#bless the op for capturing this!!!

[acoraxia]

I may have just found your art (is so freaking pretttttyyyyy) and your cotl AU but I now desperately need to know everything about the AU because it looks so. cool.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME INDULGE IN TALKING ABOUT MY LITTLE AU AHEM AHEM

I’m going to ramble now if that’s ok-

WARNING:: long and messy ramblings about AU ideas, headcanons and body horror/gore mentions up ahead

My Lamb’s story is actually pretty simple: they were born as Aluhé (ahl-weh) to a family filled with traveling performers. They traveled throughout the land of the Old Faith, worshipping the gods (especially Shamura) and performed to earn money to maintain themselves. Life was good up until rumors of the prophecy foretold by the Bishops spread towards the little hers; when Aluhé came of age they learned of said prophecy and that that was the reason why their family “settled down” in a (supposedly) hidden village.

Eventually, heretics arrive and they kill the herd safe for Aluhé and they escape, meet a flock of goats and Jahel (goat co-op character) and then run away due to guilt only to be captured by heretics and be introduced to the bishops.

After meeting Narinder and obtaining the crown, Aluhé refused to do anything in his name — refused to start a cult or touch the crown or anything… for months

they met Koi when they were planning to simply kill the Bishops bare handed and instead save her from being sacrificed (haha me too!). They don’t run the cult per say — mostly due to the fact they don’t want to get attached to anyone but they feel a strong sense of… protectiveness when it comes to the flock, going as far as appointing disciples to ensure the cult is safe and beating the life out of heretics that get a little too close for comfort to the cult grounds.

THE CROWN TAKES SUCH A MASSIVE TOLL ON ALUHÉ HOWEVER — apart from the fact that Aluhé is “easily corrupted” being fueled by a blind sense of justice towards the culling of their species over a family’s spat and a selfish fucker’s decisions, the crown latches on to their body and often does so when Aluhé has their guard down. This allows for certain changes to occur — the lack of hunger, exhaustion and ability to “morph” their body being a few of them.

It doesn’t help that Aluhé refuses to use the crown to fight unless absolutely necessary (because they hate dying because it means hearing Narinder talk and because they’ll end up angry all over again—) and often wears the crown around their neck.

This causes certain personality changes as well: Aluhé is typically quiet and docile when engaging with the flock if only a bit intimidating. They don’t talk to the followers unless necessary and only exchange actual conversation with their disciples. Since no follower is allowed to go on crusades with Aluhé they’re omitted from the fact their benevolent leader is in fact very, very, very, violent

They’d often consume heretics during their final moments or force feed their remains to the few that tried to get away (and failed) so they’d choke and die — a brutality that spread towards the bishops and their own disciples (Narinder still remembers how vile it was to see a meek little lamb get up and tear Barbatos to shreds, only to then use one of the worms’ teeth to sink it into Leshy’s flesh. Charming, really). This only strengthens when they kill Narinder and are eventually crowned the new god of death… among other things… and their body eventually adapts to the changes but it takes a toll on their mental health (

Their behavior, however, can be traced back to Shamura…

Since the two had a very interesting conversation before Aluhé was sent to be sacrificed:

Smh Aluhé you should be grateful to be blessed with the presence of the War Bishop tssk tsk

When the Bishops are killed and, eventually, brought back to life per the Mystic Seller’s request, Aluhé refuses to heal them or allow for their bodies to heal until they repent or make a pact with them to ensure obedience as they join their flock. Goes about as well as you can imagine

A big little change I made was that I made the Bishops Embodiments of their titles rather than just gods worshipped for it.

So Narinder is the Embodiment of Death, Leshy is the Embodiment of Chaos, etc. despite having somewhat mortal bodies they are still connected to their godhood and this will not change due to the fact that the world still needs gods in order to maintain balance — it also means that Aluhé is not just the god of death but the god of other things; it also means they have.. a union with Narinder, so to speak

The Gods have vessels for the sole purpose of their finding their replacements (because the gods will exist, even if they are not the same person they once were years ago) or to gain more worship and strengthen their power. When the Old Faith started getting greedy (coughs, Narinder) it was harder to find willing vessels or the right type of vessels to take on the task of bringing the Siblings more worship. It took years to find the proper candidates for Leshy or Kallamar (because the fucker was so PICKY /j) and it also caused a bit of horror to the siblings to see Aluhé reject the Red Crown as though it were simple

Aside from the Siblings being somewhat “dormant” and Narinder not being within the cult and Shamura traveling with Jahel… there’s a lot of silly little lore I managed to put into the four of them because I thought it’d be fun to explore the capability of Vessels and Gods and “War/Death Incarnate” as a whole — there’s a lot of story lore I don’t want to spoil but you can have these as a treat:

And thats it for now

[kana-daydreams]

𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 || 𝐔𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐩

main masterlist | op masterlist

summary: you— a princess. a delicate and fragile flower aka 'the damsel in distress’ give the Great Usopp a 'great' surprise. genre: gen cw: minor spoilers. ice hunter arc wc: 0.7k

“Princess, this is the day your eyes get the blessing of witnessing the Great Usopp vanquish his enemies.”

Atop the edge of an ice outcropping inside a glacier cave, you stand behind Usopp, gaze riveted on him in absolute awe as he aims his slingshot down at the overbearing husband and wife couple displaying too much PDA for everyone’s comfort— especially Sanji’s.

“I am blessed.” A dreamy sigh falls from your lips as you swoon over Usopp’s macho pretense—and him.

You were a princess distances away from home, fortunately rescued by the straw hats after they'd found you lost at sea.

And a princess who'd undeniably found herself smitten with a pirate. Heart captured by both his bravado and amusing fabricated tales he’d regale you with whenever you felt homesick.

You cheer Usopp on watching in anticipation as he takes aim down at the couple.

“You’ve incurred the wrath of the almighty Usopp-sama!” His voice bellows with confidence before releasing the projectile that zips down in the direction of the woman, and explodes upon impact, erupting a burst of flames in her face.

“Oh, Usopp! That was amazing!” You gush and Usopp smiles in pride from your praise. But you immediately notice his boastful smile replaced with a taut line and his brown eyes drawn wide as he looks down in the direction he’d sent his attack, all the blood drained from his face.

You follow his gaze to see the husband of the woman— a man with blonde hair, cowboy-inspired attire paired with ice-skates and tacky blue eyeshadow— who'd been knocked unconscious by Usopp, speeding towards you both, his features laced with piercing anger.

Scared out of his wits, Usopp grabs your hand in his, pulling you along with him as he whisks off, steering you both in the opposite direction.

Momentarily, coupled screams of fear and anger echo off the cave's ice walls as the man's chase of you and Usopp in particular persists, Sanji joining the party seemingly out of nowhere. 

However, the chef's chase abruptly comes to an end—Usopp his former target—when he remembers the man’s partner he’d unsurprisingly fallen head over heels for, lying injured and alone in the cold from Usopp’s attack.

“How dare you hurt my honey, Arbell.” The wannabe cowboy's voice rains contempt as he aims a kick in your direction. 

Usopp releases his grip on your hand and shoves you aside the same time the man's leg connects with his side, sending him crashing into a nearby wall. And as he does, a dreadful scream parts from your lips. “Usopp!”

The man stalks towards Usopp’s injured form that slowly keels over from the impact, plummeting to the ground with a heavy thud.

“This is what you get for hurting my honey!” The man moves to land another one of his brutal kicks on Usopp’s vunerable form, but before he can land a strike, your hand seizes his leg with a tight, blood-clotting grip.

“You fuck!” 

The piece of shit that attacked Usopp peers down at you, horror filling his face when he sees your angered expression accompanied by the suffocating feeling of your unadulterated rage.

Like a fish on dry land, his body thrases in your hold in an attempt to release his leg from your iron grip.

“W-What are you doing?!” He quivers out when your other hand wraps around his free leg. His question is soon answered when you twirl your body around at lighting speed, release him from your grip and send him flying off and into the distance.

A loud boom resonates around you and the ground vibrates in an almost violent quake, but you pay it no mind, rushing to attend to a half-conscious Usopp.

You gather his limp form onto your lap clothed by your thick winter attire. “Usopp my beloved, are you okay?” You inspect him thoroughly for any injuries, pulling a handkerchief from your coat pocket and wiping away the small patch of blood you notice smeared on the left corner of his lips.

It takes a minute for Usopp to gather himself before he answers. “I’ve had worse.” He heaves a cough, then another. “By the way princess"—his voice is rapsy as he speaks and eyes half-lidded as he stares at you, both curious and amazed—"you handed it to that guy pretty good. Why didn't you tell me and the others you had devil fruit powers?”

You smile a bright smile down at him, face warming from his praise. 

“Because, I don’t.”

© 2024 kana-daydreams

[kefiteria]

Heartstrings and High Tea

Character: Neuvillette x Reader

Tags: established relationship, major fluff and romance

A/N🍨: I was listening to my favorite classical piece, Romance in E flat major op 11 by finzi, and please listen at this timestamp 4:04 till 4:30 (this is my favorite part of the piece) it's so good and that's where this fanfic is inspired from! I hope you guys like this!

“Ah, this tea is exquisite, my love.” Neuvillette remarked, savoring the delicate flavor. “What blend is it again?”

“Geranium, my dear.“ you replied as your brush dancing across the canvas as you captured his likeness. “And hold that pose, you're positively radiant.”

A hint of color dusted Neuvillette's cheeks as he attempted to hide his smile behind his fingers. “You flatter me endlessly...” he murmured, his gaze fixed on you with adoration.

“You deserve every compliment, my handsome muse~" you teased with affection evident in your voice. “...and your presence alone inspires me.“

Neuvillette chuckled softly, tracing the rim of his teacup with his fingers. “You've painted me countless times, my love. Do I truly make a good subject?”

“Absolutely.” you insisted and setting your brush aside to meet his gaze. “You're more captivating than any masterpiece I could ever create.”

Neuvillette remained seated in the cozy chair amidst the glass greenhouse garden which surrounded by an array of delectable pastries and steaming cups of tea, all serving as picturesque props for your painting. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of flowers, mingling with the warm scent of freshly brewed tea, creating a serene atmosphere that cocooned you both in a dreamy embrace.

As you diligently painted Neuvillette, your brushstrokes danced across the canvas with an ethereal grace, capturing every subtle nuance of his features bathed in the soft, diffused light filtering through the glass panes. Your gaze often lingered on him with a tender affection, your smile a silent testament to the depth of your love for him, a love that transcended words and found expression in the strokes of your brush.

Neuvillette observed you with a mixture of adoration and wonder, his heart swelling with gratitude for the blessing of having you as his fiancée. He longed to express the depths of his feelings, to convey how fortunate he felt to share his life with someone as understanding and lovable as you. But for now, he contented himself with basking in the warmth of your presence, reminiscing about the countless cherished moments you've shared together.

In this idyllic moment suspended in time, surrounded by the lush greenery and bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sun, Neuvillette found himself lost in a reverie of love and gratitude, his heart overflowing with a sense of profound bliss. And as you continued to paint him with unwavering devotion, each brushstroke became a testament to the timeless bond that bound your souls together, creating a masterpiece of love that would endure for eternity.

“You're the serenity that graces my weary eyes, my dear.” you whispered, your voice carrying the weight of adoration as you approached the tea table, seeking solace from your artistic endeavors. Neuvillette, ever the poet, met your gaze with a soft smile, his eyes shimmering with affection. Pouring the fragrant tea into your awaiting cup, he uttered, “You and your words weave a tapestry of enchantment, my love.”

With a gentle clink of porcelain, you both indulged in the comforting warmth of the tea, enveloped in a tranquil silence that spoke volumes. Neuvillette's tender touch, his ungloved hand intertwined with yours, caressed your skin with a softness that transcended words, his thumb tracing delicate patterns as if etching promises of eternal devotion.

In this silent exchange of love, every sip of tea became a communion of souls, each touch a symphony of unspoken vows. Lost at the moment, you found safe heaven in the simple act of being together, your hearts entwined in a dance of whispered promises and lingering gazes.

“Soon we'll officially be husband and wife, my beloved.” He whispered as your heart swelled with emotion at his heartfelt declaration. “To wake by your side each morning, to legally bind our love, and to have the privilege of calling you mine for eternity fills me with boundless joy.”

As Neuvillette poured out his hopes and dreams for your future together, you felt a surge of gratitude for the unwavering love and devotion he offered. With a gentle squeeze of his hand, you conveyed your unwavering commitment to stand by his side through every trial and triumph that lay ahead.

Together, you had already laid the foundation for a partnership built on love, trust, and mutual respect. From open communication, comprehension, compromising to unwavering commitment, you both understood the importance of nurturing your relationship with care and compassion.

As the scene shifted from the tranquil greenhouse to the grandeur of the altar, time seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of the momentous occasion unfolding. With hearts pounding in unison, you stood hand in hand with Neuvillette, your eyes locked in a silent exchange of vows that transcended mere words.

"I do." Neuvillette's voice resonated with unwavering conviction as he slipped the ring onto your trembling finger, a single tear glistening in the corner of his eye. With a tender kiss upon your forehead, he sealed the promise of a lifetime, igniting a blaze of passion and devotion that would illuminate your path forward as husband and wife.

In that electrifying moment, amidst the hushed whispers of cherished guests and the swell of emotional crescendo, you both embarked on a journey of boundless love and infinite possibilities. For one who once knew not the depths of emotion, to stand now, married, heart brimming with love – it proves: anything is possible.

[writingsofwesteros]

What do you think finally sends Jacerys over the edge with Vaemond’s daughter?

I think what really might’ve done it is when after seeing Aegon. Fucking HIS MOTHER. IN HIS BED. And simultaneously calling him a bastard while saying he plans to give her more, Jace is near the end of his self control. He’s taking a walk to clear his head. Afterall, it isn’t as if he can return to his room! Not with that taking place.

But that is the worst time to be walking the halls. For he soon comes across a sight that finally makes him lose his cool.

Aemond. His fucking uncle Aemond. The smug bastard parading around HIS sister with a swollen belly, proudly talking about her “bastard womb” and how she’s going to birth dragonseed, and to add insult to injury, sounding like Daemon when he says that.

That Aemond. Now has Jace’s sister. Completely naked. As the moonlight hits her body. A blindfold over her eyes. Tied up as if she’s his captured pet and he’s her ravager. Her nipples are achy and swollen, even beginning to leak a little, clearly after Aemond desperately squeezing and sucking on her breasts.

Her pregnant belly even more clear in the moonlight. And that’s when she squeaks as Aemond smacks her arse. He makes eye contact with Jace, just as naked as her.

And Jace sees the last thing he wanted to see tonight. After just watching one of his uncles visibly enter his mother, he now watches as the other lines his cock up with the leaking cunt of his sister as he slowly pushes in, making her sigh in satisfaction, saying his name.

Aemond starts to move in and out, deep and slow but thrusting hard each time, making her breasts bounce a little.

“Ohhhhh Aemond.” She groans and tilts her head back as he does so, not knowing of the audience they have. “Ohhh just like that.”

She has such a satisfied look on her face, fully surrendering to the feeling of Aemond inside her. He puts one of her legs over his shoulder as she lies on her side, body exposed and moving with each thrust.

She breathes out and moans. “It does- ooh. It d-does feel better… from that angle yes!” She gasps breathlessly. “Oh seven hells don’t- mmmm oh don’t sto-op!”

Aemond smirks at Jace, and as if the sight isn’t enough, rubs salt in the wound again.

“Uncle said nothing compares to a pregnant woman’s cunt. I think he was very right, wasn’t he my little breeding sow? Doesn’t it feel better to be full of me when your womb is swollen with my bastards?” He purrs and begins to rub her clit. “Doesn’t it?”

“Ooh! Oh seven! Yes yes feels so much better uncle- mm!” She bites her lip as she moans, rocking her hips against him. “Want more, want more uncle! Please keep my womb full!”

Jacerys wants to run and Aemond almost snaps when she says that. He almost grabs her then and holds her up to fuck her like he’s never fucked before, anything to finally act on his deepest fantasy, that she just begged for. Daemon really was right, now that pregnancy has given her such a need for him, she’s finally melted. Oh he plans on finally letting go himself…. But not in this moment. Not before delivering the final blow.

“Beg for it my bastard slut. Tell your uncle you want to be full of his white haired babes. Birth proper Valyrian children. Tell uncle your bastard womb exists to birth dragonseed. Say it slut!” He’s letting this go to his head a little. As a treat, and starts thrusting harder while rubbing. She cries out and gasps, she’s so painfully close.

“P-Please uncle! Fill m-my bastard womb with proper Valyrian seed! Oh! W-Want… want to give uncle lots of white haired babes! I-I exist- mm! My womb is for uncle to fill! Y-Yours Aemond! L-Let me birth your dragonseed! Bless my womb and keep it full uncle!”

She spoke much more than Aemond expected, and that’s where he breaks, pulling her close and pounding her on pure instinct, while capturing her mouth in the deepest and most perverted kiss one can imagine, as she comes falling over the edge, clenching hard on his cock. Her legs shaking, eyes rolling back. Finishing like she never has before. He squeezes her breasts so hard she yelps and he groans out himself, pressing deep and thrusting hard as he spills himself inside in a way he never has either. Ordering her to take it, take it deep.

They’re both so caught up in that, they don’t hear Jace running away as his boots echo through the halls. The two only coming down from the highest of highs.

That is it.

That is fucking it.

Jacerys has had enough. He’s full of rage but oddly…. All he can think of is Vaemond’s daughter. He needs her in ways he’s never needed anyone. And he cannot have the patience to wait anymore. He bursts into her room. She’s changing to prepare for bed. And he catches her at the worst time. Naked.

She yelps in shock, blushing madly and stammering, but Jace can’t hear that. He can only feel his cock aching. And she looks so beautiful….. the prettiest girl he can think of…. Oh the pretty shy girl….

And he grabs her, putting her on the bed. Before she can think, he’s between her naked legs, burying his face in her cunt and licking and sucking like a starved madman.

She squeals out, only getting out have a protest, as Jace holds her wrists, her legs shaking as she feels a feeling she’s never experienced in the whole of her life.

He can’t do it. He can’t stop. He stands. Essentially ripping his own clothes off. The girl getting a full view of his painfully hard cock. Her brain is a little fuzzy at the sudden end in the pleasure. But suddenly she’s been moved on top of him. Face to face with his imposing cock. And to make matters worse, he’s licking at her again. While she opens her mouth to moan, he shoves part of it in. Making her gag. He holds her head and slowly moves her, up and down, pushing her further down each time as he feasts on her cunt.

She makes the most delicious noises…. It’s taking everything not to finish down her throat right now. Instead he nips at her clit. And suddenly and unexpectedly, she finishes. And hard.

Jace pulls her off him and holds her face, looking at her dizzy expression. A hidden masochist? Oh this…. This changes so much.

He rips his own shirt to tie her hands, holds her body and in one hard thrust, makes her a maiden no more. The noise she gives is between a cry of pain and an odd moan and he LOVES it. He holds her neck and fucks. He moves his cock hard and with all his strength, penetrates the most beautiful girl he’s ever met with the most delicious cunt he’s ever known of.

This damn whorehouse of a court, driving him to the edge. And now fucking the daughter of the man who shamed him and his brothers. Her entire body shaking and arching from the force of his thrusts. He’s high on the pleasure of it all, and bites at her nipple as he chokes her. She clenches around his cock again, moaning and he can’t take it. He spends himself inside her, as she claws at his back, pushing so far in he swears he’ll kiss her womb with his cock. And slowly comes down from the high.

Vaemond’s daughter had been caught off guard. She was so embarrassed when her dear friend Jace saw her like that. And suddenly he was licking parts of her body she’d never known could be licked. But then he bit…. It hurt. Why did it hurt GOOD. And oh seven hells, she couldn’t take his entire cock in her mouth. And yet he forced the entire thing in her maiden cunt with no regard for the pain. She truly felt as if a depraved man had stolen and eagerly had his way with her. She could hardly think! And when he choked her…. Bit at her breast….

Her cunt is sore and throbbing…. There’s marks on her neck…. She feels his seed leaking out of her and she’s dizzy.

And by the seven the only word she can manage?

“M-More….”

I've got no words, the hottest thing ever ! Poor Jace just being pushed to the breaking point and its delicious to witness

And by the seven the only word she can manage?

“M-More….”

Jace would lose his mind !

[cyren-myadd]

What is your New Fic Eywa Blessing,Eywa Curse about?

I'm so glad you asked!

Eywa's Blessing, Eywa's Curse would be inspired by those leaked scripts and concept arts that show Spider breathing the Pandoran air and getting a kuru, and it would focus a lot on his relationship with Quaritch but in a much more positive way than Blood Is Thicker Than Water.

I don't have the plot all hammered out yet, cause I'm not gonna start working on it until I get to a stopping point with BITTW, but the basic plot would be that Spider's mask gets broken in a conflict with the RDA and Kiri somehow saves his life by mutating him. Unfortunately, Spider is captured by the RDA, who are very interested to figure out how Spider is breathing the Pandoran air and if they can replicate this in other humans. Ardmore orders Spider to be handed over to the sci-ops folks and gives them free reign to do whatever they want to Spider in order to figure out what happened to him. Quaritch is forced to choose between staying loyal to the RDA and potentially ensuring a future for humanity on Pandora, or being a good father and saving Spider from the sci-ops experimentation.

[skye-huntress]

The Witch from Mercury Finale Reaction

Episode 24: “May All Blessings Find Their Way to You, I’m Wishing It”

Title is a reference to the season 1 OP, I see.

They’re planning to fire, again? The more this drags out, the harder it will be to cover up.

I see Guel is riding shotgun with Felsi. That said, that definitely would not be very safe during a real firefight.

Is Suletta reaching her limits, now of all times? Well, it does seem to early for that so she’ll probably be fine.

Aaaaand, I just watched the rest at once without taking notes, so prepare for everything to be out of order and me forgetting things

Let’s see, Suletta and Aerial were brought in, and Suletta did eventually wake up on her own. She hadn’t quite reached her limits yet but she was definitely in the red.

Although they successfully shut down Quiet Zero, everyone else got themselves captured in the meantime. Martin, did you even do anything?!

You got to admit, that was a pretty good line from Miorine, and dead on. Taking hostages is unnecessary, Suletta will show up on her own anyway.

If I’m not mistaken, Suletta has previously chastised herself for being too greedy, but now she’s owning it. Girl knows what she wants and she’s going to make it happen.

We’ve been waiting, for this entire series, for this very moment, when Suletta stands up to her mother and openly defies her.

This is the point where shit gets a little weird. I did not much care for Number 4 and certainly wasn’t expecting his return, especially now of all times. Apparently everyone who has used the Gundams exists in the datastorm, not just Eri. Which means they were the ones who interfered last episode, and it explains how Eri knew who it was without anyone else appearing to be around.

This is the point where weird turns into awesome. We’ve seen Aerial go from red to blue to white, and now we have the Calibarn go full rainbow.

Threaten her all you won’t, Miorine doesn’t give a fuck.

So this is Miorine’s Plan B. Dissolving the Benerit Group, selling the assets to Earth like Shaddiq planned, and exposing his criminal ties to the Space Assembly League.

There is something so satisfying about seeing the Peil CEOs realise they’ve lost everything and the cherry on top being Elan quitting on them and taking a better offer. I suppose he never really did anything wrong, and he probably wasn’t to keen on having several other people walking around with his face.

The desperate, last ditch gambit of a man who is unwilling to admit he has already lost. This never works and usually is the point where hero starts to flex and show how much more badass they actually are.

Now she’s controlling other Gundams now and using them to amplify the power of the datastorm. Since everything runs on Permit, even Doomsday weapons, that’s all Suletta needs.

I see dead people.

No. 5 gets to see Norea one last time.

Meanwhile Prospera has one last talk with all the people she needs to hear from most, the family she lost and the family she still has left.

And now everything is turning into space dust for some reason. To be fair, both Quiet Zero and Gundams are very dangerous and would only ever be used for one thing, so it’s probably for the best. That said, one of them is Suletta’s current ride, so it is a bit inconvenient for her.

I didn’t know those keychains had any sort of practical function.

The silence was a bit eerie while it lasted but I wasn’t too worried. This scene was clearly a callback to their first meeting, complete with a headbutt.

Three years later…. Nika was released from prison. What a way to kick off this epilogue. Nice haircut.

Petra is better and working for Gund-Arm Inc. and her dumbass boyfriend didn’t get killed.

Guel is working with two of the sassiest people in space. Pray for him. Or not.

Seems Shaddiq took the fall in order to expose the SAL, and Miorine, the girlboss that she is, stole his harem.

The matching keychains that Miorine apparently brings around everywhere are now her sisters-in-law. Figure that one out.

Judging from the conversation, despite going through physical therapy to regain the use of her body, Suletta has already built her school on Mercury, and plans to build another on Earth. Impressive. She also seems to be settling down on Earth with her new wife, her mother and her keychain sisters. Good for her. She moved forward and gained a lot more than two.

All around, happy ending. Almost no one of importance died, and if they did, they apparently ascended to a higher form of existence, or something like that.

More importantly, we the gays win again. Sure, we didn’t get a kiss, but it’s not like there’s any ambiguity here.

[treemotan]

Got slightly burnt out replaying 3h so I've started a new XCOM 2 run, but because I hyperfixate on characters and someone made a voice pack mod with (almost) everyone, I decided fuck it, I'm making the Black Eagles in XCOM and future recruits (aside from the story-provided faction units) are going to be random characters from other houses.

Anyways, some highlights of the run thus far:

Bonded soldiers thus far include: Edelgard and Dorothea, Hubert and Ferdinand, Linhardt and Caspar, Bernadetta and Yuri, Petra and Claude, Balthus and Hilda, Hapi and Dimitri, Sylvain and Felix, and Lysithea and Lorenz. A couple were deliberate (Caspar/Linhardt and Bernadetta/Yuri), but the rest just kinda happened on their own.

I've somehow only had a single Covert Op get ambushed and OF COURSE it was the one Ferdinand and Hubert were sent on.

Me forgetting how PSI Operatives work so all the people I WANTED in that class are already other classes so as of right now Sylvain and Annette are filling that niche. Basically Sylvain can read minds and make people's brains explode now. And both rocking the white hair and glowing purple eyes.

On that note, RNGesus absolutely BLESSING Sylvain with the move pool.

Seteth soloing an absolutely MASSIVE horde of The Lost with a plasma pistol, and then him and Lorenz proceeding to beat down the Warlock (with a Teamwork assist from Lysithea) and eliminate him on the same turn he spawned in on that same mission.

Bernadetta suffering a panic attack and almost team-wiping the whole squad and having to be put in Stasis time-out by Sylvain.

Dimitri getting punched in the head and knocked unconscious by a Muton after accidentally blowing up the VIP that was ideally supposed to be captured alive in his very first deployment and Felix having to drag his unconscious body back to the Skyranger.

The entire mission to raid the Assassin's base and put her down. Lots of close calls and drama with the final fight with her having everyone on their last legs and no medkits left, Caspar goes down with the bleeding out status. Linhardt goes Berserk and charges the Assassin with only a couple pips of health left on himself, opens fire, and manages to crit her and eliminate the rest of her HP, bringing her down for good and winning the day.

The game's random nickname/callsign system decided to bestow "King Crab" to Edelgard and I found that so funny I kept it. Can only imagine the incident that led to that.

Anyways. Part of the fun of XCOM is the stories you make for yourself and I'm having a blast right now.

I will continue to share more shenanigans as they happen.

[applesfallingfromblondehair]

https://x.com/emmalftv/status/1723212823570845861?s=20 Ross was little drunk and it seems he gets super giggly 😂 if you go through that account there’s some more gems and the op of the tweet captured more silly ross moments 🥹

He was in such a good mood god bless 🥲

[just-another-mess-in-a-dress]

Drabble #1

YOI Snz Post #4:

This one came out of nowhere and became my whole life for a few weeks. I just love them you guys, I just LOVE THEM A LOT!!

A 4+1 things style drabble/fic in the form of Viktor snz… because, and I will reiterate, fetish!Yuuri is the best goddamn thing to have ever happened. Also I headcannon that this is how Viktor finds out about Yuuri’s fetish bye.

Meet and Greet 1

The first is a quick video, shoddy at best from a fan account that has long since been abandoned… most likely. Viktor is as stunningly beautiful as ever before, his long hair tied back as he flashes that charming smile at his hoard of fans. He’s signing a few photos and random objects thrust his way.

Then he pauses, his hand still outstretched for the next item as he shakes his head. It looks like he tries to reach for it again but cannot break whatever spell possesses him.

He turns his whole body away from the crowd of fans and a soft pair of sneezes can just barely be heard.

“hesh-HETche!”

“Bless you!” The crowd responds as he turns back toward them.

“Thank you.” Viktor’s bright smile returns as he places a hand over his heart. He says something to the fan in front of him that the audio does not pick up. The video ends with the group laughing at whatever is said and Yuuri has spent years wondering what it was that got such a response.

 Interview 2

The second is a much better quality video, one of the last interviews in which Viktor had his gorgeous long locks tied back in an intricate braid. His posture was impeccable and his bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle as the interviewer retells a tale of Viktor’s success.

Yakov beside him is giving a cordial answer to the next question as Viktor’s gaze suddenly becomes distant. It’s a subtle difference, his eyes mist over and his mouth parts just the slightest bit. He blinks slowly, once, twice, then he sniffs subtly.

He gives a breathy chuckle when the interviewer makes a joke, Yakov makes another comment and Viktor’s breath jitters a bit in his chest.

“And Viktor, how do you feel moving into this next stage of competition season?” The interviewers asks brightly.

Viktor doesn’t respond at first, seemingly at a loss for words. Then he gives a stuttering, breathless, “Ho-holdon.”

In one swift motion he’s turned away from the Yakov and towards the camera where he releases two perfectly muffled sneezes into his elbow.

"Heh’MPFT! Mmmft!”

“Bless you!”

Viktor shakes his head a little before releasing one final sneeze, “Uh’Peschumff!”

“Bless you.” The interviewer chuckles, “Got anymore in there?”

“Not yet.” Viktor chuckles sniffling as he re-enters the world, “Excuse me… What was the question?”

 Podium 3

He’s just won his third consecutive world championship title and he’s so lovely on that podium. With his elaborate costume and his perfect smile. The Russian national anthem plays under the sounds of commentators talking about the incredible feat of this win, Viktor looks as proud as ever with a hand over his heart.

The camera pans back up to the flag before returning to his face. In that time, his smile has faltered and his eyes have glazed over. He isn’t mouthing the words of the anthem, he rarely does, but this time his mouth hangs open. Almost as if he’s surprised. There’s one last flash over to the flag for the conclusion of the anthem before the attention is back on Viktor.

He has his head tilted back and a hand hovering over his face that he has to snap into not a second later. The camera captures all three sneezes, unfortunately without sound.

Chris, the silver medalist, reaches up to put a hand on Viktor’s back. The commentators on the video laugh and give their blessings to each sneeze. The competitors come together for their photo op and one of the reporters says something that sticks with Yuuri to this day:

“Well, guess he isn’t a god after all if he still sneezes.” They laugh.

Yuuri isn’t certain one person has ever been more wrong…

 Instagram Story 4

It’s a different kind of video than the others, but only just slightly. Viktor is on a walk with Makka, his smile as charming as ever as he directly addresses his fans. The day seems bitterly cold, his visible breath hangs in the video, and the bright morning sun makes his skin glow.

The video itself is for a sponsorship, some airline that must have spent thousands of dollars to have Viktor speak about them.

“So if you have any suggestions of where I should go comment on my most recent post! Thanks again!”

Viktor smiles and waves at the camera as the next slide pops up. There’s text splayed across the top: BLOOPERS! The first part of the clip has Viktor tripping over Makka as she barks at another dog. Viktor gives a rumbling laugh that still sets Yuuri’s heart on fire.

“Yes, you’re a very good girl.” Viktor leans down and hugs Makka, giving her a perfect opportunity to lick his cheeks.

The slide changes then to him standing fully upright reciting a line from the advert when his brows crease together.

“And I want to know what y-you-HISHEW!” He sneezes completely uncovered onto the camera, the spray mixes together with the cloud of his breath.

“Oh no…” He gasps for breath twice, pulling his scarf up over his nose as he crumples into the next two sneezes, “Nn’gshh! I’gmfft!”

“Oh goodness, excuse me!” Viktor sniffles at the camera, “I think the cold is getting to me.”

He blots his nose with the scarf before righting himself. The video ends with Viktor looking at the scarf and laughing.

 The One He Didn’t Put There

Yuuri has, on occasion, been known to save videos to a secret folder on his phone. Maybe it’s weird and maybe it’s even weirder the lengths he goes to in order to hide his desires but he didn’t ask to be psycho-analyzed. In any case, it’s not like he’s even hiding it that hard, it’s in a folder tucked away in an obscure app so it’s not like he’ll even get found out.

So, when he goes to watch them for the first time in a few months (because having the real thing right in front of him was more than enough) he’s a little confused to see the number five next to the folder. He doesn’t remember saving a fifth video… and he can’t think of a time recently when Viktor’s sneezed that was recorded.

He’s been packing to leave for Saint Petersburg all day, his fiancé is halfway across the world already and he’d just wanted to unwind a little. But when he opens the folder to inspect the newest clip, his heart nearly gives out.

Viktor’s got a smirk on his face as the video starts, the knuckle of his index finger lazily rubs the underside of his nose.

“Hmm… I think you have something to tell me Yuuri. I am your coach and fiancé after all! I should know everything about you.” He grins at the camera and sniffs deeply as he drops his finger.

His eyes go blank as his nose twitches, “Oh… I… I need to-… Heh… Heh-HE’EPTESCHOO! Eschtuh!... there’s… there’s o-one more… Eh’PCHOO! Oh wow.”

Viktor wipes his upper lip with a single finger, “Mhm… Anyway, we should talk about your little secret my love. You may be surprised at how understanding… and accommodating I can be.”

Viktor winks at the camera before the video ends and Yuuri is pretty sure his soul has vacated this earthly plane of existence. Three things become abundantly clear then:

1)    Viktor Nikiforov is not as dumb as everyone thinks

2)    Yuuri has to password lock every piece of tech he owns

3)    He has, without a doubt, the best fiancé on earth.

All of this (and the wicked boner he’s popped from that video holy shit) to say, that Yuuri Katsuki is anxious to get to Russia. Seems that this new life he’s about to embark on has a little more in store for him than he originally thought.

[rhythmmortis]

Hi first i want to THANK you for your KH Masterpost. Literally a blessing.

Second I wanna ask if you have this photo it a bit better quality? I'm struggling to read it 🥲🥲 IF NOT ITS OK I WANTED TO ASK AND TY OP FOR THE ENTIRE POST ONCE AGAIN LITERALLY SAVED MY LIFE

hopefully this should be a bit better in quality!! im sorry if it isn't, my screen capture isn't working very well right now but i can always add alt text/image descriptions if there's anything that might be illegible! if you're on mobile, try clicking it and zooming in for better quality, if you don't click it then it shows the compressed version which sucks

and i also apologise for the overall quality of the images, a) they tend to look really bad on mobile for some reason and b) even their normal quality (as viewed on desktop) isn't the best, my main priority when doing it was the text of the book but the images are important too!! i should update them someday thank you for reminding me! the epub versions of the novels have the original quality so if this doesn't work i would recommend using those if you're able

and thank you!! im genuinely always incredibly happy to hear how much people enjoy the kh novels post, i'm so happy that effort was worth it and that more people are able to enjoy them!! i hope you have fun with them :)

[davidshawnsown]

USA BASEBALL ONE-SHOT RPF 2: Mike's Boys (chapter 2)

(AN: Given the recommendations by a fellow Tumblr writer, I have created a second chapter of this one shot story. This is dedicated to recently retired Olympic silver medal pitcher Edwin Jackson of Team USA who retired from active play by the time of this writing and in celebration of the 23rd anniversary of the USA's Olympics gold in baseball in 2000. A third chapter may be on the way. Given the fact that Patrick Mahomes II's father played for the NPB team now known as the Yokohama DeNA Baystars and was himself a MLB veteran and also due to his former participation as part of the USA Baseball high school program trials, he and his Superbowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs will be included as well beginning this chapter - making it a NFL crossover.)

Warnings: War, language, blood, battle scenes

1030H EEST

With the briefing now over, the strategy for the 1st Battalion 78th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was finally set, with the full blessing of brigade leadership and battalion command. The operation entailed the battalion following the elements of the two battalions of the lightly armed 113rd Territorial Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces in liberating the villages of Cherkas'ki Tyshky and Rus'ki Tyshky while the 2nd Battalion joins the rest of the forces from that brigade in the main road of the township. The goals are to help the brigade liberate the northern villages of Tsyrkuny from elements of the Russian 200th Motor Rifle Brigade of the Northern Fleet reinforced by a battalion of the Donetsk People's Militia's 1st Motor Rifle Regiment. They are supported by the M3 Bradleys of the armored cavalry squadron as well as the field artillery and air defense elements of the brigade. The battalion's strategy was to help defeat company or battalion sized elements of the 200th Motor Rifle Brigade and the 1st Motor Rifle Regiment as well as the 200th's T-80BVM MBTs of its tank battalion whose elements are in the village in a company formation, the rest of the companies are north of that area or on the main road alongside the rest of the SPG batteries as one battery is in the village equipped with the Msta tracked SPG. And also their additional role is to capture the village road junction located in the east of Cherkas'ki Tyshky which links it to Rus'ki Tyshky and the main road, which leads north to Borshchova and the border.

Basically the battalion's orders were to capture these two villages north of Kharkiv, pushing Russia's infantry and armor forces away from the city's suburbs, as well as artillery, as the 2nd Battalion moves on the main road alongside 3 battalions under 169th Corps' regiments (2 from 76th Infantry Division, one coming from the 901st Infantry) and word is now clear that a National Guard of Ukraine company is reinforcing the rear to help in the operation. In addition, their duty is to push away most of Russian artillery sytems futher from Kharkiv itself.

During the pre-combat brief, the company commanders were given their set orders for the day. A and B Companies would be the lead in the operation with D, E and F Companies, the latter assisted by CPT Jack Wilson, their founding commander, following them together with the battalion HQ company, with A Troop of the armored cavalry squadron and two tank companies of the armored battalion using a modernized M60 Patton and a mix of M8 AGS, M41 Walker Bulldogs and M555 Sheridans, as well as engineers helping in minesweeping and combat support ops and an air defense element mounted on Humvee platforms. The two field artillery battalions under the brigade would provide the much needed fire support using M777, M198, M108 and M109 systems and the portable Javellin system and other anti-tank systems in the anti-tank battalion, with batteries from the two assigned to the 1st Battalion set up on the rear and protected also by MANPADs and a company of TDF militias and joined by the two battalions' cannon batteries of M101 howitzers and NLAW and Javellin platoons of the heavy weapons companies. Three companies from the 1st battalions of the three regiments under 169th corps have been assigned to help 1st Battalion, the remainder to help the 2nd battalion clear the main road, as agreed upon that morning by their regimental commanders. Reinforcing them as artillery reserve are a battery of modernized M91 MLRS systems mounted on M35s - the HIMARS to be used when needed because the older M91s are similar to the BM-21 Grad systems the UGF has operated for decades.

Before their company commanders would talk about the operation, LTCOL Fenster, 1st Battalion commanding officer, spoke to his boys from the battalion and their attached elements in the presence of COL Bianco and some of the brigade staff: "Gentlemen, this morning is just the start of yet another operation for elements of the 1st Battalion, 78th BCT. But today is yet another glorious day in our unit's annals of history. This is the first task force styled-operation in our history as a brigade, with two of the battalions already fighting Russians and their allies from Donetsk with our Ukrainian brothers. We've done battlegroup styled ops before here, but now two of our infantry battalions are finally fighting together alongside the armor and artillery elements as well as support elements of the brigade present, for before this I've been given the orders from Brigadier General deRosa on his briefing call to the battalion command early today. Our task here, he said, is to remove Russians from the main highway of this township and its northern villages with the assistance of the Ukrainians of the 113rd Brigade and a company of National Guardsmen, helping to push back Russian guns from within range of the city itself and its suburbs and push these soldiers out for good away from it. In these past weeks, and even more today, all of us the men of 1st Battalion and the whole of the brigade are determined more than ever before to win this battle and the others to come for not just Ukraine but for our country and our NATO allies against the Russian aggressor threatening not just Ukrainians but ALL of us NATO countries at all fronts. In these past days, we've helped the 93rd Brigade do their jobs, now we've been helping these territorial militias as well as our fellow Americans in the International Legion. This is for their freedom and ours, boys. For the fallen in Bucha and all around this land, including those in the Kharkiv area, we will not stop our fighting with the Ukrainian people and her army, no matter what the costs. Understood gentlemen?"

"Sir yes sir" was the response of the boys.

COL Bianco then began to talk to the boys of the 6th platoon. Its commander 1LT Payton had stated that they are indeed ready once again, having perfected all they have trained for before in Irpin and Chernihiv with the rest of their company. This was the same sentiment shared by their XO and adjutant as well as its platoon sergeant. The colonel said that now would be a more better time for them to be better than ever, having shown their lot in earlier battles. "Now, gentlemen, its the time for us to show our strength once more in alliance with the Ukrainian people. I expect the best for you boys as you help the company achieve its objectives today, is that clear?"

"Sir yes sir" was the collective response. The colonel turned to the rest of the company stating his hope that the objectives of today's operations will surely be met with success.

"Captain Frazier," said the colonel, "I hope you and these personnel under your command achieve all the objectives for these operation, dead or alive. Not just America depends on this operation done. It is the Ukrainian people and our NATO partners and allies, and it will a big help for Ukraine if we flush out those Russians out of the range of Kharkiv."

"We will do our best, colonel," replied Captain Frazier.

"The same for us in B Company," then said Captain Arrietta. He said that they too will do their best to get things accomplished and the Ukrainians assisted in removing Russian soldiers from the village borders, limiting thus the Russian attacks on Kharkiv city itself. This is what captains Ober, Zimmerman and Cupp stated as well for D, E and F Companies of the 1st Battalion, detailing their readiness to follow the order of the day. Captain Wilson, now a part of A Company staff, remarked as well that what the lads of F Company did in these past weeks in Chernihiv in support of the Ukrainian forces relieving the Russian siege of the city stunned the battalion with their initiative and determination despite the young age of the boys and now they were ready to do it again.

Captain Judge then informed the colonel of his boys' preparedness for the combat ops they are about to do, saying, "Sir, given that all that the lads of the Bronx has gone thru, me and my boys are ready to fight for the nation and for the Ukraine. I have informed Colonel Boone that they are all prepared to fulfill the tasks for today."

Darren then informed him that he wishes the best as he prepares to help the 1st Battalion fulfill their objectives. He told him that they are assigned to help A Company led by his former superior, now Captain Frazier, to clear out Russians from Cherkas'ki Tyshky and support the Ukrainian offensive there.

1LT Aaron Nola of A Company 1st Battalion 83rd Philadelphia said the same. Given that they too were given the task to assist A Company, and that he has been given XO status in support of his commander 1LT Hoskins as his superior officer 1LT Harper has been called up to the colors because of his prior commitments before, he stated to COL Bianco that as part of the operation he felt proud to serve as part of the regiment raised and headquartered in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American independence, and that it was his duty to continue the city's heritage of leading in the defense of the nation in peace and in war. He also stated, "Being a New Orleans guy, I also bear in my heart the city's resistance in the War of 1812, and am ready to fight till the last with the boys from Philly."

The lieutenant from Sacramento then said, "No matter what happens today, colonel Bianco, we're ready to die carrying the arms of Philadelphia and the fighting legacy of her sons and daughters, sir. Most of all it is the American people, as well as the Ukrainian people already suffering after a few months of Russia's invasion, that we're ready to fight for at all costs. " Having served with the regiment since 2014 as an officer fresh from OCS, he became one of Bryce's deputies when he arrived in the city in 2019 on transfer from Washington. Since then he has served as one of his faithful comrades in arms. Alongside the company first sergeant 1SGT Muzziotti and his 1st platoon sergeant, SSGT Vierling, the two have carried on their duties to the company while Bryce is now at the 78th.

The same sentiments were shared by Captain Duvall of A Company from the 1st Battalion of the 72nd Atlanta. Raised in Louisville, KY, he has served as the company commander beginning late last year taking over from long time commander 1LT Freeman. He knew the importance of the cause they were fighting for and why the country has to help Ukraine now in its time of need. In his words, he felt that "missing families and friends at home, I knew I had a band of brothers ready to stand by me fighting for freedom no matter what the cost." His boys, assisted by 1LT Riley his executive officer and 1SGT Matzek the company first sergeant, are positioned to support CPT Arrietta and the B Company lads alongside SSGT Albies.

Then the colonel got a cellphone call from MG Scioscia.

"Make sure my boys from Tokyo are ready to lead the battalion for today," said the major general, confident that the men are ready to do it again in northern Kharkiv Oblast. They indeed needed that motivation badly from the overall commander of the Tokyo contingent in order to get the ball rolling for today's operations. He stated that Captain Frazier will be ready to lead the boys of 1st Battalion to the battle field once more, determined to continue on their winning ways in support of their Ukrainian brothers, who over these past few weeks have started to understand the Americans fighting with them for a singular cause.

"They will do their best, Mike. I'm confident these boys of yours together with mine, now fighting in the same unit, are committed to do their duties for the country and to obey the order given to them today to remove the remaining Russians from the Tsyrkuny area in support of the Ukrainians," replied Colonel Bianco. "I am truly amazed at what they did in past battles and am hopeful they will do it again."

"Good luck Colonel Bianco," replied the major general from Upper Darby. "Scioscia out."

After the call ended, LTC Fenster informed his operational commander that he's now ready to deploy the battalion for their operational goals for the day.

"Brigadier General DeRosa, sir, the 1st Battalion's ready to move out. We're ready to fulfill the orders for today's operation no matter what the cost, for the victory of the Ukrainian people, the very people we are fighting with today."

"Good luck gentlemen," replied the brigadier general. "Once more, America sends its prayers for your victories today and so does every Ukrainian. Do not fail this mission, boys, Ukraine needs this one and so does the USA. Move those boys now!"

"DeRosa, we will do our best, sir. We will not fail. We will not doubt all of America and Ukraine rooting for us once more," replied the commander. Then he presented his phone so that the boys will hear his order clearly to the battalion: to fulfill all objectives and help the 2nd Battalion, as well as the Ukrainians of the 113rd Brigade, clear Tsyrkuny township once and for all so that the Ukrainians will now be set to clear the areas north of Kharkiv from Russian forces with their support. Intel stated that the 1st Motor Rifles from the Donetsk People's Republic are moving out with a battalion of wheeled mechanized infantry to support the Russian 2nd Battalion of the 200th Motor Rifles, with elements of its 1st battalion and the 4th armored battalion in reserve as force multipliers. It is the duty of the Ukrainian 113rd TDB to push them out, and thus the 78th Brigade's 1st and 2nd battalions, as well as the 3 battalions from the 169th Corps regiments, have been tasked to assist them by all means. Thus the 1st Battalion must not fail in its objectives no matter what. The 3rd and 4th battalions, as well as the mortar and tank battalions of the brigade are also moving as brigade reserve to supplement and reinforce the formations as well as the Ukrainian forces fighting with them while the field artillery battalions will provide fires support and the air defense battalions will provide mobile and fixed air defense cover of the battlefield and protection of command elements.

After the call, the battalion commander replied, "We will do whatever it takes. Kharkiv's future rests on our efforts, general."

"Good luck LTC Fenster," answered the brigadier general. "And make sure these boys end the day safe and in a joint US-Ukrainian victory. DeRosa out."

"Good luck to you as well, brigadier general, sir," replied LTC Fenster. "We will continue to update via radio. Fenster out, Slava Ukraini."

"Heroyam Slava", replied the brigadier general.

"This is Major General Reagins speaking, colonel. Make sure these Russians are fucked when your boys fight them with the Ukrainians."

"We will do just that. I am confident than ever these boys will end the day with a win for Ukraine, sir", replied Darren.

The commander's Ukrainian interpreter informed him as well in English and then phoned the commander of the 113rd Territorial Defense Brigade that the 78th will soon be arriving to help reinforce their positions. He then phoned a member of the ILTD operating there to be on standby as the 78th too is helping in their combat ops.

With the order now granted to proceed, the 1st Battalion was now in battle mode once more.

"Is everything ready, sergeant major?"

"Yes sir, all systems go for this one," replied SGM Ronai.

"Has the Ukrainians of the 113rd Brigade and the International Legion been informed?"

The advisor said yes, adding that there's someone left a video message on his cellphone for the brigade. It's Malcolm Nance, the ex-US Navy SEAL turned soldier of the ILTD already fighting there with his fellow legionnaires, wishing the boys good luck. He had phoned brigade command this morning regarding their presence in the area.

"You heard the man, gentlemen," said LTC Fenster. "We have a battle to win in Tsyrkuny, to help the Ukrainians clear the Russians from this township and push them away futher from Kharkiv city, denying their artillery from firing directly at this city and thus save more lives. We must not fail this combat mission. It is imminent that we fulfill the tasks set by the brigade in conjuction with our Ukrainian brothers and the men of the International Legion fighting with them. The 2nd battalion is on the main road of the township and brigade command has told just minutes ago that the 4th and 5th battalions are being deployed as the reserve, while the tanks and artillery are ready as well to be deployed to support our main forces. Three more battalions, each from the 169th Corps, are also fighting with us. We expect heavy and tense resistance by the Russians where we are, but do not fear them, they know they will fear our guns, equipment, uniforms, everything that symbolizes our freedom, our country, and all that we stand for and that we're fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people in this the greatest hour that they are facing. Carried in our shoulders is a heavy burden of helping Ukraine defend itself from Russia and its allies. Now let's show the world our combine power once more to help defeat Russia in the lands of Ukraine and help it finally defeat this aggressor that has been terrorising this land for many years - and has been also been doing its best to obstruct and destroy ALL our freedoms around the world. For America and her people, and our newfound allies in Ukraine, we have a battle - and a war - to help win NOW no matter what. Understood, boys?"

"Sir yes sir" was the response.

"Slava Ukraini!"

"Heroyam Slava!", answered the gathered formation and the Ukrainian liasons with them.

"What's our battle cry 78th Brigade?"

"FOR GLORY!"

While this was happening someone had already arrived as well to the place: a member of the 59th Kansas City Infantry of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 610th Infantry Division, 20th Corps, nicknamed the "Chiefs" due to its Native American heritage and history, had arrived to join them: MAJ Patrick Mahomes II, whose father was a veteran of the 169th Corps and had previously been on secondment in Japan in a infantry battalion based in Yokohama, just south of Tokyo, in the late 90s. He arrived with his battalion mounted on the Stryker system as wheleed mechanized infantry - one of 4 in the regiment. The 2nd has been placed in reserve to help assist in the operation when needed. The major had radioed the 1st Battalion commander informing him of his presence. Wearing the usual red and gold armband with the heraldic arms of their home city, he informed the leadership present of his battalion's arrival.

"Lieutenant colonel sir, forces of the 59th Kansas City's 1st Battalion are ready to assist in your efforts."

"Who are you and who asked you to reinforce the 78th Brigade?" asked the commander.

"Major Patrick Mahomes II, sir, commanding officer of 1st Battalion 59th Kansas City. Been an executive officer last year since I was promoted Major, and now I'm a battalion commander. Colonel Reid, my commanding officer who's in Ukraine with his regiment stationed in Poltava, ordered me and my battalion to join the 78th north of Kharkiv out of respect for my father's service with the 169th Corps wth the regiment in Minneapolis. We've just arrived today from Kharkiv coordinate efforts to remove Russians from north of the city. I'm ready to help these boys win."

"That's Colonel Andy Reid of the 59th and his boys in Poltava?" asked MAJ Sogard.

"Yes indeed, sir, that's the colonel," Mahomes answered.

"You guys are lucky around. Tell your regimental commander the 1st Battalion will help the 78th Brigade Combat Team's elements here in Tsyrkuny. These wheeled APCs will help this brigade and the Ukrainians of the 113rd Territorial Brigade defeat those BTRs of the Russians and drive them out of the twin villages of Cherkas'ki Tyshky and Rus'ki Tyshky. We're counting on you guys to help them win," told the major.

"We will do our best today, sir. Slava Ukraini!"

"Heroyam Slava!" was the response by everyone.

"Looks like this Mahomes guy will be joining us today," said LTC Fenster. "These Strykers, also used by one of the battalions of the 78th, will be the ones that will hopefully arm the Ukrainian Army in the coming months, they will be needing them and all the other equipment we use to help them drive out the Russians. Gentlemen, I hope he will be of big help to us here. Coordinate your efforts and make sure he will be fighting with his boys on the ground as well. Is that clear boys?"

"Sir yes sir!"

The "mount up and move out" order then given, the 1st Battalion boys and those of the companies under the 1st Battalions of the 3rd NY, 83rd Philadelphia and 72nd Atlanta all mounted their vehicles. The artillery batteries of the artillery battalions and anti-tank crews of the anti-tank battalion under the brigade, the gunners of the infantry gun companies and air defense crews soon geared up to provide supporting fire and air defense cover to their formations at the right time, expecting Russian Mil and Kamov helicopters to fly in support of their comrades on the ground as the Bradleys and M113s soon sprang to life, with engines roaring, alongside the M60s and Abrams from the tank battalion and the self-propelled guns from one of the field artillery battalions getting the systems started and moving south to avoid Russian counter battery fire. At the same time MAJ Mahomes, mounted on his M1130 Commander's Vehicle's turret had finished radioing his regimental commander informing him of his battalions' readiness to lead the operation in support of 78th Brigade elements, before calling his father, retired sergeant first class Mahomes who is at Poltava with regimental command. With him are his XO, CPT Smith-Schuster, the battalion sergeant major SGM Girardi and several men under the battalion staff and the headquarters and HQ company, with the new A Company commander 1LT Kelce and his XO 1LT Buechele on their own Stykers with the rest of the formation. All 5 rifle companies and their cannon company, all told, are to join the fight of the 78th that morning with their Ukrainian counterparts, while the HHC remains with elements of the 78th's command. Following that he got a call from BG DeRosa later on regarding what his battalion would do that morning.

The 1st Battalion 78th BCT, its personnel (sans those of C Company) now mounted on their M2 Bradleys, began to prepare for battle like never before.

"Is everyone ready First Sergeant Gose?" called Captain Frazier on his M2 Bradley, on the commander's turret radioing his company first sergeant.

"We're all ready, sir," replied 1SGT Gose on his M113A3 Rise APC. "Same with my crew, we're ready to roll out."

He radioed 1LT Austin as well on his readiness to lead the platoon. He responded, "Able 1, we're ready. Captain Frazier, we're in it to win, Able 1-11's ready, including many of the Tokyo lads. Let's get this rolling now, sir."

"Able 2-11 ready," said 1LT Jackson on his radio. "When we will all dismount sir, give us the signal. The vehicle commanders and the operational armored column commander, 1LT Thames, will be ready to take over command to provide the mounted elements of the operation for Able Company under your command as the leader of the dismounted force. We will never fail you, captain, no matter what the cost. And so too, we cannot fail the American people nor the Ukrainians in which we've been grateful to stand by them these past months."

"Will do my best to signal you guys to fight with me as one against those Russians, lieutenant," Todd answered on his radio.

2LT Eddy Alvarez then replied on his radio inside the Bradley, "So am I, sir."

"Able 1-21 ready, sir, elements of 2nd Platoon ready to move out," said 1LT Alec Bohm.

"Confirmed sir, you guys will follow our lead," replied the captain. He was sure 1LT Austin knew of the readiness of his platoon to help prepare for the battle this morning.

1LT Dylan Crews then informed his commanding officer via radio, "Able 1-31 ready for the operation, captain. Expect that 3rd Platoon will be ready as well."

His deputy, 2LT Teel, informed the captain via radio of his boys' readiness to help their unit achieve all their objectives for the day.

"Able 1-41, reporting. We're ready as well at 4th Platoon," 1LT Bailey informed his company commander as well. He told the captain they too are ready to risk their lives for not just Ukraine but of their homeland as well and thus his platoon is ready to fulfill their mission.

The platoon second in command, 2LT Meyer, added, "The same for me and the other officers and NCOs assigned to our Bradley crews. They are ready since the last time they fought these bastards, captain and you known that. We're ready to fight them again to the last."

The 5th platoon commander, 1LT Brandon Crawford voiced his readiness replying: "Able 1-51 ready Captain Frazier. The men of 5th Platoon have entered battle readiness and will follow your lead."

His XO said the same sentiments of combat readiness. So did the other platoon commanders of A Company, including 6th platoon's 1LT Payton.

At the same time the platoon commanders of the other companies had reported to their company commanders of their preparedness to fight.

CPT Tulowitzki reported to his CO on his Bradley, "Captain Frazier sir, all of A Company has stated their readiness for the operation. We're all ready for the battle to start."

"Affirmative, Tulo. Let's get those boys moving, we have an operation ongoing."

"Roger that Cap."

"Captain Jake!" radioed 1LT Fowler on his Bradley. "Bravo Company is all ready for the operation."

"Affirmative Lieutenant Fowler. I hope the men are all ready for this moment. Major Gall is thinking of us as he studies his command course far away from the front right now."

The rest of the company commanders did the same.

Following the order to proceed by LTC Fenster, the infantry, mounted as usual in their M2 Bradleys, moved out of the assembly area and into the battlefield, with gunfire and artillery blasts increasing as the battalion's fighting elements moved north along Sadova Street. Their objectives are to liberate Cherkas'ki Tyshky and help the Ukrainian territorials. And joining them in their Strykers are elements of the 59th Kansas City's 1st Battalion, who are taking part as force multipliers for the operation, alongside armored elements of the brigade.

@joeybosa-aaronjudge @lightninging @homerofthebraves @dilangleywritesfanfic @auroralightsthesky @alekmanoah @ilovetheyankees @darkorderaf @highwaytothedangerzone502 @zackcollins @lukeexplorer

[kaitidid22]

Fanfic: Thunder (Conrad/Billie)

Summary: Conrad misses daycare pickup, and Billie comes to the rescue. (Canon-friendly and set sometime in season 5.)

A/N: More Billie & Gigi goodness.

Thunder

The thunder was loud enough that Billie could hear it through the thick panes of Chastain’s ICU windows. She checked all the monitors again, carefully taking note of each level and measurement. No change since the nurse had checked them five minutes earlier, but two heads were always better than one. Or so Billie told herself on especially hard days.

Normally, Billie loved summer storms. She loved how they cleared out the humidity for a few hours and the sound of the rain hitting wet pavement, the excuse to curl up in a chair and do nothing for a day, the smells of wet dirt and wood smoke from chimneys.

But today’s storm had brought in a flood of critical condition survivors from a thirteen-car pile-up on the expressway. Among them had been six head and three spinal traumas, all of whom had other injuries and two of whom—boys barely older than Gigi—had required Billie’s OR; one to relieve cranial pressure and another to repair a broken vertebra. Another patient, an adult female—Billie was angry at herself for her relief it wasn’t a third child because the feeling was completely inappropriate—had coded on the way from the ED to the OR due to unforeseen complications and was now laying in the ICU being monitored until she was strong enough for her own turn on Billie’s table.

Exhaustion beat through Billie’s bloodstream, making her joints ache and her back stiff. The OR had been booked solid since mid-morning with perforated intestines, a torn aorta, a collapsed lung, compound fractures, and other messy, mostly successful procedures. And all the patients had needed neurological exams, of course, because that was standard with unconscious trauma victims and car accidents in general. But Billie always hesitated to call something of this magnitude a “car accident.” It didn’t capture the sheer terror and devastation.

Ultimately, though, of the thirteen badly injured patients, Billie only became responsible for the three. She hadn’t lost any of them. It had been touch-and-go with both boys, but they were stable and in recovery by nightfall. The nursing team was waiting for them to wake up, and Billie would need to do a post-op exam for neurological deficits. She wouldn’t be surprised, though, if neither of them fully woke until morning given the complications during surgery and the traumatic experience of the day overall. The more rest the better, and Billie was hopeful they would both enjoy a full recovery.

She could have gone home, but there she was, haunting the ICU. She felt a pressing need for the woman’s levels to stabilize and rise out of the danger zone for organ failure so that they could book the OR.

Billie wasn’t going anywhere until she saw a change. Good or bad.

She wasn’t sure why this one patient—a patient Billie hadn’t even operated on—was getting to her like she was. Maybe because she was around Billie’s age and in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe because the EMS team had said they suspected the victim was brain dead, and she wasn’t. That they had assumed no human could have survived the series of impacts and flips that had turned her car into the crumpled wreckage they found on the expressway. But after the fire department was done sawing through her door with the jaws of life, they all found that she had.

This woman had already defied the odds. She was a fighter. Fighters deserved to win.

Or maybe it was because this woman’s poor, battered body reminded Billie of Nic that horrible night—a Nic that Billie could maybe save this time if the universe gave her a fair chance. But that was selfish, and Billie hoped she wasn’t that selfish anymore.

Besides, since when is the universe fair? Billie thought.

Recoiling from her own bitterness, Billie pulled out her penlight to check the patient’s pupils yet again. Still even.

Good. Small blessings, she thought.

Billie’s phone buzzed in her pocket, and she absently fished it out as she scanned through the chart notes for a seventh time, hoping for some sign of improvement that she already knew wasn’t there.

When she glanced at the screen and saw GG Daycare scrolling across the top, she nearly hung up on them as she fumbled to hit the button and raise it to her ear at the same time.

“Dr. Sutton,” she said, voice flinty and chipped to a sharp point by her own fear.

“Hi, Dr. Sutton,” a sweet, familiar voice said. “This is Marion from the daycare at Chastain Memorial.”

Billie lips pursed as she turned to stride toward the elevators. As if she didn’t know who Marion was? As if she didn’t have the daycare’s number saved in her phone? Billie took a deep, calming breath before she spoke again.

“Hi, Marion. How can I help you?”

The daycare had her information as Conrad’s backup contact for pickups, emergencies, or other less acute situations like forgotten lunches. The same had been true with Conrad’s in-house childcare. Billie was at the top of every emergency contact list for Gigi.

The order was always the same: Conrad, Billie, Marshall, and Devon.

But any of the scenarios being the reason for this call translated into the fact that Conrad hadn’t answered. And no one—not a babysitter, nor the daycare—had ever needed to use Billie’s contact information because Conrad always answered his phone.

It was six p.m.—the cut off for daycare. Conrad had missed the pickup window. And that meant Billie needed to be downstairs fifteen minutes ago.

“I’m calling because you’re the secondary pickup contact for Gigi Hawkins,” Marion continued, moving the conversation forward at a pace of three steps behind Billie’s thought process.

“Is she ok?” Billie asked as the elevator doors slid open.

“Gigi is fine,” Marion said soothingly. “We haven’t been able to reach Dr. Hawkins, though. Would you be able to—”

“I’ll be there in two minutes,” Billie said.

“Great,” Marion said, still in that soft, overly gentle voice that drove Billie up the wall. “See you soon.”

“Yep,” Billie said, hanging up the phone.

Immediately, she opened a new text to Conrad. Grabbing Gigi from daycare. We’ll be in my office.

By the time the elevator opened again, and Billie had walked to the wing where the daycare was housed, Conrad still hadn’t responded. Marion and Gigi were the only two left in the daycare, with Gigi perched on the pretty lady’s lap as she furiously colored in something on the page in front of her.

Billie’s heart squeezed for a moment. The idea that Gigi could be worried about Conrad or self-conscious that she was the last to be picked up ate at Billie’s insides.

But as Billie came close enough to see Gigi’s expression, she realized that Gigi didn’t look bothered at all. When the little girl glanced up from her drawing and spotted Billie, she shot off Marion’s lap and across the room like a flash.

Billie crouched in preparation for the little girl’s hug and smiled widely as the tiny body slammed into her own. Somehow, Gigi made everything a little bit brighter, no matter what kind of day Billie was having.

“Hey, sweetie,” Billie said, taking a surreptitious whiff of that special Gigi scent of baby shampoo, crayons, and happiness. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah!” Gigi said, excitedly. “I didn’t know you were picking me up today!”

At nearly four, everything Gigi said came out as an exclamation when she was excited. Billie grinned, keeping her face and posture easy, despite the anxiety worming its way around her insides.

“Why don’t you grab your stuff?” Billie suggested.

When Gigi ran over to the cubbies, Marion approached, holding out her hand as if she and Billie had never met before. Billie took it, her face hopefully betraying none of her annoyance. She and Marion had spoken the week before during a planned pick up. The woman should know Billie for goodness’s sake.

“Thanks so much for coming, Billie,” Marion said, interrupting Billie’s thoughts. “I heard today was busy in the operating rooms.”

Or maybe Marion was just overly formal, and Billie was being a jerk because she was worried about Conrad.

Self-awareness sucks, Billie thought. Two years of therapy under her belt, and sometimes she felt like all she had learned was how to spot her own flaws. She had thought she was paying to learn to fix them.

“Of course. I always have time for Gigi,” she said, hoping her tone wasn’t as arch as it sounded to her own ears. Then she lowered her voice so that Gigi wouldn’t overhear. “Did you get a hold of Conrad?”

Marion gave her the world’s tiniest head shake, and Billie nodded. She told herself that she wasn’t worried—yet—because she knew Conrad. The only way he would miss pick up for his daughter was if he was in the middle of running a code. And the day had been one from hell for everyone in the ED. They were probably just getting to the last of the survivors from the crash, the ones with less life-threatening injuries. The “lucky” ones.

Billie cleared her throat. “I texted him,” Billie said. “But if he comes here first and you’re still here, can you let him know I have Gigi in my office?”

“For sure,” Marion said.

She itched to cross the hospital’s small campus to the wing that housed the Emergency Department. She told herself she would just peak in, make sure he was there—make sure he hadn’t been sent out with the Go Team and never came back.

But then Gigi ran back up, jacket and backpack in hand, with a wide-open smile and innocent eyes. And Billie shored herself up and shoved the fear back down, keeping her face calm for Gigi’s sake.

But first, eat the humble pie, Billie thought to herself.

Marion was assigned to the younger children so had clearly volunteered to stay with Gigi. Billie reminded herself that she should feel grateful, and she had not been gracious. But, despite her best efforts, the worry was still so acute that she was going through the motions as she said, “Thank you so much for waiting with her, Marion. And for calling me.”

“Happy to do it,” Marion said, with her sweet smile. “Good night, Gigi.”

Gigi waved happily at Marion and skipped after Billie out the glass double doors of the daycare. “Are we going out to dinner?” Gigi asked as they made their way to the elevators.

On Billie’s nights with Gigi, the girls always ate out. It was a well-known fact to both father and daughter Hawkins that Billie did not cook. Nic had once teased Billie that her refrigerator was where takeout cartons went to die. Billie had shot back that knives were dangerous to a surgeon’s precious fingers.

“Your dad and I didn’t talk about it,” Billie said, holding out her hand to take Gigi’s backpack.

To her surprise, Gigi slid her own hand into Billie’s instead. Gigi had recently declared handholding to be “for babies.” While Billie’s heart had broken the first time Gigi complained about having to hold hands in the hospital hallway, Conrad had been pleased as punch at the small rebellion and had been encouraging what he saw as a headstrong desire for autonomy.

“I want her to grow up strong and independent,” Conrad had said, explaining his rationale to Billie and Marshall over a post-bedtime cup of coffee in his kitchen.

“Got it,” Marshall had said.

Conrad’s father had seemed completely unfazed by the entire conversation, and his expression had registered no surprise at all when Conrad had relayed the new rules to them. If she had been thinking clearly, she probably would have put two and two together and realized that Conrad’s childhood rebellions had been much more extreme than refusing to hold his father’s hand.

But she hadn’t been thinking clearly. She had been thinking that Gigi could get hit by a bus, or grabbed off the sidewalk by a stranger. She had been thinking that adults held children’s hands for a very good reason.

“Sure,” Billie had said, tapping her fingernail against his dining table. “No handholding.”

Conrad’s brows had twitched, eyes flicking down to her hand with an irritated gleam that he had tried to quell with a very visible, deep breath. “No handholding.”

“Except in critical situations, of course,” Billie had said.

“Critical situations?” Marshall had echoed.

“Like crosswalks,” Billie had said. “In crosswalks, there’s handholding.”

Conrad’s lips had pressed together before he answered. “Yes, Billie. Except for crossing the street.”

“And large crowds,” she had added.

Conrad had nodded slowly. That gleam had seeped from Conrad’s gaze, but she still had to force herself not to squirm in her chair as he had eyed her.

“And the mall,” she had said, unable to stop the stream-of-consciousness list.

“You know,” Conrad had said, settling back in his chair with a casual shrug. “This is going to be one of those context-based, spur of the moment, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants decisions you love so much, Billie.”

Conrad’s father had coughed into his hand, looking away.

“Hilarious, Hawkins,” Billie had muttered.

“Are you on board?” Conrad had asked.

As crazy as she knew it to be, for a moment, Billie had felt like he was asking for her permission, or at least her approval. As she had studied his face, unsure how to proceed, she had realized that the tightness around his eyes hadn’t been irritation. Or maybe it had been, but it had shifted. Because, abruptly, all she had been able to read in the set of his face had been uncertainty pinching the skin at the corners of his eyes. And that had been what reminded Billie of her job, of their dynamic, of her promise to him.

“Of course,” Marshall had said.

But Conrad had barely seemed to register his father’s words as he continued to wait for Billie’s opinion, eyes locked on her face. So, she had set aside her own fear and pasted on a smile. “I’m all in, Dad.”

But what she had meant was You’re doing fine, Conrad. Nic would be proud. and they had both known it. Relief had spread across his face like an ink stain.

“And she can wear whatever she wants,” Conrad had added. He had raised an eyebrow at Billie. “Even if it’s ugly. Or doesn’t match.”

She had raised her hand to her heart and pasted on a solemn, earnest expression. “It will physically pain me. But I’m behind you.”

And the relief had finally given way to amusement.

Coming back to the present, Billie folded her fingers carefully around the little girl’s, marveling at how tiny Gigi’s hand felt. Even though she knew only a few weeks had passed since Gigi’s declaration, it felt like years since Billie had held Gigi’s hand. She was surprised at how much she had missed something so simple.

“We can ask your dad when he’s done,” Billie said, finishing her thought about going out to dinner.

She suspected she already knew the answer—not on a school night—but it couldn’t hurt to ask. He was going to get an awfully late start on dinner if he didn’t get Gigi home soon anyway.

“Can I push the button?” Gigi asked, as they stepped onto the elevator. When Billie nodded, Gigi stood on her tip toes to reach the high floor, but never let go of Billie’s hand. “What’s he doing?”

“Your dad? He’s with a patient,” Billie said

Gigi’s fingers relaxed against Billie’s palm. Belatedly, she realized Gigi had been worried after all.

“I’m glad,” Gigi said. “Daddy can save anybody.”

Billie smiled. “Sure can.”

“Like a superhero.”

“That’s right.”

“Or an alien with healing powers,” Gigi said thoughtfully.

“Uh-huh.”

The doors slid open as Billie fought back a smile. Gigi let go of Billie’s hand and took off like a shot down the hall towards Billie’s office. The lights were still on, as Billie had only intended to pop down to the ICU to check on the patient’s status before returning to finish off the mountain of paperwork she needed to complete after the day’s surgeries.

By the time she reached the doorway, Gigi had already flung her backpack on the couch and shed her coat. Billie watched her goddaughter open a drawer in the desk and pull out the stack of coloring books and crayons Billie kept in there for Gigi.

Abruptly, it occurred to Billie that Conrad usually gave Gigi a snack while he made dinner. “Are you hungry? We could go to the cafeteria,” she offered as Gigi came back across the office towards her.

Gigi shook her head. “Marion gave me an apple. Will you color with me?” Gigi asked, dumping everything onto the floor in the middle of the office.

Billie had about seven reams of forms to complete, and she had planned to sneak in a nap on her office sofa in case the ICU patient’s levels came down enough for the surgery that night. But staring at her goddaughter’s upturned face, all Billie wanted to do was get on the floor with Gigi and color.

“Absolutely,” Billie said.

After a few minutes, though, Gigi grew bored with coloring inside the lines and pushed the book away. “Do you have any paper?”

“Let me grab some,” Billie said.

Clambering to her feet without groaning felt like a major win for Billie, and she made it through the doorway without limping. She lucked out and no one was at the nurses’ station, so she was able to pop open the paper drawer to their printer and sneak a few pages out.

They’ll never know, Billie told herself, even though she knew fully well that they would. Somehow. Nurses knew everything.

And it was on the tails of this thought that a throat cleared behind her. Billie nearly leapt out of her skin. She was already pleading her case as she turned, “I’m only taking a few pages for Gigi.”

No one would begrudge Gigi a few pieces of paper. Billie was fairly certain the entire hospital knew Gigi because the entire hospital knew Conrad… who was currently staring at her with more than a little amusement from the other side of the desk.

“If it isn’t the notorious paper bandit of the thirty-eighth floor,” he said.

Her answering grin was wide and giddy at both his silliness and her relief that he was standing in front of her without a scratch on him. “Pesky doctors. They’ll never catch me,” she said.

He jerked his chin towards the stack of paper in her arms. “You might not want to walk around holding the evidence.”

“This? This is a red herring,” she said, leading him back towards her office. But she kept the pace slow, eking out a few extra moments with him and him alone.

“Throwing them off the scent, huh?”

“Exactly,” she said. “If I walk around with paper all the time, why would I need to steal it?”

To her surprise, he reached out a hand and gently grasped her elbow, pulling her to a stop far enough away from the door that Gigi wouldn’t have spotted them yet. She turned to him, tipping her face back to look him in the eyes. But he was staring at the floor. He didn’t say anything for a long time, and Billie waited as he sorted through his thoughts.

“Thanks for tonight,” he said, voice quiet.

“Of course,” she said. “Are you okay?”

He nodded, but the movement was slow, like he was moving through molasses. “There was a…” He shook his head, looking a little lost.

“Code,” she supplied. At his surprised look and nod, she shrugged. “I figured that’s the only reason you would miss pickup.”

A wondering smile flirted with the edges of his mouth, slightly obscured under his beard, but there. His eyes were too bright on hers, studying her, trying to find something in her face. But he couldn’t seem to find whatever it was, and he squeezed his lids shut as the smile cleared.

“The thing is,” he said, swallowing hard. “I saw the clock. Seven minutes after six. And I knew I had missed the pickup window.”

Billie put a hand on his bicep—not gripping or squeezing, just resting against his scrub shirt, letting him know she was there.

“And my first thought was just a string of panicked swearing,” he said, with a wry smile that didn’t look at all amused. “But then I thought ‘No, it’s okay. Billie’s got her.’”

Billie’s heart stopped.

“I knew you were still waiting on that patient in the ICU, and the boys are still out in recovery,” Conrad said. He rubbed a hand over his forehead. “And I just…”

When he trailed off, she licked her lips. “Conrad—” she started, but he interrupted her.

“I knew I could count on you, Billie. I trusted you to make sure my daughter was ok when I couldn’t.” He shrugged, smiling in a somewhat helpless way that was entirely charming and utterly devastating all at once. “So, thank you. For being my backup.”

And, before she could recover from any of that, his arms were slipping around her.

In day-to-day situations, Conrad was not the one to initiate hugs. With Gigi, yes, he did all the time, and with his dad every so often (usually on holidays). But not with Billie. He accepted them from her—seemed to welcome them even. And he was always ready with a warm hand on her shoulder, a squeeze at her elbow, any number of comforting gestures that kept him a safe arm’s distance away.

But Billie could count on one hand the number of times he had initiated an embrace. And somehow it felt entirely different when he was the one leading the way.

He was warm against her. Solid. His biceps were more defined than she remembered them being, and his chest was a hard wall against her body. Billie had a vague memory of a conversation about stress relief, kinesthetic learning, and how he worked through enigmatic differentials as her brain spun at the close contact.

He smelled like pine needles and musk and slightly smoky. The latter wasn’t normal, and she wondered if he had been sent out as part of the Go Team after all.

Conrad’s arms were firm around her, his hold strong but gentle. She had never felt so comforted and so loved in her entire life.

Tears prickled at her eyelids, and panic began to swoop through her. No way in hell could he see how much that hug meant to her. But almost as if he could hear her, could feel the intention to pull away, his arms tightened.

“Not yet,” he murmured, then laughed at himself like he couldn’t believe he’d said it.

What Billie did next, she did without thinking. At least, that was her excuse later. She did it all the time to Gigi, an attempt at comfort and an innocent gesture of soothing. She had done it for Conrad, too, during some of the times she had held him while he cried over Nic’s loss—the times when his pain had been its most acute.

Bringing her hand up, Billie let it smooth over his hair in a slow path from the crown of his head, down to where she could feel the velvety skin of his neck under her fingers and palm. His hair was soft, and his skin was warm. It felt so good that she did it again, just once more.

To her surprise, on the second pass, his fingers curled. His hand had been cupping her shoulder, arm wrapped all the way around her body, and, as she smoothed her palm down the back of his head, she felt his fingers there curl inward until his hand was a fist against the fabric of her scrubs. Before she could much more than register that it had happened, Conrad was pulling away.

No, not yet, she thought.

But she forced her arms to let go of him, and he slipped away from her body. In fact, he stepped backwards right out of her personal space. As if touching had been a little too much, and he needed to double the distance to make up for it. But his face was still conflicted, and his eyes were black.

“Bad day, huh?” she asked to ease the tension.

“The worst,” he agreed, voice gone gravelly with some emotion she couldn’t quite pinpoint to put a name on it.

He turned to look through the windows of her office, watching Gigi flip through the coloring books. Billie cleared her throat.

“I know something that could make it better,” she said.

His eyebrows rose before he turned his gaze to meet her. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“A tiny blonde who’s really into aliens,” she said, smiling brightly at him.

Some of the tense lines carved into his face eased. “She sounds like just my type.”

Billie laughed a little and led the way into her office. “Look who I found,” Billie told Gigi.

The little girl leapt to her feet with a grin and ran to her father. “Hi, Daddy.”

“Hey, Bubble,” Conrad said, crouching to hug his daughter.

“Can we go out for dinner with Aunt Billie?” Gigi asked immediately.

Conrad chuckled but let his daughter down easy. “We have leftovers to get through at home, and Billie has a few more things to do tonight.”

“This weekend?” Billie asked, settling back on the floor where she had left Gigi.

Gigi dropped down next to her, a hand finding Billie’s knee, and looked up at her father hopefully. Conrad smiled, and it was the first uncomplicated smile Billie had seen on his face that night.

“Sure,” he said. “I think we can swing that.”

When Billie put the stack of paper she was still holding down, she realized it had become crinkled from their hug, and she briefly considered going and stealing more. But having her father back was a sufficient distraction for Gigi, and the crayons lay forgotten on the carpet.

Billie listened as Gigi chatted easily about her day, listing off all the things she had done since her father dropped her at the door of daycare. It wasn’t an immense list, but Gigi milked it for all it was worth and included every detail with the same reverence—what each of the kids ate for morning snack, what games of pretend they played, what pictures each of her friends drew.

Even though the couch was a few feet away, Conrad had settled on the floor with Gigi and Billie, closing the circle. The cadence of the little girl’s stories lulled Billie, each muscle in her body relaxing more the longer Gigi’s sweet voice filled the office.

Then Billie’s pager went off, and she straightened, swallowing a groan as her back creaked. She checked the message and shot to her feet, forgetting her exhaustion immediately.

“My ICU patient is awake,” Billie said. “I have to go.”

Billie felt Conrad’s eyes on her like a heat lamp as she remembered to crouch and give Gigi a hug goodbye. “Thanks for hanging out with me tonight,” she said to the little girl.

“Are you going to operate on someone?” Gigi asked, squeezing her arms around Billie’s neck.

“Yes,” Billie said, hoping it was true, hoping that the patient’s levels would remain low.

Gigi leaned back to grin at Billie, arms still around her neck. “Go get ‘em, tiger!”

Billie blinked. “What?” Gigi had never said any such thing before. Conrad had never said any such thing before. Billie glanced up at Conrad with a wrinkled brow. “What?”

Conrad made a valiant attempt to smother his obvious glee. “She watches this cartoon— Nevermind,” he said, letting the grin free. “It’s so much better if I don’t explain.”

Billie gaped at him, then shook her head. Not in denial. As a way of shaking herself out of her stupor.

“Okay, well. I have to go, you goofballs,” Billie said, kissing Gigi’s cheek and straightening to her full height.

“Save some lives, Aunt Billie!” Gigi said, arms in the air with fists of triumph.

A pang went through Billie—the same pang that always stabbed at her when she thought about the fact that she was usually the last line of defense. By the time a trauma patient reached her OR, they were about as injured as they possibly be and still breathe. Cracking open a trauma patient’s skull was generally a stop-gap, not the thing that would ultimately save their lives.

Billie’s survival rate was good—better, in fact, than most neurosurgeons, which should have been a point of pride. But saving a life was about more than making sure they survived—which Billie had learned the hard way—and she had zero confusion around what it meant when they said when the air hits your brain, you’re never the same. She didn’t cut unless she had to, and, when she did, it rarely felt like triumph.

“I’ll do my best,” Billie promised Gigi. She ran a finger down the girl’s soft cheek and tried to commit Gigi’s trusting eyes to memory. “Have a great dinner.” She glanced at Conrad and found him still watching her, a shuttered look on his face. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Bright and early,” he said in an upbeat tone.

She forced a chuckle. “Don’t I know it.”

She waved vaguely at them and turned, striding to her office door. But then Conrad’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Hey, Billie,” Conrad said.

She looked over her shoulder at them, and her breath stuck in her throat as she was struck by their identical expressions: heads tilted slightly to the side, soft smiles playing with their lips.

If she hadn’t seen them side-by-side, she would have labeled Conrad’s expression inscrutable and decided she would never know what it meant. But she knew Gigi like the back of her own hand, and Gigi’s face screamed her thoughts out loud to Billie: I love you and you’re the greatest and your best is more than enough.

But Gigi was an almost-four-year-old. Gigi was easy and cuddly and so well-loved that she loved freely in return, no questions and no hesitation.

Conrad was complex, weathered, calloused by war and grief, and having the best, happiest life he could ever have imagined for himself yanked right from his fingers without warning. Conrad was never easy.

Their smiles couldn’t possibly mean the same thing. But there they were, side-by-side, identical.

“What’s up?” Billie asked, pasting her own smile on for them.

“Your best is pretty great,” Conrad said, voice low and gravelly.

Billie’s mouth worked as she tried to come up with an appropriate response. Her chest ached as his words ricocheted around inside her before settling into a tiny hole in her heart she hadn’t even realized was there.

The only words her brain seemed able to conjure and force out between numb lips were, “Thank you, Conrad.”

Then she fled the room before Gigi could see her start to cry.

[missmungoe]

helloooo!!!!! im just coming by to say i. am. in. LOVE with your work!!!!!! i truly have been blessed to come across your fics bc theyre sooooo incredibly well written and just JUICYYYYY!!! i been biting the absolute hell out of my nails reading the suspense in some of these i cant help it omgggg! but i have 2 questions!!!! first question is do you ever plan on writing fics on some OP characters like the strawhats individually (not that im not getting my fill w your writing currently) but i love your writing style and i feel you’d be amazing in capturing more character pov. if thats not what your interested in at all thats okay!! i was just curious. and my last question is do you have any other ships that you’d want to write about? im curiousss👀 nonetheless all i wanted to say is youre amazing🥺 plsssss keep up the work and i hope you have an amazing new years!!!!!

(p.s. i hope the new years brings some new shanks x makino as well EEEEEEK!!!!)

HI, your enthusiasm revived me!! To answer your questions: I don’t have any plans right now! I just really love writing Shanks and Makino, and the stories I want to tell are about them, but I do include different POVs in my writing, because even if they’re not the main attraction, there are so many fun characters to explore in this series (case in point: one of my favourite POVs to write is Buggy’s).

Actually, in terms of Straw-Hat centric stories, there is the ‘Shanks and Makino through the eyes of one Monkey D. Luffy’ fic that I’ve been meaning to finish for ages, or at the very least, cross-post to AO3, but I had some more scenes I wanted to add before I do that (among others: the scene behind Luffy’s (mildly horrified) flashback in Andromeda chapter 5).

As for your second question: see above, haha. No but I have written for a few different ships in One Piece, even though it’s been a while! I really want to finish my Rayleigh x Shakky story Peony & Silver (I’ve been working on how to weave in Shakky’s past as a Kuja Empress without altering the story, but then she strikes me as the kind of person who could omit that tidbit for years before dropping it in the middle of a conversation, like ‘oh, did I forget to mention that? ah, well’). I also get the occasional question if I’m ever going to continue It Takes Two, aka the Zoro x Tashigi undercover-as-married fic, and I love that people are so fond of that story? I promise I haven’t forgotten about it; I just haven’t been inspired to write that pairing in a while, but I haven’t shelved the idea of a continuation<3

So we’ll see what 2023 brings! Right now I’m working on the next chapter of Tideswept because I’m on a roll (and the next chapter takes a turn, to say the least!), and my goal for the first half of this year is to get back to Mnemosyne, and if time and motivation allows, to finish both Andromeda Unbound and Moon and Her Maiden!

[brighteyedbushybrowed]

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 1833 words.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 Was supposed to be working on today's Ghosttober fic but this wouldn't leave my brain alone so I needed to write it all down and post it here. Parts will gradually get longer as I get into the swing of writing for this universe, I promise. Think of it as the first chapters of a book being shorter before they get longer as the narrative goes on (is that still a thing? I never actually count how many words are in book chapters oopsy). Also Swiss gets flowers because I said so, okay?

Copia had never seen Swiss so interested in someone outside of the ministry. He tried to recall a time where he was so eager to check his phone during practice, using every break as an opportunity to reply to messages, and came up short. Whoever the multi-ghoul was talking to, they were both a blessing and a curse. Swiss bickered with Sodo a little less, but he was also clearly distracted. Not that the former cardinal minded, of course. Everyone deserved friendship and love and who was he to deprive his friend of that?

It was three weeks after the hospital incident that Copia got the chance to meet the person that had captured Swiss’ attention so effortlessly. There had been an echoing knock and toll of the doorbell not long after practice finished for the day. He had been close to the entrance, strolling through the hallways to clear his head, and decided to answer before Sister Imperator got the chance to. When he opened the large doors, he was a little taken aback. He’d expected the usual kind of visitor: door-to-door salesmen, clueless individuals trying to convert people to their own religions one unfortunate house at a time, even scouts selling cookies. What he hadn’t expected was to find someone dressed semi-formally and holding a small bunch of flowers in their arms.

“Hey, are you Papa?”

He blinked, still in a momentary daze. “Ah, yes, that would be me. How can I help you today?”

“Oh, good!” You heaved a sigh of relief. “Sorry, I’m here to see Swiss. We’re meant to be heading into town and I got here a little earlier than planned. I hope that’s not too much of an inconvenience for you.”

Copia immediately stepped aside and gestured for you to enter. “Of course! Please, come in. Swiss has told us much about you. It is good to finally put a face to the name, eh?”

He watched as you raised a brow in response. “Oh, really now? What kind of things? Nothing too scandalous, I hope.”

“Nothing like that, I promise.” He leaned back against the wall and shoved his hands into his tracksuit pockets, his black gloves stark against the scarlet fabric. “He is, how you would say… excited about spending more time with you. Stares at is phone and smiles at it a lot when he talks to you.”

“Interesting. Good to know. Thank you, Papa.”

Smiling, Copia turned his head when he heard footsteps rushing towards you both. He couldn’t help but chuckle at how dishevelled and flustered Swiss looked. The multi-ghoul glared at him briefly before it was replaced with a broad grin when he turned his attention to you.

“Sorry I made you wait. Oh, are those for me?” he said, eyes wide at the flowers you were holding.

You held them out towards him and Copia took note of the way Swiss blushed when your fingers ghosted over his. If that wasn’t the look of someone completely besotted, he didn’t know what was.

“I remembered you said you liked having flowers in the dens, so I thought I’d buy you some. Is that okay? I can always throw them out if it’s weird –”

“No!” The multi-ghoul cleared his throat and breathed in the floral scent of the bouquet. “No, they’re perfect. Mountain’s gonna love them just as much as I do.”

The former cardinal gently took the bunch out of Swiss’ grasp and chose to ignore the quiet hiss he got in response. “I will make sure they are placed in a vase with some water in your room by the time you return. Now, you should both be going, yes? Have fun and don’t return too late or Sister will have our heads.”

You took the opportunity to loop your arm through the multi-ghouls and began to lead him out of the ministry. “I’ll get him back on time, don’t you worry! It was nice to meet you, Papa!”

“Ah, and you too, little one! Take care now!”

Copia watched you and Swiss make your way over to your car and didn’t close the doors until you drove off, your vehicle shrinking in the distance. He heaved a sigh as the heavy doors slammed shut and ran a hand down his paintless face, forehead resting on the dark wood. In just one short conversation, he’d come to realise just how lonely being Papa was and how much he craved a friend that was completely separate from the ministry. He was happy that Swiss had found someone like that in you, and he hoped that your friendship would only grow from here on out.

***

“He seemed nice. Papa, I mean.”

Swiss grinned as he bowled his ball, watching it roll down the alley to knock over seven pins. “Yeah, he’s great. He’s always been supportive of us forming friendships and relationships outside of just us ghouls.”

You watched the multi-ghoul pick up his next bowling ball, ready to make his next shot. “How long have you known each other? Has he always been Papa to you guys?”

“Just a few years.” He glanced over his shoulder at you. “I joined around the same time he took over from Terzo, the previous Papa. Back then we knew him as Cardinal Copia. We sometimes still accidentally call him by his old name, but he doesn’t mind it too much as long as it’s not on purpose. I think to Sunshine he’s always been Papa – she’s the newest ghoul that joined us. But for the rest of us, we knew him as Copia before we knew him as Papa Emeritus IV.”

You nodded, taking the information in. “And he treats you all well?”

“Definitely. I don’t think Papa has it in him to treat us cruelly.”

Once the pins were ready, the ghoul bowled and cheered when the remaining pins were knocked down. You applauded him and laughed when he turned to you and bowed dramatically, his spade-tipped tail swishing behind him. Throughout your time together, you’d noticed his tail often moved of its own accord. Others had stared over at the pair of you throughout your game, eyes fixed on the appendage, but you couldn’t care less. You barely knew him, yet Swiss made you feel much more at ease around him than some of your exes had. Not that you thought of him like that. For now, he was just a friend, and you weren’t going to try and blur or cross that boundary so soon after you first met.

Similarly, Swiss felt more able to fully relax around you in comparison to the humans that lived up at the ministry. While he loved and cared a lot about the siblings of sin, he couldn’t help but monitor himself a little more around them. There was always the unwanted possibility of frightening them and making them much more cautious around other ghouls than was ideal, so he was always more careful in their presence. Papa was always telling him that there was no need for him to do that, but as one of the newer ghouls he still felt that hesitation. He hid it well, but he was always conscious of those around him and moulded himself to the needs and wants of others. However, around you he didn’t feel the need to do that. He wasn’t sure what that meant yet, but he could ponder it more another time.

Once your game was over, the two of you made your way to the milkshake bar neighbouring the bowling alley and took a somewhat secluded booth nearer the back of the building. As you both drank your shakes, the multi-ghoul pulled his phone out and pulled up the camera app.

“Mind if I take a pic? Just for my Insta, I promise.”

You hummed as you propped up your chin on your upturned palm, elbow sitting on the edge of the table. “Just Insta? So, you don’t want it to show off to the other ghouls that you got to go bowling with someone pretty?”

He caught onto your teasing tone and gasped. “Damn, I’ve been caught! Called out! Exposed!”

Swiss could’ve sworn the giggle you let out in response would be etched into his memory forever.

“Take as many photos as you want, Swiss. Just make sure you send them to me afterwards so I get to keep them too,” you replied, making his stomach flutter.

You beamed into the lens as he took a few photographs of you, pulling a couple of faces for some selfies before he finally put his phone away and slurped at his salted caramel shake.

The sky was just starting to turn pink when you finished your drinks and climbed back into your car to drive the ghoul back to the ministry. Despite the best part of the afternoon together it still felt too soon to be saying goodbye. However, you respected Papa’s request that he be returned at a reasonable time and didn’t want to get your friend in trouble with Sister Imperator. You hadn’t heard much about her, but from what little Swiss had said about her you decided it would be for the best that you weren’t late taking him home.

Both of you took your time walking up to the heavy doors of the ministry once you arrived, your hands shoved into your coat pockets while Swiss’ were clasped behind his back. Neither of you spoke until you were finally stood upon the abbey steps, sadness settling in the pit of your stomach.

“I guess this is me, huh?” the multi-ghoul asked with a sigh.

You glanced over at him to find him chewing on his bottom lip, fangs pulling at grey skin. He seemed to be just as unwilling to part ways as you were, igniting a sudden surge of confidence within.

“Why don’t we hang out again sometime next week? We could go catch a movie or something. Or we could hang out here if you’d prefer?”

The glow of his eyes intensified at your offer. “Yes! I mean, sure. That’d be great, actually. A movie sounds fun.”

“Okay, cool.” You used your newfound courage and pulled him into a hug, his woodsy scent inhaled into your lungs. The warmth that filled you as he returned the embrace almost made you forget where you were. Had it not been for the unholy screech from within the ministry’s walls you would have held onto one another for longer.

Swiss’ hand lingered on your elbow as he began to push open the ominous door. “Let me know when you get home, ‘kay? I want to make sure you get back safely.”

You smiled. “Promise. Now go on, get in before I get you into trouble with Sister.”

With that, the ghoul entered the building and you forced yourself to return to your car, trying not to get giddy over the thought of spending more time with him again.

[knightlywaltz]

FUWA,,, SORRY ITS ME… TUMBLR USER PITXROXAS

anyways uhh

i had some kogakasa thoughts immediately after seeing your art?!!!1!1! crazy!! i didnt even ship until now!!

After seeing the percing that tsuka has i kinda had Two Thoughts.

1. Tsukasa lowkey wanted to pierce his ears but he is Too Much of A Pussy To Do It Himself (aka walk to local tattoo shop and ask them to me very gentle with him) so Koga comes up and is like: “What if I did it for you instead??” and then he did. Tsukasa freaked out but he got kissed alot afterwards so a winwin

2. Tsukasa is Still Afraid to Pierce his Ears but he wants to Look as Cool as Koga so Koga offers to take him down to the Local Tattoo Shop together and they r holding hands and blushing and going crazee and then Tsukasa gets his ears pierced and he cant stop crying, so Koga reluctantly takes Kasa to get Ice Cream to make him feel better (rizz acomplished)

they kiss forever

i feel like i have lowkey abandoned shukasa at this point but anything 4 u op u captured my heart w/ kogakasa

OH MY GOD.... I AM SO HONOURED TO HAVE CONVERTED YOU TO KOGAKASA WITH MY SILLY FANART WAAAA

Also, oh my god, I can see these so vividly ESPECIALLY KOGA PIERCING TSUKASA'S EARS. Tsukasa would be so anxious at first. Bless his heart, he thinks he'd bleed to death from an ear piercing 😭💗 methinks they'd go earring shopping once its healed enough and even would get matching earrings.. also i 100% think Tsukasa deserves sword themed earrings. Koga would try to hide how much he grins seeing how much Tsukasa is enjoying himself with the piercing /he/ did for Tsukasa

[smilingperformer]

Is the new episode worth watching? I don't want to waste my time.

Um.

Yes and no? It's highly likely this ep is important for the next two eps.

I hated the ending of the episode by like, a mile. Rest was fun. More detailed spoilers under the cut.

Like, the plot Rockets used to capture Pikachu was lots of fun, loved seeing every HQd Rocket 'mon return and let me tell you, I LOVE Manene, and seeing so much Manene today was like, a bless. it was also nice to see Takeshi's Runpapa again, it's been since AG since it was last seen!!! And Morpeko wasn't an annoyance, that's a first lol.

But otherwise, it was kind of a weak re-used plot point of separating the gang and for some reason the gang reaaaaally believes that Manene, who BOTH SATOSHI AND TAKESHI KNOW VERY WELL, would leave Kojiro. Like.... no. That's not plausable at all lol. And the ending is.... well. The trio split up. Because their "all" failed, and they, once again, have a childish argument with each other on who's fault it was (Needless to say I am tired of that). Saying there's need for a change or something. So like, the ending is REALLY bad if this is truly the end for Rockets.

Doesn't help the reason they failed in their plan was because of Latias being OP. not because Satoshi would outsmart their plan of facing 10 'mon at once. But because Latias just took them all with psychic and threw them off. It ends up building the plot of next ep but it reaaaally left a bad taste in my mouth and I truly hate it lol.

If anything, the way Musashi and Kojiro are given their old 'mon is pretty sus, as it pretty much just is "Sakaki" telling Rockets that "here's your various 'mon, treat them well". Nothing else? Like, in a Sakaki way.

So like.... if this is the end for Rockets, I hate it. Absolutely hate it. If there's some pay off and this was bait.... I'll either shrug it off or hate it more, depending on the pay off.