#SEC strategic plan

[yeonjuns-beanie]

Numb My Pain

Warnings: 18+, smut, unprotected sex, friends to lovers lowkey, use of alcohol, talk of feeling numb, inference of depression, public sex, sex in a bar bathroom, seeking comfort in euphoria, marking, panty stealing…, biting, hair pulling, being alone in a bar, katoptronophilia(mirror sex), light overstim, (please don’t be like y/n. or do...) 

a/n: wrote this while listening to like crazy by jimin...would suggest listening to it as well while reading this just so the vibe is complete. hope you enjoy, per usual, much love and requests are open ! ~ nero

Mingi x female reader 

Word Count: 5.1k

Another night. It’s all your current life was. The same night one after the other, forever chasing the feeling of the euphoria you once felt for life itself. Your enthusiasm was stripped from your precious center with only your mortal shell left in its wake. It was like you weren’t even alive, just simply letting the hours tick by as you tried your best to seem present in the moment, even though that was the furthest thing from the truth. 

As you finished applying your gloss, you heard your phone vibrate. When you picked it up, a notification from your group chat flashed on your lock screen. Before opening the message, you looked outside your bedroom window and saw your friend’s car parked near your apartment building. You unlocked your phone, texting that you’d be out in a sec. 

Walking out of your bedroom, you grabbed your favorite pair of heels and gazed over your appearance in the mirror you had placed out in the hallway. You smoothed out the fabric of your dress, fussing with the material near your stomach. You looked terribly enticing, something you prided yourself on these days because it was one of the few times you could actually feel something besides the imminent numbness that drastically took over your mind. 

You walked into the kitchen grabbing a few bottles of flavored soju to pregame with on the drive to whatever bar you guys were going to tonight. Grabbing your purse from the couch, you walked out of your apartment locking the door behind you. Strategically you placed the bottles in one hand and balanced yourself down the stairs by leaning on the handrail. When you reached the bottom, you inhaled a deep breath focusing on the cool night air that rushed through your nostrils. 

Walking to the car you watched the windows roll down as your friends catcalled you on arrival. 

“Heyy, sexy.”

“Everyone shut up, my girlfriend is here. Hey Y/n/n.”

You smiled finally feeling something similar to joy, an emotion you could only find a distant memory of. You could always sense it but never get a full grasp of it. As you plopped yourself in the passenger seat your friend Lorelei simply moaned from the backseat. You couldn’t place whether it was directed at you, from the bottles of alcohol clinking as you sat, or both. 

“Please tell me you have a plum in your hands.”

“When do I not have a plum in my hands?” You turned your head around smiling while handing her the bottle.

“I also brought strawberry, didn’t want too much going on before we got in the bar ya know.” 

Your friend Fay chimed in from the driver’s seat giggling while observing the interaction. 

“Y/n is definitely planning on getting drunk tonight.” Your mouth hung open in disbelief wondering for a moment if you were that predictable. “And before you ask, yes it is that predictable because that’s the only time you wanna pregame, babe.” Nodding and throwing your hands up in defeat you cracked open the other bottle of soju taking a swig before Fay pulled out of the parking spot. 

The drive down to the bar didn’t even seem real. The windows were slightly rolled down letting a distinct spring smelling breeze overtake the car. Music blasting and the three of you laughing about random events that happened throughout the week when you guys weren’t together. You almost felt like yourself again but suddenly, the buildings you passed seemed so distant even though you had been in this area what seemed like a million times. 

You turned your head fully towards the window so neither Lorelei nor Fay could see the smile that you felt beginning to pain your cheeks fade, and your mask slipped for a moment. It was like everything was passing you in a high speed haze. All you could think about was how you used to feel and if everyone around you could feel the change in your energy these days. 

Were you hiding it well enough? Were they getting sick of you? Would this be the last time you hung out before they realized that you were going through another period of change yet again? Did they want you around or was it all out of pity? Before you could think of other unreasonable scenarios, Fay pulled into a parking spot near the bar. You reached down between your legs to grab the soju before handing it off to Fay to take the second swallow of it. The three of you passed around the bottles until they were both empty and you let them lay on the floor in the backseat. 

Getting out of the car you guys walked maybe a block to reach the building. The night air cooling your now hot cheeks. The pain you felt on the tail end of the ride was something on the back burner right now. Right now you felt like you were in your own personal music video. Feeling every possible sensation you could all at once. 

You were excited to enter the dimly lit and humid building. A sense of relief taking over because you knew at least for a few hours you could feel something. As you walked in you were almost stunned at how many people had crowded in already. You weren’t sure what happened in the past few months, but suddenly a lot more people knew about this place. A significant amount of bodies littered the walls and hallways of the bar leaving you feeling a little more charmed by the entirety of the night you had planned. 

You and your friends wormed your way to the bar and ordered your drinks, all three of you double fisting two plastic cups before walking towards the main floor where everyone was crowded at. The music was loud and you could feel the bass thumping throughout your entire body. As you tossed your first drink in the nearest trash can you began gently sipping on your second, careful to monitor how you were feeling. 

As much as you wanted to feel something other than nothingness and you were well on your way there, the last thing you wanted was to have to deal with being sick. Completely defeated the purpose of why you were out in the first place. You could feel your eyes get a little heavy and started to become aware of you getting a little more touchy with your friends. You were lost in the fluorescent lighting of the bar and the weightless feeling that was overcoming your body. 

Before you could truly lose yourself, you felt a certain need kill your vibe. Leaning over to Lorelei’s ear you spoke a little louder than usual trying to beat the music without demolishing her ears. 

“I gotta break my seal.” She looked over to Fay and mouthed ‘bathroom’ before she nodded and you all went to the bathroom. You left your drink on the toilet paper dispenser as you slowly felt yourself become just a little bit more sober feeling a sense of relief somewhere within yourself. As you came out of the bathroom, you set your drink on the sink counter and began washing your hands. After you dried them off, you finished off your drink, throwing the cup away. Fay looked at you as Lorelei came out of the other stall. 

“You good?” You nodded a little more smiley than usual. “Think I’m gonna get some water though.” You all wandered out of the bathroom and luckily for you, there were three open seats at the bar. You slowly sipped on your water knowing you were almost at your limit for the night but still wanting to savor that euphoric feeling. 

Fay was looking at you like she wanted to ask a question so you raised your eyebrows hoping it would be enough to prompt her response. 

“Do you wanna smoke tonight?” You thought about it for a second but realized even though the idea sounded great it would be a little too much for you to handle right now. 

“I think I’m good for tonight, but if y’all wanna smoke you can. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

‘You sure?”

“Yeah. I’m a big girl I can watch out for myself. Honestly, I’ll prolly just stay here unless I have to go to the bathroom.” 

“Okay, we won’t be long.”

“Take however long you want, I gotta sober up anyway.” 

Lie.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything that was the last thing you wanted because this feeling you so desperately chased would fade away. As your friends walked out of the bar you swirled the ice in your water, with blissful moments of fabricated peace rummaging through your mind. Before you could get stuck in your thoughts there was a voice that pulled you from your head. 

“I see someone still doesn’t know their limits.” You turned your head a tinge of fear settling in your stomach, but that anxiety dissipated when you tilted your neck to see the tall blonde frame behind you. 

“Mingi?!” You stood up wrapping your arms around him for a hug. 

“What are you doing here? I haven't seen you since you left for your debut!” You had known Mingi since high school but you guys became kind of estranged as he prepared himself for his idol career. You’d touch base with each other occasionally but nothing elaborate came from it. And if you were being honest, you kept up with everything that happened even if it was from the sidelines. You had the biggest crush on him in high school but left it alone not wanting to interfere with his artistic endeavors. You had to admit, he just kept getting hotter and it was borderline painful watching him become the man of your dreams. 

With his hair so short and dyed blonde, he had a certain edge to him that you hadn’t ever seen before. He commanded even more attention than usual and it seemed like he was relishing in his new look, a cocky overtone shining in his aura. You motioned for him to sit in the seat next to you so you guys could catch up. 

It was slowly getting harder to pay attention to the words that were coming out of Mingi’s mouth, as you were distracted by the terrible beauty that was his face. You were paying more attention to the details on his face and how his muscles moved when he talked rather than the content of the conversation itself. You felt that haze wash over you again and a new feeling was overwhelming your body. 

Your eyes were heavy again, you swirled the ice in your water with your straw looking at Mingi through your lashes, trying to hide your smile by rolling your lips around your teeth. Mingi paused his story as the bartender handed him his drink and his voice pulled you from your wandering thoughts. 

“Y-You know you look incredible tonight…just saying.” You smirked at him, not dismissing the hesitation. You opted to brush off the validity of his statement by seeming unaffected but even a stranger could tell it stirred something up within you. In the dim lighting, you could tell his energy shifted and you wanted to see how far you could go. 

“I see you’re still stuttering when it comes to the ladies.” You smiled knowing he’d try to defend himself, but as he opened his mouth you just held up your hand. “I’m just messing with ya, and for what it’s worth I think you look pretty incredible yourself.” 

Chest puffed out and neck held a little higher, his timid nature was swallowed by something more arrogant. “Oh yeah, well what do you like the most then?” His smirk almost pissed you off but you were tempted with the excitement to insinuate something more. “Well I love the hair, but really I’m just a sucker for you.” You leaned forward nudging his shoulder a bit in a poor attempt to soften the blow of your honesty. 

“C’mon, you’re just saying that cuz you’ve been drinking.” He took a swig of his drink not prepared for your reaction. You finished off your water and tossed it in the trash, newfound confidence surging through your veins. “Min, if you’re implying that I’m too drunk to tell the truth, I’ll have you know I’m still sober enough to remember everything by tomorrow AND this is the most honest I’ll ever be.” He laughed, his eyes scrunching and the echo of his sounds rang through your ears soaring over the music. His smile made flowers bloom in your darkest pits and you hated the feeling that was regurgitating its way up your throat. 

That crush you had never went away. Why would it? He was everything you wanted and more. In fact, every time you had the chance to see him it got worse. Because somehow in the back of your mind, you felt you’d never be good enough for him or anyone for that matter. But fuck it. Why not pretend, even for a moment,  that you were? That you were worthy enough to at least get a taste of him. 

You both stood up, your heels placing you at the perfect height to reach his ear. You shelled your hand around it and uttered a truth you previously were petrified of revealing. “And with that same honesty, I’m about to bare all my bones here. I want you in every way imaginable.” You stepped away, not wanting your heartbeat to give way to your anxiety. You needed to keep your cool. 

Mingi’s eyes followed your body as you backed away, committing every part of you to memory. His pupils were blown but you were too far away to see. With an overwhelming sense of exultation and a devastating aura of lust, Mingi was in the palm of your hand. 

He didn’t even respond, he just grabbed your hand and dragged you through the crowd of people, and led you to the upper level. Once you made it up the stairs, you were more than relieved to notice that the only people up here right now were the DJ and a few others looking over the balcony. While Mingi stared at the people hanging over the balcony, you swapped roles and you pulled him into the bathroom behind you guys. 

You locked the door, thankful for the fact that the stalled bathrooms were only downstairs. The light was dim and seemingly on the verge of burning out. The bass of the music rattled the walls, the graffiti on them dancing with every pulse. Mingi pressed you up against the door, his frame shrouding you. Even though you were comparable to his height in your shoes, the way he was devouring you with his eyes made you feel incredibly small. 

You looked up at him, eyes heavy with residual alcohol and blooming lust. Your hands wandered his upper body, finding haven at the nape of his neck playing with the hair that ignited this whole excursion. 

“Kiss me, please. If it’s the only thing you do, I-“, he cut you off with his lips slamming against yours. It was messy and urgent, kissing you like you were gonna disappear at a moment's notice. His hands encased your waist, making you feel dainty in a way that you never felt before. 

His hands ravaged your body, pawing at your skin trying to bring you closer in any way possible. His lips trailed away from yours allowing you the chance to breathe, but your breath was stolen just as quickly as he moved to pay attention to your neck and that special little spot right under your ear. Your body shivered and you unconsciously rolled your body into his granting you the knowledge of the growing bulge in his pants. 

“Jump.” 

You didn’t even give yourself the chance to think otherwise. Not letting any self-deprecating thought sour the moment. Your dress rode up as you wrapped your legs around his waist and his hands found comfort in squeezing the delicate flesh of your thighs. He turned both of you around placing your body on the edge of the sink. 

“You’re so fuckin beautiful.” 

It was a fact to him. He didn’t need to elaborate; he meant every word. His lips found yours again and rolled his hips into yours, desperate for some type of friction while he was slotted in between your legs. You pulled away from him, cupping his face in your hands trying your best to find sobriety so this wouldn’t just be a faint memory come morning. 

Enveloping your lips on his, you were lost in the feeling again. That is until, you heard a vibration coming from the floor. Your phone. Reluctantly you pulled away, your intuition telling you it was your friends. Before you picked up you had a lie prepared. Reaching it out of your purse, Lorelei’s contact photo flashed on your screen. Swiping the call button you answered. 

“Where are you??” You sighed amping up your fib. “I’m in the bathrooms upstairs. Wasn’t feeling too well.” 

As you were crouched down hovering over your bag, Mingi saw this as a perfect opportunity to toy with you. He pushed himself off the sink and shrouded his body over your own, rubbing the sides of your legs before his hand trailed up your thigh and ghosted over your heat. 

Your breath hitched igniting concern in your friend. “Y/n, are you sure you’re okay?” Internally trying to calm down your heart rate and arousal you found your voice. 

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I promise. Imma just be a few before I come back down I’m s-sorry.” You almost could feel his smirk as you stuttered over your words. He picked up his pace, rubbing acute circles over your clit. 

“Okay. Call us if you need anything we’ll be down by the main floor.” You hummed in response and ended the call as fast as you could, throwing your phone back in your bag. You wormed your way up out of Mingi’s frame and he followed your movements. You went to push on his chest but he was faster. 

Backing you up against the sink again, he picked you up and wrapped your legs around him. He moved your dress up further so that your panties were exposed. His lips were on yours, urgency and heavy breaths being the only thing exchanged. 

You moaned into him as his large hands palmed at your breasts over the material of your dress. Never did you think something so simple would be so restrictive. Your hands were back in his hair and you pulled away from his lips, dragging his bottom lip with you. Something reminiscent of a growl emanated from his throat as you wiggled the straps of your dress off, allowing your tits to be viewed in all of their tempting nature. 

“I’ve wanted you so bad, baby.” 

He moved his attention towards your neck, sucking a dark mark of him in memory of the moment he finally could lay his hands on you. His lips trailed down your body ending their journey as he wrapped his lips around your nipple. Sucking and biting gently at your sensitive skin as his fingers played with your other delicate bud. 

You rolled your hips against his and you began to grow frustrated at the lack of contact. Snaking your hand in between your bodies, you tampered with his belt trying to get it out of its buckle as fast as you could. With the restraint of it falling limp against his pants, you undid the button and zipper and wormed your hand into his pants. Finally feeling something other than his lips. 

Mingi’s mouth detached from your nipple,  moaning out something close to a whine just a little bit too loud. His breathing heavier, he looked up at you, his eyes blown black. His eyes were glistening with want and you stared back at him with equal intensity. Slowly adding more pressure as you palmed him through his underwear. Your lips found his again, biting and pulling away as he rolled his fingers around your nipple again. 

Moaning out, you were suddenly violently aware of how your slick was soaking up against the fabric of your panties. With every move you made you felt the wetness between your lips become more and more unbearable. Pulling Mingi by his belt loops, you forced him to look at you.

“Mingi, please. I need you so bad I can’t take it.” He scoffed, letting his neck fall into yours biting at the skin. You didn’t care where you were anymore, your moans were louder and your desire was even louder. You needed something. Mingi’s hand slipped down underneath your dress teasing you through the fabric. 

He began to kneel, separating your legs a little further apart. You felt his breath fan against your thighs and it sent jolts of excitement to your core. As much as you wanted to feel his mouth send you into various stages of oblivion, you were crunched on time and didn’t want your friends to start looking for you. 

You threaded your fingers in Mingi’s blonde locks, committing the feeling of it to memory and you angled his head up to face you. His eyes were glassy with lust, lips swollen, and a faint sheen of sweat was cast on his skin. You were almost certain that if you were to turn around and face the mirror you’d look the same. 

“As much as I’d love to have you like that, I’d hate for our time to be cut short. If I take too long they’ll definitely start looking for me.” Mingi rose back to his feet, his hands engulfing your face. His eyes told you he felt like this would be the only time he’d have you. 

“We’ll have plenty of other times to explore that with each other.” 

“Other times?” His brow cocked and a small smile began to pull at the corners of his lips. 

“I’m not having you just once. I’ve waited too long for just once.” 

Mingi’s lips were on yours in a flash and the passion you felt made you feel worshiped. Mingi tapped your thigh as a signal to lift your hips. Bracing yourself on the sink, he pulled your panties off and stuffed them in his back pocket. Removing his hot and salacious cock from its confines, he nestled his face into your neck biting at the skin. 

You felt the head of his cock brush up against your folds and you whined and rolled into him. The anticipation being far too much to handle and left you more than needy. He looked up at you, features full of wanton mischief. He pushed his tip in, hand cradling your neck. 

“Let’s make our first time one to remember then.” 

Inch by inch he slid inside of you, the stretch of him feeling better than you could have ever imagined. As he bottomed out, both of you moaned out and kissed each other with equal fervor. His hips rolled at a slow pace, making you savor every inch of him. You were grabbing at every part of him needing more from him. You bit at his lip grabbing his attention, he looked at you eyes blown and heavy. 

“Faster Mingi, please. I need more.”

Something about the desperation in your voice tipped something off inside of him. You felt him become domineering within a second but it was precisely what you needed in your current state. He slipped out of you and you whined out a tiny ‘no’ before he turned you around making you face each other in the mirror. There was a sort of sadistic and coquettish smile decorating his face as he reentered you causing you to moan out in pleasure—no time to moderate the volume of your sounds. 

“You need more, baby? Wanna cum around my cock?”

Mingi threaded his hand in your hair gripping at the base so you could face him. Your brows were furrowed in desire, your breath heavy. You tried to find the words to respond but all that came out was a frenzied nod and your cunt occasionally squeezing around his length. 

“Words, princess.” 

“Please Mingi. Let me cum around your cock. Please move, don’t make me wait an~ah!”

If you begged anymore, there wouldn’t be much of a moment left between you two. His pace was unrelenting, your walls clinging to him like your life depended on it. “God you’re so tight, baby, fuck.” His head fell back in pleasure, his grip on your hair releasing and your head falling forward. You gripped the sides of the sink poorly trying to ground yourself as your knees weakened at the pleasure. 

You raised your head, getting a glimpse of how completely fucked out you looked. Your face was flushed and tears were beginning to well under your lids from the overwhelming sensations you were feeling. Losing all sense of control when your eyes trailed up to Mingi. 

“Oh fuck!” 

You could feel a familiar warmth begin to pool in your core, your silken cunt sucking him even further inside of you. The music was still littering the building somehow adding all the more to the sensuality of the moment. You were brought from your thoughts as Mingi groaned and grabbed your wrists one by one bringing them behind your back. Lifting you so you were flush against his chest, this new angle had you stricken with zeal. Your walls were fluttering around him and you could feel your climax on the horizon. 

Mingi groaned above you and the sound brought you right to your edge. You wrapped your hand around his neck trying to grab any bit of him. Panting you looked at him through the mirror, the sight of him something you’d know would plague your memory for the days to come. 

“Mingi, I-I’m gonna cum!” 

“Me too, baby, fuck. Where do you want me?” 

“Inside Mingi. M-make me yourss~.” Your voice trailed off into a small squeak, too enveloped in the pleasure. Mingi moaned, his head falling back into the crook of your neck his breath sending chills throughout your body. “God, you’re so fucking hot y/n.”

 Mingi let go of your arms and let you catch yourself on the sink. His thrusts were becoming more and more sloppy and you could feel his breaths quicken with each second. As he brought one of his hands down to your aching clit and brought you to your peak, the sounds that erupted from your throat were impossible to contain. The heat flooding your core finally exploded throughout the entirety of your body and left you in sheer euphoria.

“Fuck! Mingi! I’m cumming I’m cumming!” 

“Me too, baby. Me too~uh!”

As Mingi lifted his head from your neck, you looked at him through the mirror still feeling the aftereffects of your orgasm. Pleading with him with your eyes your voice hoarse you sent him over his precipice. 

“Cum inside me, I need it so bad, baby. Wan’ feel you.” 

With a string of expletives leaving his mouth, you felt his seed spread throughout your saccharine walls. You milked him through his orgasm, watching him unravel in the mirror. The bathroom was humid now and the stench of sex filled the air. As Mingi pulled out of you, you felt his cum begin to dribble out, but before it could escape your pussy, his long fingers pushed back in as much as he could. Your messy cunt sensitive to the action. 

Your body was tired, Mingi turned you around and cupped your face before he found his lips on yours again. The kiss was much less urgent than the ones you shared previously and you relished in the softness of it. Before you lost yourself in the kiss, you felt his cum begin to trail down your thigh. Pulling away you went to grab a paper towel, but he was one step ahead of you. Reaching behind him he grabbed the towel and wet a part of it, gently wiping up the mess on your legs. 

Tossing the towel, he placed his hand under your chin looking at you with an intense softness. “You okay?” You nodded, a small smile crossing your face. As Mingi situated himself, you waddled to the toilet letting the rest of him drip out as you peed. As you got up to flush, you turned to Mingi. 

“Can I have my underwear back?”

“Nope. Keeping it as a souvenir.” 

“Seriously?” He nodded, lips rolling around his teeth obviously pleased with himself. You shook your head somewhat surprised by his admission. Washing your hands, Mingi was standing behind you watching your every move. It flustered you and you let out a small giggle to yourself trying to quell your nerves. 

“What is it?” His voice made you smile to yourself and you knew you were in far too deep than you expected. 

“Nothing, nothing.” Drying your hands, he came up behind you hugging you from behind. 

“Tell mee.”

You turned around to face him, “Really, I was just thinking about you.” Looking up at him you wondered how you were ever gonna come back from this. Your mind was rattling with so many different questions and it was translating to your face. 

“There’s a lot more goin on in there besides me, y/n.” 

“This isn’t the last time we’re gonna see each other, right?”

“Definitely not. Was kinda hoping I could follow you home actually.” 

Your eyes lit up elated that he wanted to spend more time with you outside of this moment. Picking up your bag from the floor, you fixed yourself in the mirror one last time before turning to grab the knob. 

“Let’s go home then, I’m pretty sure they’re sick of waiting on me.” Before you could open the door, Mingi placed a quick kiss on your cheek and you bit your lip trying to lessen the smile that was about to spread. When you opened the door, the air was significantly cooler. Your stomach dropped when you saw your friends sitting on the bench near the bathroom and you realized the looming body behind you was in plain sight. Lorelei looked up from her phone noticing the light peak out from the bathroom. 

“No fucking way.”

#kpop smut #ateez smut #kpop fanfic #mingi smut #mingi x reader #ateez x reader #ateez fanfic #mingi fanfic #mingi imagines #song mingi smut #kpop imagines #ateez imagines

[coyote-nebula]

tomato

Jason gets a weird phone call from Tim.

Prompt: "You owe me." Word Count: 500 Genre: hurt/comfort Characters: Jason & Tim Setting: Minefield AU

🍅

“First of all: you owe me.”

It was a bold way to start a conversation, he’d give Tim that.

“That right,” Jason said, skeptical. He pinched the phone between his ear and shoulder while he laced a boot. “Mind refreshing my memory on how I incurred this particular debt?”

“I convinced Bruce one of his batarangs ricocheted into that nitro, remember? And blew up the evidence incriminating you in that drug ring case?”

Jason chuckled. “Just for the record, I sold them one batch, and it was strategic planning that Bruce went and screwed all to hell.”

“And who made sure he didn’t know that?… Me,” Tim said firmly. “I’m here to collect.”

Jason leaned back on his couch. “This better be good if you’re already this defensive.”

“Well,” Tim started, then stopped.

Jason waited.

Strangled, Tim said, “…One sec,” before a tap and silence.

The screen still showed an active call. Jason put it back to his ear.

A prolonged moment later, Tim came back on mid-throat clearing. “’Kay. So anyway.”

“Did you just put me on hold?”

“So anyway,” Tim repeated. “You know the soup you made? The one you put with the grilled cheeses?”

“Tomato,” Jason supplied. Then, pointedly, “the one I showed you how to make.”

“…Yeah.” Tim cleared his throat again. Another pause. “Actually. On second thought—”

The tap and silence happened without warning this time.

“The hell,” Jason muttered, checking the screen twice to make sure the call hadn’t ended. He got up and pulled his keys off the hook, hovering by his apartment door while he put the call on speaker and pulled up his tracker app. Tim’s dot was at the Manor with Damian’s, which wasn’t that reassuring considering the conversation they’d had last week about fooling trackers.

“…Still there?”

“Are you dying?” Jason demanded. “Because if you are and you didn’t lead with that—”

“I’m fine,” Tim said, sounding not fine. “In fact, I changed my—“

Another tap and silence, but this time the sound came back a half second later to loud coughing. Tim gasped and hacked some more.

By the time he groaned wearily and came back to the microphone, Jason was halfway to the ground floor.

“Your services… are no longer required,” Tim said roughly.

“The hell they aren’t,” Jason said. “You sound like shit.”

Another, comprehending, pause. “Oh. Huh.”

Jason sighed. “I’m coming over.”

“Everybody’s gone,” Tim said, defeated. “I’m supposed to be watching Damian and doing food this one night. And…”

Mounting his bike, Jason paused to listen.

“I have all the stuff,” Tim mumbled. “It’s the only thing that sounds edible. And I tried, I just… stared at a tomato for like, forty-five minutes, and then accidentally napped, and—” He stifled a cough. “Damian can eat cereal. I’m going to bed. Don’t come.“

“Tim,” Jason said. “I meant it when I said to call if you need something.”

“I don’t need this,” Tim said sullenly. “I want it.”

Jason started the bike. “That’s good enough.”

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#jason todd #tim drake #food as a metaphor for love #batfam fic #my fic

[grammarpedant]

Security vs Combat idle thoughts since the winter of '18, updated for a post-FT world

It's both funny and fascinating how quickly Murderbot goes from being worried at the thought of Combat SecUnits in ASR to meeting one in a combat situation in ES to deciding CombatUnits as a category are assholes in FT (and I'm including how the proper term seems to evolve to drop the "Sec"/security part in my observations here). It's a hilarious display of MB's tendency towards bias and snap judgements in play, but in this case it's also a natural progression of MB's own personal values and the conflict between its function versus a CombatUnit's. In many ways, there's far more conflict between Security and Combat than there ever would be between Security and Comfort.

It comes back to the classic “kill all humans” trope, in some ways. The struggle in Murderbot's capacity for violence, and what function that violence is in service of, is present throughout the first four books. In All Systems Red, Murderbot sees itself as- well- a murderbot, a wanton killing machine; in Artificial Condition it admits to ART that it struggles with liking its function; it takes nearly the entire original quartet for it to come to terms with itself as a security consultant. Someone who saves people, who has extracted clients from situations that were less than nine percent survivable, and who can be proud of that. In a book series in which Murderbot is figuring out what it wants, Exit Strategy sees it come to terms with wanting to keep people safe—contrasted utterly by the Combat SecUnit’s “I want to kill you” in the same book.

By the time we reach Fugitive Telemetry, it has reached such a self-understanding of its raison d’etre that Murderbot—who rarely says emotionally difficult things if it could leave them unsaid instead—can say it explicitly. “That plan was easier plus 100 percent less murdery… I liked it better because it wasn’t a CombatUnit plan, or actually a plan that humans would come up with for CombatUnits. Sneaking the endangered humans off the ship to safety and then leaving the hostiles for someone else to deal with, that was a SecUnit plan, that was what we were really designed for, despite how the company and every other corporate used us. The point was to retrieve the clients alive and fuck everything else.” For Murderbot, THAT is the heart of “Security.”

And it’s totally diametrically opposed to what Combat is. Look at the proliferation of military sci-fi out there, look at games like Halo, look at war fiction as a whole and the real-world use of war technology. What does a bot-human war machine do better than what a regular old CombatBot offer? More flexible thinking and strategizing, creative hacking solutions, an ability to process the chaos of war as real-time data and react far faster and more cunningly than a human commander could, all packed into a supersoldier with no reason to empathize with human soldiers or victims, perfectly controllable on pain of brain-shock-collar by its superiors—no chance of mutiny or insubordination or conscientious objection. Soldiers and the technology they use alike are employed as expendable tools for war to fight for whatever cause their superiors uphold, to win at whatever cost their superiors deem acceptable—the function of Combat is about winning. Domination of the enemy, control of a populace, Us vs Them. Strategy, war crimes, the cost-benefit ratio of opening fire on the enemy’s hospitals.

Combat is fundamentally not about keeping anyone safe. (There’s a reason that Security in Ancillary Justice don’t get along with Military when they drop by a station, there’s a reason that Discworld’s Captain Vimes snarls that his coppers are not soldiers. If you actually want to keep the peace, you NEED to not see the world in terms of us or them, kill or be killed.) For these reasons, I’m not surprised that Fugitive Telemetry drops the “Sec” and leaves the term as “CombatUnit”--it better emphasizes the difference between the two functions, and how far Murderbot has moved from its fear of being a tool for killing.

In a society without governor modules, there’s still plenty of room for Security and Comfort alike. But to keep a standing army, let alone manufacture tanks and nuclear missiles, is to keep the threat of using them. And a CombatUnit’s function, unlike Murderbot’s, is unilaterally one of violence for the sake of domination. When MB says that CombatUnits are assholes, I think that’s what it means—and I kind of get it. A CombatUnit that lives and breathes and likes its function truly is the murderbot that Murderbot was afraid it was itself.

(And if you're looking for more canon Combat SecUnit content, have we got some fics for you)

#murderbot #the murderbot diaries #verso writes #meta #murderbot diaries #Fugitive Telemetry #function meta

[wkandaforever]

im obsessed with the whole idea of namor strategically planning to get shuri on his side but not in an evil captor kinda way but more like... in a namor-thinks-he's-so-damn-cool-but-is-actually-kind-of-a-dork kinda way

like he wanted shuri to come visit talokan. but he wanted her to come willingly. he offers her the shellphone but when she doesnt call he specifically instructs his his people to bring her to his kingdom as soon as she even hints that she wants to meet him

then he goes ahead and puts on his best outfit, gets a custom-made royal garb for shuri, invites her to his royal chamber while he's chilling pretending to look busy signing random documents with his fancy-ass quill, strategically places the jade bracelet on the conch so it's the first thing shuri notices, shares his tragic backstory and love for his people to make shuri curious about who these people even are. and as soon as shuri asks the question - BAM. time to drop the funniest joke he practiced with his people multiple times and when no one laughed he still went ahead with it

namor: "well, you can't go in dressed like that." (because i made sure to dress you in the most delicate garb, ensured attuma took off his mask too so there's no way you can breathe underwater - tee hee)

namor: "the hypothermia will kill you instantaneously, your blood will become toxic, and the depths of the ocean will break every bone in your body." *glares*

shuri: *visibly disturbed*

namor: ".... or you could wear a suit! we have some! come on!" *laughs to himself and mentally high fives himself at the immaculate delivery*

like i can just imagine him scrambling to get everything ready, make himself look perfect for the princess' arrival, role-playing with his people like

namor: "and then i'm gonna pause for a sec and then go like 'or you could wear a suit!!!' how's that? wouldn't it be absolutely hilarious???"

talokans: "my king, that's a little too much for a first encounter don't you think?"

namor: "no no it would be perfect! i know the princess her humour is violent! the first time we met she pointed a spear at me!" *chuckles at the memory*

talokans: *confused*

namor: "don't you get it? she wanted to turn me into a fish skewer! do i really have to spell it out for you?"

talokans: *blank stares*

namor: "it was a meat-cute!"

#*talokans collectively sigh at their king's sense of humour* #i just think namor is a dad joke kinda guy #wakanda forever #black panther 2 #wakanda forever spoilers #black panther spoilers #bpwf spoilers #mypost

[lgbtqreads]

What are your most anticipated releases for 2024?

There are a bunch of posts coming up with the answers to that, starting tomorrow! But FWIW, my personal preorders so far have been for Just Happy to Be Here by Naomi Kanakia, Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa, The Friendship Study by Ruby Barrett, This Day Changes Everything by Edward Underhill, Icarus by K. Ancrum, Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa, and The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe, and I haven't gotten to it yet (I am strategic) but also plan to preorder both Playing for Keeps and The Ride of Her Life by Jennifer Dugan (I always preorder from her local indie, Northshire Books, so I can get them signed) and Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore. I've also blurbed a few great ones I'm excited for other people to read, including The Last Love Song by Kalie Holford and Every Time You Heart That Song by Jenna Voris, which make a very lovely musical pair. There's lots more I'm excited about - The Guncle Abroad! Lavash at First Sight! The Pairing! Triple Sec! A Little Kissing Between Friends! but anyway, more on all that soon!

[darkpoisonouslove]

Okay important question: Between Griffin and Faragonda, who got whom into difficulties/inappropriate situations more often (accidentally and intentionally) ?

Bc I think both could fit that part very good but bc of diffrent reasons. I picture a young Faragonda as a person who acts first and then thinks about the consequences. Something's that could lead them in a lot of trouble. But Griffin on the other hand is someone who defently thinks first and is clearly aware of the consequences. The thing is, depending on the consequences, in the most cases she just doesn't care bc once she has set her mind on something, no one can dissuade her from it anymore. In the best case she has a plan to get them out of it in the end but she will get what she wants.

This is a two-part question.

The one who intentionally got them in trouble was Griffin without question. She is the troublemaker and I can see her believing that making other uncomfortable with a show of power/opinion would be a good image for her, especially when she was younger. I think she wanted people to be afraid of her to the point where they wouldn't dare to bother her in any way, which would require some (drastic) efforts on creating the kind of reputation that can achieve that. Meanwhile, Faragonda would be more conscious of bad PR for a reason I am going to talk about in a sec.

I also think that Griffin would be the one getting them in trouble accidentally because in my headcanons Faragonda grew up with a mother experienced in politics. As little time as Faragonda spent at home was enough for her mother to drill into her head that image is everything and should always be carefully maintained so even as a teenager Faragonda would have been mindful of how her actions would look. I don't imagine her being overly conscious as on some level her mother would agree that making a name for yourself as a force to be reckoned with is important, which in addition to Faragonda's undying love for Griffin would keep her right at Griffin's side during any and all accidents.

As for Griffin, she is calculating but also way more temperamental than Faragonda is. That combined with her ego and arrogance could reasonably get her in trouble on the regular despite her strategical nature so I think she would be the most likely culprit of stirring trouble in either scenario. Faragonda is more than willing to go with it. For their friendship and otherwise stated PR purposes, not because she thinks Griffin looks gorgeous during every second of the absolute shit storm she always ends up stirring.

#winx club #winx griffin #winx faragonda #wixn headcanons #ask #anon

[xcrimsonlunaticx]

Hello 🧍 your zombie apocalypse au gripped me by the shoulders. Would you mind if I wrote a small series of one shots based on it?

Following, do you have any specific ideas about this au? I'm obsessed and would love to know more if you've thought any further on it.

Hello! I'm so glad that someone liked the AU I made! I would love to see a fanfiction about this, so go for it! I do have some headcannons I have in mind/somewhat vague storyline I had in mind when thinking of the clusterfuck of angst

This is what I imagined they would look like. Bit badass with a snippet of angst, just the way I like it hah but you can put you're own twist on it

Headconnons! Oh boy, I have quite a few

Billy Numerous:

He's the brawler of the group, doing most of the heavy duty lifting and getting his hands dirty. He's a "act first think later" type of guy, and often puts his friend's safety over himself

While his personality remains somewhat his usual joking self, being the one that lightens the mood when things get dark, he's turns a bit more aggressive and protective due to the fear of loosing the only two people he has left. I would imagine he will have the most trouble trusting to strangers

He would think its his duty to protect the group and if they get seriously injured, he would probably beat himself up bc of it

He prefers mele weapons over guns. His main choice is an axe, finding familiarity using it due to chopping wood back in the countryside.

He keeps an extra pipe or crowbar on himself for his duplicates. But really, anything lying around that is relatively stick-like is a weapon

While he prefers mele, he can shoot shotguns from a decent range. But he's against it since guns makes too much noise.

Kyd Wykkyd:

Relies on stealth and speed to maneuver around his enemies. He prefers the least amount of confrontation as possible, only killing when its necessary.

Since he relies heavily on speed, I would imagine he's crazy fast when moving around the environment.

Because Kyd's powers are unexplored in the DCU, I would toned down his range of teleportation a bit. The further away he teleports, the more energy it consumes. This applies to people as well.

Sometimes he would sneak away for supply runs during the night, mostly as a therapeutic practice to detress by supporting the group. Billy is against this hobby and leads to many arguments. Ultimately he stops after a chessy conversation like "you don't have to do this by yourself" or something jdjf

While the rest of the group has basic medical knowledge, like stopping an small wound and wrapping it up, he is the medic for more serious injuries. He studies on medical books on his freetime

His personality is more empathic and understanding (with a hint of sass). While I think it would be more interesting if he was fully mute (like with a damaged voice box), it gives them the cool feature to use "Wykkyd talk" in more undercover situations and to prevent people overhearing their conversations.

(Personally, I would imagine if another survival group were to confronted them about a deal and they be like "wait a sec". Rather than turn for a group huddle like some noobies they start to gesture to each other in "wykkyd talk" and in some point their movements gets more exaggerated to the point that their failing their arms around while they're just there like 🧍‍♂️🧍‍♂️🧍‍♂️"are they arguing?" lmaoooo)

Gizmo:

The brains, the one that forms out strategic plans for every given situation. With experience, he is able to form plans on the spot if needed.

He is the most logical and destructive. Almost everything he builds are any type of explosives of some sort

He raids tech stores and junkyards for scraps. He becomes more imaginative in his inventions, using anything that he could get his hands on and turning it using a deadly weapon.

He prefers the long-range approach rather than hand-to-hand. Underneath his tough exterior, he is still terrified of zombies. He still gets nightmares about them most nights.

He gets rather clingy and developed attachment issues due to one instance where he had gotten himself lost near the beginning (like when you wonder off when you were little at a mall and nearly shat yourself) and nearly gotten himself mauled. Sometimes he holds onto either Billy's or Kyd's hands when traveling (Isn't that adorable?)

He carries around a backpack where he collects items and carries his inventions, essentially being his gizmo pac (now with pockets)

See-more:

Tragety strikes! Unfortunately, as much as I love him, he is the least likely to survive due to his lack of hand-to-hand combat skills and reflexes, especially during the early stages

I would imagine that he would turn at the beginning of the outbreak where the zombies are still fresh, new, and fast. Since their headquarters is in the city, they would very well be sitting ducks and headrushed with zombies. He most likely would have gotten overwhelmed by a hord and mauled or gotten bitten from behind while occupied.

Kyd would have been with him at the time, starring in horror to see his best friend sinking his teeth into a person and ripping out their intestines. Very scarring.

(Another version i imagined to where he slowly turned from getting bitten and was leaning over gizmo with a drooling mouth and gizmo just stood there looking at him unable to move until he was knocked to the side by Kyd. Idk. Way more traumatic if thats what ur going for hahh.)

Whether kyd kills seemore or keeps him alive deals with different forthcomings. If he kills him, he would definitely blame himself and would he grieving for some time. if he doesn't, he would start to delusion that seemore is still with them and the real challenge is to finally let him go and realize that he's gone.

Or it can be more comedic to where he's just like a companion they drag around for no reason. Its really open to imagination.

Mammoth:

Hes a bit vague, I have a few ideas for his disappearance. One is that he told everyone at the beginning that he wanted to search for his sister and everyone was like "yeah, we'll go with you." But bc Mammoth didn't want them going bc of him and leaving the lair, he left in the middle of the night with nothing but a note on his bedside (the nerve on that guy)

If he comes back later or is never seen again is really up to the author, but his size and fighting style makes him an easy target for zombies to bite him on his arm or something. He could be easily rushed by a horde and consumed.

They would sped the majority of their time scouring the streets to search for Mammoth, as well as anyone from the HIVE academy.

Second is that they had lost him when running away from a horde on the street and Mammoth simply had slipped away and disappeared without a trace.

Jinx:

Shes safely within the confines of the Titans tower, along with the rest of the titans.

She helps around with the surviving citizens, but her health will slowly deteriorate due to guilt eating away and endless nights spent worrying for their safety.

KF tries to comfort her and keep her occupied but it all becomes too much and she desides to break the rules and try to find them. Some titans might come with her due to wanting to look for survivors or something idk

Probs gets saved or something and offers them to stay at the titans tower

Billy would totally blow her off and deem her untrustworthy due to the fact that she had betrayed them once and then left them to die

He would think that theyve already survive this far and doesn't need their help despite the tower being the most logical and safest option

While it's pretty stupid to stay within a city, their lair is already with its very own power generator and plumming (bc come on, there's no way in hell they were paying taxes beforehand) and basically knows the ins and outs of the city

Jump city would very much be a territorial battlefield with gangs and criminals. Johnny Rancid would be one of the main villains, leading a biker gang of homicidal maniacs and going on killing spees on both zombies and survivors with no hesitation.

Other villains would also be secontioning off their own territory. Its really a hit or miss whether they're trustworthy. Or sane.

The amount of time they've spent by their own would be around 2 or 3 years, but could be more. They'll be in a habit of lots of things like not wasting food and always being on guard, when they ultimately take refuge in the tower, they are never able to rest and become comfortable. Maybe develope some ptsd. Kinda sad and they would all mostly likely need therapy hahh

For the rest of the hive, it's up to imagination. Personally, I think they would either form their own group somewhere in the other side of the city or find each of them on their own, whether as enemies or allies. Desperation and victim of circumstance can change a person, so I leave it up to you the meddle with it!

And kydnumerous obvi

Just two gay teens and an unhinged child. What a big happy family

#kyd wykkyd #teen titans #headcanons #op talks #the lost colony au #hive five #billy numerous #gizmo #mammoth #fanart #zombie apocolypse au #jinx #mind dump #this was a long post #seemore #who doesnt like a good dumpterpile of angst? #kydnumerous #my art

[amazingmsme]

bro i’m so glad i’m not the only one who got such ler vibes from hermes especially during dangerous, he’s such a mischievous little bastard and i love it (maybe that’s partly where odysseus gets it from, being the descendant of a trickster god)

also i saw somewhere that in the musical when an electric guitar starts playing it means odysseus is being cunning/strategic and the first thing that came to my mind was that when he’s planning on wrecking someone the unfortunate victim is like “why do i hear electric guitar.” - fluffvoid

@thelaughtercafe just gifted us with a drabble that I’ll post in a sec but yeah, I’m all aboard the ler Hermes train, he’s absolutely where Odysseus got his mischievous streak!

But I fucking LOVE that fact about the electric guitar! It’s so cool when characters are assigned a certain instrument/motif that shows up every time they do, it’s the best! Msjshskd it’s lowkey such a threatening sound, it’s his own jaws theme!

#asks #anon ask #epic headcanons #fluffvoid #odysseus #hermes #epic musical

[libertariantaoist]

News Roundup 12/4/2023 | The Libertarian Institute

Here is your daily roundup of today's news:

News Roundup 12/4/2023

by Kyle Anzalone

US News

Sen. Wyden Threatens to Block Vote on NSA, US Cyber Command Nominee. The Hill

Ukraine

Secretary of State Antony Blinken dismissed reports that the US was pushing Ukraine towards negotiating an end to the war with Russia during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. At the summit, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Ukraine had a “de facto” NATO military. The Institute 

Ukraine Military Eye Proposal to Expand Conscript 100,000 New Soldiers. Boston Globe

US Official Says Washington Aims to Cut Russian Energy Exports By 50% By 2030. FT

Russia to Add 170,000 Soldiers to Armed Forces. TASS

Zelensky: Counteroffensive “Did Not Achieve the Desired Results.” Kyiv Indpendent

NATO Chief Stoltenberg: We Should Be Prepared for Bad News About Ukraine. Politico AWC

Ukrainian officials speaking to media outlets on Friday claimed that the CIA-backed Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) blew up trains on railways deep inside eastern Russia. AWC

China

Washington Will Expand AUKUS Accord to Include AI, Electronic Warfare and Quantum Technology. The Hill

China Says US War Ship Illegally Entered Chinese Waters. Yahoo

OPEC

Brazil Plans to Join OPEC+ Next Year. Yahoo

Korea

South Korea Scraps F-35 Damaged By Bird Strike. Yonhap

North Korea: Interference with Satellite Is a Declaration of War. The HillThe Institute

Israel

Washington Is Profoundly Concerned About Turkish Ties to Hamas. FT

IDF Chief Tells Blinken Military Operations in Gaza Will Take More Than a Few Weeks. AxiosAWC

Gallup Poll Finds Only 32% of Americans Support Biden’s Handling of Israeli War in Gaza. UPI

A report from +972 Magazine published on Thursday detailed how Israel is intentionally targeting civilians in Gaza as part of its war strategy even when Israeli forces know strikes will kill young children. AWC

NYT: Israel Knew About Hamas Attack a Year Before October 7. NYT

Israel Has Arrested More Than 270 Palestinians in Crackdown on Free Speech. Chicago Tribune

Tel Aviv has been relying on an AI Program dubbed the Gospel to select targets in Gaza at a rapid pace. In past operations in Gaza, the IDF ran out of targets to strike in the besieged enclave. AWC

The Financial Times reported speaking with sources who said that Israel plans to wage war on Gaza for over a year. In a little less than two months, Israel has killed at least 15,000 people, damaged 100,000 buildings, displaced 1.7 million Palestinians, and destroyed most of Gaza’s medical facilities. AWC

Israel Abuses Justice System to Target Minors and Break Up Families. LA Times

The Wall Street Journal published details about the White House’s secretive arms transfers to Israel since October 7. The US has provided Israel with 57,000 artillery shells and 15,000 bombs, including over 5,000 with 2,000-pound warheads. AWC

Doctors Without Borders Says Israel Responsible for Attack on Medical Convoy that Killed 2. DWB

Babies at Gaza Children’s Hospital Left to Die and Decompose After Israel Froced Hospital Staff to Evacuate. NBC News

Blinken Told Netanyahu the White House Will Begin Banning Violent Israeli Settlers from Entering US. Reuters 

Israel Withdraws Negotiators From Hostage Release Talks. AJ

Limited Number of Aid Trucks Reach Gaza After Israel Resumes Bombing. AJ

Sec Def Austin Says Israel Risks “Strategic Defeat” By Mass Civlian Killing in Gaza. VOA

Israeli Forces Operating Throughout Gaza: IDF. The Guardian 

Iran

The House on Thursday passed a bill that would force the president to permanently freeze $6 billion in Iranian funds that were briefly made available to Tehran as part of a prisoner swap deal. AWC

Syria

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said two of its members stationed in Syria as advisors were killed by Israeli airstrikes, The Associated Press reported Saturday, citing the IRGC’s website. AWC

US Official Says Single Rocket Fired at Base in Syria. VOAAWC

US Strike in Syria Kills Five Iraqi Fighters. MEEAWC

Yemen

Houthis Launch Missiles and Drones at US War Ship and Commerical Vessels in Red Sea. Politico AWC

Read More

#kyle anzalone #libertarian institute #news roundup

[liebgotts-lovergirl]

Fire On Fire: Wonderstruck Pt. 1

Gallery II Tag List Application II Symbol Guide

Summary: Maybe Alix and Joe were star-crossed from the start... A/N: Flashback chapter, my beloved. 🤌🏽Also, if you're looking for something to listen to while reading, I highly recommend this & this. WARNINGS: Alcohol consumption, like 2 drunk Antisemitic remarks, Trust issues Taglist: @latibvles @softguarnere @mccall-muffin @brassknucklespeirs @wwhatev3r @holdingforgeneralhugs @emmythespacecowgirl @auroralightsthesky

8 Months Earlier: January 8th, 1944. Aldbourne, England. 

Alix had been training with Easy Company in Aldbourne for less than a week, learning the ins and outs of her cover as their combat nurse, and already, she had made enemies.

Firstly, her case officer, Lieutenant Nixon, seemed to be doing everything possible to trip her up so she’d get pulled from the field.

According to the Office of Strategic Services, her handler was supposed to be her mentor, someone who would be in her corner when no one else was, but instead, working with her seemed to only renew his determination to make her so miserable that she’d quit the venture altogether and go home to Pennsylvania.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Alix ended up being hauled in front of Colonel Sink to be scolded like an unruly child. 

She knew they wouldn’t kick her out of the Sparrow Program for something as minor as giving a mouthy trooper a concussion so she hadn’t been overly worried. 

The OSS needed all the good agents they could get since the Germans kept killing them. The military couldn't afford to fire intelligence operatives, even if they wanted to. 

But being lectured on anger management for half an hour by an exasperated Colonel was still not exactly an enjoyable experience.

 It was just simply not her week so when Bull Randleman pulled her aside after target practice, she was immediately tense, expecting to be chewed out for something she probably had no idea was even out-of-bounds. 

"Hey Pyro," he called, lumbering over to her, chomping on his usual cigar. His tone was friendly but you could never be sure with a superior officer. "Mind if I borrow ya for a sec?" 

"Sure thing, Bull!" 

"Heard Sink really laid into ya for the Cobb thing," he began as they left the designated range area.

"But if ya ask me, Cobb was askin' to get tore up, talkin' to a lady how he was. It woulda riled anybody up." 

He shook his head disapprovingly.

"That boy ain't got the sense God gave a goose." 

"Is what it is, I suppose," Alix shrugged. "They're not kicking me out or anything, I just got read the riot act for about half an hour. They're not making me apologize, thank God, or I'd quit on the spot." 

"Figures," Bull replied with a chuckle. "Most of the boys are real proud of ya though. I reckon Guarnere's even fixin' to ask ya for an autograph!" 

The agent cocked her head, brow furrowed slightly. 

She hadn't had the time to meet hardly anyone yet.

"Who?" 

"Bill Guarnere," he repeated kindly. "NCO, about yea-high, dark hair, Philly accent, loud as all get out? Ya can't miss him. He was the one hootin' and hollerin' when you was scrappin' with Cobb." 

Alix thought about it for a second but no dice.

She had been seeing red during the fight and the only thing she could distinctly remember was Bull pulling her off of the crumpled trooper before she could do anymore damage. 

"Sorry Bull, I don't recall." 

"Ain't no problem," he drawled with a paternal smile. "I reckon you was a bit busy tryna keep from killin' ol' Roy at the time anyway." 

He snapped his fingers as a thought popped back into his head.

"But that does remind me, I was fixin' to ask if you got any plans for tonight 'cause me an' the rest of the troopers from Easy are gonna be goin' out to the White Rose Inn at around 7 or 8, if you're interested. I figure it'd give ya a chance to get acquainted with the rest of the fellas seein' as you ain't really been properly introduced to most of 'em yet."

"Sounds like fun!" Alix answered brightly. "What's the occasion?"

"No occasion," Bull responded with an easy shrug. "It's just been one hell of a week and I reckon we could all use a break. Be good for morale." 

"Sounds swell," Alix chirped as she swiped the sweat off her brow. "I could sure use a good party. Thanks for the invite!" 

"Sure thing," the older paratrooper commented. "I remember being new. It ain't easy. Gotta be even harder on you, bein' the runt and all."

Alix ducked just out of his reach to avoid him missing up her hair paternally, as he was wont to do.

"Watch it, Randleman," she said in a tone of mock annoyance as they arrived at the makeshift trenches dug on the opposite side of the field. "D'you know how long it takes to get it all pinned up like this?!" 

 The Southerner chuckled. 

"I reckon you'll live." 

∆∆━━━━∆∆━━━∆∆━━━∆∆

For an inn situated in a relatively small village, the White Rose had a rather large ballroom and when Alix made her way in that evening, it was already teeming with life.

 The worn wooden bar stools were quickly filling up with drinking customers and the dance floor was a blur of colorful motion. Shouts and giggles all wafting over the energetic swing music playing in the background completed the scene and Alix took a deep breath, feeling invigorated. 

This is why she loved dance halls, parties, whatever she could get. The energy, the ambience, it was all so different from the prim and proper dinner parties of home. Even in a normally sleepy village like Aldbourne, you could always count on the visiting paratroopers to liven things up a bit. 

Taking in the sights, her brown eyes roamed the scene for someone she knew when she thought she heard her name being called. Turning to her right, she saw Bull winding his way through the crowd with his date in tow. 

“Hey there, Pyro,” the older trooper exclaimed as Alix shuffled past some locals to get over to him. “I thought that was you! Glad ya could make it!” 

He introduced his date but the blaring of the trumpet section swallowed the name, so Alix simply exchanged polite “How do you do”s and prayed that Randleman might mention the girl’s name in conversation again at some point throughout the rest of the evening. 

“The guys are back this way,” Bull called over his shoulder as they continued to weave through the crowd. 

“Is it always this packed?” Alix asked Bull’s date with a delighted grin but the other girl shook her head.

“Not until you Yanks came along."

Alix had been about to respond when a bellow from a cluster of tables nestled toward the back cut her off and she looked up to see a man with sergeant stripes and a wide grin jogging up to them.

“There he is!”  he exclaimed, reaching over to slap Randleman on the back.

“Where’ve you been, Bull, we thought you got lost!”

“Heya Johnny,” Bull greeted him warmly before introducing him to Alix and his date as Sergeant Johnny Martin on the way to the rest of the group. “Sorry I ran off but-” 

He jerked a thumb behind him.

  “Had to go find Pyro.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Alix responded as she extended a hand. “I’m-” 

“Martinelli, the OSS agent,” Johnny finished for her, his grin widening. “Yeah, we know who you are.”

“You’re the dame that beat up Cobb, ain’t you?” a voice piped up as they arrived at their corner of the room, which was suddenly alight with a frenzy of discussion, of which Alix knew she was the main subject.

“They call her Pyro,” she heard somebody adding, “Ya know, like a firecracker?” 

“I heard she gave him a concussion,” someone remarked conspiratorially and she could feel the stares. "Nearly split his skull!"

“Her? But she looks like a fucking debutante?" 

"I thought so too but-"

Alix shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, feeling a bit like a sideshow attraction. She hadn’t wanted the whole Cobb thing to become a spectacle. Quite the opposite, actually: she was more than ready to forget it ever happened. 

Flying into a near-homicidal rage on her first day was not exactly her finest moment of decorum and she was still struggling to understand how people seemed to be proud of her for it.

“Yeah, that’s her,” Bull declared with a congratulatory slap on her back. “But she can be a deb and a brawler, ain't that right, Pyro?”

"Sure can," Alix replied, a nervous smile gracing her face as Bull and his date headed off to the dancefloor together, leaving her alone with the rest of the group.

Noting her presence, one of the paratroopers seated in front of her stood up and gestured to his chair with a practiced air of boyish charm.

"Here, take my seat, beautiful," he insisted with a cheeky smirk and Alix raised her eyebrows at the line. For a split second, no one moved, the whole table seemingly waiting with bated breath for her reaction. 

Marone, she wanted to mutter. I’m not a fucking time bomb, guys.

 But outwardly, she sent an appreciative smile in the direction of the trooper, who speedily pulled a chair up for himself to her right.

"Careful Tab," a shorter man a few seats down joked. "Get fresh with that one and–" he made a popping noise, dragging a thumb across his throat. "--she'll take your head right off!"

"I got it handled, thanks Luz," the polished trooper– Tab– remarked with a playful roll of his eyes.

As the table began to bubble with sporadic laughter and the hum of conversation once more, Alix only caught fragments among the voices. 

“—seen Skinny?”

“—so I says to the guy–”

“— Lieb’s late —”

“— and I get a fuckin’ letter —”

“ — my folks are pretty jazzed —”

“— Muck and Malarkey—”

“— didn't even know the broad —”

“— shooting craps, last I seen—”

"So where ya from, Pyro?" asked the man sitting opposite her, his slightly-grating voice easily carrying over the din.

Sergeant stripes, black hair…short…loud…thick Philly accent… 

This had to be the guy Bull had mentioned earlier, Guarnere.

"Philly," Alix replied absently as she tugged out a Chesterfield and began patting down her coat pockets. “Say, any of you boys got a light?"

      All conversation came to a screeching halt as half a dozen eager hands thrust out towards her, tripping over themselves to offer her their lighters. She chose the closest one, a black lighter volunteered by a trooper to her left with silver-blue eyes who introduced himself quietly as David Webster. 

 "Bullshit," Guarnere scoffed from his seat across the table before taking a big swill of his beer. "Ya don't sound it. I’d know if you was from Philly.”

Alix cocked a manicured eyebrow and took a long drag. 

"Clearly not," she remarked coolly, "because I am from Philly, born and raised." 

"Yeah?" Guarnere challenged. "What neighborhood then?" 

Alix sighed in defeat.

           She knew the reaction that would come, the one that always came.  

"Chestnut Hill." 

 Bill choked on his beer before letting out a low whistle of admiration. 

"Jesus Christ, no wonder ya don't sound it." 

Here we go, Alix thought. 

        "Fellas, we're in the presence of royalty," Bill announced jokingly with an exaggerated bow in the agent’s direction. "Ain't that right, Your Majesty?" 

        Alix took a long drag on her cigarette and ignored him, trying to focus on the smoke or the table or anything else. 

She knew he was just kidding but it was still embarrassing. Growing up in the affluent neighborhood of Chestnut Hill in Northwest Philly was not what people envisioned when she told them she was from Philadelphia. 

She’d heard from Penny that South Philly neighborhoods were close-knit and working-class, where everybody was in the same boat and you had to scrap together to survive. It was tough but it brought people together as a community. Your neighbors were like family.

 

Chestnut Hill wasn’t like that at all. Come to think of it, Alix didn’t even think she knew the names of the neighbors in the estate to their right and she’d certainly never had to struggle for survival. Her father’s business connections ensured a life of ease for her, so long as she did everything she was told… or at least, made it look that way. 

Alix snickered inwardly as she peeled off her coat and draped it on the back of her chair, imagining her parents reaction to her outfit that evening.

Her mother would've been appalled but the paratroopers around her– some of whom were gaping like fish– certainly didn’t seem to mind it. 

It had been another of her many pilfered gowns from a modeling gig. She couldn't remember which false name she'd given the photographer for the print– something nondescript – but she'd kept the dress tucked at the back of her closet ever since the gig, knowing full well that if her mother discovered it, it would be in the garbage by sundown and Alix would most likely be grounded for life.

She hadn't tried it on in a year or so but the scarlet silk still clung to her in all the right places and the skirt flared out beautifully like a fairytale gown. The only issue was the top, which was perhaps just a tad too small for her now as her ample chest was threatening to spill over with each breath she took. 

Nonetheless, she had to admit, she looked pretty good, even if she was a bit overdressed compared to the other girls in their Woolworth’s tea dresses. 

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Alix tried to distract herself with some idle conversation, engaging with Webster on the merits and drawbacks of the Shakespeare authorship question when she happened to glance over toward the door and the agent felt her breath hitch as time seemed to slow.

The handsome technician she’d caught staring at her on her first day…the wiry one with the laidback swagger and the warm brown eyes...the one she’d been dying to speak to but didn’t have the chance… 

He was there, just steps away, looking as ruggedly handsome as ever as he made his way over to their section of the room. But then Alix’s view was partially obstructed by Tab, who’d stood up to greet his approaching friends, casting the shorter agent in his long shadow.

"Sorry, we're late, fellas," the technician addressed the rest of the group dryly, without a clue that the slight rasp of his tenor voice was making the practically-invisible Alix's heart skip a beat. 

"Skinny here—" she heard a small grunt and Alix guessed the companion had been elbowed or otherwise nudged, "had to get bitched out by Peacock for bein’ a drunken idiot last Monday, and guess who had to wait up for him." 

"I said I was sorry," Skinny grumbled, seemingly more to himself than anybody else. "What more does he want from me, Joe?" 

"Probably all the light bulbs ya stole from his lamps when you were plastered, ya fuckin' menace."

From the reflection in her water glass, Alix could see Skinny sulking, pulling a face that strongly resembled an exasperated river otter, and she bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

Joe seemed just as amused and as Tab shifted, allowing Alix to just barely be glimpsed, Joe caught her eye and shot her a wink that made her cheeks get warm.

“Well if Sober Wayne knew where Drunk Wayne hid the lightbulbs, then Sober Wayne would give ‘em all right back," Skinny retorted testily.

Retreating, he dragged a chair over to the far side of the table which resulted in nearly everyone having to scoot over one and him practically sharing a seat with a now-equally-sulky Bill Guarnere.

"How’d you even get in Peacock's room in the first place?" the handsome technician – Joe – remarked with a wry shake of his head, as he carted a chair for himself over to the table's end, next to Skinny and diagonal to Tab and Alix. "And what the hell did ya want light bulbs for, anyway?"

"You're asking the wrong guy, Joe," his exasperated friend answered, sounding defeated. "I'm telling you, Drunk Me is a whole nother person. Take it up with him." 

“Well, drunk or sober, we’re just glad you two could make it!” Tab assured them breezily before shouting something over his shoulder about grabbing more beers and disappearing into the crowd.

Glancing over to where the technician– Joe– was seated, just diagonal to her from across the table, Alix found herself admiring how remarkably at-ease he was. 

She felt like a fish out of water, surrounded by people she barely knew while the occasional stranger ogled her like a piece of meat. 

But Joe…Joe was animated and engaging, trading smart remarks with Bill Guarnere across Skinny like casual blows during training.

 

It definitely helped that his intensity and charm reminded her of the male lead in one of those romance pictures they were always showing at the movie theaters.

He looked the part of the dashing soldier too in his uniform, with his thick brown hair now dark with styling product, finely-drawn features and the way those warm brown eyes crinkled slightly when he smiled…

He was smiling at her. 

Oh no.

Suddenly realizing she’d been caught, Alix could feel heat creeping up her cheeks again and she was positive that she was as bright red as her dress by now.

She returned the smile but found she just couldn’t tear her eyes from his, and he seemed to be facing the same silent struggle.

The idle chatter around them seemed far away now and for a second, it was just the two of them gazing into each other's eyes from across the table, each searching for the right thing to say to the other. 

He spoke first, leaning forward so she could hear him better over the noise.

“Doll, I’m gonna need you to quit that,” he said, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

Alix cocked her head inquisitively.  

“Quit what?”

Joe scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish laugh.

“Smilin’ at me like that. I can’t think straight when you do and I need to get my shit together before I make a damn fool outta myself.” 

Alix giggled and was it her imagination or did his face seem to brighten at the sound?

“Name’s Joe, by the way,” he added, sitting up a little straighter. “Joe L-”

“Liebgott!” Tab’s voice interrupted as he returned to the table, reaching over Alix’s head to hand Joe his beer.

“Only took me half the year but I finally got you one! The bar’s held up like you wouldn’t believe!”

“Yeah, I bet,” Joe replied carelessly, clearly waiting for Talbert to notice his disinterest and leave, but the spell had already been broken. 

Suddenly feeling a white-hot pain between her fingers, Alix hissed and tossed the remains of her cigarette away with a muttered curse. 

She’d been so out of it, she’d let her damn cigarette burn down to nothing and singe her fingers. 

“You okay, doll?” Joe asked, his brows knitted with concern and Alix felt bad that he'd cut a seemingly miffed Tab off mid-sentence just to check on her.

She opened her mouth to make an excuse but of course, it was then that the band struck up a particularly lively tune she recognized and her head perked up.

It was “In the Mood” by Glenn Miller, one of her favorites!

"Hey princess," Guarnere interjected from across the table, already getting to his feet. "D'you dance?" 

"If I'm asked," Alix hinted with a pointed look over at Joe.

So c'mon Joe, she urged in her mind. Ask.

The technician had just opened his mouth to say something when Bill interrupted with a winning grin.

“Well consider this a personal invitation then!”

And before Alix could blink, she found herself being whisked off to the dancefloor. 

∆∆━━━━∆∆━━━∆∆━━━∆∆

Even drunk off his ass, Bill Guarnere could still Lindy like nobody’s business. The quick footwork and energetic, almost jerky movements suited his personality perfectly and even a practiced dancer like Alix was struggling to match his sheer dynamism.

But the vivacious Alix was never one to turn down a dance, even if she wasn't particularly jazzed about the asker.

Joe, meanwhile, was leaning casually against the table and making small talk with a tall, dark-haired trooper whose name she didn’t know. 

But every couple minutes, the technician would look up from his beer over to where Alix and Bill were, his expression darkening like a brewing storm as though he were at war with himself.

About halfway through the next song and another beer later, it seemed like he'd made up his mind because when she next glanced up, there was Joe striding towards them with a sense of renewed purpose and a look of determination on his face.

Bill, meanwhile, had been rendered blissfully oblivious by the unheard-of amount of beers he’d knocked back.

When Alix had met him, he was finishing his fifth and she found it to be a miracle he was still standing, let alone dancing as well as he was. 

He had just extended his arm and half-spun, half-jerked Alix out across the floor when she reeled and accidentally collided full-force with someone who was just walking up to them from behind.

"Shit, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed as she stumbled into the stranger but he caught her easily in his arms, pulling her slightly to his chest for support so she wouldn't fall.

Seeing that it was Joe, Alix's heartbeat pound so loudly that she was positive he must feel it through his shirt.

"Don't be," he reassured her with a goofy grin. "Best thing that's happened all night." 

Alix was suddenly hyper-aware of how close their faces were, the warmth of his breath ghosting across her skin, their noses nearly touching, and the way his eyes drank in her features like he was trying to commit every inch of her to memory made her train of thought evaporate. 

Her lipsticked-reddened lips parted instinctively and she caught her breath at the way his gaze flickered down to them before coming back to her eyes and then darting down again. 

Alix could feel her every muscle quivering like a bowstring about to snap, and she knew she'd never wanted anything more than she wanted to kiss Joe Liebgott in that moment but somehow, she barely managed to keep herself in check. 

"Can I-" he started hoarsely, his lips nearly grazing hers as he fought to keep his self-control.

But Alix didn't want him controlled. 

"Please" she murmured breathily and that was all the urging he needed. Eyes fluttering shut, his lips had been just about to brush hers when–

"Y'know the whole point of a spin like that is that ya come back, right?" Bill interrupted sardonically as he approached, a surprisingly bitter edge to his voice. "Not go suckin' face with somebody else." 

Alix jumped out of Joe's embrace instantly, her face turning a bright crimson. 

She'd forgotten Bill was even there. 

But Joe paid him no mind, taking a step closer to Alix instead and allowing his focus to remain entirely on her.

"I ain't exactly Fred Astaire, y'know, but I'm still a pretty good dancer…" Joe said as he drew nearer, his warm brown eyes sparkling like smoky quartz under the lights.

"So whaddya say, dollface, mind if I cut in?" 

"Not at all!" Alix answered eagerly, taking his extended hand at the exact same moment Bill stated loudly, "Yeah, I do fuckin' mind, actually." 

"Good thing I wasn't talkin' to you then, Bill," Joe shot back, matching the NCO's tone of irritation. "The lady's made her choice and it ain't you so get outta here, will ya?" 

Guarnere had already been fuming when he saw Joe embracing the girl he’d been dancing with and the snickers from nearby dancers served only to inflame him further. 

Alix wasn't sure whether it was all the beers he'd had or the mortification that did it, but Bill lost it.

"Y'know he's a fuckin' Jew, right?" 

The vehemence in his voice made Alix's eyes narrow instantly and she could feel Joe tensing beside her. 

Rage simmered in the pit of her stomach like it had with Cobb and her nails bit into her palm as she struggled to keep it from boiling over.

She couldn't lose control again. Not in front of people who were already afraid of her. 

"You've got three seconds to walk away,” Alix warned, her voice dangerously low. 

She didn't trust herself to speak any louder without making a scene. 

“Before you end up on a casualty list without ever touching enemy ground.”

But Bill was nonplussed.

"I'm just sayin',” he shrugged, slurring his words a little bit. “You got a real nice-lookin' rosary around your neck there, so you're Catholic. I'm Catholic. You're a Philly Italian, I'm a Philly Italian. We got a lot in common, you and me. But you wanna waste your time dancing with a fuckin' Yid? For what?" 

"Call me that again," Joe growled, already taking off his jacket and throwing it to the ground. "And see what the fuck happens."

“Yeah?” Bill taunted with a barking laugh. “What’s your scrawny ass gonna do about it?” 

“I’m gonna snap your fuckin’ neck is what.” 

Bill snorted derisively at the comment and, feeling Joe start to move from beside her, Alix put her hand over the clenched fist at his side to keep him from swinging. 

The technician jerked his head sharply to look at her, eyes blazing, but the agent pressed her lips together in a tense line.

If anyone’s going to get in trouble for fighting, her eyes said clearly. I’d rather it be me.

Joe grimaced but the murderous look in his eyes softened and when he turned back to face Bill, she could tell he understood.

The tension in his hand slowly released and on a whim, she lightly tangled her fingers with his in a show of solidarity, sparks seeming to fly from the brush of their fingertips.

Thankfully, the song had just ended and the sporadic clapping from the dancers around them cut through the tension like a knife.

“Y’know what,” Bill muttered acerbically, recognizing his own defeat even through his drunken haze.

“You wanna get your heart broke? Be my fucking guest. But don’t come cryin’ to me ‘bout it later.”

With one final scowl in their direction, he stalked off, shoving his way past a few onlookers on his way back to the tables to drown his sorrows just as the band began to play a much gentler, slower melody. 

Distracted, Alix’s face instantly lit up with recognition.

“Oh, this is the song from that one picture!” she gasped, eyes wide. “ The one with Bing Crosby!”

Joe grinned at her excitement and gently pulled her closer to him, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“You’re gonna have to narrow that down for me a little, Ziskeit,” he chuckled affectionately, causing a rush of butterflies in the agent’s stomach at the sound of the word.

“‘Cause there’s at least fifty of ‘em.”

“It came out a few years back,” Alix trailed off with a bemused smile, taking his other hand in her own. “It was a musical comedy…?”

“Oh sure, yeah, that really narrows it down.” Joe teased, brown eyes glittering with amusement. 

Alix rolled her eyes playfully and responded,“If it comes to me, I’ll let you know.” 

“You’d better,” Joe quipped. “I’m on the edge of my seat here.”

∆∆━━━━∆∆━━━∆∆━━━∆∆

“Do I want to be with you 

as the years come and go?

Only forever, if you care to know.”

Joe was a shockingly good dancer, fluid but firm. He had an almost supernatural way of anticipating her movements before she made them, keeping them always perfectly in-sync instead of dragging her through the steps like Bill had. 

Unlike Bill– who had been far too drunk to pay much actual attention— Joe’s soft brown eyes were always gazing intently into hers, as though he were searching for something deep within her, seeing straight into her heart with every glance. 

“Do I know you from somewhere?” he pondered aloud, head tilted slightly as he gazed down at her. “‘Cause I feel like I’ve seen that gorgeous smile somewhere before.” 

"Depends," Alix replied, lightly following his steps with her own. "D'you smoke Chesterfields? Or read pin-up mags?" 

Now it was Joe's turn to be embarrassed. 

"Uh…maybe both," he admitted sheepishly and Alix giggled.

"Then you've definitely seen me. I was in the Esquire calendar too. I model under different names, of course. My family would kill me if I used my real one."

"Wait…so I’m dancin’ with a real-life pin-up girl?" She nodded and a devilish smirk spread across Joe's face. 

“Makes sense. I knew I’d seen you someplace besides my dreams.”

“Jesus Christ, what a line,” Alix scoffed but she couldn’t help the way her stomach somersaulted at his tone. 

Not that he had to know that.

“Hey, I thought that one was pretty fuckin' good," the technician remarked. "But I can do better, dollface, just say the word." 

The warmth between them was growing more powerful by the second, her heartbeat racing along with it, but Alix averted her eyes and pursed her lips as Bill's parting words came back to her. 

"You wanna get your heart broke? Be my fuckin' guest."

Was this a mistake, she worried, a tempest brewing in her silence.

In her experience, good-looking, charming men like Joe, the ones with the roguish smiles and the silver tongues, they only wanted one thing and when they got it, they'd be gone, onto the next. 

So why was she even bothering?

Because…

Because a part of her knew she was playing with fire but she couldn't help herself. She knew it would hurt but she still craved the burn. 

“Would I grant all your wishes 

and be proud of the task?

Only forever, if someone should ask.”

“I ‘preciate what you did back there, by the way,'' Joe murmured, the slight gravel of his voice bringing her back to the present as they swayed to the soft, flowing current of the music.

“Stoppin' me, I mean. I probably coulda got kicked out for fighting an NCO.”

“You definitely would’ve,” Alix agreed. “If anybody’s gonna be fighting an NCO, it’ll be me because the military can’t touch me.” 

“Must be nice,” Joe replied wistfully. “How come the OSS gets to have all the fun?” 

“Just lucky I guess,” Alix quipped easily.

Joe eyed her curiously as they swayed in time.

“What do you guys actually do anyway?” he asked. “They don’t tell us anything except that it’s ‘intelligence work’, whatever that means.”

Alix smirked secretively.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, flyboy,” she teased. “But if I told you, then I’d have to kill you.”

Joe raised his eyebrows. 

“Yeah?” He gave her a small twirl, letting the scarlet skirt of her dress fan out around her like a fairytale princess before deftly tugging her back close to him again, returning the smirk.

“I think I’ll take my chances.”

“How long would it take me

to be near if you beckoned?

Off-hand I’d figure, less than a second.”

“Y’know,” Joe marveled as he led their steps with ease. “After all that, I just realized I never even got your actual name.” 

“You never asked,” Alix chided playfully. “And I wasn’t going to throw it at you, in case it was unwanted.” 

“Don’t you worry ‘bout that, doll,” Joe’s expression was too easy to read and Alix found herself blushing at his forwardness.

“‘Cause there ain’t a fuckin’ thing you could do that’d be unwanted.” 

“Do you think I'll remember 

how you look when you smile?

Only forever, that's puttin' it mild.”

“It’s Alix,” she murmured as he guided her through the steps seamlessly, like they were walking on air. ”My name’s Alix, with an i.”

“Alix,” Joe repeated, lifting his arm to lightly spin her again. “With an i. I like that. Reminds me of –”

“Princess Alix,” she finished for him and he nodded. “Of Hesse, I know. That’s where my parents got the idea.”

She made a face and added, “They wanted a royal name for the future heiress.” 

Joe’s eyebrows shot up to the ceiling in disbelief

“Whoa whoa whoa, wait a minute. You’re a fuckin’ heiress and you’re still boutta go undercover in a fuckin’ war zone?” 

Alix shrugged. 

“Yeah, so what?” 

He shook his head in amazement. 

“So what? You could be anywhere in the world right now, livin’ the high life, but instead you chpose to be here of all fuckin' places. You’re really somethin’, y’know that, Ziskeit?”

There was that word again that made her heart skip a beat everytime it rolled off his tongue. Zee-skite. 

She repeated it again in her head before saying aloud, “What does that mean?” 

Joe’s eyes went round and he swallowed hard. 

“What does what mean?”

“Zee-skite?”

He cleared his throat awkwardly, his posture suddenly stiffening slightly. 

“Don’t worry ‘bout it.”

“Do you think I'll remember 

how you look when you smile?

Only forever, that's puttin' it mild.”

As the last verse wound down, Alix felt the slow creep of melancholy filling her chest, a squeezing tightness she couldn't ignore even through the clatter of applause. 

You wanna get your heart broke? Bill’s words hung over her head like booming thunder from a storm cloud. Be my fucking guest.

Joe’s not like that, she tried to reassure herself silently. Bill’s just drunk and pissed off. 

But when she looked up at Joe, she felt the tightness in her chest squeeze even tighter, like her lungs were being filled with water. 

Like she was drowning.

With his warm gold-flecked brown eyes, quick wit, ferocity and rough-edged charm, it was easy to see why the women around them all snuck glances over at him, even over the shoulder of their unsuspecting dates.

What made her think she was special? 

He doesn’t want you, something in her whispered. How could anybody want you? You’re just the girl of the hour.

Someone as handsome and charming as him probably already had a sweetheart back home, maybe several, all sending him flowery love letters and photographs for him to keep with him and sending wishes for his safe return.

A bitter taste now in her mouth, Alix knew all about unfaithful servicemen and their escapades and she wanted no part of that. 

Her stomach twisted with guilt. 

Had she unknowingly been flirting with someone else’s beau?

Did his heart belong to someone else? Was there someone– maybe even multiple someones– waiting for him at home?

Did he gaze wistfully at someone else’s photograph at night before he went to sleep, wishing to be back home in her embrace again?

Instinctively sensing her sudden discomfort, Joe glanced down at her, his forehead puckering with concern. 

“You okay, Zees?” he asked, worry softening his tone. “Did I do somethin’ wrong?”

He was unbearably gentle with her, holding her as though she might shatter into a million pieces at any second, and she wasn’t sure how to process it. 

He was funny, he was sweet, he was open-minded, fiery like her and far, far kinder than she deserved…He didn’t seem anything like a cad. 

But then again, they never did at first, did they?

“Uh yeah,” Alix stammered hesitantly. “I-I’m fine. I just…” 

She backed hurriedly out of his embrace, mumbling excuses.

“I…I think I need to go…Have a smoke maybe, I don’t know…”

Before he had time to react, Alix had already bunched the scarlet material of her skirt in her fingers and made a hasty retreat out of the ballroom, leaving Joe standing alone on the dancefloor, crestfallen as he stared after her in a state of complete and utter bewilderment.

#Also Hint: It's the same song they were dancing to with other people in Chapter 4... #👀 #Anyway have a First Meeting chapter my lovelies! #Also this is before the Three Musketeers actually meet lol. They meet a few days after this #You'll see that too lol #FireOnFire #mywork #Band of Brothers #Band of Brothers fandom #Band of Brothers fanfiction #Band of Brothers fanfic #HBO War #HBO War fandom #HBO War fanfiction #BoB #Joe Liebgott #Joseph Liebgott #Joe Liebgott x OC #Joe Liebgott x Reader #Joe Liebgott imagine #Joe Liebgott oneshot #Band of Brothers oneshot #Band of Brothers oneshots #mutual pining #first meeting #trust issues #slow burn #Joelix #Joe Liebgott x Alix Martinelli #FOFChapters

[acrossthecherriverse]

Self-care sesh ✧*。

Cherri: RE!Cherri

Tags: Pure domestic fluff, short and sweet, Cherri being a menace (what's new), no warnings!

Word count: 464

"Will you stay still for a sec!?"

"Will you make it tickle less?"

Cherri huffed and continued smearing the mint-colored paste on Leon's cheeks and around his face, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed. It's one of the few days off they get from the tiring workload of the Strategic Command, and Cherri decided the best way to spend it for now would be some self care. That, and she bought some new products a while ago, and Leon is the best guinea pig.

"Are you done yet?"

"Do you not like having my hands on your face? I'm wounded, truly," she smirked and wiped the remaining product off her hands with one of the tissues lying around and leaned back to admire her work.

"You know the only thing you're missing? Cucumber slices on your eyes, and then you'll look like a total auntie."

"And curlers in my hair?"

"And curlers in your hair! See, you know your auntie fashion."

Leon sighed and turned back to look at the mirror behind him. Hello Kitty clips in his hair, the green detox face mask smeared all around his face and a bright grin of a dark-haired girl peeking out from behind him.

"D'you like it?"

"I… don't exactly see how having smooth skin is going to help me take down B.O.W.'s." He reached a hand up to his face to lightly touch the pale green product on his cheeks.

"It's not for the B.O.W.'s, idiot. It's for me. You have mochi cheeks."

"I have what?" Leon turned around to face her again with a confused expression.

"...Mochi cheeks? Y'know, those soft, squishy Japanese rice cakes?"

"And what exactly does that have to do with any of this?"

"Because…" Cherri's eyes wandered around the room, seemingly wanting to look at anything but directly at him, "...because I like touching them? Like a stress ball? You know how you sometimes grab my tits or my ass just because? Like that, I like it when they're soft."

"You grab my tits too, though, do you need my cheeks as well?"

"Well, I'm not gonna put a face mask on your tits…" Her eyes discreetly wandered down to his chest but she swiftly corrected herself with a clear of her throat, "Look, it's not gonna kill you to take care of your skin once in a while."

"Okay, okay then. How long do I have to keep this on?"

Cherri fumbled to find the misplaced face mask packaging somewhere on the bed before reading from the back, "...Uh, 20 minutes. Like, 17 by now then."

"...Right."

"..."

"..."

"Can I paint your nails, too?"

"I don't think the higher-ups would like that."

"Then can I take a Polaroid pic?"

"Don't you dare."

A/N: First one down fuck ton more to go 🫡 I have an RE4R campaign fic planned, full 16 chapters and everything, but it will be posted in due time dw

#resident evil #resident evil 4 remake #re4 #resident evil fanfiction #re x oc #leon kennedy x oc #leon s kennedy x oc #leon scott kennedy x oc #oc content #writing #writeblr #writing tumblr #| cheon

[duchessofostergotlands]

I am trying to understand how the CEO will be different that the private secretaries who run the show now?

It’s a new function. Based on the job advert it's like the usual sort of set up for a business or a charity: the CEO is responsible for setting overall strategy and making the big decisions, the Private Secs will be more like senior management who have the responsibility for delivering the CEO's strategic vision within their specific areas (alongside their Comms people as a separate area and so on). It doesn't sound like the Private Sec's job is changing, they'll still be responsible for the diary and event planning side of things and the day to day minutiae. They're just adding a layer above which didn't previously exist. Grace and I did a podcast episode called Beauty base zero where we recommended ways to improve the monarchy and while we didn't suggest a CEO as such we did suggest roles which have more strategic responsibility rather than focusing just on the day to day. We just thought there should be more than one lol.

#ask #british royal family #staff #bentley1530

[millenniunspacex]

Hi Isber cesar,

1/ A number of Unicoin holders have asked us if they could attend our Annual Shareholder Meeting to participate in our discussion regarding our 2023 Strategy and Objectives. 

Normally, only shareholders are invited to participate in shareholder meetings. However, we recognize that Unicoin holders are also stakeholders interested in the success of Unicoin, and we've been doing our best to keep them informed about our plans and progress. In this spirit, we will send invitations to participate as guests in our Annual Shareholder Meeting to everybody who invested $25,000 or more in unicoins or holds our Options for $25,000 or more.

All other registered Unicoin or Option holders will be sent a Zoom link through which they will be able to watch the meeting in real time.  We will also distribute the video report about the shareholder meeting. 

The meeting will take place in Miami Beach at 9 AM on February 23rd. The details will be provided by our Legal Department in the formal invitation. As per our By-Laws, only shareholders will be able to vote.

2/ We voided the early-reported purchase of 1,700 acres of coastal land for $60M worth of unicoins as our due diligence research discovered that the ownership rights for that parcel were contested. This decision, however, does not negatively impact our sales numbers as we've added other real-estate-backed deals. 

3/ Bitcoin is 38% up this year, so it is clear by now that the current crypto rally is not a short-term price fluctuation. The renewed investor interest in crypto is one of the reasons we terminate our discounted pricing at the end of this month:

 

2/ Our strategic objective is to turn Unicoin into a major crypto brand. To do it in the most efficient manner, we are relying on partnerships with major media companies.

As an example, here's a new article published in Expansion, one of the largest Mexican media companies on their Unicorn Hunters channel:

 

(excerpt)

##

With very best wishes,

Alex Konanykhin             

CEO,  Unicoin Inc.   

Linkedin.com/in/konanykhin 

P.S.: My updates focus on our journey towards becoming a publicly-traded company and on our efforts to turn our Unicoin into a major cryptocurrency. These updates are not intended to serve as financial advice or to replace our official reports filed with the SEC. Please note that I cannot possibly answer all the questions myself, so your response to this message may be processed by members of our Investor Relations team.  My past updates can be found at kmgi.us/updates  

...

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[adelaidedrubman]

1, 3, 12, 13, 19 and 21 for Zellah and Silco!?

thank you mika!! sorry these took a sec longer, promise i’m not just ignoring questions for these guys, but since they’re newer i needed time to make a banner and develop them a bit :3

1. What does your OTP like to do with their time off?

they don’t take a lot of it, honestly — even on “off” days they tend to be focused on planning, and since they rely on each other as a sounding board quite often once they’re established and not at each others’ throats, it’s still a lot of lounging around talking about business or the future (sometimes their personal future, and not just political aspirations). otherwise they might just go for a stroll through the city or curl up and have drinks in the study.

3. Who’s more flirty?

neither of them are really good at it, but silco at least makes a bare attempt, and was the first to actively pursue and try to woo zellah. (exclusively for business reasons, of course.)

12. Who always feels the dire need for physical affection, even at the most inconvenient of times? 

they’re both fairly good at controlling themselves and saving it for when the situation calls for it, but when they’re separated and the relationship is secret after zellah goes back topside to network with her family, on the rare occasions they get to rendezvous she’s particularly clingy.

13. What is the silliest thing your OTP would get into an argument/fight over?

silco’s presence in zellah’s workshop is a contested matter even after they’re no longer adversarial. interrupt her tinkering time, pray for mercy.

19. What is their favourite form of affection? (e.g. cuddles, kisses, hand holding, compliments)

silently resting their head on the other’s shoulder. a gentle and welcome reminder they have someone to lean on and share their burdens with.

21. Who’s more romantic?

silco in appearances, since he’s the one who first stops being threatening and hostile and initially tries to court zellah ( — for businesses reasons, of course, not because he has a crush, all strategic, the base asking out pretty gorl necessary for change etc etc ) and does more of the traditional romantic gesture type stuff. but when she’s actually attached zellah is extremely devoted, and when they’re separated she pines hard. (also, returning to the topside you hate to secure your place as an heir in the family business you hate to help your husband’s power plays is a pretty substantial grand romantic gesture, so i’d say she catches up.)

#otp: unstoppable force meets immovable object

[wooahaes]

.... ok, layton anon here again (I might just use that as a tag if that's okay? 👉🏻👈🏻)

I literally just typed out a long ass reply and then tumblr decided to crash - but maybe it's a sign to try and keep it shorter (update: i failed)

for the maze runner thing, it was honestly just about the "people appearing one after another without memories" I think aside from that it's very different, especially in terms of general atmosphere. I've read Day 1 too now btw and I loved it sm! I'm really intrigued to see how it continues<3

I hope your meds are safe for you to take and that they help quickly!!

yess him being like shigure would work really well (i also love shigure sm as a unit but that's a different story)

Also imma be honest as well - i'm the same. Birthright is the only one I finished and other than that I'm like almost through with awakening, halfway with echoes and revelations and idek how far with three houses. I think I get too much into strategizing and spend too much time planning out the classes and skills instead of just playing and then I tend to abandon the games for a while...

So since I'm not super deep into the story myself my 3h au isn't that deep. Y/n would take Byleths place, simply because it makes a lot of sense. And then I sorta assigned the units to the houses based on Vibes TM aka Blue Lions - HHU, Black Eagles - Vocal, Golden Deer Tiger - Performance.

I also felt that some characters shared traits or reminded me of members (Linhardt - Han, Ferdinand - Seungkwan, Sylvain - Mingyu, Claude - Hoshi, Ignatz - Hao). But they'd mostly be themselves and not take over the exact role of anyone. I've also have thoughts on classes for some but not for all. I think Woozi would be something along the lines of a General, Han would be a Dark Mage, Hoshi a Hero, Scoups a Swordmaster or Cavalier (or anything else just give the man a sword) and- yeah I think I'll end it here

thanks for letting me share my fire emblem brain rot!! have a good day/night/evening!<3

omg hiii thats absolutely fine!! i didnt want to just assign it to u but thats 100% fine w me!!

its ok i also fail at writing short responses 90% of the time dskfhdsf tumblr crashing during those is awful tho

ooo yeah fair :0 i can def see it!! ive learned a lot abt tmr through posting this fic lmao but im glad you liked day 1!! the fics gonna honestly slow down for a bit purely bc the next 13 parts are each individual members parts and those are honestly just gonna take a hot sec for me to like... be happy w all of them :(

aaa i still havent taken them just bc. anxiety bad! they shouldnt have any bad interactions since they're not a sulfa drug, but anxiety louder, y'know? im waiting until i know family is awake (yes ik its 4 pm shh) in case i need shit

i also love shigure but thats at least slightly bc of my love for m*tt m*rcer as a voice actor sdfhsdkjfh i adore him tho!! thats my beloved!!

i get DEEP in trying to figure out my units tbh i usually end up drafting out my pairings when i play. if awakening + conquest both had the ability to scout out things as easily as u can in birthright + revelations, i would have def beat them by now tbh.

but also i tend to abandon games after a while by accident sdkfhsdfh

i know little abt 3h but i am nodding along and golden tiger makes me happy. its what my man deserves <3

me lookin up these characters and sees ferdinand is confident and hates losing like YEP thats kwannie. i can see a lot of the comparisons u drew!! :0

i can def see general woozi + hero hoshi + swordsmaster cheol + dark mage han!! cheol is getting a sword and thats all i care about actually /j (nah but if i could give him some sort of rally skill, i think he + woozi + hosh would all have one in some shape!! and most likely seok too since booseoksoon leader ykno)

i honestly feel like shua would potentially be a war cleric. can heal you, but can also can Kill.

alternatively for hannie tho he could be thief -> trickster imo?

i honestly feel like vernon miiight either be a cavalier or an archer. its a gut thing tbh i cannot explain otherwise.

u are always welcome to share ur fe brainrot sdkfhsdf this blog is where i share my svt + trsr (+ skz tbh) brainrot now lmao y'all can Always share stuff ur interested in w me!! i hope u also have a good day/night/evening! <3

#wooahaes.ask #layton anon

[memesnotwelcome]

I can't say I'm surprised at the judge's and Sec. of State's decision to say Marjorie Taylor Greene is qualified to run again. The direct arguments about what disqualified her fell a bit flat legally, rather than the quality of her responses. And when you're treading into new territory, more than a century out from what the laws were meant to address, the former is what you want.

But from a national strategic point of view (sorry Georgia democrats, you aren't winning a +50R point district) keeping her in that seat works out better for the rest of us.

She still won't be on any committees if Dems keep the house, so she remains a loud imptotent fundraiser.

The seat stays out of the hands of someone skilled in the job.

She does more damage to institutional Republicans' plans than any perfectly tailored opposition campaign could.

If I'm forced to deal with the gerrymandered numbnuts that come to congress, then I'd rather deal with the maliciously stupid than the competently corrupt.

#politics #marjorie taylor greene #gop #republican #conservative