#props to op for making this set

[ms-all-sunday]

water 7 geopolitics.

water 7 is an independent citystate of the world government despite having a working contract with the world government they don't have to enforce their law because they're not under the world government

it's complicated, the laws are independent and the world government doesn't enforce their law 99% of the time because of the fact galley la could just stop making boats for them and that would be extremely bad

galley la is able to use the boat relationship as leverage politically to the detriment of the world government (this is why they got away with enies lobby no consequences style) as long as they keep making boats for them/in aid of the civil war on pirates.

water 7's political strategy protects their own independence while playing both sides in regards to the civil war on pirates, which you could argue is actively harming other nations independence of the world government (like wano)

[monstertreden]

✦ BE(E) MY DATE? ✦

-Reader: FEM reader -TW: none, just an adorable bee -Character: Bumblebee (Transformers movie 2018) -Summary: Bumblebee is trying to get accustomed to earth traditions in order to impress his favourite human -Word count : 1448 A/N: This was an anonymous request of a while back. I went with the Fem Pov, but this could be read with a GN reader too. What a way to open this 2025! Wish you all the best things in the world!🍀

The evening sky was starting to feel more alive as stars emerged one by one. With no light pollution ruining this view, the atmosphere felt so relaxing, a quiet peak for living in such a peaceful town. Your home garden was glowing, illuminated by tiny star-shaped lights strung around the tree branches. In the middle of it all stood a cheerful, giant yellow bot. He fumbled with his radio, playing different romantic songs as he tried to find justtt the right one to set the perfect mood. Bumblebee was buzzing with excitement, unable to wait another hour until you got home from your job and spend the rest of the night with him outdoors. Today had been a little different. It had been hours since you’d left for work and you’d insisted on taking the bus to work, much to Bumblebee’s dismay. He’d watched you wave goodbye as he beeped sadly…but once you were out of sight, his little antennas perked up and twitched like bunny ears: if he couldn’t spend all day with you then he would make that night unforgettable! The thought had driven him all afternoon as he kept carefully arranging what he had gathered, it had to be perfect because you deserve nothing less!

A jazzy love song hummed through his speakers before he quickly cut it off again, second-guessing his choice, followed by an upsetting beep.

Postponing his final decision on the special song, Bumblebee turned his attention to the messy setup he had previously sprawled on the flower-patched blanket… one he might have “borrowed” from her bedroom through the window…ops, but it was one of his favorite too, one you often shared with him while watching some movies back in the garage, other than being soft, it fitted the romantic vibe he was striving for. Smothering the blanket again, having spotted a small wrinkle,  his digits fidgeted slightly with the patch of wildflowers he had directly plucked from the ground earlier, ensuring they looked intentional rather than, well… stolen. Were there enough flowers? Or were they too many? He tilted his helm as if reconsidering his choice, before turning to the unplugged microwave, that somehow contained various cookies inside and the carefully inclined projector screen propped up against the white wall of your home. The screen’s angle had been adjusted multiple times until he was satisfied, though he still glanced at it every few moments to make sure it hadn’t shifted.

It had taken him ages to figure out how humans got their movie setups just right, and, even now, he still wasn’t sure he had nailed it. Beside it, a wicker basket was overfilled with treats he’d seen you enjoy: chips, candies, and a variety of drinks, so many you wouldn’t go hungry... though he had no idea what half of them tasted like...Would you notice the missing bags of sour candies? He might’ve… tested one or two. For science. Did you have that many treats in your kitchen cabinets though? Of course not, the truth was that some, well, most of the items inside weren’t “exactly” yours. The yellow bot had borrowed, again, okay, maybe taken a few things from the local store storage without paying, but only because he still didn’t understand how human transactions worked. Plus, wasn’t food meant to be shared? You loved snacks! And he wanted the best ones for you!

“Cool and smooth!”. He echoed the phrase to himself, with the enthusiasm of a DJ who knew what they were doing. Excitement and anxiousness coursed through his circuits, he had seen countless Earth movies and TV series with you, how your face lit up when romantic picnics were on-screen. “Aren’t they adorable, Bee?” you’d sighed, smiling softly at a scene where a couple sat under the stars, and he was determined to give her exactly that.

The wildflowers kept sprawling all over each time Bumblebee tried to grab one, he didn’t bring a vase since he was scared of accidentally breaking one, so he decided with clumsy digits to open a soda can, yes..maybe that would do.. “Careful...”  Tipping the can towards his faceplate, he fussed over not being able to open it. Shaking it, hoping it would loosen, and when it seemed he had made it, it sprayed all over his faceplate, making him stumble over with a distressed beep. A wrong footing and there was a loud crunch. Bumblebee froze. Slowly looking down, he realized his foot had landed squarely on a package of cookies, reducing them to crumbs. “Dang it!” he buzzed through the radio, frustration laced with nervousness. He frantically crouched and scooped up the squished wrapper, already berating himself.

But Bumblebee wasn’t one to back down so easily. He straightened up, the crumpled pack of cookies still in his hand. Carefully, the bit tucked it back into the end of the basket, there were so many after all. Next, he picked up the empty soda can and went to toss it in the garbage bin, only for his gaze to land on a small empty glass jar you’d had left for recycling. That was perfect! It was risky managing glass, but it was his only choice. After arranging the wildflowers in the jar, he stepped back to admire his work. The bright blooms stood proudly in their makeshift vase; A triumphant beep escaped his radio.

However, waiting for you to get home from your job was the worst part. Bee leaned on the side of the blanket staring at the darkening sky, his pedes shifting restlessly against the ground as his optics traced the constellations beginning to shine above.

ᯓ★

The distant hum of the bus made Bumblebee buzz with anticipation as he scrambled quickly to double-check the lights and blanket one last time, his excitement nearly spilled over. Tonight was truly special, and he couldn’t wait to spend it with you, just the two of you, under the stars.

When you reached the garden, Bumblebee greeted you enthusiastically, using a series of radio clips to invite you, his favourite human, to sit down. “Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder” played softly from his speakers as he immediately handled the microwave, shaking its contents inside, beeping excitedly for you to open it.

A mixture of surprise painted your face “Aww Bee” You gently lowered down his servos so he couldn’t accidentally destroy your microwave and reached for him instead, your hands lightly cradling his side faceplate. His optics blinked rapidly in surprise, and his helm tilted curiously to the side as if trying to process your gesture. “This is..nice, unexpected but not unwelcomed. Thank you” For a moment, Bumblebee froze, his circuits whirring as if he’d been short-circuited by your words. His servos twitched at his sides, unsure whether to move or stay still. His radio crackled before settling on a slightly awkward but heartfelt clip. “You’re welcome my darling!!” Bumblebee immediately winced at his choice, but you only chuckled.

Your hands slipped away, and he missed the warmth almost instantly. You took a step back to take in everything he’d prepared, from the spread blanket, the slightly crumpled flowers, and the crookedly angled projector screen. You took a mental note to maybe teach him not to pluck bunches of flowers from your garden next time

“You went through all this… for me?” you asked, to which Bumblebee gave a small nod, his frame shifting nervously. His radio played hesitantly, “-It’s no big deal-” but the way he was fidgeting said otherwise.

“No,no ! it’s a huge deal,” Your smile grew as you crouched to fix the corner of the blanket. “Heck! You even got my favorite snacks.Look!” Maybe it was best not to ask him where the hell he took all of these goods, eyes lighting up when you spotted the assortment. “Bee, this is amazing. Seriously! After an exhausting day, this is all I need”

He melted at her reaction and his optics softened. Gathering his courage, he turned on the projector with a flick of his servo.  Soon, the screen lit up, casting a warm glow against the wall.

He beeped as if to ask “Shall we?”

Your grin widened. “We shall.”

Once you finally settled onto the blanket, patting the spot beside you Bumblebee carefully maneuvered himself, trying to sit without squishing anything else. He adjusted his position until he was beside you, his large frame curling slightly to fit in the cozy space. As the movie began to play, you leaned against him, resting your head against his cool plating. He was happy to start the first days of the new year with you like this.

“Next time, we’ll organize a date together”

[incendiobrock]

Surprise! {Damon Salvatore}

Summary: When no one is answering y/n’s calls or texts, they try their best to figure out what is going on in their friend group. Unaware of some supernatural issues, y/n is met with a surprise that changes their life forever. *This imagine is meant to be set somewhere in season 2ish*

A/N: The ending wasn’t where I was planning on leaving this imagine but I’m trying to clear out my drafts and this was written a year or so ago, so I’m going to leave it like this. Hope you still enjoy!

Warnings: fighting, slight language, mentions of blood, dying (stabbing), graphic

GIF ISN”T MINE CREDS TO OP (for the sake of this imagine pretend that’s Katherine and not Elena)

--------------------------------------------------------------

You knocked lightly on the big wooden door, wondering why no one had been returning your phone calls. No answer, you should’ve known… You tried the metal door knob and shockingly it was unlocked. The heavy door slowly opened into the foyer of the old Victorian mansion. Your shoes made sounds that echoed through the house as they made contact with the wooden floor boards. You glanced around, noticing the deafening silence that filled the space normally filled with chaos. Something wasn’t right.

You were now standing in the living room, taking in your surroundings. Your brows furrowed as you noticed the fire smoldering in the fireplace. There was a dried puddle of blood staining the carpet, nearly three feet in front of you. A full glass of Damon’s bourbon sat discarded on a table.

“Hello?” You called out, now looking down the hallway and towards the stairs to the upper level of the house. You jumped, suddenly hearing a faint bang coming from the opposite end of the hallway. You walked quickly over to the door that led down to the cellar. As you went to push open the door it flew towards you revealing Elena who must’ve been coming back upstairs. “Jesus Elena! You scared the hell out of me!” You yelled, grabbing at your heart as you tried to steady your breathing.

She looked at you slightly confused, “What are you doing here?” Her voice was nearly a whisper. You went to answer her as she made her way in front of you, heading back into the living room. You followed quickly behind, “I have been calling you guys, no one answered me. I started to think something was wrong so I wanted to come see if you guys where here. Where’s Stefan?” It wasn’t unusual to see Elena without Stefan right by her side, but with all the vampire stuff surfacing he tended to try and stay close.

She sat on the sofa, propping her legs up on the table in front of her. “Uh- I think him and Damon went to go help out Bonnie. Something about her needing a grimoire.” She said, swirling around the glass of bourbon in her hands. Was she drinking this early in the day? You walked over and sat down beside her, copying her and placing your feet up on the table as you sunk into the back of the sofa.

“They found the grimoire yesterday, are you feeling okay Elena?” You slightly laughed, leaning over and placing the back of your hand on her forehead, checking for a temperature. Her eyes widened slightly, watching as you retracted your hand from her cold forehead. “Here, you’re freezing.” You said, handing over a blanket that always sat on the back of the sofa. “I’m going to go make you some hot tea.”

As you made your way into the kitchen you shook your head trying to clear your mind. You couldn’t shake the idea that something wasn’t right. After searching through cabinet after cabinet you finally found some tea bags. Chamomile should do, you thought. The metal tea kettle was placed onto the stove top, heating up the water. The buzz of your phone vibrating in your pocket pulled you out of your thoughts.

Elena: Hey, where are you? Sorry for not answering your calls, Damon, Stefan and I have been all around town today.

You felt your heart sink instantly, if Elena was out with Damon and Stefan, who the hell was in the house with you? The tea kettle began to squeal as the water reached a boil. You rushed over and removed it from the stove, dumping the water straight into the sink. You needed to get out of this house immediately.

You reached for your phone once more, trying to quickly send a message to alert your friends what was going on back at their house.

“Someone is here at the house.” Was all you got to type before you heard footsteps come up from behind you. You hit send, letting Elena know before you whipped around to be faced with Elena?

“Y/N? Are you okay?” She asked you now, walking over to you and studying your facial expressions. You took a step back, your back making contact with the cool granite counter top, trapping you between the two.

“W-who are you?” You shakily whispered, tears forming in your eyes. This didn’t feel real.

“Y/n, it’s Elena.” She reassured, holding her hands out to you as if she was cautiously trying to calm you down. You pulled out your phone, showing her the message that “she” had sent you saying she was out with Damon and Stefan. She blinked quickly, shaking her head side to side. A lump formed in your throat waiting for her to speak again. “I don’t- I don’t know who sent that. I don’t have my phone. I promise it’s me. It’s me y/n, please.” She begged. Tears fell down your face as you pulled her into a tight hug.

In the matter of seconds you were shoved up against a wall, Elena’s hand cutting off your air as she squeezed your throat. Dark veins grew beneath her eyes as she smirked, revealing sharp, white fangs. Her teeth sunk into the wrist of her free hand, keeping the other wrapped tightly around your neck. You gasped for air, struggling against her strength that was holding your feet off the ground below. Her head flew back up as her wrist dripped fresh blood onto your shirt, “Drink up.” She grinned as she shoved her bitten wrist into your mouth, forcing you to drink her blood.

Your body dropped to the floor as she released you. You coughed, gagging on the hot, coagulated blood that poured down your throat. “Well, this will be fun.” You heard her voice ring through the air once again. Looking over your shoulder you saw her spinning a knife through her fingers skillfully. She grunted as she pierced the knife straight through your back, causing you to scream out in pain. The knife sliced through you as she yanked it back out. Blood began to spill out of your open mouth as you dropped to lay on your side. She then kicked you in the stomach causing you to lay straight on your back.

“P-please stop.” You cried, pain rushing through your entire body. The last thing you remember was her driving the knife straight through your heart.

—-

A ringing in your head pushed you awake. It was pounding in your skull as your eyes peeled open. Sun poured in through the window of kitchen, burning your skin like a thousand tiny fires. You screamed in agony, practically flying across the room to a wall that was void from the direct sunlight. The dryness you felt in your mouth, along with the pounding of your head and the intense feeling of fear overwhelmed you. Your body shook as you laid down, curling into a ball against the wall. Tears wracked through you as you remembered everything that happened, all the pain that you felt when Elena stabbed you with a knife. Elena stabbed you…

“Y/n?” Through your blurry vision you made out Elena’s form.

“Get away from me!” You screamed, crying loudly as you backed further into the wall. She rushed over to you, concern written all over her face as she knelt to your level. She quickly noticed the blood stains all over your shirt, paying extra attention to the dried blood around your lips. “Leave me alone! Stop it!” You thrashed around as she reached out to touch you. Stefan ran around the corner, watching as you coward away from Elena. She listened to your cries stepping away, and turning towards Stefan, silently asking him for an explanation. Before he could speak Damon used his vampire speed and zipped to your side, pulling your disheveled body into his strong arms. He heard your cries from outside the house and he felt the biggest rush of adrenaline to get to your side immediately. “Hey, hey, I got you. Shhh.” He whispered, stroking your hair as you cried into his shoulder.

Stefan and Elena watched painfully as you were cradled in Damon’s arms. “What’s happened?” Damon softly spoke up again. In between sobs you tried to inform him why you were so terrified, “E-Elena tried to- to k-kill me.”

“Oh shit.” He mumbled, pressing his lips to the top of your head as he continued to rock you gently. He glanced back at his brother, knowing that they were thinking the exact same thing. “Katherine.” Damon said.

Damon carefully helped you stand up, insisting that he take you up to his bed where he could explain to you that Elena wasn’t the one who initiated this attack. You weakly clung to him as you hobbled towards the stairs. Passing through the living room, your skin ignited in flames again as you passed by a window. You let out another blood curdling scream, Damon swiftly picking you and placing out of the suns harmful ways. His eyes softened as he examined your face closely. That’s when Damon realized that Katherine hadn’t tried to kill you, she did kill you. You were dead, and it was all his fault. He hadn’t answered your calls or your messages asking where he was earlier in the day. By the time he made it back home, it was too late. You were a vampire.

“Come on sweetheart, let me take you to my room please.” You nodded in response as he re-scooped you into his arms, rushing you into his room where he laid you on the bed, using his vamp speed to shut all the curtains before the light caused you anymore pain. Damon made his way into a small box that he had hidden away in a drawer in his bathroom. He pulled it out, removing the lid carefully as he sifted through the jewelry inside. Being alive for a hundred plus years has caused him to come across a decent amount of antiques, including some jewelry. One of these antiques being a ring that originally belonged to his mother which he held closely to his heart. It was silver, with small engravings throughout the band. Damon had been saving it for someone special.

“Damon?” You spoke up, as you watched him intently. His crystal blue eyes made contact with yours, “I’m so hungry.” Was all you could get yourself to say, feeling your stomach twist into knots at the thought of being fed. Although, you weren’t too sure that it was food you were craving.

Of course, how could he forget? You needed blood to complete your transformation. Not that he had ever wanted you to go through this... He sighed, placing the ring down on the bathroom counter, dreading that he would have to tell you that you didn’t “almost die” but rather were unwillingly turned into a blood sucking entity like himself. He had come to terms with being a vampire, almost not being able to think about living any other way. However, he remembered how he felt back when he was freshly turned and how long it took him to accept his inevitable fate. That was something that he would have never wished upon you.

“I’ll be right back okay, stay here.” He demanded, leaving you behind and coming back with a blood bag. You sat up in his bed as he sat down besides you, handing over the bag. The smell that filled your nose was almost irresistible. It smelt like the sweetest, richest dessert, like the biggest Thanksgiving feast. Veins began to ripple under your eyes as your fangs sprouted for the first time. Hesitantly, you brought the blood bag up to your lips, sucking in the contents of the bag. You moaned at the taste as the blood trickled down your throat. In only a couple seconds you had finished off the bag, pulling it back from your lips. Then, it hit you. The burning in the sun, the intense emotions and feelings of pain, the sudden insatiable hunger…

“I’m dead.” You gasped out, dropping the empty blood bag onto the bed sheets. Damon placed his hands on either side of your face gently, turning you to look at him.

“I’m so sorry y/n… I should’ve been here to save you.”

You felt like a monster. Sure, you didn’t think that Stefan and Damon were monsters, but you didn’t know how to control yourself the way that they could. The veins began to form under your eyes again as you thought about blood.

“Katherine isn’t going to get away with this. I swear to God, she’s dead next time I see her. How dare she take away your life like this…” Damon ranted, feeling the rage that you did about your unexpected death.

A knock on Damon’s bedroom door made you both look towards it. “Damon?” It was Stefan. Damon let his brother in, Bonnie following closely behind. Bonnie was your good friend, and it took everything in you to not rush over and drink her blood. Not because you wanted to drink her blood, but because you felt so hungry and something almost caused you to do it anyways.

You focused in on your breathing to distract you from your hunger, watching as Damon passed Bonnie a ring. She took it in her hand and went and opened up a curtain, light pouring in and landing a few inches before you in bed. Bonnie began to mumble out a spell as the ring sat in the light. “Done.” She said, reopening her eyes and tossing the ring back to Damon. You could tell she was upset, she had blamed Damon for everything supernatural that was happening to her and her friends. To her, he was bad news. She couldn’t even look at you in your state, feeling as though the friend that she once knew was long gone.

After she rushed out of the room, and Stefan rushed after her, Damon came back to your side. “Here, let’s put this on.” You placed your hand in his as he held it out to you, using his other hand he gently slipped the ring onto your finger. Damon hated his mother, but he had to admit that giving his mother’s ring to you made him feel a certain type of way.

“I don’t know how to do this Damon…” You whispered, admiring the new daylight ring that you were given.

“That’s why I’m here. I left you once, I’m not doing it again. I’ll help you get through this… I love you.” The latter end of his sentence barely made it past his lips, he had never shared his feelings for you out loud. He wanted to tell you how he felt for months, but he didn’t want to scare you away. He couldn’t help but notice though that your heart would always beat a little bit faster when he would arrive, and how your face would flush when he playfully flirted with you.

“You what?” Maybe you were hearing things, although you considered it was highly impossible due to your new hearing abilities.

“I love you y/n. I have for awhile now.” He said again, this time at a normal level which proved that you hadn’t misheard the words that had fallen past his lips. Before you knew what was happening, you leaned in connecting your lips together. The way you both melted into the other was almost enough to kill you for the second time today. It was passionate, and desperate, but so gentle at the same time. As you pulled back apart you couldn’t help but smile, resting your forehead against his.

“I love you too Damon.”

“Well, isn’t this just the sweetest. Now you guys can truly spend the rest of eternity together.” Damon shot up out of bed shoving the girl you now know as Katherine into the wall behind her.

“What are you doing here? I told you to leave.” He spat out, a death grip held around her throat. You watched as she chuckled to herself, amused that she got such a rise out of him. He felt his knuckles growing white as he squeezed the life out of her body.

“Surprise!” She said hoarsely, an evil grin still etched onto her face. This all felt so eerie to you, Katherine and Elena looked completely identical. No wonder you thought that she was Elena, anyone would without some extra context. 

[eyelambspider]

♡ Cocktail Parties || Ghost

⤷ summary : (fem!version) arguing with you right before an undercover op wasn't... the smartest, because now he has to watch you flirt with strangers. link to male!reader version!

┊pairing : simon "ghost" riley x fem!reader (dress wearing reader), tf 141 mentioned ┊content warning : (un)established relationship (you can choose), jealousy, anger, slight angst, suggestive, arguments, mentions of drinking/alcohol, men & women flirt with reader ┊word count : 1.5 k ┊a/n : ashgfhsgjg j- nothing- :)

The night was still young, on the crest of dipping into the rich gala that embodied upper-class society: Women and men alike danced in a whirl of sequins, satin and silk. Flaunting bubbling flutes of champagne and pretty lies. Bodies, throats, and wrists fitted snuggly and dripping in diamonds.

It was truly a party for the top one-percent of society. The extravagant guestlist filled to the brim with cold business moguls, old money, the famous, and the beautiful. Each bumping shoulders with glittery laughs and white smiles.

It gave Ghost a headache. Watching through the lenses of his binoculars as the crystal chandeliers glinted off the marble ballroom and directly into his retinas.

The operation had only 'officially' started merely an hour ago. The moment your shiny shoes kissed the floors below. And Ghost had come into it pissed.

Coiled up tighter than a snake and twice as twitchy, just a hair's breadth away from lashing out at the first thing that interrupted his brooding.

Price and the others had noticed, but decided not to comment on the Lieutenants hard-set jaw and his white knuckle death grip on the binoculars.

The three remaining member of Taskforce 141 exchanged knowing glances. Each of them knew it.

The two of you had fought before this.

About what? Nobody was going to ask. Not with him silently seething and muttering curses over the comms like a dreary static.

To say they were utterly relieved to be positioned away from him was an understatement. Eager to give the Lieutenant his space.

It left Ghost to his own thoughts, propped on the roof of the venue, looming over the edge of the intricately crafted glass dome like an ominous shadow. Giving him the perfect opportunity to watch over you-the Taskforce's trump card-as you gathered information on the ground and mingled.

Tonight, the collective mission was to get close to the target. To pick up information on most of the guests here, even a little. Each guest having their hands in less-than-legal business ventures. One man in particular... DeLuca or some asshole-ish name along the lines... who cared.

Ghost had something more important on his mind tonight.

He hadn't taken his eyes off you since you'd stepped foot in the building. The sight of you was enough to punch a hole clean through his chest and leave him burning up on the edges.

You walked the floor like you owned it, had to make sure of it to blend in with such an elegant crowd. A grin pulling at your lips, dripping with a natural charm that made hearts flutter. Eyes turning kindly towards whoever spoke to you or tried to catch your attention. Returning needy, simmering glances with a coy, knowing tense in your shoulders.

That was it. He was going to break these stupid fucking binoculars clean in half-

but ffuck-! He couldn't!

It would leave him without a way to watch you properly.

Ghost grit his teeth instead, suddenly forgetting to breathe under all the tension that was building up in his muscles. His legs were stiff. The one he was knelt on completely numb from the position, and his biceps were locked in a fierce bundle of (what he was convinced could only be) residual anger from your fight.

You moved through the fray of millionaires with a casualness that alluded confidence. Not afraid to gently part through the mass of high maintenance bodies and figures in a bid to get closer to the target on the other side of the ballroom. It caught the attention of those around you in a way that didn't bother the Captain, but rather, the Lieutenant.

The patrons of the party not looking with suspicion... but desire. A desire to know the woman who was walking with a quiet purpose and without a second glance back at them. When their time was worth thousands... you seemed to spare not a second on them.

Ghost couldn't even remember what the two of you had been fighting about. The entire gist of the argument flying out of his head as he watched. They all looked at you like they had a fucking chance in hell with you. It made his blood boil. The sounds of his contempt catching over the comms. "Fucking-... bloody b-... always-..."

Women with dark made-up lashes let their gazes fall over you as you passed, offering tiny giggles. Men trying to step into your path 'accidentally' and introduce themselves. Vying for your attention, or at least, your name.

Ghost had been so caught up in the fight. So angry and refusing to be anything less than right that he hadn't seen you since earlier today. Had missed the way you had gotten ready for the operation-for the party.

You had cleaned up well. Hair trimmed and styled neatly, a few locks dropping tantalizingly near your temple. And... "fuck me" Ghost muttered inaudibly... Your black dress fit your body like a dream. Sleek and elegant, enhancing the curves of your shoulders and chest, sinched to a fault at the waist.

Ghost felt a heat begin to bloom over his body and trickle down to the swell in his pants. Drinking in and savoring the sight of you even if he stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. His brown eyes followed your silhouette, eye wandering down the soft curve of your hip and the slit in your dress that revealed the supple skin of your thigh... The sleek fabric made your legs look...

Fuck, you were beautiful.

He shook his head and grumbled some more, still trying to huff in defiance of how he felt. Even if he was still heated, it was for an entirely different reason now.

Within range of the target, you stopped just short of Deluca's social circle by picking up a bubbling flute of champagne to avert suspicion. Before you could even pretend to bring the rim of the glass up to your lips, a woman's hand clasped gently over your shoulder, running over the fine fabric of your dress with a perfectly manicured caress. A soft, sharp smile dancing across her lips as she stepped in front of you, inviting herself into your space seamlessly. Her hand lingering and trailing down your bicep before she pulled it away.

Ghosts gloves creaked in protest again as he gripped his binoculars tighter. Watching her eyes rover over your face, tracing your jawline with a bone-deep confidence in herself. Had Ghost been down there, no one would lay a hand on you like that. No one would even be able to fucking shoot you a longing glance.

The man who accompanied her followed, debonair and smoky, reaching out a strong hand to shake yours in greeting. He bowed his head, gripping your hand subtly and leaning forward in order to steal a more intimate glance. His eyes flickering down to your lips before a grin pulled at his cheek and he stepped back.

The two making easy conversation with you.

"That cocky fucking bastard," Ghost seethed, attention zeroing in on the walking trust fund in front of you.

It was part of the operation. He had to tell himself that to keep his fucking head on straight.

You were in the best spot to pick up chatter from the target behind you. Indulging in laughs with people who had learned how to carry one without a second thought.

And there wasn't a fucking thing Ghost could do about it except watch. The way people teased and flirted so openly with you, stealing touches and glances. Drinking you in like the sparkling bubbles they held flawlessly between their fingers. All haughty gazes and blatant interest.

It made Ghost's stomach and chest roil with disgust. A deep heat settling over his body. The anger that once simmered in his veins was now laced with an even uglier emotion: unbridled jealousy.

No. After this fucking farce of an operation was over and you were back with the team... He was going to find you. Fuck-! you were his the moment you stepped out of this building.

The thought made his body flutter with rage and lust. The idea of having you alone now, in that dress of yours and all to himself, was a dangerous one.

You were going to get an ear full after this... fuck, maybe more. The image of his own hands running over your dress flashing into his mind. Hiking your leg over his waist, kissing you until your pretty hair was disheveled and your dress rumpled under his hands.

Those rich pricks would get an eye full of you now-let them-because he was going to be the only one to see you writhing and blushing beneath him at the end of the night.

[localplaguenurse]

I am so in fucking love with the stairway to heaven animation and the only ways I can express that is to either say I am bricked the FUCK up, or I give in to the uber instincts of my uber autism and write an essay on what I THINK are some of the references/inspirations used in the animation. I chose the essay because I need people to know why I am "bricked up."

I am fully willing to accept if I am wrong/reaching for some of these but even then, I think it's cool that I can still connect certain moments with things I enjoy. With that out of the way, behold my analysis/breakdown of Stairway to Heaven!

Spoilers below the cut not just for the animation, but also minor spoilers for Kane Pixel's backrooms series, Liminal Land, Skinamarink, and Mandela Catalogue. Also just a warning for the incoherent ramblings of a guy who's abnormal about analog/indie horror. Please please please please PLEASE go watch the animation if you haven't.

First, "subject 087" is in reference to SCP-087, the never ending staircase SCP. I actually didn't even catch that the first time until I scrolled down to the comments lmao. In my defense, when SCP was blowing up in the mid 2010s I wasn't really old enough to appreciate it or find the format interesting (and honestly it is still hard for me to really get into it, but that's more of a me thing. Conceptually a clinical approach to horror like with SCPs or in All Tomorrows is fascinating, but it can be a bit of a slog for me), so I only knew the main three's numbers. (173, 096, and 682).

"Motion detected" has been used in just about every analog horror series now, but Mandela Catalogue is probably the main series that popularized the trope when analog horror first started getting popular.

The backrooms is, obviously, the backrooms. You can probably assume it's Kane Pixels' backrooms because his version really blew up but it feels more like early days backrooms before we got all those monsters and almond water stuff. (Which btw it's so funny we got "almond water" from whoever the first person to say the air smells like almonds was. For reference, almonds smell like cyanide. OP was trying to say the air smells toxic, not that almonds are the safest thing to consume in the backrooms.)

This shot just reminded me of The Oldest View, ALSO from Kane Pixels. Tbh that's probably just me but I thought it was neat.

Next up, the door. Aside from the obvious 333 angel numbers which also appear very prominently in Mandela Catalogue (this series is going to pop up a lot, I'm sorry), but for some reason it reminded me of the Silent Hill 4 door. Again, that's just the tism probably.

Skinamarink ahh shot, was honestly expecting the door to just poof, disappear.

Next, the shot with all the houses. While KP's Backrooms do have that creepy neighbourhood, this exact shot and set up feels closer to H.O.M.E. from Liminal Land.

And then our most darling biblically accurate horror icon Columbina would make False Gabriel proud, and just... she is so fucking cool and creepy in this and I love her so much.

This whole sequence was for one absolutely horrifying and beautiful, but what caught MY attention were the settings and locations shown. These are standard creepy liminal spaces and analog horror gore censorship, yes, but they also reminded me of the locations Trevor Henderson uses in his art pieces, so suffice to say I think Columbina looks RIGHT AT HOME regardless of how you wanna look at these shots. And the animation on her face opening up into wings and eyes is just an absolute chef's kiss moment. Props to the animators, man.

This trope, the whole main character monologue overlaying the screen moment, very common in analog horror but for me, again popularized by its use in the Mandela Catalogue.

The smudged picture is a reference to one of the ending shots in Skinamarink, where it pans over the childhood photos only for their heads and faces to now be missing, which most agree is the movie's way of saying these kids were trapped her for so long they eventually just stopped existing/faded into nothingness.

And finally, the classic ending scene of KP's first Backrooms video.

I know for a fact there are probably other references to liminal spaces/analog horror that I either missed or they're like general concepts/tropes used in analog horror. I did almost mention the mill in petscop because of Columbina's "two in the mill, one taken, one left" because that phrasing felt really specific, but it doesn't quite fit the vibes of all the other references. Also her only being seen in the camera is a trope used in all manner of horror media. My first thought was the forest scene in VHS (2012) where the murderer could only be seen in the film static.

I just wanted to get the especially cool/unique moments out there. I didn't even touch on the storyline but that's because it seems pretty straightforward. I'm also aware not many people are gonna read my red string corkboard ramblings, which I'm fine with. I just needed to get this out of my system, but I do appreciate those who did take the time to indulge my ramblings!

That's all for now, back to whatever the hell I had planned for today.

[lowpolynpixelated]

Call of Duty and the beast that must die

Written by: Clair Beckett

Upon booting up Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 for the first time I was assaulted with a modern "Marvel" type banner, proudly declaring the expansive media franchise that is CALL OF DUTY. I was then given three different screens filled with the names of game studios swallowed by the machine in the series' long and crumbling history of game after game after game. Call of Duty claims itself a pillar of the industry. One of the many posts that hold up the very sky of the video game landscape. It stands now before me, million dollar propaganda for the US military starring Spawn and Nicki Minaj for a limited time only, but only if you can pay the price of admission.

The next thing I was told, of course, was to make an Activision account. The game then prompted me to add my phone number and restart the game twice to make sure that all the personal data it wanted from me was set to go. Modern video games have gone so far beyond what they began as and yet they still ride the corpses of the culture the executives strangled to death loudly and proudly. Remember COD4? Remember Modern Warfare 2? Well we do! And we're happy to announce that we've rewritten and re-released them for $70 with extra US warcrimes written to look like the russians did it! Buy now and get a new golden skin for the gun that will only be in the cash shop rotation for the next two weeks!

Loading into the launchers that games like Halo and Call of Duty have become is insulting. But at least Halo has the dignity to somewhat look like a game instead of a collection of repackaged and hastily made content so that you can push its cosmetics exchange and season passes safely underneath some menus so they don't bother while you try to do the thing you paid for without logging in to your Microsoft account first. No, Call of Duty loads you into a fantastic screen filled with games you COULD own and cosmetics it wants you to spend the money on first. But how did this happen? I thought we were going to vote with our wallets? Show those big companies that we're not gonna take it anymore! Well, astute video gameist, we did. Or, folks like you did, and the resounding answer was "more forever so the money we're making off these pre-order bonuses and cosmetic mircotransations." Except it hasn't slowed down? Has it? So called "microtransactions" have ballooned up to upwards of $20 for single weapon skins or character packs, art that is made at the behest of artists who are cycled out of the offices like so many reams of paper wasted on stock reports.

Call of Duty wastes 0 time showing you all the ways you can spend money every way possible. If you select the game you "own" you'll first be prompted to upgrade to the ultimate edition, then when you select multiplayer you'll be prompted to purchase this month's battlepass, when you select what character you want to present as on each team you get bombarded with skins, pricetags displayed proudly larger than the actual name of the skin. Too, damn, far. Is what this nonsense is. Far be it from me to lay down my journalistic integrity for the absolute slog that fucking Call of Duty has become, but is this really what we play now? Is this what the multi-million dollar companies have to offer? Do you think that anyone working on these games had their passion cared for? Their intent respected? The answer, dear reader, is no.

No, no this isn't about video games anymore. But your average "gamer", as it were, hasn't cared about this in about 10 years. The "gamer culture" that has been fostered within the triple A sphere of the landscape is one of complacency and non questioning attitudes of "the next big thing must be the best because it's the next and the biggest!" when in actuality it's just the biggest number of people laid off without notice and the biggest return for five people in thousand dollar suits. Modern Call of Duty props itself up on the idea of legacy. The idea that the name itself is enough to warrant the money you pay for the content it will legally take away from you in a matter of a few short years so they can save on server costs. But what IS the legacy of Call of Duty? The original titles helped shape the first person shooter landscape, and the fourth title revolutionized multiplayer action games alongside the likes of Halo, but what came after? Almost immediately after COD4's smashing success it traded any sort of message and want for things like gameplay innovation or narrative cohesiveness for an iterative cycle at the behest of a publisher in some of the early days of the triple A landscape becoming a barren sprawl of corporate greed. Mind you I said some of the early days, corporate greed has always been intrinsically tied to the video game landscape but I digress. Call of Duty became one of the first annual franchises. Swapping developer each year back and forth to make games that were baseline iterative on the last promising "bigger and better but also the same, we promise" ad nauseam until something had to give. Modern Warfare 2 is heralded as a gold standard for the series, but it mostly has to do with the most memorable levels letting you gun down civilians in an airport. Otherwise it was the same jarheaded OO-RA gun em' down action that the first game had, minus some rather potent anti-war sentiments.

Call of Duty's legacy then is one of "gamer culture", fiercely embroiled in charging the most for the least at the promise of it being the very bleeding edge of what your new several hundred dollar machine can do. The idea of the annual franchise sold more than consoles it sold promises to people, and executives loved that. The culture I speak of you can see everwhere in the mid to late 2000s and early to mid 2010s before the absurdity of it all really started to take root. From Mountain Dew cans boasting cool spec ops dudes in tactical gear and offering double XP should you buy the sugary sludge, to commercials starring then YouTube celebrities famous for blowing things up with military grade firearms on empty land. Gamer culture was and still is top priority in ensuring people don't question the quality or practices of the things they're being sold now. As long as a company can tug on the heartstrings of millions by saying things like "We grew up playing (insert late 90s/early 2000s video game title here) so we get what makes games fun." They have carte blanche to repackage, resell, and further monetize things that should not cost that much if anything at all. The idea that the name "Call of Duty" should stand as the base pricepoint to sell you a launcher to host all the games you could own while barely showing you the ones you do is that corporate greed taken to such a far extreme it's maddening to think about why people aren't more fucking angry about this.

The great Stephanie Sterling has long spoken on points like this about companies like Activision/Blizzard, Nintendo, and EA. Titans of the industry now only famous for how many people they layoff every few months and how much they charge for games that shouldn't cost that much. In a 2019 article on how Apex Legends ended up saving Electronic Arts from major stock crashes, she said the following:

"Last generation saw the rise of the “fee to pay” game. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 made online connectivity obligatory for modern consoles, and it was only a matter of time because videogame publishers smelled an opportunity to make money from constant access to their customers. Full premium expansions for videogames gave way to downloadable content, which in turn gave way to microtransactions appropriated from free-to-play games. Only, they never made the games containing them free.

New “AAA” titles saw their entire in-game economies overhauled for the worse in order to support microtransactions. Dead Space 3, notoriously, had to reduce all its horror elements and become a traditional action game to support a desperate weapon crafting economy. This was excused by pundits and spokespeople as offering players a “choice,” without addressing the fact that psychologically manipulative gameplay elements were not things we could opt out of in the games we were paying sixty dollars for.

Having gotten away with it, however, publishers only grew worse. With traditional DLC, season passes, and multiple special editions, many companies have more than quadrupled down on their monetization, and modern games are slowly - subtly - starting to resemble starter packs more than finished products."

-Stephanie Sterling, "How Apex Legends Saved EA's Ass... In Spite of EA", Feb. 12, 2019

In microcosm I think this perfectly encapsulates what the new legacy of things like Call of Duty is. Full and even fuller priced games being stocked with more and more transactions to pull the most out of the consumer without giving anything meaningful in return. Virtual rewards for real world currency that can be taken away at a moment's notice. Fortnite is most famous for popularizing the "battlepass" style of monetization and rotating cash shop storefronts. By having you purchase funny in-game tokens to buy your skins it hoped to have you forget about the 30$ you just spent on said tokens. Call of Duty and its piers have no such interests. No, cold hard cash is the only way it presents its purchasable garbage and that's what you pay each time you give in to one of it's dozens of FOMO inducing splash screens and reminders. You are taken advantage of for your money. That's not even to touch on the genre destroying concept of "crossover content" which only serves to further drive the idea of sales over substance, with more of your favourite characters and celebrities being added to these games in the form of poorly animated and uncanny models for 20$ a pop.

This new form of selling a legacy can only end in more of the same. More skilled artists, developers, and writers being laid off into an industry that cannot afford to hire them back. Infinite growth has already reached it's glass ceiling and is pretending that it simply cannot see it due to it's see-through nature. These giants of the industry, these beasts, must die to see meaningful creative growth return to such spheres as the triple A landscape. The old must give way to the new, the nostalgia has been wrung out like so many drops from an already dry sponge. Name's are not worth paying for, and neither are concepts. We must think and act critically of these systems if we are to escape them. Voting with your wallet is a false initiative. Participating in the market they have a stranglehold on cannot lead to their downfall. This is all to say the following: Stop buying this nonsense. Look more into the independent scene. Find your new favourite games through channels like itch.io or the "indie" spaces on the other major storefronts. Pay for the games that care about what they are. And for the love of everything stop purchasing US Army propaganda. I'd like to recommend the likes of Stephanie Sterling, as previously mentioned, who's journalistic integrity and strength has persevered through some of the worst of gaming's tumultuous history. Jacob Geller, who's introspective analysis of video games as pieces of living breathing art tell so much about the passion and craft that goes into something as commonplace as "a video game". And finally Noah Caldwell-Gervais, a man who I can only describe as one of the most earnest, honest, and just plain down-to-earth guys to ever grace the gaming landscape. These three along with countless others are avenues into further understanding the type of landscape video games exist in in the modern day. I hope you come away from either this article or their work with something new, be it a game or a thought on all this mess. Thanks for reading.

Sources and links:

"How Apex Legends Saved EA's Ass... In Spite of EA"

Stephanie Sterling's work

Analyzing Every Torture Scene in Call of Duty — All 46 of Them (Jacob Geller)

How Many Clicks Does It Take To Get to the Center of Diablo? [A Franchise Retrospective] (Noah Gervais)

[reviiely]

Haikyuu boys headcanons because I said so: art vs theatre vs band kid edition

Hinata— can’t read music and can’t draw but he would have an absolute BLAST doing either. I’d stick him in theatre mostly because he’s loud but dedicated and that’s like 90% of us.

Kageyama— theatre also, but because his sister liked to put him in costumes as a kid and he just kinda went with it and now he has no qualms putting on a shitty wig for the sake of an in-class play.

Daichi— band kid, though he’s on bells and is often caught staring off into the distance more than he plays and gets scolded for it a LOT. Alternatively, he could also be the stage manager and get 17937 headaches from his crew.

Suga— tech theatre kid. Maybe assistant stage manager if Daichi’s the SM. I could also see him being a chaotic art kid with the other setters, the kind that adopts all of his underclassmen and makes them call him “dad” and feeds them.

Oikawa— theatre kid (yes it seems like I’m making them all theatre kids) because he’s loud and dramatic as shit and also he’s like me and I’m one of them so. He assistant directs and designs costumes and is also a part time art kid.

Iwaizumi— art, but in the quiet crowd instead of the chaotic crowd. Would be the type to slap Oikawa to shut up. ‘Adopts’ Kindaichi, Kageyama, and Kyoutani after he feeds them once and they latch onto him.

Ushijima— band. He’s rich. He’s a band kid. I could see him also being in tech theatre OR as the lead of the musical because he can sing. He CAN. He just isn’t that good at it but boy is he a looker and the theatre department is short on cash so if that’s what it takes to get the audience through the door, the director doesn’t see a problem with it.

Tendou— art kid. Would draw on you. Would bite you. Moonlights as the set designer.

Semi— band kind all the way (duh) but if he auditioned for a musical they wouldn’t turn him down either. Unfortunately he doesn’t try.

Kita— none, he’d just go home. An argument could be made for art but ONLY if it was hand carving.

Aran— quiet band kid, plays the tenor sax, 57 people have a crush on him but he’s only focused on the guy who sits in front of him in his pre-calc class.

Atsumu— theatre kid. Theatre kid. His hair would reflect the light and blind whoever’s looking at him and his only response would be that he was a star. Tried to quit theatre before but was threatened by everyone to stay or else.

Osamu— none of them, but he would run a cooking club that closes a year after his graduation.

Futakuchi— band kid because he’s annoying as fuck but still pretty as hell and also he’s so pissy 99% of the time. He only picked band because he hated art homework and didn’t want to have people look at him acting on a stage. Claimed it was “too much for his ego”.

Aone— band kid with futakuchi but he plays the piano and doesn’t know what to do when there isn’t a piano part to play. He helps make costumes and props for the drama department.

Kuroo— tech theatre kid that manages the cast and crew. Makes way too many bad jokes and has earned himself the title “father of the opera” because he went on a rant about how Raul could’ve just avoided all of that if he didn’t kidnap Christine. Also because he’s a huge ass nerd.

Kenma— tech theatre, light and sound ops. Is only there because Kuroo is there.

Bokuto— chaotic art kid. He would. He’d be so good at being chaotic. His art… not so much.

Akaashi— either a theatre management kid or a section leader band kid. Either way he’s stressed as hell and overwhelmed 99% of the time.

[bekolxeram]

7x03 analysis part 1 — Everything Air Ops

I promised helicopters, so now we get helicopters. I want to look into how Air Operations work in the 9-1-1 universe, in comparison to its real life counterpart in this first part. Then, I will try to figure out the location and intensity of "hurricane Ethel" during the clandestine operation in the second part. And finally, I will prove how risky it is to fly a helicopter into a storm and why Tommy deserves every bit of his Medal of Valor.

Location

Real!LAFD Air Ops operate (Station 114) out of Van Nuys Airport (VNY/KVNY). It's not only one the busiest general aviation airports in the world, it's also smack dab in between major green areas of the city of LA itself.

This location makes perfect sense in real life. Air Ops might get the occasional highway car wreck or urban structural fire calls, but most of their missions still consist of wildfire suppression and rural search and rescue. Being based at Van Nuys makes sure they can respond to emergency in a timely fashion.

in the 9-1-1 universe, the LAFD Air Ops are based at "Harbor Station", or Station 217. (Harbor and 217 are the same station, Chimney especially asked if Tommy was still at the 217 in 2x14 when requesting air support, unless the 911-verse LAFD has 2 different air operation units, which I highly doubt.) Obviously it has to be at an airport, because that's where the hangers and helipads are, and going by "harbor" I can only speculate that it's in the Harbor Region of LA.

The only non-military airport in the LA Harbor Region is Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB), but it's quite a busy commercial airport, probably not a good one to run emergency services from. There's also the Zamperini Field (TOA/KTOA) nearby in Torrance, although not exactly inside the Harbor Region, it's coastal and close enough to the 2 LA ports I guess? Feel free to create a whole new airport using your imagination though, as you know 9-1-1 is set in an alternate universe where geography and physics work differently.

Helicopters

The LAFD Air Ops have 5 medium (FIRE 1-5) and 2 light duty (FIRE 6/7) helicopters, you've heard Tommy in 7x04. Everything applies to the real world counterpart, but the medium type that real!Air Ops operate is AgustaWestland AW139, the Italian-made medium sized twin-engine helicopter with a 5-blade main rotor primed for emergency response and off-shore oil rig transportation.

It has auto-pilot, an anti-icing system for harsh weather and even auto-hover suitable for hoist rescue missions. In a passenger transport configuration, it can carry up to 15 passengers in a 3 row seating plan. In an SAR (search and rescue) configuration though, the middle row can be removed for gurney space. It's big and powerful enough to transport multiple patients, but at the same time, light and agile enough to get into difficult terrain.

The AW139 is designed to be flown by 2 pilots, flying solo is also possible, but only under VFR (Visual Flight Rules), with an additional certification, which LAFD pilots can and do. To fly it under IFR (Instrument Flight Rules), it always requires 2 pilots according to the FAA last time I checked.

The light helicopter type real!LAFD flies is the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, a single engine twin-blade made in Canada. It's an relatively new airframe, set to replace the aging Bell 206, which the LAFD used to operate. It's quite a bit smaller than the AW139, it can only fit 1 pilot and 4 passengers.

While it's perfectly capable of carrying a Bambi bucket to assist with aerial firefighting missions, it's mainly used as a training aircraft for new pilots and HLCO (Helicopter Coordinator) when there is a major catastrophe that requires on-the-site air traffic coordination.

These are all brand new and sophisticated aircrafts that a mere TV channel can't get their hands on without a government budget. So for 911!LAFD Air Ops, ABC went to their usual helicopter service company for prop aircrafts.

Helinet Aviation provides all sorts of helicopter services from aerial journalism, medevac, delivery to regular chartering. All the 911!Air Ops scenes in 7x03 and 7x04 are naturally filmed in the Helinet hanger, for convenience's sake, at VNY, just a runway across from real!Air Ops.

911!Air Ops

Helinet hangar Street View

I believe I've identified all the helicopters shown in 7x03 and 7x04, but let's get the 2 in the background which probably do not belong to 911!Air Ops out of the way:

N72EH, a Sikorsky S76C++, still in its Boston MedFlight livery. Sold to Helinet in 2022, possible used as a medevac vehicle currently? Unlikely to have anything to do with 911!Air Ops, probably just happened to be in the background to make it seem like there were many helicopters.

The one Tommy flies Eddit to Vegas in is N67TV, an Eurocopter AS350B2 Écureuil (aka squirrel). No fire department would ever let employees take their expensive equipment out for a joy ride so it's likely that in universe, Tommy rented it from somewhere outside of the station. IRL though, according to this forum post, it's used as a backup helicopter for all its customer news stations, but also any TV or film production purposes outside of journalism.

Now, for the one seen in the hangar, therefore explicitly belonging to 911!LAFD:

N29HD, also an AS350B2, also a news helicopter. According to this reddit comment, it used to be shared between CBS and FOX, but now it seems to be configured as a dedicated aircraft for ABC7.

The one the who cares gang stole to rescue Bobby and Athena though has a fake registration number on it:

You just have to look up Helinet's fleet, and you will see this is obviously a DHL livery, and it's quite easy to find out that this is actually:

N211FN, an AS350B1 (so an even older variant than the previous two), operated on behalf of DHL for package delivery service.

Don't get me wrong, the AStar (how the AS350 is called in the US) is a versatile and reliable aircraft. It the 4th most produced rotorcraft in the world, someone even managed to land one on top of Mount Everest. But it's kind of small? It can seat only up to 5 passengers with 1 pilot, and there is hardly room left for any gear. There is also no space for stretcher, so anyone they rescue would have to sit upright. It's just not very realistic.

I have no idea what medium duty helicopters 911!Air Ops operate, we're unlikely to see them in the future. There is this Bell 205 in 4x12 Treasure Hunt, but it clearly says L.A County Rescue on the tail.

Pilots

Real!Air Ops pilots wear beige flight suits, it's the aeromedics who wear blue, and helitac crews wear orange. I'm not complaining too much though, Tommy looks good in blue. (I think the chief pilot wears dark blue, but I'm not sure.)

Helicopter pilots in general usually wear helmets, in case a particularly strong pocket of turbulence slams you against the body of the aircraft, or a bird decide to fly through the windshield into your face, but I get that it gets in the way of the camera, so I'm just gonna enjoy Tommy's beautiful face.

Real!Air Ops pilots work on a 24/48 shift schedule just like any platoon firefighters. Due to the danger of pilot fatigue on aviation safety, they do try to limit their continuous flight time to 6 hours before taking a prolong break.

There are 5 levels of pilots: pilot I (trainee), pilot II (probational), pilot III (full pilot), pilot IV (lead pilot) and pilot V (chief pilot). The chief pilot oversees the entire Air Ops and work on a 10 hour per day, 4 days a week schedule. The rest of the pilots are put into 3 shifts, each shift with a pilot IV, 2 pilot IIIs and 2 trainees/probies, together with 4 aeromedics. (Can't find the most updated version, the lastest one I can get my hands on is from 2022, so good enough?) Therefore Tommy's Bobby would not be a captain, it would be a lead pilot.

I've already explained in detail the timeline of Tommy's career as a firefighting pilot, but here is the short version of it: Once accepted into the LAFD pilot training program, he would have to train with the LAPD for 180 hours then back to the LAFD for 200 hours, that takes around 2 years, and by then he would be a probie. After that, he would have to slowly build up flight hours then train and certify for all types of missions on the medium duty helicopter, that would take another 2-3 years, and after that he would be promoted to a pilot III, which is probably the rank he holds now.

We can see from the form Hen submitted in 7x03 that she initially asked for Lucy as their pilot, as she's forgotten that Tommy also worked there. Fortunately Chimney called Tommy, as Lucy most likely would've still been a probie if not just a trainee.

Melton

I have no idea who he is.

I can sort of see his badge says "firefighter"? At real!Air Ops, everyone wears a flight suit as uniform, so that they can hop into a chopper in an emergency. I don't know what a dude in a regular uniform with the regular LAFD patch on his arm doing there.

Tommy's arm has the Air Ops helicopter patch on it.

Real!Station 114 though do have a crash unit staffed with regular firefighters, maybe Melton is with them? But then, why is he doing with Hen's helicopter requisition?

[gnostichymns]

✰ OVERTURE 2024 ! – reblog & send to earn theater tickets.

[PROP DESIGN] - It's hard to make a set on a budget, and that’s where you come in. Show off your own artistic skills by lending a hand to make some props!

[COSTUME RACK] - Need the perfect outfit for your next scene? Look no further! Costumes of every shape and size are yours for the taking, and don't worry if they don't fit! Surely someone around here knows their way around a needle and thread...

[SHARE A COFFEE] - When in Fontaine, it’s impossible to not see every other person walking around with a cup of coffee from the Café Lutece. With all this commotion, business is booming, and what better way to keep the energy up than with a nice, warm cup o’ joe.

[MIC CHECK] - It's hard work to make sure all the equipment is good working order! Help the sound team out by singing in a few notes with a partner.

[STUNT DOUBLE] - Why risk an actor's safety when we can risk yours! Take a fall for a friend, or maybe make one take it for you...

[FIGHT SCENE] - Fighting can be tough, but faking a fight and making it look real is even more difficult. How about a demonstration for these blossoming actors?

[PHOTO OP]- Ready to best capture the occasion, there are countless photographers and photo booths stationed around the city. All it takes is a little mora and those fond memories can be preserved for eternity!

[CLEANUP CREW] - Working on a movie can be quite messy, so it’s all hands on deck to get the set ready for the next scene. While not quite thrilling, help is appreciated all the same.

[CUT LOOSE] - There's music all throughout the streets, and where there is music, there's a moment to dance! Grab someone special and show them your best moves!

[RING TOSS] - A classic game known all across the galaxy! Toss the ring onto the bottle, and earn a prize: your very own miniature armored crab!

[VINGT-ET-UN] - Let’s go gambling! The best bar in Fleuve Cendre is holding a Black Jack tournament. It’s time to test your luck and see if you can make it big, or lose it all.

[CUP PONG] - If gambling isn’t your kind of thing, maybe something lower stakes, though your stomach may hate you tomorrow. And don't worry about what's in the cup, it's totally just Fonta.

[DRESSING ROOM] - Getting prettied up for the camera is quite the arduous task. It takes a proper team to make these actors look flawless, and with everyone so busy, how about lending a hand?

[MAKE-A-MELUSINE] - A hot new product has hit the market and it's selling out quick! Customizable Melusine plushies for yourself or for a friend, and you can even dress them up! (for an extra charge, of course.)

[cod-thoughts]

I'm sorry to hear you're having a rough day Q !!! I hope things get better for you soon, you should treat yourself to something nice in the meantime <3

I don't know if this is really a prompt, more like me spilling some random idea at you, but If this can help as a distraction:

Nik and Price who have decided to go on one of their hush hush black ops together. No backups, no one to pick them up, it's just them. It's dangerous, they know it, they know the risk, but who they're after is too important.

They knew the risk, even when they get separated, coms dead, and Price finds Nik laying on the floor, beaten down, bleeding, three bullets in his bulletproof vest. Nik is almost passed out but tells him he's fine and to go after the man they're here for, but John refuses, letting the guy go, despite what they risked to get him, and takes Nik home.

What follows is a long night of taking care of a bruised Nik, whose ego is hurt just as much as his body is, and who cannot understand why John of all people would let an important target escape to help him, when he wasn't even on the verge of death or anything. Two stubborn men who are very much in love just going at it.

yeah since six am this morning every thing that couldve gone wrong has gone wrong and its still going wrong lmao i made tea like 20mins ago to try to make myself feel better and the lid on my honey came off so i had to clean honey off of my desk :)

this brought me immense joy hehehe i wrote a little snippet for this idea it just came out of my brain i didnt intend to write anything but here we are pfft:

John finishes wrapping the bandage around Nik's arm, his hands steady despite the storm raging in his chest. Nik winces as he shifts, propped up against the couch, his face a patchwork of dried blood and bruises.

"You should have gone after him," Nik says, his voice hoarse but cutting. "We had him, John. You let him go because of me."

Price’s jaw tightens. He doesn’t look up, instead busying himself with the med kit. “I made the call, Nik. Let it go.”

“I was not dying,” Nik insists, a flicker of anger in his pale eyes. “You did not have to—"

“I wasn’t losing you.” John’s voice is low, rough, but the weight behind it silences Nik.

Nik studies him, the line of his shoulders, the way his hand lingers on a bandage like he’s bracing for another argument. “I am not fragile, you know,” Nik says quietly.

“Didn’t say you were,” John counters. He finally looks at him, his blue eyes hard but honest. “But I’ve buried too many people to risk you being another. Call me selfish, but I wasn’t bloody leaving you there.”

Nik scoffs, leaning his head back against the couch with a grimace. “Selfish? You? No. Stupid, maybe.”

“Say what you like,” John mutters, grabbing a wet cloth to clean the blood off Nik’s cheek. He works with a gentleness that doesn’t match his gruff tone. “You’re here. That’s what matters.”

Nik huffs, but there’s no heat behind it. “You will regret it tomorrow,” he murmurs, eyes closing as John’s hand steadies his face. “Letting him go.”

John’s lips twitch into a faint, humourless smile. “Maybe,” he admits. “But not as much as I’d regret losing you.”

Nik opens his eyes at that, his expression softening despite himself. “You are impossible, you know that?”

John sets the cloth aside, his hand lingering for a moment on Nik’s jaw, a rare, unspoken moment between them. “So are you,” he replies. “Guess we’re even.”

The tension between them settles into something quieter, warmer, as John leans back, handing a blanket to Nik with a muttered, “Get some rest. You’ve earned it.”

Nik doesn’t argue this time, though his lips twitch into a faint smirk. “You are not going to hover all night, are you?”

John snorts, settling into the chair beside him. “Like hell I’m leaving you alone. Someone’s gotta keep you from doing something daft.”

Nik huffs out a soft laugh, wincing slightly. “And I cannot stop you?”

“Not a chance,” John replies, leaning back but keeping a watchful eye on him. “You’re stuck with me.”

[sorinethemastermind]

What Can't Be

In which Opeli awakens to a reality more bitter than the one she'd fallen asleep to. #Sorpeli

The fifth time that Opeli woke up in Soren's bed, she could feel that something was different. He was already up, which was unusual. She could see him standing a few steps away, clipping his armor back on. Opeli sat up, holding the blanket around herself as she studied his face.

"Soren? Is everything all right? Has something happened?"

Her mind flashed worriedly to King Ezran and impromptu council meetings. To some new danger threatening Katolis.

But Soren shook his head, sitting in the chair opposite her to pull on his boots. "It's nothing."

And then she understood. "Ah." Opeli glanced around the room, searching for her things, and found more than she had imagined.

A poem on the wall, one he'd written about her.

An extra set of her robes, hanging in his closet.

A book she'd been reading, propped open on his nightstand.

A vase of flowers that she had brought, sitting in his windowsill.

Opeli's eyes flicked back to Soren as he stood, clipping the sword onto his belt. Her voice was soft, tentative as she asked; "Soren, what are we?"

"We're... friends with benefits." he said eventually. "Right? That's what you said. That that's all we could be."

"We can't even be that." Opeli said with a mournful chuckle. She shook her head. "I'm breaking so many rules just by being here."

"Yeah. You said."

She glanced up at him to find his gaze averted, blond hair falling in a curtain across his face, hiding it further. She wanted to reach up and tuck it back so she could see him again. But she didn't, because she didn't think she was allowed to. That wasn't what they were.

"I should be going." she said softly. "King Ezran is holding an early council meeting this morning, and I need to tidy up."

"Yeah. I know."

She grabbed her robe from where she'd left it on the floor the night before, slipping into it quickly before returning the circlet to her head. She'd left it on his nightstand. Opeli thought for a split second how it looked nice there. Like it belonged.

Then she was at the door, hand hovering over the doorknob, not wanting to go but knowing she had to. That was when Soren's voice broke the silence once again.

"Hey, Opeli?"

Her heart thudded in her chest, but she turned to face him and nodded. She waited for him to say all the things she knew he should. That this wasn't enough, that he deserved something better, something real. That she was leading him on when nothing could ever happen between them. Nothing real, anyway. All of this flashed through her mind, but somehow, what he said was worse.

 "I know we can't be anything." he told her, still not meeting her gaze. "But I wish we could."

Opeli's lips parted, but no sound came out. Her hand tightened on the doorknob. He did look up, then, at her silence. A little abashed and nervous. But at the same time his blue eyes flashed with determination, like he was daring her to make him regret voicing what they both knew. She couldn't do that. Not when it would be a lie.

"I do too." she told him, and flitted from the room like the coward that she was.

[eggrollforyou]

Comforting Words

Summary: you're having an emotional morning (see trigger warnings!) and zoro comforts you.

!!Trigger Warning!!: Description of symptoms of moderately severe anxiety and depression, passive suicide ideation, angst to comfort, fluff, soft Zoro, silly Zoro

A/N: I’ve been rewatching pre time-skip arcs and miss how silly OP was! It’s been a rough few weeks for me emotionally and I needed to write some silly Zoro giving comfort. Also, if you’re experiencing depression, anxiety, suicide ideation, PLEASE reach out to someone you trust. It doesn’t make you weak. It happens and it doesn’t have to define you nor does it last forever. Remember to take care of yourself and be KIND to yourself. 

Dividers and banner by @cafekitsune

You woke up this morning with a foggy mind and a heavy heart. Wonderful, I'm still here, you think to yourself. You roll to your side bleary eyed, wishing the world would go dark and time would stop. Pulling the blanket up to your chin, your vision going blurry from your impending tears, you try to force yourself back to sleep.  Unable to take the weight of the day and what it brings. Fuck, I hate this. You close your eyes and force a sigh. 

After another hour or so of hating the day from the minute you woke up, you force yourself to get out of bed. Laundry needs to be done, and it's your turn to clean the bathrooms and the library. Everyone else on the Sunny can manage, why can't you?

The rest of the crew are already in the galley, eating breakfast. You can hear their lively conversations- Usopp regaling chopper and luffy with yet another story, you hear luffy yelling,”Nuh-uh! Usopp, I don't believe that for a second!” and Chopper's instant rebuttal, shouting how it must be true. Sanji fawning over Robin and Nami, “Nami-san, Robin-chan, my dears, your breakfast!” it sounds too bright and lively for your blood this morning.  You're not hungry anyway, may as well just head to the showers.

As you trudge along, you feel like your feet are made of lead. Wondering if you can even muster the energy to take a shower. your shoulders feel so heavy. Before you know it, you're back in bed instead, trying to hold back a wave of unexplainable dread and shame. You can't even take a shower? How useless are you? 

Shut up! Shut UP! SHUT UP! You tell yourself.  Curling up, you close your eyes, Just go back to sleep. You can't do anything anyway.

Zoro sticks his head in the room, seeing your form curled underneath the blanket. He noticed your absence at breakfast. He comes in with a coffee and a small plate of fruit, setting it down, and sitting on the edge of the bed, he leans over pulling the blanket down to find you.

Softly rubbing your shoulder, “Hey, Y/N, wake up. Are you feeling ok? I brought you some breakfast before Luffy ate everything,” he chuckles. You open your eyes, red and puffy from tears. “Shit! Are you ok? What's wrong?” Zoro asks, with worry in his voice. 

You blink a few times. “It's a bad day, Zo’. I just….can't stand it,” your voice quivers. Zoro’s heart clenches seeing you in such a state. There is no physical strength in the world that can help you and his heart breaks when the one form of protection he can provide isn’t good enough. He crawls into bed, propping himself up with his pillow and pulls you to his chest, tightly embracing you, “C’mere,” he whispers into your hair, pressing a kiss above your ear. Tears roll down your face, collecting on Zoro’s shirt. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess. You don’t have to stay. Don’t let me ruin your day,” you sob. “What are you talking about woman, I’m not going anywhere,” he comforts, rubbing his hand up and down your back.

“I’m sorry, really. You deserve someone without so much baggage…why are you even here with me? I don’t deserve the love I get.” The ache in your chest grows. You don’t deserve him. You don’t deserve your friends. Your life. What good are you? You curl into Zoro’s chest harder. Trying to run away from that despicable voice in your head as you fall apart.  

Zoro sighs a forlorn sigh. “You know why I’m here?” You look up at him, as he rubs a thumb on your cheek. “Because you’re kind, smart, compassionate, silly….beautiful. You deserve the world and more. You deserve the love you receive. I am lucky to call you mine. We are lucky to have you on the crew and to be your friend. Don’t listen to that silly little voice in your head,” as he boops your nose. Very uncharacteristic of your stoic, quiet swordsman, making you chuckle.

“Thank you, Zo’....I don’t know what I’d do without you. It’s just so hard to turn off that voice sometimes” as you snuggle into his chest. “I’m sorry I got you covered in my tears…,” as you look down, “...and boogers,” you giggle. Zoro sits up abruptly, throwing his hands up, “That’s it! This is where I draw the line!” He always knows showing this vulnerable silly side of himself is sure to break you out of your spiral. “Nooooooo, wait come back! I’m not done getting boogers on you!” you exclaim. He brings you close and you realize he’s going to force your face on the wet spots on his shirt. Your eyes go wide, “Never mind! No! Go away!” you laugh as he shoots you a toothy grin. Ripping you into his body for a strong hug, making you feel so secure and warm, you breathe him in.

Moments like these are enough of a reprieve from your inner turmoil to make you feel a little more secure. You feel warmth now, where there was heaviness. “I need to take a shower,” you whisper into Zoro’s chest. He peeks down, “Yea, you do. You’re ripe,” he deadpans. Your eyes go wide, “Excuse me?! Coming from the guy that showers like once a week, if I didn’t force you to do it more often!” you pout as he chuckles to himself for teasing you. “C’mon, let’s go stinky, clearly you need some help getting clean. I’ll run you a bath and wash your hair,” he leads you to the bathrooms, holding your hand. “Thank you, for taking care of me, Zoro,” you smile at him appreciatively.

[leaderpinhead]

Idia - The Luck of the Otaku

Prompt: Unlucky

"Idia, this is ridiculous.” 

Idia quickly hushed Yuu. He never took his eyes off the digital clock on his computer screen. The seconds ticked down slower than the minutes. Yuu’s heavy sigh only made him stare at the numbers harder. “You know, when you invited me over, I thought we were actually making progress.” 

“That’s you’re mistake.” 

“I thought we could co-op a dungeon.” 

“Don’t need to be in the same room to do that.” 

“Or maybe join one of the games the other students play in the lounge. The ones with all the dice.” 

“New campaign sign ups don’t start until next month.” 

“You can at least explain why I’m wearing this.” 

Idia’s eyes bounced away from the screen long enough to make sure Yuu still wore the headband he had thrown at her. The bells on it jingled when she tilted her head. If her expression hadn’t looked so bland, Idia would have almost thought the bunny ears and big pink ribbon made her look cute. “I didn’t have a rabbit foot.” 

“So?” 

“I figured the foot of someone pretending to be a rabbit would work instead.” Idia turned back to the screen. Time had flown while he wasn’t looking, and he almost panicked until he was assured his small window of time hadn’t passed. “Now be quiet so I can concentrate.” 

Yuu noisily huffed. “Idia.” 

“I only have a minute left.” 

“A minute left for what?” 

“Ask questions later.” Idia grabbed the bone on the desk and spun around to present it to Yuu. “Here, pull on the other side of this.” 

“Ew. Why do you have a half-eaten chicken wing on your desk?” 

“Questions later—pulling now!” 

Yuu’s nose wrinkled, but she took one section of the chicken wing. Idia pulled on it until the bones snapped apart. He sighed when he ended up with the larger piece and immediately tossed it to the other side of his room. It wasn’t a wishbone, but he was sure it would work the same way since the bones came from the same bird. 

While Yuu made noises of disgust, Idia pulled out the box hidden under his desk. He quickly positioned seven little waving cat figures on his desk. He put a four-leaf clover on each of their heads before he stood and spun three times. 

On the third spin, he reached out to poke Yuu in the arm. Yuu stepped out of his reach. Her eyes narrowed on him. “Don’t touch me.” 

“I have to touch you to complete the ritual!” 

“I’ll drop kick you if you touch me.” 

“Just let me touch your sleeve.” 

“No.” 

“I need a lucky rabbit’s foot!” 

“You’ve completely lost your mind.” 

Idia groaned. He checked the clock. He only had seconds to complete the ritual. Time to pull out the big guns. “I’ll buy the cute skin you want in Towernoon.” 

“I already have enough D-Bucks for that one.” 

“You can take the dorm’s blastcycle out for a ride whenever you want.” 

“I can barely stay upright on those things, let alone drive one.” 

“I’ll buy Grim a custom ribbon!” 

“That’s more to your benefit than mine.” Yuu propped her hands on her hips. “Just tell me what this is all about.” 

Another quick glance at the clock broke him. “I’m buffing my luck stat to the max, so I’ll be the final bid on a set of super ultra rare Premo merch fans.” 

Yuu slowly blinked. “Fans? Like those paper fans Vil had the Film Research Club hand out when they performed at the SDC?” 

Idia scoffed. “These are nothing compared to those cheap misprinted things. These have been kept in pristine condition.” 

“You have a set of Premo fans right there.” 

“These are from Premo’s very first concert!” 

Yuu rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Touch my hand so I can catch back up with Ace and Deuce before they start their horror movie marathon.” 

Idia quickly slapped Yuu’s outstretched palm. He spun around and slammed his keyboard to confirm his bid. He smirked at the time on his clock. “Excellent! There’s absolutely no way anyone could...” 

The digital clock chimed the top of the hour. At literally the same moment, a new bid flashed across his screen. Idia stared in absolute horror as his top bid fell into second place. A notification filled the screen to announce the end of the auction. 

Idia fell to his knees. “My fans...” 

“Guess my hand wasn’t lucky enough,” Yuu said. Idia felt the toe of her shoe nudge against his back. “Maybe you should have touched my actual foot instead.” 

Idia groaned and doubled over in complete devastation. 

[eyelambspider]

♡ Cocktail Parties || Ghost

⤷ summary : (male!version) arguing with you right before an undercover op wasn't... the smartest, because now he has to watch you flirt with strangers. link to fem!reader version!

┊pairing : simon "ghost" riley x male!reader (suit wearing reader), tf 141 mentioned ┊content warning : (un)established relationship (you can choose), jealousy, anger, slight angst, suggestive, arguments, mentions of drinking/alcohol, men & women flirt with reader ┊word count : 1.5 k ┊a/n : men & women flirt with reader bc god it makes me happy to write and i know it would piss ghost off too- really hope you enjoy reading ♡

The night was still young, on the crest of dipping into the rich gala that embodied upper-class society: Women and men alike danced in a whirl of sequins, satin and silk. Flaunting bubbling flutes of champagne and pretty lies. Bodies, throats, and wrists fitted snuggly and dripping in diamonds.

It was truly a party for the top one-percent of society. The extravagant guestlist filled to the brim with cold business moguls, old money, the famous, and the beautiful. Each bumping shoulders with glittery laughs and white smiles.

It gave Ghost a headache. Watching through the lenses of his binoculars as the crystal chandeliers glinted off the marble ballroom and directly into his retinas.

The operation had only 'officially' started merely an hour ago. The moment your shiny shoes kissed the floors below. And Ghost had come into it pissed.

Coiled up tighter than a snake and twice as twitchy, just a hair's breadth away from lashing out at the first thing that interrupted his brooding.

Price and the others had noticed, but decided not to comment on the Lieutenants hard-set jaw and his white knuckle death grip on the binoculars.

The three remaining member of Taskforce 141 exchanged knowing glances. Each of them knew it.

The two of you had fought before this.

About what? Nobody was going to ask. Not with him silently seething and muttering curses over the comms like a dreary static.

To say they were utterly relieved to be positioned away from him was an understatement. Eager to give the Lieutenant his space.

It left Ghost to his own thoughts, propped on the roof of the venue, looming over the edge of the intricately crafted glass dome like an ominous shadow. Giving him the perfect opportunity to watch over you-the Taskforce's trump card-as you gathered information on the ground and mingled.

Tonight, the collective mission was to get close to the target. To pick up information on most of the guests here, even a little. Each guest having their hands in less-than-legal business ventures. One man in particular... DeLuca or some asshole-ish name along the lines... who cared.

Ghost had something more important on his mind tonight.

He hadn't taken his eyes off you since you'd stepped foot in the building. The sight of you was enough to punch a hole clean through his chest and leave him burning up on the edges.

You walked the floor like you owned it, had to make sure of it to blend in with such an elegant crowd. A grin pulling at your lips, dripping with a natural charm that made hearts flutter. Eyes turning kindly towards whoever spoke to you or tried to catch your attention. Returning needy, simmering glances with a coy, knowing tense in your shoulders.

That was it. He was going to break these stupid fucking binoculars clean in half-

but ffuck-! He couldn't!

It would leave him without a way to watch you properly.

Ghost grit his teeth instead, suddenly forgetting to breathe under all the tension that was building up in his muscles. His legs were stiff. The one he was knelt on completely numb from the position, and his biceps were locked in a fierce bundle of (what he was convinced could only be) residual anger from your fight.

You moved through the fray of millionaires with a casualness that alluded confidence. Not afraid to gently part through the mass of high maintenance bodies and figures in a bid to get closer to the target on the other side of the ballroom. It caught the attention of those around you in a way that didn't bother the Captain, but rather, the Lieutenant.

The patrons of the party not looking with suspicion... but desire. A desire to know the man who was walking with a quiet purpose and without a second glance back at them. When their time was worth thousands... you seemed to spare not a second on them.

Ghost couldn't even remember what the two of you had been fighting about. The entire gist of the argument flying out of his head as he watched. They all looked at you like they had a fucking chance in hell with you. It made his blood boil. The sounds of his contempt catching over the comms. "Fucking-... bloody b-... always-..."

Women with dark made-up lashes let their gazes fall over you as you passed, offering tiny giggles. Men trying to step into your path 'accidentally' and introduce themselves. Vying for your attention, or at least, your name.

Ghost had been so caught up in the fight. So angry and refusing to be anything less than right that he hadn't seen you since earlier today. Had missed the way you had gotten ready for the operation-for the party.

You had cleaned up well. Hair trimmed and styled neatly, a few locks dropping tantalizingly near your temple. And... "fuck me" Ghost muttered inaudibly... Your black suit fit like a dream on your body. Tailored and pressed to perfection, boldening the lines of your shoulders and chest, sinched to a fault at the waist.

Ghost felt a heat begin to bloom over his body and trickle down to the swell in his pants. Drinking in and savoring the sight of you even if he stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. His brown eyes followed the hard line of your belt, the way it hugged your hips as you walked, before his gaze wandered and traced the steamed line of your pants. The sleek fabric made your legs look...

Fuck, you were handsome.

He shook his head and grumbled some more, still trying to huff in defiance of how he felt. Even if he was still heated, it was for an entirely different reason now.

Within range of the target, you stopped just short of Deluca's social circle by picking up a bubbling flute of champagne to avert suspicion. Before you could even pretend to bring the rim of the glass up to your lips, a woman's hand clasped gently over your shoulder, running over the fine fabric of your suit with a perfectly manicured caress. A soft, sharp smile dancing across her lips as she stepped in front of you, inviting herself into your space seamlessly. Her hand lingering and trailing down your bicep before she pulled it away.

Ghosts gloves creaked in protest again as he gripped his binoculars tighter. Watching her eyes rover over your face, tracing your jawline with a bone-deep confidence in herself. Had Ghost been down there, no one would lay a hand on you like that. No one would even be able to fucking shoot you a longing glance.

The man who accompanied her followed, debonair and smoky, reaching out a strong hand to shake yours in greeting. He bowed his head, gripping your hand subtly and leaning forward in order to steal a more intimate glance. His eyes flickering down to your lips before a grin pulled at his cheek and he stepped back.

The two making easy conversation with you.

"That cocky fucking bastard," Ghost seethed, attention zeroing in on the walking trust fund in front of you.

It was part of the operation. He had to tell himself that to keep his fucking head on straight.

You were in the best spot to pick up chatter from the target behind you. Indulging in laughs with people who had learned how to carry one without a second thought.

And there wasn't a fucking thing Ghost could do about it except watch. The way people teased and flirted so openly with you, stealing touches and glances. Drinking you in like the sparkling bubbles they held flawlessly between their fingers. All haughty gazes and blatant interest.

It made Ghost's stomach and chest roil with disgust. A deep heat settling over his body. The anger that once simmered in his veins was now laced with an even uglier emotion: unbridled jealousy.

No. After this fucking farce of an operation was over and you were back with the team... He was going to find you. Fuck-! you were his the moment you stepped out of this building.

The thought made his body flutter with rage and lust. The idea of having you alone now, in that suit of yours and all to himself, was a dangerous one.

You were going to get an ear full after this... fuck, maybe more. The image of his own hands running over your suit flashing into his mind. Hiking your leg over his waist, kissing you until your pretty hair was disheveled and your tie was askew.

Those rich pricks would get an eye full of you now-let them-because he was going to be the only one to see you writhing and blushing beneath him at the end of the night.

[heaven-s-black-box]

Positive Reinforcement- Ganyu x fem!Reader

Return to File

Recovery date: December 22nd, 2023

Description: Ganyu flusters so easily with praise, Y/n tries to break the habit with a bit of positive reinforcment.

Includes- fluff, slight plot, praise, fingering, one mention of panty gag

Notes: Thank you to my friend who beta read this.

Word count: 1 370

Back to directory

Ganyu is so good, so perfect, that it’s hard to put into words. It doesn’t help that she’s quick to shut down compliments with flustered insistence, but Y/n has come to the realization that if she can’t speak she can’t deny. So she starts slow.

“Good morning,” Y/n hums as she hears the soft shuffling of Ganyu’s slippers enter the kitchen.

“Morning,” she yawns.

As Y/n continues to stir their food, Ganyu wraps her arms around her waist and rests her chin on her shoulder. Y/n starts to sway gently and laughs at the gentle breaths tickling her neck. They make idle chatter as Ganyu regretfully pulls away to set the table, and then they settle down.

It’s when Ganyu starts eating that Y/n speaks again.

“You look gorgeous this morning,” she sighs, chin propped up in her palm as she stares at her with half lidded eyes.

The effect is instantaneous. Ganyu’s face flushes and she tries to swallow so fast that she almost chokes.

Y/n’s eyes widen and she reaches awkwardly across the table to push Ganyu’s water closer to her. The Qilin snatches it up and carefully takes a sip before coughing some more. There’s an awkward smile on Y/n’s face as she struggles not to laugh.

Once she finished coughing, Ganyu offered Y/n a pout.

“My hair is a mess.”

“An adorable one… Want to see my favorite part about it?”

Her brows furrowed in confusion as Y/n rounded the table. She placed her hands on Ganyu’s cheeks, tilting her head up, and then slid her hands back to grip at her hair. There was a soft gasp as Y/n gently tugged at it, a smug smirk forming on her face as she leaned in.

“So soft,” Y/n mumbled, her smirk morphing into a smile as Ganyu’s face turned bright red again.

Before Y/n could lean in, Ganyu leaned her forehead against hers.

She gaped for a little bit, before stumbling over her words and finally whispering, “The food’s going to go cold.”

“Hmm, I’ll heat it up again after.”

“But-” Y/n gently tugged on her hair again. “I-I think  that’s a good idea.”

“Good girl.”

Y/n slid her hands down Ganyu’s neck before finally leaning in for a kiss. She pulled her closer by the back of the neck and stepped back so she was forced to stand, while her other hand dropped to the hem of her nightgown and slid up to her bare waist.

Ganyu shivered at the gentle touch, and yelped when Y/n pulled the band of her underwear back so it recoiled against her.

They stood there for a moment, in the middle of the house, making out. Y/n would tug gently at Ganyu’s hair on occasion as she traced circles on her waist, while Ganyu gripped at the back of her sleepshirt. Her hips would jerk forward on occasion as she whimpered, making Y/n chuckle.

“More,” Y/n breathed as they tried to catch their breaths.

“Mhm.”

Ganyu slid her hands around to Y/n’s front and dragged her back towards their room.

She settled into the bed on her back, as Y/n sat straddled at the top of her thighs and leaned over her. Ganyu rested her hands on her hips and whimpered as Y/n rolled them into her. Her grip tightened.

“So pretty,” Y/n cooed at the way Ganyu’s face scrunched up.

“Sto-op.”

“Oh come on, nothing like that.”

Y/n shifted around to slip off her underwear before balling them up and holding them out infront of her with a sweet smile.

“I’ll give you a choice, accept the compliments and let me praise you or I can gag you.” Y/n leaned next to her ear and whispered, “I would much rather skip the gag.”

“I… I’ll be good.”

“Aw, you’re always good,” she placed a kiss along Ganyu’s jawline. “The best.” The flush across her skin darkened, and Y/n could see the way her jaw tightened as she bit her lip. “My beautiful qilin,” she mumbled as she pressed another kiss to Ganyu’s neck.

Ganyu whimpered at the praise, and buried her face in Y/n’s shoulder.

“You’re soaked,” Y/n snickered.

“I had a nice dream last night.”

“Are you sure?” Y/n teased. “You sure it doesn’t have anything to do with me calling you a good girl?” Ganyu tucked her face into Y/n’s shoulder, teeth grazing her skin as she chewed her lip, and dug her nails further into the fabric of her shirt. “My pretty girl.” Y/n let her nose drag against Ganyu’s skin as she turned her head up to her horns. “My pretty qili-ah!”

Ganyu bit her shoulder, making her gasp and buck into Ganyu.

“I get it,” she practically sobbed.

Y/n laughed before making her way down to her cunt and biting her lip at how utterly soaked Ganyu’s underwear were. Ganyu seemed to catch on because she let out an embarrassed whine and covered her face while trying to close her legs.

Y/n held her thighs apart, and leaned her head against one of them as she looked up at Ganyu– not that she could see her face, but she wasn’t complaining about the view. Ganyu, however, could see Y/n staring with lidded eyes up at her, and it made her squirm.

“Ah!” Ganyu gasped as Y/n kissed her clit.

“Pretty sounds for a pretty girl,” Y/n mumbled before licking at Ganyu’s clit.

In return, she let out a loud moan and locked her thighs around Y/n’s head.

The bedroom was quickly filled with Ganyu’s pleasured sounds as she scrambled to hold onto Y/n’s shoulders. On occasion she would buck her hips up, into Y/n’s mouth, making her stop and place a hand on her lower abdomen with a soft scolding to be patient. 

“I need more,” Ganyu cried, “please, I want to come.”

“Really?”

“Yes!” Ganyu pushed herself up on her elbows to look down at Y/n.

Her face down to her chest was heavily flushed, and she was breathing heavily with teary eyes. Y/n’s eyes softened as she looked up at her with adoration. Ganyu shuddered as Y/n dragged her hand down her abdomen to between her legs, barely grazing her clit.

“Stay.”

Before Ganyu could ask what she meant, Y/n slid her middle finger in; causing Ganyu’s eyes to screw shut and her muscles to go tense in shock. Y/n began slowly pumping her finger in and out, then added another to stretch her out, all the while looking Ganyu in the eye.

“Good girl,” Y/n cooed, making Ganyu tighten around her fingers. She leaned back down, her breath making Ganyu moan and shudder, and went back to playing with her clit.

Ganyu’s arms gave out behind her, dropping her back onto the bed as her legs tightened even more around Y/n. She was practically screaming at this point, babbling on and on about something incomprehensible.

“Cumming, cumming, cu-” Y/n pulled her head back and sat up, leaving Ganyu’s legs hanging off her shoulders.

She slowly removed her fingers, making Ganyu whine out in frustration both at the denied orgasim and the complete lack of stimulation. As their eyes met again, Y/n licked her fingers clean and laughed as Ganyu turned away and tried to bury her face into the pillow.

“ ‘M sorry, I’d just hate to miss the pretty look on your face when you cum.” She threw one of her legs over Ganyu’s so that their hips aligned. There was a soft gasp from Ganyu as Y/n’s cool arousal touched her sensitive cunt. “Besides,” she gave Ganyu a mock pout, “I want to cum too.”

Maybe positive reinforcement was an easier way to get Ganyu to accept compliments, Y/n thought as she began to grind into her.

“You really are gorgeous,” Y/n mumbled as she buried her face into Ganyu’s chest.

“Y/nn,” Ganyu whined.

There was definitely more work to be done, but hey, they had all day.

[meyobe]

could you do obey me boys with a professional volleyball player mc? 🤫 like they enter at RAD's volleyball team and are absolutely SLAYING o smth like that

A/n: Im making Mc hella op when it comes to volleyball. Mc for world domination 2023.

These are also play offs of the brother before I personally think it’s more entertaining. You’ll be of the boss of that though.!

Lucifer

It had only been a month since Mc had been ( abducted ) from their home.

It had been only a month and you’re already disobeying him.

Mc’s schedule was HOL-RAD-HOL.

As soon as that last bell rang MC was meant to go straight to HOL with the company of Mammon.

Yet, Lucifer found Mammon coming home alone and asked where MC was.

Turns out Mc had been paying off Mammon to drop them off at the gym for practice and pick them up before Lucifer came home.

He wondered where Mc got the nerve while he was on his way to the gym.

He busted open the gym door.

Only to see Mc diving into over the out of bounds line and hit the ball behind them and over the net and score a point.

( think that nishinoya scene from haikyu)

Mc was cheering with their team before feeling a familiar gaze on them.

“I see you’ve made yourself acquainted with the volleyball team.” His words were harsh and cold

Just as you were about to speak.

“ If you wanted to join extra curricular activities, you should’ve just asked instead of paying my brother off.”

He then explain how Diavolo wants Mc to get the full experience.

And for a while that was that.

Until, he’d come and watch Mc play.

When questioned about it later on he’d say.

“ I cant very have the exchange student injured due to this game”

He’d make sure Mc wasn’t hurt and if they were sore he’d offer some sort of concoction to help the pain.

Mammon

At first he wasn’t to sure about disobeying Lucifer rules. They were set in place an- Mc said 20 Grimm each day he covers for them?

He’s all on board.

At the start he didn’t even think Mc would get on the team.

Was he sorely mistaken.

He had just drop Mc off and didn’t want to go home right away.

He was walking around campus before finding himself back at the gymnasium.

He thought he’d pass some time by watching you fail.

Maybe if he recorded it, it could sell as a “ Big Time Fails of Devildom” ( I completely made this up)

He walked in and propped his camera up.

Mc was running up for the ball and spiked it over their opponents heads.

And that was game.

He was flabbergasted. How could a human be so good at volleyball and nonetheless beat demons?!????

He immediately pullled you away and was asking if you cheated.

“ Why or even How could I cheat?” Mc says wiping sweat off their forehead.

“The same way I cheat off Satan’s tests”

“Wait… don’t tell him that, but I’m totally posting this. I could make a fat buck off of this🤫.”

He would sit on the stands and watch as Mc destroyed the opposite team.

He’d always come up after just to ask you how did it feel to win?

He could feel the greed of your pact coming off of you.

He’d also see Lucifer there asking why the hell is he there saying he was there first🙄.

#JealousMammonisadream

Levi

He was just watching Deviltube before he saw that Mammon posted something.

Human wipes the floor with demon:NOT CLICKBATE 100% Real 👹😮‍💨🙀💯🔥

He knows Mammons stupidity know no bound so he decided to watch it.

And as the caption stated Mc did wipes the floor with those demons.

He immediately thought of a human anime he saw about volleyball.

He wondered if you saw the ball coming to you in slo-mo before making a move.

As soon as Mc came home he’d ask all kinds of questions about it.

When did Mc first start to play volleyball?

Do you actually enjoy it?

Is this a normie thing ?

Can he maybe come to watch you play?

Mammon would shut him down as he does but after another month he asked MC.

He had one class with Mc where he was the only brother there so that’s when he asked.

“Mc… do you think I could watch you play. “ his voice just above a whisper.

“Hm? Oh, Of course you Can. I actually have a game this Saturday you’re more than welcome to come!!! I hope to see you Leviathan😁.”

The smile was enough to make him pass out.

Satan was the one to catch him.

The image of you walking away after dating he could go was enough t to make him pass out again.

He came with so many snacks and drinks that weekend.

He also recorded and compared it to the anime he saw.

Satan

“Levi? Are you okay?”

“Mc…. Volleyball”

He watched as Levi passed out again.

Placing him on the table to try to figure out what he meant by that.

Come to think of it he did hear about an extremely good volleyball player this year.

It couldn’t be Mc right? Their only a human.

Theres no way a human could be that good…right?

He doesn’t use social media as much as his brother so he doesn’t know who it is exactly.

He knows that the volleyball team had practice Mon, Wen,Thru, and Friday.

He’d just have to wait till tomorrow to find out if it’s true.

The bell had just rang and he was on a mission.

On his way to the gym he bummed Into asmo but no time for distractions.

He saw Lucifer and Mammon on the benches. Bickering of course but he saw Mc returning the ball to their teammate and receive it back no problem.

Maybe Mc was the right person he was looking for.

His head followed the ball back and forth as he saw Mc grab the ball and put it away.

He didn’t say anything like his brother did.

He just examined you like an animal in its environment.

He was amused with the way you held your own.

Something about not needing help from your teammates got to him.

His cheeks were turning red.

He was going to come to you’re game on Saturday whether he asked you or not.

“Oooooo is a brother of mine blushing?”

Asmo

“By the way I didn’t appreciate how you ignored me in the halls :(.“

Satan simply rolled his eyes and walked towards the benches with his brothers.

“I heard about Mc’s volleyball abilities but never had time to come and see them” he said sitting down next to Satan.

He turned back to see his older brothers a couple of benched up from him.

He watched as you set the net up.

He made comments about Mc’s shorts saying something about how come they can wear shorts that short but he can’t.

Satan tried to explain the different between game uniform and nudity.

He didn’t see a difference. ( he’s so 😜)

When it Mc’s turn yo serve he doesn’t think much of it. Until.

BAMB

The sound of the ball hitting the other demons forearm made him cringe.

He knew the basics of volleyball but in no way was that sound apart of the game.

He shut his mouth as watched the game like an addict.

He wondered what was your next move cheering you on from the benches.

He already knew what products to give to you help with redness or sore muscles.

As soon as practice was over he ran over to Mc.

Telling them how scary the sound was and they should be more careful.

He wishes he came sooner.

He help Mc walk home due to sore legs much to Mammons protest.

He’d take care of you when you got home.

Beel

His practice was over before Mc’s and he was the only one who knew about their hidden talent.

He was in the kitchen when he heard the front door open. He saw mc wrapped around Asmo.

He assumed they overdid it at practice.

“Ooh little brother did you know Mc was on the volleyball team?!?? They are amazing!!! <3” he said placing Mc on a chair.

“ Of course I did, I practice with them.” Munch munch munch

The room went quiet.

The brothers all questioned him.

After getting confirmation from Mc.

“Beel how could you not tell us?!?! I mean Im your big brother:/“

“It’s not like you asked”

“ROTFFFF , you totally just got owned”

“Maybe It’s because you not his fav big bro like I am right beel 🤑”

“Belphie is my favorite.”

Satan and Lucifer try not to laugh and walk away.

In the distance you can hear a certain blonde laughing.

Eventually things die down and he asks you if you want to take an ice bath.

The two of you are a couple feet apart of your own container filled with ice talking about how practice was.

He supports Mc’s game choice and helps them with tips hes learned along the way.

He can’t make it to ever practice but he’s at every game cheer you on.

With Mc’s number on his cheek holding a sign.

Belphie

He was the day of the game but he didn’t even know if. The house was less noisy that usual.

He found the loud noises comforting and can’t sleep without them.

Annoyed, he looks around the house for his brothers.

He finds you Instead.

“Where are my brothers?”

He saw Mc is a uniform and was confused.

“Wait did beel have a game today?”

“No, it’s actually my game?…”

“Since when are you on the volleyball team?”

“Since ever?”

“Why didnt you tell me?”

His attitude made him seem like he wasn’t Into going to your games.

But turn out he was.

He knew how much this meant to you.

So he stood up the entire time. Not falling asleep once.

Once the game was over the brother all came to you but him.

Walking out the gym you saw him in your jersey.

He had left early to get you merch.

He apologized for not being there for the finally match.

He had bought the entire stand.

Hoodie, shirts, mugs.

Claiming his brothers would find good use in them.

He promised he be at ever game and asked Mc to sign the jersey he bought.

He wears the jersey to sleep every night.

It’s good luck he says.

A/n: Oh my lorddd this took forever. I am not going back to fix errors so plz don’t criticize me!!!

I hope you all enjoyed!!! ❤️