#character: mark espionage

[ageofpiracyrp]

PLOT DROP 35: YOU HAVE [redacted] VOICEMAIL MESSAGES

"Uh..." Hero looked over at Muffy with a concerned expression. "We just received another round of video messages," she told the vanneer with with a quieter voice than usual.

"Another one? Oh, but we haven't even watched the first eight yet," Muffy said, equally concerned. "Daphne said that Stella's on her way to help now, but we're at the point where I'm about to ask if we can pull on Laurie, Sky, Robin... anyone who might have an inkling of what to do."

--

In total, there were 26 messages. The first 20 came from The Bat Ray's crew. According to Seetha, who had been the most clear about the purpose of these messages, the intent was for Prosperity to pass these messages on to the crew members' loved ones. Apparently, the galx had been too lazy to allow for each of the crew members that wanted to send a message to pick their own emergency contact, so Julia had decided that Daphne was everyone's emergency contact to actually receive the messages. The messages that were in languages comprehensible to the Prosperity were largely sterile in content. Explaining that the trial date would be on September 28th. Telling family and friends how much they were missed. Noting how important the justice system was.

The strangest parts of the whole thing were that Leo's message was addressed to Makhaira Espionage. It wasn't warm and fuzzy- just the facts about what was happening.

As for Julia's message.... She said hi to Daphne and immediately started telling her kids how much she loved and missed them. Julia closed out the message by saying with a small smile, "Beck, I don't have anything nice to say, but I do miss you... somehow."

~~

Before Hero had even finished parsing all of the messages, a highly encoded audio message came in from Makhaira split into five parts.

After that got decrypted, Daphne listed to that personally before directing the whole crew to listen.

September 7th. Meet me at the Frostbite Tavern on the outpost planet Harmony midday. Before then, tell me in the most encrypted message you can muster the name of any crew members who mentioned Julia's family members. There's a few cells on the Galx's prison planet that are more vulnerable than others. The messages that you received are relatively standard procedure if the captured have had good behavior, but we are still lucky to get those. My connections have one single contact on Void Point who was able to help us get this far. The plan is to get Mark and co out of prison by any means necessary. I have a ideas for plans based on what has worked in the past, but I need your thoughts on which we should go with- or if we need to do something different altogether. Mark needs to be able to walk around as an Espionage if we can manage it, so that limits our options. But we can make this happen. Bring that Kelly woman with you- you can send her right back to Kraysha afterward, but having her perspective will be important.

~~

The last message came from Clause Mazrinon, of all people, begging for help with a delivery job to the outpost planet of Rymoreezin that he couldn't trust anyone else to do. No travel to Earth so nothing too risky but a job that coincidentally was in the same neck of the woods as Harmony. Not too close, but convenient enough.

This could work out.

Even if "Kelly" (aka Kenna) was going to have to come with them.

[deception-united]

My biggest difficulties are some of these things in my medieval fantasy story: how to start a war? When to introduce the war? Any tips on the ideal length?

Starting a war in a medieval fantasy story can be a difficult process. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Starting a war:

Establish tensions: Build up political, economic, or ideological tensions between nations or factions before the war.

Create a casus belli: Provide a clear reason for the war, such as a territorial dispute, a betrayal, or a religious difference.

Show the buildup: Depict the mobilisation of armies, diplomatic efforts, and the like to create a sense of urgency.

Here are some ideas you may want to consider:

Political tension: Wars often begin due to escalating political tensions. Create a backstory involving conflicting interests between kingdoms or factions, such as disputes over territory, resources, or succession rights.

Economic reasons: Economic struggles, such as famine or trade embargoes, can drive nations to war. Control over vital resources, such as fertile land, water, or trade routes, can be a powerful motivator.

Assassination or kidnapping: A high-profile assassination or kidnapping can serve as a catalyst for war. This act could force one side to retaliate.

Religious/cultural differences: Deep-seated religious or cultural differences can lead to war. One group might feel oppressed or threatened by another, leading to an uprising or a holy war.

Personal vendettas: A personal vendetta between powerful leaders or nobles can escalate into a full-scale war, especially if they rally their followers to support their cause.

When to introduce the war:

Early introduction: Have the war present from the onset of your story it's central to your plot, so the rest of the narrative can focus on the consequences, battles, and the impact on your characters.

Rising action: Having a gradual build-up to the war by developing the political social tensions over the first part of your story allows for deeper character development and more detailed worldbuilding.

Midpoint: Consider starting the war at the midpoint of your story, marking a turning point in the narrative to drastically alter the direction of your characters' journeys.

Climax: Introducing the war as a climatic event is effective if you're focusing your narrative on the events leading up to the war. It can also leave room for sequels.

Ideal length:

Pacing: Balance action, dialogue, and description to maintain a steady pace. Alternate between intense battle scenes and quieter moments to develop characters and explore the impact of the war on their lives.

Relevance: The length of the war should be proportional to its importance in the overall plot. If it's the main focus, it should take up a significant portion of the narrative.

Scope: Consider the scope of the war: a small skirmish or a epic, continent-spanning conflict?

Character arcs: Ensure the war serves the character arcs and story goals—don't include it just for the sake of a plot element. The length of the war should also allow sufficient time for character development. Show how it personally affects your characters and how they grow or change as a result.

Subplots: Use subplots to add depth to the war narrative. Political intrigue, espionage, romantic entanglements, and personal vendettas can enrich the main plot.

Additional tips:

Make it personal: Connect the war to your characters' motivations and emotions. They may have a friend, family member, or significant other participating in the war, or you can make it impact them directly in some way.

Show the consequences: Depict the impact of war on civilians, soldiers, and the environment.

Research: Draw inspiration from historical wars and medieval history to add depth and authenticity.

Resolution: Plan for a satisfying resolution to the war. Consider the aftermath and how the world and your characters are changed by the conflict. This will provide a sense of closure to your readers.

Remember, the key is to make the war serve the story and characters, not the other way around. Thanks for asking! Hope this helped ❤

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[graceshouldwrite]

How to Write Political Intrigue (with book recs)

POLITICAL INTRIGUE! Intrigue in general! What is it?

For the purposes of this post (as well as how it's usually used in the writing/reading community), think: scheming. Plotting. Conspiracies in the shadows, bids for power and survival, secret plans, masterful illusions, all of that stuff.

It could be on any scale that you'd like, from a duel of wits (think Light's and L's game of cat and mouse in Death Note)

...to a large-scale plot involving entire countries and their people (like any espionage networks during any major wars, such as the American Revolutionary War to World War II, and so many more)

...or even medium-sized conflicts (families, like in The Godfather, or smaller national disturbances like the Watergate scandal).

Below are 4 core tips on how you can successfully write (political) intrigue plots:

1. Read + Research

Despite how hard it may sound, it's actually pretty easy to craft a realistic yet thrilling intrigue plot—with so many examples in real life and fiction, you can easily base your plot on an existing one and just change a few things like the characters, setting, and maybe a few plot points.

History and current events are always great places to look to, but here are some books that are chock-full of great politics + intrigue:

Leviathan (Thomas Hobbes): one of the most famous treatises of politics + human nature and their intersection. The book is an in-depth exploration of human nature, government, politics, and all of the root causes of why they exist. While it does take a specific philosophical angle (you might not agree with Hobbes' ideas), they are detailed explanations of how things work + why they are required from one perspective.

48 Laws of Power (Robert Greene): GREAT BOOK for helping you plan out the means by which you want the intrigue to happen. There are lots of simplified rules that tell you why people plan and scheme (e.g. "control the options; get others to play the cards you deal," or "pose as a friend, work as a spy"). There are LOTS of really great small stories of when a rule is applied in real life that are also general plot inspo!

The Godfather (Mario Puzo): very very good, intricate, and more emotional because it deals with the intrigue surrounding families

Joseph Fouché: Portrait of a Politician (Stefan Zweig) (biography): Fouché is absolutely insane. A genius at political intrigue. His life is literally one of the craziest stories of scheming, betrayals, survival, and a general vying for power, especially behind the scenes.

The Prince (Machiavelli): obviously, I can't leave out the original tips + tricks book with explanations of WHY intrigue matters as a means, especially in terms of protecting your power.

Trust Me, I'm Lying (Ryan Holladay): a large part of intrigue plots (you need to cover up the actual game you're playing) is the manipulation of information, creating illusions and spectacles for other people to believe. This book goes in-depth about media manipulation and information wars.

Empire of Pain (Patrick Raden Keefe): takes a rather different angle, through the personal/corporate manipulation of government, as well as how wealth dynasties (especially within families) are established. Remember the opioid crisis? This book explores the generational politics of money and power that led up to that.

Prince of Thorns (Mark Lawrence): Look! Fiction! Anyway, I'm biased because it's one of my favourite works of fiction of all time, but it explores political intrigue not only through an actor participating in it, but through the lens of the common folk. I.e., the consequences all that power play has on the populace due to a lack of actual good governance...

A Song of Ice and Fire (George R. R. Martin): I haven't personally read/watched anything GoT, but it's pretty much obligatory to put this series down in a post about political intrigue. It's famous for doing it well.

2. Plan. Like, meticulously

First of all, decide what scale you want your intrigue to be on: large-scale government/international affairs type, a corporation thing, something between two people, or even within a family? There are so many possibilities.

Intrigue plots are like mysteries; they must be tightly logical to be satisfying. One of the best ways of ensuring this is through analyzing each involved party—the actors.

Each actor has their own motivations, goals, and psychologies. After you establish what they want OUT of their intrigue, think about how they'd go about achieving it: a naturally hot-headed person might try to intimidate their way into getting what they want, or they might learn through the course of the story to cool down a bit.

A naturally imaginative and analytical person might come up with all sorts of scarily genius plans, and near-flawless execution. Of course, they would also react in different ways, depending on personality. Character consistency alone will make your plot seem that much more logical.

However, cracks in logic will happen because humans are inherently imperfect and not always rational. These cracks must be DELIBERATE and realistic and must seem planned out; they can't seem more like the author forgot a detail, or didn't know how to explain something (e.g. something happened and the writer never included the consequence of it because they forgot). It must be clear that it is a flaw on the character's part.

3. Never write intrigue for the sake of the intrigue

The incentive of all scheming comes down to mainly two things: gaining power and keeping it. Of course, you could choose to explore more unusual things, such as characters exercising intrigue to satisfy boredom... (think Light and Ryuk from Death Note).

But, the bids for power, security, and survival can be used to highlight things about human nature. Themes to explore include ambition, sacrifice, the pursuit of happiness, the corruption of character, the preservation of innocence in a cruel system, etc.

4. Explore through a narrow lens

Most intrigue plots are full of complex motivations, characters, goals, and the means they use to achieve said goals.

You should gradually let your intrigue plot unfold through the POV of a few characters, preferably one or two. An omniscient narrator for this type of story is INCREDIBLY difficult to pull off without confusing the reader.

However, more POVs work if you use all of them to focus on ONE or a few intrigue plots only—it can provide a multi-layered effect, exploring the same line of action and consequence through different perspectives. But, if everyone has their own intrigue plot, it's too easy to create a tangled mess where readers can barely delineate one plot from the next.

∘₊✧────── ☾☼☽ ──────✧₊∘

instagram: @ grace_should_write

Sorry for the massive hiatus—I have officially started college!! I've been pre-occupied with settling in, classes starting, a social life, extracurriculars etc. etc...life has been super busy, but great :)

I've started working on my books as well as poetry more recently, and I'm glad I'm getting into a new workflow/lifestyle. It certainly is different, but I'm starting to enjoy it.

Anyway, I'm surprised it took me this long to do a post about this topic, considering the fact that it's basically my writergram niche and my entire personality IRL, but I think it was mainly because I was trying to find a good angle to approach this massive topic. But, stay tuned for (probably) a part 2 because there's SO MUCH MORE to cover.

Hope this was helpful, and let me know if you have any questions by commenting, re-blogging, or DMing me on IG. Any and all engagement is appreciated :)

Happy writing, and have a great day!

- grace <3

[weebsinstash]

Was thinking of something you said about Luci. Like him crying when he sees you coming you back to the hotel all marked up. Even better idea, him regularly spying on you using the orbs/balls from episode 6. Probably started as a way to learn more about you and make sure you're safe but quickly became something else....

Like you say him seeing you after? How about him watching you get fucked crying his eyes out and touching himself?

Like he's so upset it's not him, but he can't NOT watch and listen! He needs to see what you like so he can be perfect for you, and make sure you're safe. So what if he touches himself? How can he not when it's you he's watching and hearing? Even if it's with some sinner scum.

I misread Luci as Lucci and I was like "HOW DO Y O U KNOW I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT ROB LUCCI, I HAVEN'T EVEN POSTED ABOUT MY CP0 READER X LUCCI ESPIONAGE IDEA YET--"

I was thinking about Lucifer, you know, how we tend to think of him as Charlie's dad and just "the Devil" but I think we can kind of forget, he's also the Cardinal Sin of Pride, and I keep brainstorming on how he's probably INSANELY JEALOUS AND POSSESSIVE AND WOULD BE TRYING TO IMPRESS YOU ALL THE TIME

Can you even imagine like. He's peeping on you getting railed by someone twice your size and that person can absolutely scoop you up and throw you around with how big they are and here's Lucifer uncomfortably reminded of how short he is. bonus points if before this you and him had an argument and you shit all over his height just to piss him off and now he's seeing you fuck some huge dude. Give him that emotional damage with the backstab buff

The thing with Lucifer is that, he's short, yeah, but like. He's also ungodly strong. I'm too lazy to link the post but people have pointed out that he literally was not even remotely phased when Adam was throwing him against a building and trying to hurt him, like actual frames of Lucifer just kinda sitting there o.o, totally unbothered. And this could go one of two ways! You could get protected and rescued by him and, he scoops you up into his arms and that makes YOU feel small (in a sexy way)

OR

you kinda like, not infantilize him per se, but you figure, since he's "this little goober" that he would never like, ACTUALLY do anything scary, but. Honey he's a grown man who wants you as a serious partner and he's extremely prideful and attached to you and you're, constantly picking other people over him 💀💀💀 you're irritating him on purpose, you're giving him sass, you're FUCKING OTHER DUDES and I can see him totally snapping, "you think I'm not serious about you?! I'll show you!!" and just, yoinks you up, snatches you away, you're magically appearing either AT THE ALTAR WITH HIM LIKE, WEDDING WITH AN ENTIRE AUDIENCE, or straight into his bed where he proceeds to show you exactly why he deserves to be your king

(Tbh I've grown a sudden uh, taste for "yandere character suddenly reveals they're gonna marry you" and I mean with a whole ass engagement ring and WEDDING especially for Lucifer and Alastor recently 😩 WAIT LUCILILI POLY WEDDING-)

Still obsessed with "i bet she doesn't even see me as a man" Lucifer vs "he definitely doesn't even see me as a woman haha I'm gross :)" Reader where little Luci Goosey finds out you're just, straight up either hating yourself or have been rejected too many times to even find yourself desirable, and the second he realizes it's not even him that's 'the problem', he's taking matters into his own hands. Like something slips out of your mouth, "why would anyone want me, I'm, I'm dorky and stupid and gross and ugly" and Lucifer is just like, "OH!!! Aw honey you just have depression :) oh golly we have so much in common--"

I also just. Really like the idea that he's basically got full control over Hell and can get in your head and know what you're thinking and feeling if he REALLY wants to. Got another ask in my drafts I'm about to get to that delves more into the idea of him and Lilith HELLA abusing their dream controlling/pocket dimension powers in a definitely not "you didn't know you had a secret second life in your dreams that was 100% real" kinda way...

[ikroah]

I have reached the breaking point, the point of no return, it’s very clear to see a fool like me will never, ever learn. I have reached the breaking point, I hear the drums of doom, I’m gonna flip my wig in one great big atomic boom! —“The Breaking Point,” Bobby Darin (1966)

It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin’ #27 - Ring-a-Ding-Ding VI

Collaborative Issue! Guest Artist: @sas-afras

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Read IKROAH on Archive of Our Own

Notes / Transcript:

Notes

Huge thanks to Monty over at @sas-afras for getting this one done! I handled the original layout and lettering, but the rest was all them. Layouts like this can seem simple and easy because of how straight-forward and repetitive they are, but when all you've got are a dozen and one reaction shots, every single one of those reaction shots needs to be as perfect as you can get them. And Monty did a hell of a job. Especially on the coloring! Monty, if you're reading this, you're a hell of a good colorist (on top of everything else). Thanks again!

Another note about this issue is that it, along with the previous one, were some of the most difficult to write in this whole damn comic so far. I really hate repeating in-game dialogue verbatim without good reason, but there's really not much else I could do here. It's a very necessary part of the story that is also literally a part in the game where your character is fixed in place listening to a monologue. I took some liberties, did some punch-up, not just for its own sake but to really drive home what I find most interesting and vital here about Mr. House as a character.

Anyway, Agnes is in trouble. And there's only one issue left in Volume 2! The next one closes out this arc of the story, at long last. Stay tuned.

Transcript

INT. LUCKY 38 BASEMENT. From an observation deck of sorts, AGNES SANDS watches several SECURITRON robots position themselves in a testing area, containing several sandbags, dummies, and makeshift fortifications. A voice booms from an unseen speaker.

MR. HOUSE: You're well familiar with my Securitron police force. But have you ever wondered: what exactly makes them the marquee option in perimeter security and pacification?

AGNES glances in the direction of the voice, uncomfortable.

MR. HOUSE: Well to start, the reinforced titanium alloy housing of each unit, which protects its electronic core, easily deflects small arms and shrapnel.

MR. HOUSE: As for its offensive capabilities, its X-25 gatling laser—produced to spec by Glastinghouse, Inc.—is deadly against soft targets at medium range.

SFX: BZZTZZTZZTZZTZZT

AGNES recoils as a red glow washes over her from the testing area.

MR. HOUSE: And then for close-range suppression or crowd control, the Securitron is also armed with a 9mm sub-machinegun.

SFX: DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA

AGNES shuts her eyes, wincing from the crack of gunfire.

MR. HOUSE: These features have been sufficient for keeping the peace within Vegas, but with the NCR and Legion closing in on Hoover Dam, and sizing up my city like a piece of prize cake, more than ever we need to be prepared for, well...external conflict. Policing is one thing, but when geopolitical powers are involved, my Securitrons can only pose so much of a threat.

MR. HOUSE: That is...if they're forced to rely exclusively on their secondary weapons--as they have been, all this time!

AGNES looks upward, surprised.

MR. HOUSE: Remember, the Great War interrupted a pivotal moment for RobCo's work. Consequently, all extant Securitrons have been stuck, running on a mere Mark I operating system—the first production version of the OS—which has simply lacked the software drivers for the use of their primary weapons all this time!

AGNES looks around, as if HOUSE were in the room somewhere and she could find him, in a panic.

MR. HOUSE: The platinum chip, you see, was never just a token. At a time when industrial espionage ran rampant, it was minted as a high capacity, proprietary, and uniquely irreplicable data storage device. In a way, it's more like a computer chip. And now—with the data from the platinum chip finally installed onto my nextwork—it's time for a very crucial software update. Behold: the new Mark II Securitrons!

AGNES gawks downward at the testing area, eyes wide. Oh no.

MR. HOUSE: Their newly accessible M-235 Missile Launcher gives them the ability to engage ground and air targets at significantly longer ranges...

SFX: PSSSSSHHH KTHOOM THOOM THOOM THOOM

AGNES flinches, covering her face for protecting, and screams as explosions rip apart the testing area below.

MR. HOUSE: ...and their rapid-fire G-28 grenade launching system, another part of the Mark II, makes them much more powerful in close-range engagements as well.

SFX: THMP THMP THMP KRRSSH KRAKTK KABOOM

AGNES, nearly frozen, watches the bombardment with horror.

MR. HOUSE: It also includes rewritten drivers for the Securitrons' auto-repair systems—although always sophisticated, the new optimizations render them inexhaustible in even the most protracted and attritious of engagements. Altogether, the Mark II upgrade confers a 235% total increase in combat effectiveness per unit—and it's all because of you!

AGNES lowers her arm slowly, jaw slack, mortified.

MR. HOUSE: Vegas finally has an army—worthy to protect not just the city itself, but the best interests of all of mankind, at home and abroad. Which is to say: this simple display of might remains a mere teaser for what I can, and what I will, accomplish, in an illustrious new epoch.

AGNES sinks further into a paralytic terror.

MR. HOUSE: What we will accomplish, Agnes—should you accept my offer, of employment. Ah—but I digress. I'm certain that you've had a long day. You can rejoin Miss Cassidy in the presidential suite for the night, if you'd like to, as they say, "sleep on it."

MR. In fact...say for as long as you'd like. However long you may need, to think everything over. And you'll be very well provided for in the meantime, consider it a taste of what could be...should you make the right choice before you.

MR. HOUSE: That reminds me—I've already sent Victor to collect your belongings from the Vault 22 Hotel, so no need to exhaust yourself further by making that trip on your own, hm? There's much about your future to consider, Agnes—and I would like you to think of it as our future.

AGNES stares straight ahead with a deadened expression.

The testing area in the basement has been reduced to smithereens. Fires rage on the rubble of obliterated structures, gnarled steel, and collapsed walkways. The dummies have been dismembered entirely.

MR. HOUSE: ...Goodness, what a mass. With friends like these, I sure wouldn't envy my enemies.

MR. HOUSE: Wouldn't you agree?

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1967 AMT Piranha

The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (Stefanie Powers). Her car is a 1967 AMT Piranha customized by Gene Winfield.The character is April Dancer, an agent of the secret international counter espionage and law and enforcement agency called U.N.C.L.E., an American agent with a British partner in Mark Slate. She was often armed with gimmicks and gadgets, like the campier side of James Bond. Her spy adventures often utilized her multi-lingual capabilities, accents, and dancing skills.

[somedaylazysomeday]

A Special Case

Just some writing I did trying to nail down Soap's character. Lots of backstory, some smut, and the beginning of what will probably spiral into another series. (Damn it)

Johnny 'Soap' MacTavish x Private Investigator!reader (gn, no use of 'y/n' or pronouns)

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 3,300

Warnings: Private investigations, accusations of infidelity, lies about identity, voyeurism, male masturbation, background Ghoap, hints of future Ghoap x reader, author has only watched other people play CoD.

Next | Masterlist

---

Gathering information on Johnny ‘Soap’ MacTavish was the easiest job you had ever taken. 

As a private investigator, you were used to long hours, exhaustive searches, and tactics that bordered on illegal to get the information you had been paid to retrieve. Everyone left a trail, but some trails were harder to trace than others. 

And then there was MacTavish. 

The only mystery that remained for you was where his nickname had come from. In everything else, the man was a disconcertingly open book. 

It had been several weeks ago that a stunningly beautiful woman had walked into your office. Like most private investigators, you had quickly tired of the film noir jokes or references that many customers made. But something about Marie had made you think in terms of grayscale and overly descriptive narrators. 

Marie Bernard had struck you immediately as a false name, though you gave her credit for trying to keep her alias as French as her accent. She paid in cash, so you didn’t press the issue. 

“I need your help,” she had told you, eyes glistening. “It is my boyfriend, Johnny. I think he is cheating on me. I need you to follow him and take pictures of where he goes.” 

“And who he meets, I assume?” You were taking notes on your phone as Marie spoke. “Especially women?” 

She had waved her hand dismissively. “Women, men, anyone. Johnny is not particular about such things.” 

Your momentary embarrassment about your assumption made you write even faster. When you had finished, you had glanced up at Marie again. “I’ll warn you: my case load is heavy right now. I won’t be able to start working on your case for another week, maybe week and a half. I won’t charge you until I start working on the case, but there will be a wait. I want to be upfront about that.”

Marie had nodded agreeably. “Very well. Will you alert me when you begin?” 

That made your internal alarms ring just as her name had. If she was worried enough about being cheated on that she chose to have him followed, Marie should have given you more pushback about the delay. 

But a customer was a customer, so you agreed to text her when you started following MacTavish. You quoted her your daily rate, warning that expenses were extra, and watched as she counted out the correct number of bills for your advance. 

You also had her sign an agreement to pay the remainder before you would release the full information when you were finished, and she did so without hesitation. You almost changed your mind about the potential false name, but her signature was just a little too neatly written for someone who had been signing it for twenty five years or so. 

You had finished the previous case roughly on time. You had been hired to infiltrate a local business, posing as a new hire in training in an attempt to uncover potential corporate espionage. The moment you had passed that evidence on to the business owners, you had turned your attention to the Bernard/MacTavish case. 

Soap had been easy to tail and even easier to observe. If he had a single set of drapes or blinds, he didn’t use them. If you parked outside of his modest home, you would have been able to observe him clearly without leaving the front seat. 

Of course, you were more professional than that. And smarter, you liked to think. This wouldn’t be the first time a seemingly easy mark turned out to be luring you closer so they could fire off a shot or two. And you dearly hated being shot at, so you parked several blocks away. 

Working your way closer to Soap’s house in your dark hoodie was easy with your phone in your hand. If anyone asked what you were doing there, you had Pokemon Go on standby as an excuse for wandering the neighborhood at night. But, with a little luck, no one would ask. They would either see you and move on or assume you were someone who lived in the neighborhood. 

Your camera and a few lenses were tucked into the slouchy tote bag on your shoulder. The bag was misshapen with age, which actually worked in your favor, since it was much more difficult to tell what might be inside a non-uniform bag. But you rarely needed the camera. A handful of cell phone pictures or a few seconds of video were usually enough to confirm suspicions in a personal case like this one. 

Soap’s life was one of constantly being on the move. He spent a fair amount of time on the military base, just as you had expected for a soldier. But he also met friends, went to a gym, jogged in a park, ate at a new restaurant you had been dying to try. You were exhausted trying to keep up without being spotted. 

And after a full week of observation, you had yet to see Soap with anyone other than Marie herself. (That had been an eyeful you hadn’t asked for, but Marie hadn’t warned you that she was going to visit her boyfriend.) You hadn’t seen her since, and she hadn’t answered the text you had sent earlier that day, but there were good odds that she was avoiding what she thought you would tell her. That happened, sometimes.

You were starting to wonder whether it was time to tell Marie that she had nothing to worry about when you caught sight of Soap walking up to his house. 

The neighborhood was small without being desolate, homey without looking downtrodden, and inexpensive without being cheap. Soap’s house fit right in. It wasn’t overly large - you had looked it up on a real estate website and found that it had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a small garage. Big enough to bring someone over, but small enough to make sure they knew you didn’t want them to stay. 

Apparently, that hadn’t worked on Marie. You wondered if she had assumed that she would eventually share this comfortable house with her boyfriend. She seemed a little upscale for the neighborhood, like she worked somewhere far more sleek and bustling, but you didn’t know her well enough to say for sure. 

Soap walked inside, and you could track his progress by the lights that came on in the house. In the light of the hallway’s light fixture, you could see him smile as he walked into the living room. He seemed to be speaking. You couldn’t read his lips, not from that distance, but the exaggerated motions of his mouth made you think he was calling to someone.

Had Soap finally tripped up? Did he bring someone home only to be caught on your last night on the job? He turned to leave the living room, stripping off his shirt before he left. Your mouth went dry at the sight of his exposed torso. 

The moment he was out of sight, though, you swore to yourself. You had to follow to see what was going on, but there was no way to be a subtle potential neighbor taking an evening stroll when you were crawling through his shrubbery. 

You hopped down from the small half-wall where you had been perched and glanced both ways before crossing the street. Safety-conscious and it let you check whether anyone else was outside. Apparently, the unseasonably cool evening had kept everyone else indoors, because the street was utterly empty. 

You still kept your head on a swivel as you rounded the edge of Soap’s yard, sticking to shadows and whatever cover you could find as you worked your way around to the yard at the back. Fortunately, there was no fence and the house backed up to a small section of forest. You simply chose the tree that seemed least likely to be claimed by woodland creatures and settled against it to disrupt your silhouette. 

The camera did have to come out, though. You were too far away for cell phone pictures, not if you wanted any detail in the photographs. 

You carefully removed your camera from its case - it was the most expensive thing you owned, and you didn’t want to risk dropping it - but your attention was divided. Soap had stepped into his bedroom, turning on a small lamp at his bedside table. 

Even as your hands put the correct lens on the camera, your rapt gaze was trained on the square of golden light shining through the window. To see who else was in the room, of course. 

Soap’s lips were still moving, but the motions looked softer. He was speaking more quietly than he had been in the living room. You still couldn’t figure out what he was saying. It could be because his accent gave the movements a different look, but the truth was that lip-reading had never been your best thing. You promised yourself that you would work on it the future, then you turned your attention back to the task at hand. 

You tried to guess at the design of the room, but it was tricky based on the small amount of it that you could see from your place outside. Was there room for someone to be standing between Soap and the wall? To one side of the large window? You didn’t think so, but maybe there was a space you simply couldn’t see. 

Even so, your certainty began to grow, because Soap smiled and took a few steps forward, unlatching and opening the window. 

You frowned - it wasn’t the coldest night you’d ever experienced, but it was undeniably chilly outside. Winter was approaching quickly and the house had stood empty all day. There was no reason he would need to open a window… unless he was planning on making some heat.

With the window open, there was nothing to block your view of Soap as he stripped off the boxer-briefs he had wearing. He was facing away as they came off, leaving you staring through a lens at a surprisingly rounded ass for a soldier. 

Then he turned and you pushed away the sight of his bobbing erection long enough to snap a few pictures. 

You didn’t enjoy this part of your job. Capturing people in a vulnerable moment was a necessity, not a pleasure for you. And showing Marie these pictures would be something you did to complete a job, not for any other reason. 

Even so, you had to admit that there was something glorious about the way these pictures were turning out. The bottom frame of the window was low enough to show everything from the knees up, and all of it was lovely. 

Soap’s skin was golden in the light of the bedside lamp, throwing shadows over the dips and swells of muscle that made up his body. A thin line of dark hair traced downward from below his belly button, gathering in a thatch around his thick cock before thinning to a light dusting on his muscular thighs.

You shook your head in irritation as you realized you had stopped taking photos. He may have belonged in a damn art gallery, but you were there to do a job. And that job was not lusting after your client’s unfaithful boyfriend, no matter how gorgeous he was. 

“Like what you see, bonnie?” 

Soap’s voice made you jump. You hadn’t realized you would be able to hear him from that distance. It was faint, but if you strained your ears, you could hear his voice. It was confirmed, then: Soap had someone in his room. 

You took another few pictures, zooming in to focus on the way Soap was talking to someone behind the edge of the window. His light eyes were focused raptly on one place, a flirtatious smile curving the corner of his lips. 

If it was Marie again, you were going to be furious. 

Soap’s hand drifted downward, framing his hard length for a second that felt like it lasted a lifetime. Then he grasped himself, fingers wrapping in a loose fist. Your lips parted as you tried to focus hard enough to take pictures and breathe at the same time. 

It was hot as all hell, watching Soap work himself. You snapped pictures mindlessly as you watched him. In reality, you had everything you needed - you wouldn’t get anything else from watching and continuing to take pictures of the same scene over and over. The only thing you needed was a clear picture of Soap with whoever was behind the edge of the window. 

You took pictures anyway, too distracted by the frustrated clenching of your body to worry about the hundred extra photos you would have to delete later. 

At first, Soap’s efforts had looked good, but also seemed unsatisfactory. The way his curled fingers created a frame between the dark thatch of hair at his base and the reddening skin of his length. But it also couldn’t be giving him much in the way of friction. 

But as he kept going, Soap seemed to decide that it was better to sacrifice some aesthetics in exchange for more pleasure. His fingers tightened, head tipping back in response to the increased stimulation. When his thumb teased at the slit at the head of his cock, Soap gave a hoarse groan. And when he spat into his own hand, the next touch made his hips kick so hard that you could see it from where you were standing. 

Your mouth was dry and you realized that your lips had parted so you could take in more air. It was no matter - the instant you thought about taking Soap into your mouth, it watered so hard that you had to swallow before you started to drool outright. 

“Oh, bonnie,” Soap moaned, and you fought not to moan with him. 

It was frustrating that he wasn’t saying a name. That would have been an excellent piece of information to include with whatever photos you ended up taking… but you didn’t mind too much. No, unhealthy as it might be, you were fine with Soap being vague. The pet name let you pretend, for just a moment, that he was talking to you. 

“Ah, so good for me,” he said in a rough murmur that managed to carry across the yard. “Gonna make me come…” 

Your legs were trembling. You leaned more heavily against the tree you were standing beside, because your lust-addled brain was loudly insisting that you could always catch your balance by taking a few steps closer. 

“Oh,” Soap said, the note of surprise in his voice driving you dangerously close to actually stepping forward. “I’m… Bonnie, you-” 

And then he came. You were infinitely grateful that you had managed to keep the camera halfway aimed toward the window, because you wanted a way to remember that sight for the rest of your life. 

Soap’s back arched slightly, as if he were trying to push his cock more firmly into his own hand. Cum trickled over his fist in rhythmic pulses that seemed to last forever and you just managed hear the soft gasps that fell from his parted lips. Soap was silhouetted against the backlight of the lamp at his bedside table, but you could still make out the bliss of his expression, eyes closed under brows that had furrowed slightly. 

When Soap finally released himself and started to clean up, you were left with the unpleasant realization of how strongly that had affected you. Your heart was pounding in your chest, and not because there was a chance of being caught. Your breathing was ragged, and you could feel the damp cling of your panties every time you shifted your weight. 

Yeah, you needed to get laid. 

Before you could ponder your options too deeply, Soap finished cleaning the last of the cum from his fingers and - still sans a single stitch of clothing - leaned forward on the windowframe. With a pensive expression, he looked out into the night. 

“Was that as good for you as it was for me?” 

He still wasn’t using a name. For a final moment, you let yourself imagine that he was talking to you instead of whoever was standing patiently beside him at the window. 

Your fingers flexed on your camera, adjusting to frame the window more precisely. You needed to get this shot and get out while you still had some dregs of your sanity remaining. Just as soon as Soap’s lover stepped forward enough for you to get a picture…

Then he looked at the treeline, light eyes sharp as they scanned over the darkened forest. You held your breath as he looked directly at you for a moment, but his eyes tracked further before one corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. 

“Not very nice,” he said, a little louder. “A show like that deserves a round of applause.” 

You froze. 

“And if you’re worried about ‘Marie’, don’t be.” Soap shook his head, ruffling his mohawk with a charming smile. “She was a spy, trying to gather intel about a highly-classified team. She’s in our custody. You won’t be seeing her around your office again.” 

Even if you had been stupid enough to willingly reveal yourself, you couldn’t have moved with the shock of that revelation. Marie wasn’t a spy… even if that would explain several things. Like why you couldn’t turn up any relatives or friends. Or why you couldn’t find any of her prior addresses from longer ago than six months. And why you had seen her with Soap the week before. 

Shit, she hadn’t been answering your texts or calls, either. 

As if he could hear your frantic train of thought, Soap smirked again, standing upright behind the window. It framed his bare form perfectly and you forced your thoughts back into some semblance of focus. “Alright, I won’t force you to talk if you’re feelin’ shy. See you later, bonnie.”

You watched as Soap disappeared into the bathroom, then settled into bed. After his light switched off, you gave it a full half-hour before you ran back to your car in a half-crouch that left your thighs screaming. When you had turned on your car and were safely out of the neighborhood, you allowed yourself one loud swear. 

You weren’t getting paid for this, you could feel it. 

—

“Morning,” Soap greeted, walking into the room where the 141st did most of their planning. Ghost nodded back, the first to spot any new arrivals. As always. 

“You talk to that PI yet?” Price asked, cutting through Gaz’s friendly greeting. 

“Of course, Captain,” Soap assured him. “We had a meeting last night.” 

“You went to the office?” Gaz asked, sounding more than a little surprised. “I just found the address this morning.” 

“Did you?” Soap asked, plucking the paper from Gaz’s hand as Price watched him suspiciously. “I managed to track it down myself.” 

“Tell me next time,” Gaz complained, snatching the paper back. “Would have saved me an hour of overtime.” 

Gaz crumpled up the paper and chucked it half-heartedly at the bin. It bounced off one side, settling forgotten on the floor. Soap met Ghost’s eye for a long moment, offering a smile, a wink, and a nod. The masked man reached down to silently retrieve the paper and tuck it into a pocket. 

Soap grinned approvingly and turned his attention toward whatever new mission Price had found for them.

---

Author's Note - Like I said at the top, this was supposed to be a one-shot for writing practice. But I am being plagued 27/4 by visions of this turning into a Ghoap x reader fic and I'm not sure how long I can hold that off.

Anyway, I'm already working on a second chapter, featuring Ghost. I'll link it to this chapter when it's done!

Now, about Soap's accent: someone made a poll on here about whether people prefer to read stories where accents are written out or not, and 'not' won by a large margin. I'm ambivalent myself, but I thought I would try writing Soap without the accent, though I'll still try to incorporate Scottish speech patterns and slang as they come up. Let me know if you have any strong opinions either way!

Thank you for reading!

[jubileemon]

Why Sir Pentious Deserved Redemption?

Sir Pentious was perceived as a typical villain. His grandiose self-image and melodramatic antics suggest a character ripped straight from the pages of a vintage comic book. Despite his declarations of evil, he was never truly evil.

The Path to Redemption

In the episode 'Radio Killed the Video Star', Sir Pentious's facade of villainy crumbles, exposing his true vulnerability. Tasked with espionage and facing failure, he is met with a cruel ultimatum from Vox to end his own existence. This moment of despair highlights his low status in Hell and his profound misery, a stark contrast to his usual bluster.

For all of Sir Pentious's bluster about being a card-carrying villain, he knows how low on Hell's totem pole he is, and he's completely miserable about it. When Vox hires him as a spy in the hotel only for it to fail in less than 24 hours, Vox tells him to kill himself, and Sir Pentious's reaction is to roll into a ball and ask Vaggie and Angel Dust to just finish him off before Charlie intervenes and inspires him to try reforming for real.

Sir Pentious's readiness to accept death at the hands of Vaggie and Angel Dust further underscores his desolation. However, Charlie's compassionate intervention offers him a lifeline, suggesting that redemption in Hazbin Hotel may be more attainable than previously thought.

Charlie's belief in the possibility of redemption becomes a turning point for Sir Pentious. Her insistence on a sincere apology resonates with him, and he embraces the opportunity for change. This pivotal moment marks the beginning of his transformation from a villain to a character capable of genuine growth and redemption.

Bonus Points: In "Scrambled Eggs", Husk complimenting Sir Pentious becomes even more heartwarming when the next episode revealed Husk was a former Overlord, meaning that, in a way, Sir Pentious did get an Overlord's approval.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

As the Bible itself says: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends" (John 15:13), which is exactly how Sir Pentious died a second time- he used his weaponry knowhow and battle experience not to conquer, but to save his loved ones.

Sir Pentious' journey culminates in 'The Show Must Go On', where he makes the ultimate sacrifice for his friends. His transformation into an angel and subsequent ascension to Heaven is a testament to his character development and the power of selfless love. His final act of heroism, a failed but brave attack on Adam to protect the hotel, may not have succeeded in its intended purpose, but it demonstrated his willingness to lay down his life for others. This act of valor is a poignant illustration of the biblical principle that there is no greater love than to sacrifice one's life for friends.

Right before his act, Pentious gives Cherri a kiss and tells her to remember him, which she actually finds kind of hot. Because Sir Pentious was reincarnated into heaven, it's likely this ship will never be canon, unless Cherri Bomb ascends.

While Angel Dust was technically the first occupant of the hotel, his motivations were initially self-serving. Sir Pentious, on the other hand, becomes the hotel's first genuine client seeking redemption. His initial intentions may have been dubious, but his journey towards redemption and ultimate success in reaching Heaven is a powerful narrative of transformation and hope.

Sir Pentious being sent to Heaven actually matches the rules made by Adam in "Welcome To Heaven".

"Act selfless". He showed only kindness after he joined the hotel for real.

"Don’t steal". He returned the only thing he stole (part of Alastor's coat) back to its rightful owner, and apologized for it at the same time.

"Stick it to the man". He died trying to attack Adam, the Original Man, to save his friends.

A New Precedent in Hazbin Hotel

Emily's general lack of presence in the finale is a sad detail in itself. Despite her horror at the exterminations and promising Charlie that she'd figure out someway to help her, in the end it appears she wasn't able to do anything at all. Before Sir Pentious appears (thus vindicating both Charlie and Emily), Emily is shown dejectedly lying down on a table in apparent silence with Sera sitting next to the door. The implication being that Sera was able to successfully prevent Emily from doing anything about the exterminations, and/or that Emily was worried about the potential consequences of going behind Heaven's back.

Sir Pentious ascending to Heaven. Pretty much gives Charlie the last laugh against any and all naysayers who think redemption is beyond sinners. His arrival in Heaven, particularly in front of Sera and Emily, signifies a moment of triumph for Charlie's vision and shakes the foundations of what is believed possible in the afterlife.

Sir Pentious' character arc in Hazbin Hotel is a compelling narrative of redemption. It challenges the notion of irredeemable villainy and celebrates the potential for change, even in the darkest of places. His story is a beacon of hope for all who seek redemption and a reminder that everyone has the capacity for transformation.

[twinkboimler]

spirk fic recs

to mark this blog hitting 125,000 posts I thought I'd throw together a fic rec post of some of my favorite spirk fics! There are so many recommendations I could make, but I tried to recommend ones I don't see recommended as often. Fics are included under the read-more, enjoy!

TOS:

These Hands, If Not Gods by greenforsnow (Explicit, 18,200 words). A post-Amok Time fic where Spock is still experiencing plak tow symptoms, and Jim does his best to help Spock out. One of the first spirk fics I read, and I am such a fan of how Jim is written in this fic. One of my favorite takes on TOS spirk, it's an all-time fave

It's Only Art (if it makes you feel something) by Wrath_of_Bones (Teen and up, 24,231 words). I thought the ending of this fic was really lovely. Jim tries to figure out who's been painting a series of paintings that have been appearing in the art studio on the ship. SO much pining. Perched in the Soul by Betazoa (Explicit, 12,847 words). During an away mission, Spock accidentally bonds them together in an attempt to save Jim's life. There is SO much pining and sexual tension in this fic as they struggle to try and keep things platonic despite the bond needing to be consummated.

The Bond by TheVulcanBobDylan (Explicit, 12,371 words). A post-Amok Time smut & hurt/comfort fic. I really enjoyed the characterization of everyone in this, and there are some moments that really tugged at my heartstrings - Spock has so much anxiety about bonding with Jim, and the feelings Jim feels are incredibly human, so real and complicated. So good.

TOS Movies:

Shakedown Cruise by Rhaegal (RhaegalKS) (Explicit, 23,122 words). This fic has a lot of pining and yearning, all as a result of Spock still missing memories following the fal-tor-pan. Jim longs for Spock to remember, missing the relationship he and Spock used to have. Jim feels a lot of hurt; Spock may be alive again, but Spock is still remembering how to be himself. So, so good.

AOS:

And Then I Let It Go by kianspo (Explicit, 10,632 words). The most popular fic on this list. Post-Star Trek Beyond. The crew has a bit of time on their hands as they wait for the new ship to be constructed. During that time, Spock up and leaves, cutting off all communication, and Jim tracks him down. I really love how this fic explores the post-Beyond version of these characters and what they've all just been through.

kuv kath-vuk fator by AgentStannerShipper (Explicit, 56,475 words). An AOS take on Spock's pon farr. So much smut at the end, really need to underline the explict rating and the tags on this one. This fic also has some good Nyota & Jim friendship content that, let's be honest, is lacking in a lot of trek fic. Jim works with Nyota to learn some Vulcan because he's nosy and is trying to figure out why Spock is requesting medical leave (spoiler alert: it's pon farr), and by the end of the fic, him having put in the time to learn the language pays off and makes the final part of the fic super satisfying. Check the tags on this one to see if it's right for you.

Weekend Lover by ValiantBarnes (Cimila) (Explicit, 30,016 words). Academy-era. AU where they have a one night stand in Riverside, and while Jim expects to never see Spock again, once he runs into him in San Francisco, they start hooking up again. Check the tags; the smut in this story is really what's pushing the plot here. Intense and really good, I'm a big fan of the ending to this one, I've read it multiple times.

SNW:

The 1,000 Hour Sleep by spqr (Mature, 27,227 words). I've reread this fic at least four times already since it was published last year. This fic nails Strange New Worlds Jim despite us having him for only an episode, and it's such an entertaining AU: Espionage with Jim as a spy whose path keeps interweaving with the Enterprise and its crew. Jim gets exposed to some radiation that won't let him fall asleep but sleep is required for the radiation to leave his system - this is where Spock steps in to help Jim sleep via a meld. I find something new I love about this fic every time I read it. Additionally, there's some fantastic "crew as family" content, and it explores the family dynamics between Jim and Sam, too. It's such a well-constructed fic, cannot recommend enough.

[ageofpiracyrp]

PLOT DROP 17: HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

The event on the KBW was moderately successful for the Prosperity. While the ship did manage to pick up three new crew members (Theo, Ian, and Daniel), there were also some very uncomfortable revelations. Perhaps the most dramatic was the reveal that Gwen Volnal was married to (of all people) Mark Espionage from The Bat Ray. A lesser-known revelation that influenced the Gwen reveal is actually known only to only Daphne Rux: that her secret ex-girlfriend Makhaira Espionage (yes, the very same Espionage family) wanted her back and it was at least partly for a promotion! The only person that has any information about Daphne and Makhaira’s past relationship outside of the Espionage family is actually Stella Sarasvati, whom was only given this information due to being in gerbil form at the time. Stella swore herself to secrecy, but Daphne does not trust Stella (or anyone else) to vent about this issue. Stella had her own strange drama when she and Ian, another member of her rare species, ran into Bucket again, who is in denial about being that same species. Bucket was essentially threatened by Laurie (reeling from first I-love-yous and almost sucking her boss Skylar’s blood) into backing off. Ryder Astrea experienced a deeply uncomfortable situation where all of his past hook-ups were in the same place at the same time, and Robin Astrea had a less uncomfortable but still odd experience when his ex-boyfriend Theo Seong took up the invitation to join the ship.

Needless to say, the crew was excited to accomplish a collective dream of seeing the band My Chemical Romance in concert. The Sydney, Australia performance on March 20th went great until mate Greg decided to (completely platonically) bring a new friend on board the ship to show off his rock collection. Greg (beloved, but not known for good judgment) lost track of dates and times and who was supposed to be crew, and HJ Violet was many miles away from Earth before anyone realized what was wrong.

With a human not in the know of aliens aboard, the Prosperity was seriously at risk of further Galactic Union scrutiny. Daphne recommended that the group pretend that HJ was a descendant of the colony of Tarryville, perhaps related to one of the crew members. Which one could be decided later. For now, though, the ship is going to need to take a detour to somewhere less scrutinized  before heading to somewhere else. Robin and Daphne discussed the situation, and decided that the KBW would be the best place to regroup. After some debate by the crew and what to do, the ship will arrive back on the KBW early on March 24 to do some group bonding and figure out what is even happening with HJ. The KBW will be much emptier than it was during the event, so we should all have more privacy.

To make things more complicated... Karmel has been hinting that she has other news (we can only assume regarding her weird immortality mission) to dispense before leaving the KBW.

[randomficrecss]

Eruri fic rec <3

Part 1

ugh they are so perfect, this is one of my most fav ships ever!!

these are gonna be all longer fics like 90K+ words but i’ll definitely post another part with shorter ones!

The Blue by bowowline

E | 176.1K | 14/14 | Hitman Levi, AU modern setting, Slowburn, Smut

“Look, kid. Don’t listen to what Uri says, you hear?” Kenny combs his hair with his hand, although there’s not a single strand out of place. “Don’t ever listen to him. You only have one kinda people you have to listen to. You know that, yes? Who do you listen to? Tell me,” he orders, kind of frantic.

“I only listen to the Family,” Levi says absently.

As a child, Levi refused to finish a job. He has not made one blunder after that. Twenty years later, fate catches up to him again.

Birds of Paradise by obiwhat12

No rating (check tags) | 94.9K | 14/14 | Hurt/Comfort, Sick Levi, Domestic Fluff, PTSD

On an expedition gone awry, Erwin and Levi find themselves stranded in the forest, fighting for their lives. They are graced with no other option except to put their faith in one another, despite their vast differences.

Under the same bright stars, they discover a new kind of consolation in each other that neither has known before.

In These Fallen Leaves by masksarehot

E | 210.2K | 32/32 | Temporary Character Death, Post-Canon, Hurt/Comfort, Smut

[Post-Basement canon-divergent AU] Ten years after the end of the war, Levi, still heartbroken over Erwin's death, is living out a quiet existence with a few Survey Corps survivors. But signs are beginning to surface that Erwin is not truly dead, and they're getting too vivid to ignore...

This fic explores (canon-divergent) choices that the survivors made after Erwin's death and their consequences for the world. It's also about healing, and Erwin and Levi learning to put words to things that have always been unspoken between them. And beneath it all are the paths, whispering to them that the fate of Paradis still rests upon their shoulders...

Corps-à-Corps by onthearrow (loved this one)

E | 223.6K | 25/25 | AU fencing, Slowburn, Smut

Meeting people in New York City is hard. When Erwin’s last good friend moves away for greener pastures, he joins the local fencing club in his Upper East Side neighborhood in hopes of rekindling both an old hobby, and his wilting social life.

-OR-

The newest member of Levi's fencing club has it all it all-- money, a highly successful career, overbearingly good looks. Levi doesn't have any of that. But he sure as hell wants Erwin Smith anyway.

The Means by calacreda

E | 130.2K | 16/16 | Post-ACWNR, Pre-AOT, Prostitution, Slowburn

'He hears him say “Do not tell a soul, Levi” and wants to laugh. Tell anyone? To what end? So that others have the images that Levi now has running through his head; of grabbing hands and harness marks, hard words and soft lips, of lies upon lies upon lies in a desperate attempt to get to the truth?'

Levi begins to notice Erwin leaving HQ alone and not returning until the dead of night.

Slow-burn, pre-show Eruri.

He Chose Titans by masksarehot

E | 486.1K | 43/43 | Semi-Canon Prequel, Truama, Fluff, Smut

Erwin swore he would never again be distracted from his fight against the titans, but when an unexpected bond begins to form with Levi, he must decide whether he will follow his heart or his head.

Mail Order Spy by 35g (Jaackdaw)

M | 230K | 24/24 | Slowburn, Espionage, PTSD, Fake/Pretend Relationship

2091. Titans are no longer the frail oddities they once were. They're changing, growing. Governments aren’t changing with them. The International Military Police is tightening their leash. Erwin Smith orders a spy.

Dresden by hedera_helix (one of my all time favs)

M | 334.4K | 26/26 | AU, Historial, WWII

When Levi acquired his false identification he knew that the key to survival would be to stay unnoticed and to contain the bitterness and anger he feels inside himself. As the tides of war start to turn against Germany, however, Levi finds himself in a position to make a choice.

CODA by crownlessk_ing

M | 222.2K | 27/27 | AU 80’s, Musicians, Canon Disabled Character, Period-Typical Homophobia, War Flashbacks

France, 1986 - The last time Erwin was in Paris, he had it all. Youth, love, success, and his place in some of the most prestigious orchestras of the world. His cello had been his faithful companion through it all, and many said Erwin was the most talented cellist of his time. With such a bright future, it was easy to pretend everything was perfect.

But a lot had changed in ten years.

Now, all he had left were ghosts in his shadows, blurred memories of what used to be, and a body broken beyond repair.

He hoped going back to where it all started would be enough to recover what he’d lost: his ability to hold a cello, to feel, to love. He’d been wrong so far. But there may be another soul just as broken as his, someone who was also wandering in search of their own missing pieces.

Final Tour by gouguruheddo

M | 131.9K | 22/22 | Friends to lovers, PTSD, Modern America, Mid-Life Crisis, grief/Mourning, Trust Issues, Hurt/Comfort

It's been twenty years in the army, and Levi is finally home--retired, bored, directionless. The world has moved on without him, including his friend Erwin. He struggles to learn to adjust, to deal with his nightmares, to flourish in a world he's never understood, only to find that Erwin is dealing with the same thing.

Pledge by EllaBesmirched (El_Bell)

E | 123.9K | 15/15 | AU college, Frat Boy Erwin, ex-thug Levi, Slowburn, Light Hazing,

Levi is not in a fucking frat.

The Laws of Survival by pasiphile

E | 120.8K | 7/7 | Slowburn, Dom/Sub Undertones, PTSD, Non-binary Hange

His friends are dead, and now he’s trapped in a world where he has no voice, no control, and no one on his side except for the bastard who forced him to join in the first place.

Trust doesn’t just grow in one day.

Vespers by Valisi (series)

E | 109.5K | 12 Works | read tags

A series of stories detailing Erwin Smith and Levi Ackerman's private life together. Pieces can be read individually or as a whole.

Some pieces will reference things that have happened in past parts of the story, but it's nothing so major that you'll feel left out.

[translightyagami]

Hi! I’m James, and this is my blog :^) I’ve been writing Death Note fanfiction since 5ever and this is a whole list of my OVER 50 Death Note fics.

This is a combination of my two AO3 accounts. I have all fics with trans characters marked with a T. For avoidfilledwithcelluloid, I have fics marked E if they’re explicit. Didn’t do that for my other account, coprinus_atramentarius, because all of those fics are explicit. Most of this is Lawlight, but there’s also Mikalight, Remisa, LMisa, just to name a few others. Enjoy and make sure to leave nice comments when you’re through!

avoidfilledwithcelluloid fics

Chapter Fic

sit and stay awhile complete, T

“Light has a fantasy of sitting in L’s lap, and he’s got a plan to make that a reality.”

the art of ink and flowers  incomplete, E, T

“Light needs an apprentice and thinks he’s found the perfect one in young firecracker Mello. Now to deal with Mello’s uncle, the strange, mysterious, and - oops! - super hot florist Ryuzaki, who doesn’t want his nephew near a tattoo parlor. What could possibly go wrong?”

i could write it (better than you ever felt it) incomplete

“Light works in the To-Oh university library, where he meets his favorite romantic mystery author, Eraldo Coil, who later reveals himself to be the great detective L. Through the course of their working together to solve a crime, Light finds he might have feelings for L and those feelings might be shared by the detective novelist.”

your heart is an empty cup incomplete

“Light is the assistant manager of a Starbucks in NYC, and L is one of his most annoying customers. When L accuses Light (correctly) of being Kira, as well as mysteriously asking for his help on a different case, the barista has to decide if he’s ready to get in bed with the enemy – maybe even literally.”

the forest holds strange creatures complete, E, T

“Light, a paranormal research grad student, comes to a small town trying to find a mysterious cryptid. He finds L, a 10-foot-tall tree creature, who helps Light discover the greatest cryptid of all: love. The only reason this one is in the chapter fic section is because it includes a Halloween special chapter with the intro of Beyond Birthday into the cryptid AU.”

At Your Service complete, E, T

“The Yagami family owns the sprawling, exclusive Hotel Kitsune where all sorts of international espionage agents make their temporary home. That includes the great detective L, whose romantic tension with Light comes to a boiling point when he comes to stay after a long absence.”

best practices complete, E, T

“Light has been working his way to the top of the corporate ladder thanks to his own hard work, and his more-than-close relationship with L, the company CEO and founder’s son. Their relationship comes to a head when L challenges Light to open himself up, making him vulnerable to showing the true depth of what he feels for L and his own desire to explore sexual power dynamics.”

One-Shots

Lawlight

constricting, T

“Light breaks L’s favorite tea cup in their kitchen, and L eats him out because he loves his husband so much.”

tell me I’m good, E

“In the middle of the night, L receives a drunk call from Light, hiding in the bathroom at a party. The call, turning from desperate to horny, reveals more about Light than L wanted to know.”

if at first you don’t succeed E, T

“Light gave his first blow job and accidentally bit L on the dick. He tries to make up for his mistake by trying again.”

let me work on you E, T

“As the result of losing bet to him, Light has to be L’s computer desk – naked and laying over his boyfriend’s lap. Of course, when L gives him another sexy challenge, Light can’t help but rise to the occasion.”

Buried Alive

“L and Light live together in L’s underground bunker after the apocalypse scorches the Earth. They watch some VHS tapes and do some gardening.”

Our Little Secret E

“After getting his memories, his freedom, back, Light wants to give L a gift: Kira tied up at his mercy. But L isn’t so sure if that gift is the one he really wants.”

The Light of the Moon E, T

“L is a vampire and accidentally bites Light, who is haunted by dreams that make him question why he wants L to bite him again (and maybe … something more …)”

little animals E

“Light and his werewolf boyfriend L fuck in their backyard garden.”

Change OR the one where L and Light get married E, T, A gift fic for @ohgodplsdontlook​.

“Six years after the Kira case closes, L and Light go have a wedding in the mansion where L spent his childhood summers. They bring the Yagami family, their baggage, and vows to share each other’s secrets.”

a divine power E

“L has a particular power that has helped him get confessions from even the most hardened, tight-lipped criminals, and he offers to use this power on Light to get an honest answer to the question “Are You Kira?” Not really believing L’s power is real (and also smelling an easy way to lie his way out of being caught) Light agrees to submit to this bizarre investigative power - not realizing that L is about to make him a *very* honest man. (TL;DR, L has a Magic Cock That Makes Anyone He Fucks Fall in Love With Him AU.)”

Possession E

“After being killed by his family for being Kira, Light makes a deal with the demon L to get back to the mortal realm - a very, very sexy deal.”

Fantasy of a Fantasy E, T

“While monitoring the Yagami family home for suspicious activity, L catches Light getting off to a dirty magazine and projects what he thinks his main suspect’s fantasies might be.”

the chains that bind us E, T

“Obligatory post-Yotsuba arc fic where Light is released from the handcuffs, and wants desperately to be back in bondage with L. Features a very creative use of the handcuff chain.”

Kept E, T

“Omegaverse AU where Light cooks up a horny evil scheme so that L won’t throw him in jail, and also lets him get that alpha lovin’ he so desires.”

so glad you’re home E, T

“L returns from a solo case and he and Light have a purr-fect homecoming together - including some spanking, cat ears, and a shower of sappy affection.”

Yours and Mine, E

“During a Kira case work day while handcuffed together, L and Light sneak off for some fun.”

Non-Lawlight

tell me the truth, T

“Light and Matsuda hit up a bar after work, and then Light hits up Matsuda for sex, praise, and a distraction from the deep emptiness inside him.”

alterations E, T

“Light comes to visit his boyfriend Mikami at his fancy law office and suggests they have sex there. When Mikami reacts unfavorably, Light has to do damage control, and it smarts a lot more than he expected.”

lizard E, T

“Light meets a beefcake guy at a bar on the anniversary of L’s death, and lets him take him home” (Lizard is my death note OC, and the fic was a wonderful commission from @queerical​)

24-Hour Gym

“After the yellow warehouse goes (mortally) in their favor, Light and Mikami frequent the same 24-hour gym. Eventually, after seeing all his work out skills, Light asks Mikami if he can bench press *Kira*.”

a big bag of factory reject seeds

“Misa keeps seeing L's ghost around the apartment and eventually, she dreams about him. But everything is not how it seems.”

Short Fic Compliation

hand in unlovable hand

Okay so I’ve been answering Tumblr askbox prompts for over 2 years now, and this? This is ALL of the Lawlight fics. There are over 70 Lawlight fics in this compilation, with all the nsfw fics marked as such. Here are somethings you’ll find in this horde: an AU where L is fat; dirty talk; ghost sex; phone calls about buying a house; early morning tea; kissing; spanking; bondage; L’s hair being brushed; and much, much more. If you have wished for a particular type of Lawlight fic, it is probably in this bunch.

Containing Multitudes

Like i said, I’ve been answering all types of Tumblr prompts. These are all the multi-pairing fics that are not Lawlight. In over 20 fics, you’ll find Mikalight, Light/Misa, Misa/Takada, Misa/Rem, Light/Namikawa, Beyond/Light, Light/Matsuda, and even a few ones with Light and my DN OC Lizard. All nsfw fics are marked as such.

hereditary

All the Tumblr prompt fics I wrote specifically about the Yagami Family. About 4 fics long, includes a really nice couple of Sayu and Light sibling sadness fics.

bottom shelf erotica

These are the 5 fics that I wrote to fill Death Note kinkmeme prompts. They are few frills, dirty, sloppy, all bottom Light smut fics. Also, since I didn’t want to give myself away on kinkmeme they’re all cis stuff. (because really who else would have been throwing trans smut up there?)

something between us (anyway)

a slowly updating collection of 10 tumblr fic requests I received for the pairings of lawlight and (my DN OC) lizard/light, covering prompts including omegaverse, coffee shop AU, sexy lingerie, and much, much more.

kinktober 2021

updated each saturday of Oct. 2021, these five fics all revolve around lawlight and specific kinky prompts.

Gift Exchange Fics

your father’s son, T

A Secret Shinigami 2018 gift for AbbodonAbandon. Light and Soichiro have a talk about why Light quit the tennis team. Lots of trans shit in here.

in your shoes, E

A Sexy Enquirer 2019 gift for @pashmina-dhaage​. L is a professor who is having a quiet relationship with one of his grad students, Light. When he sees Light through his office window stepping in mud, L rushes to give him the shoes off his feet.

wash it out

A Sexy Enquirer 2019 gift for @complicatedmerary​. Mikami and Light, a pianist and violinist respectively with the same opera company, are carrying on a passionate affair while Light remains married to the opera’s soprano, Misa.

coprinus_atramentarius fics aka my smut-only ao3 account

Bottom Light

In Your Place, T, omegaverse junk series

“Ide, Matsuda, and Aizawa ask L how he deals with Omegas; Light finds out the answer firsthand.”

let go, T, omegaverse junk series

“L offers Light a chance to get out of being his Omega; Light is unsure if that's what his problem really is.”

pillow talk

“L and Light discuss his reluctance to accept Light's father's invitation to a Yagami house dinner. A little saucy conversation between two dudes who only want the worst for each other but are also a little in lust with each other. Pre-Yotsuba arc, with a still Kira!Light marinating in the joys of being evil and sleeping with the enemy.”

special, special, T

“On a packed train, Light gets felt up by someone while in his tennis uniform and likes how good they make him feel - even if it means he's being naughty. Wait until he finds out who this mystery person is ...”

To Have and To Hold, T, omegaverse junk series

“Light is an Omega learning to be comfortable in his own happiness. L is understanding what it means to take care of someone else. Together they navigate their dynamics, both Alpha/Omega and Dom/sub, in order to cultivate a deep and lasting romantic relationship. this is a multi-part work, following the first two pieces of the omegaverse junk series.”

Bottom L

Heat of the Moment, T

“L hogs the blankets in their cold-ass hotel room, and when Light complains, L drags Light's hand down to the hot, hot heat between his legs.”

made to love you, T

“Light buys an android customized to look like L, but when he finds out Mikami's peeping on he and the bot having sex, Light decides to invite the other man to partake of the perfect lover he's made.”

need you, T

“L and Light engage in a heated kitchen quickie.”

nothing wrong, T

“After L gets a bruise from their fight, Light can't stop thinking about the marks they leave on each other.”

Overcome With Emotion, T

“After Light comes home from a trip away from L, he's built up a lot of sexual tension and L's more than happy to provide himself as an outlet for release, in more ways than one.”

For.you.mp4, T

“Pretend L survived to the second arc, is horny for Kira, and while Light’s on a work trip for the NPA cybercrime division, L sends him a special, pillow-related video”

Just a Drop, T

“Light finds L's secret aphrodisiac solution and decides to test it out on the detective to *very* successful results. But Light's not immune to the strongest drug of all - love.”

give it to me

“L wants Light's big cock inside him, and Light's more than willing to oblige. But they're unprepared for how complicated things become after they sleep together.”

Making a Scene, T

“L starts being a brat when he and Light visit the Wammy House, so its up to his alpha to get to the real reason why L's so upset - using some *interesting* methods.”

Birthday Boy

“Light gives L a two-part birthday gift that leaves a mark, and L gives himself a gift that involves going down on one knee.”

In Kira’s Kingdom

“Light has L imprisoned in his Kira’s Kingdom compound. L has been trying to escape and has failed for the third time. What was it they say about third time being the charm? Well, for L it’s more like the curse: the curse of having a megalomaniac freak be obsessed with keeping him and fucking him stupid, and L being super turned on by the whole thing.”

Going Up

“L and Matsuda get stuck in an elevator, and Matsuda confesses he’s always been in love with L. In an attempt to do a good deed before he dies of overheating, L says Matsuda can do whatever he wants with him. Will he regret his selflessness when he sees how big Matsuda’s dick is, or will that be L’s heavenly reward?”

good boy

“Light calls L his good boy, but L can't help misbehaving. Ruh-roh.”

Light’s Perfect Plan, T,DN Kinktober 2023

“Light and L have sex, and the only way Light can handle the fact that he might be into L is to create an elaborate plan as justification for them to have more sex.”

A Done Deal, T

“L makes a deal with Light that if he tops for a night, Light gets him as his maid during his next solo case – pretty black dress and all. But Light, ever the manipulator, can't let L just have this one.”

[fastcardotmp3]

🎊 december bookshelf 🎊

november recs | recs tag

Happy (almost) New Year! Here are some bits of brilliance I'm closing out the year in reading, and here's to everything that you guys have made this year. I'm so grateful to exist in a space with so much talent and so many big hearts willing to share in it, and I can't wait to read what you have cooked up for 2024 🥂 love, dot

🎊 INCENDIUM by @stargazersteddie- I have always been and will always be a weird dragon kid at heart and this fic was tailor made for the weird dragon kids of the world LIKE! dragon shapeshifter eddie is SUCH a concept and then to add dragon hunter steve to the mix? to add a genuinely intriguing corrupted corporation claiming to help people? to add ronance espionage and secrets in the woods and-? you know? a treat of a journey really and truly.

🎊 captain's log webcomic by @rogue-alien - That sweet spot where beautiful, perfectly representative art meets a brilliant premise in which Dustin finds a bunch of old "Captain's Log" tapes Eddie recorded before he died and things develop from there. Truly makes my day every time I see this has updated with a new page and as a comic book lover I'm fully enamored with everything about this

🎊 if you wanted, you could do no harm by @eskawrites - I'm a lover of a road trip story in which everything becomes clear because the scenery has changed and this is SUCH a beautiful depiction of that. getting to live inside Nancy's head as she goes from knowing she has to get out of Hawkins but not necessarily why to finding this sense of peace within herself and the things she both can control (kissing the girl who made sure she wasn't alone for the journey) and can't control (the big unknowable that is life) was a delight and a joy <3

🎊 mark it on the starmap with an x by @cheatghost - the Eddie POV "show me the place (where he inserted the blade)" sequel/ companion piece of my DREAMS. I love an Eddie character study with my whole heart and the way lou explores him in this particular circumstance, being blocked off from the joy he built for himself and leaning on Wayne and almost being forced into adapting without getting a say in the matter? Brilliant, immaculate, perfect, HELP ME.

🎊 max the bloody handed by @hellsfireclub - KAS!MAX!!! Beautiful Lucas POV as things fall into disarray, as his sense of something's wrong gets proven right, and with such a cool and eerie tone the whole way through. also Lucas with a crossbow which you KNOW is everything To Me.

🎊 this time of the year by @gothbat99 - robin HEARS nancy even when nancy isn't saying anything aloud and robin KNOWS that nancy needs a moment to let her brain go quiet and just be and I'm beside myself!! sweet and warm and tinged with the inevitable grief of the holiday season what if I cry huh?

🎊 The Future is the Same (but i have to try) by @fragilecapric0rnn - such an intriguing world built in so few words but the thing that has me on the FLOOR is the nancy and steve reckless grieving power duo of it all LIKE. designed for me specifically perhaps??? the characterization, the looming danger of every choice they make, the impulsive nature of it all!!! brilliant!

🎊 crash by @cheatghost (yes, again! sue me!) - i say 'designed for me specifically' a lot but this time it's actually TRUE and let me tell you!!! the psychic damage incurred was IMMENSE!! the nancy character study of all time, the cyclical/non-linear journey through grief and catharsis and hope and acceptance of my dreams, i'm never going to stop thinking about this fic you HAVE to read it, it's imperative To Me okay? okay. okay okay.

PS. don't forget to tip your writer in kudos and comments if you read and enjoy these! it's talking to each other about the works we create that makes this fandom world go round 💖

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 3/5/2024

really fucking around in Breath of the Wild and not defeating Ganon, even though i think i am fairly well prepared, which is probably indicative of something or a metaphor for some larger issue. oh well! guess we'll never know!

listening

Rock the Jungle by The Daniel Pemberton TV Orchestra, off an album of music from and inspired by LittleBigPlanet, a video game i have never played. Daniel Pemberton is a remarkably prolific british composer who mostly does film these days but also does a lot of BBC stuff.

this is the kind of scrubby pad to the brain electronica i need sometimes. i think these are heavily filtered and processed kookaburra sounds? at about the minute fifteen mark it adds a rolling, rollicking bassline that is, as im sure we all know by now, fucking catnip to me. at about 2:20 it adds alarm blares that fade in and out of a sort of disco-y organ? it uses its five minute runtime pretty well imo. i think this was off the spotify discover weekly.

-

reading

T Kingfisher's The Clockwork Boys, recced by @rae-being-naughty lo these many months ago, and my library hold finally came in. the goodreads blurb is a remarkably accurate sales pitch so let's yoink that

A paladin, an assassin, a forger, and a scholar ride out of town. It’s not the start of a joke, but rather an espionage mission with deadly serious stakes. T. Kingfisher’s new novel begins the tale of a murderous band of criminals (and a scholar), thrown together in an attempt to unravel the secret of the Clockwork Boys, mechanical soldiers from a neighboring kingdom that promise ruin to the Dowager’s city. If they succeed, rewards and pardons await, but that requires a long journey through enemy territory, directly into the capital. It also requires them to refrain from killing each other along the way! At turns darkly comic and touching, Clockwork Boys puts together a broken group of people trying to make the most of the rest of their lives as they drive forward on their suicide mission.

i had a lot of fun with this! very pratchett-esque in its imperial critique through bureaucratic loopholes thereof, which is catnip to me, but i do think Kingfisher is simply better at writing women. the forger is an only child and it fucking shows.

i think if it were 5% more devoted to Humorous Bits and didn't have some nice character work between the forging accountant and the big sad blond paladin man, i would have gotten frustrated with it. i think it is simply more of a comedy than any of its blurbs suggest, and it can be difficult to ride that line between comedy and character growth through desperate acts without getting a little bit of whiplash. this is me being very depressed and a bit nitpicky though. the line "Time passed, like a kidney stone" is going to stick in my brain for a while. i already have the sequel on hold

-

watching

if you do nothing else today could you please watch this car chase for me? ok thanks

Gunsmith Cats is a three-episode OVA that's a fancam of the american city of chicago and the cool girls that live and shoot and drive there, but let's just yank the MyAnimeList description

In the dangerous suburbs of Chicago, skilled bounty hunters Irene "Rally" Vincent and "Minnie" May Hopkins run Gunsmith Cats, a firearms store of questionable legality. One day, Bill Collins, an agent for the Chicago branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, blackmails Rally and May into working with him on a case. The stakes are high, but Rally’s gunmanship and May’s knowledge of explosives are unmatched. As Rally and May unravel the secrets of the case, the two will need to use guns and grenades while being faster, stronger, and better than everyone else in order to stay alive.

all three episodes are free (in really nice quality) on youtube. i pitched this to wendy as "rally is jigen lupinthethird's little sister" and her driving skills and marksmanship... i'm not sure who would win between them but i wouldn't like to live on the difference.

animators, historically, hate animating guns and cars, except for the masochistic ones who use it to flex. there are at least three shots in each episode where i want to stand up and hold my cat above my head and hoot like a fuckin tusken raider. in the first episode, there's a raid on a smuggling warehouse (you know, a warehouse) where the BATF agent and Rally throw each other their guns and have a really cool FALLING OFF A CATWALK back to back shootout. it's hard to describe. watch the episode. i wish there were more than three episodes.

this is an OVA that, aside from the requisite panty shot and WHOOPS my whole shirt tore (one of each per episode per girl) is fairly normal about women? rally and minnie are...roommates. that bicker and eat pizza. they have a cool network of other slightly shady women they interact with a lot, and the big bad for most of the episodes is also a woman. this isn't like a bastion of feminism or anything it's just neat. sort of middling on the ass portion of the Weeb Ass Shit scale. low on the weeb and shit parts too. again this is a fancam of chicago with cool girls

i watched this bc i was trying to use up kanopy credits and came across the precursor to this, Riding Bean, which i did not love for several reasons (the big one being the legitimately pedophilic lesbian relationship) but the creator took the concept of Rally out of that forty minute...experiment? and that led me to Gunsmith Cats. thank u ppl who put free anime on youtube

-

playing

still futzing about in breath of the wild. fucking around with sidequests and a sudden need to at least discover all the shrines.

for example, i did all the labyrinth shrines. underneath the akkala labyrinth is the scariest room in the world, bc six of those fuckers are alive and they will all target you the instant you open that chest.

cannot be bothered with the eventide island shrine yet (the roguelike) bc it frustrates the hell out of me. did the thyplo forest one, which was extremely annoying bc it dimmed my whole TV screen (including the UI) instead of just dimming the game itself. im sure someone thought that would be such a cool detail but instead i found it extremely annoying and vey difficult to swap weapons or start campfires.

and then i trundled through a list of shrine quests, bc i apparently had TWELVE missing?? three were korok trials, one was eventide (apparently it only shows up as a quest if you are on the island or have finished it, bc if u die on the island it kicks you back to a pre-island save lmao) so for the others: three i just had to talk to people to officially start and then immediately complete the quest. remember when i was anxious about softlocking myself out of the jungle dragon shrine quest bc i went right there instead of talking to Kass? never fear, nintendo's got my back

"kay how did you possibly miss reading the giant stone tablet to start this quest--" i am not a clever woman. i go "oh i know what to do!!!" when i see the Orb and hare off without looking around further.

A Brother's Roast i missed bc i forgot to talk to everyone in Goron City after defeating rudania, didn't run across Test of Will (the Goron challenge in the Gerudo highlands) bc i forgot to look off that side of the tower and was very focused on gliding into the labyrinth at the right spot, and didn't run across Guardian Slideshow on the far south beaches bc i hadn't explored there yet.

A Stolen Heirloom was deeply annoying. i had four out of five quests complete to unlock this, but there is an unmarked side quest where you have to go into this lady's house at night to figure out she wants fireflies. maybe she has some ambient daytime barks about this? i have never heard them. this was a little obtuse. also i don't love the stealth in this game. this game's stealth really works when you are well out of detection range bc u have a sniper bow, and i find it works less well for me when i have to follow a target. no i haven't finished the korok stealth trial either.

non-shrine nonsense:

ive been using Stasis as a sort of VATS equivalent. in fallout, i like to hit VATS every once in a while just to see who's out there. how many radroaches are nearby. this also highlights most interactable things which i think is nice of the game

gerudo town stuff: i missed this sand seal racing challenge by SO little the first time which annoyed me so much, it took me six more tries to beat the damn thing. i am very charmed that they actually put in a garden for the kid who was trying to grow a garden!

some beach vegetation mysteries: im really baffled by this singular hearty radish growing in full sun in what is essentially sand with a dusting of palm bark. all the other hearty radishes i have seen are in deep forests with partial sun and lots of leaf litter. what the hell is this then. plus a neat little unique sea wrack? korok circle instead of the usual lilypads.

i didn't know this game knew how to do rainbows at all, let alone double ones!

i will leave you with my many attempts to make stamina potions.

-

making

making things requires both the perfect levels of anxiety (too little anxiety and im out doing normal people things, too much anxiety and i shut down, a medium level means im frantically making things to distract myself. we are at the high end of medium) and some level of income bc i inevitably need one or two things to finish projects. eg we are at the level of anxiety where i am only able to do simple things like repainting a whole bunch of big frames for my maps (procured when i had money) but i need more matboard. so they are sitting, 90% finished, in my office closet.

garden update: more than half my bush beans came up with no leaves and promptly died, which could be due to any number of things but im choosing to believe it's bc my bestie's five year old planted them a little too deeply. so it goes. all the sweet peas are fine, all my normal peas and most of my regular climbing beans came up. a little annoyed bc only a third of my nasturtiums came up even after soaking them for 24h as recommended. the shit i Bought (tomatoes, marigolds, mint, rosemary) is doing fine. the spinach and dill i planted are doing fine too, although the spinach also had about a 50% germination rate. this does mean i don't need to thin them but. Hm. yanno?

[bellasmumblingsandmusings]

Characterization and Examination of my Tav (Sima)

WARNING: Spoilers for chapters for What Could Have Been (and planned sequel). Author's Note: Hey everyone! Its time for another one of those longer Musing articles I love to write. I have wanted to really break down Sima's characterization for a good long while and really get into what makes her tick. Now, I am writing a non linear story, which means all of Sima's background will not be on show except through flashbacks and what not. But this deep dive really goes into her character motivations and its a good way for me to have a touch tone while writing her character. I recommend everyone have a chance to really dig into their characters like this. Its so much fun and helps you build such a rich tapestry for them. TW: Sexual Assault survivor/discussion/recovery Thanks for reading! -Bella After the Jump!

Sima, an intricate tapestry of resilience and cunning, navigates the treacherous landscapes of Faerûn with an unyielding spirit and a keen intellect. Born amidst the cutthroat streets of Calimport to a courtesan mother and an unknown father, Sima's early existence was a relentless struggle for survival. Her formative years, shadowed by loss and danger, sculpted her into a resourceful sorceress whose magic manifested as a desperate defense against the cruelties of her world.

Her childhood, marked by the brutal realities of Calimport, forged a woman of extraordinary adaptability and pragmatism. Sima's existence was a dance with danger, a ballet of theft, deception, and quick wits. This was a girl who ran over rooftops, hid in bustling bazaars, and learned to wield her nascent magic not for grandeur but for sheer survival. The influence of her mother, a spy skilled in the arts of espionage and seduction, is evident in Sima's multifaceted abilities. From dagger skills to bardic singing and poetry, she absorbed it all, her mother’s legacy a guiding force.

The journey to Baldur's Gate as a child stowaway was not just a physical voyage but a metamorphosis. In the sprawling labyrinth of the city, Sima found herself entrenched within the Guild, further honing her talents in strategy, subterfuge, and combat. Her time in Baldur’s Gate was a crucible, blending her inherent cunning with the strategic rigor required to thrive in a world that demanded as much charm as it did ruthlessness.

Sima’s relationship with Astarion, the Ascendant Vampire Lord of Baldur's Gate, is a poignant study in contrasts and complexities. Her love for him is interwoven with a desperate hope that the man she once knew—charming, mischievous, and capable of profound affection—still exists beneath the monstrous exterior. Despite his transformation, she perceives glimpses of the Astarion who could laugh, who could love, who could defy the darkness that now threatens to consume him entirely.

Her own moral compass, a shade of grey tinged with the blood of necessity, guides her actions. Sima is no saint; her decisions are pragmatic, driven by the immediate needs of survival and the pursuit of freedom for herself and those she cares for. This pragmatism is not devoid of ethical consideration but is instead a fluid morality that adapts to the demands of each moment. Her belief in autonomy and resistance against oppression shapes her every move, often placing her at odds with traditional notions of good and evil.

Internally, Sima battles a profound conflict. The allure of power tempts her—power to stand beside Astarion, to protect herself, to shape her destiny. Yet, she fears the loss of her identity, the corruption that power invariably brings. This tension is most vividly illustrated in her contemplation of vampirism. She understands the seductive promise of strength and immortality but is acutely aware of the soul’s peril in such a transformation. Her hope is to wield this power without succumbing to its darker influences, to remain herself even as she steps into the abyss.

In Waterdeep, Sima seeks refuge and understanding, delving into the arcane mysteries to uncover truths about vampires and herself. Her time here becomes a sanctuary of intellect and introspection, a place where she can confront her past traumas and future aspirations. This period of intense research and self-reflection reveals a woman deeply introspective yet outwardly driven, grappling with her history of pain and survival, the present terror of Astarion’s transformation, and the uncertain future that looms before her.

One of the most harrowing aspects of Sima's past is her experience of sexual violence in Calimport. This trauma, a dark stain on her psyche, has profoundly shaped her identity and resilience. It is a memory that fuels her determination and her refusal to be a victim. The violence she endured at the hands of slavers was a crucible of suffering that forged her into a woman who would never again be powerless. This experience is not merely a footnote in her history but a critical element of her character—an enduring testament to her strength and her capacity to overcome the darkest of trials.

Sima’s journey is not merely a physical odyssey through Waterdeep’s streets or the halls of her sanctuaries but a profound emotional and psychological voyage. She wrestles with her history of pain and survival, the present terror of Astarion’s transformation, and the uncertain future that looms before her. Her struggle to reconcile her enduring love for Astarion with the monstrous reality he has become is a testament to her complexity and depth.

In essence, Sima is a character of evocative resilience and intricate complexity. Her path is a mosaic of choices reflecting a nuanced understanding of morality, power, and love. She is a survivor, a warrior, a lover—each facet of her existence interwoven with the others in a delicate balance. Her story is one of relentless pursuit—of knowledge, of power, and of a love that seeks to transcend the boundaries of darkness. In the shadowed alleys of Faerûn, Sima stands as a beacon of defiance and hope, a testament to the indomitable will of a woman who refuses to be defined by her scars.

[age-of-moonknight]

Helloo

If im not bothering you too much, may I ask what you know about the cia?

I know it may not be a question related to moon knight, or maybe it could be, but im kinda interested to know the basics at least and you seem to know a lot about it

Btw, i absolutely adore your blog

Hello!!! :D I'm so glad that you enjoy this blog and thanks for stopping by! Although, well,,,,hm,,,maybe it's just my rabid paranoia sinking its claws even deeper into me, but this is one of the more interesting asks I've gotten for this blog, that's for sure. 😅 For perhaps some context, I think anon might be referencing this post I made, gosh, close to two years ago now, where I got....maybe a little too excited talking about the history of the CIA and what Marc's time with The Company could mean for his character hahaha Accordingly, a full rundown on the agency's history, not to mention its many, many facets, is probably a bit outside the purview of this blog, but this is then a good time to state that if anyone ever wants to talk about anything and everything besides Moon Knight, my dms are always open and I'm happy to chat! However,,,I also have an affliction where I am an incorrigible pedant who jumps at the chance to write essays on things that interest me (and intelligence interests me very, very much, unfortunately). As such, while all my instincts are telling me this is absolutely glowing bait on a hook, if anyone wants to read a rambling wall of text about that agency Marc spent some time with, that will be waiting for you under the cut. Again, disclaimer, I'm just some person on the internet and thus can't really be considered a credible source on much of anything (except maybe how many times Moon Knight has teamed up with the Punisher hahaha). All the following info could easily be gathered from OSINT sources (and we're talking, like, Wikipedia, although this gave me the chance to pull out one of my favorite textbooks, Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy by Mark Lowenthal (vol. 7). If you're the textbook reading-type and interested in the topic, I'd suggest giving it a shot, particularly chapters 2 and 3 for the CIA and the U.S.' broader intelligence community). I tried to keep this incredibly surface level, as these are all topics that you could write monographs on, so if you want more sources/context, just hit me up! This also got,,,,unreasonably long (I didn't even know tumblr HAD a point where it would stop autosaving, but apparently trying to list all of the CIA's crimes against humanity will get you there), so I ended up having to split this across multiple posts.

Conception I discussed it in my previous post, but I'll give a brief rundown on how the Central Intelligence Agency came to be. So, the United States had intelligence organs pre-World War II, but they would typically only be spun up for however long a conflict lasted and then all of their assets would be reintegrated back into the military, da? But then with the end of WWII ushering in the atomic age and nuclear deterrence pushing out conventional conflict in favor of an espionage-fueled Cold War, the U.S. government deemed it prudent to have a permanent intelligence gathering service. There was just one hiccup, the question of what to do with the U.S.' WWII-era intelligence service, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Under the leadership of the very descriptively nicknamed Brigadier/Major General William "Wild Bill" Donovan, OSS officers had been running around conducting sabotage and espionage operations throughout Europe and Asia, doing wild things like working with an underground intelligence network of European Catholic priests and coordinating with the 20 July plot/Operation Valkyrie assassination attempt on Hitler. They were the very definition of irregular, British officials accused them of "playing cowboys," and the U.S.' massive post-war military organization was loathe to have to find some way to force OSS officers into the military's necessary uniformity, so in 1947, after a couple years of bureaucratic shuffling, the OSS apparatus got pasted onto this new intelligence agency that was so far,,,rather bookish and the CIA as we know it was born. This divide, between the incredibly Ivy League analysts and the more martial remnants of the OSS that got folded in was a contributor to the two major branches of the CIA (and their infamous intra-agency rivalry), so this perhaps a good segue into the CIA's different internal departments, its "directorates."

There are the two ogs, the Directorate of Operations and the Directorate of Analysis, and then the newer Directorates of Digital Innovation, Support, plus Science & Technology. (Note: this is as the agency stands now; there have been some fluctuations in structure and naming conventions over the years).

The Directorate of Operations (DO) needs little introduction, as it's the legacy of the OSS and what most people think of when they hear the word "espionage," the kind of work one individual once described to me as "fast cars, nice suits, and unlimited spending" (hope he's still out there and doing well). They're your politically deniable boots on the ground collecting HUMINT (human intelligence such as handling contacts and the like) and executing covert actions. It contains the ultimate sharp point of the spear, the Special Activity Center (SAC) with its Political Action Group (PAG), which spreads black propaganda, influences elections, and conducts other psychological operations, and the Covert Action Group (CAG), which draws operators from the military's special forces programs to form their own direct action, counter-intel/counter-terror, unconventional warfare, paramilitary group (they have a very diverse set of martial skills). Naturally, most recipients of the U.S. intelligence community's highest honors, the Intelligence Star and Distinguished Intelligence Cross are from the SAC. Most of the stars on the CIA HQ's Wall of Honor, which memorializes officers who died in service of the CIA, represent SAC officers too, however.

The Directorate of Analysis (DA), in contrast, doesn't get enough love, despite making up nearly half of the CIA for decades. Whereas the DO mainly collects the intelligence through various means, the DA has the people who take the raw intel and try to turn it into something digestible for policy makers (whether that means just translating the intel into basic English or proposing whole, wide-sweeping policy strategies has varied across the agency's history depending on its professionalism and the degree of government oversight at the time). They get so overshadowed despite being a key part of the intelligence cycle, it's almost not funny hahaha (I kid you not, the official CIA website not only has a "kids" section with an online coloring book that depicts the various directorates as heroes, but it even went so far as to depict the DO with a rather dashing hat and cape,,,,while they gave the representation of the DA glasses and a briefcase, I weep hahaha). However, if you've ever heard a stereotype of the CIA actually being made up of a bunch of incredibly Ivy League, smart but cliquey, uncomfortably cold (both in manner and strategy) eggheads, that would be because of the DA. That's a very disparaging stereotype,,,,but it got its start from somewhere. It's still the CIA after all, and there have been times in the institution's history where the only thing to distract the DA from its intra-agency pissing contest with the more domineering DO was to shield the CIA from any sort of external government or other agency encroachment on the CIA's "purview."

Probably the next most established division would be the Directorate of Science & Technology (DST). Whereas the DO is predominantly HUMINT and the DA works closest with policy makers, the DST is the one expanding the CIA's technological capacity to deal with CBRN threats (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear), and collect SIGINT (signals intelligence over radio waves and the like), IMINT (image intelligence as from satellites), and GEOINT (geological intelligence monitoring seismographs to, for example, detect if a nation is doing underground nuclear tests). Intel collection is only as good as the tools used and naturally intelligence agencies all around the world are constantly trying to leapfrog each other in capabilities, circumvention, and denial (preventing adversarial interest's collection efforts, that is).

Similarly, the most recent division is the Directorate of Digital Innovation (DDI), which is similar to the DST, but the DDI is focused almost entirely on cyberwarfare/espionage. They also seem to be doing a lot with OSINT ("open-source" intelligence, AKA any information you can access without a security clearance). OSINT used to be a bit of a joke in the intelligence community ("so, it's just what you read in the paper this morning??? That puts it one step above LAVINT: intelligence collected by overhearing conversations in the lavatory"), but with the explosion of information made available by the modern internet landscape and social media, you can go far with OSINT. (If you too salivate over the potential OSINT, maybe checkout Bellingcat if you haven't already)

Lastly but not least, there's the Directorate of Support, who are all the people who keep The Company running smoothly, managing logistics, comms, security at CIA sites, and overseeing officer training.

So yeah, I've alluded to the DA's and DO's rivalry, so maybe I should talk about inter- and intra-agency competition and the hot water those things have got the CIA in over the years. Maintaining an effective intelligence community is a tricky thing, particularly in a nation trying its best to be democratic and at least nominally respect human rights. You want officers to be able to collect intelligence, but you can't let them have so much free rein they rough up the nation's own citizens with impunity (as that's a bad look and can lead to civilian push back that could not only hurt the regime but handicap intelligence gathering in the future) and you definitely don't want an intelligence agency getting so much power it feels like it can start dictating a nation's policy instead of just advising on it. (Plus, the absolute nightmare scenario of an agency that's gone completely off the rails and no longer bothers much with consulting on politics at all, but just operates completely independently). Thus, to prevent the intelligence community from getting too big for its own good, a little competition, a little checks-and-balances from within the intelligence community can be beneficial. The drive by one intel group to outperform another (and consequently get more recognition/funding/etc.) can lead to a mutual improvement of the products that end up on a policy maker's desk. Having said that, I hope I explained it in such a way where you might see the issue with the CIA being the U.S.' singular, domineering force in the federal intelligence community for decades. The DA and DO had their marked cultural divide, but the CIA had very little competition from other agencies and, for example, had their ultimate weapon: the President's Daily (intel) Brief. The CIA, due to its vast capabilities, for years had the privilege of providing the president with (what the CIA deemed to be) the most important intel topics of the day. Accordingly, particularly during the Cold War before government oversight of the CIA really kicked up, this allowed the CIA to sway the government towards some at best politically questionable and more critically ethically deplorable policy choices.

Yeah, having gotten this far, I don't think I've made it clear that, for as much as I am fascinated by and spent,,,,a lot of resources studying subjects such as intelligence and terrorism, I am fully cognizant and never quite cease to be outraged by the injustice that permeates those fields. The CIA for sure, with its vast resources and the outsized role the United States played in meddling in international affairs during the Cold War and on, is a chief and, now, well-documented offender. I'm sure CIA intelligence collection and guidance has prevented many attacks we'll never know about, but you can't talk about the CIA without discussing the actions that directly resulted in thousands dead. Let's go over some of their greatest hits, shall we? (And that takes me so long I have to put it in a whole other post).