#operation owl's daybreak

[r6-unifiedlands]

Shifting Axis (Ursa Minor/Switchblade)

Thank you for saibashii for working on my commission of these two dorks!! Go check their arts!!

[fluttering-by]

💖🖊🏅✨

💖 What do you like most about your own writing?

Aah you chose these on purpose! I think I'm not terrible at setting tone? Like the snippet I'm about to post, I'm kind of happy with how I'm describing the setting first but in a way that sets the tone and speaks about the characters, rather than just telling you what's there. I think I'm kind of okay at implying things with that? Also it's like the writing equivalent of making sets and I've always enjoyed that.

🖊 Post a snippet from a current WIP

(Opening of fic 3 xD)

Horobi tossed and turned in his sleep, with the smallest of whimpers every now and then. And Fuwa wanted nothing more than to reach out, stroke his hair, soothe him in whatever way he could, but his hands still felt dirty. A thousand apologies wouldn’t even scratch the surface. All he could do was watch the microflutters of Horobi’s eyelashes as his face twisted in anguish, trapped in whatever hellish nightmare was tormenting his sleep.

It was dark outside as the plane glided above the clouds, and most of the bright lights switched off, with only a single lamp above the bed. Fuwa’s best attempt at mimicking the soft glow of Daybreak that he knew Horobi was most comfortable in. He’d even found some ambient nature sounds to play on his phone that he’d placed on the mattress beside Horobi.

And while Fuwa himself could feel his eyelashes growing heavier with every blink, he swore to himself he wouldn’t sleep. He couldn’t protect Horobi if he was asleep, and it only took a brief second for something terrible to happen.

Amid the unrest, the plaster covering Horobi’s injured eye had started to unpeel, and part of the cut starting to show. And as much as he did not want to touch the HumaGear who’d occupied so many invasive lewd thoughts, he couldn’t leave it.

“Hey… Horobi…” He lowered his voice to a whisper, barely louder than the ambient background sounds of swaying trees and rustling leaves and the occasional owl. “Is it okay if I smooth this back down?”

He didn’t get a response, of course, aside from a small tremor. Fuwa bit his lip as he concentrated, only making contact as much as he had to, though Horobi’s features softened almost as soon as Fuwa touched him. And he wanted so badly for that to mean something, that he was able to soothe Horobi with just a touch, that Fuwa was just that special to him. But deep down, he knew it was just a coincidence.

🏅 What is something you recently felt proud of in regard to your writing (finished a fic, actually planned for once, etc).

I was kinda proud of myself for having finished both Sting Operation and System Restore. When I look at the series thing, it’s like, holy crap, that’s so many words. Are they good words? Doubt it. But they’re words and I wrote them!

Okay I'm also quite proud of having written what I hope were coherent fight scenes, I love imagining fight scenes and choreographing them in my head, but they're so hard to put into words!

✨ Choose three adjectives to complement your own writing.

Does this mean compliment? I just overthink things way too much that I'm now agonising over whether I should be choosing three adjectives to 'compliment' my writing, or if I'm just completely missing the meaning and people will be like 'pfft what an idiot'.

So I'm just... going to do it and I'm totally not stalling haha.

Descriptive?

Angsty xD

Dramatic

[restaurantmenuprice28-blog]

Dos And Don'ts Of Eating In Italy

Whereas most quick meals are primarily based on low-cost, unhealthy ingredients, many fast-food institutions now provide wholesome alternatives. Say no to supersize. Choose the smallest measurement when ordering a combo meal. Paying breakfast menu price to supersize your meal may sound like an excellent deal. But you will be including plenty of fats, calories, and salt. And you will most likely eat more than you need to. An attention-grabbing reality: When people are served extra food, they eat more meals — even if they do not want it. For example, are you an early riser, or do you prefer to remain up late and sleep late? Should you like-or at the very least do not thoughts-getting up before daybreak, your area of interest may be a bakery or an off-the-cuff breakfast-and-lunch operation. Evening owls are going to be drawn to the hours required for bar-and-grill kinds of eating places, high quality-eating establishments and even pizzerias. Ethnic restaurants. Ethnic eating places enjoy a major share of the U.S. restaurant market. They range from quick-service locations with limited alternatives to upscale eateries with a wide variety of menu gadgets. Their menus sometimes embrace Americanized versions of ethnic dishes, in addition to extra authentic food. The three hottest kinds of ethnic eating places are Italian, Chinese language and Mexican. Other in style ethnic restaurant varieties embody Indian, Thai, Caribbean, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mediterranean and Vietnamese. A good wider number of ethnic restaurants can thrive in areas with a culturally diverse population, such as large metropolitan areas. I love visiting Italy and it is an actual shame that folks get so ripped off that they don't want to return. I actually assume that places that take pleasure of their meals will treat appreciative diners with respect. This has been my experience. Seafood. Fast-service seafood restaurants usually offer a limited vary of decisions, usually restricted to fried seafood. Midscale and upscale seafood restaurants provide a wider choice, ready in methods other than fried, akin to baked, broiled and grilled. Seafood generally is a dangerous space on which to focus, as costs are all the time altering, and plenty of kinds of seafood are seasonal. Additionally, high quality can differ tremendously. When purchasing for seafood, be certain the gadgets are contemporary and meet your requirements of quality. If you're not proud of what a distributor offers, you may be sure your clients will not be, either.

[thewebgate]

Billingsgate Fish Market :

Billingsgate Fish Market is located in Poplar in London. It is the United Kingdom's largest inland fish market.

Surrounded by the cold salt waters of the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, Britain is a treasury of firm and flavorful fish, mollusks, and crustaceans—and there is no better showcase for its wares than a visit to the exciting Billingsgate Market at daybreak. Operating in the fish trade since the sixteenth century, the market dates back to 1400, when King Henry IV granted the city a charter to collect tolls at several such water gates on the Thames. Today the U.K.’s largest wholesale fish center, Billingsgate, is spread over thirteen acres near London’s Canary Wharf, providing a great adventure for all early risers (or night owls) who love seafood. Tuesday through Saturday, the colorfully boisterous market opens to the clang of a bell that sounds an on-your-mark signal at 4:45 a.m., and fifteen minutes later a second bell vibrates through the fogfilled dawn, indicating that the market is open for business.

The market’s gleaming white interior is drippingly wet, hoses keeping floors and counters immaculate until closing time at 8:30 a.m. There is nary a hint of acrid fish odor, but rather a clean and cool, sea-air freshness, reinforced by the sight of the market workers in their spotless white coats; some will conduct training tours for novices in the fish trade and, on advance notice, can accommodate tourists. Buyers from shops and restaurants work the aisles—sniffing, touching, calculating—before placing orders. Members of the public can be found making their way through the market, too, although the really big days for nonprofessionals are Saturdays, when some 4,000 jam the aisles and parking lots.

There are many imports here, but pay closest attention to the delectable local specimens: halibut and salmon from Scottish and Irish waters, flat and snowy Dover sole, red-spotted plaice, huge diamond-shape slabs of turbot, members of the cod family including whiting and haddock, slim green-white pilchards halfway between herring and sardines, miniscule whitebait to be crunchily fried whole. You will find all gradations of squid, octopus, and shrimp; sparklingly briny oysters from Whitstable in Kent, as well as Colchesters and Blackwaters from Essex and Helfords from Cornwall; Dublin Bay prawns; Donegal crab; Scottish langoustines; whelks; cockles, which look like ridged scallops; blue mussels; and periwinkles, which are tiny stoneblack sea snails. The variety itself (about 150 daily) is a tip-off to the diversity of London’s immigrant population; as seafood favored by each group is added to the larder, so, too, are sales staff speaking a United Nations of languages.

Two coffee shops restore market workers and visitors with hearty breakfasts, and it is said that if you buy a piece of fish at one of the stalls, cooks at the Piscatorial Café will prepare it for you.

[r6-unifiedlands]

Lunchtime

[Polaris "Ursa Minor" Harmonics & Aarre “Switchblade” Kärkkäinen]

Summary: Today's lunch for Ursa didn't go as usual.

A/N: I finished this short drabble in spite of a rollercoaster of a mess fic made by a friend. Also, OC is by @corvidcrows

One of the perks as a member of Nighthaven is the free-for-all buffet for all mealtimes, even including midnight snacks. The cafeteria is something that unites all agents from all backgrounds and ethnicities in one spot, eating different things while also having a banter with their friends.

It’s good for Polaris’ own finances to lower groceries’s monthly budget and reduce food waste. But she’s a very picky eater in a way of “She won’t eat if the food looks unappetizing.” And buffet food often looks very, very unappetizing.

She’s sure it tastes good. But her brain would convince her to throw up if she fed herself with that without tweaking the appearances. That’s why she used the free meal perk to bring them as leftovers rather than eating them right there.

So there she was, eating her lunch at a secluded corner of the mess hall while sitting on the floor. Wedging herself between two vending machines got her strange looks from other staff. But who cares? She likes being in tight corners sometimes.

“Guten tag, Ursa.” Polaris tilted her head slightly upwards to see Monika’s smiling face. “How you doing? Comfy in there?”

“I like the pressure it gives. Makes me feel safer.”

The engineer’s calloused hand found its way to pat her head and left her alone. Why do people always aim for her head, anyway?

“Friend?” Her head tilted a bit higher now, seeing the familiar whitish blonde of a certain Norwegian with his award-winning smile that took the heart of his hundred thousand followers on Instagram. 

“Hm? Yes, Ace?”

“Why you’re in there? That position doesn’t look comfortable.”

“You’re the second person to ask that today.” She took a bite of her spring rolls. “IQ asked me just now. I just like the pressure, that’s all.”

“The only thing you’re lacking now is a fake tail and a pair of cat ears, friend.” He winked as he reached down to grab his can of drink, making the younger agent’s face heat up a bit. “See you around! Remember we have Operation Skyscraper at zero two hundred!”

Once again, she was left all alone. This time feeling sheepish.

She needed to eat fast before she got spotted again-

“Little bear?”

The food that she was currently chewing went straight to her windpipe, making her choke and cough violently. 

There stood Switch, hands crossed on his chest. Baby blue eyes behind the framed glasses staring down at her with curiosity.

She’s still not used to the sweet nickname, goddamnit!

The Finnish agent fumbled with the mobile computer on his prosthetic arm and she could feel slight movements in one of the vending machines. He reached down and grabbed two cans of coffee latte, then passed one to her. 

Did he just hack a fucking vending machine?? Does this thing operate through the Internet???

Well, Polaris didn’t think too hard about it for now. She cracked open the top and chugged the whole thing, then quietly sighed. No more itchiness in her throat and she liked the cold liquid cooling down her body a lot.

Switch cracked open his own can and took a small sip. “This tastes like water.” He muttered.

“The fuck you think it is? This canned coffee latte brand is among the top ten least-selling items for these vending machines. Expensive and shit-tasting.”

He raised one of his eyebrows. “That’s a specific information to know.”

“I’ve been hanging around here for months. Fuck off.”

“Quite a charmer today, aren’t you?”

An empty can flew towards the hacker and he tilted his head a bit to dodge the attack of a very flustered SAR member. “One day I’m going to kill you with my bare hands.”

“You mean bear hands?”

“THAT’S IT, I’M RETRACTING MY HIPPOCRATIC OATH TO HIPPOCRATIC SUGGESTION.”

Her reaction caused the other to let out a snorting laugh, his prosthetic reached down to pat her head. “Okay, okay, I’ll tone it down for now.” Switch gave a grin. “Because I’m in a good mood.”

Polaris pouted, before prying herself out from her usual corner while holding Switch’s prosthetic as he pulled her up. As much as she liked her little place, she also liked being free from the pressure. 

“Why’re you wandering around here anyway?” She asked, dusting her pants from the dust sticking onto her jeans. “I thought you were on a debriefing session with others.”

“Boring. I sneaked out from the meeting room.” He started to walk, and she followed him from behind. 

“You’ll get your ass whooped by Kali at one point.” Her voice was softer. She’s genuinely worried that his behavior like this would get him in trouble. “Did you get hurt? Have you got yourself checked?”

It’s Switch’s turn to look at her, frowning. “I’m good, Ursa. I didn’t slip up like last time.”

“I’ll trust your words this time.” Her reply was short. “As long as you’re alright, I don’t have much comment.”

It’s hard to put her trust in Switch’s own well-being, considering how hidden he was in the past regarding his injuries. So many times Finka had to report to her that the man himself came to the medbay. And countless times, she had to sprint at full speed to catch up to him and and drag him back to either medbay or to her office.

“I appreciate that.” There was a small hum coming from the taller man, a small smile plastered on his face. “Do you want to grab a proper coffee? That watery stuff ruined my tastebuds and I need a better cuppa.”

The statement made Polaris chuckle. “I know a place near the city. My sister recommended it to me, but I never got my chance to visit it.”

“I guess we have that chance now? My treat, of course.”

Her breath hitched as the Switch leaned down, his face getting closer to her with that usual teasing tone. She’s trying so hard to hide her flushed face, dusted with pink.

“Well…if it’s your treat…How can I reject an offer of free things…” A poorly disguised excuse that she’d chosen to gaslight herself, all with the straightest face that she could muster right now.

He’s your co-worker, Ursa. Get ahold of yourself!!!

A sensation of cold metal holding her hand came to drag her down to stabilize herself from being flustered. But soon it came back in full force when she looked down and trailed towards the source.

Switch with a shit-eating grin. His cold prosthetic arm gently held her hand.

Oh, he’s fucking with her.

He tugged her hand, leading the way to the outside of the base, looking visibly brighter than before. “Don’t die on me, Bear. We still haven’t gotten that coffee that you promised yet.”

At least, her lunchtime didn’t end up as monotone as usual.

[r6-unifiedlands]

Just A Quick Mission

[Polaris "Ursa Minor" Harmonics & Aarre "Switchblade" Kärkkäinen]

Summary: Ursa Minor's first duet mission, but she's being paired with one of Nighthaven's wildcard agents.

A/N: ANOTHER FRIEND'S OC OH MY GOOOOOODDD I dragged @corvidcrows to my R6S brainrot hole

Polaris had a habit of prioritizing other people rather than herself. Kali said it’s a bad habit, but she didn’t have any plan to change it. It was the only thing that marked her parents’ influence on the remnants of this family. She treated her quirk as a family heirloom or some sort.

So when she got hired by Nighthaven to go on a single mission with one of their agents named Switch for the first time, let’s just say that she almost lost her mind.

It was normal at first. A quick sweep through a small abandoned building, weapons in hand. She tried her best not to breathe out loud; her gas mask would hiss loud enough to be detected by hostiles. Switch’s steps were quiet, yet his movements were trained like soldiers would.

So far, no hostiles…

“I’m bored.” The first actual voice came from the taller man as he turned his head towards her direction, mischief gleamed in his baby blue eyes. “Let’s blow up this building.”

“It’s not in our order, Switch.” She responded back.

“Aww, you’re no fun, Ursa.” He looked back to the front. “Are all EMTs like you? Not having fun as part of the training?”

Polaris sighed, her gloved hand fixing her mask’s position. “ It’s not like that—”

“Do you ever have fun, Ursa? All I see in you is all training and more training.”

She sped up her steps and purposefully bump her shoulder against his arm. “What do you think I am? Robot?”

“If you ask me, then yes.” Switch glanced at her; half of his face was covered in a mask, making it harder for her to read his emotion. “You move according to orders from the man upstairs, and it makes you boring. I don’t even think an impulsive thought of just destroying a wall ever passing through your head.”

“What’s that supposed to mean—”

Bullets suddenly flew near her and almost nicked her ear, and Polaris could feel her hand getting yanked by the taller agent to hide behind the nearest pillar. Her breath hitched. She could smell the burnt smell of metal and gunpowder.

Rapid fire from the distance. Must’ve been near the stairs.

She took a deep breath, gripped her firearms tightly, and squeezed her eyes shut. No matter how much she did this job, she felt like she couldn’t get used to the chaos of the battlefield.

“Finally, I was getting bored.” Polaris’ eyes widened, and she quickly tilted her head up to see Switch’s face. She swore she could hear a wide grin in his voice.

He casually trotted out of the pillar, his marksman rifle in hand.

“Watch and learn, medic.”

She watched as the other calmly aimed at his target while bullets went past him. And with several bangs from the agent’s rifle, the rain of bullets stopped completely, and the building went quiet once again.

It was quick—less than thirty seconds.

Lives were lost in under a minute.

[“Sometimes, to protect a life, you need to take another.”]

Right. No time to think about morality in this situation. They were in danger, and it’s technically a self-defence act.

“Ursa! C’mere!” The sound of the other agent snapped her from her deep thoughts. Switch had already left his previous position and was now examining the hostiles’ bodies. His bloody footsteps stained the grey floor, and his loud, cheery voice filled the concrete halls.

Polaris walked towards the taller other, her hands on her hips. “What’re you doing now?”

“No more hostiles in this building. All their radio devices are inactive.” The agent fumbled through a former hostile’s walkie-talkie and his mobile computer. “I think I can safely say that we finished our mission here. Although I’m kinda disappointed that they’re all untrained goons who can’t even aim properly.”

A sigh of relief escaped from her lips, producing a loud hiss from her mask. 

She didn’t need to shoot someone for now.

“Phew, finally…” It was like the feeling of cold water washing down her back in a good way. Her muscles loosened up, and tension left the SAR member. No unnecessary injuries nor casualties from their side.

Switch stood back up again, now turning back his head towards the shorter agent, a grin plastered on his face, his mask pulled down. “Then, can I blow up this place?”

Blinks. “You still want to?? How would you do that???”

“I have my way.”

Polaris felt like she would gain forbidden knowledge that she shouldn’t know if she asked him further, especially seeing his grin grow wider and the glimmers of excitement in his eyes behind the glasses.

In the end, it was just a quick mission, after all.