#shotgun setup

[theroguebanshee]

Tactaload Flash-5 Stock: The Revolutionary Shotgun Upgrade You Can’t Ignore

Tactaload Flash-5 Stock at SHOT Show 2025: Revolutionary Shotgun Upgrades SHOT Show 2025 was packed with exciting innovations, and Tactaload once again delivered with the Flash-5 Stock and their all-new shotgun forend. The Tactaload Flash-5 Stock remains one of the most innovative shotgun upgrades available, offering fast reloads and integrated ammo storage. This year, they’ve expanded their…

[enemiestolovershoe]

Silent Tension

Matt Sturniolo x enemie!reader

Summary: Matt and Y/N were best friends until one argument turned them into enemies. Will they ever find a way back to each other?

Warnings: arguments, fighting, making out, lmk if you find anything else.

Words: 5.2k

The kindergarten days felt like a lifetime ago now. Back then, the four of you were inseparable. Matt, Nick, Chris, and you were a perfectly chaotic little crew, spending recess planning adventures and sticking together against anyone who dared mess with one of you. Matt had been your closest match back then—quick-witted, stubborn, and full of ideas. You thought that bond would never break.

But high school changed everything.

It started small, with arguments over who got shotgun during group rides. Then came the endless bickering about group projects and plans. By sophomore year, the fights had escalated into something sharper, something mean.

“You can’t just do everything yourself,” Matt said one night, frustration thick in his voice.

“It’s not my fault you can’t handle it!” you snapped back, shoving a notebook into your bag after another group study session gone wrong.

Nick, sprawled on the couch with a soda in hand, raised an eyebrow. “Uh-oh. Here we go again.”

“You’re such a control freak,” Matt muttered, crossing his arms.

“And you’re lazy,” you shot back without missing a beat.

Chris, ever the calm one, stepped in. “Alright, that’s enough. Can we focus? This isn’t helping anyone.”

But Matt wasn’t done. “You think you’re better than everyone else because you plan everything to death. Newsflash: it’s annoying.”

“At least I don’t sit around waiting for other people to pick up the slack!”

“Guys, please!” Chris sighed, rubbing his temples. “You’re giving me a headache.”

Nick grinned, throwing a pillow at Matt. “Yeah, cool it, bro. You’re scaring Chris.”

By junior year, the tension had spread beyond school. Group hangouts became a minefield.

One night at the mall, Matt and you ended up in yet another screaming match over something stupid.

“All I’m saying is, we didn’t need to spend an hour waiting for you to pick out a stupid hoodie,” Matt said, throwing up his hands as the group headed back to Nick’s car.

“It wasn’t just about the hoodie, Matt,” you snapped, glaring at him. “Maybe if you weren’t so impatient, we’d actually enjoy going out as a group.”

“Impatient? You’re the one who wasted everyone’s time.”

Nick piped up from the backseat, turning to grin at Chris. “Think we should start selling tickets? This is better than reality TV.”

Chris shot Nick a look. “Not helping.”

“Whatever,” Matt muttered. “Next time, just leave me out of it.”

“Gladly,” you said, slamming the car door behind you.

The ride home was silent, the air thick with unresolved anger.

Then there was the infamous beach trip during senior year. What should’ve been a relaxing day turned into yet another battlefield.

“Can you at least try to help with the setup?” you asked, struggling to hammer an umbrella into the sand while Matt sat under the shade of a nearby tree, scrolling on his phone.

“I’m supervising,” he said with a smirk, not even glancing up.

“You’re useless,” you muttered under your breath, loud enough for him to hear.

“Excuse me?” Matt stood up, his tone sharp.

“You heard me.”

Nick and Chris exchanged a look, already bracing for the explosion.

“Maybe if you weren’t so bossy, people would actually want to help you,” Matt shot back.

“Maybe if you weren’t so lazy, people wouldn’t have to pick up your slack,” you retorted, standing toe-to-toe with him now.

Nick broke the tension with an exaggerated sigh. “Okay, Mom and Dad, can we chill? Some of us are here to, like, enjoy the beach.”

Chris stepped between you two, his voice calm but firm. “Seriously, stop. This is getting old.”

You stormed off, muttering under your breath about how impossible Matt was. He didn’t try to follow.

By the time you were 21, things were worse than ever. Group events had become rare, mostly because no one wanted to deal with the inevitable clash between you and Matt.

At one game night, the tension boiled over again.

“Can you not cheat for once in your life?” Matt snapped as you reached for a card in a particularly heated game of Uno.

“I’m not cheating, you idiot. Maybe if you paid attention, you’d actually win for once.”

Chris sighed from his spot beside you, his patience clearly wearing thin. “It’s a card game. Can we not turn this into World War 3?”

Matt ignored him, leaning forward with a scowl. “You always do this. You can’t handle losing, so you find some way to bend the rules.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Perfect. I forgot you’re the expert on everything.”

Nick laughed, shaking his head. “Man, y’all really need couples therapy.”

“Nick, shut up,” you and Matt said in unison, which only made him laugh harder.

Chris stood up, clearly done. “Okay, game night’s over. You two can keep fighting, but I’m not babysitting anymore.”

As Chris walked out of the room, Nick looked between you and Matt with a smirk. “So, who’s gonna admit they’re in love first?”

You threw a pillow at him. “Nick, I swear—”

Matt scoffed, crossing his arms. “As if.”

“Exactly,” you snapped, glaring at him. “You’d be the last person I’d ever—”

“Good! Glad we’re on the same page,” Matt interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Nick laughed again. “Man, you two are exhausting. But, like, in a fun way.”

Chris peeked back in from the hallway, his calm voice cutting through the chaos. “You’re not fun. You’re a headache. Both of you.”

As the tension settled for the night, you couldn’t help but wonder how it had come to this. Somewhere along the way, the friendship you once had with Matt had turned into a battlefield, and neither of you seemed willing to wave the white flag.

It was a sweltering summer afternoon, the kind that made everyone irritable. You’d come over to hang out with Chris and Nick, hoping to escape the heat and distract yourself from a long week. Matt, as usual, was there too.

From the moment you walked in, you could feel the tension. It was always there with Matt—humming under the surface, waiting for one of you to ignite it.

“Alright, who’s down for a Mario Kart tournament? Loser buys slushies,” Nick said, grabbing controllers from the cabinet.

Chris nodded. “I’m in. But Nick, you’re buying either way.

Nick grinned. “Bold of you to assume.”

You grabbed a controller, feeling a flicker of competitiveness. “Hope you’re ready to lose, Nick.”

Matt, leaning against the counter, crossed his arms. “You should worry about yourself. You’ve never beaten me.”

You rolled your eyes. “There’s a first time for everything.”

The game started off fine—until you accidentally bumped Matt’s character off the track.

“Oh, come on!” Matt exclaimed, leaning forward. “You did that on purpose.”

“It’s called strategy,” you shot back, grinning.

Matt’s scowl deepened as the race continued. When the final lap ended, your character crossed the finish line ahead of his. You threw your hands up triumphantly. “Yes! Finally!”

Matt tossed his controller onto the couch, glaring at you. “You only won because you cheated.”

You blinked, the excitement draining from your face. “How did I cheat?”

“You bumped me off the track,” Matt said, his tone accusatory.

“That’s part of the game, Matt,” you said, trying to keep your voice steady.

“No, it’s not,” he snapped. “You’re always like this—always cutting corners to get ahead.”

“Cutting corners?” you repeated, standing up. “It’s a stupid game. Maybe if you weren’t such a sore loser, you’d actuallyhave fun.”

“Oh, I’m the sore loser?” Matt said, getting to his feet as well.

Nick, sensing the brewing storm, raised his hands. “Alright, time out. It’s just Mario Kart, guys.”

Chris sighed, already rubbing his temples. “Can we not?”

But the two of you were locked in now.

“You always do this,” Matt said, his voice rising. “You act like you’re better than everyone else, but you’re just as petty as the rest of us.”

Your jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me? You’re the one making a big deal out of this!”

“Oh, because you’re so perfect, right?” Matt shot back, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “You can’t handle being called out, so you turn it around on me.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t so impossible to deal with!”

Chris stood up, his calm demeanor cracking slightly. “Seriously, enough. This isn’t worth fighting over.”

“Stay out of it, Chris,” Matt said, not taking his eyes off you.

Chris frowned but didn’t argue.

“You know what your problem is?” Matt continued, stepping closer. “You’re so controlling. Everything has to be your way, and if it’s not, you freak out.”

“I’m not controlling,” you snapped. “I’m just tired of cleaning up after you all the time!”

Matt scoffed. “Cleaning up after me? You don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

Nick tried to step in again, his voice light but firm. “Guys, seriously, take a breath. Go outside or something.”

But it was too late. The fight was spiraling.

“Don’t I?” you said, crossing your arms. “You’re lazy, Matt. You never help with anything unless someone forces you to, and then you complain the whole time.”

“Oh, I’m lazy?” Matt shot back, his voice sharp. “At least I don’t bulldoze over everyone like you do. You think you’re so much better because you plan everything to death, but really, you’re just scared of messing up.”

Your chest tightened, his words cutting deeper than you expected. “Wow. Thanks for the insight, Dr. Matt. Maybe if you spent less time tearing me down, you’d actually accomplish something for once.”

Matt’s face darkened. “Tearing you down? You’re the one who’s always on my case. Every little thing I do, you have something to say about it.”

“Because you make it so easy!”

“You know what? I’m done,” Matt said, throwing his hands up. “You’re exhausting. No wonder people can’t stand being around you.”

“Excuse me?” you said, your voice trembling with anger. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Matt didn’t back down. “It means maybe your ex had a point.”

The room went silent.

Chris and Nick both froze, their eyes snapping to Matt in disbelief.

“What did you just say?” you asked, your voice low and unsteady.

Chris stepped forward, his voice firm. “Matt, don’t.”

But Matt ignored him. “Maybe your ex wouldn’t have cheated on you if you weren’t so suffocating.”

Your stomach dropped. Tears pricked your eyes as his words sunk in. “You’re unbelievable.”

Chris immediately stepped in, standing between you and Matt. “That’s enough. You’ve crossed the line.”

Nick’s voice was louder now. “Matt, what the hell is wrong with you?”

But Matt wasn’t done. “I’m just saying what everyone else is too scared to say.”

Your hands shook as you struggled to hold back tears. “You’re such a coward,” you said, your voice breaking. “You can’t handle your own issues, so you take them out on me. Well, congrats, Matt. You finally broke me. Are you happy now?”

Tears streamed down your face as you turned away, unable to look at him anymore.

Chris stepped forward, his calm voice laced with anger. “Go to your room. Now.”

Matt hesitated, glaring at you one last time before storming off, slamming his door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Chris turned to you, his expression softening. “Hey, come here.”

You let out a shaky breath as he pulled you into a hug.

“Why does he hate me so much?” you whispered, your voice cracking. “What did I do to make him like this?”

“He doesn’t hate you,” Chris said softly, rubbing your back. “He’s just… an idiot.”

Nick grabbed a glass of water and handed it to you. “Yeah, a massive idiot. Like, the biggest idiot I’ve ever met.”

You tried to laugh, but it came out as a sob. “I can’t keep doing this, Chris. Every time I come here, it’s like he’s waiting to tear me apart.”

Chris pulled back, cupping your face gently so you’d meet his eyes. “Listen to me. You didn’t do anything wrong. He’s just angry—at himself, at whatever—but it’s not about you.”

“Then why does it feel like it is?” you whispered, tears still streaming down your face.

Chris sighed, pulling you back into a hug. “I don’t know. But I’m going to fix it, okay? I promise.”

Nick sat beside you, patting your shoulder. “Yeah, and if he doesn’t apologize, I’ll pants him in public.”

You let out a weak laugh, wiping your eyes. “Thanks, Nick. That’s… oddly comforting.”

Chris stayed by your side, his calm presence steadying you as you tried to piece yourself back together. But no matter how much he reassured you, Matt’s words lingered, cutting deeper than you wanted to admit.

About an hour had passed since the fight, and the tension in the house still hung heavy in the air. You were curled up on the couch with Chris, his arm draped protectively over your shoulder. Nick sat on the floor in front of you, scrolling through his phone and cracking occasional jokes to try and lighten the mood.

You’d stopped crying, but your chest still felt tight, your breathing shallow. Every time you thought about what Matt had said, it was like the wound reopened.

Chris’s hand absentmindedly rubbed your arm. “You good?” he asked quietly.

You nodded, though you didn’t feel entirely okay. “Better. Thanks for… you know, being here.”

“Always,” he said softly.

Nick glanced over his shoulder with a faint grin. “If you need me to distract you, I can pull up Matt’s senior photo. That thing’s a crime against humanity.”

You let out a weak laugh. “Thanks, Nick. I think I’ll pass.”

Just then, footsteps sounded from the stairs. Matt was coming down, his movements hesitant but deliberate.

Your stomach immediately twisted into knots, and you stiffened against Chris.

He noticed immediately. “Relax,” Chris whispered. “You’re safe.”

Nick, sensing the shift, turned to Matt with a warning look. “If you’re coming down to start something again, you can turn right back around and go upstairs.”

Matt shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’m not here to fight.”

You looked at him warily, unsure of what to expect.

“Actually,” Matt continued, his voice quieter than usual, “I wanted to talk to Y/N. Alone.”

You stiffened even more, your breath catching in your throat. “What for? So you can tear me apart again? Bring up my past and rub salt in the wound?” Your voice cracked, still raw from earlier.

Matt winced, his jaw tightening. “No. I’m not here to do that. I… I want to apologize. But I’d rather do it one-on-one.”

Chris’s grip on your shoulder tightened protectively. “I don’t think that’s a good idea right now,” he said, his calm tone carrying a slight edge.

“Yeah,” Nick chimed in, crossing his arms. “She’s been through enough today. Whatever you need to say, you can say it in front of us.”

Matt shook his head. “Look, I get it. I’ve been a total dick, okay? But I need to fix this, and I can’t do that with you two hovering.” He turned to you, his gaze earnest. “Please, Y/N. Just give me five minutes. I promise, no fighting. No bringing up the past.”

You stared at him, your heart pounding. You didn’t trust him—not after everything—but there was something different in his tone. He didn’t sound like the sharp, defensive Matt you’d been clashing with for years. He sounded… vulnerable.

Chris’s voice broke through your thoughts. “You don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.”

Nick nodded. “Seriously. You’ve got nothing to prove to him.”

You hesitated, your gaze flicking between Matt and his brothers. Part of you wanted to shut him down, to tell him to leave you alone. But another part—the part that was tired of the constant fighting—wanted to hear him out.

You let out a shaky breath. “What do you want to talk about?”

Matt glanced at the door, then back at you. “We still need to grab those slushies. We can talk on the way there. Neutral ground.”

Chris frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I’m not going to do anything,” Matt said, his voice firm but not aggressive. “I just… need to talk. Please.”

You looked at Chris and Nick, then back at Matt. Against your better judgment, you slowly nodded. “Fine. But if you say anything—anything—like what you said earlier, I’m leaving. Got it?”

Matt nodded immediately. “Got it. No low blows. I swear.”

Chris sighed, his hand lingering on your shoulder as you stood up. “You sure about this?”

“No,” you admitted, your voice still shaky. “But I’ll be fine.”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “Text me if you need a rescue mission.”

You gave him a faint smile. “I will.”

Matt grabbed his keys and held the door open for you, waiting as you slipped on your shoes. Your anxiety bubbled in your chest as you stepped outside, the warm summer air doing little to ease the tension in your body.

You glanced back at Chris and Nick, who were watching you like hawks from the couch. Chris gave you a small nod, his silent way of telling you that he had your back no matter what.

“Let’s go,” Matt said quietly, leading the way to his car.

As you got in, you couldn’t help but wonder what he was going to say—and if you’d regret giving him the chance.

You slid into the passenger seat, the car’s interior thick with unspoken tension. Matt climbed into the driver’s seat, closing the door with a quiet click. He rested his hands on the steering wheel but didn’t start the engine. Instead, he leaned back, staring straight ahead, his jaw tightening and loosening as if trying to find the right words.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“I am so fucking sorry, Y/N,” Matt said, his voice low but steady. “I don’t even know where to start. I—I don’t know what got into me earlier, but I regret it. Deeply. More than I can even put into words.”

You turned to look at him, studying his face. There was no trace of his usual anger or smugness. He looked… tired. Defeated.

He let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair. “I was out of line. Way out of line. What I said about your past, about your ex—it was cruel, and it wasn’t fair. You didn’t deserve that. Not then, not ever.”

You stayed quiet, unsure of what to say, but he continued.

“The truth is… I’ve been carrying around all this anger for so long. At first, I thought it was because you were always pushing my buttons or calling me out. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that it’s not about you at all. It’s about me. I’ve been projecting my own shit onto you, and that’s not okay.”

His hands tightened on the wheel as he glanced at you briefly, guilt etched into every line of his face. “You’ve been nothing but honest with me, and I’ve thrown that back in your face every chance I got. I don’t even know why. Maybe because it was easier to lash out at you than to deal with my own crap. But that’s not an excuse. I’ve hurt you, over and over again, and I hate myself for it.”

Your chest tightened at his words, the sincerity in his voice catching you off guard.

“I guess… I’ve been jealous of you,” Matt admitted, his voice quieter now. “You’ve always had this way of handling things—like, you’re so driven, so put-together. Even when things fall apart, you don’t let it stop you. And I hated that because it made me feel like a mess in comparison. Like I couldn’t measure up.”

“Matt…” you started, but he held up a hand.

“Please, let me finish,” he said, his voice almost pleading. “I know that doesn’t justify anything. I’ve been a shitty friend. Hell, I haven’t even treated you like a friend. I’ve treated you like someone I could take my frustrations out on, and I’m so, so sorry for that. I’m sorry for all the fights, all the insults, all the times I made you feel like you weren’t enough. Because you are enough, Y/N. More than enough.”

Tears welled up in your eyes, but you blinked them away, unsure if you were ready to forgive him yet.

Matt turned to face you fully now, his eyes earnest and a little glassy. “I don’t want to fight anymore. I’m tired of it. I don’t want you to feel like you can’t be around me, like you have to walk on eggshells every time we’re in the same room. You’ve always been there for my brothers, for all of us, and I’ve done nothing but push you away. I don’t want to do that anymore.”

He hesitated, swallowing hard before continuing. “I know I’ve got a long way to go to make things right. And I don’t expect you to forgive me right away. But I’m asking for a chance—a chance to show you that I can be better, that I want to be better. Not just for you, but for myself too.”

You felt your lip tremble as you tried to process everything he’d just said. The rawness of his apology, the vulnerability in his voice—it was so unlike the Matt you’d been clashing with for years.

Matt reached over hesitantly, his hand hovering near yours on the center console. “I mean it, Y/N. Every word. I’m sorry. And if there’s anything I can do to prove it to you, just tell me. I’ll do it.”

For a moment, you sat there in silence, his words hanging heavy in the air. Then, finally, you spoke, your voice soft but steady. “Why didn’t you just tell me all of this before? Instead of… everything else?”

He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “Because I’m an idiot. And because it was easier to pretend it was your fault than to admit I was the one with the problem.”

You looked down at his hand, still hovering near yours, and after a moment of hesitation, you placed yours over it. His fingers curled around yours gently, as if he were afraid to scare you off.

“Matt…” you began, your voice trembling slightly. “I’m not saying everything’s magically okay now. But… I appreciate you saying all of this. I really do.”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “That’s all I can ask for.”

You looked down, your thumb brushing over the back of his hand. There was something vulnerable in the air between you two, a tension that was unfamiliar and heavy but not unwelcome. For once, Matt didn’t feel like your enemy. He felt like someone who was finally trying to understand you.

“Can I…” Matt hesitated, his voice unusually soft. “Can I hug you?”

You blinked at him, taken aback by the sudden question. But the sincerity in his eyes made you nod without thinking.

“Yeah,” you murmured.

He exhaled in relief and leaned over, wrapping his arms around you carefully, almost as if he were afraid you might pull away. His embrace was warm, solid, and it took you a moment to relax into it. But when you did, you felt a strange sense of comfort, the kind you hadn’t felt around him in years.

You rested your head against his chest, and his hand came up to gently cradle the back of your head. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered again, his voice muffled but still so close to your ear.

“I know,” you replied softly.

You weren’t sure how long you stayed like that, wrapped in the quiet, tentative warmth of his arms. It felt like the weight of all those years of tension was melting away, even if only for a moment.

Eventually, you shifted slightly to look up at him, and Matt looked down at you. His expression was open, more vulnerable than you’d ever seen him before. For a brief second, neither of you moved, and the world outside the car seemed to fade away.

You hadn’t realized how close you were until your eyes dropped to his lips. They parted slightly, and his breath hitched. His gaze flicked to your mouth, and suddenly, it felt like the air in the car had grown impossibly heavy.

“Y/N…” he whispered, his voice low and unsure, as if testing the waters.

You didn’t respond—not with words, at least. Your breath caught in your throat, your heart hammering as you both leaned in, hesitantly at first. There was a moment’s pause, so brief it was almost imperceptible, and then your lips met.

The kiss was soft, tender, and filled with a quiet kind of desperation. It wasn’t rushed or messy; it was careful, like neither of you wanted to break whatever fragile thing had just been built between you.

Matt’s hand slipped from your back to your waist, pulling you just a little closer as his lips moved against yours. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver down your spine, and you found yourself responding instinctively, your fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt.

The kiss deepened slightly, and Matt tilted his head to the side, his nose brushing against yours. It was intimate in a way that left your heart pounding, your mind spinning.

Without breaking the kiss, Matt reached down and adjusted the seat lever, pulling it back to give you more room. His hands settled on your waist, gently guiding you over the center console and into his lap.

You let out a soft gasp against his lips as you straddled him, your knees pressing into the seat on either side of him. His hands stayed firm on your hips, grounding you as his lips continued to move against yours, slow but deliberate.

It was new, unfamiliar, and completely overwhelming—but it didn’t feel wrong. For once, it felt like the two of you weren’t at war. You weren’t fighting or tearing each other down. You were just… there, together, in a moment that felt like it belonged to no one else but you.

You weren’t sure how long you’d been kissing Matt, but it felt like time had stopped. The warmth of his hands on your waist anchored you, and the way his lips moved against yours felt so natural, so unlike anything you’d ever expected from him.

Between kisses, Matt pulled back just slightly, his forehead resting against yours. “Y/N…” he murmured, his voice a little breathless. “I don’t think I’ve ever…” He trailed off, a rare flush creeping up his neck.

You blinked at him, your chest heaving as you tried to catch your breath. “You’ve never what?”

He let out a quiet laugh, his hand brushing a strand of hair from your face. “I’ve never thought this would happen. Us. Like this. And… I kind of hate myself for waiting so long.”

His honesty left you momentarily stunned. This was Matt—your rival, the person who could always get under your skin. And yet, sitting here, holding you like you were the most fragile thing in the world, he wasn’t that Matt at all.

“Well, it’s happening now,” you said softly, a small smile playing on your lips. “And I don’t know if I’m ready to forgive you completely, but… this feels different. You feel different.”

“I am,” he promised, his thumb grazing your cheek. “I swear, I am.”

You leaned back into the kiss, this time with less hesitation and more certainty. His hands tightened on your hips, pulling you closer as the tension melted into something softer, more electric.

“Y/N,” he whispered against your lips between kisses. “I don’t want this to stop. But… if you want me to slow down, justsay the word.”

You shook your head slightly, brushing your nose against his. “I don’t want you to stop.”

His lips curved into a faint smile before they captured yours again. It wasn’t rushed or chaotic; it was patient, deliberate like he wanted to savor every second.

But just as you started to lose yourself in the moment, there was a sharp knock on the passenger-side window.

You froze, your eyes widening in panic as you turned to see Nick and Chris standing outside the car, smirking like they’d just won the lottery.

Matt groaned, letting his head fall back against the headrest. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered, his hands reluctantly dropping from your waist.

“Guess we’re busted,” you whispered, unable to stop the embarrassed smile that tugged at your lips.

Sliding off Matt’s lap, you scrambled back into the passenger seat, smoothing out your shirt and running a hand through your hair. Matt rubbed the back of his neck, looking equally flustered but unable to hide the amused smirk tugging at his lips.

Rolling down the window, you were met with Nick and Chris’s grinning faces.

“We just wanted to make sure you didn’t kill each other,” Chris said, barely holding back laughter. “We didn’t see the car drive away, so, you know, better safe than sorry.”

Nick leaned down, his grin absolutely wicked. “But clearly, you two found a different way to sort things out.”

“Real mature, Nick,” you shot back, though your cheeks were burning.

Matt leaned over the console, his arm casually draped across the back of your seat as he looked at his brothers. “Do you guys not have better things to do than stalk me?”

“Stalk you?” Nick gasped in mock offense. “We were concerned. Imagine our relief when we came out here and saw you weren’t choking each other—though, to be fair, this is definitely the opposite of what we expected.”

Chris snickered. “Honestly, I’m just shocked Y/N didn’t punch you in the face. Progress, I guess.”

You glanced at Matt, and to your surprise, he was smiling—not the smug, teasing smile you were used to, but a genuine one that softened his whole face.

“You know,” Matt said, his voice calm, “for once, I’m kind of glad you two interrupted. Otherwise, we might’ve stayed in here all night.”

Your jaw dropped slightly, and you smacked his arm playfully. “Matt!”

“What?” he said, feigning innocence as he held up his hands. “Just being honest.”

Chris raised an eyebrow. “Well, as much as I hate to break up this little love fest, are you guys still getting the slushies? Or were you planning to sit here making out until the sun comes up?”

You groaned, covering your face with your hands. “I can’t deal with you two.”

“Hey, you chose this life,” Nick quipped, winking.

Matt laughed, and to your surprise, the sound was lighthearted, even happy. He reached for the keys and started the car, shooting a glance at his brothers. “Don’t wait up.”

“Oh, we’re definitely waiting up,” Chris said with a grin. “This is going straight into the group chat.”

“Nick,” you groaned, giving him a pointed look, “if you just type one word—”

“I make no promises,” Nick interrupted, stepping back from the car as Matt began reversing out of the garage.

As you drove away, you couldn’t help but glance at Matt, your chest still fluttering from everything that had just happened. He caught your gaze and smiled, his hand resting on the console between you.

“Still okay?” he asked softly, his voice low enough that only you could hear.

You nodded, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Yeah. I’m okay.”

And for the first time in years, you actually meant it.

[kayakima]

Headcanon list: how the 104th cadets are when they’re drunk

(bonus Porco and Pieck)

Eren: Exclusively shotguns Twisted Teas. Could go either way between the one itching to fight anyone and everyone (especially Jean) or the one that ends up getting really emotional and crying in the bathroom. Sometimes he’s both. Wants to take his keys and start driving and has to be stopped by multiple people.

Armin: THE karaoke king. He’s awful, too. Nobody butchers ABBA quite like him and there’s probably 10+ blackmail videos shared between JCS that they hold over his head whenever they need him to do a favor. Annie gets really flustered watching him but everyone knows she loves seeing him have so much fun. Sasha joins in at some point.

Mikasa: Can down seven grapefruit White Claws and you’d never be able to tell she was drunk. Cleans up Sasha after she pukes and then makes sure Eren’s sleeping on his side after he finally passes out so if he pukes in his sleep he doesn’t choke. Stands in the corner watching and is generally very pleasant and active with everyone. Brings her own snacks but happily shares with Annie. Takes videos of Sasha and Pieck playing pranks to post online.

Ymir: Hogs a bottle of Crown Royal and gets really touchy with Historia later. Winds up taking her to the couch in the corner and they’re that couple that everyone ends up steering clear of out of a fear of interrupting because they’re making out and are really bad at being discreet about it

Historia: Chugs Pink Whitney like it’s nobody’s business. Is initially hesitant about going to the corner with Ymir because she wants to socialize but once she does she will not leave unless the house is burning down. Wears NASTY white air forces that are her go-to party shoes.

Reiner: Pretends to like Casamigos because he thinks it looks nonchalant but discretely steals all the Jell-O shots and takes them in the bathroom so nobody sees him. Everyone thinks he’s doing coke and he’s forced to admit to the Jell-O shots when Connie notices they’re all missing after an hour. Plays King’s Cup with Porco and cries with joy when he wins.

Annie: STRAWBERITAS!!!!!!! Similar to Mikasa in that she pretends to not be drunk but is a lot worse at hiding it. Surprisingly gets really huggy when she’s drunk and when she’s not watching Armin sing she’s clinging onto Pieck like a baby koala. Compliments everyone in really awkward ways (“Mikasa, you and I use the same fabric softener, I can smell it.”)

Bertoldt: Quiet drunk until that Deep Eddy’s lemon hits his bloodstream and then suddenly he’s “freestyle” dancing. Everyone considers it a hazard because he’s swinging his arms and legs around not knowing he’s hitting people on accident. Accidentally raids Connie’s room and eats his “special” brownies and then greens out.

Marco: Brings his own homemade raspberry lemonade. He’s happy to be involved but generally wants to make sure everyone’s safe and gets home alright. Puts half a shooter of Tito’s in it and freaks out because he’s scared he’s gonna fail a breathalyzer now. Brings a Polaroid camera to take pictures (mostly of Jean). Calls an uber for Sasha and goes home with her to make sure she doesn’t puke in the uber.

Jean: Jack Daniel’s is like water to him. That one guy that has the durability of a toddler and will jump off the roof onto a table to break it and somehow walks away with no injuries and no memory. LOVES to beat Porco at beerpong and asks Pieck if she saw him throw the winning shot. Always suggests going swimming. “Punch me in the face Eren, I swear I won’t feel it!”

Connie: ACTUALLY likes Casamigos. Gets so drunk he starts yelling at people in Spanish and nobody even knew he could speak Spanish, not even himself. Made Jell-O shots for Sasha. Somehow knows and has official setups for every possible drinking game in existence. Hosted the party and refuses to let anyone change the playlist that’s like 90% fetty wap.

Sasha: Green Apple Smirnoff. A Taco Bell cravings box HATES to see her coming. Ends up throwing up on Jean. Raids the fridge and pantry with Pieck. Takes videos of EVERYTHING because she knows she’ll forget what happened if she doesn’t.

Bonus Pieck and Porco

Pieck: Mixes the jungle juice and puts a fuckload of Beefeater gin in it. Dances for a bit with Benzodiazepine and can throw ass but chooses not to because “I only do that in the club”. Double checks to see if Jean is actually hurt after he jumps off the roof. LOVES to see Jean and Porco fight over her but doesn’t go home with either of them. Takes all of Connie’s cups out of the cabinet and then fills them with water before putting them back in the cabinet.

Porco: Watermelon Four Loko is to him like bread is to butter. REALLY sore loser when Jean beats him at beerpong and Reiner beats him at King’s Cup. Yells at everyone to talk to them even if he’s two feet away. Gives Pieck his jacket and Jean gets really jealous. Willing to get into a fight with Eren and actually does start kicking his ass until the fight is broken up.

Lmk if you want a part 2 lmao

[rwrbficrecs]

WIP Wednesday

A bit late but happy new year 🎊 starting the year off strong with 10 WIP recs - enjoy!! ❤️

the world forgetting, by the world forgot by @leaves-of-laurelin (book-verse)

@dot524: This is an extraordinarily sad and poignant story about the tragedy of a failed relationship and the efforts to bring it back together. Alex and Henry used to be together, but they grew apart. As part of their breakup, Henry underwent a procedure that caused him to forget Alex, and Alex decides to do the same thing. What will they do when they realize that it was a mistake? This is an Eternal Sunlight of the Spotless Mind AU, and I’m not familiar with that story, but the fic is engrossing and well-done. It’s also almost finished. Check it out!

Like Because, Love Despite by @aforgottennymph (book-verse)

@dot524: Alex and Henry are work rivals who are both working themselves to the bone. It turns out that they used to be together, but they broke up. Their assistants, Nora and Pez, have come up with a plan to get them together - mainly to make their own jobs tolerable. But Alex and Henry are working through a painful past, and things are not always as they seem. I was snorting reading the most recent chapter - this one is just fun, joyful, and hilarious. Plus there are some flashbacks to their relationship that make you feel all the feels. Can’t wait to see how the author gets these two together!

Break Out by @cricketnationrise (book/movie-verse)

@na-dineee: Ice hockey is the perfect setup for an MLM romance, right?! Novels like Time to Shine are a prime example, and there are already some amazing firstprince x ice hockey AUs out there. And now, cricketnationrise started one too – yay !! Humor, fluff, and eventual smut – ok, enough said, I’m in!

i'll be riding shotgun by @callmevenji (book-verse)

@na-dineee: As with ice hockey, road trips are just as popular setups for many beautiful rwrb fanfics. With this one, I’m able to tick off some of my favourite tropes, like enemies to lovers, oblivious Alex with abandonment issues, or found family. The author’s previous fics have always amazed me, and I’m sure this one will be no different – the setup is just too good!

tis the damn season by @littlemisskittentoes (book-verse)

@na-dineee: I think this is Sarah’s first multi-chap fic? Alex and Henry were childhood best friends, a friendship that meant the world to Alex. But that’s all in the past. Still, Alex’s stubborn heart never stopped loving Henry... The WiP is posted about halfway through, and it’s as beautifully poetic as you’d expect from Sarah. The small town setting gives off such cozy vibes – it’s just so lovely !!

The Love Lasts So Long by @chaa-kiao (book-verse)

@na-dineee: The Foxes are close friends of the Claremont-Diazes. However, Alex can’t stand Henry. Like, not at all !! Naturally he's kind of shocked/annoyed to find out that Henry will be spending Christmas with them. As usual, Alex is totally oblivious to his feelings, but they'll get there, won't they?! I love this author, and am so glad that they're posting again. A story about falling in love, discovering their feelings, and the magic of Christmas - even in January just perfect.

The Final Rose by @tinyarmedtrex (book-verse)

@na-dineee: Alex is the new Bachelor, and it's Henry's job to keep everything running smoothly. Of course, the whole thing gets off to a rocky start. Henry can't stand Alex and his easy charm, but as he gets to know him, he starts to warm up, realising his feelings are anything but professional. Are we here for this?!! Yes, we are, aren’t we?!

Sweet Little Lies by @celaestis1 (book-verse)

@dot524: Canon divergent AU where Alex misses the royal wedding and Cake-gate never happened, but a flirtation between June and Henry and a lavender relationship did instead. Alex is still obsessed with Henry and has to confront his own feelings as the situation unfolds. So excited to see where this goes, especially since I’ve loved this author’s other works!

Driven to Distraction by @happiness-of-the-pursuit (book-verse)

@na-dineee: Since last year’s photos of TZP and Nick at F1 events, we’ve all been waiting (okay, maybe just me … but you too, right?!) for this AU. And now it’s here, written by none other than happinessofthepursuit. It’s going to be 10 chapters, rated E, Enemies to Lovers—and chapter 1 already leaves you wanting more.

Married at First Sight by @omgcmere (book-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: If you heard squealing across the oceans on Sunday, it was probably me when I saw the email notification for this beloved author publishing her first fic in 3 years. Alex and Henry sign up to do a reality show (if you haven't watched it, don't worry. I haven't and I'm enjoying it all the same!) in which they are supposed to get married to a complete stranger--except it turns out they already know each other, and Alex has been nursing a grudge for years. We're only a chapter in but the tension has already built up to an excellent level and I can't wait to keep reading.

check out our past WIP recs here ❤️

[fadelion]

I didn't read a lot of the Future State arc, but I will fully admit that the image of Duke Thomas with Black Lightning as his stand lives rent free in my head.

Duke out here sneaking people out of the locked down surveillance state that Gotham has become, suit but no mask since vigilantes have been outlawed, is a known Person of Interest by the militarized cops and forces running the city, and this is how he comes back after he gets caught in a sting/setup: defiant, back on that good shit, and with Black Lightning riding shotgun in the sword on his back.

Duke "I know I'm a problem, do you want me to be YOUR problem" Thomas, people!

[redheadspark]

All Shook Up

Summary - Druig takes care of you after hours.

Warnings - SMUT WARNING! NO MINORS ALLOWED!

A/N - I got inspiration for his one shot from the GORGEOUS photoshoot Barry Keoghan did with Bumble for Valentines Day's. With him in front of the Pool Table... ;)

Enjoy responsibly :)

“Fuck…FUCK Druig!”

“That’s the idea, darlin’.” 

You opened your eyes seeing the lights shining down above you as hands were griping your hips so deliciously and possessively, your mind was in a pleasurable fog while your back was rubbing against the material below you.  Your thighs, though spread with no abandon, were starting to burn while you were covered from head to toe with sweat.  All you were feeling and sensing was red-hot heat, insane pleasure from the top of your head to your toes, and an insane high from Druig making love to you.

No, he wasn’t making love to you.  He was downright devouring you.

This was his idea, you had no idea you would end up literally on your back on top of a pool table with Druig drilling his cock into you at a steady rhythm.  He wanted you to come out to his pub and poll hall that night, you two haven’t been able to spend some time together as a couple since you both were busy.  Your workload and a full-time job were making you mostly unavailable for a date night or a late-night hang out with Druig, just as Druig running his pub kept him away for several hours on end.  

But finally, you had time to hang out with Druig after closing time, you were able to catch up with your mutual friends Makkari and Kingo.  The pub was pretty busy, Druig being a hands-on owner, and was all over the place.  You loved watching him at work, seeing him reload new kegs when they were out, checking in on his wait staff when they looked swamped, and even waiting on dirty tables You knew he was a devoted owner of the pub ever since he inherited it from his old boss and mother figure Ajak, doubling the profits and popularity in no time.  He moved into the apartment that was on the second floor, right on top of the pub with a massive view of the city below.  It was the best setup for him, and for you when he asked you to stay over for the night or for the weekend. 

He asked you to stay after hours when he locked the doors and lowered the blinds, and before you knew it, with a few glasses of wine and using some of his weed, the night led you two to this predicament.  

“Jesus, you look amazin’, sprawled on his table for me,” Druig growled as he thrust hard, you moaning loudly and reached for his spare hand for him to lace together near your head.  His other hand was cradling your neck, his body hunched over yours as he had you along the edge of the pool table.  It started with making out, Druig perching you on top of the Pool Table with ease as his kisses along your lips were making you dizzy.  

Something about Druig and his way to draw you in, to make you feel so loved and safe, you would fall under his spell every time.  He loved you and cared for you, showed you respect to the tenth degree, setting the bar far too high for any other guy to come around.  

After shotgunning the smoke from his parted lips and feeling his tongue dance against yours, you were falling for him all over again.  His hands were all over your body, pushing up the summer dress you were wearing to be bunched around your hips, and his thumbs then hooking along your panties to let them drop to the floor.  Before you knew what was happening, he was kneeling between your legs and making you shake in pleasure with both his lips and fingers inside your aching pussy.

It was almost like liquid fire along your skin, your fingers digging in his brown hair as your other hand was holding hard to the wood of the pool table.  It was almost like an erotic scene to be certain, to hear and feel Druig moan against your cunt as he was picking along your folds before flicking his tongue right up against your clit to make you scream. You were feeling the adrenaline from both the wine and the weed, but both were nothing compared to the pure lust that was in your veins as you were trying to stifle your moans by biting your lower lip.  

Druig must have heard it, pausing his movement and looking up at you as you were shaking from the insane pleasure.  You watched with glossed-over eyes, Druig on his knees with his eyes on yours whilst his head was still perched between your quivering thighs.  You saw the moisture painted on his lips and chin, you mewling from the sight as Druig sunk two fingers into your pussy as he smiled wide.

“Don’t be quiet on me darlin’.  I want ya nice and loud for me,” He commanded, his fingers curling as you fell back in a heap.  

After cumming from his tongue and fingers, Druig then had you bent over the side of the pool table, chest against the green material as he sunk his cock in from behind and took you then and there.  It would have sounded almost guttural from anyone else passing by, even that late in the night since the only sounds that were heard were the balls rolling around on top of the table and the slapping of skin.  Druig kept his hands everywhere on your skin, your sundress still on but barely as he was kneeling your breasts under the dress and sinking his fingers into your hair while his hips were constantly rolling over and over.  

You felt that tightness all over again, from this new angle and how his cock was so snug within your inner walls and hitting that sweet spot deep inside of you.  Druig always knew the best way to make you feel all the pleasure in the world when you two were in bed together, especially the first time he sunk into you.  Something in the way he fucked you, both in intensity and yet with gentleness as he watched you come undone under him.  He was entranced by the sight of you orgasming on his cock, calling out his name in such a way it was almost like a religious experience.  

This night was no different as he reached around to flick his finger against your clit, rotating it twice before you came so hard you were dragging your nails along the green cloth.  He hunched over you, holding you close while you experienced the aftershocks from your climax before he gave you a filthy kiss along your neck.

“How close are ya?  Tell me, sweetheart,” Druig commanded with a grunt as he was fucking you a bit faster now, seeing you shaking and biting your lip as sure signs of you about to reach the peak.  You look up at him, smiling in lust and bliss at the sight of Druig above you.  His eyes drilling into yours as his brown hair was plastered to his face, the open blue shirt he wore that night for work still on but now stuck against his chest and back from the sweat, he looked gorgeous to you.  With his muscles along his arm and chest and the distinct v-line from his hips, you were under his spell with no sign of snapping out of it as he was staring at you like you were prey that he wanted to devour.  

You must have looked like a mess, your summer dress now on the floor and being bare naked on top of one of his pool tables.  He loved seeing this side of you, not wound up tight like you usually were because of your job.  Druig always made it his mission to make your walls come down when he was with you, whether it was with back massages or sending you to the spa that his friend Sersi ran, seeing you relaxed and at ease made his heart happy.

But his favorite way of releasing your tension was fucking your brains out.

“F-Fuck, I…I’m so c-close!” You moaned as Druig kept thrusting, going a bit harder now while he watched your eyes roll back in ecstasy while the tip of his cock hit your sweet spot deep inside of you.  He leaned down, the new angle made you both moan sinfully as he wrapped his hand behind your neck to have you sit up.  You were so close to falling over in a blissful orgasm that you knew would shake up your world, you just needed a bit more of a push as Druig pulled you to be chest to chest with him.  You clung to his back, pressing your head into his as he bottomed out completely into yours.  At this point he was now grinding into you, the sheer force of his strength behind every push into you almost made the pool table shift and squeak, yet neither of you cared.

“Cum on baby…cum on my cock.  I wanna feel it, every single ounce of it as you cum and drench my cock,” He growled against your neck as he was grinding over and over.  You tried to speak, but all you could do was moan as the peak was so close, literally on the tip top of your spine and about to crash over your head.  Druig felt it too, how your pussy fluttered around his cock that was throbbing and aching to unload deep inside of you.  He just needed to tip you over the edge and knew precisely how to do it.  Your neck was so sensitive and so responsive, that he placed his lips over your neck right where your pulse point was.

He bit down very lightly, you screaming as you finally orgasmed and clung onto him.

It triggered his own orgasm too, emptying himself inside of you like a heartbeat and not slowing down or stopping.  You both were plastered to one another, coming down from your highs as the loud moaning was turning into whimpers and hums.  Druig kissed your skin wherever he could, still holding you tight as his hips were slightly moving again and again and still emptying himself inside of you until he felt himself spent.  Even Druig was shaking while his heart was beating rapidly against his chest, pulled away slightly to stare at you, and smiled in bliss.

There you were, coming down from your orgasm and yet still looking beautiful and almost heavenly in his arms as you were open and bare to him.  He loved the way you looked and felt beautiful in your own skin, for as long as he knew and loved you Druig loved the confidence you had and he wished he had it himself.  And you were sagged against him, Druig was rubbing his hands along your skin and kissing your cheeks as you lazily smiled, both in satisfaction and in exhaustion.

“Jesus Druig, I can’t even…I can’t walk,” You hummed, out of breath as Druig duly chuckled.  You looked over your shoulder at the scratch marks you made on the green cloth, grimacing a bit, “I’m sorry about your table.”

“You kiddin’ me?  It’s sexy as hell!” Druig reassured you, making you laugh as he kissed you sweetly and pulled out of your carefully.  You shook from the feeling of being empty, though Druig never released you from his arms as he spoke again against your jaw, “I’ve hated this pool table anyways.  I can call to get a new one tomorrow.  Come on, I wanna take care of ya in the shower,”

You squealed and laughed as he lifted you in his arms bridal style, both of you still naked with no shame as he strolled over to the backdoor that led to a pair of stairs that then led to his small and cramped apartment.  

The End.

Fic based on this masterpiece of a photo :

Tagged - @a-lumos-in-the-nox

[sirfrogsworth]

Curious what's your grudge with sm7b is.

Like, imo, if one microphone had to become popular, sm7b is one of the better options. It's well-liked among professionals for its frequency response and smoothness, the fact that it's a dynamic microphone means that it sounds good even in poorly treated environments (picks up less room echo).

I think it's a really versatile mic. Ofc there are better options for certain situations. But you can't trust each person to research everything, esp cuz it could lead to them picking an even worse option. At least it's not blue yeti anymore

The SM7B is a fantastic microphone, but it is a pain in the ass.

It's very insensitive, which is great for dynamic singers who go from quiet to loud, but for a regular speaking voice it needs a cloud lifter to boost the gain. Even then it needs to be relatively close to the mouth. It's XLR, which is another hassle. It has a shitty pop filter and no real shock absorption. And it really needs EQ to sound its best.

All of that can be overcome, but I just think it is a lot of work for a simple podcast setup. A USB microphone just makes a lot more sense to me for most people. Though I agree the Yeti is a travesty. It's trying to be too many things at once and doesn't do one thing very well.

I also think aesthetics should be a concern, especially since a lot of podcasts have a video version. Some may disagree, but I think the SM7B is an ugly mic. And it is so large and unwieldy that it usually blocks half of the face.

And there are so many really beautiful mics that sound just as good or better. If people have good sound absorption in their recording space, they could use a more sensitive mic and place it farther away so it doesn't block the face.

I really like the Earthworks Icon.

I just think that is a gorgeous mic and I like the sound better than the Shure.

But there are tons of really beautiful options.

For video, people could also do a high quality lav mic or a shotgun mic out of frame. They don't need to have any visible microphone and they can still get very good sound quality.

And if they only care about the absolute best sound quality, picking out a mic should be a personal thing. I feel folks shouldn't just get what everyone else is getting. They should get something that specifically suits their voice. For example, if you have a deep baritone and want that boomy radio voice, perhaps get a broadcast microphone with good proximity effect. Different mics suit different vocal ranges and people rarely consider that.

There are so many amazing microphones out there and every single podcaster is limiting themselves to the biggest, ugliest, and hardest to use option.

I think folks should stop following this fad and do a little research to find a microphone that specifically suits their needs. They should listen to sample recordings featuring a similar voice to their own. They should consider ease of use, aesthetics, and sound quality. They may find the SM7B works best for them. And I would have no problem with that. But if I were investing that much money, I would want to be sure it was the best option for me.

I really like EposVox for mic reviews. He focuses on their use for streaming and podcasting. But I would still seek out sample recordings matching one's vocal range.

[skybrushus]

Note. To the best of my knowledge this is not based on any existing Fallout Equestria storyline, nor does it follow any particular plot in Fallout 4. This is just the narrative that popped into my head as I worked on this piece.

    Amber stepped out of the vault and squinted as the late morning light assaulted his eyes. Amber's outdoor excursion was driven by his desire to speak to Vault 69's resident armorer Lock n' Load about some repairs that were being done on his rifle. As such the hybrid pony/dragon felt rather naked just carrying his holster 9mm pistol.

    However the stallion reminded himself that there was four of the vault's sharpshooters to keep an eye on the area surrounding for raiders and dangerous wildlife. One of those sharpshooters was Coco Pommel with her 14.5x114mm anti-tank rifle. Link

     The stallion had been told by another vault armorer that had Lock n' Load needed to go outside to test fire a weapon. Thus his outdoor journey. Amber wondered why Lock n' Load had to go outside to test fire a weapon since vault's indoor firing range could handle everything up to 30mm autocannon ammunition?

      There was suddenly a series of quick shots and the stallion followed the sound. He quickly found 4 mares standing in front of a hastily setup shooting range. One was the vault armorer; standing next to burly earth pony mare was 2 pegasus mares that Amber recognized as being from Stable 69.

    However the other pony was new to Amber. A fuchsia colored earth pony mare wearing an eye patch and festooned in black leather garments was firing a rather short, brutal looking shotgun. It was a rather unorthodox device. 8 barrels of 20ga were arranged in a circular cluster. As Amber watched the earth pony quickly shouldered the shotgun and fired 4 more rounds. Then the mare unlocked the action and smartly snapped downward exposing the chambers. With her left hand she reached for a large stud inside at the center of the barrel cluster and then smartly yanked it back. As the stallion watched the spent shotshells were ejected from the barrels. Then with practiced efficiency the mare began extracting new shells from a belt around her waist and started reloading the chambers when that was accomplished Lock n' Load look at the 2 pegasus mares.

      "Okay get us a brisk wind going away from us. Then we'll test gas discharger."

       The mares took off and came to an hover about 8ft off the ground. Then they began vigorously flapping their wings. As they did a steady breeze started blowing away from themselves and the other ponies gathered there. The fuchsia looked at the armorer who nodded her head. The other mare shouldered the weapon and pulled the trigger from forward trigger group. Suddenly a large cloud of whitish vapors and a tight stream of liquid erupted from the weapon. All of this enveloped a rudimentary mannequin about 7yds away. Obviously it had been setup for this demonstration. After a second this began to disperse away from the ponies gathered.

        Amber spoke as he walked up the small group. "Well that's a very distinctive demonstration." He looked at the newcomer. "And hello. My name is Amber....and you would be?"

        The newcomer gave the stallion a quizzical look. "Name is Cheerilee. Are you a member of this Vault?"

        The stallion grinned. "Yep! And who would you be and what do you do around here?"

        Cheerilee frowned. "I'm a school teacher."

         Lock n' Load spoke up answering the question that was rolling around in Amber's mind. "We're doing this test outside because the firing range's ventilation and filtration system is on the fritz and I didn't want to flood the vault's air circulation system with tear gas."

        This is a Patreon reward for Skyline-Twilight. The weapon she's holding is a prototype Colt Hillberg Defender shotgun. It's a very obscure weapon. Not even Ian at Forgotten Weapon Link has done a video on it yet. So most of the reference images and information I had came from the 1978 book The World's Fighting Shotgun written by Thomas F. Swearengen. Link He had wrote an extensive article in the book on it. It was a developed to fire 20ga shotshells while having a nonlethal tear gas dispenser built into the weapon.

I hope you like what you see. Please help make more art like this possible by supporting me at Patreon

[tendie-defender]

Shotguns are really my wheelhouse outside of the Spas12.

BUT!

PSA’s 570 concept has me interested.

I know their 50BMG is getting all the attention and the Mac11 “at home” is something I would most definitely get. But the 570 is a modular system that allows you to use existing aftermarket parts AND it has a setup that allows you to switch inbetween semi auto and pump action like the spas12.

[puck-luck]

ik bea was mad, jack and luke were separating her and quinn during the car ride like wdym she couldn’t even hold his hand

So here's my vision!:

The car setup while Bea is texting about that is like

Quinn Jack

Luke Bea

So, I think it would be really difficult and very unsafe for Bea to be holding Quinn's hand in any seat EXCEPT shotgun, which Jack took and refused to give up. Goon behavior.

All is resolved when it's Luke's turn to drive, though, because Quinn just takes his seat next to Bea. Then, they can hold hands. But still omg three wholeeee hours where Beaquinn can't touch? Wow for two people who love physical touch, that must've been torture... (I'm being sarcastic and teasing them)

[craftinghellkite]

Rhino Prime ||Doom Slayer||

This has been my longest write-up so far - fittingly so, as a Rhino main myself. I'm pretty sure quite a number of people have done this one, but this is my take on the Doom Slayer custom. I've also been building appropriate weapons for him specific to this loadout, even renaming them accordingly. I currently have:

a rocket launcher (A Kuva Ogris I wanted to use because the Unreal Tournament skin is gorgeous)

a combat shotgun (a recently built Strun Prime and a more recently acquired incarnon because I want the Boar Prime to be flexible)

the super shotgun (a Tigris Prime I still need a proper build for)

a heavy weapon (undecided, but I want to build a Kuva Grattler eventually)

the Crucible (I have another heavy blade zaw besides Responsibility, and it's not a one-shot like the actual Crucible because that's just how it is)

The last time I extensively played Rhino, Iron Skin was a separate health type and Jade Eximi didn't exist. Now, just a well-timed Iron Skin activation nets several hundred thousand overguard that's maintained by the Stomp augment restoring by percentage instead of a flat amount. No need for Charge nor Shrapnel, no need for lots of armor, no need for tedious setup just to get a lot of overguard. It's a more fun and less anxiety-inducing playstyle to go with.

Currently going with this Doomguy to hunt that hellish boyband instead of Hina. She can continue to deal with the troublemakers in space instead.

[overwhelmed-transpolymath]

RWBY - Rimworld AAR Day Two

This is part two of my ongoing RWBY - Rimworld playthrough. We are finally out of the early game setup and are well into the foundational phase of the colony. This time around we've got construction, more relationships, raids, and Lovin, so much Lovin.

Last we had left off the colony had fended off its first raid, slaughtering a bunch of Viking clansman without much trouble. Everyone quickly got back to work, or sleep as the raid did happen in the night.

As they worked before sleep, Yang's flirting finally came through and got her a new lover. Its Blake, Bees for the win. Though I do have to wonder, just what about your hands were you talking about Yang? It better not be a vibrating function.

And so soon after the first raid, we've got a group of Saurids, lizard like humans who lay eggs instead of live births.

Needless to say, for the main group it did not go well, they grouped up nice and tight for Yang's shotgun, and suffered for it. And for the one guy who tried to flank well... he met Ruby's dane axe and got disemboweled. I ended up choosing a dane axe for Ruby's weapon because its the closest thing my mods have to a scythe, big heavy bladed weapon that can rock someone flat. Now before I contunie with the day, I figured I'd give a quick colony tour.

To the left is the RWBY house. Nice big bed, bathroom, the research bench, the initial table and dartboard. Its cozy and does the job well enough for the first building of the colony. To the right you've got the workshop and warehouse, and also Olitite's bedroom because I can't waste time building a house for the dirtmole while I'm building out the mountain base.

Then we've got the kitchen, proper dining room and cold storage, as well as the entrance to the mountain base. Good times all round.

And last but not least, the planned out mountain base, the four smaller rooms on the bottom will be bedrooms, a garage near the kitchen, a church/ideology room right off the entrance and some type of storage behind it. Research lab and hospital will be deeper in. That nice little open space between the mountains will probably be for shuttle landing and solar panels. Nice and safe from the horrors of the outside.

And just after taking the screenshots for a base tour, the Hustler Crew, a group of pirates, wants me to pay protection money. I think not, needless to say they sent three, under equipped pirates who met a very quick fate at the hands of our girls. These early game raids before the wealth tics up are really nothing to speak home about.

And Ruby, after defeating yet another batch of pirates, has decided to woo Blake next, making her, officially, the first to be dating all her teammates minus Yang. Round of applause to her.

Funny moment, Yang sealed up her girlfriend cask of amontillado style, by building a wall and sealing her into the cave. Thankfully Olitite the dirtmole miner was able to quickly unseal her before anything truly bad happened. Lucky Blake.

Go Weiss not letting Ruby have all the fun. The girls are well and truly on their way to a Pollination polycule and I can't fault them for it (afterall I did the setup and practically guaranteed this outcome)

Despite starting a new fresh romance, Blake isn't one to leave Yang behind, and we have our first marriage proposal, though spoiler alert they won't be the first ones actually married.

And that is largely because Weiss is stealing Yang's thunder proposing to Ruby right after. I do wonder if the two planned this out though.

Before the marriages could occur however, a Deserter from the empire came to us with an offer of psylinks, and we want those because our girls need their semblances (Or at least psycasting as close to them as possible.) And the empire are a bunch of slaving, hierarchical noble bastards, and I don't believe team RWBY would tolerate that. it was only a matter of accepting in the deserter Geere, who is, unfortunately a pyromaniac, and then defeating the empire troops who arrived. Only three of them, and two of them got in a social fight as we approached, which made it very very easy to dispatch them.

So the colony was humming along nicely, easy raids dispatched two of them infact. A group of cannibal tribespeople, and a group of pig hybrids. Now earlier I mentioned that raid and threat strength scales with colony wealth, and we've been pretty low on that. The game decided however, that that was not enough and gave me two jade meteors and a gold one. Oh boy, our wealth just skyrocketed on the map. This however, is a problem for future RWBY.

Perhaps because of the raids, and the newfound wealth, Weiss finally got around to asking Blake to marry her. I absolutely love where this is going for them.

And it was time for a quick leadership speech from Ruby as the mountain base is well on its way to completion. With the church of the brothers being nearly finished. I did a neat little thing with the carpet, having both of them represented in deep purple and a pastel yellow respectively.

And, speeding ahead of Blake and Yang, perhaps just to steal Yang's thunder, Weiss and Ruby are now married. I used some console fuckery to change their last names to Rose-Schnee because it fits better than Ruby Schnee.

And what is a wedding without an unexpected guest, and psychic phenomena. An archon from beyond showed up, perhaps attracted by all the gold we mined, thankfully it was just the one, so hitting him with all the gunfire in the world drove him back to whence he came. Though he didn't die, so he may be back. Joy.

Blake and Yang, not to be outdone had their wedding in the now completed church, good for them.

Though it seems they couldn't wait for the party to be over before consummating the marriage. Slipping off into the storage closet for a quickie, before the party was even done. I love when pawns actually get into their characters because this is totally a thing they would both do at their wedding.

And a day or two after that, Blake and Weiss finally tied the knot. Our pollination married polycule is nearly complete. With that, the session ended as I had to go to work. However before I go, I'm going to show you all the places these girls decided to get it on that wasn't their bed. I'm trying out the new Intimacy Expanded Mod, its great so far, though it seems they prefer everywhere but their bed.

Oh my indeed. Everywhere but the bed it seems with them. I'm a particular fan of that first image because Weiss is researching, Yang is playing dart while Ruby and Blake go at it, just near the bed not on it of course, because who needs comfort.

Thats all from session two, heres to the next day and whatever it may bring!

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2025-05-26

You must believe that it will go on forever

Listening: Listened to the soundtrack from The People's Joker, which you can roughly find here

There are a lot of bangers in this one but I do think I have to put down Back of the Truck

You should definitely watch The People's Joker it is a truly incredible piece of art. It is literally the only piece of Batman media I have ever consumed start to finish.

Reading: A bunch of scattered articles on ocean plastic in an attempt to better understand some of the claims made in a book I read a while ago, still piecing those together.

Also a lot of electronics part specs because I'm trying to do another PCB project and I am in the hell that is finding parts that are cheap, in stock, and well documented. This is a fight you can win but it involves giving up the part of yourself that doesn't understand how Molex names their parts.

Watching: Watched Les Barbouzes/The Great Spy Chase, a French spy comedy film from the 60's where the conceit is "what if five different countries sent their spies to recover some valuable documents at the same time and they all had to play nice while trying to get one over on each other.

It's very funny! Genuinely some incredible comedy in this movie, but also, Le Racisme! Le Racisme is relatively limited and you should still probably watch this.

In addition to this, at bad movie night Rollergator, a movie by a director who has featured here before when he did Legend of the Rollerblade Seven which is the worst movie we've ever run at Bad Movie Night. Rollergator is about a girl who finds a tiny purple gator puppet who raps and also does one Le Racisme (American) when he does impressions as a bit.

The director of these movies (Donald G. Jackson) Made a like million dollars on one movie and then pioneered the concept he called "Zen Filmmaking" which is when you don't write a script and just wander around easily accessible sets freestyling it. The movies he produces are both unwatchably bad and have negative production value, with untraceable plots, inaudible audio, and pointless dialogue. I cannot really recommend that you watch this one.

Playing: A few more levels of Skin Deep, in part because my partner wanted to see it. Playing or talking video games around them (and a few of my other friends) is funny because it makes me feel like the Video Game Ulysses Ogre. I'm all "Aaaah ogre so stupid ogre can only just make use of smoke grenades, ogre not even begin to correctly employ jiggle peeking" meanwhile they're like "yeah I get frustrated at Arkham Asylum on easy."

Also more Echo Point Nova which is rapidly becoming one of my favourite shooters. I feel like I'm not doing myself any favours refusing to use a controller here, aim assist would probably be great, but I am getting shockingly good at playing Clay Pigeon on the hoverboard guys with my shotgun.

Making: 3D printed speaker stands for my PC speakers, which need some work or maybe just some cleverer design to prevent them from leaning way forwards. Still working on it. Continuing to fiddle with various designs for my new desk setup.

Tools and Equipment: I finally bought some noise cancelling wireless earphones and they are kind of killer for the metro. I have previously worn earplugs on the metro but they are way more inconvenient. I have known how good ANC is for a long time but it really cannot be overstated how nice it is to be able to a) listen to music on the metro without blowing your eardrums out and b) just suppress ambient noise for a bit. Sometimes I've been throwing them in if I want to keep listening to a podcast while I boil the kettle or turn on the microwave.

These are the new CMF Buds 2 which were like USD 50-ish? I'm sure if you get a new Sony it's better and these definitely struggle with more variable, less monotonous noises, but they're great for the price.

[recoiloperated]

I'm looking at needing a more CQB centric rifle setup in the next year.

I'm probably just going to swap a one power/ magnifier stack on the bravo 353, and put the six power lpvo on old the OG carbine because it has the world's crustiest first generation one to four on it.

Tbh I need to finish a bunch of gun projects and stuff before I mess with it too much.

The shotgun bayonet projects, the M16A1 de-ishing, the 723... I think that's about it.

[kimberlyeab]

I saw your reblog on Cadence’s post, sounds like they aired out some dirty laundry in a half assed callout post and I apologize you had to put up with that. But your post got me thinking about the HDG Discord’s rules for stories, and the resulting creative sterility I feel has followed. Maybe I’ve just shotgunned too many of these fics back to back, but I feel that the rules of the Discord have resulted in HDG fics following only a few preset plot lines and that in many of these fics you could swap the names of the human or Affini characters and hardly notice because the setup for the plot and the character’s motivations aren’t very distinct from one fic to another. I’m not even slamming the authors for that, most of these people are happy amateurs working on these fics in their free time and I do take that into account. I feel the issue comes from the HDG discord wanting an SCP-esque friendly collaborative writing experience but aren’t willing to allow the massive creative variety that allowed SCP to flower as it has. Am I cooking or cringe?

Personally i think you're cooking. It does feel like the general populace wants one kind of story and punishes those who venture beyond it. i even expressed that i thought the community has lost a lot of its teeth from the early days. Seems like they really wanna sand off the edges.

Like Abscissions is held up as a defining work for the setting and had an affini inflict plenty of physical and emotional harm on Terrans but it's not a topic you can explore anymore.

But also i'm the motherfucker who got banned so i am probably biased. But if people have these issues i can safely say there is a community outside the established discord if you're willing to trade in views for creative freedom.

my discord is always open.

[fluentmoviequoter]

The Freak and The Princess (II)

Summary: Eddie lets you walk by during his rant in the cafeteria, stumped by your quietness and manners toward the town freak. He then decides to be the perfect gentlemen. [Part 2/5] 1.7k+ Words

Warnings: blood and stitches, flirty best friend Steve Harrington?, but other than that none that I know of!

A/N: Thank you so much for all the love y'all showed Part 1! I feel like I should call this Part 1.5 because Eddie isn't in much of it but it is setup for an eventful Part 3. (Apologies for any inconsistencies in the formatting, I’m uploading from the mobile app and I'm planning to review it later.) I edited this and proofread it, but please point out any errors or things that you like! And please send requests; all the characters I write for are under my tag #characters! Hope you enjoy! :) Part I

The Freak and The Princess

Part Two: More of a Prince

“I’ll see you in the morning,” Eddie said, opening the door of his van for me.

“Eddie, you really don’t have to drive me to school every day. It’s a 10-minute walk, I can manage.”

“I’m sure you can, but I’d prefer knowing you’re safe,” he said, more serious than I’d heard before.

“Thanks. For chauffeuring me everywhere and for the milkshakes.”

“Anything for you, princess.”

He waited until I was safe inside to pull out, waving as he drove away. I put my things away and collapsed on my bed, groaning as my phone rang.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hey, babe. We have a slight problem. Are you busy?” Steve asked, slightly out of breath.

“Russian soldiers slight or Dustin fell off his bike slight?” I questioned, sitting up.

“The second one. There was an accident and there is a lot of blood, and I don’t really know what to do.”

“Where are you?”

“Hawkins High. Back parking lot. Thank you,” he said before hanging up.

“What did you get into, Steve Harrington?” I whispered as I grabbed my purse and started running toward the school. I turned the corner into the back lot, seeing Dustin and Lucas lying on the blacktop, laughing weakly.

“Steve?” I called as I approached.

“Oh, thank you,” he mumbled, jogging toward me. “They were playing some game and got spooked by something, I think? They won’t really tell me what happened, and they won’t let me take them to the hospital.”

I nodded, handing him my bag and kneeling by them. I noticed that most of Dustin's blood was from a gash below his hairline.

“Steve, I need something to stop the bleeding. Is there any cloth in my purse?” I heard him open it before handing me a white shirt. “Sorry, Eddie,” I thought before pushing it against Dustin’s head. “Hold this here, keep firm pressure,” I instructed Dustin before turning to Lucas. “Where are you hurt?”

He held up his arm, a deep cut spanning his forearm.

“Steve?” I asked, looking up at him. “He needs stitches.”

“No hospitals!” Dustin and Lucas yelled.

“Fine, fine,” I said, thinking. “Can you get us into the school, Steve?”

“Let me go check the doors. If they’re locked, I can’t, not without breaking in anyway,” he said before running toward the building.

“What happened?” I asked Dustin.

“You can’t tell Steve,” he said. I nodded, and he started talking again, “We were playing a new game that Eddie showed us, I don't remember the name of it. Neither one of us realized Jason and his goons were here until they came out and started hitting us.”

“Jason Carver did this?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Lucas said slowly, watching me from the corner of his eye.

I clenched my jaw, looking back to the building to see Steve running back, shaking his head.

“I have the stuff to do it at my place, can you drive them?” I asked.

Steve nodded, helping Dustin up and into the car as I did the same with Lucas. I had one side of my shirt pressed against his arm to stop the bleeding.

“Dustin gets shotgun,” I said, climbing into the back with Lucas to keep pressure on his cut. His blinks were getting heavy. “Stay awake, Lucas, talk to me about your D&D Campaign, basketball, anything.”

He launched into a speech about the current campaign, not stopping until we got to my house and climbed out of the car. We got them into the house and sat them down at the dining table.

“Steve, get towels and the first aid kit. Both are in the closet in the hallway,” I instructed.

He returned quickly with the first aid kit and a handful of towels. He pressed one of the towels against Dustin’s head, tossing the Hellfire shirt into the kitchen sink. I laid a towel under Lucas’s arm, pulling the alcohol and stitching supplies from the first aid kit.

“This is going to hurt, Lucas,” I said gently, kneeling beside him, “if you feel like you’re going to pass out, don’t fight it, ok?”

He nodded, and I poured the alcohol on his arm, grimacing as he yelled in pain. I started the stitches, noticing that he lost consciousness after the fourth one.

“Dustin, stay awake, man,” Steve said to Dustin. “What does he need? The bleeding stopped.”

“I don’t think he has a concussion, but we need to be careful. Just put a bandage on his head and we’ll keep an eye on him. If he falls asleep, just make sure to check on him and wake him every hour or so.”

Steve placed a bandage on Dustin’s head, tossing two bloody towels into the sink. He helped Dustin to the couch before filling the sink with cold water and hydrogen peroxide. I put the last stitch in Lucas’s arm, the twelfth one. I replaced the towel under his arm with a clean one before wiping off the excess blood and wrapping it. Steve carried him to the couch before coming back to the dining room.

“Thank you,” he said, picking up the loose first aid kit supplies and placing them back in the box.

“Of course. Glad they’re ok.”

“Mind if we crash here tonight? I’ll take them home first thing in the morning.”

“That’s fine. You can take the guest room if you want.”

Steve nodded, thanking me again. The doorbell rang, and I looked at Steve, who shrugged and followed me to the door. I looked through the peephole, relaxing before pulling the door open.

“Whoa! What happened?” Eddie asked as he saw me, stepping across the threshold and gently grabbing my face.

“Dustin and Lucas got hurt,” I whispered, tilting my head toward the couch. He looked over, saw the bandages littering their bodies, then saw Steve standing behind me.

“You ok, man?” Eddie asked him, pulling away from me and closing the door.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Wish I’d been there when they got hurt. They won’t tell me what happened. I’m gonna head to bed though, we’ll be out of here first thing.” He walked down the hall, and Eddie turned his attention to me again.

“Let’s get you cleaned up?” He phrased it as a question, giving me an out.

I nodded as I grabbed his hand and led him to my bedroom and attached bathroom.

“Swanky digs,” he said as I grabbed some clothes and set them on the vanity top. He grabbed a washcloth and a bar of soap from my shower, setting them by the sink. “You change, and wash any blood off your skin, then let me know when you’re done.”

I stepped into the bathroom, pulling the bloody clothes off and washing with the washcloth as I went. I opened the door, carrying my bloody clothes to the kitchen and adding them to the sink. Returning to my room, Eddie was sitting on my bed, his boots and jacket discarded by my window.

“C’mere,” he said, holding his arms out. I climbed onto the bed and fell into his arms. “You alright, princess?”

“Not really,” I whispered. “It could’ve been so much worse.”

“But it wasn’t, because you and Steve were there,” he said, hugging me and rubbing my back.

“Why’d you come back?” I asked, voice muffled by Eddie’s shirt where I had my face buried in his chest.

“You left your history binder in my van. I’m assuming you’re not going to do your homework though?”

I laughed, shaking my head and cuddling closer to Eddie.

“Can I stay here tonight?” he asked. I nodded against him, and he moved to lie down, pulling me to lie beside him, tucked into his side.

“Are you ok? You seem- I don’t know,” I shrugged at the end, failing to find the right word.

“Post-terrified? ‘Cause that’s exactly how I feel. When you opened that door covered in blood, I swear my heart stopped.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, princess. I didn’t know what was happening and I was scared, that’s not your fault.”

We lay in silence for a few minutes until Eddie asked, “Wanna skip school tomorrow? Get a long weekend?” I shook my head, already planning what I was going to do to Carver tomorrow. “It’s really late, I don’t think you should go. We all could use a day,” he said, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear. I finally nodded, wrapping my arms around him and trusting he was right. “Get some sleep, princess,” he said, kissing my temple before I drifted off.

I woke up to someone knocking on my door. I wiggled out of Eddie’s arms, opened the door, and saw Dustin standing there.

“Thanks for your help. We’ll see you at Hellfire, right?”

I nodded as Steve came up behind him.

“Go get in the car, Dustin. Thanks again for last night. I called Keith and got us both the night off,” Steve said as he pushed Dustin towards the door.

I smiled my thanks and hugged him before he walked out at the sound of his horn honking. “I’m coming, you little buttheads!”

I turned around to return to bed and saw Eddie smiling at me.

“Have I ever told you you’re a really pretty princess?” he asked, morning voice in full effect.

I fought a losing battle against my ever-growing smile and shook my head as I sat back down.

“Well, you are. Pretty, gorgeous, breathtaking, the list continues.” I turned and hid my face in his shoulder. I felt his shoulder move as he laughed, his hand rubbing circles on my back. I spoke quietly into his shoulder, even though I knew he couldn’t hear me.

“What was that, princess?” he asked, gently lifting my chin with his ring-clad fingers.

“I said, you’re more of a prince than you realize,” I repeated quietly.

A huge grin broke out across Eddie’s face. He pulled me into a hug, collapsing on top of me. “You are something special, princess.”

We spent the day together reading, watching movies, listening to music, and eating most of the snacks I had in the top cabinet, hidden from Dustin. When he went home at the end of the day, my focus shifted entirely to Jason Carver and how I would make him pay.

Taglist: @loonalockley @paleidiot @kimmi-kat