#rotating these six guys in my brain

[skrs-cats]

thinking about cinderlion kits and how hollytufts reaction to flywhisker and snaptooth leaving to become kittypets was to aggressively call them traitors

[genderfluid-druid]

Hmm.

[strawberri-syrup]

i love applying the song downhill by lincoln to characters. both as a literal thing (falling to their death) or as a metaphorical thing (fall from grace)

[insomnya777]

Hello! First I want to say I adore your boat boys super power AU so much, it’s currently rotating at light speed in my brain like a broken microwave. I think I’ve read at least six times all the way through with what you have, it’s fantastic!

I was also wondering if you had any other recs or personal favorites for boat boys fics, or just fics in general, I’m always looking for recommendations and wonderful authors usually also have great tastes in other fics as well! Thank you for what you do for the boat boy and smalletho community, you’re keeping us well fed lol

Oh my god I have many many recommendations!!!! I've actually been waiting for someone to ask me this LOL

Completed:

Settled is one of my favourites of all-time. If you read it you'll see the long ass comment I left on it lol. Description: A five plus one type of fic where Etho struggles to voice his feeling about double-life, and Joel is there to make it harder.

BIR Universe is a classic, a staple, even. One of the most iconic series of all time. Description: A very messy college universe with a bunch of hermitcraft/life series members.

Somehow, I always end up back in Marianas Trench is another personal favourite. I reread it way too often. The writing is incredible in this one + has a side of ranchers and impdubs. Description: AU where our three favourite soulbound couples go on a triple date! Except it's not a date, all of them broke up sometime before or during their last year of college and none of them are over each other.

Holy Father, judge my sins is so, so good. Anything by giddyfenix always is, I think I've read, like, all of their works. Description: Joel and Etho as the seven deadly sins. After all, what were they if not corrupted?

I Don't Smoke (Except for When I'm Missing You) made my heart break a million times over. I actually cannot read this fic without breaking down. It is a clockers-centered fic, exploring the Etho-Scar relationship, but I had to include it because it's just one of my favourite fics of all time. Description: A look into Etho's perspective on the life he and Scar share. They're not so different, you know? They both like to run away.

Works In Progress:

to all the ships at sea is another personal favourite, because the writing is just so, so good. There are currently six chapters out! Description: Etho has a job as part of the crew manning a lighthouse on a small island. With Cleo and Bdubs gone for a few weeks, Etho settles in to keep the Light running single-handedly. He wasn't expecting his life to be turned upside-down when a visitor turns up on the island, completely out of the blue...and he definitely wasn't expecting to develop feelings for the mysterious young man.

Good Luck, Babe is also very, very good. There are seven chapters out right now! Description: Etho couldn't get himself to turn Joel down. Even when Joel has made it clear time and time again that he had no problem doing the same to him. The lengths he was willing to go for a guy who would barely even let them be seen together in public...

hi, etho is super cute, too. I read it a while ago, and it's still one of my favourites, so do what you will with that. Description: About a month after going missing and having no memories to show for it, Etho gets a weird letter from a strange, anonymous sender who might have the answers to his questions.

And that's about it!! If anyone has more recommendations feel free to comment or leave in the tags because I'm always looking for more fics LOL <3

[awkward-tension-art]

Darkness on Umbara Chp.2 (Rex x Reader)

Chapter 1. Chapter 3.

Pong Krell

cw: Rex x Reader, Reader is a medic, incorrect military procedure, graphic descriptions of injuries, blood, swearing, death and battle, Spoilers for the Umbara Arc, Pong Krell is an asshole, reader insert, reader is gender neutral, no use of (Y/N), if i miss a tag LMK

Minors DNI, even if theres no smut

“Don’t worry about me, Doc.” A trooper, Watcher, stood. His arm had been broken and it would need a few rotations to fully heal even with the bacta. 

“It’s my job to worry about you.” You smiled at him, “go on. You're all patched up.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Watcher saluted respectfully before stepping to the edge of the trench and following it to his position.

Kix sounded from where he finished up with another trooper, “You're too nice to these guys.” 

“Well, I’ve found that my patients respond better to some kindness.” You snarked back, “Which is probably why everyone prefers me as their medic.” 

“Maybe if you-”

Kix’s words were cut off by a howl of agony further down the trench. You heard the cries and calls of different soldiers.

“What is that!?” “Shoot it!” 

Immediately chaos erupted. Someone, Jesse, tackled you to the ground. Just in time, because when you looked up, you noticed a dark, smoking burn on the trunk of a bioluminescent tree where your head had been in front of. 

“Ambush!” Someone shouted out through more blaster shots. 

Out of the corner of your eye there was a clone shaped burst of electric blue. His body collapsed and from it, a glowing six legged creature leapt to the ground and scuttled through the staging area. A couple of soldiers chased, shooting at the nimble thing.

Someone's down. Electricity. Heart could have stopped. Burns definitely. 

You ran forward, skidding to a stop behind a large rock. Two shots nicked the stone, but you remained focused on the downed trooper. After a second you ran forward again, only to jerk back, narrowly avoiding a blaster bolt to the chest. 

Two Umbarans burst from the foggy darkness and ran forward, blasters glowing through the shadows. You dove back behind the boulder, hand steady on your blaster pistol. 

“Get back!” The ground shook slightly as an ARF-trooper slammed the metal foot of his AT-RT in front of your cover. He snarled, firing his laser cannons. The damn Umbarans didn’t stand a chance.

“Thank you!” you shouted up at him before sprinting to the downed trooper. His body was smoking from the heat of the electric bug. you swore, ripping off his plastoid chest piece and beginning compressions. You counted, hitting 30 before checking his pulse.

Nothing. He wasn’t moving. Brain must’ve been fried.

You tried compressions again to the same result.

Name. What was his name? Through the dark you saw a diamond tattoo next to his eye. 

Vim. His name was Vim.

Another one of those fucking blue creatures scuttled over the side of the trench. The bioluminescent creature was focused on you. It screeched and leapt, sharp, crackling claws ready.

You were ready too, pistol aim steady. You pulled the trigger and scorched its tail. It missed your body and hit the ground where Anakin swiped down with his lightsaber. 

“Nice shot.” He greeted you, kneeling down behind the cover of the trench. Rex was, thankfully, next to him.

“What the fuck are these things?!” you asked, keeping your head down. You technically weren’t supposed to be in the thick of battle. Plus, you couldn’t see if Kix managed to protect the medical speeder and its supplies. You had to get back to your original position.

The jedi stood, deflecting glowing blaster shots, “Dunno, but they’re definitely a pest.”

“Call in an airstrike on enemy positions.” The 501st nodded to the general when Anakin knelt again.

“Let's hope they’re not too busy helping Obi-wan!”

Rex, the ever strategic mind, continued, “There's an opening to our south,” He motioned in the proper direction, “I recommend we move all platoons off the ridge in case the airstrike over shoots.”

Get back to the speeder and get the supplies out of here.

You didn’t wait to hear more. General Skywalker usually followed Rex’s recommendation, so that's your cue to get back.

As you weaved through other soldiers, cover and the glowing plant-life, Anakin called out, just as predicted, “Everyone, move out! Now!” 

Thankfully, the speeder was untouched. Nearby, an ARF trooper leaning over the edge of his AT-RT raised a shaky hand to you. He was alive.

You refused to leave him.

“Kix, where are you?” You spoke into your com as you started the speeder and moved closer to the downed transport. A blaster narrowly missed your cheek, but you didn't break your focus. At the moment, the pain was barely a sting.

“Heading south, where the fuck are you?” 

“On my way.” Your hands were on the injured soldier and heaved onto the attached stretcher in a matter of seconds. Revving the medical vehicle, you sped over the edge of the trench and followed the troopers south. 

The terrain was rough. You could barely tell what was on the ground as you drove. Leaning over, you put a stabilizing hand on the injured trooper, speeding over a pretty steep ridge. The transport lurched, but you managed to keep it steady. 

Thankfully, the poor ARF trooper groaned when you got the speeder stable again. 

If he had the energy to make noises, he had the energy to survive.

You noticed Anakin’s blue lightsaber in the distance. Next to him, Rex.

You slowed the speeder down, stopping behind the cover of dark, twisted claw-like plant life. Other soldiers had beat you there, and it seemed like most of the platoons would make it. 

However, you didn’t have time to really process who was around you. Killing the engine of your vehicle, you slipped off to kneel at the injured trooper's side. Even in the lowlight, you assessed what you could. 

Two blaster hits. One through the upper shoulder. Another through the thigh. 

Your eyes roamed the troopers around you. Mentally, you checked off those that you knew. Jesse. Kix. Hardcase. Fives. Rex and Anakin, of course. Seemed you were right and a good majority of the platoons made it.

“Kix, I need you.” you called to him. Tag-teaming these wounds would be the best option.

Wordlessly, he lowered his blaster and got to your side. 

As you worked, you heard the chatter, “All here, sir.” Rex breathed in relief. 

“Stay covered, we have to hold the position!” Anakin barked, keeping his body close to the black trunk of the mangled umbaran tree. 

It was quiet for a moment before Tup spoke, “Are you sure those bombers are coming?” The poor almost-shiny trooper sounded scared, but refused to show it. Jesse nudged him slightly.

There was more thick silence as you focused on treating the ARF trooper. 

Blessedly, in the distance you could hear the approaching drone of the bombers. Briefly, you looked up, recognizing the distinct shape of Y-wings. And usually, wherever they went, precise explosions followed. 

Just as you finished your thought, the world lit up with the burning fires of the bombs. The explosives went off, shaking the ground and illuminating everything around you. Immediately the soldiers cheered as the Umbaran forces were decimated by the air support. 

“Hell yea!” 

“Good ol’ Oddball! Always on target!”

“Take that Umbaran scum!”

You couldn’t help but laugh slightly. It always brightened your mood whenever the clones celebrated. Finding even the smallest amount of happiness did wonders for morale. 

There was another groan and the ARF trooper tried to sit up. He raised an armored hand to his helmet, as if trying to rub his eyes, “Thanks Kix, Thanks doc.” 

“Lay down, you barely just came back to the land of the living.” You gently put a hand on his chest and push him back down, “Get some rest. You need a good rotation or two before you're fit for battle.”

Kix patted your shoulder and stood, shushing you softly. 

You followed his line of sight, seeing General Skywalker and your lover speaking to another jedi. You missed the first part of their conversation, but quickly put the pieces together. 

“Well, I can’t just leave my men!” Anakin practically shouted in frustration. He cared too deeply to leave the 501st to someone else. 

The new arrival, Jedi Master Krell…

Your hackles were raised. You didn’t know the bastard, but you knew his casualty number. You’ve read reports. Too many troops died under his command. Too many good men. His tactics got results, but at the cost of his own soldiers. 

You narrowed your eyes. 

“I’ll be taking over in the interim.” Krell gave a slight bow.

“Don’t worry about a thing, sir,” Rex was facing Anakin, “We’ll have this city under Republic control by the time you’re back.”

The Jedi sighed and nodded, “Master Krell, this is Rex. My first in command." Even from where you were behind him, you knew he looked proud as he practically presented the captain to Krell, “You won’t find a finer and more loyal trooper anywhere.”

“Good to hear that.” The senior jedi patted the younger’s shoulder, “I wish you well, Skywalker.” The farewell was brief and the 501st general walked to the gunship transport. Two other soldiers were going to accompany Anakin, as it lifted to the air. 

You shared a look with Kix and returned to the speeder. Something tells you that everyone will be moving out soon. 

“Your reputation precedes you, General. It is an honor to be serving you.” Rex stepped up next to their new leadership. The clone captain was being respectful, as he always was. Since this isn't the first time the 501st was given a different command, everyone did their best to show respect. It established a good relationship right off the bat, and allowed for better communication for the future. 

“I find it interesting, Captain, that you are able to recognize the value of honor,” Pong Krell’s tone became icy. He turned, keeping his 4 arms clasped behind his back, “For a clone.” 

You paused, and immediately the mood shifted. 

Oh fuck no. it's one of these assholes! You looked over at Fives, his face held the same befuddlement as yours probably did.

“Stand at attention when I address you.” The Besalisk snapped.

The men stiffened and you slipped off the speeder to do the same. 

Krell began to stalk forward, eyes roaming over the battalion, “Your flattery is duly noted but it will not be rewarded.” His gaze was clearly critical as he took in his new force, “There’s a reason my command is so effective, and it's because I do things by the book.” 

At the cost of good men. You nearly snarled. 

“You,” The jedi master stood in front of you, “Are no clone. Name and rank, trooper.” 

You introduced yourself, “I’m the field doctor of the 501st. I tend to the seriously wounded and maintain the medical supplies.”

His eyes narrowed on you, “And why, might I ask, would someone with your…skill set be slumming it with the clone troopers. There are other platoons with non-clones that could use you.”

Your hand twitches, readying to swing. However, you caught Rex shaking his head from behind the General. Instead, you swallowed your anger. 

“Respectfully, General, I am not ‘slumming it.’ my fellow troopers are good, loyal and hardworking men.” you answered him honestly, “I see no difference between them and I.”

Pong Krell let out a condescending laugh, “Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. As long as you can take orders.” He walked past you, but paused to glare down at the injured ARF trooper, “Have all platoons ready to move out immediately. That is all.” He sneered.

Your new General didn’t look back as the troops prepared to move. You got back on the medical speeder and cast a worried look at your lover. 

Rex sighed and put his helmet on to join Krell at the front.

This…is going to be a long campaign.

[miqotepotatoe]

Take some Dreamzzz incorrect quotes because this show has been rotating in my brain since Monday and incorrect quotes make everything better

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mateo: -gently taps table-

Logan: -taps back-

Zoey: What are they doing

Cooper: Morse code

Mateo: -aggresivly taps table-

Logan: -slams hands down- YOU TAKE THAT BACK-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mateo: -screams-

Logan: -screams louder-

Cooper: Should we do something?

Izzie: No, I want to see who wins

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cooper, setting down a card: Ace of spades

Izzie, pulling out an Uno card: +4

Logan, pulling out a Pokémon card: Jolteon, I choose you!

Mateo, trembling: What the fuck are we playing?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dream Cop: You're receiving a ticket for having four people on a griffin

Zoey: Shit

Mateo: Wait, four?

Dream Cop: Yeah?

Logan: OH MY GOD COOPER FELL OFF!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoey: Why are Mateo and Logan sitting with their backs to each other?

Izzie: They had a fight

Zoey: Why are they holding hands?

Izzie: They get sad when they fight

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izzie: Imagine if someone handed you a box full off all the items you lost throught your life?

Mateo: Self-esteem, haven't seen you in years!

Zoey: Oh wow, my childhood innocence! Thank you for finding this!

Cooper: I knew I lost that potential somewhere!

Logan: My moral code, is that you!?

Izzie:

Izzie: I was just gonna show you guys this cool trunk Mr Oz left but do you guys need a hug?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Logan: I've done a lot of dumb stuff

Zoey: I witnessed the dumb stuff

Izzie: I recorded the dumb stuff

Mateo: I joined in the dumb stuff

Cooper: I TRIED TO STOP YOU FROM DOING THE DUMB STUFF!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mateo: Good morning

Zoey: Good morning

Cooper: Good morning

Izzie: You all sound like robots, try spicing it up

Logan: MORNING MOTHERFUCKERS!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mateo: Dammit, Logan!

Logan: What!? It wasn't me!

Mateo: Sorry, force of habbit. Dammit, Izzie!

Izzie: Not me either

Mateo: Oh... Then who set the house on fire?

Cooper: -whistles-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mateo: Zoey isn't answering her phone

Izzie: I'll call

Mateo: Logan and I have both tried six times each, what makes you thi-

Zoey: Hello?

[intermundia]

thank you guys who tagged me in the WIP poll game, i'm still not out of my writers block enough that i feel like i could put that up and it not be just empty promises, BUT i will say that i'm beginning to actually imagine scenes and dialogue in my spare moments again instead of just ineffectually rotating the characters in my mind like a busted gem tumbler, like for the first time in at least six months, the boys are back to chatting away in my brain!! things are looking up!! no guarantee what the first stories will be and when they're coming, but there is faint light in the tunnel which is very exciting tbh

[maybemoss]

hai moss im curious. what are your favorite scps. :3

mine are pretty basic (049, 999, etc) but I also like 6448 (the not deer) & 783 (the crooked man)!! i haven't been able to check out the less well known scps but i will someday

YES!! i have a lot to say about this wait let me pull something up i made a list

SCP-7000 “The Loser” (https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-7000) and anything and everything related to william wallace wettle — horrible pathetic wet cat of a man. the world hates him personally and the feeling is mutual. cannot have ONE nice day without something going wrong. by god he deserves a break and he won’t get one. canonically divorced (to the extent that canon is a Thing). there are other articles with him but 7000 is the perfect showcase of the bullshit surrounding this man

SCP-6326 “The Manbear” (https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-6326) — absolutely fucking hilarious. looks like a generic spooky scp article at first but just scroll down to the first picture and you’ll see what i mean. it’s just punch after punch and it left me IN TEARS laughing. someone calls the manbear hung at some point.

SCP-7243 “Existential Abatement” (https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-7243) — insanely good but probably relies quite a bit on you already being familiar with the characters present; you can read about them at https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/on-guard-43-hub (particularly SCP-5056, SCP-5243, and The Significant Others A & B) if you want but be warned there’s A LOT there. also has a lot of what i can only call bullshit sci-fi jargon (affectionate) and it’s great but i uh see why it might be off-putting if you’re not used to it

SCP-INTEGER (https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-5242) — there’s a guy named Dr. Placeholder McDoctrate in there. do i need to say more.

ANYTHING Undervegas (https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/undervegas-hub) — agent calendar my beloved. site-666 my beloved. it’s all great. based on the idea of vegas falling into literal actual hell. the director of the site keeps using everyone’s souls as collateral on bets with demons. if you need a starting point i recommend SCP-4661 but any article works

honestly literally anything with the O5 Council, doesn’t even have to be a specific version of them. see https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/o5-command-dossier for more info. off the top of my head one i really liked is captain kirby’s 001 proposal “O5-13” (https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/captain-kirby-s-proposal) but i am INSANE about all of them. i have my own personal OC interpretations of the council and i have been rotating them in my mind for six months straight. they started as a silly thought experiment but have turned into actual fully-fledged Characters and i am sad that they only exist in my brain :(

SCP-7600 “Six Feet Under” (https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-7600) — it’s been a while since i read this one so i don’t remember ALL the details but it’s about two O5s (4 & 8) and a magic realm. made me Feel Things

OKAY THATS ALL i could dig up more but i’m sleepy and i think this is a pretty good overview. ty for asking!!! :D

[ike-mcswains-mortician]

I shall start of with the couple of all time- magnus and songbird!

So since this is an idea from the start of this year, i have no clue where all the art is so i have one very old reference for songbird and that is this one!

He looks a bit different now but everything’s basically the same. So fun fact! Magnus was only invented to stop one of my irl friends from trying to date songbird.

She was like ‘let my character kiss him’ and then magnus appeared to be like ‘girlie i did that and now i’m cursed so don’t’ but knowing her she’ probably find a way around that hehe

Magnus was kind of pulled from his easy life as a worker for the government's research unit and into a life of luxury and things due to him dating and getting engaged to Songbird. I should probably say that Songbird isn’t his real name and i forgot his real name soooo i’ll tell you once i find it again.

Also Songbird was part of the government's inner circle which is made up of six (once seven) people that they think ‘hmm you guys have a lot of resources and/or power in the community so be part of this group so you don’t fuck up our plans’ and once Songbird committed his first murder, they threw him out but in secret the group’s members have been keeping in contact with him for tibits on the criminal lifestyle lmao.

ALSOOO the scar across magnus’s mouth/face is due to a little scenario i have made up (which i love and have put in my mind forever) is that in the ‘final battle’ for these two, if you can call it that, magnus was trying to convince songbird to report the murders to the police since magnus didn’t know that songbird did them and he ended up kissing him and akdhkd while that was happening magnu’s brain is connecting the dots and is like ‘oh shit my fiance’s a murderer’ and casted fireball but it backfired and hit him in the face as well as songbird.

YEAH.

SCREECHING INTO THE VOID OH MY GODDDDDVDVDVDV THIS IS EVERYTHING TO MEEEEEEEEE

THE COUPLE EVERRRR AAAGH

rotating songbird in my mind WHAT WAS HE DOING IN THE GOVERNMENT INNER CIRCLE HUHHH also love that they’re still in contact like.. do they swap information?? he doesn’t give me the vibes of someone who would give up information to ppl who kicked him out for free so what’s in it for him??? hmmmm

ok now! (claps my hands together and screams) THE SCAR???? HELLO????? holy shit bro i straight up got lightheaded reading that ITS SO FUCKING COOL RAHGHGHHH I AM LOSING MY MINDDDDDD

can. can i draw the sillies. can i PLEASE draw the sillies. oh my god you’ve given me so much brainrot /pos

[frasermints]

Why is Joey's ankle sprain the worst case scenario? Week to week is good I thought

typically, w/ athletes that require a lot of ankle movement (basketball is where i saw most of my ankle injuries) week to week is a good sign. and if we can trust what leafs pr staff are saying (which, if you know me... I Do Not), then his sprain isn't worse than a grade two.

skates are designed the way they're designed for a reason. ankle support is a necessity so you can skate safely. that's why if you watch this video, OP is getting their shit rocked in the comments for wrapping their laces around their ankle - it creates the illusion of stability while actually destroying the integrity of the boot & setting them up for injury.

i have concerns that ayotte and bean and theodoropolous are going to either sign off on him getting back to on-ice activities too early - not even playing just fucking practice - or that woller himself will push too hard the second he's cleared out of a misplaced sense of obligation and he's going to resprain and it will be worse.

if you don't know, high ankle sprains are much worse than your average "i stepped down off the curb and fucked my foot up". high ankle sprains have an at minimum six to eight week heal time, often with the demand of no weight and zero movement for the first two. it can cause a rotational or shearing fracture at the end of the tibia/fibula where the ligaments insert, which was why he got the MRI yesterday. they had to know what they were working with to make sure he wasn't out for the season vs just out "week to week" (it's going to end up being at least a month. prepare for two.) they also sometimes require surgery and plating if there is a fracture involved, mostly because of where the break is. they have to make sure the bones of your leg stay where they're supposed to be.

because there isn't a lot of blood supply to ligament tissue, it's really hard for ligaments to heal. and because i don't have access to woller's mri results or ayotte's/bean's/theodoropolous' brains, i have no idea what they're planning on doing for a rest and rehab plan, if there's an incomplete tear, if it's grade one or grade two. i could keep going.

back to the ankle support skates thing - woller isn't skating miles every single night, but much of his job relies on his flexibility, ability to change direction quickly, ability to quite literally fold in on himself at a moment's notice. his ankles have to be stable AND flexible. that is not possible with any amount of leftover inflammation or injury.

woller is the entire leafs team. as much as i love willy and mo and mitch and everyone else. woller is the entire leafs team. keefe knows this. keefe is not a doctor. keefe has pushed them to the point of exhaustion a couple times this season. the only reason practice was cancelled after mo's 35+ minute game was because he literally could not get out of bed the next day. i don't know if i trust keefe's judgement when woller does come back. i just... i don't have a good feeling about it.

once you fuck up a joint, especially the ankle, especially where woller hurt his, it's fucked up for the rest of your life. he is very likely to do this again at least twice. maybe not during his career. maybe when he's retired. maybe during an offseason. but again - you guys see the shit he does in the net. he acts like he doesn't have any fucking bones. he runs around like he's a puppet on strings. like he's a fucking video game character. he does not treat his body kindly when he plays. i don't know what he does to cool down or warm up or whatever, but he treats his body poorly during games. this was inevitable. and i am scared for what happens during his recovery.

i do not give a fuck if we end this season 32 in the league. i do not care if we use marlies goalies for the rest of the season. all i need is leafs staff to listen to me when i tell them to let joseph woll recover at home for as long as he needs for his ankle to be at 100%, because if they don't, it will not be good for him.

[shivunin]

gently tosses you Fenris and Sebastian for the character meme

Carefully catches them both, but Fenris is kinda prickly and I fumble him a lil bit.

(Thank you for asking! c:)

(Character Ask thing)

Fenris

First impression: oh fuck did he just rip that dude's heart out through his back 😳(i am absolutely projecting this reaction onto Maria haha)

Impression now: I mean. there's no going back at this point lol. Dude altered my brain chemistry permanently. He is an asshole, he is deeply flawed, he is so hurt and angry and funny and so shockingly poetic. He is gorgeous and so unsure about anyone caring about him (platonically or romantically). He is loyal to a fault. He is still figuring out how to be his own person. He's the reason I got back into reading fic, and thus the reason I started writing fic and participating in the fandom at all. I don't even know what my opinion is anymore because that is how much I have thought about Fenris. I am rotating him in my mind at shocking speeds.

Favorite moment: It's a tie between the moment after he rips out Danarius's heart and turns to look at Hawke like 🥺-and- his final monologue. I also think his conversation w the mabari is really sweet. Or lol his "I was just glad. To see you. That's all." from the Legacy DLC

Idea for a story: *gestures to fic idea mountain* haha. But as for ones I have not written, my favorites are my "worst road trip with my future sister-in-law ever/fenris gets kidnapped" story (which i am writing very slowly rn) and one where there's some sort of double of Hawke and he has to determine which is the real her (I love this trope)

Unpopular opinion: Oh man. I have no idea. I guess that I enjoy the Bitter Pill -> Questioning Beliefs quest order version of the romance scene, but I also like the other one. There are painful pieces to both of them and that's what it's all about for me.

Favorite relationship: Fenris and Isabela. I love that they're constantly needling each other.

Favorite headcanon: The bodies in his foyer are practice dummies dressed in robes.

As funny as "Fenris lives in a literal mansion of corpses is," that level of squalor does, in fact, make you sick. Also...after six years, there are no signs of decomposition? With how many rats are sure to live in Kirkwall? I don't think so.

I like to imagine someone broke in at some point, saw the corpses on the floor, said "oh, no thank you, actually" and dipped, and Fenris went "Hmm. Now wait a moment, maybe I'm onto something."

So: that's my headcanon. The bodies are fake and he lets everyone think they're real/everyone jokes that they're real because it's a good bit. Now, does he leave his bedroom a hot hot mess always just because? Yes. But I think the bodies are fake.

Sebastian

*With the caveat that I have only started one pt with Sebastian because my console hates me (has to be plugged into an internet port directly to run the Exiled Prince DLC and there isn't one in the room with the TV) and most of my initial information was based on the fandom:

First impression: Ah, he must be the designated Religious Character for this game as a counterpoint to the dude who hates the Chantry. Got it.

Impression now: I am shaking him in a jar. He is such a wild study in contrasts?? When you do the quest in the Hahriman's mansion and one of the dudes is getting with the maid and Sebastian apologizes to Hawke for exposing them to it---I said "Excuse me, sir???" out loud. Like what? In a ~dark fantasy~ game, this guy is apologizing for you seeing some slap and tickle?

I think he wants so badly to believe that the world is black and white so he can do the right thing, and when confronted with all its variegations instead he creates exceptions. Lots of other characters do this, too (see: Fenris and Hawke/Bethany being "good" mages because they are stronger than the others and thus not tempted by demons/blood magic) but I think Sebastian particularly plays in the grey spaces in an interesting way.

Also, I think the running theme of him wanting vengeance/wanting to not want vengeance is fascinating in the light of that final scene at the Chantry. He's talked about trying to forgive before, but when it comes down to it he wants to kill Anders or march on Kirkwall if you won't let him. That is fascinating to me. I do really want to finish this playthrough with him so I can see the rest of it play out, but...we will get there.

Also, I think it's a bummer that he frequently gets left out of companion round-ups and lists. I get that he comes from a DLC, but love him or hate him he's a really interesting character in 2.

Favorite moment: I don't have a favorite, but anytime he's talking tbh. He has a really lovely voice

Idea for a story: I have a half-written thing about Sebastian and the role that faith plays in Hawke recovering from Leandra's death. A lot of it is coming to terms with the fact that Hawke doesn't really believe in Chantry doctrine...but it does genuinely help her to know that someone who shared Leandra's faith is praying for her in the way she would have wanted. He also does the service for Leandra even though Elthina offered (it was like. the only thing Hawke asked for: Sebastian has to do the service).

(A lot of this is inspired by the fact that he is one of the few companions who has lost his parents---not "never knew them" or "hated them and now they're gone" but actually lost them, complicated as their relationship was. And I think it's something that would help her in that moment)

Unpopular opinion: I liked bringing him on Anders' act 2 quest. Not only because of my own internal narrative (Maria asks Sebastian to kill her if it seems like the templars will take her because she is terrified of being made Tranquil and because she knows he'll do it if she can make him promise; all of which I find delightfully angsty) but because I think the conflict between Anders and Sebastian is exceptionally interesting if you've taken them on this quest together.

Favorite relationship: Sebastian and Fenris. I think they each challenge each other's ideas about the world and I like the way Sebastian treats Fenris. It feels nonjudgmental to me.

Favorite headcanon: Sebastian wanders Lowtown trying to help people in his off time. I refuse to believe that he actually hangs out in the Chantry all the time, and it seems like something he would find noble. I like to believe he spends time with the refugees after befriending Hawke, trying to connect them with the resources they need to find stability.

[branches-in-a-flood]

The darlings @melit0n, @huntingteeth and @tonguetyd tagged me for six albums I've been listening to lately.

The brain hasn't been in a place where I can listen to much music; we've been doing podcasts instead. So you guys are gonna get my six pods on rotation, AS WELL as six albums!

Podcasts:

Behind the Bastards: just finished up the three part series on Steve Jobs.

Astonishing Legends: I re-listen to their Mothman series at least once a year. Most recently I did The Lost City of Akakor with Kinga Phillips. (I'm convinced Tatunca Nara was just a serial killer, if anyone wishes to discuss.)

The Cryptonaut Podcast: I'm part of their Patron and was a member of their Discord until I deleted my account. Currently going back through old Patreon episodes, but do love their series on the Varginha Incident, and again their deep dive into the Mothman (and the slow erosion of Rob's sanity as that series went on.)

Citation Needed: Action Park episode is the best thing. Today's episode was on the Dutch East India Company.

It Could Happen Here: podcast about things falling apart. I normally just listen to the compilation episodes on the weekends while I'm driving to and from work.

Pure Dog Talk with Laura Reeves: what it says on the tin. Purebred dog fancy, training, showing, health, etc. Sometimes they do dives on specific breeds. One of my favorites was on the Norbottenspets, because I've taken several classes from the breeder they had on and she's very sweet.

Albums:

Mellodeath Tapes Vol 1 from Sudden Death and Marshmello

Ceremonials - Florence + the Machine

Vol 1 - The Plot in You

Mercy - Cole Chaney

Finding God Before God Finds Me - Bad Omens

Tū - Alien Weaponry

It's hard to pick the albums, because I normally just throw on a playlist of the artist and shuffle everything 😅

Also that music is all over the place.

I'm not sure who all has been tagged and who hasn't, so feel free to consider yourself tagged if you'd like!

[ohhgingersnaps]

THIS CAME TO ME IN A DREAM (and by that i mean i was listening to set it off's partners in crime) supervillain au for wdstf. would it fit their characters, maybe not. would it be fun and hot and cool. Maybe.

Okay, so this is a phenomenal idea, thank you for providing me with such a fun sandbox to play in!! My brain immediately latched onto this and decided that I had to find a way to make it line up with canon. I’ve been rotating this in my mind for like six hours now

You’re right that Ava and Sebastian wouldn’t choose to become supervillains in the traditional sense, because they both try very hard to be good people, but also consider: The categorization of supers into “hero” or “villain” in WDSTF!verse is socially-constructed, and is less about whether they’re actually good people and more about like… Whether their vigilante activity is seen as “acceptable” by the general populace of Zuzu City. A lot of things factor into that (e.g. how much collateral damage is caused, who materially benefits, whether it’s pro bono, and— frankly— how the super in question chooses to present themselves to the public).

You’re also right that a villain AU would be fun and hot and cool :)

So! In light of the above, consider the following as a possible character-compliant WDSTF Supervillain AU Origin Story (below the cut because this became fic-length (1.5k)) (this is maybe not the fun exciting supervillain shenanigans you originally intended but it sets up the foundation for the shenanigans at least?) (cw: angst, fire, very brief mention of dissociation/panic attack):

Ava/Phoenix

After the JojaCo fire, Phoenix disappears, Ava quits her job, and she’s got two weeks where she’s lying around her house, fruitlessly applying for jobs, with no way to contact the only remaining member of her superhero support system (Memento). She’s burned out! She’s frustrated! She feels like a failure, she feels like she’s lost control, and she wants proof that she can do one thing right.

And she goes, Okay, you know what? I deserve to try doing a little hero work again, as a treat.

She patches up her suit and goes out on a solo patrol, and she sees a civilian, and she smiles and waves, in spite of how exhausted she feels, because that’s what she does. She’s used to the civilians waving back, but this one just goes tense and averts their eyes, hurring away.

They’re scared of me, she realizes, her heart sinking.

(She’s not exactly right. The public isn’t quite scared of her— not yet, at least— because she has a good reputation. What they are is wary. Fire is powerful and intimidating, and the JojaCo incident happened only a few weeks ago, and JojaCo’s smear campaign against her is relentless, mostly because they don’t want folks to start asking why they’re allowed to keep so much flammable material in their dumpsters. Memento’s trying his best to defend her, but there’s only so much he can do.)

Later that night, she finally does help stop some minor crime— she stops some guy from robbing a local corner store, or something— but when she calls the authorities in to collect the perp, they totally ignore the robber and try to arrest her, instead. She escapes, but she realizes that no matter what she does, she’s not going to be seen as a hero again.

She’s so burned out and exhausted, and the whole thing just strikes her as incredibly unfair. And she needs control, right now. She needs to prove she can do something right.

And, well, she does need a way to pay the rent.

You want me to be a villain so bad? she decides, hands prickling with heat as she looks over the city. Fine. Guess I’m a villain.

(Because if she’s choosing to be the villain, that means she has control over the situation. That means it was her choice, and that’s a lot easier for her to swallow than the idea that her actions don’t directly correlate to how she’s perceived or treated.)

She does try dabbling in work as a villain-aligned merc for a bit, but she still sticks to her usual set of principles— protecting civilians is a big one— so she ends up mostly working alone. She tries to operate in a way that results in minimal harm, only stealing from large corporations or rich folks who can afford it…

Working as a villain can be a lot more dangerous than working as a hero, though, and perception is everything, right? So she absolutely plays into the villain role and lets people think she’s a lot scarier and more ruthless than she is. (Think Megamind: Very into pretending he’s going to kill Metro Man and take over the city, but never has any intention of actually doing it.) She plays into the villain persona a little too well, and that’s how she accidentally ends up becoming a supervillain.

Sebastian/Memento

So that’s how Phoenix becomes a villain, but what about Memento? For this to work, we’ve gotta remember three things:

1) In addition to heroes and villains, there are also mercs, who are basically contract-work supers. They’re not categorized as heroes, since they’re paid directly for their work, but a lot of them are considered “hero-aligned” or “villain-aligned” because of the nature of the jobs they choose to accept or reject.

2) Memento started as a hero-aligned merc. This isn’t addressed in the main fic, but before the JojaCo fire, he does merc work as a side gig, in addition to his above-the-board freelancing jobs. (The general populace mostly ends up categorizing him as a hero because he does so much pro bono work with Phoenix lol)

3) Memento loves Phoenix.

So when he hears that Phoenix has finally reappeared, nearly a month after her disappearance, he immediately throws all of his effort into finding her and reestablishing contact. He doesn’t care if she’s a villain now— even if she is, she must have a good reason— but he doesn’t even really believe the rumors at first, because the Phoenix he knows isn’t capable of half of the things people say she’s done.

(He’s right not to believe most of the rumors. She’s really playing up the whole villain thing.)

Still, he wonders: If she’s back, why hasn’t she contacted me?

When he finally does catch up with her a few weeks later— in the middle of stealing something from a museum, of all places, and why is she stealing something from a museum?— he tries to talk to her over the PA system, like he did when they first met. He asks what she’s doing.

Phoenix immediately freezes, as soon as she recognizes his voice, then gets a distant look on her face that he hasn’t seen since right after the fire at the club. She’s panicking, her breathing going funny, and that’s when he realizes that at least some of the rumors were true. She really has become a villain.

She’s a villain, and she’s alone, and she’s terrified.

“You should leave,” she snaps, but her voice is shaky. She says should in a way that means, this is what ought to happen, instead of, this is what I want, and is that why she never reached out? Because she knew he’d disapprove? Because she thought he’d abandon her instead of trying to understand?

“I’m not going to do that.”

She throws her hands out. They catch fire. “Don’t you get it? I’m a villain; I’m a bad guy; I’m literally in the middle of robbing the Zuzu City Institute of Art and Antiquities!”

“Yeah, I get it,” he says, even though he doesn’t get why she’s doing it. “Still not leaving.”

She extinguishes her hands. For a minute, it looks like she might cry.

And then he asks: “Do you want help with the security system?”

They meet up, afterwards, at their geocache spot, under the tree on Amber Hill. What good is her civilian identity to her, now that she’s a villain, after all? They spend a very long time just standing there hugging each other, because spirits, they’ve missed each other so much. She cries into his shoulder. He cries into her shoulder a little bit, too.

She tells him everything, and she tries to explain things in a way that he’ll understand. In a way that he’ll accept. He still doesn’t understand, but he does accept it, because he loves her. She’s so convinced she’s a bad person for doing this, but he doesn’t believe that for a second. She’s a good person, so this has to be the right thing to do. Right? (Right?)

He promises to help her with her villain work, despite her protests, because he knows she won’t let anyone get hurt… Aside from maybe herself, that is, which means someone has to look after her. Someone has to support her, protect her, and keep her from self-destructing again. And if aligning himself with a supervillain is the only way for him keep Phoenix safe, it’s not even a question. He’ll do it in a heartbeat.

He holds Phoenix tightly in his arms, stroking her hair, and resolves to pick up some merc work on the side that specifically targets JojaCo. He kind of feels like they deserve it.

Besides, he’s a villain now, isn’t he? He’s allowed to be petty.

(That’s the excuse he’ll use if she ever asks him. The truth is, he doesn’t think he’s being petty at all— JojaCo ruined her life, and he wishes she'd burned it to the ground.)

[fishofthewoods]

Weirdest eyes in the deep

Ive been in fishbrain mode recently so I am here to tell you about one of my favorite deep-sea fish!

This guy is the barreleye fish (Macropinna microstoma), and it's got one of the weirdest eye adaptations out there--probably even weirder than the strawberry squid! Those little gray things that look like its eyes are actually its olfactory organs (basically fish nostrils); the weird green orbs you can see through the top of its head are its real eyes!

Absolute freak. Absolute CREATURE.

The purpose of this weirdass adaptation is actually very similar to the Histioteuthis' weird eyes (explained here); while Histioteuthis squids swim sideways with one eye looking up and one looking down, barreleye fish can ROTATE THEIR EYES IN THEIR FUCKING HEAD. THEY CAN LOOK FORWARDS OR UP BECAUSE THEY CAN ROTATE THEIR FUCKING EYES NINETY DEGREES. IN THEIR CLEAR FUCKING HEAD DOME.

Ok. I will be normal now. The consequence of them having a clear head is that their entire brain is visible; not exposed to the water outside, but apparently you can see it if you can distinguish it from all the other stuff in there. The dome is full of fluid, which keeps it from collapsing in the enormous pressure of their environment--these fish have been spotted from 2,000 feet (600 meters) to 2,600 feet (800 meters). While little is known about their diet, MBARI researchers Bruce Robinson and Kim Reisenbichler have observed barreleye fish rotating their eyes forwards to eat small fish and jellyfish, and Robinson speculated that they may steal food from siphonophores (which are even weirder animals--I'll post about them later).

Here's my favorite part about these fuckers, though: they're only six inches long!! when I first learned about them I assumed they were big guys but no!!! They're six inches long!!!!!!

More information on these guys can be found here (MBARI article about the fish) and here (short video narrated by Bruce Robinson) (Yes both of these are MBARI sources but they genuinely lead the world in deep-sea research and are great at making their information acessible; you should definitely check them out and, if you live in California, consider visiting the monterey bay aquarium!)

[loressa]

Burgertime

----

Salt, fat, sizzle, sear - the components are basic and mandatory. The burger is the star and never let anyone tell you otherwise...even if that someone is a stupid bullshit Goodwill microwave because *someone* (Brenda in HR) is too fucking cheapass to upgrade.

I dont have time for this - Timmons needs a submit by noon for a merge by five because Perkins is absolutely horrible at his job - but fuck Perkins. I want a burger, specifically MY deliciously seared burger from last night, so it's time to settle in and wait. Triple beep on that idiot machine (fuck you, Brenda) and the microwave power's at 50% for that slow, deep reheat.

Some TV while we wait - Pedro seems to be really doing it dirty to Janessa Maria. Would NOT be surprised if he ends up stabbed with all those side chicas he's had going for weeks.

Annoyingly, the lunchroom TV cuts from daytime telenovelas to grainy cellphone zooms of movie monsters spilling out of weird machines. I check on my burger - ten minutes left and still rotating nicely, despite all expectations - and then focus back on the news again.

Invasion. Aliens. Doom. This channel sucks. Flip through a few, but it's all the same broadcast - burger doing great - and that's when I realized what's happening.

This bullshit castoff Oliver of a microwave is all please-maam-may-I-have-moreing my burger into a dry, shitty crumble. Fuck you, Brenda. Power down even lower, might help, has to help. I still hate Brenda.

Back to ten minutes and what is this bullshit on the TV. Timmons' task floats into my head and I kick myself - I didn't drop those completed components into code review. By the time I get back from that, we're at eight minutes, the burger is lightly sizzling and I've realized the entire office is empty.

Fucking corporate yoga. I can even hear them upstairs - graceful, my ass, they sound like elephants tap dancing. Seven minutes to heaven, though, so who gives a shit. I think I'll add some BBQ sauce, just to be heathenous.

I hear a crash from the area near Perkins' desk, but who cares. The guy is a mess. Six minutes. Looking juicy. Another crash. Did they have a lunch out? Perkins *likes* to drink, why do you think he's useless after lunchtime?

Flip channels for a bit, but it's all the same stupid YouTube alien movie promo crap - five minutes, die in a fire, Brenda - so I browse Reddit looking at food pics. Another crash and now it's starting to seem a bit weird. I glance at the microwave, mouth almost aching - four minutes - and sigh. Gotta help Perkins.

Aaaand, nope, that's an alien. That's totally, completely, absolutely, how the fuck is that an alien. He's... she's? It's tall, scaly, oozy, slimy, totally not human, pure nightmare factory, and appears to be baffled by a stapler. Why does Perkins even have a stapler?

You how know under pressure our brains turn into trapped rats trying to find the easiest way out and we think and do amazing shit? So yeah, three minutes left and burger is looking good.

I thank my Brenda-esque brain for absolutely nothing and dart back into the lunchroom, which has apparently become my safe house against an alien invasion. Yay, I always wanted to fight for my life surrounded by old egg salad and leftover pasta.

Right about now is when I realize my problem. See, the microwave has been going with an ambient hum since Sumeria was the shit, so any changes are going to be instantly noticed...and we're at two minutes left. Also the burger is looking amazi-

Right, yeah, pull it together girl. Fuck you, Brenda. With a REAL microwave, I would have been out of here alr-

Well, hold on now. I creep back to the door. The alien's apparently given up on staplers and is kinda scanning the room. Like, literally, scanning. There's old 90s style movie graphics sprouting out of his/her/its eyes.

One minute left - hi burger, you're beautiful - and I'm fumbling with my phone. This whole situation is stupid enough, might as well try....

And there we are. WiFi scanner is picking up something absolutely weird and confusing, clearly some sort of network we can't identify. The alien's got some tech - or biology? - emitting a signal.

I groan. I know the answer. I hate the answer. I sigh. I curse fucking Brenda. 10 seconds left. I back away and close my eyes. Everyone sacrifices in trying times.

3, 2, 1 - the rotation stops and the stupid little defunct microwave gives a happy chirp of a ding. Done! Aren't you proud of me? Never, Brenda-spawn.

A claw appears around the door. Oh fuuuuck, yep, this is happening. I duck down behind a table and reach up to fumble at the microwave door. Hopefully aliens aren't vegan. I manage to jab it open and suddenly the delicious, intoxicating smell of the perfect burger floods the lunchroom, rich and redolent.

Apparently demons like burgers, but I was counting on this. Everyone likes burgers unless they are useless bitches named Brenda. S/he/it leaps for the microwave and I slide sideways - this is a horrible idea - putting myself closer to her as my arms fumble at the countertop. Oh, god, it stinks like childhood trauma and ozone. Too late now and here we go - the creature realizes I'm here far too late, flailing and turning with way too many arms writhing about. His head is at the same level of the counter top, body coiled to strike.

My lunging fall nearly fails, apparently my aim is terrible, but I trip on a chair and surge upwards again, hands finally wrapping around the microwave.

"You like to transmit shit about Earth?????!" I want to scream but instead I just kinda squeak as I grab the horrible microwave with its beautiful payload and slide the entire thing over the creature's head.

"Farrady cage?" I whisper hopefully, quickly backing away, because that - and my burger - was really all I had. For a second, the alien is still, simply standing there with his/her/its head crammed in a microwave, before its head gives a sudden, anticlimactic plop and sinks to the ground, ooze puddling out on his/her/its shoulders.

As the creature falls, his/her/it's body gives a shake, some final death throe, and, with a rattle, a little brown disc comes soaring out of the microwave. It's a beautiful, heartwarming moment. The alien's dead, Berlin is playing take my breath away and I've been reunited with my hamburger.

The rest of earth can wait a few more minutes for me to save it. This shit is finally hot and ready and it's lunchtime for momma.

[catierambles]

Chimera Ch.13

Pairing: Captain Syverson x Amelia Jones (OFC)

WC 840

Warnings: None? I dunno I just woke up from a nap

@liecastillo @summersong69

Last chapter! I’ll eventually get it all up on AO3. I want to thank everyone for their support during my first foray into writing Henry Cavill character fanfictions and I’m glad you all liked this little brain bug I had about Syverson and his mercenary. Y’all have been great. Really. I haven’t written in a long time and I was honestly worried that the twist in Ch. 7 would turn people off the story. Anyway, enough rambling. Let’s give it a goo

Syverson watched with a heavy heart as they loaded their equipment into the back of the humvee. Locke had been brought back by a retrieval team he sent out when they got back to the base last night and would be sent home in a separate transport. The gash on his arm had been stitched up and wrapped up and he grimaced as it tugged painfully when he crossed his arms over his chest. Johnson was out of medical, already sitting in the humvee as he was useless on his crutches.

“Chase!” Amelia called out, coming out of the command post, “We got everything?”

“Yes, Amy.” He called back, flipping up the back of the truck and securing it.

“Double check it?”

“Already did.” He said and there was a pause.

“Triple check it?” She asked and he gave her a look, coming over to stand in front of her.

“Amelia.” He said and she sighed. “You’re stalling.”

“Am not.” She protested.

“Are too.” He said back and they both looked over to Syverson who was just watching them before looking back at each other. “Go on.” He said, rolling his eyes.

Syverson smiled as she suddenly broke away from Chase, running over. He caught her as she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and holding his face in her hands, pressing her lips to his. They ignored the hoots and hollers of the soldiers witnessing it, lost in their own little world where it was just the two of them.

“I love you.” She said, pressing her forehead to his.

“I love you too.” He said, trying to commit the feel of her in his arms to memory as he didn’t know when would be the next time he saw her.

“I’ll write you, okay? And call as often as I can.”

“You better.”

“Even when you get rotated home.”

“I’ll send you my address.”

“I already have it.”

“How do you--” She gave him a look, “Dumb question.”

“Amy!” Chase called, hanging out of the humvee window. “Come on! They’re not going to hold the plane just because you want to play grab-ass!” She flipped him off over her shoulder, making him laugh.

“I have to go.” She said, dropping to her feet, and he closed his eyes, breathing deep.

“I know.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I know.”

“I love you.” She said again and he kissed her, one last time.

“I love you too.” His eyes opened as she pulled away from him and he watched her walk away, getting into the humvee. Syverson breathed through the tightness in his chest as the engine turned over and they left, the gate closing behind them. He stood there for a bit after they were gone before turning and walking to his office, the door closing.

Digging into his pocket, Syverson pulled out his keys as he walked up the staircase to his apartment. It’s been six months since he left the service, almost eight since he last saw her, a little over two since he last spoke with her over sat comm. She hadn’t been able to talk long, leading a mission down in the Congolese Mountains that she couldn’t go into great detail about, something about a warlord and a Grootslang, whatever that was. He’s been fielding requests to have him as a consultant and offers from private security firms, but not the one he was looking for the most.

“Hey, Silas.” He looked over, seeing his neighbor and he gave her a small, albeit a little tired, smile.

“Hey, Rebecca.” He said, digging out his apartment key from his keyring.

“There was a guy in a suit here earlier looking for you.” She said and he looked at her again, scowling slightly.

“Yeah? He say what he wanted?” He asked but she shook her head.

“I was just getting back, but he asked me to give something to you. Hold on.” She vanished into her apartment and came back out again a moment later, a large manila envelope in her hands. He met her halfway down the hall, taking it from her and looking it over. It was plain, sealed, with a thick sheaf of papers inside and his name typed on the front in block lettering.

Cpt. Silas Syverson

“And he didn’t say what it was all about?” He asked again and she shook her head.

“Everything okay?” She asked and he gave her a reassuring smile.

“I’m sure it’s fine, probably the Army wantin’ me back. Thanks.”

“No problem.” She said, “Have a nice day.”

“Yeah, have a good one.” He went back to his apartment, sliding the key into the lock and pushing the door open. Kicking it closed behind him, he walked into his apartment and threw his keys on the kitchen island, looking over the envelope again before tearing it open. Reaching in, he pulled out the papers and stopped as he saw the all-too familiar creature on the letterhead, a wide smile pulling at his lips.