#sorry for not having added that info in the initial post

[junaart]

Thank you 🙏

white text in Arabic: From the river to the sea

black text in Arabic: Resistance is the deepest form of love

green text in Arabic: Freedom for Palestine

The initial idea behind the imagery was that the keffiyehs in their different forms represent the river and the sea respectfully, because the saying From the river to the sea… still is (hopefully soon was) banned and criminalized in Germany. And where there is censorship there is art. The saying in Arabic (and the other elements) I edited in later on.

a little mock postage stamp i did a while ago. free to download (X) and print as stickers, posters or whatever you like.

[darqx]

Pick up the receiver I'll make you a believer

❗️For commonly asked qs please see my BTD FAQ

After doodling the first image that hug body slam meme immediately came to mind and i couldn't help myself 😂

Thanks very much I'm glad you are enjoying my art and characs! :D

To put the answer simply, Rire used to work for the prior King as a Collector (of souls) and he was that King's only Collector and so got the brunt of his ire for any related, perceived fault. Aside from that personal connection Rire also really disliked him because he viewed the prior king as a useless glutton who failed at ruling a sector (conditions were tanking/had tanked for ages), and which the Royal powers were wasted on.

Almost all of his sunglasses are actually normal human sunglasses, he can just see better than a human can 😎

Anything can be a kink, anon :d

Boring victims are often exceptionally weak-willed victims so that's something in particular he dislikes.

Yes he can play the piano and violin, and horseback ride and ballroom dance etc. Put it this way he has a lot of particular small skills that he picked up during his Earth visits so he could hide in plain sight with the upper echelons XD

Not like how a snake or cat hisses which is what I'm assuming you're implying XDDD He can't bite off a limb (his mouth ain't that big) but his teeth are very sharp so he can feasibly take a chunk out of someone or like, completely bite off something smaller (finger, ear...)

I havent added to it in a while (since I dont often find songs I like enough to actually download lol) but this is my current playlist for him in no particular order:

Anon, the fact you capitalised "Aliens" made me think of Xenomorphs and I had to immediately stop thinking 🤣

On a side note, I can't actually tell you either way because he hasn't encountered an alien (that isn't a demon or a human) lol. He'd probably initially treat an alien much like he would treat a common demon, if they are obviously not human, and then if he realises they are also not quite a demon this could peak his interest.

Pointing you in this direction because regardless of the canon answer this proves he could look good in one LMAO

Sorry to burst your bubble but no :d Though I suppose he could simulate the effect by reverting parts of them to their "liquid" state 🤔 DO WITH THAT INFO WHAT YOU WILL.

It is theoretically similar to a human's.

If you can remember his age then that is how old he is :d I'm not really like other creators who give their characs a definitive "birthday" down to the year, mainly because I don't often have set "time periods" in my stories lol.

His birth date falls somewhere between late October - late November though.

In the context of BTD; they just don't like each other XD Well I can't actually speak for Cain, but Rire not liking Cain is partly a riff on general angel/demon rivalry dynamics, and partly because Rire would see Cain as more of a threat since canonically Cain is way more OP than him.

Most of the time when i draw them Cain is also actively getting in Rire's space whilst Rire is actively trying to avoid him, so there's also that XD

It...depends. On which aspect of "ownership" you're implying. For those that he has deals with, he'd calculate what exactly the value of the deal lost would be and in this situation he'd likely write them off as Cain would be more annoying to handle then they'd be worth (he can always make more deals).

If someone was specifically marked by Rire, that's a different level of possessiveness and he'd actually try cos like

Hey guys some offence but why are some of you sending me asks formatted as if i were ChatGPT

Is there one for like, personal ambition or cunning or something cos I don't think he'd be any of those listed lol.

Rire doesn't have a mobile phone and he doesn't need one because he has a demon power that basically CCTVs all his citizens to himself. And really, if he wants to find you he'll find you.

He's somewhere in the middle of that scale through the sheer fact that he's been around long enough to see technology change and would've kept up with how to use things to blend in better, but also doesn't need to use the electronics to the point that he'd need to be an expert at it.

Is this cos Gato is Canadian cos I don't remember a country location being specified when we did it? |D Personally I figured most of the settings were in the US since the US has the most documented serial killers

Also sos no i dont anon, you'll need to either ask Gato or EP or dig through any of their lore posts they might have left.

Think kind of like Rire (he did learn a lot from her after all), but with a more Elizabethan era socialite vibe. Possibly a black widow but we dont have any proof about that.

Has/had a p good relationship. I use both terms because I still never decided whether she was currently dead or not lol.

Lol a misconception but Rire doesn't actually perceive humans as trash XD Trash suggests that he hates them and they wouldn't be worth regarding at all, whereas Rire usually finds them more like...novelties. Or like whatever that feeling that is associated with viewing ant farms or animals performing tricks is. Rire's mother would view them as more like working animals or livestock.

[sims3fiend]

Sims 3 Settings Setter

DON"T USE OLD USE THIS INSTEAD: https://sims3fiend.tumblr.com/post/777075618948005888/s3settingssetter-new-new-version-new

SORRY ONE DAY I'LL LEARN HOW TO DO THIS PROPERLY LMAO I KEEP FORGETTING Proper release notes and beta edition

I've added support for setting any Config or Option setting, plus live editing of many many others, so it's now release time. Full feature explanation below, but essentially this lets you edit lots of settings ingame directly instead of having to make .package mods, and provides a "better" and more shareable way of editing GraphicsRules.sgr settings (IMO). Sorry if a new post is annoying idk what I'm doing

THIS IS A BETA, I haven't tested a lot of the settings, there are bugs, etc.

DOES NOT CURRENTLY WORK WITH THE EA VERSION

Downloads: Sims File Share Sims File Share - Less stutter config GitHub

More info about what it is (I yap a bunch) under :)

Installation and use

Please note, some settings wont appear until you load into a world.

Download the ASI file and wack it in to your Sims 3 base directory, where the ts3w.exe is located. If you're using one of the presets, make a folder called s3ss_presets and pop them in there (you'll need to activate them in the presets menu ingame).

Make sure you have an ASI loader, these are either from Smooth Patch's ASI portion or dxwrapper. I recommend dxwrapper, just make sure you set the LoadPlugins value to 1 (should be default)

Start the game, you might experience a little more of an initial "freeze" when starting the game than usual, this is from the script logging a bunch of config calls during initialization, there's like 800 or something nuts. It should not have any negative impact on regular loading or gameplay, and I plan to turn the logging off… eventually.

Press Insert to open up the menu. Go crazy and change everything, make the sun huge, crank bloom up, live.

Check the box next to a live setting to have it save for next time you launch, same thing for config but you also have to press save down the bottom because I forgot

Help I crashed/the game doesn't start with the mod!

Please send me your hooks_log.txt if you're experiencing any crashing issues. If the crash is because you set some value to like 7 billion, that's on you, you can just delete the line out of script_settings.ini or go to Settings -> Clear all settings

If you can't get the game to run with the mod, lmk also, please tell me if you're using a launcher, if you're using any other .asi mods, using dxvk, etc. as well as what operating system you're on.

Features

Live Edit

This is the new™ and now main part of the mod. I've mapped out several/most of the exes main "settings" (anything that interacts w/ 0x005a00a0 and some that don't) areas, which allows you to now, in game, change these values whereas before it was a whole arduous process of making .package mods. I mapped these all statically so some of the offsets/addresses might be wrong.

I was gunna list the settings but there's 260~ of them so maybe not?

I plan to add missing specific individual settings from Config eventually. If you think a setting is missing, or if you think I've mapped a value wrong (i.e. you know it has an effect but it's not working with my mod or is crashing you, or one value is changing multiple things), please let me know. Render/er is definitely missing some, that's because the function is scary and I don't like it.

Values (sometimes) have sliders with the min and max value I found in the exe set, if you want to go higher, you can double click to type in your own number.

Some interesting things you can do with the settings:

Set max lots higher than 8 AND increase the radius so it actually shows (will crash if set too high ~35+, need to investigate) by changing values in Streaming

Play in a game where the sun never sets or rises by editing Sky Common -> Sunset/Sunrise Time

Change shadow settings (includes the same thing as LD's shadow extender mod under), extending shadows (they will still look hideous, writing a post about why currently)

Change various light settings to get the perfect look for your game. Some popular mods edit these values for their looks (presets soon?)

Do whatever… this is…?

Game Config

The function we're hooking (0x0058c380) only seems to effect Config (GraphicsRules.sgr in the .exe directory) and Options (Options.ini in the documents/Sims3 directory), but logs a whole bunch of other thing. Feel free to toggle the option in the settings tab and try changing a bunch, it should in theory work because the function is reading and writing but somewhere it gets overridden or something idk 🤷

It lets you set any that fall under those two categories/headings, which means there's some like ForceHighLODObjects that aren't in the actual file and are settable. You might notice some show different values than what they're set as in your config, this could either be that I'm hooking it too early (I don't think I am), or the value is getting overwritten or changed somewhere in the exe. If there's a setting that's in the file but not in the list that you think does something, lmk, but it should capture everything.

I haven't mapped all of the Config/Option settings to Live Edit as they're all split up in the exe, if there's one you want in particular, lmk.

Presets

I've prepared a preset with just the essentials from my GraphicsRules file post with the idea that you can then use this with a stock GraphicsRules file instead of having to manage different versions, giving you the ability to toggle certain things back to default. I might make some visual "enhancement" presets or something later, either based off popular mods or my own insanity, we'll see.

Presets go into the s3ss_presets folder, and currently they stack rather than replace (not intentional but I might keep it)

Known issues:

Rendering toggles need to be re-toggled each load - Easy fix I'm just lazy

Options settings overwrite the actual Options.ini file (idk why??)

Occasionally D3D9 wont hook, I can't replicate this reliably to test so lmk if you can lmao

I mapped all the settings pretty hastily, so some are bound to be wrong

Was flagged as a virus briefly??? Praying this never happens again because I have no idea what to do to fix that dshjakfhhsdaj

Presets stack, if you apply a preset and you have existing values, they stack together… I kind of like that though as a concept so I just added a clear all option to settings, I might rework it later.

Some Live Edit value locations might change during gameplay, resulting in the menu displaying them incorrectly and crashing the game if edited in a broken state. I've checked most off them and they don't seem to, but Render ones did. Let me know if you experience it as I can probably find a static pointer like I did for Render.

Planned things:

Searching. God that'd be good…

Go over existing maps again, some I did early on before I supported static values, 4 float arrays, etc. so I've probably messed some up

Adding every single GraphicsRule.sgr setting to Live

Maybe adding some of my performance mods to it? Or should I keep them as their own individual thing? Mmmm I dunno

I still haven't looked at the way everyone else has been editing the "live" settings, so I should probably do that, there's probably a lot of info out there but at this point I'm too invested in my weird approach djsakfsksaffsa

Updates:

18.10.24 - Hopefully fixed an issue effect people using launchers, as well as a fix for the process hanging after quitting (would look closed but the process is still there in the bg). Also fixed presets applying. 17.10.24 - Hopefully fix a D3D issue that might've resulted in the game freezing/looking frozen. Handles D3D device resets. Will expand in the future to cover other areas maybe.

[writefightandflightclub]

Ride or Die (Santiago “Pope” Garcia x fem!reader): Chapter One (of 11 - COMPLETED SERIES)

Series summary: Together, you and Santiago have been “soldiers” then “friends” then “lovers”; but will you ever figure out what comes next, especially when Santiago can’t (or won’t) stop running? 

Genres: a LOT of angst, some smut, best friends to… lovers?

Warnings: see collated series warnings here. Please note this series is NSFW / 18+ and minors or ageless blocks interacting will be blocked.

Series info: this is a COMPLETED SERIES. All chapters are written. Posting schedule is here. 

Author’s note: (If you read the original one-shot this slightly amended chapter will already be familiar to you, so I'm sorry for the initial lack of surprises. I promise though - there are many surprises from here!) Some of you may remember that this all started as an angsty smutty one shot, way back in 2020. Let’s just say, some of you really liked that story (thank you!) and a “part 2” was requested so that I could “fix” things for these two idiots (affectionate). Well, I guess part 2 took a while, because now it’s four years later, and I have written 87,000 words (ish). Oops. So, as you might infer through the accidental novel length spew, this series means rather a lot to me. It’s the longest piece of writing I have ever seen through to completion, and so, whilst it’s definitely not perfect, I am pretty proud of it! I hope with all of my little orange heart that you enjoy it, and if you do, any RBs, comments - or anything at all really - would mean the world. These two have lived in my head for four years and I will miss them, but I'm so excited to finally share them with you all! Honestly, I could say lots more, but for now I'll leave you with one more thought, which sums up this whole experience quite frankly: the characters made me do it. 

Finally, I have to thank you all, lovely pocket friends, for being so supportive and encouraging the whole way. It means so much to me! Especially, I GOTTA thank the fabulous @astroboots, who has hyped this project from literally before the beginning and been so encouraging, and @foxilayde, who is an incredible cheerleader for all my hare-brained endeavours. ILY!

Word count: 9.7k for this part (it’s broken down into 3 sections, if you prefer to read in stints!). 

Tag list info: will reblog separately tagging those on taglist. You can request to be added to the taglist if you are 18+ (or removed!). Send me an ask, please, so I can keep track :) 

You love your squad. You really do. However, if you are being honest, it can be tough being treated as “one of the boys”. You know it’s a good thing that they don’t treat you any differently - but sometimes, you have to admit you want to be seen as a woman first and a soldier second. Especially on evenings like this when testosterone and drinks are flowing freely. Evenings when you have an ache in between your thighs that, in your case, calls out for a man. Okay - calls out for Santiago “Pope” Garcia, to be specific.

“I hope you can handle something stiff going down your throat,” you announce crudely to the group, arriving to whoops of appreciation as you slide the tray of hard liquor and beers on to the lofty bar table. 

The squad is celebrating a successful bust, and the relief and revelry in the air after the months-long operation is palpable.

“Cheers to that!” Frankie winks with a dumbass grin, rubbing his palms together with glee. “You’re a saviour – Pope’s taking far too long.” 

Will helpfully conveys the shots and beers around the table, glasses and bottles clinking and jovial smiles rippling through the group as a direct result. Ready for a cold one, you bring the rim of your beer to your lips for an immediate swig, condensation pooling on your fingers and making you realise how close the air is in this buzzing but dingy place.

“Bottoms-up, boys,” Tom directs as he passes you a shot, earning a good-natured side-eye from you. “And bottoms-eth up-eth, Mi’ Lady,” he adds, along with a regal hand wave to match his faux Olde English tone.

“To busts!” you ‘cheers’, clinking your glasses in the centre of the table. The innuendo earns a throaty, gruff chuckle from Frankie who bumps shoulders with you, inviting you to share in the camaraderie. You give-in with a broad smile, unable -as ever- to resist Frankie’s tittering. 

“Oh, hang on,” Frankie says, flitting quickly to a now unoccupied bar stool at an adjacent table (seats are in short supply tonight) and dragging it over to you.

“This for me, Catfish? How gallant.”

He grins. He knows you hate gallant. “It’s actually for Pope and his creaky knees… but you may as well make use of it while he’s pre-occupied,” Frankie chortles. You sit gratefully, your decision to wear heels after months in your beloved combat boots feeling like a definite mistake.

Speaking of mistakes...

“You fucking seeing this?” Tom asks, nodding his head over towards your squad mate, apparently simultaneously in awe of and amused by his current interaction at the bar; the very reason the drinks had been failing to materialise.

Twisting on your perch, you follow his gaze towards Santiago, eyes boring into the back of his head and his wash of grizzled curls. Involuntarily, your eyes trail over his form, the midnight blue button-down taut over his muscled shoulders as he casually props himself against the bar, jeans snug over that impossibly shapely rump. He has the barmaid rapt, eating out of his hand, all batting eyelashes and tongue slack in her mouth. Abandoned, a tray of shots sits unnoticed in front of Santiago as he lingers in conversation with her. All you can do is watch as, next, she leans over the bar brazenly, letting her thick, dark mane cascade across her ample, showcased cleavage. You can’t see Santiago’s expression as he -respectfully, you’re sure- admires her, but you can imagine it. 

Occasionally, you are on the receiving end of those expressions too.

Unfortunately, Santiago has a raw talent for making… connections. Besides off-shore bank managers and corrupt lawyers, that also inevitably extends to hook-ups. He is never short of distractions. Or, apparently, you never can hold his attention for long. When you do, though? When he does notice you, he makes you feel like you are the only woman in the world, his focus so intent and unrelenting you feel like he is viewing you through a sniper scope. Like the attention might end you.

You bristle thinking about his selective interest, the dull ache between your legs intensifying. 

“Never mind that deserter. Let’s celebrate without him,” you encourage to a ripple of agreement. You toss your shot back in-time with the boys and screw-up your face, shuddering in response as the spirit burns down your throat. You stick your tongue out with a “bleuch” as the aftertaste lingers.

However, your distraction doesn’t work for long, as your comrades seem determined to continue gossiping about the object of your desire.

“How does he do it?” Tom asks in disbelief, with more than a side of jealousy. He’d always given off the vibe of envying Santiago, you’d thought. “We’re all good-looking guys, man. But that little shit’s rolling in it.”

“I don’t know what it is. He’s not even tall,” Will snickers, knowing that Santiago hates being teased about his height. 

Frankie interjects. “MaybeFrankie interjects. “Maybe it’s the big dick energy.”

No comment. 

You’ve certainly never had any complaints about his stature. He is large enough to feel sturdy and surrounding, and small enough that you can take control of him when the mood strikes you. Oh, and you’ve certainly never had any qualms about his big dick energy… or his big dick for that matter.

Frankie chuckles again at the good-natured teasing and bumps you with his elbow. You are grateful for his easy, infectious laughter, acting like an umbrella against the moody, Santiago-shaped storm cloud which threatens above your head. 

“For real though,” Tom interjects, leaning forward over the table as if he’s sharing classified intel. “Has he been getting frisky with the informant again?” His eyes travel around the table, meeting each squad member’s gaze in turn. “I feel like he’s definitely got something going on there too. Tell me I’m seeing things.”

“Luci?” Will asks, then whistles in surprise at Tom’s accusation, his brows converging. You’re not sure if he’s surprised by Santiago’s potentially compromising choices, or impressed by his unparalleled ability to pull. “That sly dog.” Perhaps it’s a little of both.

You tense. Santiago getting involved with an informant. A beautiful informant. Sounds entirely plausible, although Santiago has neglected to tell you if it is true. Besides building connections, another skillset of Santiago’s is his uncanny aptitude for mixing business with pleasure. Realistically, he can do whatever the hell he wants with whomever he wants - it is no business of yours - but, in truth, you are tired. Tired of being the one he only picks up when he has no-one else. Tired of going unnoticed the rest of the time.

“Actually,” Frankie leans forward to drop this juicy titbit of gossip into the conversation. “Luci broke it off. Requested a new contact.” He taps the side of his nose as if to indicate that he has his sources too, trying to drum up some air of mystery. “Coincidence? I think not,” he adds, tipping his head towards the continued scene at the bar. 

You stiffen then in cold realisation. That’s why. That’s why he was noticing you earlier tonight. It wasn’t that he finally saw you. It wasn’t you in this dress. It wasn’t you. Yet again, he’d simply run out of distractions.

“Huh,” Tom says, looking a little too pleased with Santiago’s misfortune, swilling the dregs of his beer around absent-mindedly. “Well. He doesn’t seem devastated. It took him all of two minutes to get back on the horse.”

“Come on. You know Santi famously doesn’t get attached,” you snipe, partially serving the sentiment up as a reminder to yourself. 

Santiago does have a... reputation. Honestly, you have no problem with that. There is no shame in having casual sex, after all. So long as it is safe and consensual, what does it matter? You’ve even acted as Santi’s “wing-woman” on a number of occasions. It had never been a problem; that is… it hadn’t been a problem until he started having casual sex with you.

Santiago is loyal almost to a fault in many other areas of his life. He is abundantly loyal to you, and there is no doubt in your mind that Santiago sees you as a friend first. As a soldier second. You know he respects you deeply for your sharp-mind, your humour, your straight-talking, and your lethality in equal measure. And, you also know that Santiago desires you. Or, at least, he does when it suits him. When he is paying attention. These various roles never seem to converge, though. As a friend? You and Santiago go way back. As a soldier? You’ve been on his squad longer than anyone has, since decades before you all went freelance. As a lover, though? Well, that is new. And he can’t seem to reconcile this new role with the rest of the ways he knows you. 

Yes. Sure. Sometimes, Santiago desires the soft parts of you. Sees you as something other than a friend or a soldier. But you wish he would notice all of you, all at once. He sees you in fragments, like shrapnel. You wish he would piece things together. You wish he would notice you consistently. Not only when you’ve been out in the field too long, spending days bunched into hot and confined spaces, too close for comfort. Not only when hails of bullets send him reeling, searching for any kind of foothold on feeling alive. Still, over and over, you let him. You let him dip you back, with urgency - on to a mattress or a roll-mat or simply down on to the jungle floor - to thrust himself into you.

Santiago “Pope” Garcia is the man you crave. He gives it to you good. He makes you feel like a woman. Of course, there is no one particular way to be or to feel like a woman. There are infinite ways. For you though, very specifically, it is simple. It feels like Santiago desiring the soft parts of you which lay secreted under your tactical gear and your tough façade. It feels like him kissing you, soft lips and abrasive stubble. Strong hands and that muscled body writhing in a mess of breath and flesh. In those moments, you are a soldier least of all. Free of any mission, you become unadulterated; reckless abandon. You cease to be clipped and tactical, precise and lethal, and instead you become a soft, fluid thing beneath him.

Every time you arrive back in the city though, distractions abound. Santiago apparently ceases to desire you. Notice you. You had wrongly believed that tonight felt different. Something about the cool but heady night air. The way he was looking at you in this dress during your walk to the bar to meet the rest of the group. The way his hand lingered on your back as he guided you over to the table. But it mustn’t have been so. It must have been wishful thinking, that’s all.

You’ve done an increasing amount of wishful thinking, lately, it seems. 

Too much.

You sigh deeply. You don’t even realise you have zoned out from the group’s banter until Santiago arrives back with the tray of drinks -and no doubt one more phone number in his contacts- by which point, you are riled up enough to grab the shot of tequila right off the tray and down it without thinking, salt and lime be damned. 

“Woah, cariño. Feeling spirited tonight? Not wanna wait for the rest of us?” His smile is broad and easy and annoying as hell and suddenly you are adrift. 

“Nah, I’m done waiting, Santi,” you bite. He doesn’t catch the double-meaning in your words, because of course he doesn’t. Why would he?

Your skin flushes with instant heat as a result of his presence- definitely a recently acquired response. And so, you hastily dismiss your leather jacket, revealing a strappy, red, form-fitting dress beneath. Your appearance even earns a low whistle and murmur of approval from your buddies. 

“Someone’s gonna get lucky in that cute little number,” Frankie says pointedly, even as he’s staring curiously at Santiago staring at you. Maybe he’s on to you two. 

You smile, happy -as ever- to take a little flattery. Plus, you do find it hilarious to watch these guys squirm when they remember that you do, in fact, have a body concealed underneath all your tactical gear. 

“Well I won’t get lucky if you chumps keep staring down every man who looks at me,” you complain, already having clocked the defensive perimeter which has formed around you, simply from the way they have positioned themselves.  

The squad are protective of you, unnecessarily, and you simultaneously chide and love them for it.

“Big men protec’, chiquita,” Frankie teases, puffing out his biceps and chest like a gorilla. He says it knowing fine well you could take out any one of them if you wanted.

You hear the warm rumble of Santiago’s laugh next to you too, chiming in time with yours, his body closer than you’d realised as he dishes the remaining shots out. “Please!” he scoffs, casually slinging his arm around the back of your bar stool, the shot primed in his other hand. “You know damn well she doesn’t need protection!” 

“She’s gonna need protection when she gets laid,” Will quips, causing Tom to almost snort beer out of his nose in amusement and Frankie to high-five him from across the table. You would scold him but you’re laughing too, even as you roll your eyes good-naturedly at their ‘bro’ humour. 

You drop your head towards Santiago as the others continue snickering like a pack of hyenas, the alcohol clearly having gone to their heads already. That’s what they get for drinking on empty stomachs. You and Santiago’d had the foresight to hit up a first rate food truck on the route across town, like sensible people.

“Dance with me, Pope?” you ask, giving him a subtle yet seductive bat of your eyes.

“For the love of God, Pope. Leave some women for the rest of us,” Tom pleads -partially in jest, you’re sure- as Santiago curtly nods, not knowing quite what you’re up to but taking your hand anyway.

“Ok. I hear you. Let’s ditch these losers,” Santiago joshes, smiling as he gets a predictable rise out of his squad.

It isn’t so unusual for you two to dance together when you visit bars, so it doesn’t earn too much suspicion from the group (plus, you’re military - you two have been pretty damn good at hiding your hook-ups, covering your tracks). Dancing with you might undo the careful ground-work Santiago had laid with the barmaid just a moment ago, however. Even so, Santiago opts to follow you into the sweaty throng of people on the floor all the same, your fingers loosely twined with his as you lead him. You find a relatively private spot, away from the prying eyes of the squad, and come to a standstill. 

You turn into Santiago at the last available moment, meaning he ends up disconcertingly close. Almost chest-to-chest with you.

“Put your hands on me,” you command, a little more throaty than intended. You sling your arms around his shoulders, fingertips brushing at the buzzed hair at the nape of his neck. Santiago hesitates, but following a search of your eyes he plants his hands firmly onto the small of your back. You instantly feel the broadness and the warmth of him through the thin fabric of your dress. Those lethal hands. The hands that have pulled triggers and grenade clips. Choked the life out of assailants. Those lethal hands that have traced gently down your back as you laid bare beside him, killing you softly.

You let his hands rove over your body, wherever he wants to put them. Apparently, he wants to put them everywhere he can, like it’s a compulsion to touch you. He trails his hands up and down your back, ghosts them over the globes of your ass, snakes them down to the lip of your dress where his fingertips brush against your bare thighs, tacky with heat. And, after wandering, his hands come to rest low-slung on your hips, exactly where he likes to grab you when he thrusts into you. He gives you a subtle squeeze there, and the feel of him floods back to you. You are reminded of the way, when you’re with him, your own lethal hands are finally occupied by something other than battle. Of the times when you relinquish any preoccupation with victory, in favour of reaching perfect surrender. The times when your heart throbbing in your throat feels like safety instead of danger. 

His hands on you feel... natural. You move together symbiotically. Your bodies are always, easily in sync. On the battlefield, on the dance floor, in the bedroom. Always moving as a team. After so long side-by-side, it would be hard to exist in a manner to the contrary. It would be hard to exist without him at all. 

Will be hard. 

You let Santiago press against you as you sway together on the darkened dancefloor, gyrating and slinking your hips in time with the music. You feel him half-harden against you and his grip on your hips tightens, a feeble but gruff sound involuntarily escaping his lips and causing a coil to tighten in the pit of you. 

You think Santiago looks into your eyes meaningfully then. With something deep and unspeakable. Though that must simply be the wishful thinking you’ve become so practised at, and so, you immediately dismiss the thought, even as you nestle your mouth closer to his ear in order to speak. As your breath fans over the corded column of his neck you could swear he engorges further. And, the ache between your legs becomes almost unbearable at the spike of his cologne in your nostrils, his familiar scent curling within you. 

Santiago doesn’t smell like spice or musk or woodsmoke. Not to you. To you he smells like memories and possibilities - a heady paradox. Like your past and future. His scent inspires a quickening within you. Something under your skin is spurred into motion, tending toward collision. Yet at the same time, his scent curls in you and feels like… a stilling too. Like someone entirely arrived at a place so familiar that they forget ever having arrived at all and can’t imagine leaving. 

You dismiss it. You try. You fracture the moment. You must, before you collide. 

“I hear you’ve had some informant woes? I hope to God we got the intel.” You feel him tense instantly against you.

“Uh-huh. I got it.” Santiago‘s not really listening. Instead, he’s dropping his eyes to your body pressed up against his own, the heels of his hands now kneading into your hips. “You look good.” His voice is a husk in the shell of your ear as he leans into you, ensuring he can be heard over the music.

“Good for Luci, breaking it off though.” You dismiss his compliment, barely able to obscure the animosity in your tone despite all attempts to sound casual. 

He snaps back from you an inch or so, enough to look you directly in the eyes. You think that maybe, he looks almost disappointed. “Jealous?” he probes, ticking-up one eyebrow. 

He knows you far too well. Yet, despite his on-the-mark observation, the question makes you feel called-out and so, your next tack becomes unnecessarily cruel. Vengeful almost. “He’s getting there.” 

“What?” Santiago asks in evident confusion, his hands slipping back-up to the neutral area of your back as the mood slips away too. 

“The tall drink of water at 9 ‘o’ clock. Guy who’s been eyeing me all night. Doesn’t he look like he wants his hands on me instead of yours?” You know that you sound cruel, and petty, and the words feel bitter, like salt and lime in your mouth. You’ve said them all the same though. It’s already done. 

Santiago’s jaw clenches, eyes flicking subtly over as he rotates you to get a better look at your target. 

“He does,” he states, with a thin attempt at neutrality, his neck roped with tension as his eyes skim over the other man. 

“Great. Then thanks for the dance, Wingman. You’re relieved.”

Santiago puffs out air, his jaw clenching and eyes darkening. 

You tick an eyebrow up at him. “What’s wrong? You jealous, Santiago?”

Then, you saunter towards the bar, where the other man is stood. He very blatantly gives you the once over, evidently liking what he sees. You lean in with a flirty smile, letting the image of an aggrieved Santiago dissolve into the throng of people as you allow yourself to be entirely distracted. 

You are done waiting. 

You want to be noticed, and this handsome man in front of you is certainly providing you with his undivided attention. 

***

Later, Santiago watches you prepare to leave with the other man, disgruntled and forlorn. He’s watched you all night via snatched glances through the crowd. Watched the man laugh at your jokes, watched him work up the courage to brush your arm. He watched you eventually move in for the kiss, your eyes turning hungry as you pulled away, teeth biting down on that delicious, pillowy lip of yours. 

The bar having quietened down a little by now, Santiago sits in a booth opposite Tom and Frankie, Will having found his own company for the remainder of the night as well. Santiago’s head is propped on his elbow, a half-empty beer nestled in his other hand. His buddies’ eyes needle him as you toss a casual salute over to the table, your hook-up leading you out by the hand and your eyes shining gleefully. 

“What?” Santiago hisses defensively, as Frankie continues to stare knowingly at him from the opposite side of the table. 

Frankie’s head simply shakes in amusement. “Nothing. Only… when in the hell are you gonna figure out it’s her you really want, huh?”

“She’s just a friend,” Santiago bristles, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, hunching in on himself. 

“And a fuck-buddy,” Tom ventures.

Santiago looks down, taking a masking swig of his beer. “You know about that?”

“Didn’t until just now. But thanks a bunch for confirming,” Tom replies in a self-satisfied tone, earning a chuckle and a bump on the shoulder from Frankie. 

“Well… fuck.” Santiago sighs, his face becoming pinched. 

“I already knew,” Frankie states. “Christ. You’re loud enough, man. Hard to keep the secret that you’re nailing one of the squad when we’re camped out in, like, 3ft of jungle.”

Santiago absent-mindedly picks at the label on his bottle with his thumb. “Don’t talk about it like that, man. It’s not… Fuck.” 

Frankie just looks across at him in sympathy, Santiago’s reaction revealing more than he probably cared to about the true extent of his predicament. 

You’d risen through the ranks together. You’d been through a lot. Everyone on the squad knew Santiago was your ride or die and you his. You had each other’s backs. Had tended each other’s bullet wounds for Christ’s sake. Your friendship and the trust between you both -on the battlefield and off it- was deep and unshakeable.

“And you don’t want more than that?” Tom probes.

Despite being indoors, Santiago picks up his baseball cap from the seat and pulls it down over his eyes then, in an attempt to shield himself from this line of questioning. 

“What ‘else’ is there? There’s not much time for romance in between a hail of bullets.”

“Maybe.” Tom tips his head, contemplatively. “But you’re not getting any younger, Pope. How many years do your Goddamn knees have left in them?” He lets that one simmer for a moment, before nodding pointedly towards the door through which you had retreated. “You could do a lot worse, you know.”

“She could do a lot better,” Frankie interjects, earning a snigger from Tom and causing Santiago to huff, expression turning surly. Frankie holds his hands up defensively then. “Look, you do you, man. I’m just saying... I’m sure you’re having a great time getting your dick wet all over the continent… but if you don’t step up soon? You might regret it.”

Santiago whips his eyes towards his buddy, gaze interrogative and piercing. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing in particular,” Frankie shrugs, searching Santiago’s eyes with equal vigour. Santiago drops his gaze first, feeling exposed. 

Frankie kicks his buddy gently under the table. “Come on, hermano. Use your words. Share your feelings.” 

Frankie’s words may sound mildly taunting, as ever, but Santiago recognises the invitation to open up is genuine. He purses his lips, brows knitting together as he resists it, picking through his choice of words carefully before he allows them out of his mouth. He massages his palm over his roughened jaw and it rasps like sandpaper. “I don’t even know if she wants more.” 

“Are you kidding me, man?” Tom responds in amusement. “The guy who can get information out of a freakin’ stone, make any informant sing, ‘doesn’t know’ if she wants more? That’s what’s stopping you? A fucking intel issue?”

Frankie titters again, narrowing his eyes at Santiago and trying to figure him out. “He’s scared,” the man accuses, before his tone softens involuntarily. “That it?” 

Santiago takes an idle swig of his beer, polishing off the dregs before shrugging his jacket on, jaw twitching in irritation. 

“Oh shit, he’s moping! He’s moping now. Can’t handle the truth,” Tom mocks. 

“Come on, Santiago,” Frankie reasons. “We just want things to work out for you. You two are a good match- any chump can see that. Heh. Except maybe you.” 

Santiago doesn’t respond. Instead, he simply continues his silent preparations to leave, stuffing his wallet and keys into his jean pockets. 

“Plus- there are a bunch of reasons we’d like you off the market,” Tom teases. “More women for the rest of us. Golden opportunity to tease you for being so whipped.” Tom flashes a shit-eating grin up at his friend. 

Nodding gently, lips twisted in a pout and refusing to rise to it, Santiago tips his head towards his squad members. “Gentlemen,” he offers by way of farewell, before starting towards the door. 

“Want me to walk you home safe, chiquito?” Frankie calls.

“I’m not going home.” Santiago turns and gives the two men an affectionate middle finger before beelining toward the exit. 

“You’re not going over to her right now, are you? Pope? Santiago? That’s not what we... She’s gonna be pissed, man. Think this through!” Tom shouts after him, but it’s futile. Santiago has already swept out into the night, leaving Tom and Frankie to exchange helpless glances. 

There is a beat. 

Then: “I bet the bastard gets laid as well,” Frankie snorts. 

“Right?” Tom hums softly in agreement. “If anyone can turn up to a girl’s apartment while she’s banging another guy and still end up getting down? It’s that little shit, no word of a lie.”

There is a moment of silence as the pair sip their drinks and contemplate what Santiago has, precisely, which causes women to become so enamoured with him. 

“Maybe it’s his ass?” Tom offers, finally. 

Frankie clicks his fingers. “Ah. You’re probably right. That ass won’t quit.”

Meanwhile, Santiago steps out into the fresh air, the slight bite of it taking the edge off his alcohol buzz. 

His thoughts are overwhelmed with you. Have been overwhelmed with you. In truth, Santiago is finding it harder and harder to keep this up. Especially whenever it is just the two of you, he finds it harder and harder to resist you. 

It is typically easier in the city, where there are plenty of distractions. He is grateful for it - other people he can tangle with to take his mind off of you. In the city, it is easier to push that side of you out of his mind and to fall back into the clear-cut ways. The way it used to be before the lines had become blurred. Easier to compartmentalise his feelings for you. A friend first. A soldier second. A lover, only intermittently. 

Santiago was determined not to let everything bleed into one, because once those barriers, those delineations fell, he was convinced he would never be able to rebuild them. 

Most of all, he was convinced he wouldn’t want to. 

The thing is... the “distractions”? They never really worked for long. You are the only woman for him, in truth. And for all it might be crazy, he is headed towards your apartment right now to find out if you feel the same way. To find out if you want more. To find out if you see him as more than a friend and a soldier and a lover, or if you see him completely, and all at once. 

To find out if he is everything to you, like you are to him. 

***

There is a loud rap on your door and it tears you, regretfully, from the tangle of limbs you are in. When the knock becomes more insistent, you apologise to the man blissed out beneath you and extricate yourself from his embrace, hastily cloaking yourself in a sheet and traipsing through your temporary apartment – home for the time being. Adrenalin piqued, you peer through the spyhole, relief flooding you when you see who it is. 

“Santi? What the fuck?” you ask, opening the door to him and pressing the sheet to you with your remaining hand.

“Hi,” he says casually, the brim of his baseball cap pulled down over his eyes.

“I’m in the middle of something,” you bite, emphatically. “What in the hell do you want?” you hiss at him, keeping your volume low.

“You,” he says plainly.

Santiago looks you over; your flushed face, plumped lips and blatant post-orgasm glow. His jaw visibly clenches.

“What?!” you exclaim in confusion. 

“I want you.”

You tear his blasted hat off to examine his eyes for sincerity, pushing it into his chest all bunched-up. He hastily stuffs it in his jacket pocket. Eyes narrowed, you appraise him a moment longer, clicking your tongue in disbelief at the nerve this man has before abruptly closing the door on him.

“Bye, Santi.” 

“Wait!” he pleads, jamming his foot in the door and muscling through.

“What in the hell are you doing?!” you hiss again, backing-up and almost tripping over your sheet, which Santiago now has his mucky boots all over.

By this time, your hook-up for the night has heard the commotion and blustered through the dark apartment -in the nude- to ward off your supposed intruder. Your companion is bigger, sure, but he certainly shouldn’t mess with Santiago. He wouldn’t fare well at all. 

You raise your hand to diffuse the situation. “It’s ok, he’s a friend. Sometimes,” you add with a tilt of your head.

Your companion’s face flashes with recognition as Santiago emerges from out of the shadows. “Oh. It’s you, from the bar. Here I was thinking we’d gotten rid of you already.”

Santiago simply glowers with bubbling aggravation at the man, who has the cheek to just stand there with his fucking schlong out, entirely undeterred. Santiago puffs his chest out, making himself larger. 

“Please.” Santiago addresses you, tearing his eyes away from the man. “Can we talk?”

You sigh, unable to believe that you’re being stupid enough to agree to his demands. You turn back to the man you were enjoying being on top of until a moment ago. “Can you give us five minutes? I’m so sorry. I’ll be back.”

“Well - she might not be back,” Santiago suggests, and you glare at him, irritated.

The man looks between you and Santiago in disbelief before addressing you only. “Sure,” he says with a languid, sultry smile, ignoring Santiago entirely. “I’m willing to wait if we get to continue the fun we were having.” 

“Oh he’s a cheeky fuck,” Santiago grates, his whole body tense, and you quickly grab his elbow to bundle him into the kitchen before he can do any further damage.

“You’re the cheeky fuck, Santiago.” Apparently that’s your type. You vaguely wonder why you keep subjecting yourself to this, but you certainly don’t wish to pull on that thread too hard. Not right now. 

As you release his elbow, Santiago comes to face you in the narrow slip of a kitchen.

“Well? What in the hell are you doing here?” you rage whisper at him, folding your arms across yourself and tapping your foot impatiently on the tiled floor. 

Santiago simply squares up to you, his expression formidable, unphased. His dark eyes trail over you again, snagging on the places where the sheet drapes over the contours of you. You are suddenly uncomfortably aware of how naked you are beneath it. “Told you. I want you.”

Normally, those words were enough. But not any longer. You scoff. “I know all about how you want me, Pope. Half-heartedly. You want me when it suits you. When you can’t have me. When there’s no-one else around for you to want.”

It is his turn to scoff now. “Casual is what you wanted. You gonna throw that back in my face now?”

You sigh, tiredly, refusing to get embroiled in this. This is all meaningless. He can twist things and make excuses all he likes, but Santiago is a man of action. If he wanted you? Really wanted you? He wouldn’t let a Goddamn technicality stand in the way. 

You don’t have the energy for excuses. For this conversation. You’ve waited too long for Santiago to even realise there is anything worth talking about. So, instead of fighting back, you let it go. 

“I’m done, Santi. I’m out.”

Your words feel like a relief to you, after bottling this up since you came to the decision. The relief extends through your body as you sag backward to lean up against the cold fridge door, that too relieving on your hot, sheening skin.

“Don’t be so dramatic.” Santi dismisses your assertion instantly. He tended towards tunnel vision about some things. Just because he didn’t want out, he tended to assume that was true for everyone else. He was a connector, an enabler, and these factors combined meant the squad had stayed together a long time; far longer than it ever should have, like this time. He’d pulled his “retired” buddies back in, yet again. 

“I’m for real, Santi,” you say in a small voice. “It’s already done.”

A veil of shock then betrayal passes over his face as the truth of your words sinks in. He takes a step back from you, as if he’s been sucker punched in the gut. His brows knit together and he looks down at the floor. “When?”

“Three weeks.” You figure you may as well rip the band-aid off in one go.

He turns his mouth down at the corners and slowly nods his head, doing an admirable job of containing whatever it is he is feeling, for the moment, while he gathers his intelligence. Mission above emotion, as ever. Santiago looks at the world through a scope sometimes, and he often forgets about the big picture. It always surprises you how a man so perceptive and attentive to detail -when he chooses to apply it- could fail to notice something right under his nose. 

“Where?”

“Home. Desk-job, by the ocean. Private firm and a nice salary too. What’s not to love?” You add the extra information in an effort to detract from the thing you least wanted to face. Home is far. Far from him. 

“Fuck,” Santiago breathes, finally looking up at you. “Because of me?”

You bristle again. “You arrogant piece of....” you sigh heavily, biting your lip and reminding yourself it isn’t worth it to grow aggravated. Plus, there’s a kernel of truth in his question, after all. You gather yourself before speaking again. “I stayed so long because of you, Santi. But I’m leaving for me. I’m tired of waiting.” Maybe he’ll notice you when you’re gone, you think. Maybe he’ll want you then.  

“You can’t go. Someone with your skillset will be impossible to replace at short notice. How the hell am I supposed to keep the operation afloat without you?” 

You shake your head softly, smiling in disbelief, his response confirming so many of your reasons behind going. Always focussed on the mission.

“Frankie’s looking into someone, actually. He knows a guy. He’s not as good as me, of course, but-”

“-You told Frankie?!” You can hear in his voice that the revelation hurts him. He has always been your confidant. But hey, things change, even if Santiago never does. 

“Yeah, well,” you say thinly, through your teeth. “There’s plenty you don’t tell me, Santi.” You look at him pointedly. “Besides, I think you’ll manage. You always seem to find someone to meet your… needs. Don’t you?”

Santiago brings one arm up beside your head, leaning against the fridge with his palm, his dark eyes turbulent and boring into yours. “You’re the one who’s got some guy in there. What do you want from me, huh?”

He crowds you, but you can’t bring yourself to push him back. Instead, you languish more readily up against the fridge door, your grip on your sheet becoming less and less sure.

“Oh! That’s your fucking grand gesture? You came here to ask me what the hell I want from you?” Your passions rise, heart thrumming in your chest. You try and tell yourself it’s entirely from anger and nothing at all to do with his proximity. That it’s certainly not because of that look he’s giving you. 

Speaking of proximity, Santiago’s now close enough to smell the other man’s scent on you. He’s leaning into you, breath ragged and desire clouding his eyes, even as you still bear the signs of being ravaged by another between your legs. Or perhaps… because of it. 

Even as you stand here, like this, signs of another lover temporarily strewn over your person, it’s ludicrous to think another could claim you. You belong to Santiago. It’s Santiago who is indelibly written onto your body, the map of scars telling the story and you and him. The scar on your shoulder from a bullet wound, the scar on your calf from an off-road collision, the marks all over you serve as a reminder of the times Santiago has been there for you. Pressed his lethal hands to you to keep your lifeforce from ebbing away. He is your ride or die, and your body knows it. 

Equally, as he stands there fully clothed, you know that his body similarly hosts a constellation of scars from all your shared moments; in the field, on missions, over continents. One of you could not hope to be read -to be understood- without the other. Your bodies would forever move through the world as a team, as a pair, even if you left his side. 

You were each the key to cartographing each other’s lives. To imagine that the hickey on your neck or the slick between your legs could begin to compare to the way Santiago had marked you as his was almost comical. 

“You really need a grand gesture to know I care about you?” You know what he’s asking. Is running into a hail of bullets for you not enough? Hasn’t he proven himself to you time and time again? 

“Santi. I don’t doubt you care about me. I could never. I just… I don’t feel like you know yet what you want from me. And I can’t wait anymore for you to make up your mind.” You shrug. “I don’t know. I just feel like… like sometimes you don’t even see me because I’ve always been right in front of you.” 

Santiago looks at you, pained, expression weighted, as if he can’t find the words to tell the story of you. But your bodies are not stories. They are maps, and maps are to be understood through being travelled. That’s why, when his hand slips to you shoulder to slowly trace the scar there, it makes sense. It is understood without words as his fingers journey over your skin, a varied terrain of memories flashing through Santiago’s eyes. His touch retracing years in only moments. 

“I see you,” he insists, his voice a husk, his calloused fingertips trailing over your smooth, delicate skin. Making you feel weak. Making you want to become a soft, fluid thing beneath him. Oh, he’s looking at you now. There’s that attention that feels like it might end you. You commune wordlessly, breath quickening, that pulse of desire tending toward collision, the stillness of having arrived home as he touches you.   

“I see you,” he purrs, his hand moving to your sheet, gently tugging it away from your grasp and giving you ample opportunity to protest. But you don’t. You don’t protest. You are symbiotic with him. You move as a team, and you can’t help but want to merge. Maybe that’s why you let him tug the sheet from your grasp, fabric pooling at your feet. Maybe it’s the ache between your legs. Maybe it’s because you know he gives it to you good. 

Santiago exposes you completely to him, eyes then hands hungrily trailing down over your contours. His fingers grip your hips firmly as his mouth sinks into your neck, his hot breath fanning over you as he speaks. 

“I see you, baby.” 

Your arms are still pinned to your sides as you pretend that somehow you can resist your urges, despite being naked and needy and oh so ready in front of him. 

“Fuck you, Santiago,” you breathe, voice trembling, and you know exactly what he’s doing as his lips and his teeth snag angrily over your skin. Reclaiming you. Marking you as his. And instead of pushing him away, you pull him closer to you. Instead of recoiling you arch your body against him, breasts pushing up against him, the cold metal of his chain harsh against your skin. The sturdy mass and heat of him beneath his clothes only highlighting how exposed and vulnerable you feel, your desire entirely on display like a flare in the dark. 

His mouth has already ravaged your neck, your collarbone, his stubble abrasive against you, leaving a pleasant burn in its wake. His cologne is the only scent enveloping you now. Then, his hands rove over you, everywhere, like he’d wished they could in the bar, your skin still cloying, tacky with sweat. He paws at every bit of you as if to reinstate his claim on you. Your breasts, your ass, your hips, your thighs. He isn’t gentle. His hands showing their strength in a way they haven’t with you before now. He tongues your salty skin and the way his mouth punishes you is bitter like lime, foreshadowing his words. 

“Did he make you come?” he asks into your neck, his hand slipping between your legs and finding you wet and welcoming. “Did he?”

“Yes,” you breathe, his voice commanding enough that you want to answer. Your face contorting as if in pain as Santiago continues to grind two girthy fingers over your folds. Your companion had made you wet, but nothing like this. All he’s doing is feeling you, coating himself, and Santiago has you drenched already; you can feel it slick against your inner thighs as you tremble under the weight of yourself, suddenly so heavy with lust that you can barely stand. 

Your arms wind around his neck to steady yourself and he pins you between him and the fridge, your fingers inching up through the buzzed hair at his neck, nails trailing over his scalp and up into his grizzled curls as you finally become molten against him. Your hands fist in his hair and you tug his head up towards your lips, earning a grunt from him as pain needles across his scalp. The sound is growled into your mouth as his snarled kiss crashes against yours.

He’s frustrated, and he’s jealous, and he wants to show you that you’re his. What’s more, you want him to show you. Oh, how you want him to.

You shudder against the sudden blunt pressure of two of Santiago’s fingers at your entrance, your need urgent and a tightness building so immediately in your core. He pushes himself more firmly up against you, pinning you between his taut body and the fridge. His tongue ravages your mouth and your pleas for him to touch you become incoherent sounds that you work into him in return. His kiss is rough, his teeth scathing you, lips on yours in a crush, stubble grating at your chin and cheeks as he opens himself up as if to devour you. Then, he sucks your bottom lip in between his own and clamps his teeth down until you howl against the sting of it, bucking your body against the pain as you cry into his mouth. 

With the bucking of your hips, you grind yourself against his hand, and Santiago barely needs to move as you willingly spear yourself on his fingers. He leaves you wanting though, allowing you just an inch of him when he has so much more to give. Already, the ridges of him against you are providing divine friction, his fingers curling and scissoring inside you, but he leaves you begging for more. Begging him to plunge himself all the way in. 

“Did you think about me when you took him? Did you use him and wish it was me between your legs?” Santiago’s voice is like gravel in the shell of your ear, and his words curl into the depths of you. With them, he thrusts his fingers angrily into your heat, driving himself in all the way to the knuckle. Your eyes practically roll back into your head as he thrusts harshly and asks you again, even more insistent. “Did you?”

“Yes,” you admit, in a broken voice, tugging him closer to you, crushing your lips onto the column of his neck, tugging the collar of his shirt aside until you can bite down into the meat of his shoulder, stifling your moans there as his pace intensifies. His fingers are curling relentlessly towards your sweet spot and your walls are already fluttering against him. The heel of his hand is rocking against your excruciatingly sensitive clit, applying steady rolls of pressure as his fingers delve into you. His watch strap digs into your pubic bone but for some reason it only adds to the heightened sensations coursing through you. 

“Do I make you feel good? Do I make you feel better with my fingers than he could with his whole body, huh?” 

His words practically make you sob into him. It’s dirtier than you’ve ever heard him talk. It’s more intimate and further from friendship than anything you’ve done with him so far. Yes, you’ve fucked but this… this is something else. This is you admitting you are entirely his. This feels simultaneously more like battle and more like surrender than it ever has. And you wholly surrender. 

You moan. You moan out loud despite the fact you shouldn’t. Despite the fact there’s still another man in the apartment who you had underneath you only moments ago. 

“Are you gonna come on my fingers – show me who you belong to?” 

You agree. You agree wholeheartedly. 

Santiago pulls back just to watch you. To see the pleasure play over your face, both the overabundance of it and dearth of it as every touch satisfies yet has you craving more. You see a prideful glow in his eyes that he has you this wrecked, mewling and writhing on him as he adds a third finger into your wetness and pumps himself hard in and out of you. 

“Fuck,” he intones, his voice hollowed-out. “You’re fucking drenched. Wettest I’ve ever felt.” God. You can hear how wet you are. 

In dire need of some relief himself, Santiago presses his clothed, hardened length against your hip as he continues to pump his fingers in and out of you. Even through the substantial fabric of his jeans you can feel the thick, hard promise of him as he begins to grind himself against you, low and guttural moans escaping his sweet lips. The fact that he’s so fucking desperate for you, that you have made him hot enough to get off from only this has a knot tightening in the pit of you as you watch him start to unravel alongside you. 

“Fuck, Santi,” you moan into the air, not even caring that there’s someone else in the apartment. Past caring about anything at all except your need for him to keep touching you, his fingers filling you up so well. 

“That’s it, baby. Say my name, say you’re mine.”

Santiago is still grinding his clothed length against you, even as his fingers overflow with your essence. He dips his head into the crook of your neck and the growl he emits fans over your skin. Makes it sound as if he’s about to lose it too, simply from this. His spare hand dips down to collect one of your breasts and he lifts your nipple into his mouth, sucking and tonguing and biting the peak of you, squeezing you -not gently- as you topple towards your end. 

He continues to grind against you, and the thought of him exploding in his pants for you tips you over the edge, his name tumbling from your lips over and over as you flutter and clench around his fingers. The feeling spreading outward through your body like an explosion, leaving you levelled, a resounding buzz reaching all the way to your extremities and whiting out your vision like a flashbang. Your fingers tangle in Santiago’s curls as you spasm against him, his fingers eking every last drop of pleasure from you - as though he knows his way around you better than anyone could. 

At the feel and sound and sight of you coming undone, his hardened length grinds on you with renewed vigour, a wracked and disbelieving moan stuttering through him as he loses it without you having laid a finger on him. His body becomes stiff against you as he pulses his seed out beneath his clothes. Something about him being so lost in desire for you that he’d make a mess of himself like that has you clenching with deep, generous aftershocks, adrift with the thought of his hardened length pearling with his warm release.  

Santiago’s head settles into the crook of your neck as you both come down together, even as his fingers continue to lazily pulse in and out of you - just to feel you. Your arms lovingly cradle his head, fingers tangling in his curls, your lips finding their way to his hairline to plant gentle kisses there. Your Santiago. In your arms. 

You stay there a moment until your jagged breathing and thrumming heart settle, enjoying him languorously touching you. With a shiver of contentment, he withdraws from your heat, wrapping his unsullied hand around your waist to pull you closer. 

For a moment, everything is in soft focus, like the break of day before an alarm.  You close your eyes against his touch and breathe him in as he whispers lovingly into your neck, planting light kisses where a moment ago his puckered lips left angry bruises. 

“Fuck. I love you. I love you. I adore you. I need you.”

When you don’t respond though, Santiago stills against you, lifting his head to look you dead in the eyes. He finds them tearing in the corners. 

Your voice begins weakly. “You love me, Santi. But do you want a life with me? A life outside of the mission, outside of all of this?”

He brushes his thumb softly over your jawline. “I know I haven’t been all in. But I swear it to you, baby... you’re my end game. It’s just, we’re not there yet. We’re too deep in this shit. If we can get one more of Lorea’s deputies then maybe-”

“-Sure,” you say sadly, the word heavy and the intimacy of the moments prior dissipating quickly. You know fine well what “one more” means. You dip to collect your sheet from the floor and tighten it around yourself, using the motion in a vague attempt to distract both Santiago and yourself from the tears threatening more violently in your eyes now. 

The footsteps you hear approaching the kitchen are a further welcome distraction, and you surreptitiously clean off Santiago’s hand on the already soiled sheet before your first companion of the evening (now fully clothed) pops his head around the doorframe. 

“I’m just gonna leave,”  he interjects awkwardly, and your cheeks flush in humiliation. You’re sure one day, far into the future, this may be a funny story you tell, but, right now? It feels more than a little mortifying. 

“I’m so sorry. I…” You reach for a more robust apology but come up with nothing, far too aware that Santiago’s eyes continue to needle you. What are you going to do? Tell him it was fun? And so, since you opt to leave it hanging, your companion simply pumps his eyebrows once before striding smoothly out of your apartment. You jump slightly as you hear the door slamming shut behind him, evidently feeling a little on edge despite being wrung out so recently by bliss.  

Your eyes linger on the doorframe a little too long, staring at nothing except the now vacated space. You’re not ready to turn your attention back to Santiago quite yet, and you’re much less ready to deal with what will follow. 

It turns out, you don’t even have to look back at him, because your cowardice says it all for you. Instead, a small voice escapes him. 

“You’re still gonna go, aren’t you?”

You look at him then, and you see a sadness blooming in his eyes which is so heart-breaking that you're half-glad when tears gather in your own, blurring-out the sight of him. His pain always was too much for you to look at. 

Your gladness is short-lived however, as your own tears begin to spill out of you. You wipe the deluge away with the heel of your hand, but the tears are coming quicker than you can mop them up. Your chest shakes as you speak your next words. 

“I love you, Santi. Believe me. I love you. But it’s always ‘just one more’.” One more woman. One more mission. One more way to break your heart. “You’re living like... like you can get to the end of the line and wish for one more fucking chance.”

“Don’t go. Please,” he pleads, moving close to you and wrapping his arms around you. His broad, warm hands at your back. “Please. I’m putting it on the line here. I want you. I love you.” 

You smile thinly at him. You know he’s trying and God, you love him too. But this? For you, it’s too little, too late. For him, you guess you’re asking for too much, too soon. He’s not ready to leave this life. He’s not even ready to imagine leaving it. But, oh boy, you are. You are. 

You sniffle and take a deep, steadying breath, giving it everything you have to stay firm, despite every fibre in you telling you to surrender. To just stay with him. It would be too easy to do. 

“It’s a hard out, Santi.”

He senses the finality of your words and nods slowly, his eyes shining with tears, his whole face becoming taut with emotion. His silence is prolonged as he draws in ragged breaths. His hands slip away from your back and the moment slips away with them. You miss the warmth of them instantly. 

“Okay,” he says in a small, curt voice. “Okay.”

He about turns, precise and efficient, swivelling towards the door and tracking along the hallway leading out of your apartment.

“Santi, wait!” you call, traipsing along after him, slowed by the material bundling at your feet. “Santiago Garcia, don’t you dare leave it like this,” you plead. “Not after everything.”

He turns his head back towards you as he swings open your front door. His eyes are cold, face set as he looks at you, his voice monotone. “I’m not the one leaving.”

An anger and a sadness erupt in you at the coldness, the cruelness of his words, and, apparently, not even the sight of the fresh batch of tears spilling down your cheeks can slow his retreat from your apartment.

Santiago “Pope” Garcia turns and swiftly walks out without looking back, leaving the door swinging violently on its hinges. The fucking nerve of this man. 

You start after him; but he’s already making his way down the stairwell and you’re in no position to chase him. Your pain boiling over you yell, voice creaking under the weight of your emotion. 

“I hope your fucking knees give out on the way down, you asshole.”

Your cruel, cheap words carry down the stairwell, yet an echo is all the response you get. Santiago is gone. He didn’t stop for a second. 

He doesn’t know how to stop.

He’s mission over emotion. Near-death over living. He’s seemingly in this until it kills him, but you can’t be in it anymore. You have always been his ride or die, but now is the time for you to live, even if that means you can no longer be side-by-side with him. 

He is the other half of you and no matter where you are to go, your bodies will move through the world as a team, one unable to be read without the other. Santiago is written all over you, and nothing can change that. 

Besides, you know if he really wants to, he can always come find you. He has a map for loving you, if he would ever follow the route it was trying to take him. But he’s not there yet. 

He just has one more mission to go.

And then the next.

And the next. 

And the next. 

[postcanon-ii-hazard-au]

ASKS ARE CLOSED

after the past contestants of ii start fearing permanent death, Oj takes the matter into his own hands, to keep everyone in the hotel safe... but isn't he doing a bit much...?

(hello! this au takes place after ii18 and the hotel is rebuilt (which I may explain later). in this au Oj decides he's responsible for everyone's safety and starts taking precautions that are a bit overboard. but, until fear dies down, there's a lot more rules in place. a bunch of former contestants are labeled as hazards that are potentially risky for the more "fragile" contestants. more info will come later.

sorry in advance for any and all potential mischaracterization, I'm trying my best!)

EVERYTHING BELOW THE CUT

Hotel residents Oj labeled as "hazards" + notes + extra (askable characters! But feel free to ask any other ii char and I'll try my best):

Chemical hazards:

Test tube

Liquid hazards*:

Oj

Test tube

Toilet

Fire hazards*:

Paintbrush

Candle

Sharp object hazards:

Knife**

**no longer an issue

Explosion hazards:

Bomb

Volume hazards***:

Microphone

Tea kettle****

****convinced oj that she'd have to get really angry to make the tea kettle noise. almost sounded like she was threatening him

Toilet

Salt

*(main focus of the au)

***Residents that are known to have high volumes are also labeled as hazards for the safety of glass residents. The group was made to keep an eye on Mic, but other... loud residents were added later.

(other askables +) new safety programs and those participating:

Anger management:

Paintbrush, Candle*, Silver Spoon, YinYang, etc.

Oj won't admit it, but anger management was only made for Paintbrush, despite its later popularity. Their anger issues are the only reason they're a fire hazard after all, so this was the solution to reduce the chances of them getting angry. Whether it's working or not is debatable.

*Candle, upon being classified as a fire hazard, was put in AM alongside Paintbrush. Though she quickly proved to be better as a teacher, replacing Goo, whose analogies weren't exactly helping anyone calm down.

Silver Spoon was not labeled as a hazard yet started attending classes after a few petty arguments. Though he was initially reluctant, he seemed not to complain after finding out Candle was leading it.

YinYang's behavior, though improved, has landed them both in trouble occasionally. AM was more so a suggestion.

There are more attendees, but they either aren't regulars or don't have a good enough reason to be listed

Lifering's "Life Guard" program:

Lifering volunteered to help prevent any accidents when there was no other reasonable solution. This includes sticking closer to "hazardous" objects. He's been spending the majority of time just being in the same room as Candle. Besides that, Lifering has generally been available immediately in case of emergency. (But then again, when was he not?"

Anti-Mold:

Food objects are susceptible to molding, especially if they eat moldy food, so everyone has been asked to leave dates on anything in the fridge. They aren't sure what they'd do if someone did start molding, but it's better to prevent it all together.

(Tags key!):

#ii hazards answer (ask tag)

#ii hazards au (general tag)

#ooc (out of character/canon)

(Post key!):

(no posts yet...)

[iraprince]

I love the entire concept of Cookie... the look, the fashion, the gender... Would you mind telling us a little more about him? I'm also intrigued about why she's named Cooking with Gorgeous!

HI i would LOVE to talk about george thank you so much. also this makes me realize i've never actually sat down and just made a post unabashedly infodumping at length abt an oc before and it seems silly that i haven't. i ask only for all dear readers to please temper their expectations for this post with the knowledge that i just smoked half a joint before sitting down to answer it. a small one. but still. anyway

FIRST OF ALL FOR THE UNACQUAINTED THIS IS COOKING WITH GORGEOUS, aka cookie or george for short. he uses he/him and she/her pronouns interchangeably!

hi sorry that's not cookie that's a horse in a bridal veil that i. found in my stuff while trying to scroll and find my cookie art. i just got distracted and had to show you. okay no for real here's cookie

he's the character i'm playing in a playtest campaign of the absolutely mesmerizing sapphicworld, an in-development ttrpg!!! and if i'm going to be talking about cookie i feel like i HAVE to say i think a huge amount of her charm and dazzle and charisma comes directly from the charm and dazzle and charisma of the setting i created her for. i know i am laying it on really thick right now but that is on purpose. i want, desperately and unashamedly, for this game to get really popular bc 1. it's genuinely that good. and it's not even DONE yet and 2. i want everyone to get into it so that everyone will make sapphicworld characters and then i'll get to see everyone's sapphicworld characters.

EDIT i'm scrolling back up here and adding a readmore bc this is already getting so long lol. you asked for "a little more" and apparently i have graciously decided this means "literally every fact about cookie that exists in my brain"

SO a lot of the info/tidbits i haven't shared about cookie are i guess gameplay-specific stuff... his title (which is like a class/playbook) is "The Noble Sweetheart," though in sapphicworld "nobility" no longer has anything to do with wealth or class, and is instead entirely about amassing a court purely via devotion/popularity; her subculture (which is like, Who You Hang Out With; drifters, goths, poets, debauchers, cowpokes, etc) is Babe; and her kind (which is like ancestries but in sapphicworld is really just like, a physical form, which u can change more or less at will) is Lunarthrope, which is basically a werewolf!! or more broadly a furry, since u always look like whatever were-animal you are 24/7. just MORE at night, tho i suppose i don't represent that aspect much in my cookie art... ANYWAY i am restraining myself from just sitting here and like. transcribing her entire character sheet. but basically what all this means is that cookie's role in the world (at least at the beginning of the campaign) is "Professionally — no, VOCATIONALLY Hot Person who everyone loves so so so so so so much." cookie really enjoys this role.

he's named cooking with gorgeous because he's an avid cook, and he wants to share that with you, and he's gorgeous!! though honestly the cooking hasn't ended up as important to his character as it was when i first came up with him, lol — but my initial concept was kind of like, what's the equivalent of a bouncy normie recipe blogger/lifestyle influencer but in the context of the lush horny trans deathless psychedelic universe of sapphicworld. and it's cooking with gorgeous, a doggirl dyke with big blue boobs (six of them!!) who is so devastatingly cute and darling that a bunch of people just kind of pledge their fealty to him for no real reason other than he feeds them. and is cute

also her name is def influenced by the fantastic names of many canon sapphicworld npcs! like, quick example list of some npc names off the top of my head: the booty commie, death cybernetic, princess eureka!, the culinary goof (whom cookie dislikes. btw.), pizza friday (whom cookie loves!!!)

cookie is very very determined, and she's ALMOST always very confident. even when she isn't feeling confident, she's still very good at forcing herself to keep putting one foot in front of the other — maybe just while screaming or crying or uncontrollably barking or at least very ardently complaining. he has a tendency to be spoiled and, like, tactless-via-obliviousness, so sometimes he can be grating to interact with, and he has a petty/vindictive streak; but in general he's an AGGRESSIVELY kind person and usually aims all his shrill, cheerful stubbornness directly toward the goal of refusing to accept anything but the best for everyone.

at the beginning of our campaign cookie has JUST received a brand new castle!!!! (chateau gorgeous.) which he doesn't actually "own" bc, remember, no wealth or class in sapphicworld, but he's the ENTHUSIASTIC new caretaker and is chomping at the bit to renovate it so ppl can live there and he can throw a bunch of magnificent parties and basically continue living exactly as he has been, But Even More Fabulous. obviously this is exactly when the main plot threat of the campaign shows up and spoils everything and compels cookie to go on his First Ever Adventure!!!!!! she HAS to save the world otherwise NOBODY will be able to go to the first big party at chateau gorgeous :((((

at this point to prevent myself from just like, giving you guys a play by play of the entire campaign so far i am going to just start listing every cookie fact i can think of as bullet points

🎀 he owns a magical sword in the shape of a giant microplane. it's called The Microplane. he pronounces this "mee-crow-plah-nay"

🎀 george desperately wants to resurrect The Dog-Lich, an entity that once ruled over all beasts from its palace on the moon but was murdered and torn to pieces in a cosmic war far in the past. her attitude towards this desire is 50% devoted lunar cultist, 50% parasocially obsessive twitter stan

🎀 this isn't really a cookie fact but going back to how his title is The Noble Sweetheart — just for a glimpse at party composition, his fellow party members' titles are The Intimate Scholar, The Tentacle Advocate, and The Tw*nk Controversial (the * is the canon spelling).

^ aforementioned tw*nk. its name is Mwah ("pronounced like the kiss you blow at someone you just fucked over"). mwah is played by @/squiddelyfather on twitter!

🎀 mwah and cookie used to be very, very tight, BEFORE mwah became the tw*nk controversial. now that it's so.... you know.... controversial, well. they're still very close, but it has gotten a little stilted and weird (and watching them slowly un-weird it together as the campaign goes on has been one of my fav roleplay experiences ever honestly)

🎀 cookie's other adventuremates, skarligge and delaryn, are both very indulgent towards him. delaryn acts the most grumpy/dismissive about it but is honestly sometimes the worst about spoiling cookie out of anyone in the party (skarligge's player is twt@/clown_dream and delaryn's is twt@/glaiveguisarme and hey while im at it our fantastic gm is the sapphicworld dev, twt@/ddemoneclipse. hi guys i hope u don't mind me chattering abt ur ocs here lol it's just hard to talk abt the best of cookie w/o bringing up everyone else's characters and roleplay also!!!)

🎀 cookie is very VERY sensitive and will burst into tears at the drop of a hat. the precursor to this is her eyes getting So So So Big And Wet And Round. one of my favorite bits to menace the other party members with is when something is not going cookie's way i will lean into my mic and say "cookie's eyes are getting so so so big. they're getting so big and wet and round and shiny. they're so so round and fucking big her eyes are like big wet black glass marbles" and this is like kryptonite to them. this is like getting hit with deadly radiation

🎀 oh speaking of fashion!!!! one of cookie's perks from being a Babe is that she can always change her look whenever she wants. she will ALWAYS have whatever outfit she needs and can quickchange instantly. wait this reminds me i have a bunch of seasonal holiday outfits sketched out and i don't think i've ever posted them here but it'll only let me put one more image in this post. well here have this one

🎀 okay well suddenly i have forgotten all other george facts so that's all for now!!! from now on i will try to just dump oc facts like this more often tho this is really fun. ty for getting me going lol!!!

[erebird]

FINESSE | ꜱ. ʜɪɴᴀᴛᴀ

𝓁𝒶𝒹𝒾𝑒𝓈 ˎˊ˗

"grab your ꜰᴇʟʟᴀꜱ, and let's do this right~"

our 𝓁𝒶𝒹𝒾𝑒𝓈 are...

⤷ the managers & an aspiring artist

⤷ the volleyball girls

now, let's take a look at their alts...

⤷ the nerds (derogatory)

⤷ the "our love lives rn" squad

masterlist | navigation | ꜰᴇʟʟᴀꜱ

→ art creds for y/n's ny post on main: sseongryul on ig

→ y/n uses her main mostly for art posting with the occasional personal life updates

→ yachi's main acc is on stantwt and she's a very contributive member of that society

→ yes, the captain couple have matching bios heehee

→ rinko and aihara are both real haikyuu characters in the vball girl's team!

→ aihara uses her main to post photo shots she's proud of (she has a camera collection 📸)

→ art creds for y/n's anya sketch on alt: keibleh on twt (is mouthwashing too niche for a fandom like haikyuu cus i hope not huhu)

→ do we fw yachi's tsukki cosplay 😹

→ fun fact i actl went on the roblox arcane rp for the first time on the same date yachi posted the tweet. needless to say i am defo playing that game again

→ i remembered kiyoko doing track before she became manager hence the usain bolt quote on her main 😭

→ yachi and kiyoko dont know about each other's alt accounts so they don't follow each other (you'll see why 😋)

→ even if they don’t follow each other, their pfps are connected! they both went to a party: kiyoko taking a picture of yachi is her pfp and the photo kiyoko took of her is yachi’s!

→ before michimiya started dating daichi, she was initially matching her bio with rinko's on main. after it changed rinko got jealous and they moved their matching bios to their alts <3

→ did yk michimiya means roadside shinto shrine 😭

→ michimiya LOVES katseye (same ✌️)

→ rinko got a pillow of her cat like that trend ive been seeing on tiktok!

→ aihara is a yearner, anyways do hear her out on player 388 please.

erethoughts: I'M SORRY ABOUT THE ABUNDANT AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL INFO I ADDED i just had sm fun making the accs of these girls 😭 anyways now that character introductions are done, the series will begin shortly!! i'm so excited cus now i've also got a taglist as well! can't wait to share this series with y'all 💋

taglist ── .✦ [open]

@tiramizuloz <3

[acourtofthought]

Per someone's communication with Juniper Books, they said ACOTAR5 section was removed because they initially added it based on "Fan Theories" and removed it to avoid confusion among fans. ACOTAR5 is not a confirmed 2025 release and is looking like a 2026 release, it makes no sense to keep it on there and promote their product by implying to customers it's coming sooner than it actually is. There would be endless complaints on waiting long for the ACOTAR5 dust jackets after expecting to receive it in 2025. The entire post still exists and it's not an article on ACOTAR5, it's a post made by a business titled "YOUR GUIDE TO THE MOST HIGHLY ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASES OF 2025" it's misleading to keep ACOTAR5 on there along with false information on what the book will be about because the author hasn't made an announcement.

Nothing in their message even indicated that they were harassed into removing it and it's common sense to remove an unconfirmed 2025 release. I don't know anyone who said they got in communication with the company to ask them to remove it and seems like most Gwynriels/Eluciens found out when some people started throwing tantrums about it. And sorry about the anons you've been receiving lately. Sending you so much love ❤️

- Yaz

Thank you Yaz ❤️. And I'm also adding screenshots from your second message below so all the info can be seen in this message.

To your points, exactly. Are we really supposed to believe that someone contacted Juniper Books through email or chat and said, "Hey, I'm a Gwynriel / Elucien shipper in the fandom and I demand you take this down!!". To have the other side claiming that this business somehow knew a specific kind of shipper contacted them is a pretty large reach. There are many people who read the ACOTAR series and don't care about ships yet want to know when the next book is going to be released and who that book is going to be about. Anytime someone speaks in certainties "the book will be Elain's and will be released in 2025", that's going to cause confusion especially for a casual reader who doesn't know that unless it was first announced on Sarah's IG, it's not accurate info so yes, it is the responsibility of any business selling products not try to earn sales by marketing false information. Which they corrected and the other side should be applauding but instead they continue wanting to point fingers with a "just trust me, I know who harassed them but I can't tell you." There's also no details on how this harassment actually went down, or whether "harassment" was actually someone merely pointing out how the next book has not been confirmed yet. It seems clear to me that what they're really mad about is not being able to gloat over another article that mentions Elain and Az. I refuse to accept that someone harassed them however even if someone did (for arguments sake), a company should not be allowed to sell a product using false information yet E/riels have never made a single post on how wrong it was for them do to that in the first place. They only focus on Gwynriel's and Elucien's and what they think we did. As always, very performative false outrage on their end.

[lunatic-harness]

a brief and informal history of unofficial team fortress

inspired by a reply i made explaining that fortress forever was developed during the interim between team fortress classic and team fortress 2.

so after the quakeworld team fortress (qwtf) devs got hired by valve, fans took it into their own hands to expand on the original team fortress formula. this post provides a brief summary of various notable TF mods for other games over the past two decades, from the first quakeworld tf mods to modern revivals of the old team fortress formula.

Mega Team Fortress (Quakeworld)

mostly an expansion of qwtf. scout has flashbangs and a jetpack, most classes can lay traps, sniper can call down airstrikes (jesus fucking christ), engineer has a mini sentry, and so on. admittedly had a hard time finding info on this one

Custom Team Fortress (Quakeworld)

each player gets cash (a la counter-strike) to customize their class with weapons, armor, and special abilities. abilities are pretty crazy like being able to summon quake enemies, give nearby teammates quad damage, and disarm enemy players.

Weapons Factory series (various games, initial version Quake 2)

as mentioned above, since the original TF team was busy working at valve, it was up to fans to continue TF into quake 2. weapons factory for quake 2 was pretty big at the time, even showing up in a french gaming magazine.

this one deviates a lot more from qwtf because it wasn't intended to be team fortress at all; it began as a simple CTF with classes mod, but later updates bumped up the class count until there were 9 of them that vaguely followed the TF class setup. the cool thing about this one is that everyone has a grappling hook.

anyways look at these class names lol it's like dollar store team fortress.

(while the analogues of which WF class is which TF class is kinda obvious, the cyborg is actually more like a mix of soldier and demo with a tf2 sapper)

weapons factory got sequels/ports for quake 3, quake 4, unreal tournament, and even half-life 2.

Quake 3 Fortress (Quake 3) and Enemy Territory Fortress (Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory)

while weapons factory was enough for people to get their tf fix in quake 2 and 3, and team fortress classic came out in 1999, some people decided to make a proper team fortress for quake 3 anyways. behold, at the turn of the millennium: q3f. all the classes play similarly to their qwtf counterparts, though quake 3's physics does change the gameplay a bit.

the developers of quake 3 fortress formed splash damage in 2001, a studio that went on to work on the multiplayer components of various games like batman: arkham origins, halo mcc, and gears 5.

enemy territory fortress is a 2005 port of q3f to enemy territory wolfenstein, which ran on a heavily modified quake 3 engine. not much to say about it since it doesn't do anything particularly different from q3f.

Unreal Fortress (Unreal Tournament '99)

also coming in at the turn of the millennium was unreal fortress. abbreviated to "UnF" like the sound doomguy makes when he interacts with a wall. what stands out about unf is that engineer (sorry, "armourer") can attach a rocket launcher or flamethrower to his sentries, and non-armourer teammates could apply class-specific upgrades to them such as snipers improving sentry aim and spies adding enemy spy detection.

Quake 4 Fortress (Quake 4)

hey look, it's 2fort

there's not a lot of info about this once since it didn't have much of an audience - feels like a mod nobody asked for for a game nobody asked for. mostly takes after qwtf with extra stuff like scout having flashbangs. quake 4 fortress was abandoned in development and released in an early state with full source code.

Attackers Go Red (Quakeworld)

released in 2006, attackers go red is a qwtf mod built around one team always being on the offensive and one team always on the defensive. it also carries over some abilities from custom tf.

in the days of qwtf capture the flag a common way to play was for one team to always be attacking and the other defending (known as o/d) -- this was great because the typical push and pull of symmetrical ctf didnt really work in qwtf, so it ensured constant action for both teams involved. problem is, there was nothing enforcing this: if the "attacking" team decides to go on the defensive the gameplay slows to a crawl because now both teams are turtling instead of fighting each other, and additionally there's nothing stopping a "defending" player from going behind the other team's back and stealing their flag what with them being occupied with offense.

attackers go red solves this problem by enforcing the attack/defend split: red gets points for capturing flags, blue gets points for defending for a certain amount of time.

Fortress Forever

the thing that separates fortress forever from all the other games just mentioned is that fortress forever takes more from team fortress classic than qwtf.

didn't last very long because tf2 managed to stop being vaporware in the middle of its development and even released before fortress forever did, but it still found a small niche as a continuation of tfc's gameplay style in the source engine. has new features like scout being able to build jump pads, spy being able to turn enemy sentries against its team, and pyro being able to use their flamethrower as an improvised jetpack.

i really like the industrial aesthetic it has going on. ff demoman looking like a white tf2 demoman is a hilarious coincidence -- he's styled after the old team fortress classic demoman. menu theme is a banger.

section break: everything from this line onwards came out after team fortress 2

Doom Fortress (Doom)

it's team fortress 2 for doom (specifically, the zandronum source port)! all it actually brings over is the classes; not a difficult task since zandronum already provides a class system and some gamemodes. uses assets from other 90s fps games. i love how heavy is just the doom 2 chaingunner and pyro is just doom 64 doomguy. here's germanpeter's video on it and here's an abandoned attempt to update it from 2018

FortressOne (Quakeworld)

the latest revival of oldskool team fortress, as a result fortressone has a little bit of everything. you have to reload weapons like tf2/tfc; pyro has airblast and scout has double jump from tf2; most class loadouts are closer to tfc than qwtf; tfc and fortress forever maps are available. has a small but active community on discord and is still being actively worked on. check it out here

Typical Colors 2 (Roblox)

this one's just a tf2 clone in roblox. also includes some unofficial gamemodes like versus saxton hale and randomizer

TF2 Classic

based on the tf2 beta, team fortress classic brings back features that didn't see the light of day like scout's nailgun and demoman's dynamite bundle. tf2c is more well known for its custom weapon support though: the most popular servers have hundreds of custom weapons bundled in, most of which are unbalanced in a pretty fun way. check it out here

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA For no longer wanting to continue a mutual hobby, started with a friend?

Hello! Long time lurker first time asker. Sorry if the title is a bit confusing!

Long story short I (27 ftm) recently started rock climbing as a hobby and a fun to exercise. For context I'm a heavier person, so I wanted to do a physical hobby that I could do at my own pace. I started with a 101 top-rope course and invited a long time friend of mine to attend with me (they suggest taking the class in pairs). After that I took a bouldering 101 course by myself (my aforementioned friend said they weren't interested, totally understandable).

I've since started to take climbing more seriously and ramped up to going 2-3 times a week (I live a 10 min walk away from the climbing gym). Also going earlier in the day to avoid the peak hours as i'm immunocompromised so the less people the better. This month will be my 4th month doing so.

We originally started climbing together however after a few weeks of meeting up once a week, they kept bailing with little to no notice (or telling me 11:30 pm the night before). Also when we'd met up the last time she brought her boyfriend along. Even though I said i'd prefer to meet him for the first time in a more relaxed environment (not me dripping with sweat and out of breath). He's a nice enough guy but I just don't want to spend time with him in this specific setting lol.

I have a very erratic work schedule vs my friend who a has pretty stable work schedule. So I find I often have to take initiative to message them (the week before) asking what days work for them. That way I can reference what days I have off. They often ignore the message for a few days or answer the morning of.

They've called out every week for the two months+. Either saying they're too tired, don't feel like it, forgot their gym clothes and or have other plans. I'm totally fine with this! Life happens and sometimes you don't have the energy for these activities. However what cheeses me off is I feel like I always have to comfort them, so they don't feel bad they bailed again and they give me little to no notice.

About 2-3 weeks ago I asked them about dates to hang out (I also specified we didn't have to climbing, even just to go hang out for coffee or something lol) and they haven’t responded, but I see them posting online with their other group of friends. Again I’m not mad about them not wanting to go, or hanging out with their other friend-group but I’d appreciate some sort response.

The thing is I also have ANOTHER friend who is interested in coming with me to try it out. Both of these friends of mine don't get along anymore. At one point all three of us where pretty close mutual friends. Nothing crazy dramatic happened but they had a falling out and they no longer interact with each other at all.

I however am still friends with both of them. They also both know I am still friends with the other friend (if that makes sense).

For possible added context I have ASD, so this sometimes causes issues when reading peoples intentions or possible passive aggression. I also get very anxious when my planned schedule/routine gets thrown off and often can derail my entire day.

So to sum it up, AITA for wanting to climb by myself, or other people besides the friend originally started the hobby with? Even if these two people aren't really friends anymore? Am I being just too hard on them? Am I just not picking up on something? Thanks!

What are these acronyms?

[moon-mage]

heaves a heavy sigh because fucking crap I am in LOVE Okay so. This was not meant to even go this far but here I am. Absolutely far gone. My INITIAL plan was to try to come up with a big bad villain to write a TWST fanfic about because I love taking all my favorite characters...throwing them in hell...and then orchestrating the drama and chaos while going: "why would anyone do this to these poor innocent peoples?" and "hahaha this is SO fun their suffering fuels me!".

One of my all-time favorite movies growing up was Anastasia. The 1997 animated Don Bluth film. So, I was like "oh boy what if I did a twist on that version of Rasputin?" Which holds promise considering he is a powerful lich sorcerer coded in death, ghosts, limbo...all my favorite tropes that I cannot get enough of. But Rasputin aint shit without his sassy bat familiar, Bartok. Their dynamic is interesting considering Bartok spends the entire movie telling Rasputin to get a life and stop trying to kill Anastasia. So, I thought on twisted Bartok more and....it just...it hasn't stopped. It hasn't stopped.

Now we got Sashmir Magnifico. The twisted version of Bartok AND Anastasia. Originally, he was just going to be twisted Bartok, but I ended up adding in elements of Anastasia to him as well and I liked it.

Sashmir is a bat beastman and a lot of people assume he is an albino bat, but his lack of pigmentation is a side effect of his Unique Magic; "Together In Spirit". He doesn't go further into details about it other than 'the adults around him growing up were not knowledgeable of magic and forced him to use his magic for the benefit of others without thought of the consequences on him'. Only a few people know his UM and its capabilities, and he wants to keep it that way. The incantation for his UM is: "I am the key...that unlocks your potential...I promise we shall stay...TOGETHER IN SPIRIT." Sashmir is a 2nd year student at Night Raven College in Ignihyde dorm. He is interested in biology and the combined use of magic and science for enhancing and healing the human(oid) body and mind. He also has a passion for music, having learned how to play most instruments to a passable degree and he taught himself how to write sheet music. He does so with popular songs and makes them available to the public while recording himself playing them online. He loves teaching...and tutors for free on Monday and Wednesdays at 12AM in the Ignihyde dorm lounge. He had hoped to one day become a music teacher but decides the more practical route would be to continue magical medical sciences. He doesn't like shoes and has lost his shoes when taking them off and leaving them places. One of the first time of magics he had learned was levitating as it felt natural for him to not be on the ground all the time. Personality wise, he is rather chill and easy going. He speaks in a Romanian accent and isn't afraid to clap back with the sass or defend himself if challenged. Sadly, Sashmir is under the thumb of a powerful and dangerous sorcerer...and the days are numbered until his master makes his grand appearance and destroys the "peace" of NRC. All according to plan and...all that evil jazz. I have a LOT MORE THINGS TO SAY but I will make a post specifically for his info dump I guess. I'm sorry I love this boy... Also you see the candy and coffin...if you know...you know.

[whumpbug]

Hello, bug! It’s so nice to see you posting your writing again! :)

Just a tiny prompt for your boys: feverish shivering! Imagine unusually pale and miserable Archie wrapping himself in two blankets… And maybe Simon soothing him…

Sincerely yours, anon with whumperflies :)

anon!! hello!! i was hoping to see you in my ask box! i loved this request and i initially wasn’t planning on adding delirium and all the other stuff but… well, it just kind of happened.

also, i am so sorry that i haven’t gotten to your other requests!! but i was thinking of adapting one of them to the boys as well if you’d be interested in that! either way, here is your fic! i made sure to prioritize it to make up for my absence (-｡-;)

to anyone else: see this post for character info!

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

Archie was freezing to death.

He was sure of it. There was no other explanation. He had two thick blankets wrapped around him tightly, and he still felt like he was braving a storm in the dead of winter. Every muscle in his body was shaking with bitter cold.

How did he even end up like this.

He had gone to bed with nothing more than a sore throat and a slight headache, hoping a good night’s sleep would fix it. Evidently, it didn’t, and he woke up with ice coursing throughout his entire body. It was utterly unbearable.

He deliberated his options. 

He could either drag himself out of bed and get himself showered, medicated, and fed. He could do all the “responsible” things people do when they’re dying of the plague. It would be the smarter option, for sure.

Or he could stay right where he was, in his cocoon of bedding, and avoid letting his fevered skin touch the air at all costs.

It wasn’t a very hard decision. 

He buried his face into the blankets as his body gave a harsh shiver. It was the kind of cold that came from the inside. He felt as if his body was purging every ounce of heat it worked so hard to create.

He just wanted to feel warm. He was solemnly reminiscing about every time he’d eve felt warm in his life.

There was that time he went to the beach as a child, and happily splashed around in the ocean until he was ready to lay on the sand and let the sun dry him.

There was also the time he went to the county fair with his highschool friends. Sure, the heat beaming down on them had been rather annoying at the time, but Archie would give anything to go back for even just a second.

And of course, there was the most recent time. 

A few weeks ago, Archie was in Simon’s apartment getting patched up when a snow storm hit. Simon told him there was no way he was making it back to his own apartment in this weather, and that he’d have to stay there for the night.

The two spent the entire night binging movies and eating snacks and making hot chocolate and enjoying eachother’s company and—

Well, maybe that was a different type of warmth.

Still, the thought of it made Archie ache. 

Simon would know just what to do, wouldn’t he? He was in school for this type of stuff after all. He’d probably make Archie methodically list his symptoms and then usher him back to bed with the demand of upping his fluid intake and resting as much as possible. He was practical like that.

But he’d also help him in other ways.

He’d check Archie’s temperature with a gentle hand, smoothing his hair back as he did. Simon always complained that thermometers were more accurate, but he often ended up using his hand anyways.

He’d tuck an extra blanket around Archie’s shoulders and rub up and down his back, trying to soothe the fever aches and simultaneously coax warmth into him.

He’d check on him every hour or so with a fresh cup of tea or hot cocoa, and ask if Archie needed anything at all.

No, Simon did much more than diagnosing and treating. He cared. Something that Archie found was hard to come by.

He must have been more out of it than he originally thought, because he failed to notice that he started crying. A tear splattered on his pillow, and suddenly it was all just too much. He was achy and shivery and weak and tired and he just wanted someone. He wanted Simon.

He pulled out his phone, which induced another round of bodily shivers as he exposed his arm to the icy air. He flipped to Simon’s contact and began a text, but he found he couldn’t focus on the letters. He more he stared at the screen, the more his head ached and his dizziness increased tenfold. He ended typing:

“am dying. pl semd help”

And sent it.

Archie let his eyes flutter close as his phone clattered to the floor. He was so exhausted. He just wanted sleep to claim him. He was done being awake.

Finally, the blissful pull of unconsciousness dragged him down, down into nothingness.

••

Archie didn’t remember much of what came after that.

The first thing he realized is that when he woke up next, he was even colder, if that was even possible. He couldn’t move. Everything hurt.

The second thing he noticed, was that he wasn’t alone.

There was a figure beside him, working on something at his bedside table. He vaguely noted that he should probably be a bit more worried than he was. He could be getting robbed or kidnapped by some intruder, and here was, laying in his blanket burrito, doing absolutely nothing about it.

“You’re not getting robbed, you idiot,” The figure said.

Shoot, was he thinking out loud? Or maybe the figure could read minds. That had to be it, right? It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. After all, he got super powers from a random drug deal.

Gosh, he remembers the liquid being cold in his veins. Or maybe he was just thinking about how cold he was right now. He was really cold.

“You’re not really cold. You’re the opposite, actually. I could fry an egg on your head, Archie..” The voice chuckled, sounding a bit.. amused?

Archie had half a mind to feel indignant at this. This most certainly was not amusing. He was really dying over here, how dare the voice laugh at him!

“Relax, you’re not dying.. not while I’m here, anyways. You’re just out of it. I'm not surprised. Your brain is practically cooking in your skull.”

Ew. Archie recalled an article he read about a man contracting mad cow disease from eating beef brain. He didn’t want anyone to cook his brain and eat it. That didn’t sound fun. Maybe that’s why the intruder was here! To take his brain!

“Ookay, that’s enough out of you," the intruder hummed. "You are making even less sense than before. I didn’t know that was possible. Let’s get you drugged up and then to sleep, okay?”

The next thing he knew, there was a spoon with sticky, bitter liquid being pressed against his lips and into his mouth. He sputtered at the taste, but eventually choked it down. Gross.

“Alright, there we go. You’ll start feeling better in a little bit..” The figure said, smoothing a warm hand over Archie’s hair. “Just try to knock out for now.”

As much as wanted to refuse, and stay awake as long as he could to prove a point, the hand through his hair felt really nice, Not to mention that somewhere in his hazy telepathic conversation with the robber-intruder-brain-eater, another three blankets were placed on top of him and tightly tucked around his shivering form. He hated to admit it, but he was finally beginning to feel thawed out.

Archie was out before he could even finish thinking about what to say next.

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

[wizardsfang]

the kin id card shouldnt have sourcemate - thats a system term! /info

Yes! Don’t worry I am aware what it’s generally used for, so sorry for the confusion /gen

The source mate tag was added in while i was drafting concepts for possible various additional buttons & was initially included because the kin ID will also have variant forms for fictionkin (which I’ve seen use the term sourcemates/source for awhile now)

The card itself will also ofc be adapted to systems later on due to their frequent overlap with alterhumanity; though this will likely involve more alteration then average

These buttons/labels will come in extra images/files & will be able to be added on by users as they desire :]!

—

As made in reference to this post

[cawyden-gaming]

I'm doing Heinrix's romance and I just wanted to thank you for having such detailed posts and guides!

I missed one corruption dialogue (Janus one), but I don't want to bring him to Commoragh and use that dialogue that gives you the 2nd corruption point you need to then get the third in act 4, because I think the romance scene with him on the deck if you don't bring him along to Commoragh is way more romantic, so I added a corruption point on Toybox. Thanks for your detailed explanations I was able to do this and get the scene I wanted :)

Oh, thank you very much and for letting me now!

I am glad I can help and I am very curious about everything Heinrix related myself. I love that we have these little differences depending on our choices and it is fun to check them out!

At the moment I am doing these experimental runs but I will then use the info myself for a canon run. And toybox is a great help here.

I am torn for my canon run between taking him to Commoragh and leaving him on the ship. I would prefer to spare him the torture. I also like the alternate romance scene and him being so worried about us (poor guy though - we disappear at least two times more due to warp event and other companions quest) but I also like his romance in Commoragh, if you lean against him and do not take the initiative- how he holds your chin and then kisses you ❤️. And him opening up more but I think while not on screen he would tell the RT later too even if he hadn’t been with her to Commoragh.

Ah well, luckily still some time for me to decide - I was also thinking about doing an „alternate reality“ run where the same RT was not born psyker (as I want her to be on my canon run) and then have some (minor) differences due to that.

But for me personally I need happy endings (yes I know that fits perfectly with warhammer universe *irony off*) but we do get that (mostly) with Heinrix and this was very important for me. He and his romance is the reason I bought and play the game and I let Owlcat know in every survey (if they ask about it or not).

Sorry, I got distracted here…. I just love this game and especially Heinrix and his romance so much!

Thank you again for reaching out!

[stepswordsen]

【KHR AU】 XanLena ❤️💜🔥🪷

Nguyễn Selena (Nguyễn Nguyệt Vân Liên) 💜🪷

Figured it's been a long time since I posted about my wife, Selena~

Nguyễn Selena is my KHR OC who is a Vietnamese non-binary assassin. Her Vietnamese name is Nguyễn Nguyệt Vân Liên.

Her name, Selena, means "moon" 🌙

Her Vietnamese name, Liên, means "lotus flower" in Sino Viet 🪷

In my KHR AU, she joins the Varia as one of their members and lives at their headquarters with the rest of the core Varia members. My wife has NB flag colours~

My wife and her NB swag~ 💜🖤🤍💛

I mainly ship Selena with Xanxus.

In KHR, Xanxus is the leader of the Varia, an independent assassination squad under the Vongola mafia family. He was initially one of KHR's major antagonists.

Selena 💜🖤🤍💛🌙☁️🪷

English name: Nguyễn Selena (グエン・セリナ)

Vietnamese name: Nguyễn Nguyệt Vân Liên (阮月雲蓮)

Japanese alias name: Gen Suzuha (阮月雲蓮)

I resketched Selena's hair recently 💜

I resketched these quickly so it's not as refined but I'm still experimenting/trying to decide how I want Selena's hair to be drawn, whether I want to keep the curls in the back or not.

I feel like her ponytail is pretty iconic to her design. So if Selena got a TYL (10 Years Later) design, then I'd just add a bun on top of the ponytail.

Didn't redraw everything yet but just updated this for now

I redrew the bow and it has better lines but I prefer how pointy the shape of the OG bow was so I'll just combine the two eventually. I just wanted to get the new Selena down

Though both are nice! I just like how the shapes/silhouette of the hair are clearer now.

The XanLena chibis are pretty old doodles, so I'd like to redraw it sometime, but I still think it's cute ^^

My friend Feuri told me he likes how the softer upturned eyes of the OG Selena has a softer expression, so I'll keep both expressions ^^

I love both eyes in the Selena doodles hehe

Art Rambles

XanLena Doodle WIPs ❤️💜

Some recent + old doodles I drew before. I'm planning to refine them eventually!

Xanxus is wearing áo dài ("Long dress"), a type of Vietnamese traditional clothing

Selena is in her usual outfit I designed for her ^^

I think my art style is improving nicely! The way I draw faces is getting more refined

I'll redraw the hair later. I just sketched this quickly for now. Cuz I was just thinking about how I wanted to draw XanLena together more

I have a XanLena art idea in my head... Just need to get started with actually drawing it

Did a quick colour test today. I'll draw the rest later.

I wanna do a big XanLena piece eventually... And also XanLena in traditional Vietnamese clothing~ Matching couple clothing! 🥰💞

I rambled more about XanLena and Selena below.

You can read more under the cut!

Context

I added context for my mutuals who don’t know much about KHR, but would still like to tune into my KHR AUs and KHR OC stuff. Feel free to read only if you want!

Vongola Family = The KHR protagonist, Tsuna, is currently training to become the 10th generation boss of the Vongola family. Tsuna and co. are the Vongola family’s 10th generation guardians.

Varia = The Vongola family’s elite independent assassination squad. Their leader is Xanxus.

Source: (X)

Nguyễn Selena: Relationship Chart 💜

Selena's Name Interpretation 🌙☁️🪷

Notes

Misc Rambles

Sorry but I don't want to retype all this again so I'm just copy pasting from my Notion doc and side blog. I also included my rambles with friends!

Selena's info sheet and character relationship chart was inspired by FGO Materials' character profile formats where it lists a chara's general info, usage of pronouns, quotes, relationships with other charas, etc.

I still need to revamp the quotes with Selena's relationships with the other Varia members so I just posted Xanxus' part for now

Selena is the type who's calm and gentle but likes to keep to herself regarding matters that don't concern her. She's more aloof when she doesn't know the person well, but eventually opens up to the other Varia members.

I imagine Selena speaks in a really polite and formal way to Xanxus out of respect for him.

Xanxus and Hibari are my no. 1 fave KHR characters (tied) 🥰

Also used Glaze on my art as protections against A/I fart.

Also I'm just thinking of the recent FGO: Summer 7 event with Douman growing cursed morning glories (vampiric shikigami), flowers that suck blood.

I NEED THIS FOR SELENA...

DOUMAN BASED!!!

Selena's man eating plants 🥰💞

Selena is very soft and gentle, but she can be a little unhinged, as a treat!

Selena is a gardener and florist (flower enjoyer and enthusiast)

[hoovesandfloorpaws]

manip designed by the wonderful Shay @hl-obsessed 💕

[this post is complete! ✅]

PART 2

📌 here is my TAGLIST These posts were not all initially started by me, but I added to them in a way that I find it important to save/share information for later.

-

• 1D / H&L Awards Visual Guide • link to a download of a PDF with pics & info of all the awards 1D, Harry, and Louis have won [up to date & continuously updating]

• Transcript + translation of the Swedish queer/gay QX Magazine interview in Stockholm on 2 Oct 2011 (May 2025)

• Video: Tokyo/Berlin x Mumbai (March 2025) Louis wearing the Yohji Yamamoto shirt right after Harry was in Japan & Berlin

• Louis' PING (iTunes) profile from Jan 2011 - Sep 2012: Rebloggable post (March 2025)

• Today Show Nov 2012 incl. highlights, videos and meta (April 2025)

• Harry has a cute "I ❤️ NY" sticker on his phone case (April 2025)

• thoughts after i watching Louis' first Just Hold On performance again for the first time since I watched it live that night, on 10 Dec 2016 -I hadn’t been strong enough to watch it a second time.. until now, over 8 years later. (April 2025)

• a longer ask reply concerning stunts incl. additional resources (April 2025)

• a long and detailed explanation of 1D's financial involvement in 5SOS (5 Seconds Of Summer)

• Masterpost: X-Factor 2010 video links

• thoughts about Harry & Louis' interactions after watching the 1D Day livestream (Nov 2013)

• A Copy Of A Copy Of A Copy is one of Louis' loudest songs ❤️🏳️‍🌈 (March 2025)

• grief is so strange 💔 (cw Liam's passing) (March 2025)

• a long ask reply about Harry at Louis' Electric Brixton show in London (Feb 2025)

• Long post: I urge everyone (including myself) to always try and seek out well-vetted sources 💖

• reminiscing about RBB and SBB, the lead-up to babygate and Harry waving the AIMH tweet flag in mid 2015 (half of the post is an amazing timeline by the wonderful @quietasides) (Feb 2025)

• 2013!Paz' thoughts on 1D as a brand, promo, closeting and the music industry (Dec 2013)

• Video: Harry on current political discourse and abortion rights (May 2022)

• Louis' 2012 April's Fools tweet 🫃🏻

• Olly Alexander of Years & Years named his album Polari (Feb 2025)

• Manip: *shreds solo on Fine Line guitar* (Feb 2025)

• Video: १✌˚◡˚✌५ (Feb 2025)

• the discovery of Harry's latest thigh tattoo (Feb 2025)

• Video: Harry & Liam interview in Wolverhampton, Dec 2010

• Picture/GIF post: best friends who are also married 🌈

• "Louis' Facebook" debunk, Aug 2011

-

short or funny posts: • Gnarlissimooooo!! 🇮🇹 • sometimes i remember Larry 2010 & 2011 twitter and cry • Louis not explaining his tattoos incl. funny tag additions • Louis and Harry in winter? curiously sun-baked! (and 2 months later, we found out why: H&L had been in Greece in winter 2024 🤭) • thoughts about where that H&L at Euros final 2024 came from • Louis' POWER 😩😩😩 • did I dream that Harry covered Sledgehammer?? • Meme: Louis at The Great British Bake-Off 🥪 • Manip: Larry-themed Ides Of March 🗡🗡🗡 • Meme: Louis aka. 🐹✌🏼 • arms OUT 😏 • Meme: sorry for finding it hot when people's hair goes grey..

-

long rants in the tags: • fuck those insensitive, overstepping interviewers from BBC Breakfast in 2020 • songwriting is such an intimate process • All This Time is a queer anthem 🥹🏳️‍🌈 • you can write a song about someone and dedicate it another person once • access to Harry/Harry being available to fans then vs. now • Caroline Flack and Nick Grimshaw and those fucking yucky tweets about Harry in 2012 • 2025 thoughts about H&L having kids