…” He couldn’t stop the sound that rose in his throat. They were delicious.

“Good, right?” Joe asked. 

“Shh!” Cherry hushed him, his eyes still closed as he savored the bite. “You’ll ruin it.”

Joe snorted. “That good, huh?” 

Cherry ignored him and picked up another one. He’d had these before, he was sure. What had Joe called them?

“Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying my grandpa’s famous gnocchi,” Joe continued talking in that irritating way he always did when he knew Cherry was trying to concentrate. “How’s the pesto?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, Cherry just continued eating. And soon, there was only one left on his plate.

“You know,” Joe continued, “I didn’t really get to have any tonight.”

Ah, there it was. He was going in for the kill. But that was just too bad. Because there was only one gnocchi left and it belonged to one, Cherry blossom. Cherry shifted his gaze toward Joe, making eye contact as he speared the final dumpling and making a show of swirling it around to capture as much pesto sauce as possible before bringing it up to his mouth. “That’s a shame,” he said and then wrapped his lips around it.

Joe’s eyes grew comically large and Cherry would have laughed, if it wasn’t rude to do so with one’s mouth full. But then before he even had a chance to celebrate his victory, Joe was leaning forward, entering his personal space. He placed a hand on the back of Cherry’s head and drew him nearer, his lips brushing his before his tongue swept against them. Cherry opened his mouth on impulse and that was when Joe struck, curling his tongue around the gnocchi and stealing it right out of Cherry’s mouth.

Joe pulled back with a self-satisfied smirk on his face as he chewed and swallowed, using his thumb to wipe some stray pesto from his lips. “You were right. They are good.” 

Cherry was still in a slight daze, but he quickly recovered, heating rising up his neck and spreading across his face to the tips of his ears. He sputtered, unable to properly form words. And Joe, the absolute, puffed up, idiotic…! He just...sat there! Smiling! 

And deep down, Cherry had known this was coming. It had taken years, but Joe had finally…

“I told you this would happen…” he muttered to himself.

“What’s that, Kaoru?” Joe questioned, cocking his head to the side.

“I said, you’d better have made dessert, you damn gorilla!” he spat.

At that, Joe grinned. “I might have a cake left in the cooler.” He stood up to get it and then paused. “But we’ll have to share.” He grinned again and Cherry did everything in his power not to look at his lips. His surprisingly soft, full lips.

“Just go get it, would you?!”

Request a drabble here!

[echo-three-one]

Whatever It Takes

Sequel to A Forgotten Memory

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

With more and more information revealed via Augustus' burner phone, The team now has to make an important decision, one that would change the course of their lives, forever.

Chapter 15 to another story made by Ray (echo-three-one) Comments and Reviews appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Love you all ❤️

Previous Chapter : Meet Me Halfway

Unexpected Alliances

Gary "Roach" Sanderson

Task Force 141

Flying above Russian Airspace

Roach was speechless. Admittedly the dark and messy battle at the Gulag was something worth noting but the thing that kept his head preoccupied at the moment was Soap and France kissing in the middle of warfare.

Guess love knows no boundaries huh. He thought to himself as he looked at France kneeling beside Soap who passed out from exhaustion. Another person laying beside him was an old man named Jack. The 141 records had a match to Jack, he's apparently Alex's mentor who got missing when their safehouse got raided.

Guess the force will be having two reunions tonight. His eyes turned to Price, who sat by the huge window and gazed into the sea of clouds, he's always serious and in thought that Gary found him intimidating, even after that short mission in Germany. 

Then there was Ghost. He's surely heartbroken now that she saw what France did. And Gary was slightly to blame, well not necessarily his fault but if he pushed him enough to confess, maybe this won't hurt more than it did to him today.

Gary spent the rest of the trip observing, noting his comrade's actions, discussing with their thoughts, especially after the invasion. He was glad 141 extracted Soap before the deliberation, where none of them are allowed to perform missions. Gary felt scared, he just got here, got the hang of it, and was afraid to cut ties with the 141 on such short notice. But he hoped Shepherd would talk sense to the board, especially now that the burner phone filled with leads was within their possession.

"You're awfully quiet…" Ghost nudged to Gary while fidgeting with his gun.

"Well, I got nothing to talk about." Gary replied, turning to the masked man.

"Well I've got a lot, and it's pretty nasty. Can't say it here though." He replied, his tone was almost relieved, as if he just blurted out something that was bothering him for a long time.

"Is it about them?" Gary whispered, pointing his thumb to the couple back at the med bay.

"That's a different story, and I told you I was right, they already had a thing going on since day 1. Who am I to interfere…" Gary could feel him frown beneath the mask, he got defeated in the war of love.

"That's okay… You'll find someone better." Gary consoled and Ghost automatically shrugged it off. 

"Eh. I hope…" he said, turning to the window opposite to Gary's position.

~

Task Force 141 Base - Infirmary

"The audio from this room's camera is muted so it's best to discuss it here." Ghost sat on the chair as concerned 141 members circled around him, Jack, Alex and Soap occupied the beds as they recovered from injuries.

"What you got for us, lad?" Price crossed his arms as he leaned by the door, his hat tilted perfectly on his head.

"An anonymous number sent Augustus coordinates of the base prior to the attack." He held up the phone and everyone murmured.

"Looks like we have another mole in our hands." Alex grunted, turning to Jack for nostalgia.

"But this time, we have a solid lead to who it is…" Ghost added while everyone braced themselves for the slap of reality they're going to get.

From out of nowhere the infirmary doors opened, Maxine was panting and sobbing at the same time, her hands held her thigh desperately enduring some sort of pain.

"It's Samantha… haaah… Shepherd took her!..." she panted as Gary quickly assisted him while everyone who was capable of fighting dashed to the scene.

"Go, Gary. I'll take care of her." Soap quickly got up with Jack, they were already fine and just required to complete their nutrition so assisting her would be the best option.

Gary nodded and dashed outside, bracing himself for the unbearable news.

"Shit. What's going on! I thought we already agreed not to take Samantha elsewhere!" Gary caught up with Ghost and the rest of the available team.

"I have my wild guess, but you're not going to like it." He replied, adjusting his shades as they exited the building. From there, they saw the General's aircraft already far away from their reach. Behind them Alex, Soap, Jack and Maxine followed, their faces were drawn with extreme sadness. 

A few seconds of staring at the sky and Price's comms received an incoming message.

"Captain, I regret to inform you that the 141 is no more… I'm sending the High Value Individual to their care as the threat escalated and is being designated to a different force. I'm sorry. Please tell the rest of the group that in two weeks they will be returned to their prior assignments before 141 was established." his voice was nonchalant, emotionless and straightforward, like he's reading it from a diner table's tissue paper.

"No…" Price muttered. They were this close to Nero.  The rest of the team looked down, others started to disperse and did as ordered while the more concerned group stayed.

"Shepherd's working with Nero. He wants the EMP based weaponry to help his marines in Afghanistan." Ghost blurted, raising the heads of everyone around him.

"He's trading the economical side of the world to win a war?" Gary asked, as the information doesn't add up.

"It's a wild guess but the global economic pressure is already influencing the government to allocate more funds to anti terrorism. Cutting off 141 shouldn't be in play but he found a way to do so… He wants us to stop fighting back." 

"Then fighting back is what we're going to do." Price muttered, grabbing his phone.

"I'm going to make a few phone calls. Those who want to stay and save the world could stay. Those who are content to return to their past lives, you could leave." 

"What about me?" Maxine asked, raising her hand.

"Come with us, We'll take care of you while it's not safe out." Gary said, almost pleading her to say yes.

"I don't have anyone else but France and Samantha. I don't know where to go from here…"

"Then that settles it. Nikolai will take us somewhere safe. If the 141 is no more, we could still salvage weapons and ammo for ourselves. But after this, there's no turning back." Price added, his voice sparked inspiration to everyone. 

And that was it, from that moment. They've gone rogue, for a good cause. And they have to defeat Nero, Whatever it takes.

The Next Step

John Price

Task Force 141 - Disbanded

Former Task Force 141 Base - Helipad

A small group of his comrades were willing enough to stop the war, even at the cost of losing a lot of privileges. Price was always one to work under strict jurisdiction, and this rogue act he's going to commit will be backed up soon, it's going to be dependent on how Laswell influences the board.

The idea was easy. Create another task force which had to be approved prior to the 141's disbandment so that the papers for their redeployment would never be processed. Of course a few strings needed to be pulled and an organization must be able to absorb them. Interpol was willing to help along with Jack's influence to the CIA and Price was lucky enough to have them two on their side.

And there they were, with Nikolai's majestic aircraft, they set course to a temporary camp thanks to Jack. Price noted that he'd get along with the CIA, given they're age similarities and stance toward warfare. 

He surveyed his trusty crew and took note of their abilities. There's Alex, former CIA and fought alongside him in Verdansk and Urzikstan. He's got a clear objective and will and it doesn't matter to Price whether its love or world peace. He's good at terrible hostile locations and can single-handedly turn the tide of war by local agreements and persuasion. A good weapon.

Then there's Simon Riley, or Ghost. Excellent Sniper, the team's tech guy. He's a keeper, his ability to reject emotions while in combat makes him focused and a keen observer. He also excels in weapon usage. You give him anything with a trigger and he'll be sure to hit enemies no matter what.

Another one is John MacTavish, or Soap, what kind of a name is Soap? Price thought. Price looked at the muppet proudly. He rose among his comrades during recruitment and stood at the top of his batch, showing exemplary combat skills and demolitions expertise. Excellent at handling air support machinery and his keen eye never misses a tango hiding from the field. He's got it tough recently, Price believed luck wasn't on his side that's why he got injured a lot.

There's Gary Sanderson or Roach. Price calls him the team's therapist. He sees the willingness to help from the guy. He's eager to train hard and be better and he was impressed on how he handled the German Infilnitration they did together. He has initiative and a clear goal. Something useful at these times.

There's Francine Winters, France a.k.a. Shepherd's prodigy, the last minute addition. He's still quite skeptic as to why she's placed here, but so far he knew that with her sister mentally disturbed by the enemies she's bound to use her emotions as ammunition. She's great at stealth and close combat especially great for breaking and entering missions. She could be trained of open area battles and she has the drive to do so, making her another good addition to the team.

As for the remaining ones, Jack and Maxine, he has no idea yet but them tagging along and using their resources to the fight would greatly increase their chances of killing Nero and destroying the era of EMP machinery.

"Looks like you got yourself a pretty nice team, pal." Jack patted the Former captain's shoulder.

"Yeah. Small enough to remain secret and powerful enough to defeat Nero." he muttered. Jack held his phone and showed it to Price.

"I got us a place. An old CIA Safehouse."

"Are you sure this is going to be okay?" 

"Positive. This one's not used for decades. Classified as dormant and unmaintained. It's situated near a city that once housed a lot of terror activity but after it got neutralized it became very peaceful." Jack convinced. Price no longer hesitated, the team needed the help they can get.

"As long as we're under the radar." He replied and gave Nikolai the coordinates. From there they would begin their revenge toward Nero's attack, plan Samantha's rescue, and discover what Shepherd is really up to...

One step at a time.

Doing everything they can.

To set things right.

Whatever it Takes.

END OF PART 1

Wild ride first half. I hope you stay for the second part right around the corner!

Notification Squad my beloved 💝

@smokeywhalee @samatedeansbroccoli @enderio @ricinbach @beemybee @whimsywispsblog

[uncloseted]

I'm a feminist.I fight for women's right in every aspect I can,specially microaggressions,because I think the little changes are the most important part of a big change:)One of the microaggressions that pisses me off the most is when we women face a uncomfortable situation with a man and try to get out with no avail,so the only thing that works for us is mentioning a boyfriend,even if it's an imaginary one,so that man leaves you alone.I hate that those kind of men only respect your boundaries when they hear you ""belong"" to some other man.Like fucking property. UGHHHHH I'm enraged just talking about it.I used to put on practice this thing quite a lot when I was a teen.With the taxi driver that started to make weird compliments about me while taking unknown roads towards my destination.With the friend who got handy and kiss-ey when we met at the mall althoughhe knew I didn't like him like that, etc,but since I've learnt more from feminism,I now know this is not right(I don't mean like it's not right from me to lie,I mean it's not right for men only respect me for being with other man),and that if I'm uncomfortable,I should try to make this clear without excuses,making men respect me for being a human being with feelings and not just a trophy that belongs someone else,even if I come off as "rude" or "bitchy".That way maybe I can even teach them a lesson and prevent this from happening to other naive girls as I was during my teens.But the thing is...the other day this guy whose friend request I accepted,send me a text,and there wasn't a single message where he wouldn't call me "doll/beautiful/baby girl" and it was extremely uncomfortable.But instead of telling him to stop because I didn't feel comfortable,I fucking chickened out and when he asked "wHeN cAn i sEe U bAbY gIrL?" I told him:"My bf and I will go to take a coffee this Saturday. Wanna come?".It WAS effective because he left me on read and hasn't tried to contact me again since lmfao but I feel like I failed.I feel guilty and awful because I just perpetuated this toxic behavior,he will continue to be gross with other girls and I did nothing about it,when I should've protected them.The worst part? I don't know if even next time,when facing a similar scenario,I'll have the courage to express myself and stop men like him without relying on some imaginary boyfriend.I feel so bad.

It’s okay not to educate the people around you all the time.  Facing sexism on a daily basis is exhausting.  It makes sense that you won’t always have the energy to call out micro-aggressions when you hear them, especially if you encounter them a lot.  When you have the energy, call them out.  Set boundaries for yourself and hold them firmly.  But don’t beat yourself up for not doing it every single time.  The fact that you’re thinking about this at all is a really great first step and something a lot of women don’t even do.  You can’t expect perfection from yourself.  You can only try to do your best in each situation that presents itself.

[ineedrelationshipadvice]

My boyfriend and I are long-distance right now due to COVID and he wants to talk on the phone constantly. He says he just wants to be there to support me. I've told him I appreciate him but I'm fine and that it's not his responsibility to constantly make sure I'm happy and supported, at times people have to be okay on their own. Our conversations are always depressing anyway, just I miss yous and sad news stories. Telling him that has upset him. How can fix this while maintaining boundaries?

This is hard, because it's a general miscommuncation issue that stems from your individual love languages. Love languages sounds like some hippie bullshit, but it actually does have some relevancy in so much as understanding what a partner needs, and what you need, to be doing and expressing in a relationship.

The generally agreed upon love languages are: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch. Everyone is a little different, and those needs obvious shift around a bit when discussing long-distance relationships. But they're still there, and still relevant.

I would argue that your partner likely fits the bill for acts of service, and perhaps a mixture of words of affirmation and quality time. His needs - read that again, WHAT HE NEEDS - is to spend time with someone he cares about, let them know he cares, and make the active effort to benefit your life in ways, because it makes him feel better. Those are all good things! But it's understandable if you feel a little stifled by things. And if the conversations you're having are a bit of a bummer for you, it's understandable that you may not be getting the intended joy out of that quality time he's spending with you.

The key then to solving this issue is to erect those boundaries. The big issue I'm detecting is that you don't seem to have any notified boundaries. You two talk a lot, you wish you could talk more, but from what you've told me, there's no hard rule about when you need alone time. So, in the absence of boundaries, your partner is just stepping straight over them. This is because, to him, they are invisible lines, so he doesn't even realize he's crossing them.

Set up some more distinct boundaries with your partner. For instance, you want alone time. How much? How often? Remember, part of being in a relationship means accommodating your partners needs, so sometimes you ought to spend time with your partner doing things they want to do. However, you should also make it clear when you're not emotionally available to be around and take care of them. When are those moments? When are you 100% off limits?

As an example, my rule for basically anyone is when I'm asleep, I am completely dead to the world. It better be a goddamn emergency if you need to contact me. That's ME TIME, and nobody is allowed to talk to me. I can accommodate people. My girlfriend had an emergency today, and needed to call me for support, that's fine. Sometimes other people will need support, and I can give my time if I want. But if I don't want to, I simply don't, and people generally know they will not hear back from me. Otherwise, I'm all ears, 100% of the time.

Having a boundary like that which is notable and easy to understand can help your partner work around it. Let's say that at 10pm, that's your bed time, and you need to have some alone time to take a bath, read a book, do whatever. If that's your cutoff, let your partner know, and that way you can schedule calls and such around it. But let's say you just need whole days alone. Which days? Pick a day, and say that Saturdays (as an example) are completely off-limits. He just won't hear from you those days. Maybe you'll text him, maybe you'll call and chat for a minute or two, but there should be no strong expectation to do that for any lengthy period of time.

With more structured boundaries, you should be able to better take care of each others needs while making sure not to step on one-another's toes.